when I call, O God of my righteousnesse, &c. where hee sheweth, that as God doth promise to helpe in afflictions, so he requireth of our parts, that wee should suffer as weldoers, and as doing well in a good cause, as if hee had expressed his minde in these words: O God, the cause which I maintaine is iust, and I haue maintained it well, let them fall then that haue an ill cause against me, who hauing so righteous a cause.
As we haue to learne, that we shall not be without oppressors, if we doe well: so must we learne how to behaue our selues therein. It seemeth monstrous to some, that we should by weldoing purchase such enemies, as if when ye do well, ye suffer wrong, and take it patiently▪ this is acceptable to God: 1. Pet. 3. 13. Who is it that will harme you, if you follow that which is good? Yet it is a thing in the secret iudgement of God, either to the triall of the faith of his children, or the fulfilling of the sins of the wicked. Who would thinke a man should haue enemies, but by desert. True it is, if the world were aright: but because wee liue in such a world, wherein Christ himselfe executing iudgemēt and righteousnes did suffer, because it hated him, much more must we looke for it, as Christ himselfe hath also fore warned, because the seruant must not be aboue his maister; and because we labour and cease not to hinder the kingdome of Sathan, hee enarmeth the world with hatred against vs also. We must not think that we can be here quiet. For although we be sometimes troubled because we haue not done somewhat, which we ought: yet often we must be oppressed as righteous doers, although not so, as our enemies finally shall preuaile against vs.
We see the Prophet desireth God to be the patrone of a righteous cause, and of a righ∣teous cause rightly handled; we must then, if we will assure our selues of Gods protection, first consider if our cause be iust, and hauing such a cause, whether we haue rightly dealt in it. Let vs therefore when we are oppressed, search our cause; if we feele that our conscience be guiltie, then no maruell though wee suffer, because the Lord correcteth either our euill cause, or our ill handling of a good cause. Wee must see that in the equitie of our request, our cause be iust and true, and being good, that our dealing therein bee also iust and right. Let vs see this now in particulars.
Our Sauiour Christ saith, he came to put dissension betweene the father and the sonne, the mother and the daughter, and that the father in law should bee against his son in law, and the sonne in law against his father in law. True it is, if it be for the Gospels sake, and we withall haue done our duties and obedience, which nature & our callings require, that we be hated; yet must we not be dismaied, although we haue the enemies of our own familie, of them which by nature are ioyned to vs, we are not to be discouraged, if it be righteous∣nes, which we must maintaine, and vnrighteousnes which they maintaine: if thē our cause being good: we vse all obedience, loue, and dutie, and yet be grieued, we must recouer our selues with that which Christ hath said: but if our cause bee ill, or being right, wee shewed not our selues humble and dutifull in the defence of it; then we haue deserued iustly to be euill entreated of them. If wee shall obserue this to happen either among Magistrates to their subiects, or Landlords to their tenants, or any other gouernours to their inferiours, when they shall deale ill with vs in debts, fines, and exactions, we must consider, that if we haue done righteously, we haue the libertie to comfort our soules in prayer: Lord, I haue done the part of a faithfull subiect, or the dutie of a good tenant; Lord, helpe me against this man, which oppresseth me wrongfully. But if we haue discouraged their hearts either simply by ill doing▪ or in a good thing by ill dealing, we must know, that the Lord by them doth take some good thing from vs, who from them did take some good duties. We must see then whether we haue done our duties in loue or not, this will keepe vs from fuming, and will make vs rest in prayer.
The ignorance of this doctrine maketh vs fret and fume, who neuer consider whether our cause be good, or whether in a good cause wee haue vsed good dealing or no. If Gods children looke thus into their consciences, it will humble them: as surely I did not well to him, God suffereth him to doe the like to me againe, and meateth out vnto mee the like measure with mine owne meat-yeard. Where wee must learne that Gods children neuer deale so earnestly with their enemies, as with their God. And as this holdeth in superiours so must wee marke this doctrine in all troubles with our inferiours or equals. Now if our