Seuen treatises containing such direction as is gathered out of the Holie Scriptures, leading and guiding to true happines, both in this life, and in the life to come: and may be called the practise of Christianitie. Profitable for all such as heartily desire the same: in the which, more particularly true Christians may learne how to leade a godly and comfortable life euery day. Penned by Richard Rogers, preacher of the word of God at Wethersfield in Essex.

[ B]

CHAP. 10. Of the second branch of this priuiledge, concerning the afflictions of the faithfull: namely, That God deliuereth them out of manie, when the wicked still re∣maine in theirs.

THe second point is, that they may also assure themselues, that the Lord will deliuer them (and that of very fauour) out of ma∣ny troubles, though they see not how: euen as I haue shewed, [ C] that some shall not touch them at all. For although they them∣selues see not how, nor any other likelihood but that they shall long oppresse them, yea vtterly consume them; yet euen then doth the Lord know how to deliuer them, and hath many waies, which we could not see, to rid them out of so great calamities: and so he doeth,* 1.1 either before they haue long lien vpon them, or at least, before they haue beene driuen to any extre∣mitie by them, and before they haue had their course; as in the deliuerances of Dauid, mentioned 1. Sam. 19.20.23.24. & 26. chapters thorowout, is to be seene. And this he doth as oft as it is expedient:* 1.2 when in the meane season he dealeth not so with the vnbeleeuers, but when the other escape, they come [ D] many times in their roome, as the wise man saith: The godly escape out of trou∣ble by the Lords deliuering of them, and the wicked are come in their stead. Now for proofe of that which I said [that God deliuereth them out of many] what is more plaine then that which the prophet saith:* 1.3 If the Lord had not beene on our side, (may Israell now say) if the Lord had not been on our side when men rose vp against vs, they had then swallowed vs vp quicke, when their wrath was kindled against vs, &c. But praised be the Lord, who hath not giuen vs a prey vn∣to their teeth. Our soule is escaped as a bird out of the snare of the fouler, the snare is broken, and we are escaped. The Apostle prooueth it also in his words:* 1.4 We would not haue you ignorant (brethren) of our affliction which came vnto vs in [ E] Asia, how we were pressed out of measure, passing strength, so that we altogither doubted euen of life: but God deliuered vs from so great a death, and doth deliuer vs; in whom we trust also that he will deliuer vs.

The dangers of Gods people vnder the gouernment of king Ahashuerosh, who knoweth not? How had that wicked Haman by malice and subtiltie obtai∣ned of the king, commission to take their goods and put them to death?* 1.5 The day was set, and all preparation made for the bringing of it to passe: and yet

before it could be effected, how did the Lord at the humble sute of Mardo∣cheus [ F] and the Queene Hester in prayer and fasting, seeking vnto him, turne away the plague from them, and deliuering them, bring their enemies and Haman the first of all the rest (as he was the chiefest) into their roome? euen as Daniel was deliuered out of the lions denne (the Lord shutting their mouthes that they should not hurt him:* 1.6) but his accusers being throwne in after that he was deliuered, the lyons had the mastery ouer them, and brake their bones or euer they came at the ground of the denne. The whole story of the Bible is full of such examples: wherein this is most cleerely to be seene, how God hath deliuered his, trusting in him, from and out of many and great dangers and [ G] calamities. So that if God doe this for his, then his seruants may assuredly looke for it.

And yet I would all should know, that I doe not bring these, as I might ma∣ny others to this end, onely that I might prooue that God hath deliuered his children out of troubles:* 1.7 for so hath he done the wicked also (as Ishmael in the wildernesse, and the Philistims from Saule:) neither is that the thing which ei∣ther I intend; or if I did, were that any priuiledge or peculiar blessing to the godly, forasmuch as the wicked may haue their part in it as well as they: But I bring these examples to prooue,* 1.8 that Gods people may be sure that he will of fatherly loue deliuer them from many, namely, when they haue sought [ H] vnto God in their troubles (to God, I say, and not to creatures;) assuring themselues,* 1.9 that as it is he that hath smitten them, so he shall heale them. And in that they haue vsed those meanes for their deliuerance,* 1.10 which God hath taught them to vse, namely, fasting and praier with confidence, as Mar∣docheus, Iehosaphat, &c; and in that they haue rested vpon God, as they did in the Psalme 124.* 1.11 8. & 20.7, and not on a brused reede, as oft-times Israell did; and in that when they doe looke for deliuerance certainly, they haue first a promise thereof from God,* 1.12 as Iosua had against the king of Hazor and his company; and Gedeon against the Amalekites and the Midianites: when they doe (I say) obtaine deliuerance thus, and after this maner, this is a singular [ I] priuiledge vnto them: for then they know that it commeth from God, and therefore they may haue great comfort therein, and receiue such deliuerances as pledges of his fauour.

