A Staff of Comfort to Stay the Weak, Part 8
Of commom crosses, vexations, and outward molestations.
Ob. I Am crossed one way or other: the Lord is euer correcting me and trying mee.
Answ. Happy is the man whom the Lord correcteth,Ps. 94.11.13. Iob, 5.17. Psalm. 94.12. For whom the Lord loueth, hee chastiseth, and scourgeth eueryevery son whom he receiueth; for if wee be without chastisemēt, wherof all are partakers, then are we bastards and no sonnes, Heb. 12.6.7. Also blessed is he that indureth tentations, Iam. 1.12. For God doth thus proue his children, that he might doe them good in the latter end, Deut. 8.16.
Obiect. I am iniured vniustly, and it vexeth mee to be wronged of them, that I do no wrong vntounto.
Answ. Dauid was persecuted without cause, Psal. 119.161. So was Iesus himselfe; let not this therefore vex thee, knowing that it is thanke-worthy to indure griefe, suffering wrongfully: and it is acceptable to God to take it patiently, 1. Pet. 2.19.20.
Obiect. But such, as both by reason and religion are bound to mee, hauehave yet abused me.
Answ. Dauid was abused of his familiar friend, Psal. 41.9. With whom he had taken sweet counsell, and walked into the house of God in company, Psal. 55.14. And Iesus Christ betrayed by Iudas, one of his twelue chosen house-hold seruants, and that with a token of louelove, and vnderunder a friendly salutation, Matth. 26. This is therefore no strange tryall, but such as befell the best beloued of God.
Obiect. I hauehave many aduersaries, and am now at this present in great danger of them.
Answ. Dread them not, the Lord hath a hooke to put in their nostrils, 2. Kings 19.28. He can confound their wisedome, as he did Achitophels, 2. Sam. 17.14, or strike them blind, as hee did the Sodomites, Gen. 19, and the armie of the Aramites, 2. King. 6.18, or hide thee from their wrath, as he did Eliah from the furie of Iezabell, 1. Kin. 18.12. & 19. And Ieremy with Baruch, from the hands of the Princes, Ier. 36.26, or command them not to hurt thee, as hee did Laban pursuing Iacob, Gen. 31.24.29, or turne their harts, as he did Esaus toward Iacob, Ge. 33. Making them to bee at peace with thee, Prou. 16.7, or raise vp for them enemies to keep them busied, that thou maiest escape, 1. Sam. 23.27.28, or else make their hearts melt, taking knowledge of thine innocency, and cause their owne mouthes to iustifie thee, and condemne themselues as Saul did, when hee vniustly pursued after Dauid, 1. Sam. 24.16.17.18. & 26.21.
Obiect. My aduersaries are full of trickes and deuises, to bring their matters about.
Answ. The Lord disappointeth the deuises of the craftie, that their hands can not performe their enterprizes, Iob, 5.12.Psal. 21.11. & 33.10. Esa. 33.11. Nehe. 4.15. Yea he taketh the wise in their owne craftinesse, Verse 15, and their owne counsel shal cast them downe, Iob. 8.7.
Obiect. They are mightie and rich, and I am of a meane and poore estate.
Answ. Pro. 22.22.23.But the Lord saueth the poore from the sword, from their mouth,Psal. 140.12. and from the hand of the mighty, so as the poore hath hope, Iob, 5.15.16. For the Lord will mainetaine the cause of the afflicted, and the right of the poore.
Obiect. They speake lies, and are false witnesses against me.
Answ. The mouth of them that speake lies shall be stopped,Prou. 12.19.22. & 19.5.9. & 21.28. Psalm. 63.11. And they shall bee destroyed, Psal. 5.6. Dauids enemies did belye him. Psalm. 35.11. So did Naboths, 1. King. 21. The Iewes aduersarie Haman, Ester, 3.8, and others, Esdr. 4.12. And the enemies of the Lord Iesus did wickedly belye him; so as the malice of thine enemies heerein, is no other than was Christs, and all these before named. But hearken what is said, The almightie will witnesse for thee, though thine aduersaries should write a booke against thee, Iob, 31.35.
Obiect. They trauel with mischiefe, they hauehave digged a pit, and spread a net, and hauehave set trappes in the way for me.
