A CORDIALL FOR THE AFFLICTED Touching The Necessitie and Utilitie of Afflictions Proving unto us The happinesse of those that thankfully receive them AND The misery of all that want them or profit not by them By A. HARSNET B. D. and Minister of Gods Word at Cranham in Essex The Second Edition enlarged with direction touching Spirituall Afflictions LONDON Printed by Ric. Hodgkinsonne for Ph. Stephnes and Chr. Meridith at the Golden Lion in Pauls Churchyard 1638. TO THE HONOrable Lady the Lady JOHAN BARRINGTON The Wife of that Noble and renowned Sr. FRANCIS BARRINGTON late of Barrington Hall and to the Right Worshipfull The Lady MARY EDEN the Wife of Sr. THOMAS EDEN late of Ballingdon Hall Much honored Ladies IT is too true a saying that Greatnes and Goodnesse seldom go together for not many mighty not many noble are called Yet blessed be God for his mercies to you-wards wee finde both of these in both of you For your Greatnesse next under God yee are beholding unto your Parents out of whose loynes you came For your Goodnesse yee are in in some measure beholding unto Affliction by which The Lord hath done you good so as I make no question but that ye may both of you say with David It is good for mee that I have beene afflicted Hereupon worthy Ladies I have adventured to put forth this small Treatise touching the Necessitie and utility of Affliction under your Ladiships names and Patronage joyning you both together because God hath already conjoyned you so neere in affinity by the marriage of your Pious and Religious children beseeching your Ladyships to accept of these my poore labors being such as tend to the furtherance and increase of your comfort in present or future trials For allbeit yee bee good proficients in the School of Affliction Yet peradventure yee may have forgotten some good lessons which Affliction hath formerly taught you or else have not attained as yet to that good wherein it may hereafter instruct you To help you in either or both of these be pleased I heartily beseech your Ladiships seriously to peruse what is here tendered unto you and then I doubt not but by Gods blessing yee shall be able to make that good use of Affliction that yee shall not only blesse God the Father of mercies and God of all comfort who as hee hath afflicted so hath hee comforted you in all your tribulations but yee shall also be able to comfort others which are in Affliction by the cōfort wherewith yee your selves have been comforted of God Which fruit that yee may reape I shall sow my Prayers before throne of Grace and for ever rest your Ladyships to be commanded in the Lord AD. HARSNET Cranham TO THE CHRIstian Reader Increase of Faith Hope and Patience SVch is our blindnesse and ignorance that wee are too ready to judg amisse of our selves as may appeare by two extreames into which the most runne The one is self-conceitednesse or flattering our selves in and about our spirituall estate perswading our selves that wee are in the estate of Grace and that wee have the love and favor of God when as it is neither so nor so For the redressing of which mischiefe I have heretofore undertaken the discoverie of true and sound grace from false counterfeit that so we may no longer be deluded by an overweening of our selves and too high an opinion of our goodnesse as if we were that which wee are not or were not that which wee are The other extream is a diffidence and distrust of Gods love and our own happines through the sense and smart of some troubles and afflictions wherewith it pleaseth the Lord in mercy and wisdom to exercise and trie us Whence it commeth to passe that too many of Gods deere ones are ready to cēsure themselves as out-casts or at the best as a people but meanly beloved or regarded of God in that they are so sorely afflicted For the healing of which error that there may be no mistaking that we neither charge the Lord with any want of love to us ward or hard dealing with us in afflicting of us nor surcharge our selves with unnecssary needles feares and cares nor yet causelesly increase our griefe by adding of more sorrow to our affliction I have now undertaken this Treatise Wherein my desire and ayme is to minister some comfort to such as are in affliction that so they may not cast off their hope of hapines in Heaven because they are exercised with judgments upon earth but rather beleeve that the Lord it now refining and pollishing them that so they may bee the fitter for that glory which is prepared for thē I know it is a hard thing to obey in suffering yet because it is that which maketh for our good we should with the more willingnes and cheerfulnes undergo whatsoever afflictiōs it shal please the Lord to exercise us with If our afflictions brought God out of love with us or us more in love with that which God hates and is hurtfull unto us or if our afflictions were sent unto us as curses wee had great cause to mourn in them but seeing they make so much for our good being sanctified unto us and the word of truth telleth us that wee are blessed in thē have wee not great cause to bee thankfull to God for them the Lord sees how ready we are to plunge our selves into perils if we be but a while exempted from afflictions therefore that wee may not be too bold with sin the Lord wil have us to fall into affliction least being let alone wee fall into condemnation For where God is most silent in threatning and most patient in sparing there is he most inflamed with anger and purpose of revenge And seeing we are willing to receive being sick or diseased any medicine from the hand of him that can truely say probatum est good experience hath been made of the worth working of it let my counsel good reader be acceptable unto thee give me leave to tell thee how much good thou maist gain by afflictiō if through thine unbelief and impatience thou doest not put it from thee I assure thee by good experience that howsoever afflictiō be untoothsome and unpleasing to the flesh it is most soveraign and profitable unto the soul as in the Treatise following I have made plaine unto thee Now if the stile and phrase dislike any because it is so plain and homelike let him know that I prepared this provision for poore and hungry souls unto whom course mean things are welcome and bitter things are sweet not for queasie and full stomacks which despise an hony-combe He that is falne into a pit wil refuse no hand that may help him out of it He that hath a wound in his body will be glad of any plaister that may heal or ease him Accept then of these my poore labors which I desire may be as a hand to help thee out of affliction
many of his deare children groane under many long and tedious sharp and biting afflictions Answ The Lord hath many ends in dealing thus with his children First because they have been a long time delighted with some sinne which through custome is become as it were naturall and being so will not easily will not quickly be purged out of them That which is gotten to the bone will not easily be had out of the flesh Hard knubbs and knurles must have great and long wedges driven in to them many hard and great stroaks given them before they will yeeld Many hard and stony hearts will not be broken with little and short afflictions some kinde of mettles must be kept a great while longer in the furnace then others or else they will never be dissolved even so it fareth with some natures little and short afflictions work not upon them no whit at all molifie nor soften their hard and stony hearts therfore the Lord is forced to keep them down the longer Many men when any trouble befals them think to out-growe it or to beare it off by head and shoulders and to make as good a shift as they can never looking up to God whom they have offended and provoked by their sinnes but let these know that God will bow them or else he will breake them The Lord is the Lord of hosts he can send crosses thick and three-fold upon us to abate our lofty and proud spirits to break our rocky and stony hearts Gods wrath is answerable to his power as this is infinite so he can make the other insupportable Many are stiffe and stubborn as the Lord complaines They obeyed not neither inclined their eares but made their necks stiffe and would not heare nor receive correction Ier. 17.23 Little and short afflictions will not serve to reclaime such as these are therefore the Lord keeps them longer under his hand Againe the Lord doth thus deale with many of his children to work their hearts to a greater dislike of their sinne as that which hath brought upon them all those troubles which now lye upon them therfore in the time of our affliction we should fall upon our sinne upbraiding it and charging it with all our crosses Ah thou vile and loathsom sinne I may thank thee for this expence for this reproach and shame Ah cursed sin how hast thou heretofore domaniered over me Thou hast hitherto been too strong for me but God by this affliction I trowe will tame and hamper thee Is this the fruit I reape by entertaining thee Oh cursed be the time that ever I knew thee that ever I was ruled by thee The more grievous our affliction is the greater hatred we should beare our sinnes the causes of them and the more fearfull should we be for time to come of medling any more with them We say The burnt child dreads the fire Ephraim had been a long time polluted with idolatry The Lord stops her way with thorns and makes a wall that she may not finde her pathes Hos 2.6 exerciseth her with long affliction untill shee come to say What have I any more to do with Idols Hos 14.9 If I must buy my sinne at so deare a rate if thus long I must be afflicted for my sinne away with all I will no more of it Theirdly the Lord doth oft-times keepe the rod long upon his children for their greater and deeper humiliation Great sinnes must bee greatly repented of Great transgressions require great and long humiliation Davids sinnes of adultry and murder killing the husband with the sword that he might injoy his wife were great sinnes and those which caused the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme therefore the Lord threatned him with long affliction The sword shall never depart from thine house 2. Sa. 12.10 Neither will the Lord give us over or cease to afflict us one way or other untill hee hath brought us upō our knees broken our hard hearts and sufficiently humbled us under his hand For if we walk stubbornly against him he will walke stubbornly against us then their uncircumcised heart shall be humbled and they shall willingly beare the punishment of their iniquity Lev. 26.41 Remembering mine affliction and my mourning the wormwood and the gall my soule hath them in remembrance and is humbled in mee Lament 3.19 20. Fourthly the Lord by continuing his hand of affliction long upon his children doth hereby make known the strength of his Grace which is sufficient to support his children under long and tedious afflictions A wise builder will lay the heaviest burden upon that peece of timber which is most heart and most able to beare it Greatest peeces are put to greatest stresse because little peeces would warpe and yeeld if not break asunder Even so where there is most strength of Grace there the Lord oft times laies on the greatest load of affliction which as it makes for the praise and glory of his Grace so doth it serve much for example unto all that are neer unto them that they may live by faith and hope that if ever they come into the like trial the Lord as he is able to support and strengthen them so he will doe it and graciously stand by them even in long and sharpe afflictions as he hath upheld others in the like case Fiftly and lastly the Lord doth this that so he may afterward replenish the hearts of his children with aboundance of inward and spiritual joy After they have tasted of more gall then others they shall eate of more hony then others Heavines hath some long time sojourned in their hearts but joy and gladnesse followeth after to inhabit in them for ever The spirit of the Lord is upon mee saith Esay to comfort all that mourne appoint unto them that mourne in Sion and to give unto them beauty for ashes the garment of gladnes for the spirit of heavinesse that they may bee called trees of righteousnesse the planting of the Lord that he might be glorified Esay 61.2 3. Yee shall sorrow saith Christ but your sarrow shall be turned into joy Iohn 16.20 If thy sorrows and afflictions have been longer then ordinary they shal make way for more then ordinary joy and thankfulnes for issue and deliverance according to that which the Church uttered Lam. 3.21 22. I consider this in mine heart therefore have I hope It is the Lords mercy that we are not consumed because his compassions faile not Have wee not then good cause to bee patient in afflictions although they bee sharp and tedious seeing they proceed from the hand of our pitifull and mercifull father To helpe forward and further your patience do but consider of these 4. things First how exceedingly we have a long time provoked the Lord by our sinnes amongst which our unbeliefe is that which hath most offended him If the Lord should deale unto us our weight and measure that is punish us according to our deserts what would become of