* 1.13And thus are Gods seruants onely deliuered out of their troubles: the vn∣godly haue no part with them in this fellowship. And yet I doe not say, that euen they are alwaies thus affected and furnished with this grace, alwaies to beleeue and looke for it,* 1.14 as oft as God deliuereth them out of any daungers and troubles (that is it indeed which they should daily aime at:) and yet they can haue no sound comfort to their hearts more then other men haue, vn∣lesse they doe thus waite vpon God by sound hope, and seeke to him in their [ K] necessities and distresses after this maner; but haue onely outward helpe and succour, or an end of their troubles, as the wicked may haue; little conside∣ring from whence they come, or whether they haue them in Gods fauour or displeasure.

[ 3] But before I goe any further, I must heere answer an obiection. For it wil be demaunded of me:* 1.15 What profit may we reape by the examples before

[ A] alleadged? (whereby I prooued,* 1.16 that deliuerances out of aduersities & dangers are not priuiledges, except they haue a promise thereof from God before,* 1.17 and beleeue the same:) What is that to vs will these men say, forasmuch as God doth not at any time speake vnto vs, as he did in ages past vnto our fa∣thers? Iehosaphat indeed, they say, might well and easily be perswaded,* 1.18 that God would giue the Moabites (his enimies) into his hand, when he by his pro∣phet had said to him: To morrow goe out against them,* 1.19 and the Lord will be with thee. So Iosua, and in like maner Gedeon: but where hath God thus spo∣ken to any of his faithfullest seruants in this last age of the world, parsonally or [ B] particularly in trouble (say they) that he will deliuer him and remoue his af∣flictions from him? Therefore none of them can be certaine thereof, and therefore not so well ordered in their troubles as they were.

I answere:* 1.20 That God doth not indeed speake to vs after that maner that he did to our fathers, as we are certified in the epistle to the Ebrewes;* 1.21 but hath left his whole minde to vs in his word, wherein he hath so fully declared his will in all things as is sufficient, and in the weightiest matters he hath spo∣ken as plainely to vs as to them. And concerning this one thing, namely,* 1.22 of deliuering vs out of distresses and afflictions: if they be inward (as sinnes and corruptions) he hath promised (if we beleeue the same) that he will giue [ C] vs grace to mortifie our sinne; and if we doe not ouercome and subdue the same as we would, yet that his grace shall be sufficient for vs: and the best of our forfathers had no more. If they be outward visitations, and crosses, as sicknesses, pouerty. &c. he hath promised also, that if it be expedient and for the best to vs he will pull vs out of them;* 1.23 and howsoeuer he doe in our suffe∣rings, that which he doth, shall be the best for vs. And there was no other thing said to the body of the church in the former ••g••s, but generall promises which were made to all the faithfull (excepting that for some especiall causes some particular promise of deliuerence was made to some certaine persons, and for waighty causes; and yet those were not made for all times,* 1.24 nor in all [ D] troubles:) as may be seene by the answere of Dauid, who being driuen out of Ie∣rusalem by his sonne Absolon rising vp against him most traiterously & vnna∣turally, said vnto Zadok the priest, Carry the arke of God againe into the city: If I shall finde fauour in the eies of the Lord, he will bring me againe, and shew me both it, and the tabernacle thereof: but if he thus say, I haue no delight in thee; be∣hold heere am I, let him doe to me as seemeth good in his eies.

It it cleare by this, that Dauid in his trouble did not know whether God would deliuer him or no; neither did he know what the end should be; nor had any promise from God, that he should returne againe to Ierusalem in peace, and behold the arke and tabernacle any more: yet Dauid sought to the Lord, [ E] and humbled himselfe, and was not so amased with the affliction (as strange as it was) but that he remembred the Lord, and praied to him, and worshipped in token that he had made God his stay and defence, whatsoeuer the issue of his sore triall should be. The like is to be seene in the example of Sidrach, Misach and Abednego: who when they heard the straight charge of king Nabucadnezar, That whosoeuer should not at the sound of the instruments of musicke fall downe and worship the image which he had set vp, should be cast

into the midst of an hot fiery furnace immediately, answered the king and said: [ F] O Nabuchadnezar,* 1.25 we are not carefull to answere thee in this matter. Behold, our God whom we serue, is able to deliuer vs from the hot fiery furnace, and he will deli∣uer vs out of thy hand, ô king; but if he do not, be it knowen vnto thee (ô king) that we wil not serue thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set vp. We see they knew not whether God would deliuer them or no: but this they were perswaded of, that he had a most tender & fatherly care ouer them, and would shew the same in the time of their need; and if it were for his glory he would deliuer them. &c.

