A Counterpoison, Religious treatise · Chapter 28
CHAP. XXVIII.
Because they will not take Gods Office out of his hand.
5. Reasons in regard of God are three.
The 1 hath respect to his Office.
The 2 hath respect to his Commandement.
The 3 hath respect to his Glory.
Reason,
1. BEcause hee will not take Gods Office out of his hand, who saith, avenge not your selves, but give place unto wrath, for vengeance is mine, and I will repay it, Rom. 12. 19. Peter speaking of our Saviour Christ, saith, When he was reviled, he reviled not againe; when he suffered, he threatned not, but com…itted it to him that judgeth righteously. 1 Pet. 2. 23. And the Prophet David of himselfe, I returne not reviling for reviling, for on thee, O Lord, do I wait, thou wilt heare me, my Lord my God; meaning, if I call to thee for a just revenge, Psal. 38. 13, 14, 15. If the Lord see it meet that our wrongs should be revenged instantly, he will doe it himselfe; as hee revenged the Israelites upon the Aegyptians: and so that all standers by shall see their fault in their punishment, with admiration. Now I know, saith Jetbro, that the …rd is greater than all the gods, for …s they have dealt proudly with them, so are they recompenced, Exod. 18. 11. And as once he revenged Davids cause upon Nabal, For about ten dayes after, the Lord smote Nabal that he dyed, saith the Text: and it followes, when David heard that Nabal was dead, hee said, Blessed be the Lord, that hath judged the cause of my rebuke at the hand of Nabal, and hath kept his servant from evill; for the Lord hath recompenced the wickednesse of Nabal upon his owne head, 1 Sam. 25. 38, 39. And that infinite wrong of railing Shimei, being left to the Lord, he did revenge it; in giving Shimei up to such a stupidity, that he ran himselfe wilfully upon his owne deserved and shamefull-death.
Or if God doe it not himselfe by some immediate judgement, nor by the hand of the Magistrate, yet he will see that some other shall doe it, though the wronged party be willing to put it up: as for example, Samsons Father-in-Law for taking away his Wife, and shee for her falshood, though they were not punished by him that received the wrong, yet the Philistims burnt both her, and her Father, Judg. 15. Againe, though the Philistims were not punished by the Timnite, or his daughter whom they burnt with fire; yet they were by Samson, who smote them …ip and thigh with a mighty plague, Judg. 15. From which examples we may draw this argument, If the Lord thus revenge the cause of mens particular, and personall wrongs, much more will hee revenge his owne cause: for in this case I may say to every child of God which suffereth for Religions sake, as Jahaziel by the Spirit of God said unto all Judah the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and King Jehosaphat; The battell is not yours, but Gods, wherefore you shall not need to fight in this battell, stand still, move not, and b…hold. the salvation of the Lord towards you, 2 Chron. 20. 15, 17. Yea, it stands upon Christs honour to maintaine those that are in his worke. And Gods too, to defend such as suffer for his sake; and hee that traduceth, or any way wrongs thee for thy goodnesse, his envy strikes at the Image of God in thee; because hee hath no other way to extend his malice to the Deity it selfe; as is apparent by these Scriptures which will be worth thy turning to: Psal. 44. 22. & 69. 7. & 83. 2. to 10. Prov. 19. 3. Rom. 1. 30. Math. 10. 22. & 25. 45. Luke 21. 17. Zach. 2. 8. 1 Sam. 17 45. Psal. 74. 22, 23. Acts 5. 39. Psal. 139. 20. Isay 54. 17. 1 Thess. 4. 8. John 15. 18. to 26. Numb. 16. 11. Saul, Saul, saith Christ, seeing him make havock of the Church, why persecutest thou mee; I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: Acts 9. 4, 5. and Jesus was then in Heaven. Cain imbrewes his hands in the blood of his owne …other, because he was better, and better accepted than himselfe: God takes upon him the quarrell, and indeed it was for his sake that Abell suffered.
Now if we may safely commit our cause, and our selves to God in the greater matters: much more in petty things, as are evill words.
I but, saith the weake Christian, I am so wronged, reviled, and slandered, that it would make a man speak, like Aeagles that famous wrestler, that never spake before in his life. Answer, There is no such necessity.