us If the Lord should dispute with us wee could not answer him one thing of a thousand When hee visiteth what shall I answer him said Iob 31.14 Whereupon David saith Psalm 130.3 If thou Lord shouldest marke iniquities O Lord who shall stand The least sinne wee commit makes us liable to the vengeance of eternall torments How grear a measure of punishment do wee then deserve for our many for our grievous sinnes our sinnes being like unto the sand by the sea shore which is innumerable What ever our afflictions are or may be they come short of our sinnes they fall short of that which wee have deserved and that which the Lord may justly without any wrong to us lay upon us Amongst many other one maine cause why we are so troubled and vexed with affliction is because we are so little galled with our sinnes a true sense of these would make our afflictions to be more easie and us lesse sensible of them then many times we are Do we not see it by experience that when the stone and the gout or some other bodily malady meet together the paine of the stone being the more grievous alaies if not takes away the sense pain of the gout even so would it be here when sinne and affliction are both upon us at once the consideration of our sinnes deserving farre greater punishment then we beare should so grieve us that the punishment it selfe should not move us much lesse stirre us up to impatience Is there not then great cause that we should willingly and patiently bear Gods chastisements as the Church resolved Mica 7.9 I will beare the wrath of the Lord because I have sinned against him And confesse with the good theef in the Gospell We indeed are justly here for we receive the due reward of our deeds Luke 23.41 And thus did that Emperor Mauritius who beholding his wife and children murthered before his face cried out just art thou o Lord and just are thy judgements And thus David confessed I know O Lord that thy judgements are right and that thou hast afflicted me justly Ps 119.75 Secondly compare thine afflictions with the sufferings of many of the Lords Worthies and thou hast great cause to be patient Looke but into the 11. Chap. to the Heb. ver 35 36 37. and tell mee if thine afflictions be answerable or sutable to their fiery trials Looke into the sufferings of Christ Consider him that indured such speaking against of sinners lest you should be wearied and faint in your mindes ye have not yet resisted unto blood Heb. 12.3 4. If the Lord deal so sharply with many of his deare children and with thee so mildly so gently wonder at Gods clemency and lenity lay thy hand upon thy mouth and bee patient Thirdly consider how short thine affliction will bee in comparison of that eternall torment the Lord might lay upon thee our afflictions are but light and moment any as Paul calls them 2. Cor. 4.17 The Lord himselfe saith Esay 54.8 For a moment in mine anger I hid my face from thee for a little season but with everlasting love have I had compassion on thee Who would not bee content with a course of physick for a few daies though the physick be untoothsome and very bitter in hope of health for ever after What if thou hast indured months of sorrow and painfull nights have beene appointed unto thee as they were to Job 7.3 What are they in comparison of those eternall torments the Lord might throw thee into in which there will be no ease out of which there shall be no release A great cause of impatience and storming at afflictions is the ignorance of our selves and of the desert of our sinnes which if we knew aright we would confesse with Ezra let our miseries and troubles be what they will that the Lord hath punished us lesse then our iniquities have deserved Ezra 9.13 I will beare the wrath of the Lord saith the Church Mic. 7.9 I will not repine at his dealing with me I wil not open my mouth by way of complaint or murmuring but from what doth this holy resolution and patience proceed It followeth in the same verse because I have sinned against him I have carried my selfe proudly stoutly and rebelliously against him I have provoked the eyes of his glory I have many waies many times broken his holy lawes I have deserved farre more farre greater judgements then he hath laid upon me it is his mercy that I am not confounded that I am of this side hell Fourthly and lastly the consideration of the blessed end that God for the most part makes of the afflictions of his servants will further our patience After they have endured any great fight in affliction he doth usually bestow some speciall favor or other upon them yea proportionable to the measure of the affliction hath the recompence and the blessing been such as have had the bitterest crosses have received the sweetest comforts Ye have heard of the patience of Job and what end the Lord made Jam. 5.11 What this end was is recorded Iob. 42. where it is said that the Lord turned a way the captivitie of Iob and gave him twice as much as he had before So the Lord blessed the last daies of Iob more then the first Iob 42.12 This hope of future mercy kept David from fainting in his affliction Psal 71.20 21. Thou hast shewed we great troubles and adversities but thou wilt return and revive me and wilt come againe and take me from the depth of the earth Thou wilt increase mine honnor and receive and comfort me if not with temporall assuredly with spirituall comfort here for they bring forth the quiet fruit of righteousnesse unto them that are thereby exercised Heb. 12.11 They are occasions as hath been formerly proved of purging our corruption and bringing of us neerer God and into more conformity with Christ and should not this comfort us Besides they make way for glory and endlesse comfort They that sow in teares shall reape in ioy Psalm 126.5 Afflictions cause unto us a farre more excellent and eternall weight of glory 2. Cor. 4.17 Art thou in any affliction thou art but under a short cloud it will quickly blow over and thou shalt have a faire season a most comfortable and glorious sun-shine when all teares shall be wiped away from thine eyes Rev. 7.17 After two dayes hee will revive us and in the third day he will raise us up and wee shall live in his sight Hos 6.2 Art thou in affliction be patient the third day is comming wherein the Lord will deliver thee There must be a time for thee to sow thy prayers in and a time for thee to water them with the teares of true repentance and then presently comes the joyfull harvest in due season thou shalt reape if thou thou bee patient if thou faint not Gal. 6.10 What made Steven in his martyrdome to bee so patient and chearefull but
be feared that man never felt the sweetnes of Gods love in the assurance of the pardon and forgivenesse of his sinnes Skin for skin and all that ever a man hath will he give for his life Job 2.4 Then much more will hee part with all that hee hath so be it he may have his part in Gods love for thy loving kindnesse is better then life Psal 63.3 for what is life but death if it be not upheld by the love of God Art thou then heartily content with the Lords handling of thee Dost thou with all cheerefulnesse take up thy crosse and beare thine affliction Canst thou truely say Behold here am I let him do to mee as seemeth good in his eyes 2. Sam. 15.26 I dare be bold to say thou art an happy man God in afflicting thee loveth thee Secondly if God loves thee hee will fetch thee neerer unto him by thy affliction See what the Church professed Esay 26.8 9. Also wee O Lord have waited for thee in the way of thy judgements the desire of our soul is to thy name and to the remembrance of thee With my soul have I desired thee in the night and with my spirit within me will I seek thee in the morning By which words it appeares that Gods people those that are beloved of him are so farre from being driven from God by affliction that they are brought thereby neerer unto him Afflictions are so farre from extinguishing grace in Gods people that they increase it rather as water cast upon the smiths fire doth not put it out but increaseth the flame thereof Afflictions drive us unto the Lord in prayer Esay 26.16 In trouble have they visited thee they powred out a prayer when thy chastning was upon them Affliction will send us to the Sanctuary and make us more diligent in hearing the Word more conscionable in the practise of good dueties So that as judgements lighting upon the wicked do come from Gods avenging wrath and justice and so are as pikes and clubs to beat them further off from God even so those afflictions which befall his people proceeding from his love are as cords to draw them neerer unto him Thirdly thou mayest assure thy selfe of Gods love in afflicting of thee if thine afflictions do raise up godly sorrow in thy heart causing thee to grieve and be disquieted that thou shouldest by thy wickednesse thus provoke the Lord and put him as it were out of his course forcing him to do that which he goeth unwillingly about for Hee doth not punish willingly nor afflict the children of men Lam. 3.33 This was that which did break the heart of David to consider how hee had offended the Lord who had been so gracious and bountifull unto him Against thee against thee only have I sinned and done evill in thy sight that thou mayest be just when thou speakest and pure when thou judgest Psalme 51.4 A good heart grieves more that by his sinnes hee hath grieved God then that God hath grieved him by some affliction And therefore had rather the Lord would take away his sinne then his affliction And therefore when the Lord had so severely threatned David by the mouth of his Prophet Nathan David cries not out through feare of Gods judgements as some would have done upon so hard tydings Alas I am undone how shall I ever be able to hold up my head if Gods judgements come so thick upon mee c. No no the sword which pierced Davids heart was his sinne against God and therefore hee praies Wash mee throughly from mine iniquitie and cleanse me from my sinne Psal 51.2 Hee that in the time of affliction can find his sinne the greatest cause of his humiliation may assure himselfe of a sanctified use of his affliction and of Gods love in so dealing with him Wee shall find little fruit and lesse comfort to grow out of our griefe sorrow and humiliation if it be for outward things and not for sinne Grieve wee never so much never so long for our outward afflictions and crosses our griefes can neither abate them nor remove them whereas godly sorrow sorrow for sinne if it doth not batter our crosse it weakens it and in the meane time procureth much ease to the minde and peace to the conscience Assure thy selfe that sorrow is no where so well bestowed as upon sinne Godly sorrow is the salve appointed to heale and cure sinne now to apply this salve to a wrong sore to affliction is lost labor Learn therefore to turn thy sorrow against thy sinne and then thou wilt say as David speakes Psalm 119.75 I know O Lord that thy judgements are right and that thou hast afflicted me justly as the old translation hath it And so saying thou mayst boldly proceed with David and pray Let thy mercy comfort mee according to thy promise unto thy servant Let thy tender mercies come unto me that I may live vers 76.77 Therefore whensoever the Lord entereth into judgment with thee fall thou to judging of thy selfe Accuse thy selfe that God may be justified And let thine own heart speak unto thee in the words of the Prophet Hast thou not procured this unto thy selfe because thou hast forsaken the Lord thy God Jere. 2.17 This is a good signe that God will do thee good by thine affliction which hee would not if hee did not love thee Fourthly and lastly thou maiest bee assured that God afflicteth thee in love if hee gives thee a heart to be thankfull to him for thine affliction Canst thou blesse God taking from thee as well as giving unto thee I dare then confidently avouch that thine afflictions are sanctified unto thee and that in love he hath afflicted thee Thus did Job The Lord hath given and the Lord hath taken it blessed be the name of the Lord. Job 1.21 For prosperitie and good things many wicked men will in their manner be thankfull to God but for adversitie and such things as are in appearance evill to be thankfull this is the property onely of good men Wee can easily bee brought to praise the Lord when hee pleaseth us but when hee crosseth us when he cuts us short and keeps us to hard meat then to blesse and praise his name this is clean against our nature it is onely the worke of grace in us for grace will make those things easie which are very hard and difficult unto nature And therefore there cannot be a better evidence of a gracious and sanctified heart then to praise and glorifie God for afflictions For in so doing a man doth justifie the Lord in his dealing yea by our thankfulnesse for afflictions we magnifie the glorious attributes of God wee acknowledge his justice Psal 119.75 I know O Lord that thy judgements are right and that thou hast afflicted me justly Wee acknowledge his truth Psalm 19.9 The judgements of the Lord are true and righteous altogether Wee acknowledge his mercie Psalm 25.10 All the pathes of the Lord
