hath chosen us If a Convert comes home the Angels welcome him with Songs the Devils follow him with uproare and fury his old acquaintance with scornes and obloquie for they thinke it quarrell enough that we will no longer runne with them to the same excesse of riot 1 Peter 4. 4. That we will no longer continue miserable with them they envy to see themselves casheired as persons infected with the plague will scoffe at such of their acquaintance as refuse to consort with them as they have done formerly It is not enough for them to be bad themselves except they raile at and persecute the good He that hath no grace himselfe is vexed to see it in another godly men are thornes in wicked mens eyes as Job was in the Devils because they are good or because they are deerly beloved of God If a mans person and wayes please God the World wil be displeased with both If God be a mans friend that will be his enemy If they exercise their malice it is where he shewes mercy and indeed he refuseth to be an Abel whom the malice of Caine doth not exercise as Gregory speaks for it is an everlasting rule of the Apostles He that is borne after the flesh will persecute him that is borne after the Spirit Gal. 4. 29. not because he is evill but because he is so much better than himselfe 1 John 3. 12. Because his life is not like other mens his wayes are of another fashion Wisd. 2. 15. I have also shewed the Originall continuance properties causes ends and what will be the issue of this enmity and therein made it plaine that as for the present they suite like the Harpe and the Harrow agree like two poysons in one stomack the one being ever sick of the other so to reconcile them together were to reconcile Fire and Water the Wolfe and the Lambe the Winds and the Sea together yea that once to expect it were an effâ—ct of frenzie not of hope It remaines in the last place that I declare the Reasons why God permits his dearest children so to be afflicted Reasons why The godly are so patient in their sufferings With other Grounds of comfort and Uses and first of the first The Reasons why God suffers the same are chiefly sixteene all tending to his glory and their spirituall and everlasting good benefit and advantage for the malignity of envie if it be well answered is made the evill cause of a good effect to us God and our soules are made gainers by anothers sin The Reasons and Ends which tend to Gods glory are three 1 It makes for the glory of his Power 2 It makes for the glory of his Wisedome 3 It makes much for his glory when those graces which he hath bestowed upon his children doe the more shine through imployment 1. It maketh for the glory of his Power Moses having declared in what manner the Lord permitted Pharaoh to oppresse the children of Israel more and more still hardning his heart shewes the reason of it in these words That I may multiply my miracles and wonders in the Land of Aegypt That I may lay my hand upon Pharaoh and bring out mine Armies even my people by great judgements that my power may bee knowne and that I may declare my Name throughout all the World Exod. 7. 3 4. 9. 16. When that multitude of Amonites and Moabites came to war against Jehâ—saphat and the Children of Israel intending to cast them out of the Lords inheritance and utterly destroy them to the dishonour of God the Lord by delivering them from that sore affliction gained to himselfe such honour and glory That as the Text saith the feare of God was upon all the Kingdomes of the Earth when they heard that the Lord had fought so against the enemies of Israel 2 Chron. 20. 29. The judgement was upon some the feare came upon all it was but a few mens lesse but it was all mens warning 1 Cor. 10. 11. When the Lord brought againe the Captivity of Sion saith the Psalmist Then said they among the Heathen the Lord hath done great things for them Psal. 126. 1. 2. God provides on purpose mighty adversaries for his Church that their humiliation may be the greater in sustaining and his glory may be greater in deliverance yea though there be Legious of devils and every one stronger than many Legions of men and more malicious than strong yet Christs little Flocâ— lives and prospers and makes not this exceedingly for our Makers for our Gardians glory Gods power is best made known in our weakens 2 Cor. 12. 9. And our deliverance is so much the more wondered at by how much the lesse it was expected Impossibilities are the best advancers of Gods glory who not seldome hangs the greatest weights upon the smallest wâ—ars as he doth those bottles of He â—ven being of infinite weight and magnitude in the â—of 〈…〉 where no man can make a feather hang and the massie substance of the whole Earth and Sea upon nothing Job 26. 7. 8. Yea the whole frame of the He â—vens have no other Columns or Supporters to leane upon then his mighty and powerfull word Gen. 1. 