out and enabled to withstand temptations unto a sideing with the workers of Iniquity 6. It would help also unto Christian cheerfulness under the Crosse when we know that it will be but a blast soon over and gone our Countenance will not fall nor our courage fail but when we represent the trouble to ourselves as of long continuance and we beginne to doubt if ever it shall have an end then we become discouraged and our countenances are cast down and we appear no more couragious and cheerful How do our hearts faint and our hands fail us The Consideration of the short and momentany Affliction keeped-up Pauls heart and made him say For this cause we fainte not 2 Cor. 4 16 17. 7. The faith of this would free us from many feares that ordinarily attend such a Condition we are while under Affliction saying what if this or that fall out But the faith of this would hush these troublesome feares and questions to the door The Tribulation being but to continue ten dayes we would fear none of these things Revelat. 2 v. 10. CONSIDERATION XIX Remember Peter's fall Mat. 26. vers 33 34 35. IN a time of trials and temptations as it is of advantage to be calling to minde and presenting to ourselves the Christian and commendable Carriage of such as have been helped of the Lord to witness a good Confession for Him and for His Cause and Interest before men to the end we may thereby be encouraged to follow their example and to adventure on the Promises with them and not to fear the faces of men in Christ's Cause so it may be of use for us also to present before our eyes and to take notice of the faintings of others in the day of Trial that thereby we may learn to walk in fear and not to trust to ourselves or to any thing within us and to watch lest we enter into temptation when we are not in case to wrestle against it We have here before us a sad and an alarming Instance viz. the foule fall of an Eminent man in the houre of Temptation which may be Improven to advantage After Christ and His Disciples had been supping together at that Instituted Feast He tels them some sad and wakening newes vers 31 32. to Teach us 1. That we are never more ready to grow secure and to think that our mountain stands so strong that it shall never be moved than when we have had greatest Enjoyments of and Communications from the Lord and nighest Access unto him 2. That there is never less cause of security than at that time for the higher we have come in our attainments the Devil is the nigher with his storme 3 That we should never be secure but even when we win neerest God we should resolve upon and prepare for new assaults and temptations But withal it is remarkable that the Lord delayed the signification of the sad things that were to fall out until the feast was ended and they had sung a hymne knowing that they would then be best in case to bear the sad report and not loving to marre their mirth at that feast of Love Though Christ had told them that they should all be offended because of Him that night yet Peter out of a piece of manly courage as would appear promising too much upon his own head would not beleeve but would rather make his Master a false Prophet than suspect his own weakness Therefore Christ tels him that he should be more offended than any of the rest and that he should deny Him thrice ere the next morning came vers 34 But all this would not lay the high conceite that Petâ—…r had of himself for he resolved rather to die than do that and this he avowed openly little knowing this own strength In this carriage and in these Answers of Peter there are some things good and some things bad and the noticeing of both may be of use to us As for such things as are good here and may yeeld us some Instruction we shall mention these three First It was good that Peter was convinced did acknowledge that it was his duty and the duty of all Christ's Disciples to avow their Master and not to be offended in Him whatever came And this is an undeniable truth That upon all hazards Christ should be owned and avowed by all that would not have Him to be ashamed of them one day And yet how little is this beleeved beleevingly practised Secondly It was good that he was convinced and that he confessed that it was his duty though all the rest should have left alone yet notwithstanding to owne and avow his Master and not deny him For Christ and His truth and cause is worthy to be owned and avowed how small so ever our encouragment from others be And as we should not follow a multitude to do evil so neither will the defection of many justifie our defection and lessen our fault if we depart from the faith Thirdly It was good that he saw and acknowledged that he was obliged to owne his Master and stand at his back be the hazard never so great and that the very fear of death should not cause him deny his Master Thouâ—…h saith he I should die with thee yet will I not deny thee And indeed all that would be faithful Disciples to Christ must not think their life dear to the death for Him but must be dead to life and all that is dear to them But that which we would chiefly here take notice of is that which was amisse in him and which will ground some sad Truths for our use As First He had too great a conceite of himself and thought too much of what he had of what he was Hence obs That Christians are too ready to be puft up with thoughts of themselves and are in hazard to be carryed away with this evil of self conceite and vaine thoughts of their owne worth and excellency And this ariseth from these evils 1. Unmortified Corruption This is alwayes working against God one way or other and is as ready to work this way as any other way 2. Little self searching and self examination whereby we become strangers to the evil of our hearts and know not what enemies are lurking there and what wickedness aboundeth and when we know not what is within it is little wonder we be readily puft up with swelling thoughts of vanity 3. Little real acquaintance with the treachery deceitfulness and double dealing of our false hearts If we saw that and saw its activity for evil we would see more cause of humiliation than of pride and self conceite 4. Little mindeing considering aright the failings and falls of others who seemed to be as fast at the root as we If we thought upon this we might have cause to feare that we should also not be able to ride out a storme 5. Trusting too much unto our own present good disposition and frame
said vers 21. And a mighty Angel took up a stone like a great milstone and cast it into the Sea saying Thus with violence shall that great City Babylon be thrown down and shall be found no more at all And that shall be verified which is foretold Chap. 19. A great voice shall be heard of much people saying Allelujah Salvation and Glory and Honour and Power unto the Lord our God For true and righteous are His judgments for He hath judged the great whore which did corrupt the Earth with her fornications and hath avenged the Blood of His Servants at her hand vers 1 2. Next This Confideration may be improven by particular Beleevers in reference to their particular Exercises and Afflictions For hence they might inferre 1. That they have no cause to complean but reason rather to lay their hand upon their mouth what ever way the Lord be pleased to exercise them and what ever Affliction He lay upon their loines for this hath been the ordinary Lot of the Church and seing the Lord thinketh good to exercise her with sore and sharpe trials in all Ages Why may He not also exercise them in Particular 2. That they have yet less cause to compleane or be dissatisfied seing the Church their Common Mother hath met with sadder and sorer Crosses and Distresses than they have met with or can meet with It is a sadder sight to see the Mother put to the door and sitting in a Wilderness weeping and refusing to be comforted than to see a Child whipped 3. That they have reason to rejoice in their sad Lot upon this account that they are not in that solitary and lamentable Condition alone their Mother is suffering with them Are they in a Wilderness so is she are they sitting in the dust so is their Mother sitting with them 4. That by this they see they are no Bastards but Children of the House suffering with the Mother and no other wayes dealt with than the Mother is 5. That Crosses and a Course of Affliction are no evidence of the Lords not owning or looking upon them as His Children as corruption and unbeleefe would prompt them to inferre and conclude Afflictions can no more say that they are not the Children of God than Afflictions on the Church can say that she is not the Church of Christ nor His Spouse 6. That they may comfort themselves in their Troubles with the Mother her Consolations and as it were lye in her lap or bosome and partake of her cordials and feed with her upon the same promises until the night be over and the day dawn and the time of the singing of the birds come and the voice of the turtle be heard in the land and until the Beleever's God and the Church her Husband wipe all teares away from the face both of Mother and Child CONSIDERATION XIV Other precious Beleevers have been Afflicted so if not worse THough such as are