companions of our sorrow to have those that fellow-feele with us cannot but be a comfort to any that are in misery Little do you think what refreshing if not ease it is to one in affliction to heare or see another to pittie his case to weep with those that weep and mourn with those that mourn doth excedingly abate though not remove and take away the smart of their affliction We shall be the more ready and willing to put forth our hand of comfort to lift our neighbor out of the ditch if wee consider how soone his case may be ours and our selves before it be long may stand in as much need of pitty and comfort as our neighbor now doth What measure you meat it shall be measured to you againe Matt. 7.2 Therefore denie not unto the afflicted any comfort which thou art able to afford him But above all beware as I said before of insulting over those that are afflicted This was the sinne of the Edomites which the Lord reproveth and threatneth by the Prophet Obadiah Thou shouldest not have rejoyced over the children of Judah in the day of their destruction neither shouldest thou have spoken proudly in the day of their affliction As thou hast done it shall be done to thee thy reward shall returne upon thine head Obadiah vers 15. The Lord will not have any to solace themselves with others sorrow nor make themselves merry at others misery though hee were our enemie Bee not thou glad when thine enemie falleth and let not thine heart rejoyce when hee stumbleth least the Lord see it and it displeaseth him and hee turn his wrath from him towards thee Prov. 24.17 18. But rather pitty those that are afflicted and then no doubt but the Lord will stirre up the hearts of others to extend mercy and bowels of compassion towards thee when thou art in affliction And if there be no man to pittie thee here the Lord himselfe will most certainly remember and recompense thy kindnesse hereafter in that day wherein hee will reward every one according to his workes and will say unto the mercifull Come yee blessed of my Father inherit yee the kingdome prepared for you from the foundation of the World for I was an hungry and yee gave me meat I thirsted and yee gave me drink I was a stranger and yee lodged me I was naked and yee clothed me I was sicke and yee visited mee I was in prison and yee came unto mee for as much as wee have done these things to the least beleever yea if wee do them to a bad liver for Christs sake wee have done them unto Christ who will abundantly recompense us Vse 5 Fiftly is this the end of God afflicting of us that hee may better us Then let faith perswade thy heart and wait in hope of a blessed and happy issue and end of thy affliction Though thou hast not wisedome enough to make good use of thy chastisments yet thy God who is perfect wisedome will make good his promise and perfect his own handy-wotke so as if thou beleeve thou shalt finde thy selfe one day much bettered by thy affliction If thou beleeve thou wilt patiently wait for the fulfilling of Gods promise a beleeving patient had rather be held to a long and continuall course of physick in hope of future health then to be in danger of his life by interrupting his course of Physick And for asmuch as our understandings are exceedingly blinded through ignorance and selfe love and much darkned with fleshly lusts as you shal see a looking glasse to be sometime covered with dust that we can neither see what is amisse in our selves nor yet amend on the suden what we find amis in us we had need to exercise our faith in praier in patience to wait for the accomplishing of that good the Lord intends us by afflicting us For as God prescribes the physick so he must cause it to work blesse it unto us we of our selves are like children who being taken in som fault and feeling the smart of the rod are ready to promise amendment but presently forget both the fault the punishment and our promise Faith will teach us not only to beg grace from God to amend our lives but also help and strength from him to walke more closly with him For as no force of the hammer can worke the Iron unto any forme unlesse it be softned by the fire even so afflictions will beat in vaine upon us until God by his spirit molifie and soften these hard hearts of ours and teach us to profit by our afflictions And although thou dost not presently finde or feel that good to be wrought in thee which the Lord intendeth yet live by faith and wait with patience and in the end thou shalt confesse that God hath shewed thee his love made good his promise and much bettered thee by afflicting thee Vse 6 Lastly if the end of Gods afflicting of us bee the bettering of us be wee then both thankfull to the Lord for our afflictions and joyfull in them Suppose thou wert fallen into some dangerous pit or quagmyre in danger of perishing wouldst thou not be glad to see any comming neere to help thee wouldest not bee thankfull to that person that should bee a meanes of thy deliverance though it were by putting some hook into thy flesh which may for the present hurt and wound thee Sinne is a dangerous pit and gulfe wherein many soules do perish When the Lord afflicts thee he doth cast a cord unto thee to lay hold of or it may bee hee strikes some hooke into thy flesh some sore affliction by which he desires to pull thee out of thy sinne hast thou not then great cause of thanks and rejoycing offered unto thee when the Lord afflicteth thee If wee had wisedome and understanding to consider aright of Gods goodnesse and love toward us there would be more thanks for and cheerfulnesse in affliction and lesse repining and mourning amongst us then there is If wee were not poysoned with infidelity and distrust it could not be but wee should be more joyfull in afflictions and thankfull for them then wee many times seeme to bee Some when the hand of God is upon them are like to a man cast into a deep lethergie which is a drousie and forgetfull sicknesse when the use of memory and reason is almost or altogether taken from us so they are like stocks and stones insensible of their afflictions they have neither hearts nor eyes to consider of or see their sinnes which have pulled this judgment upon them nor yet the end which God aimes at in smiting them And there be other some of a contrary temper and these are like to a man in a phrensie hee rages and stormes if not blasphems the hand of God upon him kicking and spurning against the Lord unwilling to beare that burthen the Lord is willing should lye upon him of both these sorts of people the
which so farre estrangeth us from the world that it changeth us into the similitude of Christ unto whom wee must be conformed in sufferings that so wee may as hath been formerly delivered bee like him in glory unto which glory wee are furthered by affliction it being a means of driving us out of the broad way of the world which leadeth unto destruction and bringing us into the narrow and crosse way which leadeth to salvation If thus much good comes by afflictions then it is good for a man to beare the yoke in his youth Lam. 3.27 The sooner wee be afflicted the better for us If these bee the ends of Gods afflicting us are wee not shrewdly hurt when the Lord corrects us is there any cause of mourning Vnlesse it be for our rebellion and stubbornnesse which puts the Lord as it were out of his course besides himself if wee may so say with reverence to his Majestie to do his work his strange work his act his strange act Esay 28.21 Have wee then any cause to bee angry or do wee well to be angry as the Lord asked Jonah 4.9 When as the Lord hath more cause to bee angry with us for putting him to that trouble and grieving him with out sinnes No no let us rather be angry with our sinnes which provoke the Lord to afflict us and let us be comforted in all our tribulation that wee may bee able to comfort them which are in any affliction by the comfort wherewith wee our selves are comforted of God 2. Cor. 1.4 Bee cheerfull therefore in thine affliction say as David Psalm 42.11 Why art thou cast down O my soul and why art thou disquieted within me Think not the worse but the better of thy self for the Lords correcting of thee Thy case is no other then the case of Gods deare children yea of Christ himselfe There hath no tentation taken hold of thee but such as appertaineth to man 1. Cor. 10.13 Affliction is the beaten path of all the Lords people Which of the godly and faithfull before us have not drunk of this cup and been baptized with this baptisme This being a common case me thinks it should be a common comfort Why should any man that loves or feares God or is any way desirous to honor God in that condition the Lord hath set him seek and with a priviledge above all the children of God that ever were yea above Christ Jesus the sonne of God himselfe Is it not a favor is it not a mercie nay is it not an honor to be used and to be dealt withall as Christ and all the godly have been before us And should not the consideration of this comfort us It may be the Lord hath taken away thy goods thy plenty from thee and brought thee to a morsell of bread It may be he hath taken away thy health and welfare and doth afflict thee with deseases and sores and aches so as thou hast no rest day nor night Was not this Jobs condition who lost more goods and substance in one day then thou hast in all thy life besides hee had painfull dayes and long nights of sorrow And art thou better then he was It may bee the Lord hath cast thee into prison and spoiled thee of thy liberty Was not faithfull Joseph unjustly kept divers yeares in prison where they held his feet in the stocks and he was laid in Iron untill his appointed time came and the counsell of the Lotd had tried him Psalm 105.18 19. It may be thou hast many great and malicious enemies which without any just cause of thine who doe backbite thee slander thee speake all manner of evill of thee and with more then Vatinian hatred doe persecute thee Was not this the case of Christ and did not he tell his Apostles John 15.18 19. that they should meete with the same entertainment in the world that he had found amongst them It may be the Lord doth exercise thee with gracelesse stubborn and rebellious children This cannot be but a great griefe to the heart of a parent especially if he be one fearing God but have not Gods deere children been thus tryed Had nor Noah that just and upright man a wretched Cham that discovered and scoffed at his fathers infirmities Gen. 9. Had not good Isaack a prophane Esau as he is termed Heb. 12.16 who of set purpose to vex his parents tooke unto him wives of other nations which was a griefe of minde unto Isaack and Rebâ—ckah Gen. 26.35 What wicked children had Ely the Priest and judge of Israel such as abused the women that assembled at the doore of the Tabernacle of the Congregation that men abhorred the offering of the Lord the sin of the sonnes of Ely was so great before the Lord. It may be the Lord hath taken unto himself some of thy children which were as deer and neer unto thee as thine own soule But what if the Lord had taken them away by the sword of the enemies as he did Fly his sonnes 1. Sam. 4.11 Or by fire from heaven as he did the sonnes of Aaron Lev. 10.2 Nay what if the Lord should have taken away ten of thy children all of thy children at one blow by overwhelming the house upon them where they were eating and drinking as he did Jobs children Job 2.19 And to conclude what if the Lord should raise up evill in thy family suffering one child to defloure and to devoure each other yea to seeke thy life as Davids children did Were thy case and condition in any of all these â—oâ—e afflictions worse then those of Gods deer and faithfull servants of the Lord who have been thus exercised and afflicted yea and now are Knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethâ—en that are in the world 1 Pet. 5.9 Let us therfore learne to judge wisely of our selves conflicting with afflictions Afflictions though they be judgements upon us for our sinne yet are they not judgements upon us unto condemnation We shall then adde unto our affliction and sorrow and needlesly increase our griefe if we condemn our estate because the Lord corrects us for our transgressions If we cast off our hope of happinesse in heaven because we be recompensed with judgements on earth we shall both wrong God and our selves Therfore he will have us to rejoyce in tribulation Romans 5.3 Though he visit our iniquities with rods Psal 89.32 33. Yet his loving kindnesse will he not utterly take away from us nor suffer his faithfulnesse to faile Therefore beware of charging the Lord with any hardnesse or unreasonable dealing with us as if he marred his gold by casting it into the fornace to refine it But let us rather look into our own hearts and mourne for our own stubbornnes and rebellion which hath moved the Lord thus to shackle and hamper us that he might take down our proud hearts O proud hearts of ours subdue our stubborn and rebellious wils and make us vile and