Answ. Reade the whole 64. Psalme, noting the malice of the wicked, their policy and combination against the true hearted, and their ouerthrowe.Let them trauell with mischiefe, they shall bring forth a lye, Psalm. 7.14, and fall into the ditch which they hauehave digged, Vers. 15, and in the net which they hauehave hid, shall their owne feet bee taken, Psal. 9.15.
Obiect. In my aduersitie my friends forsake mee, and for verie feare of mine enemies, my deerest and nighest of bloud hauehave left mee, and I am so destitute of succour.
Answ. Of such friends Iob complaineth,Friends faile in aduersity. Psal. 142.4. & 69.8. & 38.11. Chap. 19.19, and Dauid, Psalm. 31.11. & 38.11: but what though man leaue vsus, the Lord will stand by vsus, 2. Tim. 4.16. And when father and mother doe forsake vsus, the Lord will take vsus vp, Psal. 27.10. For the Lord will regard the prayer of the destitute, and not despise their prayer, Psalm. 102.17, and will deliuer them out of the hand of the wicked, Psal. 97.10, standing at the right hand of the poore, to saue him from those that condemne his soule, Psal. 109.31.
Obiect. I am in danger of imprisonment, and the crueltie of mine enemies is such, if they once throwe me into prison, I shall neuer get out.
His prouident care is ouer poore prisoners.Answ. The Lord looketh downe from the height of his sanctuarie, from heauen doth the Lord behold the earth, to heare the groaning of the prisoner, to lose those that are appointed to death, Psal. 102.19.20. Ieremy was in a dungeon, Iehoiaehim, 2. King. 25.27. Paul and Sylas in prison, yet GOD deliuered them; yea and Manasses in chaines, and that for his wickednesse, yet then truely repenting and praying for merciemercy, the Lord set him also at libertie, 2. Chron. 33.11.12.13.
Ob. But I know the prison that I shall go to, is kept by a sturdy and hard hearted goaler, without any religion, therefore may I perish while I am there.
Answ. Ioseph was cast into prison vnderunder a heathen, but the Lord being with him, and shewing him mercy, gaue him fauour in the sight of the keeper of the prison, Gen. 39.21: & S. Paul and Sylas being at the first cruelly dealt with by a Goaler, vnderunder whom they were imprisoned, yet soone got speciall fauour at his hands, the Lord hauing conuerted him to the faith of Christ, Acts, 16.24 33.34.
Obiect. Ah, I am cast downe, my wicked aduersaries hauehave preuailed, I almost faint in this my trouble.
Answ. Be of good courage the Lord wil strengthen thine heart, Psal. 31.24 & 27.14. Waite on the Lord, and he will saue thee, Esa. 25.9. He will raise vp all those that bee bowed downe, Psalm. 146.14. & 146.8. Hee lifteth vp the meeke, and casteth the wicked downe to the ground, Psal. 147.
Obiect. It grieueth mee to see how they now triumph, and reioyce ouer mee, as one vtterly forsaken, left destitute, and forgotten of God.
Answ. Psal. 22.24. The Lord thinkes vponupon the afflicted, to deliuer them.The Lord forgetteth not the cry of the afflicted, Psal. 9.12, hee regardeth the prayer of the deftitute, Psal. 102.17, hee is a refuge in times of trouble to the oppressed, Psalm. 9.9. & 14.6; yea, for the oppression of the poore, for the sighing of the needy, now will I rise (saith the Lord) I wil set him in safetie, from him that puffeth at him, Psa. 12.5.
Obiect. But seeing I am not deliuered, I feare God hath forsaken mee, and the rather, for that I hauehave vsed good and lawfull meanes for deliueraunce, and yet since that time I hauehave beene worse dealt with then before.
Meanes at first may seeme to be weake, which after may preuaile.Answ. So were the Israelites (for a while) worse dealt with by Pharaoh and the Egyptians, because Moses and Aaron were means for their deliuerance, but at the length they were set free, Exod. 5.23. & 12.41. Waite therefore on the Lord, and he wil saue thee, Prou. 20.22. For the Lord forsaketh not them that seeke him,Psal. 18.30.. Psal. 9.10. & 37.28. Hee saueth by his right hand them that put their trust in him, from those that rise vp against them, Psalm. 17.7. Remember I pray thee, who euer perished being innocent, or where were the righteous cut off? Iob, 4.7.
Obiect. I hope I should doe well, but that I feare one man, that is high minded and mightie, who beareth the most sway, and is a great friend to my aduersaries, and so my enemy, beleeuing lyes also and false reports against mee.
