A Treatise OF THE FELICItie of the life to come VNSAVORIE TO THE obstinate alluring to such as are gone astray and to the faithful full of consolation By A.H. HEB. 12.22 But ye are come vnto the mount Sion and to the Citie of the living God the celestiall Ierusalem and to the company of innumerable Angels EDINBVRGH PRINTED BY ROBERT Walde-graue Printer to the Kings Majestie 1594. Cum Priuilegio Regali THE PREFACE TO the faithfull Readers WITH great humilitie and reverence Brethren and not without a warrant of Gods Word ought wee to speake of heavenly things and specially in treating of the life to come there is a singular discretion modestie required both in the teacher and the hearer For the matter is so loftie and transcends so far the vnderstanding of man that as a godly Pastor hath saide It is much more easie to describe and vnderstand the way to heaven and eternall life nor to describe the place and life it selfe Therefore when wee cannot vtter the dignitie of the matter it selfe which is aboue our capacitie we are forced to speake by similitudes and vnder shadowes of natural things which we can conceiue that thereby the things supernatural may be better conceived And this is no wonder seeing the Apostle saith that hee was taken vp into Paradise and heard words which cannot be spoken which are not possible for man to vtter Yea the very spirit of God speaking of the glory of the Elect in the world to come he makes their dwelling place to be made of gold and of precious stones their meat to be of fat things and of twelue manner of fruites and their drink to be of cleare springing waters and of sweet fined Wines And why speakes he after this maner Because we vnderstand this language and by reason of our weaknes and ignorance can mount no higher nor conceiue any farther Now then when I say that in the world to come we shall be delighted with bodily and sensual pleasures and that our senses of seing hearing smelling tasting and of feeling shall be delighted with their owne objects that are proper vnto them I speake so for penuritie of language For how shall that spirituall matter be otherwaies expressed seing there is not an other language for spirituall things nor there is for things naturall but that there is many attributiōs common to them both We see that in the scriptures mention is made of the mouth of God and of the hand of God when notwithstanding the Lord is a spirit and hath neither mouth nor hands as man hath but by the one is signified his word and by the other his power in preserving or punishing Likewise the life is called life aswell of the soule as of the body Death also is a word common both to the soul the body There is no other word for the joy of the soule and the joy of the body but joy and the nurishment of the soul is called Food aswell as the nourishment of the bodie Yet there is no doubt but our bodies shall arise at the last day perfit in all the senses If then we haue the senses of necessitie they must haue their owne objects and consequently that delectation which results of the objects may be pertinently called a bodily or sensuall delectation because it falles vnder the senses of the body Neverthelesse neither shall our bodies and our senses nor yet their objects be naturall mortall or corruptible as they are in this life But they shall be spiritual immortal and incorruptible for as the Apostle saith There is a naturall body and there is a spirituall body neither can flesh and blood inherit the kingdome of God That is our naturall bodies as they are now while they be made newe and incorruptible by the spirit of Iesus Christ cannot inherite the kingdome of God Farther the substance and forme of this litle treatise to declare it shortly is this Having laied this ground that the miseries of the righteous are many There is heereupon two questions moued the one is why the Lord doeth so hardly intreat his servants in this life not onely in witholding his temporal benefits from thē but also in sending them great trobles To the which bipartite question it is answered severally that hee measures his giftes according vnto our strength and the pilgrimage which we haue to make that his chief reward is not temporall but everlasting and that he knowes affliction to be good for vs. The other question is why the godly suffers paciētly these wrongs which they might resist The answere is that the reverence which they beare to the Lords commandement and the hope which they haue of the reward promised which is eternal life is the very cause of it And forasmuch as that reward seemes to the naturall man to be farre of and the passage therevnto to be fearefull and difficill It is therefore shewen that neither the reward of the godly is farre off nor yet death by thē to be much feared And to remoue all doubtings of the resurrection It is prooved by diuers similitudes taken from things which we see daily wrought by God in nature to be nothing impossible This done vnto such as beleeue