6 7 8. For what we leâ—st beleeve can be done we most admire being done the lesser the meanes and the greater the opposition the more is the glory of him who by little meanes doth overcome a great opposition yea it is greater glory to God to turne evils into good by over-mastering them then wholly to take them away Now if thy very enemies thus honour thee how should thy friends bought with thy precious blood glorifie thee But the sweetest of honey lieth in the bottome I passe therefore from the first to the second Reason CHAP. II. That it makes for the glory of his Wisedome 2. SEcondly it maketh for the glory of his marvellons and singular wisâ—dome when he turneth the malice of his enemies to the advantage of his Church I would saith Paul yee understood brethren that the things which have come unto me are turned rather to the furthering of the Gospell So that my bonds in Christ are famous throughout all the ' judgement-Hall and in all other places Insomuch that many of the brethren in the Lord are imboldned through my bonds and dare more frankly speake the word Phil. 1. 12 13 14. The Apostles imprisonment was not the Gospels restraint but inlargement In all other cases a gentle resistance heightens the desire of the seeker in this the strength of opposition meeting with as strong a faith hath the same effect Againe how admirably did the Lord turne the malice of Josephs brethren when they sold him into Aegypt And that devillish plot of Hamm against Mordecay and his people to the good of his Church in generall and of Joseph and Mordecay in particular Gen. 45. 8. 11. Hester 9. 1 2 3. Their plots to overthrow Joseph and Mordecay wereturned by a Divine Providence to the onely
Sathan did nought touching Job but what the Lord upon his request gave him leave to doe what then Did God and Belial joyne in fulfilling the same act no sooner shall Stygiâ—n darkenesse blend with light the frost with fire day with night true God and Satan will'd the selfe same thing but God intended good Satan ill Satan aimed at Jobs and God at his confusion God used the malice of Pharaoh and Shemei unto good what then God afflicted his people with another minde than Pharaoh did God to increase them Pharaoh to suppresse them The sinne of Shemeis curse was his owne the smart of the curse was Gods God wils that as Davids chastisement which he hates as Shimeis wickednesse God owed a revenge to the house of Ely and by the delation of Doeg he took occasion to pay it when the Priests were slaine It was just in God which in Doeg was most unjust Sauls cruelty and the trechery of Doeg doe not lose one dâ—am of their guilt by the counsell of God Neither doth the holy counsell of God gather any blemish by their wickednesse If it had pleased God to inflict death upon them sooner without any pretence of occasion his justice had beene cleare from all imputations Now if Saul or Doeg be in stead of a Pestilence or Feavor who can cavill The judgements of God are not ever manifest but are alwaies just Againe the curse of the Serpent bestowed blessednesse on Man yea our first Parents had been lesse glorious if they had not wanted a Saviour What then Doth Satan merit thanks No but the contrary for he onely intended the finall ruine and Destruction of them and all mankinde with the dishonour of their Maker Lastly the Devill does us good in this particular case for while he assaults us with temptations and afflicts us with crosses he in effect helps us to Crownes Yet still no thanks to Satan for to be charitable is more than his meaning it is that Divine and over-ruling providence of God which we are beholding unto and to him give we the thanks But above all our Saviours example will most excellently distinguish the ends of God Satan and wicked Men for if we observe Judas delivered him to death for gayne the Jewes for envy Pilate for feare the Devill provoked each of them through this enmity Christ himselfe to obey his Fathers will God the Father in love to sinners and for their Redemption each furthered one and the same thing but to contrary ends so when this enmity breakes forth in the wicked Satan hath a hand in it as a malitious author as when he entred into Judas and made him betray Christ Luke 22. 3. Man himselfe as a voluntary instrument as when Pharaoh hardned his owne heart against the children of Israel Exod. 9 34. God as a most righteous Judge and avenger as when he also hardned Pharaohs heart so punishing his former hardnesse with further obdurâ—â—ion Exod. 9. 