A Staff of Comfort to Stay the Weak, Part 2
Of religious Persons.
Ob. GOd maketh no more reckoning of those persons that are called religious, then hee doth of others, for any thing I know.
Answ. If heerein the Lord himselfe by his word may be beleeued:The religious are in high esteem with God. Psal. 73.1. & 119.165. Prou. 12.2. and 13.22. and 3.33. and 15.9. Eccles. 2.26. and 9.12. Esa. 3.10. Psal. 84.4.5.11. and 85.8. and 91.1-16. and 92.12.13.14. Psal. 34.9. with 91.10. Esa. 65.13.14 then verily the Lord doth most highly esteeme of them, & most blessed are they. Blessed is the natiō, whose God is the Lord, and the people whom hee hath chosen for his owne inheritance, Psal. 33.12. his eyes are vponupon them, vers. 18. with mercy he compasseth them, Psalm. 32.10. the Angell of the Lord campeth about them, Psalm. 34.7. to them there is no want, vers. 9. of that which is good, vers. 10. his eyes are vponupon them; his eares are open to their cry, vers. 15. and deliuereth thē out of all their troubles, ver. 17. Psal. 22.24. from death, from famine, Psalm. 33.19. he vpholdeth them, Psalm. 37.17. and preserueth them for euer, vers. 28. for hee delighteth in them to doe them good, Ier. 32.41. Pro. 11.20. and hee that toucheth them must know, that hee toucheth the apple of Gods eye, Zach. 2.8.
Obiect. If the Lord so delighted in them, and loued them, surely the world would not so hate them, as it doth.
The world hateth the godly, and why.Answ. Yes, because the Lord loueth them, and hath chosen them out of the world; therefore the world hateth them, Ioh. 15.19. Christ our Sauiour, is the euer beloued of God; yet the world hated him, vers. 18. Ioh. 7.7. so doth it al Christs true Disciples, for that hee hath giuen them his word, and because they are not of the world, Ioh. 17.14.
Obiect. They bee of the meanest sort of people, for the most part, that either are, or else do carrie the shew of hearty affection to Religion, which in reason, me think, should not be Gods choyce.
Answ. The meaner sort hauehave often greater measure of grace in this world, then the great ones, Luk. 10.21.I thank thee (saith our Sauiour) O Father, Lord of heauen and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast reuealed them vntounto babes; euen so Father, for so it seemed good in thy sight, Mat. 11.25. God calleth not many (though some) noble, mighty, and wise men after the flesh; but hee chuseth the foolish things of the world, to confound the wise; the weake things to confound the mighty; & base things, and things that are despised hath God chosen; yea and things that are not, to bring to nought things that are; that no flesh should glory in his presence, 1. Corinth. 1.26-29.
Obiect. They are despised, as of no value with men.
What the godly bee with God.Answ. But with God they are a chosen generation, a peculiar people, 1. Pet. 2.9. and his chiefe treasury, Exod. 19.5. Psalm. 135.4. And take heed saith our Sauiour, that yee despise not one of these little ones: for I say vntounto you, that in heauen their Angels doe alwaies behold the face of my Father, which is in heauen, Mat. 18.10.
Obiect. They bee all accounted as base and vile, and are not of men beloued.
Answ. But they be pretious in Gods sight, honourable and beloued, who wil giuegive men for them,Ioh. 14.21. & people for their life, Esa. 43.4.
Obiect. None delight in their companie.
Answ. But the Lord delighteth in them,God delighteth in them. Prou. 11.20. and a Dauid, a man after the Lords heart, hath his eyes vponupon the faithfull:Luk. 6.22.23 hee delighteth in the Saints that are in the earth, and in them that excell in vertue, Psalm. 16.3.
Obiect. The best sort auoideth their companie, and cannot endure them.
God will dwell with the godly. Esa. 57.15.Answ. But God the Father, and Christ his sonne, will come vntounto them, and make their abode with thē, Ioh. 14.23. and a Dauid wil hauehave such to dwell with him, Psal. 101.6.
Obiect. These men are not so well esteemed of, as many others be, which are not of their stampe.
Answ. But (saith Salomon) the righteous is more excellent then his neighbour, Prou. 12.26.
Obiect. They be hated of not a few.
Answ. They that hate the righteous, shall be desolate. Psal. 34.21.
Obiect. They bee mocked, derided, and laughed to scorne.
Answ. So was Dauid, Psa. 44.13.14Psa. 22.7. other godly men, Psalm. 123.3.4. and Iesus Christ himselfe, as that Psalme sheweth; and the Euangelist, in Matth. 27.39. the seruants may not looke to be better then their Master.
Obiect. I think they carrie a hell in their hearts, they are neuer merrie like other men.
Answ. Salomon saith the contrary,The godly are of a merrie and glad heart. Psal. 118.15. that God giueth to a man, that is good in his sight, wisdome, and knowledge, and ioy, Eccles. 2.26. and againe hee saith, the righteous sing and reioyce, Prou. 29.6. but in the Lord, Phil. 4.4. Psalm. 64.10. and in goodnesse, 2. Chro. 6.41. and this their ioy shall not bee taken from them, Ioh. 16.22. folly is ioy to him that is destitute of vnderstanding, Prou. 15.21. but the godly cannot (as the foole doth) make a sport of sinne, Prou. 10.23. and 14.9. and reioyce in doing euill, as the wicked do, Pro. 2.14.
Obiect. I cannot perceiue for all this, that they thinke they may be merrie.
They may be merrie.Answ. They are exhorted to bee merrie, and to reioyce, Psal. 33.1. and heartily, Psal. 95.1. and continually, Phil. 4.4.1. Thess. 5.16.
Obiect. Yea, but I meane in honest mirth, in things indifferent.
Answ. Yes verily,They may vse honest recreations. they know that zealous Dauid might play on a harpe, and sing as he did, 1. Chron. 13.8. Holy Iob might take pleasure in his harp and organ, cap. 30.31. and that the people of God may make good cheare, eate, & drink, and bee merrie, Nehem. 8.1. King. 4.20. But heerein they reioyce, as if they did not reioyce, as the Apostle exhorteth them, 1. Cor. 7.30.
Obiect. If this bee so, I could almost be one of these, but that the wicked are so ouer them, and will so bee, I thinke for euer, though they suppose the contrary.
Answ. The prosperity of the wicked is but slipperie,The wicked shall not euer rule ouer the- godly. Pro. 14.19. Psal. 73.18.19. who one day shall burne as an ouen, and be as stubble, and hauehave neither roote nor branch; when vntounto them that feare the Lord, the sonne of righteousnesse shall arise, who shall tread downe the wicked, euen as ashes, vnderunder the soales of their feet, Mal. 4.1.2.3. yea the Saints shall iudge the world, 1. Cor. 6. and others shall be made to come and worship before their feet, Reuel. 3.9. So as then shall men easily discerne betweene the righteous and the wicked; betweene them that fear God, and them that feare him not, Mal. 3.18.