A Sovereign Antidote to Drive out Discontent, Chapter 6
CHAP. VI.
6. BEcauſe they have reſpect unto Gods Commandments who ſaith, By your patience poſſesse your ſouls, Luk. 21, 19. Be patient toward all men, 1 Theſ. 5, 14. And Let your patient mind be known unto all men, Phil. 4.5. More eſpecially; Let not the Sun go down upon your wrath, neither give plac… to the Devill, Epheſ▪ 4.26, 27. From whence obſerve this by the way, that he which lies down in wrath hath the Devill for his bedfellow.
See, ſaith Paul, that none recompence evill unto any man, 1 Theſ. ….15. And again, Be not overcome with evill, but overcome evill with goodness Rom. 12.21. Yea, ſaith our Saviour, Love your enemies, do well to the… that hate you, bless them that curſe you, and pray for them which hurt you, Luk. 6.27, 28: And in caſe thine enemy hunger, inſtead of adding to his affliction, give him bread to eat; if he thirſt, give him water to drink; or elſe thou breakeſt Gods Commandment touching patience, Prov. 25.21. Rom. 1…. 20▪ and conſequently art in the ſight of God a tranſgressour of the whole La… and ſtandeſt guilty of the breach of every Commandment, James, 2.10, 11. We know the frantick man, though he be ſober eleven moneths of the year, yet if he rage one, he cannot avoid the imputation of madness.
Now as Gods Children ſhould do whatſoever he commands cheerfully, and take whatſoever he doth thankfully; ſo God ſuffers ſuch wrongs to be, that he may exerciſe thy patience, and he commands thee to forgive thoſe wrongs, that thou mayeſt exerciſe thy charity, and approve thy ſincerity: Many ſay, Lord, Lord; but if you love me, ſaith Chriſt, keep my Commandments. It is an idle ceremony to bow at the Name of Ieſus, except we have him in our hearts, and honour him with our lives. Phraates ſent a Crown as … preſent to Caeſar, againſt whom he was up in Arms; but Caeſar returned … back with this anſwer; Let him return to his obedience firſt, and then I'le accept of the Crown, by way of recog…i…ance. God admits none to Heaven (ſaith juſtin Martyr) but ſuch as can perſwade him by their works, that they have loved him. And indeed, take a man that truly loves God, he will eaſily be friends, not eaſily be provoked.
True, take him unexpectedly, he may have his leſſon to ſeek (even he that was the meekeſt man upon earth, threw down that in a ſudden indignation, which in cold blood he would have held faſter than his life, Exod. 32.19.) but when he bethinks himſelf what God requires, it is enough. When T… ribaezus a noble Perſian was arreſted, at firſt he drew his ſword, and defended himſelf; but when they charged him in the Kings Name, and enformed him they came from his Majeſty, he yielded preſently, and willingly.
If then we will approve our ſelves true obedienciaries, let our revenge be like that of Eliſha's to the Aramites, inſtead of ſmiting them, ſet bread and water before them: Or like that of Pericles, who as Plutarch reports, when one had ſpent the day in rayling upon him at his own door, leaſt he ſhould go home in the dark, cauſed his man to light him with a Torch. And to do otherwiſe is Ammonite▪ like, to entreat thoſe Embaſſadours ill, which are ſent in kindneſſe and love: for theſe afflictions are Gods Embassadours, and to handle them rufly, yea, to repine or grudge againſt them, is to intreat them evill. And certainly, as David took it not well when the Ammonites ill intreated his Embassadours, ſo God will not take the like well from thee, 1 Chron. 19. But ſecondly, as the Law of God bindes us to this, ſo doth the Law of Nature: Whatſoever you would that men ſhould do unto you even ſo do you unto them, Matth. 7.12. Our Saviour doth not ſay, Do unto others, as others do unto you, but as you would have others do unto you. Now if we have wronged any man, we deſire that he ſhould forgive us, and therefore we muſt forgive him. Nor would we have any man traduce us behind our backs: therefore St. Auſtin writ over his Table thus
To ſpeak ill of the abſent forbear:
Or elſe ſit not at table here.
