Two Treatises, Treatise 1 · Chapter 12
CHAP. XII.
Containing an Uſe of Reprehenſion to thre… Sorts of Perſons, viz. Unbelievers, Murmurers, and raſh Cenſurers.
NOw in the laſt Place, to infer the Uſe and Application particularly unto all our Conſciences; There are four Uſes to be made of this Doctrine, …. For Reprehenſion, Exhortation, Examination, and Conſolation.
The firſt Uſe is for Reprehenſion and Ʋſe 1 Of Reprehenſion.ſevere Redarg…ion, unto ſeveral ſorts of Perſons. Three of them …e ſingle out, vi…. Unbelievers, Murmurers, and raſh Cenſurers, who in an eſpeciall manner come under the verge of this Repoof.
1. Here's matter of Reproof unto all1. Unbelievers. Unbelievers, who neither will truſt God upon his threatnings, nor upon his promiſes. Theſe live by Senſe, and not by Faith. They imitate thoſe, who will part with nothing without Money in hand. When Creature-Comforts faile them, their Faith failes with them. Hence it comes to paſs, that they traduce the Divine Providence with profane… King. …. 33. Jehoram, ſaying, Behold this evil is of the Lord, why ſhould I wait for the Lord any longer? Now what's the reaſon that men are to ſeek for help and comfort under their greateſt preſſures, and know not how to get any help, but becauſe they truſt not God, they go to King |Hoſ. 5. 13. Idololatr… a…xiliis bu…a…is confidu…, ſed h…c …ultum & Lepe eos fallunt. Nam quum Aſſyrius debebat … ipſe incipiehat vaſtare, & Hiſtoriae teſtantur, plerunque exter…s Reges … advocantes … Ta…mou.Jareb and to the Aſſyrian, i. e. They go to broken reeds, to outward means, which will no way help nor heal them. Job was of an Excellent Spirit, who would take a curſe upon himſelf, If he made Gold his Hope, or the fine Gold his Confidence, Job. 31. 24.
Not to ſtay in Generals. An Unbeliever (who reſ… ſatisfied in his Unbelief) is no better than an Heathen, a Lyar, and a Thief. Such would fly in that Mans Face, that ſhould call them by ſuch Ignominious Names; and yet, ſo they are branded by the Word of God.1. An Unbeliever is an Heathen.
Firſt, An Unbeliever is an Heathen, Mat. 6. 31, 32. Therefore take no Thought, ſ…ying, What ſhall we Eat, or what ſhall we Drink? or wherewithal ſhall we be Cloath…ed? For after all theſe things do the Gentiles Seek; for your Heavenly Father know…th, that ye have need of all theſe things.
Now, ſhall not Chriſtians out-ſtrip Pagans? Heathens pore only upon the preſent Life, and underſtand not any thing concerning a Life to come. What a ſhame is it for Chriſtians to imitate Heathens? Salvian ſaith, It's the Guilt Minoris criminis reatus eſt, …egem ne…cire quam ſpernere. Salv. lib. 4.of a leſs Crime, to be ignorant of the Law than to Deſpiſe it. Heathens, who know not Scripture, ſhall fare better, than knowing Chriſtians, who abuſe their Knowledge, and confute what they know, by the practice of a contrary Life, and Converſation.
Second, An Unbeliever is a Lyar, and2. An Unbeliever is a Lyar. puts a Lye upon God himſelf. To give a Man the Lye, is accounted a great affront and indignity. But how much greater muſt it be, to give the Lye to the Great GOD of Heaven and Earth? as is plain from 1 Joh… 5. 10. He that believe… Quis non horr…at fidem▪ E…angelio derogare, in quo Deus …nice verax & fidelis vult haberi. Calv.not God, hath made … a Lyar, becauſe he bel… veth not the Record, th… God gave of his Son. An Unbelieve… belyeth the Holy Goſpel, and mal…es… in his account, no better than a Fable… and Chriſt no better than an Impo… O! How great then muſt this S… be?