because our safety and security lieth in it As God loveth a cheerfull doer so hee loveth a cheerfull sufferer A childe that is willing to kisse the rod wherewith it was beaten gives great content unto the parent which corrected it and makes halfe amends for the fault it hath committed Christ will have every one of his to take up his Crosse daily Luk. 9.23 the taking up of our crosse implyeth willingnesse and cheerfulnesse in the bearing of it Many a childe of God is content to beare his crosse when the Lord hath laied it upon his shoulders as the Prophet Jeremiah speakeath Woe is me for my destruction and my grievous plague But I thought yet it is my sorrow and I will beare it Jerem. 10.19 Hee dares not mutter or repine at the Lords doing but here was no rejoycing in tribulation Whereas James tells us that wee must count it exceeding joy when wee fall into divers afflictions Jam. 1.2 When the Lord commeth as it were in open hostilitie against us mustering his forces towards us when one affliction comes upon the neck of another when wee fall into divers afflictions even then we have cause of rejoycing For our afflictions comming from the hand of our loving Father cannot be hurtfull but profitable unto us Hee chasteneth us for our profit that wee might he partakers of his holinesse Hebr 12.10 Indeed if our afflictions brought God out of love with us or us more in love with sinne which God hates and is hurtfull unto us if our afflictions were sent unto us as curses wee had cause to mourn in them But when the Word of truth so often pronounceth us blessed in them as Psalme 94.12 Blessed is the man whom thou chastisest O Lord. Have wee not then great cause of rejoycing in them especially seeing our Heavenly Father hath the ordering and disposing of all our afflictions both in respect of their kinde and nature and also in respect of their measure either of quantity or continuance First in regard of their kind If you would know why this affliction befalls thee rather then another it is because the Lord the only wise and soveraign Physitian knows how to strike thee in the right veine hee knowes thy heart and the nature of thy corruption and therefore applieth such medecines unto thee as will bee most available for thy cure Which thing Job teacheth us Behold hee will break down and it cannot be built he shutteth a man up and hee cannot be loosed Behold hee withholdeth the waters and they drie up but when he sendeth them out they destroy the earth with him is strength and wisedom Job 12.14 15 16. Yea hee is mighty in strength and wisedom Job 36.5 Which he could not be said to be if any other course were better for us then that which he taketh with us The Lord is perfect wisedom and therefore will not cannot but go the best the safest and wisest way to worke for the good of his children Some peradventure may think that some other kind of affliction might have been better for them then the present some other they thinke would have done them more good then this can do But they speak they know not what And I may say unto them as Christ to his Disciples Luk. 9.55 Yee know not of what spirit yee are The choosing of the rod belongeth unto him that is to give the correction not to him that taketh it Indeed the Lord did once put David to his choice 2. Sam. 24.12 I offer unto thee three things chuse thee which of them I shall do unto thee But this was an extraordinary favor shewed unto David first to make triall of his Faith whether he had rather fall into the hand of the Lord then into the hand of man and secondly to let him know that the Lord would correct him in mercy in that hee gave him libertie to make choise of the punishment The Lord knew that either of those rods would bee sufficient to scourge David withall And none knows so well as the Lord how to meet with our corruptions or what afflictions are meet for us If thou canst not profit by that affliction which the Lord appointeth unto thee thou wilt profit by none To say some other kind were better for thee were to controll the judgement of the wise God as if hee knew not better then our selves to order and dispose of us Is it fit the patient should prescribe his Physitian what course to take with him wilt thou teach him what he shall administer unto thee this were to dishonor the Physitian therefore thou submittest to his judgement and takest what hee prescribeth thee resting upon his skill And wilt thou dare so highly to dishonor God as to question his wisedome and knowledge as if some other affliction were better for thee then this which hee is pleased to administer unto thee No no say as Ely did 1. Sam. 3.18 It is the Lord let him do what seemeth him good Secondly the Lord hath the disposing of our afflictions for quantitie for hee doth order all things in their measure number and weight but especially the afflictions of his children Jerem. 30.11 I will not utterly destroy thee but correct thee in judgement or in measure as the new translation hath it God therefore metes out unto his children not according to their merit but in mercy according to their strength looking more what they are able to undergoe then what they do deserve to be laid upon them Hee correcteth in judgement that is wisely proportioning our affliction to our strength and not in anger least he bring us to nothing Jere. 10.24 Feare not therefore O Jacob my servant saith the Lord for I am with thee I will not utterly destroy thee but correct thee by judgement and not utterly cut thee off Jerem. 46.28 Comfort thy selfe therefore in this that God is faithfull who will not suffer thee to be tempted above that thou art able to beare but will with the tentation make a way to escape that thou maist be able to beare it as was formerly spoken Thirdly and lastly the Lord disposeth of all our afflictions in respect of their time and continuance which he hath promised shall be but short For the rod of the wicked shall not rest on the lot of the righteous Psal 105.3 Hee indureth but a while in his anger Weeping may abide at the evening but joy commeth in the morning Psal 30.5 Who is a God like unto thee saith Micah that taketh away iniquitie and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage He retaineth not his wrath for ever because mercy pleaseth him Mic. 7.18 Therefore wait patiently upon the Lord for issue out of thine affliction which in due time thou shalt bee sure of For the Lord deals not with his children as the Devill doth with his servants bringing them into the briars and there leave them to scratch and rent and teare themselves but the
means of comfort Answ Gods wayes are not your wayes Esay 55.8 The Lord hath his wayes many times in the deep many times in the darke and secret Haply deliverance shall come some other way then thou canst imagine or thinke of When thou thinkest comfort and deliverance is farthest off it may be neare at hand yea when thou seest least likelyhood of it for In the mount will the Lord be seen Gen. 22.14 It may be thou seest no means but the Lord can worke without means yea by contrary meanes that his wisedome and power may appeare the more in thy deliverance What means had Daniel to save him from the fury of those hungry and devouring Lyons yet you know the Lord did deliver him Therefore Commit thy way unto the Lord and trust in him and hee shall bring it to passe Psalm 37.5 So that all things considered wee have little cause to bee disquieted in our afflictions seeing our heavenly Father sendeth them in love for our great good and lesse cause we have to fret or be disheartned if they tarry by us longer then wee would have them for when wee are fit for deliverance wee shall bee sure of it In the mean time if dangers or feares do increase upon thee say to the Lord as good King Jehosaphat 2. Chron. 20.12 Wee know not what to do but our eyes are towards thee Consider into what great distresse and strait the Lord brought the people of Israel when they came out of Egypt the sea before them their enemies behind them death as it were round about them yet how miraculously did the Lord make way for them So assure thy selfe whatsoever thy trouble or danger bee the Lord will one way or other give issue to his glory and thy good although thou seest not how because hee is the same God no changeling in his goodnesse towards his children It is a sweet motto which one hath I suffer I hope Though sorrows and afflictions increase upon thee yet give not over thy confidence but resolve with holy Job Loe though he slay me yet will I trust in him Job 13.15 The motion of a thing the neerer it comes to the center the swifter it is Doth thy sorrow thy paine thy trouble increase upon thee hope it is neere at an end The children of Israel the neerer they were unto comfort and deliverance the sorer grew their afflictions and the greater were the burthens which their cruell taske-masters layd upon them and so doth the Lord oft deale in other kindes with his children Therefore wait with patience seeing the Lord many times doth suddenly turne tragedies into comedies sorrow into joy as he dealt with his people in Esters dayes to day in heavinesse through feare of being swallowed up and made a prey unto their enemies to morrow triumphing over their enemies and treading them underneath their feet Ester 8.15 16. For what thing can there bee under Heaven so heavie upon the heart of his children which the Lord cannot remove and put joy in the place of it before the day be light Therefore hope in the Lord and bee strong and hee shall comfort thine heart Psalm 27.14 Be cheerefull therefore in thy affliction Object Some will be ready to say I hope I hurt no body by my sadnesse but they are deceived for Answ First they wrong the Lord by their uncheerfulnesse not only in going and doing against his word which willeth us to bee joyfull in the Lord as Psal 32.11 Be glad ye righteous and rejoyce in the Lord and bee joyfull all ye that are upright in heart but they do also wrong the Lord in robbing him of that honor and praise which they might bring unto him by their rejoycing in affliction Secondly they wrong if not hurt their brethren being occasions of discouragement and disheartning them making them to feare and doubt of Gods goodnes and their own abilitie to bear any burden which the Lord shall lay upon them seeing others or longer standing in Christ his school and of greater knowledge to shrink and buckle under their affliction Thirdly they wrong their profession by opening the mouthes of those that are without or by putting a stumbling-blocke before them causing them to abhorre the way and practise of godlinesse when they see so great troubles to attend upon it and so little courage and cheerefulnesse in those that professe it Fourthly and lastly they wrong and hurt themselves not only by disinabling and indisposing themselves to the generall and particular dueties of their callings for a joyfull heart causeth good health but a sorrowfull spirit dries up the bones Prov. 17.22 that is makes the body weake and feeble for a man is said to bee in his full strength when his bones run full of marrow Job 21.23 24. but also in spoiling themselves of that peace and comfort which they might enjoy by their cheerfull undergoing of afflictions and loosing that holy vigor and strength they might partake of by rejoycing in the Lord for the joy of the Lord is your strength Nehe. 8.10 Besides by their lumpishnesse they make themselves unfit for holy dueties they cannot serve God as they should being oppressed with sadnesse For we are to serve the Lord with gladnesse of heart Serve the Lord in feare and rejoyce before him Psal 2.11 How can any serve God joyfully or praise him heartily when the heart is laden with griefe and the mind oppressed with sorrow If no joy in the sweet promises of God what delight can be had in his worship and service And last of all they expose themselves unto Satans tentations when they are dejected with worldly sorrow then are they baits for Satan to catch at and fit subjects for him to worke upon How many have been brought to a shamefull and miserable end through Satans subtiltie and malice working upon them and taking them at advantage in the time of their sorrow and heavinesse So that it is evident that such by their sadnesse oft times do wrong both others and themselves But admit it were so as you see it is false that wee hurt no body but our selves by our sadnesse is this a sufficient warrant to bear us out in our lumpishnesse In what court was that commission sealed unto us which gives us liberty to harme or wrong our selves Are wee not delinquents against Gods law and the law of nature in offring wrong unto our selves Therefore seeing thy afflictions are but for a season hold fast the Confidence and the rejoycing of thy hope unto the end Heb. 3.6 Live by faith and as the Prophet exhorteth enter into thy chambers and shut thy doores after thee hide thy selfe for a little while untill the indignation passe over Esay 26.20 By chambers the Prophet meanes a quiet and peaceable conscience into the which he would have us sequester our selves all the while the storme of affliction bloweth that so with patience we may waite for the event of them And whereas he