Lex talionis was never a good Chriſtian Law. If I forgive not, I ſhall not be forgiven, Mar. 11.26 So to ſay of our Enemies, as Sampſon once of the Philiſtins: even as they did unto me, ſo I have done unto them, is but an ill plea. For the Law of God, and the Law of Nature forbids it; and doth not the Law of Nations alſo? Yes, throughout the whole world: either they have no Law, or elſe a Law to prohibit men from revenging themſelves.
When we have ſuffered ſome evill, the fleſh, our own wiſdome, like the King of Iſrael, 2 King. 6.21. will bid us return evill to the doer; but the Spirit or wiſdome of God, like Eliſha, oppoſeth and bids us return him good notwithſtanding his evill. But the fleſh will reply, he is not worthy to be forgiven: I, but ſaith the Spirit, Chriſt is worthy to be obeyed, who hath commanded thee to forgive him. Now, whethers counſell wilt thou follow? It is not alwayes good to take our own counſell; our own wit often hunts us into the ſnares, that above all we would ſhun. We oft uſe means of preſervation, and they prove deſtroying ones. Again, we take courſes to ruin us and they prove means of ſafety. How many flying from danger, have met with death; and on the other ſide, found protection even in the very jawes of miſchief, that God alone may have the glory. It fell out to be part of Mithridates miſery, that he had made himſelf unpoyſonable, All humane wiſedom is defective, nor doth the Fools bolt ever miſſe: whatſoever man thinketh to do in contrariety, is by God turned to be an help of haſtning the end he hath appointed him. We are governed by a power that we cannot but obey, our minds are wrought against our mindes to alter us. In brief, man is oft his own Traytor, and maddeth to undo himſelf. Wherefore take the Spirits and the Words direction. Render good for evil, and not like for like, though it be with an unwilling willingnesse; as the Merchant caſteth his goods over board, and the Patient ſuffers his arm or leg to be cut off: and ſay with thy Saviour, Neverthelesse; not my will but thy will be done.
But yet more to induce thee hereunto; conſider in the laſt place, That to avenge thy ſelf, is both to loſe Gods protection, and to incur his condemnation. We may be ſaid to be out of his protection, when we are out of our way which he hath ſet us: he hath promiſed to give his Angels charge over us, to keep us in all our wayes, Pſal. 91.11. that is, in the way of obedience, or the way of his commandements. But this is one of the Devils wayes, a way of ſinne and diſobedience; and the refore hath no promiſe or aſſurance of protection: we may truſt God, we may not tempt him: if we do, what ſeconds ſoever we get, Chriſt will not be our ſecond. Where is no commandement, there is no promiſe; if we want his word, in vain we look for his …. When we have means to keep our ſelves, Gods omnipotency is for the preſent dſcharged. If Eutychus had fallen down out of a ſaucy malipertneſ… ▪ I doubt whether he had been reſtored by St Paul, Acts 20.9. Waſts and ſtray…s, are properly due to the Lord of the ſoyl: and you know what the Devill ſaid to our Saviour, Luk. 4.6. which in a reſtrained ſenſe is true. And therefore when one in Gods ſtead rebuked Satan, touching a Virgin whom he poſſeſt at a Theatre, ſaying, How durſt thou be ſo bold, as to enter into my houſe? Satan anſwers, becauſe I found her in my houſe▪ as Chryſoſtom delivers it. I am ſure Dinah fell into foul hands, when her Fathers houſe could not hold her: and Sampſon the like, when he went to Dalilah: and Ionah, when he went to Tarſhiſh: and the ſeduced