Third, An Unbeliever is a Thief, and3. An Unbeliever is a Thief. a Robber. He (ſo far as in him lyeth) robbeth God of his Glory and Honour. We muſt diſtinguiſh (for prevention of Miſtakes) of a twofold Glory, viz. Eſſential and declarative. It's impoſible to Rob God of his Eſſential Glory: But an Unbeliever doth his utmoſt to Rob God of his Declarative Glory: For he diſtruſts God's Power, Wiſdom, Mercy, and Truth; He calls all the Attributes of God into Queſtion, and this is an interpretative Blaſphemy, and a tranſcendent Affront, and indignity offered unto the Great GOD of Heaven and Earth. Could Pythagoras a Heathen Philoſopher, ſo far prevail upon his Schollars, as his foreign, what he ſaid, was Authentick and Perſwaſive? And ſhall not the Word of Chriſt, who ſpake as never Man ſpake, even the words of Eternal Life, ſhall not theſe gain Credit and Obedience?
But I proceed to reprove a Second 2. Murmurers are Reproved.Sort, who are Murmurers, complaining, and diſcontented Perſons. They are ſo far from being thankful (as they ought to be) for what they have already Received; inſomuch, that they Murmur ſwhich they ought not) for what they want. Theſe entertain hard Thoughts of God; And when they are not Satiſfied, nor anſwered as ſoon as they call, they break forth into repinings, and diſcontented Language. So did the murmuring Iſraelites ſmart for their Murmurings, and became Spectacles of dreadful Judgments. They were denied entrance into the promiſed Land, Numb. 14. 29, 30. The Earth opened her Mouth and Swallowed Korah, Dathan, and Abiram. And the Pſalmiſt gives the Reaſon of their overthrow in the Wilderneſs,Pſal. 106. 25. becauſe They Murmured in their Tents, and Hearkned not unto the Voice of the Lord. The Miſchiefs of murmuring, and diſcontented Spirits are exceeding great. I ſhall repreſent them in theſe enſuing Aggravations.
Firſt, There is a great deal of UnthankfulneſsAggrav. 1. There is Unthankfulneſs in Murmuring. in a murmuring Spirit. It is the Lord's Mercy that we are not Conſumed; becauſe his Compaſſions fail not, We are yet Living Men; That we are not ſtruck Dead in our Sins, is Mercy; and we have great cauſe of Thankfulneſs, that we are Living Men; Wherefore, then …am. 3. 39.ſhould the Living Man complain? Yet we are on this ſide Hell and Eternity; and if we have leſs than Hell, it's more than we deſerve. Unthankful and u… holy 2. Tin. 3. 2.are Ranked together. Unthankfulneſs, is a Wicked Effect that comes from a murmuring Spirit. For thoughforeign, Quibus nullum ju… eſt, nec …. Beza. many receive Mercies heaped, and varieties of Loving Kindneſſes; Yet Murmurers, account the Mercies which they Receive, as no Mercies, or very ſmall things; becauſe they have not what they would have. And thus Men leſſen God's Mercies, and lightly Eſteem of them; which is a very great Evil. Thus the Iſraelites accounted Manna but Light Bread. They were weary of it, and their Murmuring,Numb. 21. 5. They counted Ainſw. diſcovered their great Ingratitude. it▪ baſe, and vile in compariſon with othe… Meats.
Secondly, Murmuring hinders the Practice2. Aggra. Murmuring hinders the Practice of Duties. of Duties. A Man Diſcontented, cannot ſet himſelf to pray Aright. When we Pray, we ſhould acknowledge God's Soveraignty over us; and reſign our wills to His diſpoſal. But by Murmuring, we preſume to Preſcribe to God, and to be our own Carvers; and ſo undoe our Prayers. How can a diſcontented Man. reap Profit by a Sermon, when his Mind is Diſtracted, and roving in the uttermoſt parts of the Earth? How can a Man, that's dayly Murmuring, and Diſcontented, perform (as he ought to do) the Duties of his Relations, as a Huſband, Father, Maſter, &c. when as his Spirit is Perplexed, and his Mind Tortured, like one upon a Rack? His Bread is his Gravel, his Bed, a Bed of Thorns; he hath a reſtleſs, and unquiet Spirit, which unfits him for every Duty.
Thirdly, Murmuring adds greater3. Aggra. Murmuring adds greater weight to Afflictions. Weight to any Affliction. If a Marri…er in a Storm will be froward, and angry at the Storm, and will not pull down his Sails; his diſcontented Humour, may hazard the loſing of the Ship: So a diſcontented Heart, is a froward Heart, and frets, and fumes, and ſwells with Pride, and will not yield; and therefore, the Affliction is much more Grievous, and Inſupportable.