foes and their former love may be turned into future hatred It is possible that those that are nearest and dearest unto thee may reject thee Yet though thy father and thy mother should forsake thee the Lord will not he will take the care of thee Psal 27.10 If God hath once chosen thee for his own and set his love upon thee whether thou beest in health or in sicknesse in ease or in paine in prosperity or adversitie in life or in death all is one God loveth thee neverthelesse Before he shewed thee his love he knew what would befall thee yea nothing as wee have heatd can betide thee but that which he intended and provided in love for the so that whether you live or die you are the Lords Rom. 14.8 The Lord for special ends may give thee over unto afflictions he may give thee up into the hands of those that hate thee yea even unto the death and therfore will take away thy life from thee As it is written for thy sake are we killed all the day long we are counted as sheep for the slaughter Rom. 8.36 Yet none of these nay not all these put together can any whit diminish or abate the love of God towards thee much lesse spoile thee wholly of it and take it cleane away from thee when they have done the worst they can against thee or unto thee When thou art plunged into the deepest distresse that might or malice can bring thee into thou art still as deere and precious in the Lords eye as ever thou wert nay if it were possible deerer now then ever thou wert before if those troubles and afflictions which thine enemies have devised and brought upon thee be for righteousnesse sake One friend may love another deerely yet when the one shall expose himself to danger or trouble for the others sake when I see my frend hath not regarded his life for my good but adventured and hazarded his own life in my defence and safety how doth this increase mine affection towards him as it was said of Jonathan his soule was knit with the soule of David and Jonathan loved him as his own soule 1 Sam. 18.1 So this will knit my heart and love unto him and I shal love him as mine own soule How much more then may we be assured that if our afflictions be for Gods cause in his defence he will abundantly recompence and more deerely love us Then let no man say that he is lesse beloved of God then others because he is more afflicted then others be God still loves his and will own them for his people whatsoever outward sorrowes or miseries may befall them I have surely seen the trouble of my people and have heard their cry and I know their sorrowes Exod. 3.7 Though wee bee in trouble yea and such trouble as makes us cry out for griefe and sorrow yet still we bee the Lords people Outward miseries and troubles cannot make God to respect any of his any thing the lesse God is not like some proud people of the world who will acknowledge their friends no longer then they are in prosperity and be able to requite their kindnesse with kindnesse againe Some such beasts there bee that if they bee either advanced into high places above their parents or their parents their brethren sisters and friends fallen into decay and poverty will scarse own them but grow to bee ashamed of them It is farre otherwise betwixt the Lord and his people when they are up to the knees in durt when they are cruelly oppressed when in a poore and base condition it may be not having cloaths to cover their nakednesse when their cheekes looke pale and their faces leane and wan through hunger sorrow or sicknesse when they be grown out of favor through bodily diseases they are even then as lovely in the Lords eyes as ever and hee will then acknowledge us for his people aswell nay better then in our great prosperity If a childe be sick in the family how are the thoughts and minde of the parents taken up about that child how do they tend it and pitty it O my poore sicke child c. thus doth the Lord pitty his children and tender them in their affliction Vse 1 Now to make some application of the point Is it so that the perswasion of Gods love is a great help to carry us cheerfully through afflictions here hence then we may be instructed what the cause is that wee are so much troubled and perplexed with afflictions as if they were the meanes of our undoing that the very thought or expectation of them is most grievous and irkesome unto us certainly here is the ground of all our feares and doubts the want of a sound perswasion and assurance of Gods love in correcting us Did we beleeve that when we are afflicted wee are in the hands of our holy righteous everliving and everloving God who never did us any wrong who never intended us any harme but alwayes goeth the best the wisest and the most loving way to worke with his children would wee not bee lesse afraid of afflictions then we be more willing to undergoe them then we are Little do wee know how highly we dishonor God how much we gratify and please the Devill when wee repine against the hand of God when wee bee impatient in afflictions and question his love for correcting us The Devill desired that Job might be sorely afflicted that so he might bee brought to curse God Stretch now out thine hand and touch his bones and his flesh to see if he will not blaspheme thee to thy face Job 2.5 It is a pastime unto the Devill to set God and his children at variance and therefore hee desires to vex and perplex us that so wee may open our mouths against the Lord and quarrell with him for when we are discontented with the Lords dealing when wee mutter and murmur against the Lord what do wee lesse then rebell against him Hence it is that Moses called the murmuring Israelites Rebels Numb 20 10. Heare now ye rebels shall wee bring you watter out of this rocke Therefore murmure not against the Lord for then thou rebellest against him and robbest him as much as in thee lieth of his most glorious attributes his power his goodnesse his love his truth When we deal with that man which makes cōscience of his word wee question not the truth of his promise but rest upon the performance and making good of that which he hath said If a father promiseth unto his childe any thing the childe makes as sure reckoning of the thing promised as if hee had it already in possession Shall wee dare to give lesse credit to God then to man when hee telleth us hee correcteth us in love and intendeth our good in afflicting of us shall wee dare to question the truth of his word especially when hee hath seconded his Word by oath yea and sealed both with the blood
of whom I spake even now being brought to that extreame want that hee would faine have filled his belly with the husks that the swine did eate but no man gave him them then hee came to himselfe Luk. 15 16 17. Being before as it were out of his right wits that is ignorant of that miserable and wicked condition into which through sinne he had brought himselfe How many of Gods people have forgotten the Lord and themselves untill such time as the Lord hath remembred them with some affliction wee never come to a thorow understanding and knowledge of our own hearts untill affliction hath gaged and sounded them In prosperitie wee can carry our selves moderately and cheerefully towards God and man for the corruption that is within us lieth still and is not stirred and therefore not seene or discerned as the stinking smell and savor of some dunghill or bumby is kept in and not smelled untill it be stirred but if once you meddle with it then it casts up those stinking vapors that are in it even so let God lay affliction upon us then that corruption which before lay hid is now manifested Wee never come to make experience as was said before of our impatience testinesse rebellion infidelity love of the world and the like untill affliction come unto us Wee are so blinded with selfe-conceit and privie pride that when wee heare of or see others distempered with affliction wee can be ready to condemne them and in our own breasts justifie our selves and thinke that wee would beare out the affliction more manfully then so if the same or the like should befall us Whereupon the Lord to humble us and take us down sendeth us some affliction or other that so wee may thinke no better of our selves then there is just cause for when affliction comes wee can doubt of Gods promise wee can question his Providence wee can murmurre and repine or at the least hang down the head in a discontented and suâ—len manner as if wee had neither faith nor hope nor any dramme of grace in us Reason 2 Secondly by affliction wee come to judge aright of sinne as well as of our selves It is that which will make sinne as heinous and odious in our own view as it is in its own nature Did not the God of this world cast a mist before our eyes or else shew us our sinnes in false glasses wee would be so farre from pleasing our selves with any sinne that upon the committing of it wee would cry out with the leper in the law I am unclean I am unclean Lev. 13.45 Wee would abhorre our selves in dust and ashes if wee saw how loathsome sinne hath made us in Gods eye and this wee seldome see but when affliction opens our eyes Indeed afflictions of themselves can not do this it is the Word of God which inlightens us and brings us to the knowledge of our estates But wee seldome find instructions to enter home untill afflictions have sharpned them Those that live in prosperitie ease and fulnesse are ready to passe by rebukes and to slight reproofe as unseasonable and as that which belongs not unto them but when the chastisements of God have seazed upon them awakened their consciences and mollified and humbled their hearts then rebukes have a keener edge and pierce more deeply Instructions are the light that guides us in the way but corrections joyned with them do make our eye-sight more cleere and cause us more heedfully to follow the directions of the Word Affliction makes us to heed that which before wee regarded not As our eares are opened by correction which were formerly sealed Job 33.16 so also our eyes are enlightned which were formerly darkned After the Lord had smitten down Paul to the ground as hee was journeying towards Damascus it is said that there sell from his eyes as it had been scales and suddenly hee received sight and arose and was baptized Acts 9.18 untill affliction had seized upon Paul hee could never be brought to see the oudiousnesse of his sinnes If the Lord should alwayes sit still and never come forth to judge us for our sinnes many would not only flatter themselves in their evill wayes not only justifie themselves but condemne the Lord in being ready to thinke that the Lord himselfe were well enough pleased with them and their practise These things thou hast done and I held my tongue therefore thou thoughtest that I was like thee but I will reprove thee and set them in order before thee Psal 50.21 Impunity and prosperity makes many think that sinne is not so dangerous a thing nor so foul an evill as many Preachers would beare them in hand it is whereupon they take heart and are emboldned to the committing of sin and continuing in it as the Preacher saith Eccle. 8.11 Because sentence against an evill worke is not executed speedily therefore the heart of the children of men is fully set in them to do evill Whereupon to beat us out of these wicked conceits the Lord sendeth some affliction or other home unto us to be an eye-salve to anoint our eyes that wee may see both the nature and the danger of our sinnes how odious and hateful they are unto the Lord How noxious and hurtfull they will one day prove unto us if by speedy repentance we do not turn away from them especially from those sinnes for which chiefly the Lord doth afflict us Naturally wee are all children of darknesse so blind and blockish that many know not like blindfolded people who smote them nor yet wherefore they are smitten In afflictions for the most part wee are like blind men or those that grope up and downe in the dark to feele the doore but cannot find the way out It is a master-peece of Satans pollicie to delude our understandings and judgements with carnall reasonings that so when God afflicts us to bring us unto the sight of our sinne wee should either hold on our old course or else do more wickedly by not seeing and so not amending that sinne for which we are punished that by sinne wee might be plunged into punishment and for want of repentance our punishment continued increased Object But how may I be certified what sinne it is for which I am corrected of the Lord Answ First of all look upon thine affliction and weigh well with thy selfe the nature and quality of the same for oft times the Lord meets with us in our own kind and paies us home with judgements sutable unto our sins Adonibezek had cut of the thumbs of the hands and feet of divers Kings and therefore God rewarded him as hee had done to others Judges 1.7 If David will kill Vriah with the sword the sword shall never depart from his house 1. Samu. 12.9 10. Thus wee see how the Lord oft times meets with sinners in the same kind wherein they have sinned what may wee say is the cause of this sore and baiting famine