Prophet, when he went beyond his Commission, ſet him by God: and many the like, who left the path of Gods protection, where the Angels guard and watch to walk in the Devils by way of ſinne and diſobedience. The Chickins are ſafe under the wings of their mother, and we under the providence of our Father; ſo long as we hold the tenure of obedience, we are the Lords Subjects, and if we ſerve him, he will preſerve us. A Prieſt might enter into a Leprous houſe without danger: becauſe he had a calling from God ſo to do, and we may follow God dry-ſhod through the Red-Sea. Neither need we vex our ſelves with cares, as if we lived at our own coſt, or truſted to our own ſtrength: but when a man is fallen to the ſtate of an Out-Law or Rebell; the Law diſpenſeth with them that kill him, becauſe the Prince hath excluded him from his Protection. Now this being our caſe, ſay there ſhall happen any thing amiſſe, through thy taking revenge, what mayeſt thou not expect to ſuffer, and in thy ſuffering, what comfort canſt thou have? Whereas, if God bring us into croſſes, he will be with us in thoſe croſſes, and at length bring us out of them more refined. You may obſerve, there is no ſuch coward, none ſo valiant as the believer: without Gods warrant he dares do nothing; with it, any thing. Nothing without it. Thoſe ſaith Baſil (to a great man that perſwaded him to yeeld) who are trained up in the Scriptures, will rather die in an holy quarrell, than abate one ſyllable of divine truth. Nor would any ſolicite them to do ill, did they rightly know them: for what Cicero ſpeaks of Cato (viz. O gentle Cato, how happy art thou to have been ſuch an one? that never man durſt yet preſume, to ſolicite thee in any diſhoneſt cauſe, or contrary to duty) may be applied to every Believer, rightly ſo ſtiled: When the Tormentors of Marcus Arethuſius (who laid to his charge the pulling down of an idolatrous Temple) offered him his pardon, in caſe he would give ſo much as would build it up again, he refuſed it; and being further urged to give but half, he refuſed it: at laſt, being told that if he would give but a little towards it, they would releaſe him; he refuſed to give them ſo much as an half penny: ſaying, No not an half penny; for it is as great wickedneſs, ſaid he; to confer one half penny, in caſe of impiety, as if a man ſhould beſtow the whole. A good conſcience being in the greateſt torture, will not give one half penny to be releaſed, with hurt to his conſcience: he ſcans not the weight of the thing, but the authority of the Commander: and ſuch have no good conſciences, that dare gratifie Satan, in committing the leaſt ſinne, or neglect God in the ſmalleſt precept. The conſcionable Nazarite, Numb. 6. did not only make ſcruple of guzling, and quaffing whole Flagons of wine, but of eating only a husk, or an kernell of the grape: knowing the one was as well forbidden as the other. Will any man eat poyſon becauſe there is but a little of it? A ſmall bullet may kill a man as well as a great one. Goliah was as much hurt by Davids little ſtone, as Sampſon by the weight of a whole houſe. And Ely died as well by falling back in his chair, as Iezabel by being thrown down from an high window. And what ſaith our Saviour to the unjuſt Steward? He that is faithfull in that which is leaſt, is faithfull alſo in much; and he that is unjuſt in the leaſt, is unjuſt alſo in much, Luk. 16.10. He that will corrupt his conſcience for a pound, what would he do for a thouſand? If Iudas will fell his Maſter for thirty pence, what would he not have done for the Treaſury?