ease in Zion think little of all the Trouble and Anguish that the Afflicted are put unto and not a few prove like Iobs Friends Iob. 6 v. 15. c. though to him that is afflicted Pity should be showne vers 14. Yet such as are under the Affliction can subscribe to the truth of that which the Wise Man hath Prov. 15 15. All the dayes of the afflicted are evil for so long as the Affliction endureth they are ready to think that their Condition groweth worse and worse daily Nay ordinarily Affliction so seazeth upon them that they cannot perceive the Grounds of Comfort though hard at hand and can make little use of Cordials though within their reach A time of Affliction is such a thoughtful time that they are as a Ship at Sea tossed with Tempests and contrary Tides Among other disturbing thoughts this is one How is this think they with themselves that the Lord hath pitched upon me and singled me out from all the rest or the most part of His Children at least whom I know and set me up for His mark at which He is shooting His Arrowes My case is not like the ordinary case of others there is something extraordinary in my case I know that His Followers have been in Affliction but their Affliction was nothing comparable to mine Were all things laid together my Affliction would be found to be of another kind Were my Affliction but such as others have had I should be able to bear it but there being something Odde and Uncouth in mine I cannot choose but be troubled Though He only who comforteth those that are cast down can comfort such 2 Cor. 6 vers 7. Yet he can do it by unlikely meanes and blesse a few words to this end We shall therefore only propose a few things that may serve to make a Diversion as to these perplexing and disturbing thoughts and reduce them to these few Heads First We shall propose a few Generals which such afflicted persons would take notice of Secondly Shew how possibly their case is not so singular as they conceive it to be Thirdly We shall show how little cause they would possibly befound to have to speak thus if all things were well considered Fourthly We shall show how that seing they will take notice of others and compare their case with theirs they may and should improve the example of others better than thus As to the First let these Particulars be considered 1. It is ordinary almost with every one to be accounting their own case and condition in Affliction singular and to say as much as those of whom we are now speaking Every one feeleth that best which is neerest to himself they are more sensible of their own paine than of the pain of others and paine felt is more touching than what is understood by the report of others only Hence every one is ready to conclude that their own case is worst And therefore this should be looked upon as no strange thing 2. Every bodies Temper and Disposition not being alike some may be obnoxious to distempers and diseases that others are not much acquainted with and some by their Folly and Intemperancy may bring peculiar diseases upon themselves and when such must have peculiar Physick adapted to their diseases should they complean of the Physician that he giveth them not such gentle and easie Medicines as he doth to others So the compleaner here may have brought upon himself some uncouth spiritual distemper which calleth for some Afflictions more than ordinary to cure the same Should they then be anxious to finde out a precedent or one that hath been so handled as they are Ought they not rather to reasone thus with themselves doth the Lord purge and afflict me more than ordinary then it is like my peccant humors my corruptions have been more than ordinary 3. Be it so that thy case is in some respects singular what knoweth thou if there shall be two found in all particulars or in all considerable circumstances every
His Love did meet with they durst not suffer a quarrelling thought to lodge within their heart but all their frettings and repineings would be turned into wonderings and praises 3. The Afflicted Beleever would hence draw this Conclusion Seing Christ was put to suffer such and such evils before me I may inferre that the sting venome and curse of these evils are taken away Seing He hath passed thorow the straits of Affliction He hath made the passage easier and wider for His followers He hath sweatened the passage and taken the sting away so that now it cannot hurt or harme so much as otherwise it would Christ hath gone thorow Sorrow Shame Paines Wants Temptations Mockings Spittings Scourgings Yea and Death it self and thereby hath paved a Way for His Followers and hath strawed it with flowres of fragant Love His footsteps all alongs the way have dropped fatness O how sweet hath He made an hard bed now He became poor that we might become rich even while poor and so might sanctifie Poverty to us He became a man of Sorrowes and acquanted with griefe that He might sweeten that lot unto His Followers and keep them from the evil of it from the hurt and poison of it May not this Consideration encourage His Followers to embrace the Crosse with Love Complacency and Delight when it is thus sweetened to them and in a manner no Crosse May not a Prison become an heartsome Palace unto His People when they consider how the Prince of Life the Absolute Lord of all the Chiefe or Standard-bearer amongst Ten Thousand was taken from Prison Esai 53 8. How welcome should an unjust Sentence from men be when our blessed Lord was taken also from judgment and was wickedly condemned for a Traitour How sweet should the most shamful and painful Death be to us that the wicked can devise as the expression of their imbittered malice and rage when Noble Jesus was crucified and so put the most shamful and cursed Death that could be seing hereby Death hath lost its sting and the curse is taken away for he was made a curse Gal. 3 vers 13. 4. The Afflicted Beleever may hence Inferre That seing Christ hath thus been exercised himself He knoweth how to Pity and Sympathize with such as are so handled Was He Mocked Vilified Maligned Despised falsly Accused Condemned for a Traitour to Caesar Buffetted Spit upon Scourged and Hanged as a thiefe He knoweth what it is to be so exercised and what such a condition calleth for and what they in such a condition have need of He knoweth what word of consolation will be fittest for them And this is no small encouragment unto the Beleever as was shown above Consid. 2. 5. The suffering Beleever may draw this Conclusion Seing Christ was put to all these sharp and sad sufferings I may well lay my hand on my mouth I may put my mouth in the dust be silent let the Lord lay one me what He will and by this meanes he may quiet all the insurrections of his spirit against the Lord and put a check unto all the insolent thoughts that arise in his mind against the Lord's procedour with him upon whatsoever occasion as 1. Doth this trouble and vex his spirit that he is innocent as to what is laid to his charge and is persecuted without cause And will he not be quieted when he remembereth how the Innocent lamb of God was handled how He was mis-used and persecuted who did never man hurt who never did sinne nor was guile found in His mouth 1 Pet. 2. vers 22. They hated and persecuted Him without a cause Ioh. 15. vers 25. as they did David who was a typ of Him Psal. 35. vers 19. and 69. vers 4. See also Psal. 35. vers 7. and 109. vers 3. and 119. vers 78 161. 2. Doth it vex him to think that he hath to do with unreasonable men worse than Heathens or Turks And will not this stop his mouth That they can be no more rude absurd cruel and unreasonable than those with whom Christ had to do What faire law or justice could Christ get They could not get so much as false witnesses to agree in any thing to accuse Him of yet they would persecute Him to the death Pilat was convinced of his Innocency and yet did deliver Him to be crucified What men more irrational than the brutish ignorant rabble set on by judicially-blinded and enraged Ring-leaders the Priests and Rulers 3. Doth it vex them to think that their own familiar friends and acquaintances turn their back upon them and refuse to comfort them And had not Christ this to wrestle against when all fled and forsook Him and His own Disciple betrayed Him Is it not said that He came unto His own and that His own received Hiâ—… not Ioh. 1 11. 4. Doth it trouble them to think that they are exercised with many troubles at once and which is worst of all when outward troubles are lying on the Lord is hiding His face And I pray was not this also Christ's lot was not He put to cry out even while on the cross and within a few minuts of expiring and of giving up the ghost My God my God why hast thou forsaken me And had He not a sadder inward exercise while in the garden where He was made to sweat drops of bloud than any that can befall them He had the weight of Law-wrath to bear that was due to all the Elect ones but the hidings which Beleevers can meet with are only fatherly with-drawings 5. If the duration and continuance of the trouble and affliction come into their mindes and vex them let them think that it cannot be worse with them than it was with the Lord Christ whose whole life was a life of suffering we read of His weeping but never of His laughing How oft was He in hazard of His life even from His Infancie How was He maligned slandered called a Devil a glutton and a wine-biber a profane Person How oft were snares laid for Him and how did Trouble follow Him to His grave 6. The afflicted Beleever may hence Inferre That it is his duty to study and to endeavour patience for in this did Christ leave us an example that we should follow His steps 1 Pet. 2. vers 21. In this passage of Peter we have some particulars which were evidences proofs or effects of Patience in Christ in all which we should labour to follow our Example as 1. As He was free of sin before He began to suffer His Enemies could lay no sin to His charge so while He was under their hands all the paine and trouble they put Him to caused Him not to sinne in thought word or deed So should the Sufferer labour strive against sin It is true we cannot be sinless and our corruptions will work yet it is our duty to wrestle against corruptions and to set a watch upon the door of our lips and to