the resurrection of the bodies and the everlasting life is described the felicitie thereof which is collected of the excellencie of the place of the dignitie of the indwellers of the perfection of the pleasures and of the diuturnitie of the time The excellencie of the place is taken from the situation the fabrick and the bewtie thereof from the high stiles that are given vnto it in the Scriptures and from the worthines of the architoure and inhabitants thereof which is also aggreged by the liuely description of a bewtifull terrestriall place and consideration of the bewtie of the firmament the Sunne the Moone and the starres and argumentation from the lesse to the more The dignitie of the indwellers is manifested by their righteousnes and are the three persons of the Trinitie the holy Angels or ministring spirites and all the Saintes or elect people of God which is confirmed by the scriptures Thereafter to expresse the pleasures of the life to come comparisō is made betwixt them and the pleasures of this life whereby the perfection of the one more evidently appeares by the consideration of the other The pleasures of this life are devided in the pleasures of the body and the pleasures of the minde The bodilie pleasures are severally described by giuing an instance of the most plesant objects that can fall vnder the outward senses And the pleasures of the minde which exceeds the sensuall in greatnes are conceived vnder the rare gifts of the body and of the spirite joined with all kinde of honour and worldly promotion This done enumeration is made by an Epilogue of the greatest pleasures which the wit of man can devise and yet are proved to be inferior to the joyes of the life to come But
receiue it But ô thou naturall man thou speakes as a man and what higher can dust and ashes go nor the earth neither is that reward far off as thou esteems it to be neither yet is that deth which maketh the seperation betwixt the soul and the body much to be feared For the time which David prescribes to the age and life of man is onely 70. or 80. years which time being expired the righteous receiues their reward promised If that reward then be long delaied in respect of the time which is without end let thy own conscience be judge Neither is this reward alwaies continued for the space foresaide but is graunted sooner vnto some when it pleaseth the Lord For wee see the tearme of mans life is vncertaine in respect that some are called home in their old age some in their midage some in their youth and some in their very infancie But heere it may be demaunded why the Lord wil haue vs first to die and after to liue againe seeing it would appeare to be more easie to continue this life for ever nor to put end to this life and then make vs to liue againe I answere that sinne is the occasion why we must die and depart this life before wee see the Majestie of God or receiue the reward promised which is everlasting life For as the Apostle Paul saith the wages of sinne is death But then thou may reply and say that Iesus Christ hath already suffered for our sinne and hath overcome death and hell How is it then that we must nevertheles vnderly death which is the reward of sinne I answere thee that because Iesus Christ hath suffered for our sinne and hath overcome death by his resurrection therefore hee shall raise vs vp againe from death and giue vs everlasting life which otherwise we would not haue gotten if he had not died for vs but would haue risen againe to everlasting death and torment Herefore as the Apostle subjoines to his saying aboue written but the gift of God is eternall life through Iesus Christ our Lord. Notwithstanding of all this the work of the resurrection from the death seemes most hard and difficill to fleshe blood But ô man Where is thy faith Seing thou may by very naturall reason as it were comprehend the same if thou wold haue respect to the rest of the wonderfull workes of God which thou seest daily before thine eies and would compare the same with the resurrection of the dead bodies For what is hee that euer would think that the seede which is sowen on the ground lies roten therein should ever come to perfection and become good and ripe corne vnlesse he had the yearlie experience of it What is hee that ever would thinke that those hearbes and plants which are withered and dead so that nothing remaines but a colde rotten roote within the earth should ever reviue and revert againe and bring forth a perfit stalke a leafe a flourish and seed vnlesse we sawe it with our eies Or what is he that seeing the Sunne going downe and the whole earth overwhelmed with darknes that ever would think that the sunne should rise and giue light againe except he had the daily experience of it Who would think that a man which is fallen in a sounde sleepe whose senses are deade without either sight hearing smelling or feeling should ever awake againe and be a living man vnlesse wee sawe it a thing customable and naturall