betwixt man and beastes as betwixt the serpent and man the like disagreement and farre greater is betwixt the righteous and the wicked man for p Pro. 29.27 an uniust man is an abomination to the iust and he that is upright in the way is abomination to the wicked These contrary inclinations had their beginning with the world and shall not have an end untill the worlds end God is justice and righteousnesse it selfe and the divell professed enmity against him from the beginning What wonder then if he bee an enemy to the righteous man who is but Gods creature As soone as man was created he seduced and supplanted him Then God proclaimed unreconcileable warre betweene them saying to the divell who was shrowded under the shape of a serpent q Gen 3.15 I will put enmity betweene thee and the woman and betweene thy seede and her seed It shall bruise thy head and thou shalt bruise his heele The serpents seed is the brood of wicked men which have beene from the beginning namely those which persecute the Gospell The seede of the woman is our Lord Iesus Christ with the whole band of righteous men Iohn saw a battel in heaven r Rev. 12.17 Michael and his Angels fought against the dragon and the dragon fought and his Angells Iesus Christ who onely is this Michael because he onely is like unto God and his Angels and Saints fought against the divell and all the hellish rabble of wicked men and of divells like unto himselfe There is no manifest cause knowne of the Antipathies and contrarietie of dispositions which are in nature but the causes of disagreement betweene the righteous and unrighteous man are knowne They flow from contrary springs and therefore their affections their actions their effects their ends are contrary Are not God and the divell enemies The wicked man Å¿ 1. Ioh. 3.8 is of the divell the righteous man t Ver 9. is borne of God Hence it is that the children beare out their fathers quarrell the wicked is hud-winked with ignorance v Ioh. 16.3 He knoweth no the Father nor the Sonne neither will hee know them x Psal 36.3 he will not learne to be wise that he may doe good y Ioh. 17.8 The righteous man knoweth surely that Christ is come out from the Father and beleeveth that the Father hath sent him a Rom 8 5 The wicked is after the flesh and therefore he minds the things of the flesh The righteous being after the spirit minds the things of the spirit The wicked mans workes are b Gal. 5.19 20 21. the workes of the flesh which are these Adultery fornication uncleannesse lasciviousnesse idolatry witcheraft hatred variance emulations wrath strife seditions heresies envyings murthers drunkennesse reuilings and such like The righteous mans works are c Ve. 22 23 the fruits of the spirit that is to wit Love ioy peace long suffering gentlenesse goodnesse faith meeknesse temperance Where there is so great a contrarietie and repugnancie of affections of actions of workes what wonder if there be great enmitie The righteous man is light in the Lord and d Ioh. 3.20 every man that doth evill hateth the light neither commeth to the light lest his deedes should bee discovered for that cause hee hateth the righteous man as the Pharisees hated Iesus Christ because hee reprooved them of their vices The righteous man likewise hateth the wicked e Psal 139.21 22. Doe I not hate them O Lord saith David that hate thee and am not I grieved with those that rise up against thee I hate them with perfect hatred I count them mine enemies When heat and cold moisture and drought hardnesse and softnesse light and darknesse shall leaue off to bee at variance then then shall the righteous and wicked man ioyne hands and enter into confederacy one with another f 2. Cor. 6.14 15 16. for what fellowship hath righteousnesse with unrighteousnesse and what communion hath light with darknesse and what concord hath Christ with Beliall and what part hath he that beleeveth with an Infidell and what agreement hath the Temple of God with Idolls In this discord there is this notable difference that the righteous man hateth rather the vice than the person of the wicked and seeketh by prayers to God by exhortations admonitions good examples to convert him whereas the wicked hateth both the vertues and the person of the righteous and seeketh to destroy him III. From thence it is that assoone as a man begins to apply his mind and heart unto righteousnesse Satan and the wicked world conspire to undoe him for like as g Dan. 3.16 17 18. Nebuchadnezzar was filled with fury and the forme of his visage was changed against Shadrac Meshac and Habednego when to his face they refused to fall downe and worship the image which he had made and commanded that the furnace wherein they were to bee cast should bee kindled seuen times more than it was wont to be heat even so assoon as a man begins to draw his neck out of Satans coller to shunne the company of wicked men to draw neere unto God by repentance and newnesse of life and to register his name in the Church booke that he may be saved in the communion of the Saints Satan sets all his malice on a flame to devoure him and the wicked rush upon him with bill and claw to teare him in peeces For as theeves breake not into an house where there is nothing but straw hay stubble but onely into such places where there is gold silver precious stones and rich furniture so the divell and his limbes heede not rascals and scurvie fellowes but if any man bee a worshipper of God and doth his will they lye in waite secretly as a Lyon in his denne they hide the snare in his way they crouch they stoope to catch him into their net As soone as Christ was borne h Mat. 2.16 Herod became out of his wits seeking to slay him to teach us that as soon as we become Christians by a spirituall birth wee shall not have want of Herods to seeke our lives As soone as the i Rev. 12.3 c. red dragon saw rhe woman with child travelling in her birth and ready to be delivered hee stood before her that he might devoure her childe as soon as it was borne but her child being caught up unto God and she taking her selfe to her wings to save her life by flying into the wildernes he cast out of his mouth a floud of water to drowne her What was this vision but a type of the Church against whom the divell stirreth up a world of wicked men as so many waves of an overflowing river to swallow her up when after a long barrennesse she conceiveth againe and brings foorth children to God Then ye heare nothing amongst those blood thirstie butchers but crying k Ier. 11 19 Let us destroy the tree with the