For first: Who ever was, that was not slandered?
Secondly: let him speake evill of thee, yet others shall not beleeve him; or if the evill and ignorant doe, yet report from wise and good men shall speak thee vertuous.
Yea, Thirdly: though of some the slanderer bee beleeved for a while, yet at last thy actions will outweigh his words; and the disgrace shall rest with the intender of the ill. The constancy of a mans good behaviour vindicates him from ill report.
Fourthly, there's no cause of thy answering, innocency needs not stand upon its owne justification; for God hath undertaken to vindicate it, either by friends, as when Jonathan and Michael, both son and daughter, opposed their own Father in his evil intents to take Davids part, and vindicate his reputation, 1 Sam. 19. 4. 5. 11. 12. or by enemies, as when Pilate pronounced him innocent, whom he condemned to die: which shewes that innocency cannot want abettors: and when Caiaphas was forc't to approve that Christ in the chaire, whom hee c…ndemned on the bench. And when Julian was compelled to cry out, O Galilean, t…ou hast overcome. And when Balaam was forc't to blesse those for nothing, whom he was hired to curse. They that will speake the evill they should not, shall bee driven to speake the good they would not.
Or by strangers that stand by, as when young Daniell stept up to cleare Susanua, of that fowle aspertion.
Or lastly, by himselfe, as he often vindicated Mary; O holy Mary, I admire thy patient silence; thy Sister blames thee for thy piety; the Disciples (afterwards) blame thee for thy bounty, and cost; not a word falls from thy lips in a just vindication of thine honour, and innocency; but in an humble taciturnity, thou leavest thine answer to thy Saviour: How should we learne of thee, when we are complained, of for well doing; to seale up our lippes, and expect our righting from above. And how sure, how ready art thou O Saviour, to speake in the cause of the dumbe: Martha, Martha, thou art carefull, and troubled about many things; but one thing is needfull, and Mary hath chosen the better part. What needed Mary to speake for her selfe, when shee had such an Advocate; she gave Christ an unction of thankefulnesse, hee gave her an unction of a good name; a thing better than oyntment, Eccles. 7. 1. Againe, the Leaper praiseth God, Christ praiseth the Leaper.
True, ill tongues will be walking, but we need not repine at their insolency; why should wee answer every dog that barkes, with barking againe.
But admit God should omit to revenge thy cause, yet, revenge not thy selfe in any case: for by revenging thine owne quarrell, thou makest thy selfe, both the Judge, the Witnesse, the Acouser, and the Executioner: onelyonly use for thy rescue, Prayer to God, and say as Christ hath injoyned, lead me not into temptation, but deliver me from evill, Matth. 6. 13. and it sufficeth. Yet if thou wilt see what God hath done, and what hee can, and will doe, if there bee like need: heare what Ruffinus and Socrates write of Theodosius, in his warres against Eugenius.
When this good Christian Emperour saw the huge multitude that was comming against him, and that in the sight of man there was apparent overthrow at hand, he gets him up into a place eminent, and in the fight of all the Army, falls downe prostrate upon the Earth, beseeching GOD, if ever he would looke upon a sinfull creature, to helpe him at this time of greatest need: whereupon there arose suddenly such a mighty wind, that it blew the Darts of the enemies back upon themselves, in such a wonderfull manner, that Eugenius with all his Host, was cleane discomfited; and seeing the power of Christ so fight for his people, was forced in effect to cry out, as the Aegyptians did, God is in the cloud, and he fighteth for them.
No forces are so strong as the spirituall; the prayers of an Eli…h, are more powerfull than all the armies of Flesh: which made the Queene mother of Scotland confesse, that shee feared more the prayers, and fasting of M… Knox, and his assistants; then an Army of twenty thousand men.
Thus God either preventeth our enemies, as here hee did; or delivereth his servants out of persecution, as he did Peter; or else if hee crowneth them with Martyrdome, as hee did Stephen; hee will in his Kingdome of Glory give them instead of this bitter, a better inheritance; pro ver…t…te morientes, cum verit…te viven…es.
Wherefore in this and all other cases, cast thy burthen upon the LORD, and say with the Kingly Prophet; I will lay me downe in peace, for it is thou Lord only that makest me dwell in safety, Psal. 4. 8.