to all men I suppose likewise that no man would credite by report the wonderfull manner of the conception and birth of mankind except it were knowne by experience and proofe Certainly it is no more hard and difficill to the Lord to raise the dead bodies out of the graue nor to worke these things Neither is deth more to be feared of the godly nor the going to bed to sleepe which is a perfit similitude of death For as man goes to bed in the evening sleeps all the night and wakens and rises vp againe in the morning So doth the body in very deede sleepe and repose in the graue overshadowed with night darknes but in the morning when Christ Iesus shall appeare in the cloudes the body shal rise againe at the blast of the trūpet and shall enjoy the perfit light of the day during the which space man shall not think long for what langor can the body haue which is a sleepe And as to the soule it can haue far lesse which during the said space is joyned with Christ Iesus In such sort that the space betwixt the separation of the soule from the body and the comming of our Lord Iesus is but the length as it were of a night But because thou ô worldly man hath not had the experience of the resurrection like as thou hast had of the things aboue specified which are no lesse marvelous thou can hardly beleeue it But vnto such as constantly beleeues the same and hopes for the reward of everlasting life I will briefly declare by the grace of God the joye and felicitie thereof in so far as the Lord hath revealed the same to vs by his word as the weak wit of man is able to conceiue In the first the Apostle Paule testifies that the eie hath not seene the eare hath not heard neither hath it entered in the hart of man the joye and glory of the life to come which thing God hath prepared for all them that loue him Therefore let man imagine and descriue what hee list he shall never be able to attaine vnto it for it is aboue his vnderstanding Neverthelesse I collect the glory and felicitie of that life to come to be extreame great and excellent in respect of these four circumstances First in consideration of the situation fabrick bewtie of the dwelling place Secondly in respect of the company and fellowship of them which we shall injoye Thirdly in consideration of the pleasures and delectation which we shall haue there And last in respect of the time and space which the dwelling company and pleasures shal indure A Description of the celestiall dwelling place AS to the Name and Description of the dwelling place It is called by the spirite of God the Heaven an holy mountaine a high place a great and holie citie holy and newe Ierusalem a celestiall and glorious Kingdome the Tabernacle and dwelling place of the Lord. These are high stiles Whereby wee may gather that the situation thereof is on high aboue the circle of the Sunne and circumference of the starrie firmament I dwell in the high and holy place saith the Lord and the Psalmist saith Praise yee him in the high places The fabrick and bewtie thereof may be likewise vnderstood to be most exquisit For seing it is the dwelling place of the Lord which is most perfite yea which is very perfection it selfe no question but his tabernacle dwelling place is
this is a port or hauening place Nevertheles he is so far distant from the likenes and perfection of the things which hee describes that if it were possible that the Geographor were transported vnawares into any strange Cuntrie hee should neither knowe the cuntrie the cities nor what way to go betwixt them for all his Geographie while it were first shewen declared vnto him Even so although I be as farre distant in describing the joies of the Life to come from the perfection thereof as a thing vnperfite is from that which is perfite or the thing finite and bounded from the thing infinite and without bounds Notwithstandng I wil point out as the Geographor doeth a certaine similitude and likenesse thereof by comparing the same vnto joies earthlie and pleasures which may be devised in this life For if the one appeare notable and great which is but temporal and imperfit of it self the other shal appeare farre greater and shall be easilie conceived to transcend it by many degrees seeing it is called by the spirit of God an eternall and perfit felicitie and therefore lacks nothing that is requisite to perfection The pleasures which man can receiue in this life they are either bodily and sensual whereby the outward senses are delighted or else they are inwarde pleasures of the mind whereby the heart and soule of man is rejoiced But so long as the body and the soule are joyned togither there is such an vnion and concord between thē that that thing which delights the one delights also the other and that which is displeasant to the one is likewise displeasant to the other That which is delectable to the body and outward senses is delectable also to the spirit and makes the heart to rejoice And that which contents the mind and rejoiceth