guaird our hearts or rather to give heart and tongue and all unto Christ to keep that we may be helped to suffer holily to His glory 2. When He was reviled He reviled not againe when He suffered He threatned not When they were doing the worst they could do against Him He did not in the least requite them or wish harme unto them but on the contrary as we heard Luk. 24. 34. He prayed the Father to forgive them So in this should we endeavour to follow our copie and thereby give proof of our Christian Patience to bless when they curse us and pray for them when they dispitfully use us and persecute us and to do them good that hate us thus shall we evidence that we are the Children of our Father who is in heaven Mat. 5 44 45. 3. He committed Himself to Him that judgeth righteously He referred Himself and His Cause unto the righteous Judg of quick and dead So should we do we should not fret our selves because of evil doers neither be envious against the workers of iniquity but commit our way unto the Lord and trust also in Him and He shall bring it to passe Psal 37. vers 1 5. waite for His decision who is the righteous Judge Further the right Consideration of this Patience of Christ in all His sufferings would help us unto a more Christian and Patient way of bearing the crosse for we would see ground to say 1. Was Christ who did no sin put to all this suffering and did He bear it all with wonderful patience and should I take it ill to be thus persecuted seing howbeit men have no just quarrel against me yet God hath just cause to pursue me Was sinless and holy Jesus patient and should I be impatient who am punished of God less than mine iniquities deserve 2. Was Christ so patient under such an heavie cross with which mine is not to be compared or named in one day and should I be impatient and thereby offend God more It were better for me to be following my copie and keeping mine hands clean of sin let the crosse be what it will 3. Could not all the wrongs that Christ met with at the hands of cruel and ungrate wretches move Him once to give them one evil word or to wish them the least evil imaginable But did He rather pray for them And is it fit for me to be wishing them evil in my heart Should I not rather desire to imitate Christ and to strive against mine own passion and willingly forgive them all the wrongs they do unto me 4. Did Christ commit His cause to God and waite for His decision And should not I possesse my soul in patience resting on God by faith that He will judge all these wrongs and injuries in due time Is not God the judge And doth not vengeance belong unto Him And should I think to dethrone Him and take his office and work upon me Oh! It is better that I follow Christ roll all over on God and quiet my Soul in hope of a righteous Determination from God the righteous judge of all the world 7. The right consideration of Christ's sufferings upon such an account as to men I mean His suffering because He affirmed Himself to be a King would make the Beleever called to suffer upon that same account to wit for Asserting Maintaining Avowing and by their actions and practice Declaring that Christ is King and only King and Head over His spiritual Kingdom and Church rejoice in that honour that is put upon him to be called to witness unto such a Truth that Christ Himself was a Martyr for in respect of Men. O! how should this fill the hearts of such with joy make them sing in the midst of the flames and rejoice in that they are counted worthy to suffer for so noble a cause or for the least branch thereof 8. From Christ suffering so willingly so cheerfully so resolutly for the unjust for sinners and for rebels the Suffering beleever will draw this Conclusion did Christ suffer such things and that so cheerfully heartily and willingly for my cause and should not I be ready to suffer cheerfully heartily and willingly for his Cause Word Truth and Interest So that this would hearten unto an hearty and couragious witnessing for the Lord and for His Truth and for the Word of His Patience and shame the man from a discouraged faint-hearted dead and drouping manner of following Christ and of bearing His cross for he would see cause to say did Christ suffer so much for unworthy sinful nothing Me and that with so much Patience Cheerfulness Sted fastness and fixed Resolution and should I be ashamed of Him who is the God of glory the Prince of the Kings of the earth King of Kings and Lord of Lords or of His Cause and Interest Should I carry when suffering upon His account and upon the account of His Truth His Word His Testimony His work and Interest as if I were an evil door Should I carry as if I repented of owning Him and His Interest No no I should account it my glory as it is indeed CONSIDERATION XII Our Sufferings are nothing comparable to Christ's WHen we spoke to the last Consideration we mentioned something of this But because more is to be said of it and it may be edifyingly Improven for the ends designed we shall speak alittle more to it here by it self though it be but a branch of the former And for this cause we shall do these two things 1. We shall mention some particulars whereby the disproportion betwixt Christ's Sufferings and Ours will appear manifest 2. We shall shew how thoughts of these my prove advantagious unto a Christians spiritual life in a day of Affliction and Tribulation In order to the understanding of the first we would take notice 1. That the disproportion is infinite in respect of the Persons suffering what are we Yesterday-Nothings base and worthless wormes whose life is in our nostrils vaine empty shadowes But He is the standart-bearer amongst Ten Thousand Cant. 5. vers 10. The wonderful Counsellour the Mighty God the Everlasting Father and the Prince of peace Esai 9. vers 6. This maketh that all our Sufferings are not worthie to be compared with His. We know that the Greatness Nobility Worth and Dignity of the Person who is put to suffer maketh the Sufferings more in the account of men than otherwise they would be That a poor base unworthy beggar is scourged spit upon and buffeted is nothing or not much considerable but to see a King a Prince or great Noble-man so used that is a considerable matter in the eyes of men It is not much to see beggars sitting on dung-hils but it is much to see such as did feed delicatly sit desolat in the streets and to see such as were brought up in scarlet embraceing dunghils that is indeed matter of a lamentation Lam. 4. vers 5. To see base men
contemned and slighted is not much but to see Princes hanged-up by their hand and the faces of Elders not honoured that is sad and lamentable Lam. 5. vers 12. So it is not much to see us base unworthy sinful and nothing creatures suffering and put to hardships disgrace paine shame miserie and wants But to see the Prince of the Kings of the earth in disgrace to see the Lord of life killed the Son of God despised the King of Kings spit upon and put to paine to see the Heire of all things suffering want that is an uncouth sight This maketh Christ's sufferings incomparably great and all our Sufferings nothing in comparison with these even when ours are at the greatest What are the sufferings of a beast of a worme or the like unto the sufferings of the greatest Prince that ever was or unto the sufferings of an Angel And yet the worme being a creature as well as the Prince or Angel the difference is not so very great but the difference is Infinitly more great betwixt the sufferings of Christ who is God equal with the Father in power and the sufferings of the greatest King or Emperour or Angel that ever was because there is no comparison betwixt Finite and Infinite betwixt God and the Creature 2. We know it is much more for one to suffer Death while in the flowr of his age and in the prime of his Strength and who in all probability according to his natural Constitution might live many years than for one who is half Dead already and is carrying about with him the Sentence of Death his Body being decayed and his clay-cottage ruinous and almost fallen to the ground So in this respect Christs Sufferings are