12. But how in this case even by permitting the seed of the Serpent from their owne malitious inclination to hate the Seed of the Woman not by infusing this malice but by withdrawing his grace when he sees it abused he doth not infuse corruption he doth not with-hold the occasion as when the Rider gives his horse the raynes we say he puts him on Whence that distinction of adversities as they come from Satan they are usually called temptations as they come from Men presecutions as from God afflictions Now as God turned the trechery of Judas not onely to the prayse of his justice mercy wisedome power c. but to the good of all beleevers so he turnes this enmity of Satan and wicked men to his childrens great advantage in stopping them in their course of sinne and keeping them in exercise and his owne glory And well may he worke good by evill instruments when every Prince and Magistrate hath the feat to make profitable instruments aswell of evill persons as of good yea when there is nothing in the World be it gall it selfe yea the excrement of a â—og or the poyson of a Serpent but mans shallow invention can finde it is good for something neither doe two contrary poysons mingled together prove mortall And thus you see that the will of God may be done thanklessely when in fulfilling the substance we faile in the intention and erre in circumstances Now see with the like patience how it will fare with these men in the end Pomponius Atticus being destined to famishment and receiving no manner of sustinance for many dayes contrary to the intention was freed by meanes of that abstinance from a violent paine and recovered of a disease which otherwise had cost him his life Prometheus being run in with a Rapier and Jason receiving a great blow on the brest each was restored to health from dangerous and deadly impostumeâ— which otherwise were thought incurable And this is our case for even as that cured them which their enemies intended should have killed them so this enmity of the Serpent and his Seed cures our soules and makes us everlastingly happy Yet they intending onely evill in it or at least the satisfying of their owne wicked wils as they know better than I wherein they imitate the Weesell which doth a man pleasure in destroying of Vermine yet onely intends the satisfying of her owne hunger not his good that keepes the house can no way assume the least praise to themseldes nor expect the more favour That which is ill of it selfe is not to be ventered on for the good which commeth by accident It is no priviledge to be an instrument of good by evill meanes Nor can you expect to fare better without a healing of your errours then the Worme in the stomack which when it hath devoured all the matter proper for it dyes it selfe or Heleborus which after it hath wrought the cure within the body is cast up againe together with the Mallady The Lord often doth good to his Church even by those Instruments whom for their sinnes hee meanes to cast into Hell fire Asser was his Rod to scourge Isâ—ael that done they fell under a sharper lash themselves Those Nations saith God shall serve the King of Babell Seventy yeares and when the Seventy yeares are accomplished I will visit the King of Babell and that Nation for their iniquities and will make it a perpetuall desolation c. Jer. 25. 11 12. and 30. 16. When iniquity hath playd her part vengeance leaps upon the Stage the Comedy is short but the Tragedy is longer Wee use rubbish to scoure our vessell when those vessels are cleered we fling away the rubbish Bridges that helpe men over the streame at last themselves rot and sinke in When Balaams Asse had done speaking humana voce she lived an Asse and dyed an Asse So when God hath sufficiently afflicted the righteous by the rod of the wicked hee will fling the Rod into the fire which is unquenchable Isay 33. 1.
people of God then to enjoy the pleasures of sin An easie impâ—rtunity will perswade Orpah to returne from a Mother in law to a Mother in nature from a roylesome journey to rest from strangers to her kindred from a hopelesse condition to likelyhoods of contentment A little intreaty will serve to move nature to be good to it selfe but to persist in actions of goodnesse though tyranny torment death and hell stood in our way this is that conquest which shall be crowned with glory Nature is like Glasse bright but brittle The resolved Christian like Gold which if we rub it or beat it or melt it it will endure the teste the touch the hammer and still shine more orient For Vertues like the Stars shine brightest in the night and fairest in the frost of Affliction But this is not all for affliction will try and make knowne the truth and measure of each grace in particular A temptation is like a question that examines what is in a man As Balaam was tryed and examined whether hee feared God or loved 〈◊〉 world most when Balack told him am not I able indeed to promote thee to honour And Joseph no lesse when in the armes of his tempting Mistresse but the one basely yeelds and is casheered for an hypocrite the other comes off with an holy scorne and God seales him châ—ste with a probatus est 2. Againe secondly Affliction is a notâ—ble meanes to try whether wee have faith or not The house built upon the sand carries as good a shew as the house built on the Rock and in a clear sun-shine day glisters as gallantly but the windes and tempests when they are up will quickly shew the differenâ—â— Nothing is more easie then to trust God when our Barnes and Coffers