the heart doth likewise recreat and plesure the body after a marvelous maner To returne then to those pleasures whereby the outwarde senses and body are delighted Is it not extreame pleasant to the eies to beholde the face of a Princes Court and the great assemblies of bewtifull and great personages both of men and women apparelled with all kinde of pretious and costly garments and attyred with riche jewells togither with all the rest of precious glistering planessing which is accustomed to be in the houses of greate Princes at a solemne feast or at their first entrie in a potent and opulent Cittie Or to beholde from the top of an high mountaine in the time of Sommer or of Harvest while the ayre is cleare and purified the noble faire Cities adjacent about the green hilles and dales the faire woods and forests the cornes wines and fruits of the ground the fresh Loches and rivers and the sapheir firmament the bright Sunne and Moone and the glistering starres arrayed in good order Or to beholde a great armie of horsemen and of foote al in their cleare armour well arrayed and marching in battell To see their glauncing harnes and armour both invasiue and defenciue their Plumages standarts and displaied hand seignes togither with their couragious bairded Horses Elephants and Drummodaries Or to behold a faire Navie of shippes of Gallies and of Galliasses all vnder saill on the smooth Sea with their streamers flaggs aires and great artillerie Or to beholde a publick Faire or Mercat place wherein all kinde of bewtiful and pretious wares are exposed and laid forth to be sold To see the faire bords of divers sorts of viue and liuely portrators the faire rapestrie of silkes and cloth of golde all kinde of cullours of fine and well lustered stuffes for apparelling of the body the cleare polist vessell of silver and of gold the fine varnished musical Instruments with many other proper inventions and vtensils devised and wrought by subtill handie crafts for the vse and ease of man These I say and such like sights are very pleasant and delectable to the eies and consequently comfortable and recreatiue to the spirit In like maner it were very delectable to the eares to heare notable and good doctrine out of the mouth of a cunning eloquent teacher To heare rehearsed plesant and notable histories delectable novelties of rare and strange things glad and good tydings and to heare thy selfe well reported off and thy workes rehearsed and praised in thine own presence To heare the merry interloquutors of facetious Dialogues pretty and quicke conceits and rancounters of Comediens in their comedies and stage plaies To hear the singing and natural melodie of the sweet singing birds firdoning their notes after their kinde and on divers waies in the time of sommer or of spring time but most of all earlie in the morning as the day begins to dawne when al is vnder great silence and every thing quiet and at rest then to heare the pleasant harmonie of Musicall Instruments cunninglie handeled as of Cornets or fine Violls Or to heare the sweet and delicat voices of cunning singers intermedled with the melodious sound of Lutes Cisters Clairshoes or of other quiet Instruments of that kinde which I esteeme worthie to be reckoned among the chiefest of earthly pleasures What thing can be more delectable to the taste appetite of man nor to haue a table at all times richly decked with all manner of savoury and delicate meates finely prepared as of fat tender fleshe rare and delicious fishes al kind of fruits hearbs spices of drogs wet and dry and other confections pertaining to the Apotecarie And in like maner to haue redie at mans desire all kinde of delicious and delicate drinks and lickquors as Milk meid hony sweet and sharp wines hypocrise and fined wines with al manner of fresh refreshing drinks which may be either agreable to the mouth or meat for the sustentation of mans body As to the sense of smelling it is delighted with pleasant and sweet odours as of sweete smelling flowers perfumes pretious ointments goomes and with fine odours mixed and prepared by the Apotecars And finally is it not delectable and pleasant to the body of man when in time of cold he is fostered with warmnes and in time of heat is refreshed with temperat coldnesse Likewise when his bodie is annointed and refreshed with balme and with oyle or when he is purged and purified in the bathstoffs or is eased releeved of his naturall infirmities by such volupteous pleasures as are naturall vnto him and falles vnder the sense of feeling Al these aboue rehearsed are sensuall and bodely pleasures which man would esteeme a great happines to injoye alwaies at his pleasure being very delectable first to the body and then to the spirit as vnto that which hath a naturall perfit conjunction with the bodie For if it were separated from the bodie it would not be delighted with no such sensuall pleasures But those pleasures which do chiefly content the mind and inwardly rejoiceth the heart soul of man are much more excellent and doeth farre exceede the pleasures of