Answ. Blessed is the man,Man is not to be feared. that maketh the Lord his trust, and respecteth not the proud, nor such as turne aside vntounto lies, Psal. 40.4. Why shouldest thou bee afraide of a man that shall dye, and euen in a moment? Iob, 5.20. or of the Sonne of man, which shall be made as grasse? Esay, 51.12. If God be with vsus (saith the Apostle) who can be against vsus? Rom. 8.31. Therefore say with Dauid, my defence is in God, Psal. 7.10. The Lord is on my side, I will not feare what man can doe vntounto me, Psal. 118.6.
Obiect. Yea, but if I had some such great helpes to stand for mee, as they hauehave for them, it were the better, and I should hope so the sooner to preuaile.
Answ. It is better to trust in the Lord,Though it be not amisse to hauehave fauour of man, yet it is best to trust onelyonly in God. then to put any confidence in man: it is better to trust in the Lord, than to put confidence in Princes, Psal. 118.8.9; In whom there is no help, Psal. 146.3. For mans breath goeth forth, hee turneth to his earth, in that very day his thoughts perish, Vers. 4. Happy therefore is he, that hath the God of Iacob for his helpe, whose hope is in the Lord his God, who keepeth truth for euer, and executeth …udgement for the oppressed, Vers. 5.6.7. Turning the way of the wicked vpside downe, Vers. 9.
Obiect. I know it is best to trust in God, who is able to deliuer, but what meanes to vse, that God may deliuer me, I know not.
Prayer a meanes to be vsed for deliuerance in trouble.Ans. Euen humble and feruent praier, for (saith the Lord) Call vponupon me in the day of trouble, and I will deliuer thee, and thou shalt glorifie me, Psal. 50.15. For the Lord is nigh vntounto all them that call vponupon him: to all that call vponupon him in truth, Psal. 145.18.
Obiect. I hauehave often called, and (blessed be his name) he hath often heard mee, but I may not yet thinke, that he will doe so still.
Answ. The Lord will deliuer thee in six troubles,God is not weary of well doing. yea in seuen, there shall no euill touch thee, Iob. 5.19. Many times did hee deliuer the Israelites, Psal. 106.43. For the goodnesse of God indureth continually, Psal. 52.1. And he delighteth to doe good to his people, Ier. 32.41.
Obiect. I am constrained to make my sute vntounto the King, and I feare to thinke of it (though my cause bee most iust), because of the maiesty of that his place and person.
Answ. Pray vntounto the King of Kings, for the Kings heart is in the hands of the Lord, as the riuers of water, hee turneth it whether soeuer he will, Prou. 21.1.
Obiect. I feare that some hauehave falsly informed against mee, and so the truth of my cause shall not bee vnderstood.
Answ. What if they hauehave? it is the honour of a King to search out a matter, Prou. 25.2. And the eyes of the Lord preserue knowledge, and he ouerthroweth the words of the transgressour, Prou. 22.12.
Obiect. But a wicked Zibah, in his treacherous courses by flatterie, and his sinister practises mis-led Dauid (a wise Prince) in matter of iudgement.
Answ. A King that sitteth in the throne of iudgement, scattereth away all euill with his eyes, Prou. 20.8. And a wise King scattereth the wicked, & bringeth the wheele ouer them, Vers. 26. For by taking away the wicked from before him, his throne is established in righteousnesse, Prou. 25.5. In his lippes is a diuine fentence, and his mouth transgresseth not in iudgement, Prou. 16.10.
Ob. A Dauid, though he bee both a wise and a good King, yet is hee but a man, and so may do amisse against me, a poore distressed Mephibosheth, made contemptible by my enemies.
Answ. Mercy and truth doe preserue the King, and his throne is vpholden with mercy, Prou. 20.28. To Kings it is an abomination to commit wickednes, Pro. 16.12. And the King that faithfully iudgeth the poor, his throne shall bee established for euer, Prou. 29.14.
Obiect. I should hauehave good hope to speede, but that my aduersaries can make friends, and hauehave many deuises to hinder my suite.
Ans. There are many deuises in a mans heart;Prou. 21.30. Ier. 9.23. neuerthelesse the counsell of the Lord, that shall stand, Prou. 19.21. Many seeke and will intreate the fauour of the Prince, Vers. 6. But euerie mans iudgement commeth from the Lord, Prouerbs, 29.26.