examples in the old Testament 15. And principally in the new Testament 16. The afflictions of the righteous are no tokens of Gods wrath but of his love 17. Carriage of the Churches of France in their affliction 18. Exhortation to beare Christs crosse courageously 19. Prayer I. GOD often loades the righteous man with crosses to honour him when he beareth his owne crosse a Luk. 22.33 40 41. as the malefactors which were crucified with Christ did then he is chastised and as one of them said We receive the due reward of our deeds so may he when hee is persecuted for righteousnesse sake as David was by Saul and Iob by the Divell or beares Christs crosse as b Mat. 27.32 Simon the Cyrenian did then his faith hope charitie is tryed then his patience and constancie is exercised then he is very much honoured II. Ye know that Cain slew his brother c 1. Ioh. 3.12 and wherefore slew he him because his owne workes were evill and his brothers righteous d Gen. 19.9 Lot was threatned by the vicious Sodomites because that being a forreiner and stranger he rebuked them e Gen. 37.2 Ioseph was hated and sold of his brethren because he advertised his father of their misdemeanour f Gen. 39.9 he was also cast in prison because hee would not sinne with his masters wife David complained of his enemies saying g Psal 38.20 They that render evill for good are mine adversaries because I follow the thing that good is Iohn Baptist was beheaded because hee said to Herod h Mat. 14.4 10. It is not lawfull for thee to have thy brothers wife All these suffered for righteousnesse sake and for the uprightnesse of a good conscience before God but they suffered not for God There be degrees in righteousnes The first is when a man suffereth for any good cause Is not that honourable and glorious before God and men i 1. Pet. 2.9 20. For as Peter writing to servants saith this is thanke-worthy if a man for conscience toward God endure griefe suffering wrongfully for what glory is it if when ye be buffeted for your faults ye shall take it patiently but if when ye doe well and suffer for it ye take it patiently this is acceptable with God III. The second is when hee suffereth immediately for God for the publike profession of his holy Word When k Dan. 3.18 the three children did chuse rather to bee burnt in the furnace than to worship Nebuchadnezzars golden Image they suffered for God when l Dan. 6.16 Dauid was cast into the Lyons denne because he would not obey the Kings idolatrous decree he suffered for God when m 2. Mac. 6.19 Eleazar one of the principall Scribes chused rather to dye gloriously than to live stained with the eating of Swines flesh hee suffered for God when the n 2. Mac. 7. the seven brethren and their mother were fryed scorched dismembred because they would not transgresse the Law they suffered for God when the whole Church at that time made her moane to God and said o Psal 44.22 For thy sake are we killed all the day long we are counted as sheepe for the slaughter she suffered for God If it be glorious to suffer for a good cause is it not more glorious to suffer for Gods cause IV. But to suffer for the Gospell is the most glorious of all p Rom. 1.17 For therein is the righteousnesse of God revealed from faith to faith There is evidently before our eyes set forth our Lord Iesus Christ who because hee q Dan 9.14 hath brought unto us everlasting righteousnesse and r 1. Cor. 1.30 is made unto us of God wisedome and righteousnesse and sanctification and redemption is with good and iust cause called ſ ler. 23.6 the Lord our righteousnesse Therefore hee who suffers for Christ is said after a most speciall manner to suffer for righteousnesse sake Of such speaketh Christ where he saith t Mat. 5.10.11 Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousnesse sake for theirs is the kingdome of heaven What that righteousnesse is he sheweth in these words following Blessed are yee when men shall revile you and persecute you and shall say all manner of evill against you falsely for my sake When v Rev. 1.9 Iohn was telegated into the Isle of Pathmos for the word of God and for the testimony of Iesus Christ he suffered for righteousnesse when x Ioh. 9.3.4 the man that was borne blind and restored to sight by Christ was cast out of the Synagogue and excommunicated for Christs sake hee suffered for righteousnesse when y Ioh. 12.10 11. the chiefe Priests consulted that they might put Lazarus to death because that by reason of him many of the Iewes went away and beleeved on Iesus he suffered for righteousnesse when a Eph. 3.13 2. Tim. 2.9 10. Paul was cast into prison for preaching of the Gospel to the Gentiles and endured many troubles for the Elects sake that they might obtaine the salvation which is in Christ Iesus with eternall glory he suffered for righteousnesse b Rev. 6.9 Those that were slaine for the word of God and for the testimony which they held whose soules Iohn saw under the altar suffered for righteousnesse sake V. Of such some are Confessors some are Martyrs The faithfull who were shut up in prison for Christs sake but were not yet tortured as also those which leaving their families goods friends and native soile fled to forrain nations lest they should be constrained to deny Christ were called c Cypr. epist 9. 21. Confessors All those which endured horrible great torments for the Gospels sake though they were not put to death were named Martyrs Tertullian calleth them d Tert. ad Martyres cap. 1. Martyres designatos appointed to be Martyrs e Euseb hist Ec. l. lib. 5. cap. 2. The Martyrs of Vienne in France after they had endured all kind of most cruel ignominious tormēts for Christs sake taking to thēselves the name of Confessors refused to be called Martyrs saying that the name of Martyrs pertaines to those only which have sealed their confession by their death even as Christ calleth f Rev. 2.13 Antipas his faithfull martyr because he was slain in Pergamus for the Gospel VI. In a generall signification Martyr is a witnesse The Gospel whereunto testimony is given is called g Isa 8.20 1. Ioh 5.11 the Testimony and the h Rev. 19.10 Testimony of Iesus Therefore it is said of Iohn i Ioh. 1.7 8 that he came for a witnesse to bear witnesse of the light And Christ saith of himselfe k Ioh. 18.37 I came into the world that I should beare witnesse unto the truth yea he calleth himselfe l Rev. 3.14 the Amen the faithfull and true witnesse Title which the m Euseb hist Eccles lib. 5. c. 2. Martyrs of Vienne esteemed to