contentment of the mind might appear more imaginarie nor substantiall where they fall not vnder the outward senses and where the body is not made participant thereof For the soul is but a spirit and is delighted with spirituall things neither can it be rejoiced or yet troubled with things sensuall or corporall being free from the bands of the fleshe Therefore to the effect thou may the better conceiue haue a more sensible feeling of the joyes of the life to come I wil assure thee that not only the soules and spirits of the Elect shal rejoice and be delighted with spiritual plesures but also the bodies shall bee delighted with bodily and sensual pleasures which falles vnder the senses In respect the bodie shal rise againe from death the soule or spirit shall enter againe therein and reallie and with effect both the soule the senses shall be delighted albeit not with such naturall corruptible things least any man should dreame such an vnperfite delectation as that where with our mortall bodies are delighted in this life but with heavenly and incorruptible things like as our bodies shall then be incorruptible and immortall And let no man think that at the day of the resurrection any of vs shall resume a fantastical body of an other forme shape nor that which we haue nowe but a very corporal and substantial body which may be seene and felt having all the senses in greater quicknes and perfection nor it hath them in this life but free alwaies from such fragilitie and naturall infirmities wherevnto the mortall body is subject For looke in what maner and with what body our Saviour Iesus Christ rose againe from death which after his resurrection but before his ascention full glorification was seene and knowne by his Disciples conversed with them and was griped by his Disciple Thomas In like maner and with the like bodies shall hee raise vs vp againe at the latter day And when we shall be glorified our bodies shall not be hinderfull vnto the actions of the spirit nor a fasheous prison vnto it as the body is in this life but it shal be a pleasant tabernacle and a necessarie organe vnto the spirite reddy to yeeld and obey it in all the offices and functions therof In such sort that where the spirit shall desire to be the body shall be transported with it as swift as the thought without any resistance So that in all our actions we shal be like vnto the Angells and celestiall bodies Our eyes then I say shall be delighted with beholding of things bewtifull our eares with hearing of heavenly sounds and harmony our taist with such celestiall and Angellike foode as shall be agreable therevnto our nostrells with smelling of pleasant and delectable odours and our sense of feeling with feeling of all kind of volupteous and perfite pleasure my reason is this because we shal haue a perfit sight of the face of God and the full fruition of his divine Majestie which is the consummation perfection of al pleasures For he that seeth the face of God seeth eminently and after a most excellent maner the bewtie and perfection of all his Creatures because from him they receiue all their bewtie and perfection Therefore by necessarie consequence in injoying the majestie of God the Creator we shal also injoy through him in him all the pleasures which can be taken of any Creature which the Lorde hath made either living or without life What thing vpon earth is comparable to the majestie and throne of God which Iohn saw by Revelation He that sate vpon the throne saith he was to looke vpon like vnto a Iasper stone a Sardine and there was a Rainbowe round about the throne in sight like to an Emerande and out of the throne proceeded lightenings and thunderings and voices and there were seene Lamps of fyre burning before the throane which are the seaven spirits of God The rest of the description thereof for brevitie I omit and remits the Reader to the place it self where it is described And did not the whole people of Israell see with their corporall eies and heare with their eares thunderings and lightenings and a thick cloud vpon mount Sinay and the sounde of a trumpet exceeding loude so that they were all afraide And did they not see mount Sinay al on a smoke the smoke thereof ascending as the smoke of a fornace because the Lord came downe vpon it in fyre and the mount trembling exceedinglie Likewise Moses Aaron Nadab and Abihu and seventie of the Elders of Israell saw a part of the Majestie of God onely in so farre as their infirmitie and weaknes was able to beare And vnder his feet they sawe as it were a worke of a Saphire stone and as the very heaven when it is cleare And did not the skinne of the face of Moses shine bright after that God had talked with him In such sort that the Israelites were affraide to come neere him Howe then shall wee shine that shall behold him face to face and injoye his presence for ever Surely in beholding