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A13872
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Gods love-tokens, and the afflicted mans lessons brought to light, and layd before him in two fruitfull and seasonable discourses upon Revel. 3. 19. Comforting under, and directing unto a right use of our personall, and publike crosses and calamities. By John Trapp, M.A. and preacher of Gods Word at Luddington in Warwick-shire.
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Trapp, John, 1601-1669.
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1637
(1637)
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STC 24175; ESTC S118538
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85,385
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294
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of the Church was consecrated by afflictions l Heb. 2. and from his cradle to his crosse he was the man that had seene affliction by the rod of Gods wrath m Laâ— 3.1 and yet he was the beloved sonne in whom the father was well pleased And as himselfe had his share in suffering and a chiefe one too for he had the worst of it whiles he received the sting of sorrow into his owne person that we might be free so he foretold it of all his twice in one Chapter In the world ye shall have tribulation And againe yee shall weepe and mourne but the world shall rejoyce n Iohn 16.20 33. c. And why his owne more then others Not for any delight he takes in their trouble I must tell you for he afflicts not willingly nor grieves the children of men o Laâ— 3.35 If he doe 't is to his owne griefe first Hos 11.7 Ier. 31.19.20 In all their afflictions he is afflicted p Esa 63.9 Ille dolet quoties cogitut esse serox and if the toe of Christs mysticall body be crusht in earth the head cries out from heaven why hurtst thou me q Acts 9.4 Neither is it secondly to satisfie his justice upon them for that 's done already once for all by him who bore our sins in his body on the tree suffering the just for the unjust r 1 Pet. 2.24 and indenting for our freedom See the articles of agreement fitly and fairely drawne out by himselfe Ioh. 18.8 If ye take me let these goe their way Gods acquittance we have to shew under his owne hand Matth. 3. This is my beloved Sonne in whom I am well pleased Neither yet thirdly is it to shew his soveraignty whereby as absolute Lord of all he might doe with his owne as he will and use his creatures at his pleasure Å¿ Esa 6.4 8. Rom. 9.20 Nor lastly is it meerely though mainly for his owne glory without any other respect that he smites and chastiseth but even then when he principally intends the promoting of his owne ends in it as Ioh. 9.3 yet semper aliquid subest there 's something more in it then so that moves him to doe it And what may that be Reas 1 First himselfe hath decreed it Rom. 8.29 with Luk. 24.26 1 Thes 3.3 1 Pet. 2.21 why then should wee be so strange at the matter 1 Pet. 4.11 or startle at the mention Ioh. 11.8 of that which we know was so long before determined and is therefore inevitable Reas 2 Secondly our sin deserveth it first sin imputed to us Adams sin secondly sin inherent in us * This root cannot bee pluckt up till we are transplanted that peccatum peccans as the schooles tearme it that common cause and impure seminary of sin originall concupiscence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Timon aâ—uâ— Laâ—â—tium which the Heathen man also assignes for a cause of all our miseries Thirdly sin issuing from us our omissions commissions faylings in the manner which forasmuch as they exceede in number the haires of our head what marvell if the best have their part in afflictions t Psal 40.12 sith sin and punishment are inseparable companions Isidore the Monke was out that vanted he had felt in himself to motion to sin for fortie yeare together Soâ—tat lib. 4. they goe tyed together with chaines of Adamant saith the Poet like individuall twins they are borne together live together are attended the one by the other as the body by the shadow where sin is in the saddle there punnishment is on the crupper Whence it is that the Hebrews have but one and the same word for them both and blinde Nature prompted those Marriners to demaund of the obnoxious Prophet Ionah what evill hast thou done u Ion. 1.7 that the hand of thy God doth follow thee so close and those Barbarians to censure St. Paul for some murtherer whom though he had escaped the sea yet vengeance suffered not to live x Act. 28.4 Reas 3 Thirdly the world we live in occasioneth it a place made for trialls and temptations for we wrestle not here against flesh and blood onely but against principalities and powers c y Ephe. 6.12 Gods people tread so hard upon the Devills head that he cannot but turne againe bite them by the heeles with Dans adder in the path z Gen. 49.17 mischieve them I meane as much as he may that if they will needs goe to heaven they may goe halting at least with Iacob they may feele his fingers with Paul a 2 Cor. 12. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be sensible of his siftings with Peter b Luk. 22.31 Hence it is that our way to Gods kingdome is strawd with crosses an afflicted way c Math. 7.17 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 like that of Ionathan and his armour-bearer d 1 Sam. 14 4 or that of Israel into the land of Canaan because it lyes thorough the wildernesse of this world where we are sure to have tribulation e Iohn 16. ult it being to the faithfull christian not a paradise but a purgatory not a place of pleasure but of pilgrimage not of triumph but of warfare of confused noyse and of garments rolled in blood f Esa 9.5 What marvell then if in such a place as this NunquaÌ„ bella bonis nunquam certamina desunt Et quocum certet mens pia semper habet we meete with conflicts and counter-buffes from the Dragon and his angells who hate us with a deadly hatred as Cain did Abel because our workes are better then theirs Not to speake of that old enmity Gen. 3. where begins the booke of the warres of the Lord g Num 21.14 such as shall still be in sighting while the world shall be standing ever since which divine decree The unjust man is an abhomination to the just and hee that is upright in his way is an abhomination to the wicked h Prov. 29.27 Whereunto may be added that during our abode here such is humane condition although wee had no troubles of our owne yet should wee have sorrow enough by compassionating others it being the usuall lot of Gods best children to have their back-burden of both See Heb. 10.32 33 34. Reas 4 Lastly God afflicts his owne deare servants for excellent ends and purposes both in regard of evill and good Evill hâ—e by afflictions partly preventeth partly purgeth Prevent hee doth both evill of Sin first for should hee not take us in hand sometimes hovv foolish and froward would wee grow yea how wilde and vvicked What would not Abimelech have done if God had not fastned him to his bed i Gene. 20.17 Whither would S. Paul have swell'd if Satan had not buffetted him How far would not Sampson have run being once out if God had not stopt him with the crosse Next Sinite virgam corâ—iprentem ne seâ—â—iatis malicum conterente
condemned with the World l 1 Cor. 11.32 Vse 1 Now for Application See hence first whither to refer what to thanke for all your crosses Sin is the great Make-bate Hell-hag Cut-throat Trouble-towne that Pandora like brought at first a curse upon the Creatures and hath made them ever since unusefull and unserviceable nay pernicious and destructory many of them to Man their first master The very visible heaven and earth is defiled with our Sins and must therefore partly be dissolved and partly purged by the fire of the last day as the Vessels of the Sanctuary were that held the Sin-offering Hence our so many diseases distresses miseries maladies Troubles without terrours within they issue onely from our defilements It is this thiefe in the candle that wastes us this Fly in the box that corrupts us this traitour in the heart that betrayes and exposeth us to armies and changes of trials and afflictions In which regard it was a sound and savory reply of an English Captaine at the losse of Callice When a proud French-man tauntingly demanded When will yee fetch Callice againe Pressely and ponderously he was answered Quando peccata vestra erunt nostris graviora When your Sinnes shall vveigh downe ours Vse 2 Secondly in all evill of punishment take occasion to set upon the evill of Sin as the cause and revenge upon that complaine of it to God and men murmur and grudge at nothing else When God strikes us for Sin saith one Satan deales with us as the Iewes did with Christ blind-fold him and then bad prophesie vvho smote him so in afflictions wee commonly grope as blind men guessing at this cause and that but seldome fasten on the right Here then the method is first to find out the Traytour secondly to bring him to condigne punishment thirdly to banish him the borders of our hearts and to have no more to doe with