A Staff of Comfort to Stay the Weak, Part 3
Of Gods Church.
Ob. GOds people and Church heere is tossed too and fro, as if God did altogether neglect vsus.
Answ. We are here but pilgrims and strangers, 1. Pet. 2.12. and not of the world,The Church is not neglected of the Lord. Ioh. 15. yet God hath an eye vntounto vsus, 1. Pet. 3.12. hee counteth all our wandrings, Psalm. 56.8. he followeth vsus, whither soeuer wee goe, Iosh. 1.9. and causeth his Angels to take charge of vsus, Psal. 91.11. and 34.7. who alwaies attend before God for our safety, Matth. 18.10. Hebr. 1.14.
Ob. Yet I am not a little troubled, to see the godly on the one hand so brought vnderunder, vexed, and persecuted; and the proud aduersaries on the other hand so lifted vp, liuing at ease, in all outward peace, and worldly contentments.
No cause is there, to grieue at the prosperity of the wicked.Answ. Fret not thy selfe because of the prosperity of the wicked neither enuie at them, Prou. 23.17. and 24. 1. Psal. 37.1. for they shall soone bee cut downe like grasse, and wither as the greene herbe, Psal. 37.2. yet a little while and the wicked shall not bee: yea thou shalt diligently consider his place, and it shall not be, vers. 10. their armes shall be broken, vers. 17. they shall perish and become as the fat of lambs, they shall consume, into smoake they shal consume away, vers. 20. The righteous shall reioice when hee seeth the vengeance,Psalm. 37.35.36. hee shall wash his feete in the blood of the wicked: so that a man shall say; verily there is reward for the righteous; verily, he is a God, that iudgeth in the earth, Psal. 58.10.11.
Obiect. Yea, Psalm. 37.12.32.but in the meane season they plot against the iust.
Answ. The Lord shall laugh at them; for he seeth that their day is comming, Psal. 37.13.
Obiect.Psal. 37.14. But they watch the righteous and seeke to slay him: they hauehave drawne out the sword to slay such as be of an vpright conuersation.
Answ. Feare them not, the sword shall enter into their owne heart, Psal. 37.15.
Obiect. But they hauehave gotten him into their hands, and condemned him.
Answ. The Lord will not leaue him in their hands, nor condemne him when he is iudged, Psal. 37.33.
Obiect. Oh, the enemie rageth, and seeketh to ouerflow vsus as a flood: what is to be done?
Answ. Stand still, feare not, behold the saluation of the Lord, Exod. 14.2. Chro. 20. for safety is of him, Pro. 21.31. who sitteth vponupon the flouds, and is King for euer, Psal. 29.10. and 96.10. to deliuer his Saints out of the hands of the wicked, Psalm. 97.10.
Obiect. We are in present danger.
Answ. God is our refuge and strength, a very present helpe in trouble. Psal. 46.1.5.
Obiect. We want strength.
Answ. The Lord will giuegive strength vntounto his people, Psal. 29.11.
Obiect. Our enemies are vnreconcileable, so as they will most cruelly torture and torment vsus, if they get vsus into their hands.
Answ. If our waies please the Lord, hee will make our enemies be at peace with vsus, Prou. 16.7. and will shew mercies vntounto vsus, yt they may hauehave mercy vponupon vsus, Ier. 42.12. & 15.11.
Obiect. Ah, but we hauehave by our sinnes so prouoked him vntounto wrath, that wee may iustly feare he will indeed vtterly cast vsus off.God will not vtterly cast his off. Lam. 3.31.32. Ier. 51.5. 1. Sam. 12.22.
Answ. The Lord will not cast off his people, neither will he forsake his inheritance, Psalm. 94.14. If wee repent, hee will, also repent of the euill, which hee hath thought against vsus, Ierem. 18.8. for he retaineth not his anger for euer, Mic. 7.18. it endureth but a moment, Psalm. 30.5. because he delighteth in mercy, Mich. 7.18.
Obiect. I wonder at this, that the Lord letteth many of them, that most sincerely serue him, to bee persecuted, & murthered of the enemies.
Answ. Maruell not;The godly must suffer, and why. for it is giuen to them in the behalfe of Christ, not onelyonly to beleeue on him, but also to suffer for his sake, Phil. 1.29. whose death is pretious in Gods sight, Psal. 116.15. whose suffering is also vntounto them an euident token of saluation; but vntounto their enemies, a manifest token of damnation, Phil. 1.28. for, it is a righteous thing with God, to recompence tribulation to them that trouble the godly; but to these, rest with God, when the Lord Iesus shall be reuealed from heauen, 2. Thessal. 1.6.7.
Obiect. The Lords wrath hath been long vponupon his people, euen to consume them, and cruell tyrants hauehave exercised their malice vponupon them, no small space of time.