Fourthly and Laſtly, A murmuring4. Aggra▪ Murmuring ends in a Curſe. and diſcontented Spirit, terminates in a great Curſe, Pſal. 59. 15. Let them wander up and down for Meat, and Grudg if they be not Satisfied. This is an Imprecation, andCerte juſto Dei judicio ad eum mo…um pun…untur tyrannorum ſatellices, …iſer…um …oppreſſores quibus bona p…perum per injuriam ablat… impenduntur, ut o…es per calu…m a…q…iſitas non d… obtineant: deinde ad …g…ſtatem re…acti neminem inveniant qui … furientium Commiſereatur; digni qui …andem inhuma…, quam itſi antea exercuerunt in imm…ritos, exp…riantur. Mu… cul. in Loc. Curſe upon wicked Men, that if they be not Satisfied, they ſhall Grudg. There is likewiſe, a Curſe upon thoſe that are not Content with their preſent Condition, Deut. 28. 67. In the Morning thou ſhalt ſay, would God it were Even, and at Even thou ſhalt ſay, would God it were Morning. Neither Evening nor Morning pleaſeth a diſcontented Perſon. He is ſuch as the Proverb ſaith) Who is neither contented, Full nor Faſting. There is a Curſe likewiſe (Deut. 28. 4.) upon thoſ… Who ſerved not the Lord with Joyfulneſs, and with Gladneſs of Heart, for the abundance of all things. God would have his People ſerve him with Chearfulneſs. This was the Reſolution of the Church, when ſhe was in a low trembling Condition, Hab. 3. 17, 18. Although the Fig-Tree ſhall not Bloſſom, neither ſhall Fruit be in the Vine, the Labour of the Olive ſhall fail, and the Fields ſhall yield no Meat, the Flock ſhall be cut off from the Fold, and there ſhall be no Herd in the Stalls: Yet will I Rejoyce in the Lord, I will Joy in the God of my Salvation. None indeed have cauſeGaudi… propriu… eſt Piorum. Aug. of Joy, but God's Children. Joy (ſaith Auguſtin) Is only the Portion of the Godly. Away then with, and abandon all murmuring, diſcontented Speeches. LabourRes ſevera eſt verum Gaudium. Seneca. to be Thankful, and a thankful Heart, is a contented Heart.
A Third Sort to be reproved, are Raſh Cenſurers, who by their uncharitable3. Raſh Cenſurers are Reproved. Cenſures, add more Weight to the Burdens, and more Afflictions to the Bonds of God's Afflicted Children. Every prophane Miſcreant is …pt toƲ …ima eſt adverſae fortunae ſarcina, quod dum miſeris aliquod crimen effi…gitur, quae perferunt meruiſſe creduntur▪ Boeth▪ lib. 1. Proſ. 4. de conſol. Trample on them, that are already caſt down, and reproach Sufferers, and cenſure them for the vileſt of Men. They throw Dirt enough, hoping that ſome may Stick. But Chriſt gives a ſeaſonable Caution, Luk. 13. 2. Suppoſe ye, that theſe Galileans were Sinners above all the Galileans, becauſe they Suffered ſuch things? and ver. 4. Or thoſe Eighteen, upon whom the Tower in Siloam fell, and Slew them; think ye, that they were Sinners above all Men that dwelt in Jeruſalem? Christ puts them in mind of that neceſſary indiſpenſable Duty of Repentance, ver. 5. I tell you, nay: but except ye Repent, ye ſhall all likewiſe Periſh. |Si ipſi noſtri ſimus accuſatores, profic… nobis ad ſalutem; ſ… vero expectamus ut a Diabolo accuſemur, accuſatio illa nobis cedit ad paenam. Origen Hom. 3. in Lev.If Cenſurers of others would reflect upon themſelves, and enquire into their own Hearts, they would find work enough to buſy themſelves at Home, and take more heed, leaſt they Condemn the Generation of the Righteous. For every one toEx …o …squisque juſtus eſſe incipit, ex quo ſui Accuſator Extiterit. Bern. de inter▪ Dom. c. 1. Accuſe himſelf, is the way to mend.