vanities Vanity of vanities all is vanity III. If such be the condition of Kings of Princes of Courtiers of Statesmen who have their portion in this life and seeme to be in a safe harbour against all kindes of stormes and in all weathers who is able to relate all the troubles which disquiet the mindes of other men and steepe the few drams of worldly comforts which they taste but seldome in their lives with a quintall of gall One bewaileth the death of his only sonne another curseth the day wherin he was made the father of a man childe this man complaineth of his wives disloyaltie that man conveyeth his wife to the sepulchre with sadnesse and teares He who lived in ease is ashamed to see himselfe stript of all that he had and he who spoyled him is amazed when he is also spoyled by another stronger than himselfe One amongst an hundred mourneth for the death of his friend who was to him more faithfull and steadable than a brother but manie fret and are much moved when they see their familiar friends in whom they trusted and in whose bosome they did lay all their secrets lift up their heeles against them To be short there is no tongue that can fully ex presse all the evils that are incident to man in his person and state neither is there any man who feeleth not with paine the portion of those evils which is shared unto him As they that sayle in shallow waters amongst rocks and shelves of sand are not voyde of danger and of feare so they that hoyse up sayles amongst the waves and surges of the tempestuous sea of this life are not freed from annoyes and discontentments all their pleasures are like the Locusts whereof mention is made in the Revelation which k Revel 9 8 10. had hayre as the hayre of women to entice with goodly shewes and tayles like unto Scorpions to sting with mortall discontent They shall leave off to be mortall men when evill shall leave off to pursue them and teares shal not be wipt from their eyes untill death hath closed their eye lids l Iob 5.7 For man is borne unto trouble as the sparkes rise up to flye and m Psal 90.10 the strength of his dayes is labour and sorrow IV. But amongst and above all men many are the evils of the righteous man as David said when hee was forced through feare 1. Sam. 21.13 to change his behaviour before Abimelech King of Gath and faining himselfe madde escaped his enemies indignation for he feareth not to call himselfe righteous and calling to memorie the great number of evills which hee had endured from the first day of his anointing till then he pronounceth that many are the evils of the righteous Which he speaketh so of himselfe that he extendeth it to all those who can claime the title of righteous men to themselves And because this saying is confirmed by the experience of all ages and therefore it may seeme very strange that a righteous man should be so storm-beaten with afflictions he mitigateth the bitternesse of this averred sentence with the sweetnesse of this no lesse experimented conclusion But the Lord delivereth him out of them all So the Text taketh you by the hand and pointeth out to you first a righteous man and his manifold afflictions secondly the LORD and his deliveries whereunto if ye adde a question which is implyed in the first part why the LORD permitteth the righteous man to be so roughly used ye shal have in these parts the matter of sundry Sermons the first of the righteous man and of the characters whereby he is known The second and third of the evils wherewith the righteous man is on all sides thunder-stricken The fourth and fift of the causes wherefore Almighty GOD and his loving father suffereth him to be pushed and tossed to and fro with so manie evils The rest shall be of the Lords deliverances Let us then begin at the first part and our beginning and helpe be in the Name of the Lord who hath made heaven and earth Amen V. If ye define and describe exactly the righteous man by the rules of the Law which ascribeth this glorious and most excellent title to those onely whose persons are from the womb without spot whose actions are without sinne and in whose lives Gods all-seeing eyes can perceive no blemish let Papists say what they will we will truly say with David in the Old Testament n Psal 14.10 There is none that doth good no not one and with S. Paul in the New Testament o Rom. 3.10 There is none righteous no not one For if Papists speake of such men as are by S. Iude called p Iude ver 19. sensuall not having the spirit and say That they may keepe the Law of God if they will the holy and true Apostle giveth them the lye saying in the New Testament that q 1. Cor. 2.14 The naturall man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God for they are foolishnesse unto him neyther can he know them because they are spiritually discerned Now if he cannot know them what ability can he have to doe them And therefore Eliphaz sayth of such a man in the Old Testament that r Iob 15.16 he is abominable and filthy drinking iniquity like water for he is flesh he is nothing but flesh nothing but corruption and sinne and Å¿ Rom. 8.7 the affection of the flesh is enmitie against God for it is not subiect to the Law of God neyther indeed can be If then we fit to these carnal men the words which Ieremy spake to his auditors asking of them t Ier. 13.23 r Can the Ethiopian change his skin or the Leopard his spots then may you also do good that are accustomed to do evill wee shall convert them to their owne use because that v Tit. 1.15 being infidels their minde and conscience is defiled and w Rom. 8.5 being after the flesh they minde the things of the flesh If they speake of those of whom the Apostle saith that they are after the spirit and mind the things of the spirit and affirm of them that if they would they might keepe the law seeing they keepe it not and that the holiest man that ever was could not say truly x Pro. 20.9 I have made my heart cleane I am pure from my sinne then according to this saying good men are ill men honest men are knaves upright men are malicious men for y Iam. 4.17 to him that knoweth to doe good and doth it not to him it is sinne And never did any but a despitefull wicked man say I might do good if I would but I will not doe it whereas much otherwise the godly honest hearted man sayes a Rom. 7.18 19. The will is present with me but how to perform that which is good I find not For the good that I would I doe not