the bewtie of his glorious face we shall be made bewtifull And in injoying the presence of his Majestie we shall also injoy all these joyes and pleasures presently expressed and besides them many other greater which as the Apostle saith It is not possible to the wit and toung of man to vtter and declare We shall be filled with al vertue and perfection we shall be healthie wee shall be strong wee shall be joyfull and glad wee shall haue perfit contentment we shal be assured and in perfit securitie we shall be wise we shall be patient we shall be constant we shall be charitable wee shall be holy we shall be glorious All our actions desires studies and imaginations shal be good and we shall not haue so much as an intention or inclination vnto evill To be short as it is promised in the Apocalips we shal inherit all things the Lord shal be our God and we shal be his sons And as the Prophet Daniel saith we shal shine as the brightnes of the firmament and they that turne many to righteousnes shal shine as the starres for ever and ever Wee shall receiue a crowne of righteousnes as sainct Paul saith which the Lord the righteous Iudge shall giue at that day to all them that loues his appearing Wee shall sing these praises and newe songes which Iohn heard by Revelation Holy holy holy Lord God Almightie which was and which is and which is to come Thou art worthie O Lord to receiue glory and honour and power For thou hast created all things and for thy wills sake they are and haue bene created Item worthie is the Lamb that was killed to receiue power and riches and wisdome and strength and honour and glory praise Praise and honour and glory and power be vnto
forasmuch as such naked assertions vpon conjectures and appearances without farther warrant of Gods word might seeme inautentik and to make no faith Therefore the premises are authorised by divers testimonies of the Scripture wherby the certitude of the joies of the life to come is confirmed Thereafter it is declared how these eternall pleasures shall not onely be extended to the soule of man but also to the body which shall rise againe perfit in all the members and senses and shall be delighted with the owne objects But the chiefe object shall be the Majestie of God containing the perfection of al things wherewith they shalbe whollie repleat So being clothed with the glory and filled with the perfection of the most high the Sonne of mans perfection is thereby summarly collected together with the maner howe the elect shall be exercised in the world ro come Last in order followes the perpetuitie of the time during the which this vnspeakable joy and glory shall endure The which in respect it shall admit no period but shall be comprehended vnder an infinite eternitie the felicitie appeares the more admirable and great Finally by reason of the exorbitant affliction of the godly and raging insolencie of the enemies The conclusion containes a briefe praier to our Lord Iesus Christ to shorten and accelerat his glorious comming that thereby all these miseries may take an end and the eternall felicitie hoped for may beginne This brieflie is the summe and deduction of all which if wee consider Brethren with sanctified and well disposed hearts I think it may serue to our singular comfort in all seasons be as a buckler against al temptations For in time of prosperitie we may lift vp our mindes and be assured that there is yet a greater prosperitie abiding vs which shall endure for ever in the world to come And in the midst of troubles we may settle our selues and find reliefe here when we remember that our sorrowes shal shortly take an end and that we are to receiue a reward even a perpetuall glory of body and soule whereof all our sufferings cannot be worthie Herefore let vs comfort our selues in these things and be content with faith full Abraham to abide here a while vpon this earth as in a strange countrie ever looking as he did for a Citie having a foundation whose builder and maker is God Let vs keepe the profession of our hope without wavering for he is faithfull that promised Let vs haue grace whereby wee may so serue God that we may please him with reverence and feare for yet a very little while and he that shall come wil come and will not tary The loue of God and grace of our Lord Iesus be with you all Amen At Polvvart the 8. day of Aprill 1594. yeares A loving Brother of all Christs little Flock A. H. OF THE FELICITIE OF THE Life to come WEe see that according to the saying of the Psalmist The miseries are manye which righteous men do suffer in this life As povertie sicknes ignominie imprisoning banishment grief of mind and death of the body And these miseries they not only suffer perforce as sent by God whose mightie hand no fleshe is able to resist but voluntarily they incur the miseries trobles which they might eschew all for professing of the name of Christ and imbracing of his true worshipping and service which if they wold forsake deny they