Christ the only begotten of the Father could not come to glory but through many tribulations and afflictions I hope the doctrine which I have delivered standeth without contradiction and that it is a most undoubted and undeniable truth that None no not the best of Gods children are without their trials and affflictions Reason 1 And if any should demand a reason why the Lord doth thus deal with his dear ones many may be rendered some whereof respect the sinnes of his children either as they are past present or to come Sometime the Lord afflicteth his children that so they may ransack and search their own hearts and consciences and so find out some sinnes which have a long time lurked in their breasts and are not as yet repented of Lament 3.39 40. Man suffereth for his sinne let us search and try our wayes The heart is deep yea deceitfull and wicked above all things who can know it Jere. 17.9 It hath many turnings and secret corners many holes for sinne to sculk and lurk in so as it will very hardly be found out unlesse a privie watch be set a narrow search be made In the examination of a craftie a cunning thief the Justice or Judge had need to gather his wits together and to have his eyes in his head least he be not able to find out that villany which will never be confessed though the evidence be cleer against it Affliction will quicken our wits and cleer our eye-sight so as we shall be the better able to finde out those sins which otherwise peradventure would never have beene discovered That person that cannot by affliction be wrought upon to search what is amisse in him will never do it If the conscience which hath been rockt asleep in the cradle of prosperity cannot bee awakned by affliction it is in a deep if not a deadly sleep Josephs brethren could be touched in their consciences for their unnaturall and cruell usage of their brother when they were in some straights suspected as they conceived to be spies and one of their brethren taken and bound before their eyes Genes 42.21 Whereas for divers yeares before they had no check of conscience for their sinne Iob in the day of his adversitie could call to mind old sinnes afflictions could bring them fresh to his remembrance Thou writest bitter things against me and makest me to possesse the iniquities of my youth Iob. 13.26 Elihu hath an excellent speech to this purpose If they be bound in fetters and tyed with the cords of affliction then will he shew them their worke and their sinnes Teaching us hereby that until such time as the Lord by some affliction or other doth hamper and shackle us wee have no list to finde out our sinnes but had rather cover and daube them over Whereas affliction like unto a prospective-glasse will shew us things a farre off and discover unto us many corruptions which wee have either buried or else slighted over In affliction wee can see our formalitie barrennesse loosnesse dead-heartednesse lithernesse in good duties pride hypocrisie earthly-mindednesse uncharitablenesse and many moe old and new sinnes which before we took little or no notice of Therefore if thou beest now under the rod of God or hereafter mayst be say unto thy heart surely there lieth some wedge of gold or Babylonish garment hid which the Lord would have me search and find out certainly there is some Ionah that hath raysed this storme there is some sinne or other that hath caused all this affliction to befall me which must be found out yea and cast out of my heart as Ionab was thrown out of the ship before this storm will be calme before the Lord will take off his hand from afflicting me Therefore do not repine at the Lords wise and righteous dealing but let thine anget and indignation reflect upon thine own vile heart cast thy selfe with all humilitie at the feet of God begge some of his eye-salve whereby the eyes of thy understanding may be enlightned that thou mayst be the more able to gage and search the bottom of thy heart find out that or those sinnes which have provoked the Lord against thee lest thou perish through impenitency St. Paul writing unto the Corinthians about their prophaning of the Lords ordinance their abuse of the Sacrament telleth them that for this cause many are weake and sick among you and many sleep for if wee would judge our selves wee should not be judged 1. Cor. 11.30.31 implying thus much that Gods hand lay upon them that so they might search out see and confesse their sinnes that so God might pardon them Therefore as at all times so especially in the time of affliction wee should narrowly sift and search our hearts lest any corruption lye lurking there to do us a mischief And if ever we bee brought to a sight and confession of our sinnes it will be while the rod is upon our backe when the Lord had throughly jerked Ephraim he could smite on his thigh bee ashamed and confounded because he did bear the reproach of his youth Jerem. 31.19 Old sinnes could bleed afresh before them when the hand of God did crush them The Lord by the Prophet Ezekiel told Jerusalem that he would judge her after the manner of harlots and would give her the blood of wrath and jealousie Ezek. 16.38 Because thou hast not remembred the dayes of thy youth but hast provoked me with all these things behold therefore I also have brought thy way upon thine head saith the Lord God yet hast thou not had consideration of all thine abominations Vers 43. Teaching us that the end of Gods correcting them was to bring them to a consideration and sight of their sinnes Reason 2 A second reason of the Lords dealing sharply with his children is to purge them and cleanse them from all their filthinesse of the flesh and spirit This appeares by divers places of Scripture I I will turn my hand upon thee and purely purge away thy drosse and take away all thy sinne Esa 1.25 And some of them of understanding shall fall to trie them and to purge them and to make them white Dan. 11.35 And so in Esa 4 4. When the Lord shal have washed away the filth of the daughters Sion and shall have purged the blood of Jerusalem from the midst thereof by the spirit of judgement and by the spirit of burning And Esay 27.9 By this shall the iniquitie of Jacob be purged and this is all the fruit even the taking away of his sinne not by justifying but by sanctifying them by the rod of affliction beating sinne out of its old corners for as Elihu said Iob 36.10 He openeth their ear to discipline and commandeth them that they return from iniquity when the Lord doth afflict us he doth really call upon us and charge us to turne from our evill wayes Hee knoweth my way and trieth me saies Iob 23.10 and I shall come forth like
to be mistaken in this particular as though God did at any time afflict any without cause Although the Lord doth sometimes afflict and not for sinne yet never without sinne either inherent or imputed God is so farre from picking holes in our coat so far from afflicting any without just cause that hee may see enough in the best of us yea even in our best services performances to afflict us The best of us brought with us into the world so much corruption and do carry about us such bodies of sinne as may expose us to all the plagues of this and another life Every one of us hath in himselfe sufficient fewell for the fire of Gods wrath to work evermore upon him if the Lord in his justice would be pleased to kindle it Let no man therefore question Gods justice in afflicting the best of his children because as I have said he somtimes afflicteth us to prevent some evill to come which through our naturall propension through some violent occasion or through some strong temptation wee may be drawne into Ephraim was mad upon sinne therefore saith the Lord Hos 2.6 I will stop thy way with thornes and make an hedge that she may not find her paths Too much sun-shine will dazle our eyes Too much honey turnes to gall so too much prosperity and ease breeds security and makes us proud or wanton therefore lest our ranck blood should cause some inflamation it pleaseth God our wise and loving Physitian to open a veine to cool us and to keep us in good temper Horses that are full fed and pampered grow many times restif Vessels unused do quickly grow rusty even so our nature would soon contract some evill if the Lord should not now and then take us into affliction 's scouring house The Lord sees that prosperity and immunity from affliction blunts the edge of our devotion cools the fire of our zeal and dulleth our eager pursuit after Heaven and Heavenly things and therefore he afflicts us to prevent these evils as hee took away Jeroboams sonne by death lest if he had lived longer he might have trod in the steps of his wicked father and been tainted with his sinnes It may be the Lord seeth that wee would run into some danger if he should let us alone therefore as he snached Lot out of Sodom lest he should have perished in their flames so he catcheth hold of us by affliction thereby to deliver us from some sinne wee are falling into Therefore whatsoever triall and affliction doth befall thee lay thy hand upon thy mouth murmure not against the Lord but be thankfull unto him and say O Lord thou knowest the distemper of my soul thou knowest how prone I am to sinne and wickednesse and thou who seest things to come as if they were present seest I was inclining to some evill but in mercy hast by this affliction prevented mee keep mee therefore from falling into evill by what means thou pleasest suffer mee not to sin against thee Reason 4 Fourthly the Lord doth afflict us to teach us some good lesson which without affliction hee sees wee shall hardly learn Psal 119.71 It is good for me that I have been afflicted that I might learn thy statutes Corrections are instructions God will have none of his to perish for want of instruction he sendeth his word amongst us to teach us his wayes that so we may walk in his truth Psal 86.11 But outward prosperity so thickens our eare and so hardens our heart that we cannot wee will not heare to our profit Jerem. 22.21 I spake unto thee when thou wast in prosperitie but thou saidst I will not hear this hath been thy manner from thy youth that thou wouldest not obey my voice therefore the Lord openeth the ear of men even by their corrections Job 33.16 For such as will not hear the word shall hear the rod Mica 6.9 Manasses learned that lesson in the school of affliction which could never be taught him in the school of the Prophets 2 Chron. 33.12 In his tribulation he humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers He that was prowd and could set himselfe against the Lord and his truth and all that professed it all the while he was in prosperity and upon his throne when the Lord caused him to be cast in prison and put chaines of iron upon his leggs in stead of a chaine of Gold about his neck hee could then learn to be humble and obedient unto the Lord. Nabuchadnezzar being pulled out of his Babel driven from men to have his dwelling amongst the beasts could at length come to praise extoll magnifie the King of heaven whose works are all truth and able to abase those that walk in pride Dan. 4 34. Our hearts are very hard and sturdy so as the word will not break them untill the Lord by affliction subdues and humbles these hearts of ours making them soft and yeelding so as the word may take some impression in us Hence it is that Solomon tells us Prov. 15.32 Hee that obeyeth correction gets understanding Some say that many and I have found it true in some children after a sicknesse grow both in ripenesse of understanding and in stature of body so it is with the Lords children affliction bringeth them to a better understanding of heaven and heavenly things as Nebuchadnezzar confessed Dan. 4.33 Mine understanding was restored unto me and causeth the inner man to grow more then before It teacheth us to walk in the right way and to keep Gods Word as Psal 119.67 Before I was afflicted I went astray but now I keep thy word What havock did Paul before the Lord met with him make of Christs flock entring into every house hee drew out both men and women and put them into prison Acts. 8.3 And being armed with malice and authority he posteth to Damascus to put in execution his bloody commission but the Lord meets him by the way unhorseth this persecutor strikes him down to the ground and smites him with blindnesse and what followed Paul was now a new man Act. 9.6 He then both trembling and astonied said Lord what wil thou that I do What had become of Paul if affliction had not beene Which of Gods children cannot say as David said It is good for me that I have been afflicted Nay what affliction hath at any time befalne us which wee could have spared Nay let me go a little further is it not best with us when wee are under the rod Would it not be better with us thinke you if the Lord should afflict us more If thou beest the child of God I appeale to thy conscience whether thy case had not been farre worse then now it is if affliction had not been Many are like unto those kind of fishes which seldom or never without much difficulty and labour can be caught but when the water is troubled So before troubles do befall many they cannot be caught