the blessed and perpetuall memory of the Church behold them destitute of meat to fill their bellies and of honest clothing to goe abroad eye them shrowding their nakednesse basely and poorely under sheepe and goat-skinnes view them now flying to the deserts and high mountaines now hiding themselves in dens and caves of the earth to save their lives Remember q 1. Kin. 18.13 the hundred Prophets which Obadiah hid by fifties in two caves feeding them with bread and water The Saints were thus put unto the pinch when their enemies and persecuters were full-gorging themselves with their goods 11 Behold the whips and scourges wherewith r Exod. 5.13 Pharaohs mercilesse taske masters teared and rent the flesh from the bones of Gods people Were not Å¿ 1. Kin. 22.27 Micaiah and t Ier. 20.2 Ier. 37.15 16. Ieremiah the Prophets of the Lord cast into a strait prison and there fed with bread and water of affliction to starve v 1. King 21.13 Naboth was he not killed with stones for his Vineyard Was not that the hyre wherewith x 2. Chro. 24.22 Ioash the Apostat payed Zachariah son of Iehoiada the high Priest for his conservation and education and requited the kindnesse which Iehoiada had done to him y Origen in Matth. cap. 23. Isaiah was cut thorow the middle with a Saw by Manasses Iesus Christ charged the Iewes and Ierusalem with z Matt. 23.34 37. scourging killing crucifying stoning persecuting of the Prophets wise men and Scribes wichwere sent unto them How manie hellish and horrible torments found out the Tyrant Antiochus Epiphanes against the Iewes who would not leave the Law of the Lord their God Yee know a 2. Macc. 7. the story of the seven brethren and of their godly mother whom hee commanded first to be maimed then the skin to be pulled off their head with the haire and finally to be brought to the fire and fryed in a hote Caldron 12 Salomon saith truely that b Eccles 7.1 a good name is better than precious oyntment Neyther is there anie honest-hearted man but he findeth comfort in his povertie in his basenesse in all his most sharpe and pricking afflictions in death it selfe so that his reputation be kept spotlesse and that in his calamitie hee may shun to be made a mocking-stock For ye shall finde few men or women who desire to out-live their own dishonour and shame and there is no righteous man who can abide the disgracing injuries wherewith God is pierced thorow his side Neverthelesse discredit infamie shame is also the righteous mans share No affliction did nip c Iob 16.10 Iob 17 6. Iob 19 18. Iob 2.9 Iob so sensibly as when he saw himselfe to be made a laughing stock to young children a by-word of the people a Tabret before all men a Butt of reproaches to his best friends and to his owne wife d Iudg. 16.21 25. Sampson suffered patiently the pulling out of his eyes the binding of his armes and feet with fetters of brasse and the vile and toylsome grinding in the prison-house But when the Lords of the Philistins sent for him that he might make them sport and when he heard them thanking Dagon their fishie god for the affliction wherwith his God the God of heaven which hath made the sea and the dry land had visited him he forgate patience and cryed to heaven for vengeance David complained of his enemies because e Psal 35.21 they opened their mouth wide against him and said Aha Aha Our eye hath seene him c But f Psal 42.10 it was a sword in his bones whilst they said daily unto him Where is thy God Then he cryes to his God g Psal 69.9 The reproaches of them that reproached thee are fallen upon me The Prophet Elisha cursed in the name of the Lord the little children who mocked him crying h 2. Kin. 2.23 24. Goe up thou bald head goe up thou bald head and called for the Beares of the wood to teare them i Lament 1.7 8. Ierusalem sighed when all that honoured her in her prosperitie despised her in her adversitie because they had seene her nakednesse and did mocke at her Sabbaths Then Ierusalem then the Church complained k Psal 79.1 2 3 4 5. O God the Heathen are come into thine inheritances thy holy Temple have they defiled they have layd Ierusalem on heapes The dead bodies of thy servants have they given to be meate unto the fowles of the heaven the flesh of thy Saints unto the beasts of the earth Their blood have they shed like water round about Ierusalem and there was none to bury them We are become a reproach to our neighbours a scorne and derision to them that are round about us Then they all cryed How long LORD wilt thou be angry for ever Shall thy iealousie burn like fire But that which lay heaviest upon their hearts was l Psal 74.4 5 6 7 10. to heare Gods enemies roring in the midst of his congregations to see them set up their Ensignes for signes their armes lifting up axes upon the interlaced timber of the Sanctuary breaking downe with axes and hammers the carved worke thereof and burning it into ashes with all the Synagogues of God in the land Then they could not chuse but mourn and cry O God how long shall the adversarie reproach Shall the enemy blaspheme thy Name for ever 13 All the righteous men of the Christian Church have in all times beene tryed with these three kinds of tentations The Lord Iesus our Master and head m Matt. 8.20 had not where to lay his head Neither would his persecuters n Ioh. 19.23 suffer him to dye in the garments which he had but stript him of them leaving him nothing to hide his nakednesse The blessed Apostles the Rams and ring-leaders of Christs flock o Act. 3.6 had neyther gold nor silver but did p 1. Cor. 4.11 12. hunger and thirst and were naked and had no certaine dwelling place and laboured working with their owne hands In the primitive Church whosoever had goods were made a prey to Christs enemies and the Apostle beareth them witnesse that q Heb. 10.34 they tooke ioyfully the spoyling of their goods Many of you to whom I speake have heard your fathers relate how many quarrels were maliciously pickt against them to begger them and undoe their estates and how leaving all in Babylon as Lot did in Sodom to escape the burning thereof and save their soules they came to this blessed refuge and Sanctuary of Gods people in their shirts as Iacob passed the river Iordan and came to Laban having no other provisions and helps for his journey and peregrination but his staffe alone In these last troubles of France I who now speake to you have seene townes which before were girded with Walls fortified with Bulwarkes flanked with Turrets sowen with the seed of true Christians defaced