are full And to say give us our daily bread when wee have it in our Cubbards But when we have nothing when wee know not how nor whence to get any thing then to depend upon an invisible bounty this is a true and noble act of faith Thirdly what our wisedome and humillity is Plato being demanded how hee knew a wise man answered When being rebuked hee would not bee angry and being praised hee would not be proud Our disposition is never well knowne untill it be crossed nor did Proteus ever change shapes till hee was straigtned and held fast Magistracy and misery will soone shew what manner of men we be either will declare us better or worse then wee seemed Indeed Prosperity saith one best discovers vice but Adversity doth best discover Vertue but he that is not good in both estates would not be excellent in either hee who cannot beare honour with moderation cannot beare contempt with patience whereas a true Moses can be a moderate favourite at Court and a well â—mtented sheepherd in the field can turne and apply himselfe to any condition and therewith be content as S. Paul was Phil. 4. 11. 5. Fifthly what patience we have The Sea when it is calme weather is as still and quiet as any river but let the windes once arise and you shall soone see a diâ—ference then appeares nothing but raging and foaming out myre and dirt And that we are indeed which we are in temptation for can we not abide a drawing plastor to draine away corrupt bloud and humours much lâ—sse can we finde case in cutting â—ff joynts and members and pulling out eyes which Repentance must doe 6. Sixthly a man is made knowne whether hee be feeble or strong by the provocation of an enemy even calme tempers when they have been stirred have bewrayed impetuousnesse of passion And indeed how shall a man shew his strength unlesse some burthen be laid upon his backe Now hee thaâ— overcommeth his owne anger saith Chilo overcommeth a strong enemy but he that is overcome by it is a whiteliver saith Hermes for wrath proceedeth from feeblenesse of courage and lacke of discretion As may appeare in that Women are sooner angry then men the sicke sooner then the healthy and Old men sooner then Young Againe it s nothing to endure a small tryall or affliction every Cock-boat can swim in a River every Sculler sayle in a Calme every man can hold up his head in ordinary Gusts but when a blacke storme arises a tenth wave flowes deep calls unto deep Nature yeelds Spirit faints Heart fayles Whereas grace is never quite out of heart yea is confident when hopes are adjourned and expectation is delayed 7. Again seaventhly how excellently was Jobs sincerity made known by Sathans malice when he brought sorth those Angelicall words What shall we receive good at the hand of God and not receive evill Joâ— 2. 10. When he stood like a Centre unmoved while the circumference of his estate was drawne above beneath about him when in prosperity he could say if my mouth hath kist my hand and in adversity the Lord giveth and the Lord taketh blessed be the name of the Lord. Hee was not so like the wicked as they are like dogs that follow the meat not the man 8. Againe eighthly God suffers us to suffer much more especially to try our perseverance which is a grace so good and acceptable that without it there is nothing good nor acceptable The Spaniell which sawneth when he is beaten will never forsake his Master and Trees well rooted will beare all stormes The three Children walked up and downe in the fiery flames praysing God And a Blade well tryed deserves a treble price How did the Church of Pergamus approve her selfe Yea how was she approved of God which hath the sword with two edges when she held out in her workes even where Sathan dwelt and kept his Throne I know thy workes saith God and that thou keepest my Name and hast not denyed my faith even in those dayes when Antipas my faithfull Martyr was slaine among you where Satan dwelleth yea where his Throne is and where some maintaine the Doctrine of Balaam and the Nicholaitans and teach that men ought to eate things sacrificed to Idols and to commit fornication c. Revel 2. 13 14. But how can I lay downe my life for Christ when I cannot for his sake quietly disgest a few reproachfull speeches he will scarce bare blowes for him that will not quietly put up and disgest ill words Finally Affliction and Persecution is both a whetstone and a touch-stone to each particular grace It humbleth the spirits of the repentant tryeth the faith and patience of the sincere Christian but hardneth the hearts of the ungodly for wicked men grow worse after afflictions as water growes more cold after an heat yea like some Beasts they grow mad with baiting if crosses or losses rush in upon them they fall to the language of Jobs wife Curse God and dye or to that of the King of Israels Messenger Why should I serve God any longer 2 King 6. 33. CHAP. X. That it prevents greater evills of Sinne and Punishment to come 7. SEventhly