far beyond ours for our Clay-bodies are so rotten with Corruption so broken with sicknesses and diseases that a few years should put an end to our dayes and we should quickly return unto dust though no hand were streatched out against us yea though all imaginable meanes were used to keep us in vigour and life But Christs Body though a true Body yet was naturally free of these Corruptions that come because of sin which our Bodies are obnoxious unto We never read of his sickness And though his death was not wholly miraculous yet we may not say that He would have died naturally as other men do though no violent hands had been laid upon Him 3. We use to think much more of his sufferings who suffereth wrongously and without Cause than of his who suffereth deservedly We will not be much moved to see a bloody Murderer put to Death but it will move us much to see a man put to death against whom nothing worthie of Death can be alleiged So in this respect our Sufferings are nothing in comparison of Christs for however as to men we should suffer innocently yet there is ground for God to plead His controversie against us and to use these as Instruments of His Justice to execute His righteous Sentence against us But it was otherwayes as to Christ who though as standing in the room of the Elect and made their Cautioner and so made sin for them or had their sin imputed to Him He was smitten of Justice yet as to His own Person He was the Innocent Lamb of God and without sin Holy Harmless Undefiled And as to men He suffered most wrongously as was seen above 4. The difference is great in this respect That Mercy is Master of work standing at the side of the fournace and ordering the same while His people are lying into it But the Law-wrath and Justice of God was blowing at the coal of Christs Sufferings We have to do but with men whose Actions are over-ruled by the Omnipotent hand of a Merciful God But He had to do with God executing Law-Justice because He stood in the room of the Elect. The Lord laid on Him the iniquity of us all He was wounded for our transgressions He was bruised for our Iniquities the Chastisement of our Peace was upon Him He bear the iniquity and sin of many Esai 53. v. 5 6 11 12. His own self bear our sins in his own Body on the tree 1 Pet. 2 v. 24. It is not so with the Lords People He dealeth not with them in pure Wrath or in Justice but in Mercy and in Moderation The Cup that Christ had to drink was full of the purest Law-wrath and so bitter that His Holy Sinless Soul did scunner at it But in the Cup of his Children there is not one drop of the revenging Justice of God or of Law-wrath but much of His Fatherly Mercy and it smelleth strongly of Love for He is bringing about their good hereby Therefore the disproportion betwixt Christ's Sufferings and ours is Infinite upon this account 5. Put the case which yet will not be that God should deal with any of His owne according to strick Severity and Law-Justice yet could not their Sufferings be comparable unto Christs Though they were pursued by pure Justice and by Law-vengeance and sent away to everlasting flames they should not for all that endure what He endured for they should but suffer in that case for their own particular and personal faults But Christ bear the sins of many even of all the Elect And this would make the difference great How much greater then must the difference now be when their Sufferings are of a far other Nature 6. This will be further clear if we Consider how Christ did not only undergo the Debt of the Elect and wrestled with strickest Law-Justice but by His Sufferings He made full Satisfaction to Justice which they all for whom Christ died had never been able in hell to have done there had they lyen for ever and had never come out of prison for they had never been able to have satisfied Justice But what Christ Suffered was full Satisfaction to Iustice that it could crave no more the Bond and Obligation was cancelled on the Crosse and Christ cried out It is finished intimating that the last penny was payed Thus Christ suffered more than all of them could have done for all Eternity and so certainly His sufferings were transcendently and surpassing great and the hardest of our Sufferings ought not to be named in one day with His. In Order to the Improving of this which is the Second Particular we shall mentione these few things 1. Were this Consideration rightly thought on and improven His people would not be so much troubled and affrighted in a time of Sufferings as usually they are We see how Christ went up to Ierusalem and set His face to go thitherward resolving to go thither notwithstanding of all Impediments in the way and albeit His Disciples were averse from that journay and would have disswaded Him from it He went thither with a full Resolution though He knew He was to grapple not only with the King of Terrours there but with pure Law-Curse and Wrath because of the Sinnes
of His chosen ones And what should make His people afraied who have little or nothing to meet with in comparison of what Christ did meet with they have nothing of Law-wrath and of pure Vindictive Iustice to meet with as Christ had to rancountre with in full measure Iustice is now satisfied in their behalfe and it is their mistake to think that in and by Afflictions God is pursueing them in wrath It is true there may be fatherly anger and displeasure in the Cup Which they get to drink but Christ drank-out the Curse and satisfied Vindictive Iustice and there is no payment to Iustice no not one farthing required of them in all their Sufferings So that Beleevers have not so great cause to fear as they suppose 2. Were this rightly considered the people of God would carry more like Saints under Afflictions than they do They are oftentimes when sore afflicted saying within themselves why doth the Lord deal so with me Are not many worse than I am more gentlie dealt with Oh! They consider not what Holy and Harmless Iesus was made to suffer Sure if they considered this they durst repine and fret in their mindes no more What though they have been innocent as to men and vvhat though they be sincere and upright as to God Yet they are sinners and Christ vvho never sinned vvas othervvayes handled both at the hands of God and Man than they are though their Afflictions and Sufferings vvere many vvayes multiplied 3. Right thoughts of this would teach them to carry the yoke with very great patience and submission of Soul Holy Jesus had another sort of yoke upon His blessed neck and yet he bore it with wonderful Patience yea with Holy Delight Why then should they be so impatient under their light and easie Yoke It is little they have to bear yea nothing in comparison of what Christ stood under 4. Seing Christ suffered so much and bore the Curse what have beleevers now to endure or lye under The height they can be reckoned to is but small remnants of what fell on Christ in a full floud and what they meet with is wholly free of Vindictive Wrath. They suffer but some little thing of that which is behinde of the Sufferings of Christ Col. 1 vers 24. Christ trode the Wine-press He hath gone thorow the sea and all the mighty waves thereof The shoure of Law-vengeance fell on His face in its full force and might and there is nothing of that left but small drops of the outward Affliction freed of the Curse left behinde for His Followers Have not His Followers then cause of Rejoiceing upon this account in the midst of all their Afflictions 5. Though trouble increase yet they ought to be quiet and possesse their Soul in Patience for it will never increase to that height that it will be equal to Christ's trouble Though their Afflictions come to the heighest that men can bring them to Yet will they be infinitly below the Afflictions that Christ suffered Have any then cause to complaine when they are so gentlie dealt vvith and vvhen all their Afflictions are in a manner no Afflictions in comparison of Christs 6. We are oft ready to look upon our Sufferings thorovv a magnifying glasse and take notice of all Considerations that may serve to heighten them and thus vve take a vvay to create much more trouble and vexation to ourselves and to make our life more sad and bitter But the right improvement of this Consideration vvould prevent all this for vvould vve take a right vievv of the inconceivably great and unparalleled Sufferings of Christ ours in comparison of these would soon evanish out of sight and disappear as nothing And thus would we be brought to bear our Affliction with full Subjection of Soul with silence yea and with thankful acknowledgment of Gods Graciousness and Tenderness who hath dealt so gently with us when He might have made the yoke more yea much more heavy and insupportable 7. Who taking a right View of what Christ suffered will not think themselves called to suffer for His sake with great willingness and cheerfulness May not every Beleever say did Christ undergo the heavy weight of the Wrath of God for me Did He lye under the Law-curse and bear the blowes of Vindictive Justice for me Stood He betwixt me and the pure Wrath of a sin-revenging God Did He drink the bitter Cup the Gall and the Worm-wood of Law-vengeance