men they would pull out the right eye and put out of joint the left leg and let them live that they might be both ridiculous and miserable III. The Inquisitors of Spaine send to the fire the reformed Christians arrayed in a yellow garment called the Sambenit which is all set and covered over with crosses and black Divells and mishapen after a fashion so ridiculous and monstrous to be seene that some of the beholders cannot hold from laughter some are scared and flye away beleeving the poore men to be so manie Divels come out of hell none is touched with commiseration towards them How often have the Papists welcomed their Kings with the honour or rather horror of such pageants at their first entrance into their townes as it is written of the Idolatrous people of Samaria h Hos 7.3 They make the King glad with their wickednes and the Princes with their lyes Shall a Minister goe thorow the streets in Popish townes in the deepest peace and not be hooted and hurried with most intolerable contumelies although they be arrayed like the rest of the people Can anie buriall be convoyed there without such showting and out-crying How often have these most inhumane and cruell Tygres denied the honour of buriall to our brethren accomplishing that which is written of them in i Rev. 11.8 9 10. the Revelation by not suffering their dead bodies to be put in graves How often have they unburied them and made the Church to cry to God with sighes and sobs k Psal 79.2 The bodies of thy Saints most deare Abroad to birds they cast The flesh of such as doe thee feare The beasts devoure and waste When as these carrion-eater-harpies were reioycing over them and making merry and sending gifts one to another as questionlesse the chiefe Priests the Scribes the Pharisees the Elders of the Iewes and the whole people did after they had crucified and reviled most shamefully the Lord of glory the Saviour of the Church the Immanuel our Lord Iesus Christ What Psalmes thinke yee are now sung in the Palatinate and in the Churches of France Surely the fortie foure the seventie foure the seventie nine the foure-score and others where amongst manie moe complaints they poure forth of a sad and broken heart with trembling words and many teares into Gods bosome this heavie but too true moane Vnto our neighbours thou hast made Of us a laughing stocke And they that round about us dwell At us doe grin and mocke Thus we serve for none other use But for a common talke They mocke they scorne they nod their heads Where ever they goe or walke So is verified not onely that which Salomon saith that l Eccl 8.14 there be inst men unto whom it happeneth according to the worke of the wicked but also that which David saith in my text Many are the Evills of the righteous IV. For as the divell tempted Christ eft-soones and gave him no respit stirring up against him all kind of enemies untill he nayled him upon the crosse even so he letteth never Christs members alone but bringeth evils upon them one on the necke of another and ever contriveth against them some new mischiefe watching heedfully now to harme them when they looke for some slackening Thence is this pittifull lamentation of the Church m Psal 129.3 The Plowers plowed upon my backe they made long their furrowes n Psal 44.22 For thy sake we are killed all the day long Thence is this wailefull plaint of every righteous man o Psal 7.14 All the day long I have beene beaten and my chastisement returned every day So that not onely in diversitie and hugenesse but also in continuance from the first day of the righteous mans spirituall birth unto the last gaspe of his mortall life Many are the Evills of the righteous V. They must be many for many lay their heads together to devise them which as it is said by the Prophet Micah p Miâ—h 2.2 forge iniquitiein their beds and when the morning is light they practise it because they have power to doe it in their hands The Spirit which inspires them is the divell the spoyler of all good architect and master of all evill who q 1 Pet. 5.8 as a roaring Lyon walketh about seeking whom he may devoure He breathes into the unrighteous mens hearts all kinds of devices and trickes against the righteous man Thence it is that r Psal 37.12 14 32. the wicked plotteth against the iust and gnasheth upon him with his teeth The wicked have drawne out the sword and have bent their bow to cast downe the poore and needy and to slay such as be upright in their way The wicked watcheth the righteous and seeketh to slay him Thence it is that Å¿ Psal 2.1 2 3. the heathen rage the people imagine vaine things the Kings of the earth set themselves the rulers take counsell together against the Lord and against his annoynted saying Let us breake their bands asunder and cast away their cords from us t Psal 1.2 For loe the wicked bend their bow they make ready their arrow upon their string that they may priuily shoot at the upright in heart David was but one man and he complaineth that u Psal 119 157. his persecuters and enemies were many yea so many that he was amazed at it and cryed to God with astonishment x Psal 3.1 Lord how are they increased that trouble me many are they that rise up against me Of what nation were they y Psal 118 10. All nations saith he compassed me about Had David alone so many enemies It is no wonder then if the Church wherein there are many Davids maketh her prayer with this heauy complaint to God a Psal 83.1 2 3 4 5. Keepe not thou silence O God hold not thy peace and be not still O God for loe thine enemies make a tumult and they that hate thee have lift up their heads They have taken crafty counsell against thy people and consulted against thy hidden ones They haue said Come and let us cut them off from being a nation that the name of Israel may be no more in remembrance for they consulted together with one consent they are confederate against thee What men are these which dare attempt matters so high and impossible b v. 6 7 8. The Tabernacles of Edom of the Ishmaelites of Moab of the Hagarens Gebal and Ammon and Amaleck The Philistines with the inhabitants of Tyre Assur also is ioyned with them they have holpen the children of Lot All alike enemies to Gods people and yet some of them the Idumeans Ishmaelites Moabites Ammonits kinsmen to Gods people the Idumeans the neerest withall the most malicious and cruell of all who not being able of themselves to doe any harme to the Church joyned with the Babylonians who besieged Ierusalem and as if they had beene Trumpets to sound the Alarum heartned them