Alas, there are no ſins ſmall but comparatively: Theſe things (ſpeaking of Mint and Cummin) ought ye to have done, ſayes our Saviour, and not have left the other undone, Luk. 11.42. Wherefore it is with a good and tender conſcience, as it is with the apple of the eye, for as the leaſt hair or duſt grieves and offends that which the skin of the eye-lid could not once complain of; ſo a good and tender conſcience is diſquieted, not only with beams, but moats, even ſuch as the world accounts trifles; it ſtrains not only at Cammels, but Gnats alſo. A ſincere, heart is like … neat ſpruce man, that no ſooner ſpies the leaſt ſpeck or ſpot on his garment, but he gets it waſht or ſcrap't off: the common Chriſtian, like a naſty ſloven, who, though he be, all foul and beſmeared, can indure it well enough: yea, it offends him that another ſhould be more neat than himſelf. But ſuch men ſhould conſider, that though they have large conſciences, that can ſwallow down any thing, yet the ſincere and tender conſcience is not ſo wide. A ſtrait ſhooe cannot indure the leaſt pibble ſtone, which will hardly be felt in a wider; neither will God allow thoſe things in his Children, which he permits in his enemies: no man but will permit that in another mans Wife or Child, which he would abhor in his own. A box of precious oyntment, may not have the leaſt fly in it; nor a delicate Garden, the leaſt weed, though the Wilderneſſe be overgrown with them.
I know the blind world ſo blames the Religious, and their Religion alſo, for this niceneſſe, that they think them Hypocrites for it: but this was Iobs comfort in the aſperſion of Hypocriſie, My wi…neſs is in Heaven, and my record on high. And as touching others that are offended, their anſwer is, Take thou O God (who needeſt not …ur ſinne to further thy work of Grace) the charge of thy Glory, give us grace to take charge of thy Precepts. For ſure we are, that what is abſolutely evill, can by no circumſtance be made good; poyſ…n may be qualified and become medicinall ▪ there is uſe to be m…de of an enemy; ſickneſſe may turn to our bette… health; and death it ſelf to the faithful, is but a door to life, but ſinne, be it never ſo ſmall, can never be made good. Thus you have ſeen their fear, but look alſo upon their courage, for they more fear the leaſt ſinne, t…an the greateſt torment.
All the fear of Satan and his inſtruments, ariſeth from the want of the true fear of God; but the more a man fears God, the leſſe he fears everything elſe. Fear God, honour the King 1 Pet. 2.14, 17. He that fears God, doth but honour the King, he need not fear him, Rom. 13.3. the Law hath not power to ſmite the vertuous.
True, many have an opinion not wiſe. That Piety and Religion abates fortitude, and makes valour Feminine: but it is a foundationlesse conceit. The true beleever fear… nothing but the diſpleaſure of the higheſt, and runs away from nothing but ſinne.
Indeed he is not like our hot ſpurs, that will fight in no cauſe but a bad, that fear where they ſhould not fear, and fear not where they should fear, that fear the blaſts of mens breath, and not the fire of God… wrath, that fear more to have the world call them Cowards for refuſing, then God to judg them rebels for undertaking: that tremble at the thought of a Priſon, and yet not fear Hell fire: That can govern Towns and Cities, and let … ſilly woman over-rule them at home; it may be a ſervant or a Child, as Themiſtocle… Sonne did in Greece: What I will, ſaid he, my Mother will have done, and wh…t my Mother will have, my Father doeth. That will undertake a long journey by Sea in a W…erry, as the deſperate Marriner hoyſteth ſayl in a ſtorm, and ſayes None of this Anceſtors were drowned: That will ruſh fearleſly into infected houſes, and ſay, The Plague never ceizeth on valiant blood, it kills none but Cowards: That languiſhing of ſome ſickneſſe, will ſtrive to drink it away, and ſo make haſt to diſpatch both body and ſoul at once: that will run on high battlements, gallop down ſteep hils, ride over narrow bridges, walk on weak Ice, and never think what if I fall? but what if I paſſe over and fall not?