and justified And for any to condemn those whom the Lord will acquit is to accuse if not condemn the Lord himself and not only so but to make themselves liable unto judgement For with what judgment ye judge yee shall be judged and with what measure you mete it shall be measured to you again Mat. 7.2 Therefore blessed is he that judgeth wisely of the poore afflicted the Lord shall deliver him in the time of trouble Ps 41 1. Because the Lord is pleased for speciall ends to lay his hand more heavily upon this man then his neighbour shall any dare from hence to conclude that he is the greater sinner God forbid we may rather conclude that of the twaine he is the best the most beloved of God You onely have I known of all the families of the earth therefore I will visit you for all your iniquities Amos 3.2 Who were they that were tried by mockings and scourgings by bonds and prisonment or those that were stoned and hewen a sunder and slaine with the sword or those that wandred up and down in sheepes skinnes and goates skinnes being destitute afflicted and tormented Were they not Gods deare ones those of whom the world was not worthy Heb. 11.36 37. Whose blood was it wherewith Manasses died the streets of Jerusalem was it not innocent blood the blood of the Lords people 2. King 21.16 Who was hee that dolefully cryed out Will the Lord absent himselfe for ever and will he shew no more favor Is his mercy cleane gone for ever shall his promise faile for evermore hath God forgotten to bee mercifull and will he shut up his loving kindnes in displeasure Psal 77.7 8 9. Was it not the complaint of David a righteous and holy man a man after Gods own heart What was he that cursed the time of his birth Saying Let the day perish wherein I was born and the night when it was said there is a man child conceived Why died I not in the birth or why died I not when I came out of the wombe Iob 3.3.11 was it not Iob an upright and just man one that feared God eschewed evill How then darest thou cēsure the child of God by reason of his affliction Surely this must needs proceed either out of ignorance not knowing the Scriptures or from the want of charity or else from the guilt of thine own conscience taking the length of thy neighbors foot by thine own last and measuring him by thy selfe Want of judging of thy selfe is the cause why thou art so ready to judge another But do not flatter thy self neither esteem any one to have the more goodnes because he hath the les affliction For I tell thee a man may be a Dives clad in scarlet and fine linnen living and wallowing in all manner of pleasure and prosperitie faring and feeding every day deliciously and yet bee a devill incarnate a man odious and hatefull unto the Lord. Neither mayest thou condemne any for wicked because the Lord judgeth him A man may bee a poore Lazar not having so much as a clout to cover his nakednesse living in want and penury dying through paine and misery and yet be the Lords faithfull servant and dearely beloved of him Therefore thou goest by a wrong line when thou deemest thy selfe or others to be good because thou dost flourish and prosper because thou livest at ease and goest untouched or takest others to be the worse because their dayes are dayes of sorrow and adversitie For neither doth prosperitie declare a man to be godly nor adversitie prove that he is wicked but rather the contrary for whom the Lord loloveth him he chasteneth and scourgeth every sonne that he receiveth Hebr. 6.8 whereas if yee be without correction then are yee bastards and not sonnes Object But doe not many of Gods children live at ease in fulnesse and prosperity without troubles and afflictions Answer It is possible that the outward estate of the childe of God may be smooth and prosperous though this be rare that no rub comes in the way yet there is no childe of God without his trouble and affliction as hath been proved in one kind or other Afflictions are either outward in our persons our personall state goods or good name or in those that are in some neere relation unto us or they bee inward in the mind and conscience Now one of these wayes every child of God first or last more or lesse hath been is or shall be tried Many a childe of God that liveth in health doth not prosper in his outward estate but bites of the bridle and hath short commons Many that live in fulnesse and feel no want of outward necessaries do sustaine many wrongs and injuries through reproaches slanders and backbitings of the wicked which are more grievous unto them then the losse of their substance many have great troubles in their family through the wickednesse either of unnaturall and disobedient children or else of unfaithfull and gracelesse servants Many have great grief and trouble for or from their kindred And many that taste not of any outward triall and affliction are not without some inward temptations either they be buffeted by satan or allured by the world or sollicited by their own concupiscence unto some evill or else they be disquieted in their minds or troubled in their consciences Now howsoever many of the world which know not what perturbation of mind meaneth may think these inward troubles to be no trialls yet in truth they are the most smarting the sorest afflictions of all other for the heart knoweth the bitternesse of his soul Prov. 14.10 The mind of a man may bear out with patience and fortitude outward and bodily evills but who is able unlesse God strengthen him to endure the torment and torture of a wounded conscience and a grieved spirit A wounded spirit who can bear it Prov. 18.14 So that first or last in one kind or other outwardly or inwardly in ourselves or in some dear or neer unto us wee have had or shall have our troubles and trialls Vse 2 Againe Is it thus that the Lord doth afflict his dearest children then let us put on the whole armor of God that wee may be able to resist and stand fast in the evill day Ephes 6.13 Let us prepare our selves for troubles that when they come wee may not be amazed or over much perplexed as though some strange thing were come unto us 1. Pet. 4.11 Things which wee hear not of or look not for when wee meet with them wee think them strange and wee know not which way to carry our selves or what course to bee undertaken of us whereby wee may either be eased of them or have ease with them Hence it is that many in the day of adversitie are ready to cry out they know not what to doe c. Another saith I never looked for this trouble I never dreamed of this triall No did Why hast thou not heard what
nothing in our own eyes And be we thankfull unto our good God and loving Father that he will be at these paines to refine and purge us that so he may make choice of us for his glory before others Behold saith the Lord Esay 48.10 I have fined thee but not as silver I have chosen thee in the fornace of affliction When God doth cast thee into the fornace to refine thee take heed thou dost not say or think I am cast out of his eyes the Lord hath rejected and forsaken me for this were to bring an evill report upon the waies of God and to turn his truth into a ly Ezek. 20.37 I will cause you to passe under the rod and will bring you into the bond of the covenant Yet such is the peevishnesse of our nature such is our unbeliefe that if any extraordinary affliction doth befall us especially if it be such as tarrieth and sticks by us we are ready to mutter and murmur yea ready to feare that God hath forsaken us Whereas we should rather gather arguments of comfort to our selves that the more he afflicteth us the better he loveth us in that he carrieth such a straite hand and vigilant eye over us that we shal no sooner step aside but he will be ready to fetch us in againe The Lord might give us over to our own hearts lust even unto hardnesse of heart to a reprobate minde giving us leave to eate of the fruit of our own way and be filled with our own devices Pro. 1.31 But his love compels him to take another course with us to chasten us That we should not be condemned with the World 1. Cor. 11.32 Whereupon one of the antient Fathers prayed Lord seare me here that thou maist save me hereafter cut and wound me here that thou maist for ever heale and spare me Consider what the wiseman saith Pro. 3.11 12. My sonne refuse not the chastening of the Lord neither be grieved with his correrection for the Lord corcteth him whom he loveth even as a father doth the child in whom he delighteth Children will hardly be brought to beleeve thus much and therefore they are ready to measure their parents affection by their correction and to think there is most love where ther is least correction But this is their error for wisedome telleth us Pr. 13.24 that Hee which spareth the rod hateth his sonne but hee that loveth him chasteneth him betimes Least if he let him alone with out correction as too many foolish indulgent parents do he go to Hell in the end Therefore thou shalt smite him with the rod and shalt deliver his soul from Hell Pro. 23.14 So wee are ready to think wee might do well without affliction but the Lord knowes us better then wee know our selves and hee seeth we would to hell hereafter if hee should not afflict us here I am sure it had been wo with some of us if the Lord had not afflicted us Nay some of us can say blessed bee God for his unspeakable mercie that there never did befall us any affliction which we could have spared either for the nature and kinde or for the measure and quantity thereof And may we not all say that wee are then in the best temper when we are afflicted Even the wicked will be somewhat good in affliction Pharaohs proud heart will stoope and yeeld a little then the Israelites shall go and sacrifice to their God Exod. 10.14 But their goodnesse lasteth no longer then their troubles last When afflictions end their goodnesse ends And they returne with the dog to their old vomit 2. Pet. 2.22 Their hard heart will be a little softned whiles they are in the fire as iron bendeth as the Smith would have it all the while the fire is in it But as their affliction abateth so their hardnes and wickednesse returneth as iron growing cold grows as hard as it was before nay oft times harder as water waxeth colder after heating then it was at first Therfore we have more cause to be thankfull to God for afflictions then for meate and drinke seeing the Lord doth us more good by them then by these Which good though at the first thou seest not because thy physick is now but in working yet if thou belong to God thou shalt hereafter both see it and feele it too And thou wilt justify the goodnesse of God in every particular and say I could not have spared any of Gods rods I would not have been without this or that affliction for all the world None could have been invented to doe me more good so to hit me in the right veine I had been undone I had perished for ever if the Lord had not thus and thus afflicted me Happy art thou who canst thus say But this is a lesson which flesh and blood can hardly be brought to learne and some are more dull then others that is more proud more stubborn more carnall more earthly minded then others and therfore the Lord keeps those longer in the schoole of affliction then those his children that are more tractable and teachable But as I said it is a hard taske for the best and therfore if we might be choosers we would be no sufferers if we could shift it wee would not be afflicted How hardly are we brought to beleeve that the Lord intendeth or will do us good by this evill of affliction What meate to come out of the eater sweet out of the sowre this is a very riddle unto us But faith makes it plaine and easie to be understood for faith will shew us one contrary in another good in evill health in sicknesse ease in paine glory in shame and life in death Without this eye of faith thou canst not possibly see the Lords goodnes towards thee in afflicting thee nor yet reap that good by thine afflictions which otherwise thou maiest by beleeving And for proofe herefore I wish the to peruse such treatises as do tend to this purpose In the meane time let this which I have spoken serve to comfort thee in thine afflictions Howsoever they may be tart and sharp for the present bitter and grievous unto nature as if the print of every stroke did pierce thy flesh and fetch blood from thee yet God is where he was yet God loves thee as much as ever he did if not more and loving thee will lay no more upon thee nor suffer thee to be tempted above that which thou shall be able to beare 1. Cor. 10.13 Some the Lord doth chastise with rods othersome he doth whip with scorpions as it were laying on greatest loade where he hath given greatest strength to beare as a father will lay those burdens upon the shoulders of his elder and stronger sons which will go neere to break the backs of his little ones Or as a wise Physitian who tempereth and prescribeth Physick answerable to the constitution and strength of his sick patient How should this comfort us in