the wind playeth in the ayre So I have shewed you that both by externall grievances and internall griefes Many are the Evills of the Righteous XI Now the righteous man may say to the wicked as David said to Saul t 1. Sam. 24.11 Know thou and see that there is neither evill nor transgression in mine hand and I have not sinned against thee yet thou huntest my soule to take it and as v Dan. 6.22 Daniel said to Darius who had cast him into the Lyons den Before thee O King I have done no hurt For although it pertained to Christ alone to say to his adversaries x Ioh. 8.46 Which of you convinceth me of sinne yet all the righteous men may say of their persecuters that which David said of his enemies y Psal 35.7 Without cause have they hid for me their not in a pit without cause they have digged for my soule And when they pray they feare not to protest of their innocencie in that hehalfe and to say to God a Psal 58.3 4. They lye in waite for my soule the mighty are gathered against me not for my transgression nor for my sin O Lord They run and prepare themselves without my fault awake to helpe me and behold The rule of the righteous mans life is Christs commandement and example His commandement is b Mat. 5.39 42 44. Resist not evill but whosoever shall smite thee on the right cheeke turne to him the other also c. Give to him that asketh thee Love your enemies blesse them that curse doe good to them that hate you and pray for them which despitefully use you and persecute you The same commandement he gave by his Apostle saying c Rom. 12.21 Be not overcome of evill but overcome evill with good What he commanded that he practised in his life d 1. Pet. 2.21 22 23. He suffered for us leaving us an example that ye should follow his steps who did no sinne neither was guile found in his mouth who when he was reviled reviled not againe when he suffered he threatned not but committed himselfe to him that iudgeth righteously Yea not onely he did them no harme but also hee did them all kind of good He went about all Iudea teaching the Gospell of the kingdome of heaven healing all manner of sicknesse and all manner of disease among the people made the blind to see the deafe to heare the lame to walke cleansed the lepers raised up the dead fed by the miraculous multiplication of bread at divers times many thousand soules restored the eare to Malcus which came to take him prayed for those which crucified him and therefore asked of his enemies who tooke up stones to throw at him e Ioh. 10.32 Many good workes have I shewed you from my Father for which of those workes doe you stone me What ill did the Apostles wherefore they should bee used so cruelly They went through the whole world converting men from darknesse unto the maruellous light of the Gospell and did so many wonders amongst the people that thence f Act. 14.11 some Idolaters tooke occasion to worship them but the Iewes to perswade the people to stone them g 1. Cor. 4.11 12. Being reviled they blessed being persecuted they suffered it being defamed they intreated Much good did they to many ill they did to none Read more ancient examples of h Gen. 13.8 Abraham yeelding for peace-sake to his Nephew Lot of i Gen. 49.5 6 7. Iacob cursing his owne sonnes Simeon and Levi for their bloodie anger against the Sichemites though having a goodly shew of righteous vengeance of k 1. Sam. 25 7 8.15 16. David leading with his souldiers a most innocent life amongst Nabals heards of cattle and flocks of sheep sparing Sauls life who sought his and bringing him to this true confession l 1. Sam. 24.17 Thou art more righteous than I for thou hast rewarded me good whereas I have rewarded thee evill m Psal 38.12 being as a deafe man when his enemies spake mischievous things against him n Psal 35.12 13. cloathing himselfe with sackecloth humbling his soule with fasting praying most affectuously when his enemies which rewarded him evill for good were sicke If ye desire examples of the Christians carriage during ten persecutions in the space of three hundred and odde yeares o Tert. Apol. cap. 1. 37 When the people invaded them they resisted not when the Magistrate condemned them they gave thanks when the dead bodies of their brethren and kinsmen were drawn out of the rest of their graves were pulled away from the Sanctuarie of death they sought no revenge albeit they were in greater number than their enemies and might with a few little firebrands set on fire all the Townes Boroughes Villages Castles of the Empire if Christian Religion did not forbid all private men p Rom. 12.19 to avenge themselves because it is written Vengeance is mine I will repay it saith the Lord. For this cause the holy Spirit often calleth the afflictions of the righteous Sufferings because they suffer the evill which is done unto them but they do no evil to any man wherunto also Christ hath bound them when he callth then q Mat. 10.26 Sheepe insnuating that they should be sheepe in simplicitie to never thinke any evill in innocencie to never doe any evill in patience to beare all evills meekly without grudging and murmuring in utilitie and commoditie to feede with their milk to cloath with their wooll whosoever stands in need of their helpe to doe ill unto no man r Gal. 6.10 to doe good unto all men especially unto them who are of the houshold of faith Alas alas the number of such sheepe of such righteous men how rare is it how many suffer not Å¿ 1. Pet. 3.17 1 Pet. 4.29 for well doing as Christians and righteous men but for evill doing as murtherers theeves robbers and ravenous wolves rather than sheepe how many cannot abide to suffer but thinking it a shame to packe up an injurie will needs be avenged of their enemies how many doe seeke to defend the Gospell against persecuters by burning killing murdering filling the house of innocent peasants of poore countrey folkes with orbitie desolation and mourning intending to cure one sinne with another sinne taking the way of hell to goe to heaven and thinking to defend the Gospell by unlawfull meanes which the Gospell hath condemned For it is not hee which suffereth evill but he which doth it that sinneth And therefore the true righteous man is ever a patient not an agent in evill and the wicked not onely have no cause wherfore they should hate him but have in his manifold good deedes a good cause wherefore they should love him and yet not withstanding his innocent and good carriage Many are the Evills of the Righteous XII Sometimes many blind-folded with ignorance deeme that the righteous man is the