Why the wicked are suffered to tyrannize ouer the godly.Answ. The Lord will not leaue his altogether vnpunished; yet will he correct in measure, and not make a full end of them, Ier. 30.11. for it hath pleased him to make them his people. 1. Sam. 12.22. onelyonly hee turneth his hand vponupon them, to purge purely away their drosse, and to take away all their tinne: afterwards they shall bee accounted a righteous and faithfull people, Esa. 1.25.26. for the tyrannie of the enemies know, that they be but the rod of the Lords anger, their power, his staffe of indignatition, Esa. 10.5. the axe which he heweth with, ver. 15. to accomplish what he himselfe hath determined vponupon his people, and the very time is set downe, Ier. 29.10. Gen. 15.13. which being expired, he will certainly set his people at liberty, Gen. 15.14.16. Ier. 29.10.11. Esa. 10.25.27. and destroy the aduersaries, Gen. 15.14. Esa. 10.12.16.17.18.25.26. and 14.25. Ier. 30.16. and 50.18. and 51.24. therefore (saith he) reioyce O ye nations with his people: for he will auenge the blood of his seruants, and will render vengeance to his aduersaries, and will bee mercifull vntounto his people, Deut. 32.43.
Obiect. But they may be perhaps forgotten, and so bee as a forsaken people.
God neuer doth forget his.Answ. Can a woman forget her sucking child, that shee should not hauehave compassion of the sonne of her wombe? Yea, they may forget; yet will not I forget thee (saith the Lord): behold I hauehave grauen thee vponupon the palmes of my hands, Esa. 49.15.16. I hauehave for a moment forsaken thee: but with great mercy will I gather thee: In a little wrath I hid my face from thee, for a moment: but with euerlasting kindnesse will I hauehave mercy on thee, & my kindnesse shall not depart from thee, neither shall my couenant of peace bee remoued, saith the Lord thy Redeemer, that hath mercy on thee, Esa. 54.7-10.
Obiect. The Pope, and his power, make great preparation against vsus, of the reformed religion, to root vsus out, and to destroy vtterly our names from vnderunder heauen.
Answ. Feare not,Esa. 8.9.-13. & 41.10.-16. let vsus not bee faint hearted, for these smoaking firebrands, their counsell is wicked, & it shall not stand, neither shall it come to passe. Esay 7.4.7.
Obiect. These our enemies hauehave their Diuiners, and their Wise men, they giuegive credit to their Machiauilian Iesuites, and their coniuring Priests, mocking at the Preachers of Gods word among vsus.
Answ. The Lord doth frustrate the tokens of the liars, and maketh the diuiners mad, and turneth wise men backward, and maketh their knowledge foolish; but confirmeth the words of his seruants, and performeth the words of his Messengers, Esa. 44.25.26.
Obiect. The Church is robbed of these seruants and messengers, the true Pastors, by Antichrist; the vision thus failing, the people perish.
Answ. Returne (saith the Lord) for I am merciful, I will not keepe anger for euer, but if you so do, I will giuegive you Pastors according to my hart,People that seeke to please God, shall hauehave faithfull Pastours. which shall feed you with knowledge and vnderstanding, vers. 15. so will I saue my flocke, and they shall no more bee a prey, Ier. 3.12.15. Ezech. 34.21.
Obiect. The shepheards feede themselues, Ezech. 34.4.& not their flockes, they eate the fat, and cloathe themselues with the wooll, but suffer the Lords flocke to be scattered, and to become a prey vntounto the beasts of the field. Few care to strengthen the diseased, to heale the sick to bind vp that which is broken, to bring backe that which was driuen away, and to seeke vp that which is lost, but with force and cruelty to rule them.
Ill Shepheards shall not alwayes fleece the flocke. Ier. 23.1.2.Answ. Behold, (saith the Lord) I am against these Shepheards, and wil require my flocke at their hand, and cause them to cease for feeding the flock, neither shall these Shepheards feed thēselues any more.Esa. 40.11. I will deliuer my flocke from their mouth, that they may not be meate for them. I will my selfe feede them in a good pasture, they shall lye in a good fold, and in a fat pasture shall they feed. I wil seeke that which was lost, and bring again that which was driuen away. I will binde vp that which was broken: and wil strengthen that which was sicke.Ier. 23.4.5. And I will set one shepheard ouer them, that shall feed them; and he shall be their Shepheard. I the Lord will bee their God, and my seruant a Prince among them: I the Lord hauehave spoken it. Yea I will cause the euill beasts to cease, and wil breake the bands of their yoake, and deliuer them out of the hands of those, that serue themselues of them. Ezec. 34.10.14.16.23.24.