No, he is not thus fearleſſe, for this is preſumption and deſperate madneſſe, not that courage and fortitude which ariſeth from faith, and the true fear of God; but from blindneſſe and invincible ignorance of their own eſtate: As what think you? Would any man put his life to a venture, if he knew that when he died he ſhould preſently drop into hell? I think not. But let the beleeving Chriſtian, (who knowes he hath a place reſerved for him in Heaven) have a warrant from Gods word; you cannot name the ſervice, or danger that he will ſtick at. Nor can he lightly fail of ſucceſſe. It is obſerved that Trajan was never vanquiſhed, becauſe he never undertook warre without juſt cauſe. In fine, at he is moſt fearfull to offend, ſo he is moſt couragious in a good cauſe; as abundance of examples witneſſe, whereof I'le but inſtance two: for the time would be too ſhort to …ell of Abraham, and Moſes, and Caleb, and David, and Gideon, and Baruck and Sampſon, and Ieptha, and many others; of whom the holy Ghoſt gives this generall teſtimony; that by faith of weak they are made ſtrong, waxed valiant in battel, turned to flight the Armies of the Aliants, ſubdued Kingdoms, ſtopt the mouths of Lyons, quenched the violence of the fire, &c. Heb. 11.22, to 35. Nor will I pitch upon Ioſhua, whom neither Caeſar, nor Pompey, nor Alexander the Great, nor William the Conquerour, nor any other ever came near, either for valour or victories: but even Ionathan before, and the Martyrs, after Chriſt, ſhall make it good. As what think you of Ionathan, whom neither ſteepneſs of Rocks, nor multitude of enemies, could diſcourage, or diſwade from ſo unlikely an aſſault? Is it poſſible, if the divine power of Faith, did not add ſpirit and courage, making men more then men; that two ſhould dare to think of encountering ſo many thouſands? and yet behold Ionathan and his Armour bearer put to flight, and …rified the hearts of all the Philiſtins, being thirty thouſand Chariots, ſix thouſand Horſe-men, and Foot-men like the ſand of the Sea-ſh…re, 1 Sam. 14.15. O divine power of faith! that in all attemps and difficulties makes us more then men, and regards no more Armies of adverſaries, than ſwarms …. A natural man in a project ſo unlikely, would have had many thoughts of diſcouragment, and ſtrong reaſons to diſwade him: but his faith diſſolves impediments, as the Sunne doth dews; yea, he contemns all fears, over-looks all impossibilities, breaks through all difficulties with a reſolute courage, and flies over all carnall objections with celeſtiall wings; becauſe the ſtrength of his God, was the ground of his ſtrength in God.
But ſecondly▪ To ſhew that their courage is no leſs passive, than active; look upon that Noble Army of Martyrs, mentioned in Eccleſiaſtical Hiſtory, who went as willingly and cheerfully to the ſtake, as our Gallants to a Play; and leapt into their beds of flames, as if they had been beds of down: yea, even weak women, and young ſtriplings, when with one daſh of a pen, they might have been releaſed. If any ſhall yet doubt which of the two (the Religious or Prophane) are moſt valiant and couragious; let them look upon the demeanour of the twelve Spies, Numb. the 13th and 14th Chapters; and obſerve the difference between the two faithfull and true hearted, and the other ten: then will they conclude, that Piety and Religion doth not make men Cowards; or if it do, that as there is no feaſt to the Churles, ſo there is no fight to the Cowards. True, they are not ſoon, not eaſily provoked; but all the better, the longer the could fit in an Ague, the ſtronger the hot fit.
I know men of the Sword, will deem thoſe the greateſt Cowards that are leaſt apt to fight. But as when it was objected to a Martyr, that his Chriſt was but a Carpenters ſonne, he aſwered, yea, but ſuch a Carpenter as built Heaven and Earth: ſo we grant, we are Cowards, as they tearm us, but ſuch cowards as are a…le to prevail with God, Gen. 32.26, 28. Exod. 32.10. And overcome the World, the Fleſh, and the Devil, 1 Ioh. 5.4. Gal. 5.24 1 …oh. 2.14. which is as much valour and victory as we care for. Tru… is truth, as well when it is not acknowledged, as when it is: and experience tell us, that he who fears not to do evill, is alwayes afraid to ſuffer evill. Yea the Word of God is expreſſe; That none can be truly valarous, but ſuch as are truly religious, The wicked fly when none purſueth, but the righeous are as bold as a Lyon, Prov. 28.1. The reaſon whereof i…, If they live, they know by whom they ſtand; if they die, they know for whoſe ſake they fall.