that I might be freed therefrom Did He bear that under which I should have lyen to all eternity that I might never come into that place of torment And what Affliction Persecution Tribulation Distress Sorrow Paine and Suffering should I think too much for Him and His sake Seing He endured for me the brunt of the battel and stood-out the sharpest of the storm and hail of Divine Wrath and Law-Indignation why should not I be content to bear a drop of mans Wrath or of the storme of mans Indignation which is free of the Curse and of pure Wrath for Him and for His Interest Hath He suffered so much for me and shall I think much to suffer such a small matter for Him Is there no proportion betwixt what He willingly endured to save me from Hell and from the Wrath of a Sin-revenging God and what I can be put to suffer for Him and His Testimonie And shall I notwithstanding be unwilling to undergo such a small inconsiderable bit of suffering for His Glory and for the Word of His Patience Drank he the Cup of pure Wrath for me and shall I think much to drink a drop of cold Water for Him O how willing and cheerful would the right apprehension of this Consideration make the Beleever to undergo all that men could devise for His Lord and Master CONSIDERATION XIII Suffering hath been the Lot of Christ's Church in all Ages ORdinarily when the Church and People of God meet with new trials and troubles they cry out as the Church did of old Lam. 1 v. 12. Behold and see if there be any sorrow like unto my sorrow They presently conclude that their case hath not a parallel and that the Church in no age did meet with such a dispensation as they are under Hence proceedeth much sorrow But if it were considered that the Church in all Ages very few excepted hath met with the like or sorer trouble and hath drunk of that same cup that is now at theit Head they could not but see cause of laying their hand upon their mouth and sitting silent in the dust as being convinced that there were no new thing under the Sun Therefore seing this Consideration may be of use in order to a spiritual Life under Afflictions we shall speak a little to it and in order to the right improvement thereof lay down these following Particulars to be pondered 1. The only Wise God hath thought good for His own Holy ends that His Church should be a Militant
Weapon that is formed against Israel shall prosper Esai 54 17. If these particulars were rightly thought upon and improven we might be helped thereby to a life of Faith and Hope both in reference to the sad condition of the Church in general and also in reference to our own particular suffering condition And first In reference to the Church we may from these particulars see ground of giving a check to our Inferences from the Lords's present Dispensations with His Church savouring of Unbeleef Despondency Discouragment and Hoplesness We see it is true the Church over-whelmed with sorrow fitting as a widow and her teares upon her face We see her looking pale as if death were in her face all beauty and liveliness gone her Enemies multipliying and prospering daily and the Church still sincking more and more in the sea of sorrow and distress Many it is true are ready to say can this be the true Church and these the real people of God whose life is thus constantly made bitter with renewed stormes and tempests of adversity Can this indeed be the work of God which is thus cast down to the ground and trampled under-foot Would the Lord stand by and look on when His spouse if she were so indeed is thus abused by the vilest of men Would He suffer His Name and Work to be thus blasphemed True all this and much more may be said and be done against His Church and she remaine the true Church of Christ and His work be His work It hath been so before now and there is no new thing under the Sun And the right thoughts of what is said would prevent the trouble that such Atheistical and perplexing thoughts necessarily cause if they be admitted and fomented Hath not the Church of Christ been a militant Church from the beginning hath there not been a constant enmity betwixt the seed of the Serpent and the seed of the woman Is it any new thing to see the Church driven to the wilderness and tossed in the sea of afflictions Is it any un-heard-of thing that the Church must be tossed betwixt winde and wave and have stormes and tides and all against her Is it any new thing to see the Church even while within the sight of the haven of an happy and glorious Reformation driven back to sea againe What hath she not oftentimes seemed to on-lookers to be sunck have not false friends many a time sought to drive her upon rocks or cut her cables that she might be left to the mercy of the seas or to make lecks that she might sinck to the ground Is outward prosperity the mark of the true Church No let Antichrist make it a mark ofhis seing so the Papists will The Church of Christ must be the speckled bird She must have many horns in her side Her rest and triumphant state is above though it is true she may have some breathing times some lucide intervals and a more glorious day when the Vial is poured forth on the Seat of the Beast Euphrates dried up and the Kings of the East brought in and when Babylon the great is fallen Gog and Magog destroyed and the Beast and the false Prophet cast into the lake of brimstone but then the end of her warfare will be nigh Againe would we call to mind how often the Church hath been very low and her Enemies singing a triumph as if they had gotten an everlasting victory and as if they were assured that the Name of Israel should be no more mentioned and yet the Lord hath hithertill saved and hath brought that broken Vessel saife to land Notwithstanding of all that the red Dragon the Hethenish Emperours did in persecuting with their bloudy massacres the Christian Church the first three hundered Years yet the Church of Christ grew and multiplied and spread over all the Empire And though the Antichristian abomination did prevail in the Church and the woman was made to flee to the wilderness 42 moneths or 1260 dayes or Years from the Year 660 or 666 as some compute untill the Reformation 1550. or 1560. Yet notwithstanding of this long desolation and darkness dureing which time the Gentiles possessed the outter court the Lord in his own good time in the dayes of Luther and afterward made light break up and made the world see that His Church was not yet destroyed And though now Antichrist be thinking to possesse the outter Court againe and to destroy the Reformation to make even the lands that were by solemne Covenant devouted unto Christ as His peculiar Inheritance become lands of graven images and brought under his tyrannie yet the Lord liveth we are to waite in faith hop and to possess our souls in patience for now is the faith patience of the Saints to beleeve that in due time He who hath begun to poure forth the vials of His wrath upon that Antichristian cursed conspiracy will also make an end in His own good time shall poure forth the Vial on the Beast Revel 16. vers 10. And the judgment of the great whore shall come that fitteth upon many waters with whom the Kings of the earth have committed fornication even the woman that sitteth upon a scarlet-coloured beast full of Names of Blasphemy having seven heads and ten horns arayed in purple and scarlet coloure and decked with gold and precious stones and pearles having a golden Cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication upon whose fore-head is a Name written MYSTERY BABYLON THE GREAT THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH And which is drunken with the bloud of the Saints and with the bloud of the Martyres of Jesus Which is manifestly interpreted by the Spirit of God Revel 17. vers 8. to the end to be the Papal Church and State sitting at Rome and commanding all Wherefore it becometh all who love their lives to take notice of that word Revel 18. vers 4 5. Come out of her my people that ye be not partakers of her sins and that ye receive not of her plagues c. for the day is coming when it shall be said as it is vers 6 7 8 c. Rewarde her even as she rewarded you and double unto her double according to her worksin the cup which she hath filled fill to her double How much she hath glorified her self and lived deliciousâ—… so much torment and sorrow give her for she saith in her heart I sit a queen and am no widow and shall see no Sorrow Therefore shall her plagues come in one day and mourning and famine and she shall be utterly burnt with fire for strong is the Lord God who judgeth her Let us live in hope that the day shall come when what followeth there shall be fulfilled and it shall be said as vers 20. Rejoice over her thou Heaven and ye Holy Apostles and Prophets for God hath avenged you on her And it shall be found true that is