a decree yet shall it not stand Esay 9.10 There is no wisedome neither understanding nor counsell against the Lord Pro. 21.30 Thus wee see how the stayes and props of the wicked are but like reeds or Aegyptian staves which cannot helpe them Neither Heaven nor Earth can save or priviledge those whom the Lord will punish Then there is little cause why wee should grieve at the prosperitie or impunity of godlesse persons they are sorer plagued then the world takes notice of though no apparant judgement be seen upon them For doth not the Lord give them up to a reprobate mind even to fill and glut themselves with sinne and can there bee a greater punishment an heavier judgement then this not to be restrained from evill courses Desperate is the case of that patient whom the Physician gives over to his own appetite to eate and drinke what liketh him best When a father begins to cast off the care of his sonne suffering him to take his swinge sink or swim hee will not look after him doth it not appeare that he intendeth to disinherit such a childe Even so as the water where it is stillest is deepest and most dangerous to drown when God is most silent in threatning and patient in sparing there is hee most inflamed with anger and purpose of revenge For the fewer judgements are powred upon the wicked in this life the more are reserved for them in the life to come Therefore fret not thy selfe because of the wicked men neither bee envious for the evill doers for they shall soon be cut down like the grasse and shall wither as the green hearbe Psalm 37.1 2. Peruse the whole Psalme and it will teach thee that how prosperously soever the wicked do live for a time yet their happinesse is but transitory because they are not in the favor of God for in the end they shall be destroyed as his enemies Againe in that the Lord saith not they which I love shall be rebuked and chastened but whom I love I rebuke I chasten wee may in the next place observe this doctrine that All our trialls and afflictions come from the Lord. Of what nature and condition soever the affliction bee wherewith wee are exercised it is Physick of the Lords preparing hee hath his hand in it and therefore by a kind of proprietie afflictions be termed his judgements Wee have waited for thee O Lord in the way of thy judgements Esay 26.8 And in the next vers Thy judgements are in the earth c. That which Naomi spake to the people of Bethlehem makes much for the proof of the point in hand Call me not Naomi but call me Mara for the Almighty hath given me much bitternesse I went out full and the Lord hath caused mee to return empty why call ye me Naomi seeing the Lord bath humbled mee and the Almighty hath brought me unto adversitie Ruth 1.20 21. All her crosses and losses of what nature soever they were all her sorrows and bitternesse shee fathers upon the Lord. As personall so nationall evills come from the Lord as appeareth 2. Cron. 15.6 Nation was destroyed of Nation and citie of citie For the Lord did trouble them with all adversitie To the same purpose speaketh the Prophet Isaiah Who gave Jacob for a spoile and Israel to the robbers Did not the Lord because wee have sinned against him Isa 42.24 Whatsoever the outward means or instruments bee Gods hand hath a principall strok in all those afflictions which befall either the church in general or any particular member thereof whether it bee pestilence or sword or famine or captivity It is not the heedlesnesse and wilfulnesse of people which will adventure into places infected or upon goods that are contagious which beginneth or continueth the plague amongst us It is not alone the malice and cruelty of the enemie which bringeth the sword or causeth any to fall by it It is not unseasonable winter or summer which causeth and bringeth the famine amongst us these are but secondary causes the prime and supream cause is that all disposing wisedome and providence of God which causeth and ordereth both the one and the other Such as hee hath appointed to death shall go unto death and such as are for the sword to the sword and such as are for the famine to the famine and such as are for captivitie to the captivitie Jerem. 15.2 So likewise for particular judgments whether in our body or estate all commeth from the Lord. Who hath made the dumb or the deafe or the blind have not I saith the Lord Exod. 4.11 From whom come consumptions burning agues other bodily diseases Doth not the Lord apoint them Lev. 26.16 Hence the Church professeth Hos 6.1 The Lord hath spoiled us and hee will heale us he hath wounded us he will bind us up If wee peruse that bedroul of curses Devt 28. It will appeare that neither povertie sicknesse nor any crosse or losse doth befall us but that which God doth send us Is there any evill in the citie and I have not done it Amos 3.6 I the Lord do all these things Esay 45.7 Here I might quickly lead you into a Labyrinth by propounding ambiguous and unnecessary questions how farre God hath his hand in every evill but such questions will breed strife rather than godly edifying 1. Tim. 1.4 Know therefore that something the Lord effects in and by himselfe without the helpe or assistance of inferior causes such are the workes of creation and some miracles Some things the Lord causeth to be effected by means as castigations and deliverances And some things the Lord suffers to be done by his permissive will yet so as if hee pleased he could easily prevent and hinder or alter the doing of them thus the Lord may be said to have a finger in every sinne not as it is a breach of his revealed will but that it may be an occasion of the manifestation of his power and justice in punishing and revenging of it These truths the heathen which either knew not God or else did not glorifie him as God were utterly ignorant of and therefore turned the glory of the incorruptible God into the similitude of the image of a corruptible man and of birds and foure footed beasts and of creeping things Rom. 1.23 And hence it came to passe that they forged unto themselves so many Gods one of the sunne another of the moone one of the sea another of the windes c. By whose wisedome providence and power as they conceived the whole world with all occasions and occurences therein were ordered and swayed Whereas there is but one only true God Who by wisedome hath laid the foundation of the earth and hath stablished the heavens through understanding by his knowledge the depths are broken up and the clouds drop down the dew Prov. 3.19 20. See Jerem. 10.12.13 of him and by him and for him are all things Rom. 11.36 The Pelagians
forth the daughter but as a tradesman bringeth forth his wares and shewes them to others what they are or rather as the Sun in the spring bringeth forth hearbs and fruits by its working influence For first of all faith perswades the heart that the cause of all evill that befalls us lieth in our owne bosomes our sins as you have heard are the ground of all and therefore if wee will be angry with any body it should be with our sinnes Secondly faith perswades us as you shall heare anon that God in afflicting of us loves us and deales with us as a father with that child in whom he delights Nay a father may somtime bee transported with passion and correct his childe above measure laying on that in his heat which in his cool blood he doth heartily wish were off againe Whereas our heavenly Father is so wise as he puts not in one dramme of any ingredient more then shall serve the turne and need requireth A third and last helpe unto patience is Heavenly-mindednesse or the setting our affection on things that are above and not on things which are on the earth Col. 3.2 For he that immoderately and inordinately loves the world and earthly things will bee impatient at the losse of them How waspish and impatient was Ionah for the withering of his Gourd even so much that hee durst tell the Lord to his face that he did well to be angry unto the death Ion. 4.9 Our blinde judgements making a false report unto our affections of these outward things wee come to set them at too high a rate and so grow impatient at the losse of them Whereas if wee did esteem them as the wise man reports them to be and as they are in truth that is nothing Pro. 23.5 wee would be lesse moved with the losse of them There is a kind of venom in worldly things to puffe up and swell the heart of a man By thy wisdome and by thine occupying hast thou increased thy riches and thy heart is lifted up because of thy riches Ezek. 28.5 Now when trouble and affliction comes to encounter with a proud heart every veine swells and the heart rebells and breaks out into impatience and they can not beare it And the greater their tryalls are the more do they fret and fume as a running water the greater the flood and stream is the more doth it foame and roare where there be any arches to withstand it And now that wee may be willing to take the more paines to be furnished with patience I will lay down a few priviledges which wee shall partake of through patience every one of them a strong motive to stirre us up to labour for patience First by the helpe of patience wee shall be the better able to manage those gifts and graces which God shall endow us withall Patience keeps the mind in such a stayed and setled temper that wee shall be able to manage and direct our selves in all our straights and advise and counsell others in their doubts and difficulties By our patience wee possesse our soules Luk. 21.19 Wee enjoy and command our selves for impatience puts a man out and makes to be beside himselfe By faith wee possesse Christ by love wee possesse our neighbor yea our enemie and by patience wee possesse our selves He hath but a weak hold of Christ or of his neighbor that hath no hold or command of himselfe An impatient person is as one out of the way or as a bone dislocated and out of joynt What stabilitie can be where Patience sits not at the stern to direct and govern A ship that rides at sea well ballanced is steddy and so proves comfortable unto the Passengers that bee abord her whereas an unballanced vessell reels like a drunken man and tumbles too and fro with every little gale and blast of wind and so make those weary if not sick that be in her How sick must that soul needs be whom troubles and afflictions the waves and billows of this world a raging and tempestuous sea through the want of patience the stearsman do tumble up and down and are disquiet Where patience is there is quietnesse because patience brings a Christians minde unto his estate when his estate and condition cannot suite with his minde Secondly Patience will conforme thee unto Christ and make thee a compleat Christian Let patience have her perfect worke that ye may be perfect and entire lacking nothing Jam. 1.4 That soul which wants no patience wants nothing for patience is able to supply all wants and make up all defects A patient and contented mind is rich and hee that is rich cannot want unlesse he will Thirdly patience will make thee to be a profitable entertainer of Gods Word it will make thee fruitfull in Christianitie the honest and good heart brings forth fruit with patience Luk. 8.15 So many evills there bee to encounter goodnesse so many oppositions and reproaches to nip if not blasâ— good beginnings so many troubles to attend Pietie and godlinesse so many principalities and powers and spirituall wickednesse in high places to stop our course and to interrupt us in our holy profession that without patience little or no fruit will appeare in our lives and conversations Fourthly patience wil make thy life comfortable whatsoever thy afflictions be Thou art armed with mettall of proof no dart of Satan no malice of the world can wound thy soul if patience have got the keeping of it Outward calamities and afflictions may make a great noise about thine eares as hailstones falling thick upon the tyles over thy head keep a great ratling but cannot come neere to hurt thee So afflictions may rattle about thine eares but patience shelters thee from receiving any hurt by them Let thy afflictions be never so mischievous and noxious in themselves they shall not prove so to thee If patience possesse thy soul so many afflictions as befall thee will fall out to be so many arguments of Gods love so many consolations unto thee especially if they be such as wee undergoe for Christ For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us so our consolation aboundeth through Christ 2. Cor. 1.5 Misery it selfe shall not be able to make thee miserable for patience is a most soveraigne antidote and preservative against the venom of any affliction which can betide thee Vse 4 Fourthly is it so that all our afflictions come from God then here is a ground of comfort and matter of rejoycing in affliction not that we have ministred matter and occasion unto the Lord to chastise us but in that having sinned against the Lord hee will take the rod into his hand and have the ordering of that affliction which befalls us For nothing as hath been said can bee in which our heavenly Father hath not a chiefe stroke before it can be brought to passe The consideration whereof as it should settle and quiet us so should it minister much comfort unto us