salvation and my high tower His deliveries are not palliative cures easing for a while and not healing altogether nor anodins taking away for some houres all sense of paine and not the paine it selfe They are salvations and as it were resurrections from among the dead b Dan. 6.27 He delivereth and resoueth and he worketh signes and wonders in heaven and in earth Such were the deliveries of Israel out of the land of Egypt of David from Saul of Hezekiah and Iosaphat from their enemies of Shadrac Meshac and Habed-nego out of the burning furnace of Daniel from the power of the Lions of his people out of the captiuitie of Babylon such have ever beene the deliveries of the Church such was this last deliverie of the Churches of France XI Having such a Deliverer such a Redeemer such a Saviour let us neither feare men nor trust in them yea let us not feare the divell himselfe For the divell was not so hardie as to doe violence to c Iob 1.12 Iob or d Mat. 8.29 to enter into the swine without Gods leave The divels e Eph. 6.12 are principalities and powers and spirituall wickednesse in high places and yet we should not feare all their spirituall and powerfull wickednes because God who is our deliverer is stronger Shall we then feare men which are borne which live which dye in weaknes What can the mightiest of them all doe without the Lord what can they all doe against the Lord If he be with us if he be against them who shall be against us who shall be for them What fearest thou their multitude and number If thou hast received grace to say with David f Psal 3.5 6. the Lord susteined me thou hast also received grace to say with him I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people that have set themselves against me What fearest thou Their strength and great might Could g Gen. 6.4 7. the Giants which were on the earth in the dayes of Noah keepe themselves from the flood of Gods wrath h Numb 13.32 33. Num. 14 19 The people of Israel feared the people of Canaan because these were men of great stature and among them were the Giants the sonnes of Anak and they were as grashoppers compared to them Then Iosua and Caleb said to them Feare not the people of the Land for they are bread for us their defence is departed from them and the LORD is with us feare them not Conformably whereunto i Ios 11.21 Ioshuah cut off the Anakims and destroyed them utterly with their cities and there was none of them left in the land of the children of Israel When k Deut. 3.1 2 11. Og king of Bashan came against the people of Israel with all his people the people had occasion to feare for Og was of the remnant of gyants his bed-sted was of yron the length thereof was nine cubits and the breadth foure cubits after the cubit of a man But God said to Moses Feare him not for I will deliver him and all his people and his land into thy hand What did then all his â—â—gnesse and tallnesse availe him Could it hinder the children of Israel from singing to God l Psal 136.18 19 20. He slew famous kings for his mercy endureth for ever Sihon king of the Amorites for his mercy endureth for ever and Og the king of Bashan for his mercy endureth for ever m 1. Sam. 17.4 7 11 32. When the Israelites saw the great and huge monster Goliah the staffe of whose speare was like a weavers beame and the head thereof weighed sixe hundred shekels of yron they were dismayed and greatly afraid But David led with another spirit said to Saul Let no mans heart faile because of him thy servant will goe and fight with this Philistine and he went with a sling in his hand and with a stone which he flung at him he slew him according as he had said n Ver. 47. The Lord saveth not with sword and speare for the battellis the LORDS What fearest thou their prudence their wisedome their slight and shifting devices Feare not o Psal 94.11 The Lord knoweth the thoughts of man that they are vanitie He bloweth upon them and they vanish away with their authors For p Pro. 21.30 31. there is no wisedome nor understanding nor counsell against the LORD q Iob 12.13 17 20 21. with him is wisedome and strength he hath cousell and understanding he leadeth counsellers away spoyled and maketh the Iudges fooles he remooveth away the speech of the trustie and taketh away the understanding of the aged hee powreth contempt upon Princes and weakeneth the strength of the mightie Finally r Psal 90.3 he turneth man to destruction and saith Returne ye children of men And therefore he saith to his children when they feare the power of his enemies Å¿ Esa 51.7 8. Hearken unto me ye that know righteousnesse the people in whose heart is my law feare ye not the reproch of men neither be ye afraid of their revilings for the moth shall eate them up like a garment and the worme shall eate them like wooll but my righteousnes shall befor ever and my salvation from generation to generation Wicked and mighty men build their designes upon the hope of long life and learne not by so many examples of the mortality of the greatest among men that t Esa 40.23 24. the Lord bringeth the Princes to nothing and maketh the Iudges of the earth as vanity yea they shall not be planted yea they shall not be sowen yea their stocke shall not take roote in the earth and he shall also blow upon them and they shall wither and the whirle-wind shall take them away as stubble This was v 1. King 22.27 28. Achabs trust when he commanded to put Micaiah in prison and to feed him with bread and water of affliction untill he came backe in peace but Micaiah answered with great confidence If thou returne at all in peace the LORD hath not spoken at all by me The wicked and malicious Apostate Iulian threatned the Christians whom hee called Galileans in derision with many evills and mischiefes as soone as he should come backe from his expedition against the Persians trusting in the predictions of the Magicians and in the ambiguous oracles of his gods But the Christians feared him not knowing that he was a mortall man or as Athanasius called him Nubeculacitò transitura a cloud which is soone gone Henry II. King of France said that hee should see with his owne eyes Anne de Bourg burnt quicke That same day he received at the tilting a stroake with a speare in the eye whereof he died His sonne Francis II. erected the scaffold for the martyrizing of the Prince of Condé Prince of his owne blood That same night a paine in his eare killed him and the Prince escaped For these causes taken from Gods deliveries