unto Him as one of His Enemies His Troups come together and raise up their way against me and encamp round about my Tabernacle He hath put my Brethren far from me and mine acquaintaince are verily estranged from me My Kinsfolk have failed and my familiar friends have forgotten me They that dwell in mine house and mine maidens account me for a stranger I am an alien in their sight I called my servant and he gave me no answere I intreated him with my mouth My breath is strange to my wife though I intreated for the Childrens sake of mine own body Yea young Children despised mâ—… I arose and they spoke against me All my inward friends abhorred me and they whom I loved are turned against me My bone cleaveth to my skin and to my flesh and I am escaped with the skin of my teeth Paul 2 Cor. 6 4 5 8 9 10. giveth us a catalogue of calamities of various kindes that he and others did meet with such as Afflictions Necessities Distresses Stripes Imprisonments Tumults Labours Watchings Fastings Dishonour Evil reports accounted Deceivers Vnknown Dying Chastned Sorrowful Poâ—…r and having nothing And againe he giveth us an account of what befell himself 2 Cor. 11. vers 23 24 25 26 27. In stripes above measure in prisons more frequent in deaths oft of the jewes five times received I fourty stripes save one Thrice was I beaten with rods once was I stonned Thrice I suffered shipwrack a night and a daâ—… have I been in the depth in jurneying often in perrils of waters in perils of robbers in perils by mine own countrey-men in perrils by the Heathen in perils in the city in perils in the wilderness in perils in the sea in perils among false Brethren in weariness in painfulness in watchings often in hunger and thirst in fastings often in cold and nakedness c. Who can say that his condition runneth parallel with this And if not have they any cause to complaine and cry out never man was so hardly dealt with as they are See also what hardships those did undergo of whom we read Hebr. 11. vers 36 37 38. They had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings yea moreover of bonds and Imprisonments they were sawne asunder were tempted were slaine with the sword they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins being destitute afflicted tormented c. Can they say that they are more hardly dealt with than these were If not is not their complaint very groundless 5. Some possibly will account their case singular in that afflictions attend them as the shadow doth the body where ever they be and whithersoever they go Crosses Troubles and Temptations are their constant Companions But do they verily think that none before them hath had as good cause to speak thus as they Sure the Catalogue of calamities that Paul reckoneth up as we heard lately saith he had such a lot before them He met with trouble both by sea and land in cities in wildernesses by his own countrey-men by strangers and by false Brethren in some places was he scourged in some places beaten with rods in some places stoned in some places imprisoned c. so that a short view of his life will put this beyond question And himself said Act. 20. 23. that in every citie bonds and afflictions did abide him 6. Some may possibly think that their sufferings are so much the sadder that they reach not their goods but their good name and credite and that without all coloure of ground Yet for as heavy as this appeareth to be it is no new or uncouth thing It is true it may prove sad to some who are tender of their name and credite and would glory thereof but how sad so ever it be to them they must not say that their case as to this is singular Wo to you said Christ to his Disciples and followers Luk. 6. vers 26 When all men speak well of you for so did their Fathers unto the false Prophets And againe Mat. 5. vers 11 22. Blessed are ye when men shall revile you And shall say all manner of evil against you falsly for my sake Rejoice and be exceeding glade for great is your reward in heaven for so persecuted they the Prophets which were before you So that this was the common lot of the Prophets was to be the lot of the Apostles accordingly Paul tels us 1 Cor. 4. vers 9 11 12 13. That they were made a spectacle unto the world and to Angels and to men and he addeth Even unto this present houre we both hunger and thirst and are naked and are buffeted and have no certaine dwelling place and labour working with our own hands being reviled we blesse being persecuted we suffer it being defamed we entreat we are made as the filth of the world and the off-scouring of all things to this day Was not here a suffering of an high degree both in body and in name So 2 Cor. 6. vers 8. As deceivers and yet true So were they accounted the chiefe of Traitors such as turned the world upside down Act. 17. vers 6. He was accounted the man that taught all men every where against the People and the Law and the Temple Act. 21. vers 28. Elijah was called the Troubler of Israel 1 King 18. vers 17. We heard above how Christ himself suffered in His Name So that this must be no rare or uncouth thing 7. It may be an heavy affliction to some possibly to be persecuted by their own Countrey-men Neighbours and Relations But was not Christ so was not Paul so exercised 2 Cor. 11. vers 26. Were not the Thessalonians so afflicted 1 Thes. 2 vers 14 Knew not David this in experience Psal 55. vers 12 13. And Iob also when not only his Friends and domestick Servants neighbours carried so unfriendly and untenderly with him but even his own wife that lay in his bosome had no other consolatory counsel to give him but to take his leave or last good night as we say of God and so be destroyed out of hand for thus the sentence may be interpreted which in the Original is blesse God and die as we use to blesse or wish well to them of whom we are taking our leave and so this benedicere is as it were valedicere Her saying blesse was as much as if she had said Bid Him fare well 8. Some may think their crosse heavy upon this consideration that they have to do with men who know no Justice and walk not either by Law or Equity but do what they please But neither is this any strange thing for not to speak of our Lord Jesus Christ who was thus dealt with what Law or Justice did Iohn Baptist meet with when upon the desire of a light dancing Damsel his head was cut off in prison without so much as a forme of process What Law or equity acted the confused rabble that rofe up against Paul at Ephesus Act. 19
which it is so necessary must be His peculiar gift also 12. Unto Christian Suffering for the sake of Christ it is necessarily requisite that the Sufferer have fresh Influences from the Spirit of God to stirre up the graces of God in him and to carry him thorow for if these be withheld a very Peter will sinfully and shamefully deny his Master now it is unquestionable that these Influences must needs flow from the fountaine and be the effects of Gods grace and love and therefore so must Christian suffering be which cannot be without these By these particulars the first point is clear And as for the Second Viz. That this gift of suffering is purchased by Christ is a fruit of His death and is obtained for His sake and bestowed in His behalfe To you it is given in the behalf of Christ to suffer we need not insist upon it seing it is certaine and undeniable that every gift of this kind and every spiritual grace is purchased to us by the bloud and merites of Christ He laid down His life to purchase heaven to His own and every thing else that was needful for them in the way to heaven In Christ are we blessed with all spiritual blessings in celestials Ephes. 1. vers 3. Every spiritual blessing cometh to us in and through the Covenant of Grace and of this Covenant Christ is the Mediator so that every blessing of the Covenant is purchased by Him This is also manifest from what was said in confirmation of the former Point for all these favours requisite unto a Christian suffering as the grace of Faith Hop Courage Stedfastness Patience Humility c. are purchased to us by Christ and consequently so must this gift of Christian suffering be purchased also The third point followeth to wit That this gift of Suffering Christianly for the sake of Christ is a gift in some respect beyond faith for the Apostle saith It was given to these Philippians not onely to beleeve but also to suffer which expression not only but also importeth a sort of gradation and giveth some eminency and excellency unto the last as Ioh. 5 vers 18. and 13. vers 9. Act. 19. vers 27. and 21. vers 13. Rom. 5. vers 3 11. and 8. vers 23. and 13 5. 2 Cor. 7 7. and 8 10. Ephes. 1. vers 21. and else where We shall clear this further by mentioning some particulars 1. This Christian-suffering for the cause of Christ doth presuppose Faith as we said above and so must be a gift given over and above faith 2. Many have the gift of faith who never receive this gift of suffering many precious beleevers go to their grave in peace and know not what it is to die for witnessing to the Name of Jesus on a scaffold or to suffer at the hands of Persecuters upon that account It is reported of famous Luther that he oft wished and praied for this and yet God thought fit he should die on his bed in peace This gift then of suffering not being common to all to whom faith is common must have some peculiar excellency as being more rare 3. Yea even all those beleevers who are called to suffer for the cause of Christ cannot alwayes win to this gift of Christian Valiant Suffering for the sake of Christ but through temptation and carnal fear over-powering them may for a time shrink cede and fainte and thus wrong their own peace harden the Adversaries discourage the Godly wrong the Cause and dishonour the Lord as we see in Peter when he denied his Master and that with Curses and Execrations whose faith yet failed not the Lord having prayed for that Luk. 22 32. 