Job's Friends were miſtaken Exceedingly, in Condemning him for Hypocriſy: Whereas Hypocriſy was not the cauſe of his Sufferings God had a Deſign to prove the Devil a Lyar, Wh… moved God against him. And likewiſe, God made Job a Probationer, and proved him, and refined him by Afflictions, and left him upon Record, as a mirror of Patience to Poſterity. Had it not been for the exerciſe of Patience under Afflictions, we had not injoyed that excellent Book of Job. But nothing more common, than to Brand the greateſt Sufferers, for the greateſt Sinners, to cenſure them for Caſt-awayes, and rejected of God. This is the groſs miſtake of Multitudes. We Read in the Goſpel, when they brought a Man Born Blind to Chriſt, the Diſciples asked him, Maſter, Who did Sin, this Man, or his Parents, that he was Born Blind? Jeſus Anſwered, Neither hath this Man Sinned, nor his Parents; but that the Works of God ſhould be made Manifeſt in him. Though he was a Sinner from the Womb, yet he did not Sin himſelf Blind. God did not inflict Blindneſs upon him for any particular Sin. Thus God, according to his Soveraign, and abſolute Prerogative, may do what he pleaſeth, and none … Queſtion. In Affliction (as a LearnedSi iniquitatis merita reſpiciat, nullum eſt adeo ingens ſ… plicium, &c. Ferus in loc. Author obſerves) God either looks at Sin, or at his own Glory: If he look at Sin, no Affliction is ſo great, but we deſervedly Suffer it. But oft-times, God only looks at his own Glory, and then he Afflicts not for Sin.
Now if it be thus Sinful to paſs wrong, and uncharitable Cenſures upon God's Children in Affliction, How much more Sinful is it to Rejoyce in their Calamities? foreign, i. e. a Rejoycing in others Sufferings, argueth a brutiſh, and a barbarous Spirit; even as bad as the Spirit of a Tyger, or the Bowels of an Eſtrich. Thus David was troubled withPſal. 70. …. ſuch inhuman Enemies, who deſired his Hurt, and Cried, Aha, Aha. They Rejoyced in any Evil that befel him. They Inſulted over him in his Afflictions,Malo meo gaudentes dicunt de me euge, euge. Jan. in loc. and (as Janſenius obſerves) ſhewed Acclamations of Joy. Now ſuch there are, who (as Solomon ſaith) Rejoyce to do Evil, Prov. 21. 4. They Sleep not, except they have done Miſchief, and their Sleep is taken away, unleſs they cauſe ſome to Fall. Theſe are the Perſons, who like the Devil, are moſt pleas'd, when they have done moſt Miſchief; and are moſt Joyful, when they hear of the Sorrows, and Afflictions of God's Children. To ſuch, I will relate a Story of Stephen Vid. Fox Acts and Monu. Queen Maries Days …. 3.Gardiner, Biſhop of Wincheſter, who had provided a great Feaſt to Entertain his Acquaintance that Day, that Biſhop Rid… …y, and Biſhop Latimer were to be Burnt▪ but he would not ſit down to Dinner, till a Meſſenger late in the Afternoon, brought word of their Burning; then he went merrily to Dinner with his Gueſts. But behold, the Hand of God was upon him at Dinner, and he was Carried from Table; his Tongue was Swoln, and a dreadful Diſeaſe called Miſerer mei, ſeized on him; he Dyed of that remarkable Sickneſs, and in his Sickneſs he Confeſſed, That he Denied Chriſt with Peter; but he did not Repent with Peter.
Let ſuch Stories be a Warning-Piece to all ſuch, who Rejoyce in the Sufferings of God's Children. God Profeſſeth, that he was ſorely diſpleaſed, with ſuch as help forward his Peoples Afflictions, Zeph 1. 15. Although God chaſtiſe his deareſt Children (for they may be Sub ira, yet they are not Filii irae) yet God will not … them. He chaſtiſeth his own People with the Rods of Men; but the Wicked he will Chaſtiſe with Scorpions. What the Godly Suffer, is only a Fatherly Correction, a Judgment of Chaſtiſement: They are Chaſtiſed in Meaſure and Mercy, and for a Moment, and ſhall eſcape Eternal Puniſhments; But the Corrections of the Wicked, are Judgments of Revenge, part of Payment of a greater Sum, as an earneſt Penny of the Flames of Hell Fire, which the Wicked, and all that forget God, ſhall Endure, Eaſeleſs, Endleſs, and Remedileſs.Iſa. 28. 22. Wherefore, Be ye not Mockers, leaſt your Bands be made Strong: Scorn not, Jeer not; neither any whit undervalue any Afflicted Servants of God: of all others, there's leaſt hope of Reforming ſuch Vile, and Abominable Perſons, who make God's Children their Langhing-ſtoch, and Subjects of Deriſion. The ſame Doom may be Applicable to them, with thoſe mentioned, 1 Pet. 2. 3. Whoſe Judgment now of a long time Lingreth not, and their Damnation Slumbreth not.