And now (to returne to our selues) if we in our tribulations be thus vphol∣den [ G] by the generall promises of God, if we sue and seeke to him with this con∣dition to be deliuered [If it be expedient in his eies] indeauouring to be con∣tented with that which shall fall out on either side,* 1.26 we haue behaued our selues as it became vs, we haue sought to him aright as his word teacheth vs: and if we after this obtaine deliuerance, God hath heard vs, he hath kept pro∣mise with vs, and we haue receiued good proofe of our faith. And who can deny, but that it is a great priuiledge when we obtaine deliuerance thus? and thus doing, although we be not deliuered, yet we rest perswaded (howsoeuer our weake nature hold backe) that the Lord hath done iustly and well; hoping with such confidence, as of fraile flesh may be obtained, for answerable [ H] strength and consolation vnto the measure of our afflictions in our greatest neede. And if men see no great matter in this, let them wade a little deeper, and weigh how they are vpholden by their faith that they fall not to shifts and vnlawfull meanes (when otherwise they see no way to escape) as the vnbelee∣uers doe;* 1.27 and namely, Saule with other, who waiting vpon lying vanities, for∣sooke Gods goodnesse: neither are striken with deadnesse, as Nabal when he heard heauy tidings; nor with distrust and dispaire, as Iudas; neither with complaining and murmuring at God, as his owne children sometime when they are not vpholden by faith, are forced to doe. And yet if we haue deliue∣rance any other way, as by carnall pollicie, subtill shifts, or the like, (as I doe [ I] not deny, but by such meanes it may come) it is so farre off that we should count that a priuiledge or any matter of reioicing, that it maketh our afflicti∣on double, yea ten-fold thereby, which was in a maner none at all before.

And thus I conclude this other point, affirming, that as it is a singular pre∣rogatiue to vs, that we may be kept frō many troubles altogether, which other cannot be freed from: so it is no lesse honour, priuiledge and fauour, that we may be deliuered out of many (which others shall not be deliuered from) as I haue shewed and prooued in this present point; but yet then onely it is a pri∣uiledge (as I haue said) that we may be deliuered, not when we vse vnlawfull meanes for it, but when we looke for it thus: [If God will: if he see it good and [ K] expedient] and therefore doe waite patiently vntill he send an issue: which grace the vnbeleeuers neuer haue, neither can haue: onely Gods children are capable of it; but for all that, few euen of them inioy it, as either neuer ha∣uing learned it soundly and cleerely, or not beleeuing that they may possiblie attaine to it: which causeth so much vnchearefulnesse, discontent, &c. in our troubles, as grudging against God, yea & indirect shifts to auoid them; and

[ A] much hollownesse, coldnesse and negligence in the seruice of God and Christian cariage of our selues before trouble commeth,* 1.28 for feare that when it commeth we shall be inconstant: whereas, if it were otherwise, much hea∣uenly comfort might be reaped in our liues, which now is not.

Notes

• * 1.1

  God oft deliue∣reth his altoge∣ther:
• * 1.2

  Ioh. 16.7. 2. Cor. 12.9. Prou. 11.8. And the wicked come in their roome.
• * 1.3

  Psal. 124.1.
• * 1.4

  2. Cor. 1.10.
• * 1.5

  Esther. 3.13. &c. &. 7.10.
• * 1.6

  Dan. 6.23.
• * 1.7

  Gen. 21.15. 1. Sam. 31.8.1.
• * 1.8

  The godly are deliuered in gods fauour.
• * 1.9

  Hos. 6.1.
• * 1.10

  Ester. 4.16. 2. Chro. 20.3.
• * 1.11

  Hose 14.4.
• * 1.12

  Iosua 11.6. Iudg. 7.9.15.
• * 1.13

  The wicked not so.
• * 1.14

  Yet the godly doe not al∣waies beleeue this.
• * 1.15

  Obiection.
• * 1.16

  Obiection.
• * 1.17

  The fathers had particular pro∣mises, but so haue not we.
• * 1.18

  2. Chron. 20.17.
• * 1.19

  Ios. 11.6. Iudg. 6.14.
• * 1.20

  Answer.
• * 1.21

  2. Tim. 4.8. Hebr. 1.1.
• * 1.22

  God in the chiefest mat∣ters hath spo∣ken as plain∣ly to vs as to them. Rom. 7.25. Iam. 4.6.
• * 1.23

  Iohn 14.13. & 15.16. Rom. 8.28.
• * 1.24

  2. Sam. 15.25.
• * 1.25

  Dan. 3.17.
• * 1.26

  Note.
• * 1.27

  1. Sam. 28.7. Iona. 2.8. 1. Sam. 25.37. Math. 27.5. Ps. 73.13.14. Iona. 4.4.
• * 1.28

  Note.