4. Though it be a matter of no small difficulty to beleeve yet some may win over that difficulty that cannot win over the difficulty of Suffering Christianly in bearing Testimony to the truth of Jesus as that instance of Peter cleareth It being then a matter of greater difficulty to suffer aright than to beleeve this gift of suffering must be a greater gift 5. Unto Suffering for the sake of Christ in a right manner there is requisite as we saw above a greater concurrence of the graces of the Spirit of God a necessity also for a greater concurrence of divine Influences to carry the soul thorow 6. This suffering for Christ's sake hath a special piece of honour attending it Hence the Apostles rejoiced that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for the Name of Christ Act. 5. vers 41. And Peter 1 Pet. 4. vers 13. desireth those he wrote unto to rejoice in that lot and Paul Rom. 5. vers 3. saith we glory in tribulations yea he speaketh of this as in some respect a step above their rejoiceing in the hope of the glory of God Vers. 2. for he bringeth it in with a not only so but also Which manifestly cleareth the excellency of this gift of Suffering 7. Christian Suffering for the Name of Christ is a common and publick good being edifying to the Body and so advantagious to many A mans faith is mainly profitable to himself and is thereunto ordained But Suffering in a right manner is profitable unto many to Enemies and Persecutors it giveth a dash and leaveth some ground of conviction and Friends are much encouraged thereby yea the whole Church receiveth advantage for thereby a noble Testimony is given to the truth and the bloud of the Martyres becometh the seed of the Church 8. Suffering for the cause of Christ in a Christian manner maketh the Sufferers to be like Christ and conforme to the Captaine of their Salvation as one now graduat or advanced to an higher class Christ came to bear witness to the truth and suffered upon the account of bearing Testimony to the truth and those who are honoured with this special gift are made in a special manner conforme unto Him and thus are greatly honoured 9. As Sufferers for the cause of Christ are thereby advanced to great honour and dignity so are they usually admitted to great neerness and access to God the Lord loveth to let out of himself unto them in a special manner that is a confirming expression which we have 1 Pet. 4 14. If ye be reproached for the Name of Christ happy are ye for the Spirit of God and of glory resteth upon you Sufferers have even here an happiness and an happiness upon the account of their suffering were it but reproach for the Name of Christ and who can tell how rich and great this happiness is and wherein it consisteth The Spirit of glory and of God resteth upon them this Spirit of God which is the Spirit of glory working in them all His glorious graces whereby He prepareth them for glory and comforteth their souls as if they were in the suburbs of glory resideth in them and resteth upon them as the sure earnest of glory wherefore this Suffering for His Name must be a great matter 10. This Christian suffering
Jesus the great Purchaser 5. The faith of this would give a check to that humore whereby some are ready to sacrifice to their own net and to burn incense to their own drag that is to be puffed up and vainly proud of their carriage when they have been helped to carry honestly in a day of trial as if they by their wit and courage had done it or as if it had not been given them in that houre what would such have to be proud of who beleeved that this grace was freely given to them and that in the behalfe of Christ And who saw that if it had not been so they had never been able to have endured the storme Would not they see cause to say Not unto us not unto us but unto God be Glory Secondly From these Truthes we may be informed of several things the knowledge of which may be useful in an evil day As 1. We may hence be convinced of the difficulty of Suffering Christianly for the Cause of Christ It is not Natural Courage Stoutness or Fear of Shame or the like that will be able to carry thorow No no A Divine purchased Grace and Gift must be had or there will be no standing Many in a calme day may think it no great matter to suffer upon Christ's account and may seem very resolute willing and ready to suffer but when the storme beginneth to blow to purpose and they are put to it they finde it some other thing than they imagined And what wonder It is not a thing that Nature can command nor Natural Strength and Courage can enable for but Divine Help is required thereunto It must be given and given in Christ and this saith there is no small difficulty in it 2. We may hence see a fundamental Reason why some are honoured with suffering for the Cause of Christ and others not It is the free gift of God and purchased by Christ and so is bestowed onely on those for whom it is purchased and on whom free grace will bestow it As also whence it cometh to passe that of two who are both called to witness to the truth by suffering one is honourably helped thorow the other fainteth The one hath gote the free gift the other not It is true other provoking causes may come here into consideration as bringing this on but yet this is principally to be considered our sins may provoke the Lord to withold this gift and when it is not given there will be no suffering for the sake of Christ in a Christian manner 3. We may hence be informed concerning the ground of this honour being bestowed upon any It is not for their eminency of parts or worth or any such thing in them but purely of free grace and on the behalfe of Christ. Thirdly Upon the ground of these Truthes we may read several Duties called for at our hands in a day of Suffering As 1. In such a day when stormes are at hand we should not be troubled with perplexity and anxiety of Spirit nor disquiet or discourage ourselves with feares and apprehensions that we shall fainte in the day of Adversity and shall not be in case to stand stedfast in the storme For our strength and standing is not in our own hands It is in Gods Hand His gift must make us staâ—… and nothing else 2. We should be looking off ourselves and all that is within us and not think that any thing of that kind will be able to carry us thorow But fix our eye upon the gracious Giver and lay hold on Christ by faith and expect the thorow-bearing Gift and Grace in and through Him In such a day we would do well to renounce all within us that we may not lean to it and so betake ourselves alone to the fountaine of free grace and expect what is necessary in that day from Him who giveth freely and upbraideth not 3. And in order to this seing this gift is bestowed only in and through Christ we should study before hand to get our Interest in Christ made up that so we may have ground to expect a grant of this gift for His sake for none else can expect this but such as are reconciled to God through Christ. 3. We would also labour to be in good termes with God and to be keeping our Conscience void of offence both before God and Man lest He be provoked to with-hold this gift from us When we have been walking neer God and keeping carefully Communion with Him we may go to Him with the greater Confidence and Boldness and ask this gift through Christ. Fourthly We may hence see what Duties we are especially called to in the day when we are actually and particularly called to bear witness to the Truth and to suffer upon the account thereof As 1. We should make the Cross of Christ welcome because it is Gods send all that God sendeth should be welcome This is a special Gift and a purchased Gift and therefore it should be heartily embraced both because of the Giver and because of the Purchaser It is true flesh and bloud have no will of Suffering nature is averse from it yet Spiritual Reason and Grace should say God will give me nothing on the behalfe of Christ but what is good and necessary for me and seing Suffering for Christs sake is of that nature and is so excellent a Gift beyond faith it self in so many respects why should I storme Why should I quarrel upon that account Why should I not rather embrace it with love and give it an heartsome welcome 2. Not only upon this account should we accept of that favour heartily and cheerfully but also we should accept thereof with Joy and Gladness rejoicing that free grace would put that singular honour upon us As we had cause to rejoice when He was pleased to single us out from many others no worse than we were and bestow faith upon us so have we cause to rejoice in His pitching upon us and going by many others better than we are in the matter of Suffering Should we not count it all Joy when for Christs sake we fall into manifold temptations because the Lord is thereby honouring and enriching us with this rare and precious Gift Should we not upon this account Glory in Tribulations as in so many enriching gifts freely bestowed on us of God and purchased by Christ 3. Hereby should we learne to beware of fretting or repineing at the trouble that the Crosse and Testimony of Jesus bringeth with it and choose rather to be thankful for such an honourable gift as this Suffering for the sake of Christ is Nay the more our trouble and harassing be let us look upon ourselves as the more honoured of God and therefore called to be thankful and to bless seing we should blesse Him for all His Benefites and this is among the chiefe of His benefites 4. We should then be wholly dead to ourselves and to any stock of strength