But what ſpeak I of their not fearing death, when they ſhall not fear even the day of Iudgment, 1 Joh. 4.17. Haſt not thou O Saviour bidde… us, when the Elements ſhall be diſſolved, and the Heavens ſhall be flaming about our ears, to lift up our heads with joy, becauſe our redemption draweth nigh, Luk. 21.25, to 29, Wherefore ſaith the valiant Believer, come death, come fire, come whirlewinde, they are worthy to be welcome that ſhall carry us to immortality. Let Pagans and Infidels fear death, ſaith St. Cyprian who never feared God in their life, but let Chriſtians go to it as travellers unto their native home; as Children unto their loving Father; willingly, joyfully. Let ſuch fear to die, as have no hope to live a better life: well may the brute beaſts fear death, whoſe end of life is the concluſion of their being: well may the Epicure tremble at it, who with his life looketh to loſe his felicity: well may ignorant and unrepentant ſinners quake at it, whoſe death begins their damnation: well may all thoſe make much of this life, who are not ſure of a better; becauſe they are conſcious to themſelves, that this dying life, will but bring them to a living death, they have all ſown in ſinne, and what …an they look to reap, but miſery and vanity? ſinne was their traffique, and grief will be their gain; deteſtable was their life, and damnable will be their deceaſe.
But it is otherwiſe with the Godly, they may be killed, but cannot be hurt; for even death (that fiend) is to them a friend, like the Read Sea to the Iſraelites, which put them over to the Land of Promiſe, while it drowned their enemies. It is to the faithful as the Angels were to Lot, who ſnatcht him out of Sodome, while the reſt were conſumed with fire and Brimſtone. Every believer is Chriſts betrothed Spouſe, and death is but a meſſenger to bring her …ome to her Husband: and what chaſte or loving Spouſe, will not earneſtly deſire the preſence of her Bridegroom (as St. Auſtin ſpeaks?) Yea, the day of death to them, is the day of their Coronation: and what Princely heir does not long for the day of his inſt…lm…t, and rejoyce when it comes? Certainly it was the ſweeteſt voit… that ever the Thief heard in this life, when Chriſt ſaid unto him, This day ſhalt thou be with me in Paradiſe, Luk. 23.43. In a word, as death to the wicked, puts an end to their ſhort joyes, and begins their everlaſting ſorrowes: ſo to the Elect, it is the end of all ſorrow, and the beginning of their everlaſting joyes.
The end of their ſorrow; for whereas complaint of evils▪ paſt, ſenſe of …, and fear of future, have ſhared our lives amongſt them; death is
1. A Superſedeas for all diſeaſes; the Reſurrection knows no imper…ction,
2, It is a Writ of eaſe, to free us from labour and ſervitude: like Moſes … delivered Gods people out of bondage, and from brick making i… …egypt.
3. Whereas our ingreſſe into the world, our progreſſe in it, our egreſſ… …ut of it, is nothing but ſorrow (for we are born crying, live grumbling, …nd die ſighing) death is a medicine, which drives away all theſe, for we …hall riſe triumphing.
4. It ſhall revive our reputation…, and cleer our Names from all ignomi▪ …y and reproach; yea, the more contemptible here, the more glorious here…. Now a very Duelliſt will go into the field to ſeek death, and finde …onour.
5. Death to the godly is as a Goal▪delivery, to let the Soul out of the …riſon of the body, and ſet it free.
6. Death frees us from ſinne, an Inmate that (ſpite of our teeth) will …ouſt with us, ſo long as life affords it ho…ſe room: for what is it to the …ithfull, but the funerall of their vices, and the reſurrection of their vertues.