him that hath done us so much seath and caused us so much heart-breaking First learne whensoever ye smart to gather your wits m Zeph. 2.1 to summon your senses to sift canvasse and unbowell as it were your owne hearts to turne short againe upon your selves and make privie search for the Sin God smites at to find out the plague of thine owne Soule n 1 Kin. 8.38 the ground of that other stroke what ever it be thou gronest under Doth man suffer for his Sin let him thanke himselfe saith the Prophet But for helpe let him search and try his waies and turne againe to the Lord o Lam. 3.39 40. Let no man say with the Philistines It is a chance p 1 Sam. 6.9 a thing that comes by course had a time to grow in and must have a time to goe in c. This is to be worse than ox and asse who as they know their masters crib so the wild colt knowes when the damme striketh it 'T is sure as there 's no winde but may blow raine if God will so there is ever something in the winde when it blowes in a crosse-point to our comfort Sinfull men strike not their dogs much lesse their children without a cause The iust God never smites but he hath some iust reason his iudgments are sometimes secret saith a Father Aug. alwayes iust Wherefore liest thou on thy face said God to Ioshua Israel hath sinned Vp search diligently c q Iosh 7.10 11. What evill hast thou done said the Marriners to the distressed Prophet that this evill is come upon us r Ion. 1.8 Let every such Ionas reflect upon himselfe and say what evill have I done Å¿ Ier. 8.6 What sinne have I committed or admitted what good have I omitted or intermitted No rod but hath a voice in it Heare ye the rod and who hath appointed it t Mich. 6.9 Something surely there is aâ—â—isse that God would have amended Search therefore and follow your worke close And that ye may worke by rule First set thy selfe in Gods presence and there lay a charge upon thy conscience to deale truly with thee in the discovery of the traitor to shew thee where his haunt is for I tell thee he will deale subtily u 1 〈◊〉 23. â—2 as Saul told the Ziphites concerning David his supposed enemy Our consciences saith one are like looking-glasses which being ore-spred with dust shew nothing but if cleane wip'd represent things clearely And as lines that are written with the juyce of limmons when they are held to the fire are made legible but not otherwise so conscience set before those everlasting burnings so God is called Esay 33.14 will bring us out our sinnes we shall be able to say of it as she said of our Saviour Come see a man that told me all that ever I did x Iohn 4.29 It will bespeake us in the language of that Prophet Hast thou not procured this unto thy selfe in that thou hast forsaken the Lord thy God when he led thee by the way y Iere. 2 17. Secondly single out and set a jealous eye upon thy beloved sin that bosom-devill what ever it be and suspect that above other for the sinne God strikes at For as in every man there is some one element humour passion predominant so likewise some speciall sinne that playes Rex in his soule turnes him about as the rudder doth the ship hath him at a becke as the Centurion had his servants is to him as a right hand for profit or a right eye for pleasure This the Devill studiously hides from us as being his chiefe hold his castle his throne out of which if he be ejected he looseth his kingdome he falls as lightning from the heaven of mens hearts z Luk. 10.18 As therefore he set Adam to a contrary tree that he might not eate of the tree of life so he would turne our thoughts from this to some other sinne make us mistake as the Syrians did the King of Iudah for the King of Israel that he may sit as sole King in our hearts to our utter overthrow You may easily know it 'T is that among other notes which thou art lothest and wouldst least be a knowne of or if it be laid open before thee by God in his word or thine owne selfe-accusing conscience that domesticall chaplaine thou art ready to colour and cloke it to pleade and contend for it to say of it as Lot of Zoar Is it not a little one or as David of Absalom handle it gently for my sake a 2 Sam. 18.5 or as Iacob of Benjamin If he dye I cannot live In this the Lord be mercifull unto me c b 2 Kin. 5 18 Micah 6.7 Oh that he would accept of rivers of oyle for a dispensation Or if he will not thou departest sorry with the rich young Pharisee that Christ should call for that sin which thou art not willing to part with The true Mother such was her love could not yeeld to see the