might be free from the cruell torment of their bodies they might saue their owne liues enjoy their owne goods and liue at libertie in their owne cuntries Likewise we see that willinglie they suffer wrong injurie and reproch and receiues great shame losse of them whome they might recompence and requite with the like offences Neverthelesse they avenge not themselues although they might but remits the revenge to God Nowe then there results here two questions The one is why the Lord seeing all things are at his gift and disposition doeth so hardly intreate his servants in this life For all the earth is the Lords All beasts are mine saith the Lord on the hilles on the mountains Gold silver and riches hee may giue at his pleasure and high honours for promotion comes neither from the East nor from the West but from aboue To be short he giues libertie and makes the heart cheerfull and glad he hath power to conserue the body in health and to prolong or abridge the daies of man as seemes good in his eies The other question is Why righteous men do voluntarilie suffer and vnderlie those troubles which they might easilie eschew and takes vp patiently the reproches wrongs which they might resist and acquite which is a thing most hard of digestion to fleshe and blood and is plaine repugnant to mans owne nature and inclination The first question contains two parts The one is why God giues not all kinde of temporall benefits to his servants according to their hearts desire The other part is Why God doth so miserablie afflict his servants in this life To the first it is answered That the Lord is a wise discreet stewart and dispensator of his benefits and seeing he hath created and made vs hee knowes our strength and weaknes what is most meete for vs and howe able wee are to beare and vse his giftes and benefites Therefore wee may lay this for a sure ground That the Lord bestowes his temporall gifts on his seruants ever in such measure and in so far as he knowes them to be needful for the pilgrimage of this life and for their eternal salvation Let no man then that fears God think that the Lord hath bestowed lesse or more of his benefits vpon him nor is expedient for the making of his journey for his everlasting salvation which I think should moue every man to settle himselfe and to be hartilie well content with the worldly giftes which God hath given him whether they be much or litle in great mesure or in smal An other reason there is why the Lord giues not these worldly giftes to his servants according to their manlie hearts desire because God rewards not his own according to their worthines but according to his greatnes Which rewarde by the selfe same reason cannot be worldly nor temporall but eternall and everlasting like vnto the giver thereof Thus much concerning the disposition of temporall benefits to the righteous I come nowe to the other part of the first question Why the Lord not onelie denies prosperitie to his servants in such measure as they would wishe but also doeth visit them with great trouble and affliction in this life The causes are many and divers wherefore the Lord doth afflict his own servants First forasmuch as wee haue no permanent dwelling or long residence here he visits vs with troble to the effect that our minde and delectation be not fixed on earthly things but rather should be lifted vppe to
the place where our everlasting residence should be which if the Lord did not the nature of man is so corrupt and the vanities of the world so agreeable to him that without all question hee would be more carefull and mindfull of the earth and earthly things which are daily present before his eies nor of the heaven and of heavenly things which hee sees not and are onely to come and not present Secondly by affliction the heart of man is stirred vp to serue God and to be charitable towards his neighbour For we see that in time of sicknes of povertie of sorrowe of apparent or imminent danger wee are very devout and loving one to another and will both crye vnto the Lord for help and will haue compassion vpon such as are in distresse which in time of prosperitie wee regard but little For when wee haue things flowing with vs according to our hearts desire Incontinent we fall in a carelesse securitie and becomes colde and slothfull in religion and froward one towards another which thing adversitie doeth remoue and remeid Thirdly the Lord by trouble lets vs knowe when wee are cast downe howe vnable we are to helpe our selues And likewise he lets vs knowe his great mercie and power in raising vs vp againe which makes vs to drawe neere vnto him in time of trouble and to feare to offend and fall from him when wee haue once apprehended him and tasted of his mercie loving kindnes Fourthlie the seed of sinne and of all vice which is naturallie sowen in all our hearts is snibbed and pressed down with trouble But in time of prosperitie it ever springs vp and brings forth the fruits of iniquitie Fiftly affliction