his great strength Yet God imployeth often men horses hosts for the safety of the king deliverie of his people opposing men to men flesh to flesh vanitie to vanitie Thus he introduced his people into the land of Canaan by Ioshua delivered them often by the Iudges by David and other good Kings Thus after he had tryed the faith patience and constancie of the christian Church for the space of 3. hundred years by x. most heavy persecutions he stird up Constantine the Great to deliver them by the sword from their enemies In these skirmishes and combats men fight but k 1. Sam. 17.17 the battell is the LORDS It is he which giveth the victorie to them on whose side he is as the scales of a ballance hang upon that side where there is most weight This was that which Moses prophecied to his people l Deut. 33.27 The eternall God is thy refuge and underneath are the everlasting armes and he shall thrust out thy enemies from before thee and shall say Destroy them This was the confession of the Church of Israel with prayer and thanksgiving m Psal 44.3 4 5 6 7 8. Our Fathers got not the land in possession by their owne sword neither did their owne arme save them but thy right hand and thine arm and the light of thy countenance because thou hadst a favour unto them Thou art my King O God command deliverances for Iacob Through thee will wee push downe our enemies Through thy Name will wee tread them under that rise up against us for I will not trust in my bow neither shall my sword save mee But thou hast saved us from our enemies and hast put them to shame that bated us In God wee boast all the day long and praise thy Name for ever Selah Looke on what side God is there few are enow there two are enow there one is enough Few are enow Gedeon and three hundred men were sufficient against the Midianites because n Iudg. 6.16 the LORD said unto him Surely I will be with thee and thou shalt smite the Midianites as one man Therefore when hee was going to fight hee cōmanded his souldiers to cry o Iudg. 7.18 The sword of the LORD and of Gedeon First the sword of the LORD as being the principall combatant Next of Gedeon as of a weak instrument in Gods hands and as the Midianite dreamed p Vers 23. a cake of barley bread which tumbling into the host of Midian smote it and put it to flight Three hundred Albigenses of Angrogne defended themselves in a medow against seven thousand Papists and having no other armour but slings gave them the chase Two are enow as q 1. Sam. 14.6 Ionathan and the young man that bare his armour against the garrison of the Philistins For as hee faid there is no restraint to the LORD to save by many or by few When it is Gods pleasure to deliver by one one is enough r Iudg. 15.15 Samson with the jaw-bone of an Asse slew a thousand Philistins and ſ Iudg. 16.27 30. pulling down the house upon three thousand of them slew them all Wonderfull were the exploits of Davids Worthies but principally of t 2. Sam. 23.8 the first three for each of them being aloue slew many hundred of Gods enemies because God was with them But where God is not with men there a great host is as weake as one man And therefore when God drew himselfe back from the Iewes by reason of their sinnes they made their moan and said v Psal 44.9 10. Thou hast cast us off and put us to shame and goest not foorth with our armies Thou makest us to turn backe from the enemie and they which hate us spoile for themselves VII Sometimes God armeth his creatures and they fight against the enemies of his people either alone or jointly with them He fought against Pharao by turning of the river into blood by Frogs by Lice by swarmes of Flies by the murraine of Beasts by the plague of Boyles and Blanes of Haile Thunder and Lightning of Locusts and Darknesse at last by his Angell which smote all the first-borne of Aegypt from men unto the cattell Hezekiah being inclosed in Ierusalem and not able to resist against Senacherib his army x 2. Kin. 19.35 the Angell of the LORD went out and smote in the camp of the Assyrians an hundred foure score and five thousand When of these champions of the heavēly host one alone doth so great deeds what would not doe all Psal 68.17 the Chivalrie of God which is of twenty thousands even of thousands of Angells z Psal 34.7 which encampe round about them that feare God Wherefore David prayed the Lord a Psal 35.5 to send his Angell to chase his enemies b t. 12.7 One Angell delivered Peter a multitude of Angels delivered c 2. King 6.17 Elisha and carryed d Luk. 16.22 Lazarus into Abrahams bosome When Ioshua was fighting against five kings of Canaan e Iosh 10.11 the LORD cast downe great stones from heaven upon them and they were moe which dyed with haile stones than they whom the children of Israel slew with the swords When in the divisions of Reuben there were great thoughts of heart and sundry other tribes through lazinesse followed not Deborah and Barak in the warre against Iabin and Sisera the heavens and the starres fought with them against those puissant enemies IIX Often God worketh besides all meanes yea and against the nature of meanes Ioseph is sold by his brethren and cast into a loathsome prison that he may be exalted to the highest glory that is in Kings Courts The sea was a safegard to the people of Israel even then when the Egyptians were overthrowne in the middest of it The blowing of trumpets and the burning lamps were fitter to discover Gedeon with his three hundred disarmed men to the hoste of the Midianites than to discomfit it The f Iosh 6.4 blowing of rammes hornes was not so fit to cast downe the walles of Iericho as to advertise the Citizens to be upon their guard and to watch to hold them up What could Davids sling serve against Goliaths speare and who would not have mocked the three hundred Albigenses fighting with slings against seven thousand men well armed as if they had beene as many birds in a hemp-yard It pleaseth God to deliver so that his Church vaunt not against him saying g Iudg. 7.2 Mine owne hand hath saved med and so relye upon the meanes and make him a co-partner onely of the deliverie and not author thereof When the Lyons spare Daniel when the fire beareth respect to the three Confessors when the Whale swalloweth up Ionah and three dayes and three nights after vomiteth him out of her belly upon the dry land without any harme who can deny but that such deliveries were against the nature of meanes and cannot