brings forth greate patience in vs for beeing experimented with the discipline and correction of the Lord that experience of his justice and mercie and of his woonderfull workes ingenders as the Apostle saith Patience and Patience brings forth experience and experience ingenders hope Last of all the sharpnes of adversitie which wee suffer makes vs both to know the sweetnes of prosperitie and what our Saviour Iesus Christ suffered for vs which should inflame vs with an exceeding great loue and thankfulnes towards him But it is a small thing of any trouble which can come to the righteous man for as David subjoynes to his saying which I cited in the beginning The Lord delivers him out of them all Therefore let vs lay this for a ground infallible That the Lord shall ever send either an hastie deliverāce to his servants in their trouble or else shall giue them such strength and patience to abide the same that they shall haue as great joye and contentment in time of adversitie as others haue in time of prosperitie And when it pleaseth the Lord to glorifie himselfe by their death they are sure of the joy and life eternall Take heede to the hastie deliverance of Hezekiah when he was sick to the patience of Iob and to the long suffering of Paul which hee did beare with joye and gladnesse The other question why the righteous suffers willinglie the troubles and wrongs which they might easilie eschew contrary to mans nature and naturall reason shall receiue this answere This saith our Saviour Iesus Christ If any man will come after me let him deny himselfe and take vp his crosse daily and follow me To deny our selues is to quite and renounce all those things which are agreeable to our corrupted affections and not to seek and haunt our own pleasures our owne profite our owne praise our owne wit and our owne will But to set them all aside in so far as they may be hinderful to the true service and worshipping of God To take vp our crosse daily is to prepare vs for daily affliction and to vnderlie one trouble after another for the obedience that wee owe to God and to followe the example of our Maister and Saviour Iesus Christ in leading an holy pure and sinceare life Againe he saith Whosoever shall forsake houses brethren or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands for my names sake hee shall receiue an hundreth fold more and shall inherit everlasting life And againe hee saith He that looseth his life for my sake shall saue it Now concerning suffering of injury and wrong thus saith the Lord Blessed are they that suffer persecution for righteousnes sake for theirs is the kingdome of heven whereby it is to be vnderstood that they that suffers for their faults and offences are not partakers of this blessing but only such as innocently and patiently suffers injury and wrong Herefore the Apostle Peter saith Let none of you suffer as a murtherer or as a theefe or as an evill doer or as a busie body in other mens matters but if any man suffer as a Christian let him not be ashamed but let him glorifie God in this behalfe Againe our Maister saith to his Disciples Blessed are yee when men reviles you and persecutes you and saith al manner of evill against you for my sake falsly Rejoice and be glad for great is your reward in heaven And againe hee saith Resist not evill but whosoever shall smite thee on the right cheeke turne to him the other also Item loue your enemies blesse them that curse you do good to them that hate you pray for them which hurt you and persecute you that yee may be the Children of your Father that is in heaven For hee makes the Sun to rise on the evill and on the good and sends raine on the just and vnjust Farther he saith do good and lend looking for nothing again and your reward shal be great and yee shall be the children of the most high for he is kinde to the vnkinde and to the evill Now of these sayings I gather the conclusion of my answere That the righteous bears such reverence and obedience to these precepts and commandements and beleues these promises so constātly having a sure hope of the reward which is promised That they despise the world and the vanities thereof forsakes and renounceth their houses riches cuntries wiues children friends and possessions and exposes and offers themselues willingly to all kinde of affliction and trouble yea to the very death it selfe knowing that their reward is prepared for them and as the Apostle Paul saith that all the troubles which they can suffer in this life is not worthie of that glory which they shall receiue It is here then to be marked that the righteous receiues not their chiefe reward in this world but in the worlde to come For the reward promised is an euerlasting reward and in this world wee see that nothing is everlasting but all temporal momentine This is a stumbling block to naturall and worldly men To wit that the rewarde of the godly as appears to them is long in comming that they must die the death before they