quickly than otherwayes in all probability it would have been When Paul is speaking of his Sufferings Col. 1 24. he saith they were for them and not so only but for the whole body the Church Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you and fill up that which is behinde of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his bodies sake which is the Church So 2 Cor. 1 6. And whether we be afflicted it is for your Consolation and Salvation 2 Tim. 2 10. Therefore I endure all things for the Elects sake Another plaine Instance we have Phil. 1 12. But I would ye should understand Brethren that the things which happened unto me have fallen out rather unto the furtherance of the Gospel 1. For further clearing up of this we shall mentione some particular Advantages which the Church reapeth by the Sufferings of Christ's Eminent Servants and Followers 1. Their sufferings upon the account of Truth serve much to Strengthen and Establish the rest of the people of God in the faith for the truth is thereby much confirmed unto them and made to have some deeper Impression in their hearts when they see that the Truthes which those Servants of Christ delivered unto them were such as the Preachers themselves were perswaded of as truthes and as weighty truthes yea and such as they are ready to seal with their bloud It is for this cause that Paul maketh mention of his sufferings in that Epistle to the Colossians for he is endeavouring to settle them in the faith and to keep them stedfast in the day of Temptation He would have them vers 23. Continue in the faith grounded and setled and not moved away from the hope of the Gospel And because they might have said what can we do when you are put to such sufferings and are shut up in Prison He obviateth this by saying I rejoice in my sufferings for you As if he had said My Imprisonment and Sufferings are not to your disadvantage but for your good and upon that account I rejoice in them So that this is a notable mean to keep others stedfast in the truth As upon the other hand it is a potent and forcible mean to shake poor people out of their hopes and to confirme many in Atheisme and Infidelity when they see such as have been preaching forth truthes unto them refusing to stand to them and avow them in a day of Temptation Hence is it that Satan seeing this so much for his advantage doubleth the force of his Temptations and Assaults against such knowing that the fall of one such may endanger many and occasione the staggering of multitudes 2. By this meanes the Gospel is made to spread more and and that not only by occasion of the banishment of Preachers as we see Act. 8. but also that by reason of their very Imprisonment or Persecution to the death many will be made to enquire after the cause why such are put to so hard sufferings and after enquirie some may be made to see that their Cause is just and righteous howbeit they be condemned thus may be brought to like their cause befriend it to hate the carriage of the Persecuters So that the Gospel-truth is no loser by all the loss that the Preachers suffer upon the account thereof for when strangers observe that such men of Understanding judgment and Conscience are ready and willing to confirme the truth of what they assert with their bloud and to suffer any thing rather than deny the same they beginne to search more seriously after the matter and to consider its consequences and come at length to affect that way more in their heart an Instance whereof we have Phil. 1 12. 13. He told them vers 12. that what hardships had befallen him had fallen out rather unto the furtherance of the Gospel and in the next verse he sheweth how this was saying so that my bonds in Christ are manifest in all the Palace and in all other places The report of his Imprisonment for the Name of Christ went far and neer so that even Caesars Court ringed againe with the noise of it and they are talking of it among themselves and severals are converted to the truth thereby and brought to embrace the Gospel for he tels us Chap. 4 22. That there were Saints in Caesar's houshold all the saints salute you cheefly they that are of Caesar's houshold 3. When the Lords eminent Servants are persecuted upon the account of truth the â—…ord is to speak so more engaged to do for His Church to owne her and to counter work the plots and wicked devices of Satan and this He is pleased for the glory of His name to declare and manifest by making thereby the Gospel to flourish more in power and life and to bless the laboures of a few the more The Church did never thrive better than in the Primitive times during these hote persecutions Iâ—… time of persecution the Church is purer for few adhere to the truth but such who have received the truth as it is in jesus and have the grace of God in them in truth then are there fewest hypocrites to be found in the Church the heat of persecution driveth them away and driveth the uprght hearted neerer to God so that their grace communion with God groweth their mortification to the things of this life increaseth and they become more and more crucified unto the world and the world unto them So that howbeit the outward bulk of Professours diminish yet the true hearted grow more lively strong and vigorous and the inward man is renewed day by day 2 Cor. 4 16. So that really the Church suffereth no loss but is a gainer 4. By this meanes many other faithful zealous and honest-hearted Servants of God are made through the Lord's wonderful defeating of the Counsels of Satan more bold forward in owning declaring the truth The devil thinks by the sufferings of some eminent Servants to discourage and fainte many as supposing that they will be affrighted from their duty but the grace and power of God worketh-out the contrary event As we see Phil. 1 14. where another fruit of Paul's bonds and Imprisonment is added And many of the Brethren in the Lord waâ—…ing confident by my bondes are much more bold to speak the word without fear So that the Church is a gainer through the Lord 's wonderful working by all these Sufferings 5. There is hereby an encouraging exemple laid before others â—…is no small advantage unto particular Beleevers in a time of Persecution to know of some precedent of some that have gone thorow the foord before them Therefore saith the Apostle Iames Chap. 5 10. Take my Brethren the Prophets who have spoken in the name of the Lord for an example of suffering affliction and of Patience so that such Examples are refreshing and helpful unto their Constancy and Stedfastness when they see others standing fast in the faith in the
midst of all persecutions that they meet with they are animated unto the like stedfastness and to resolution in adhering fixedly to the truth such examples will make even a timorous man wax bold and the exemplary carriage of sufferers is very encouraging and comfortable wherefore the Apostle saith 2 Cor. 1 6. whether we be afflicted it is for your Consolation Therefore these Sufferings are much for the advantage of the Church 6. Hereby is the Church awakened from security and made to look out for a suffering lot when thus it is done to the green tree they are made to take Warning Such a dispensation is as the sounding of the trumpet for an alarme and this is no small advantage when she is raised to her feet and put in a postour and made ready for the battel then she needeth not fear a surprisal but hath time to prepare and make ready for the storme In order to the Improvement of this Consideration we would 1. Beware to conclude that all is gone when we hear or see Christs eminent Servants put to sad sufferings We are ready to wonder why the Lord should suffer such and such things to be done why He should suffer such sad things to befall His eminent and useful Servants who cannot well be missed one whereof is worth an hundered so that the Death or Imprisonment of one such threatneth more destruction to the Church than the loss of many But we know not the thoughts of the Lord we know not what He is designing and what He mindeth to effectuat thereby And if we beleeved that even such a dispensation as this could do no harme to the Church how little would we be troubled at it If we saw what an effectual way this were in the steady unerring Hand of God to bring about the spiritual advantage of the Church how would we lay our hands upon our mouth and be silent And though we can not see in particular what advantage the Church is like to get by the taking away of such as were as Pillars of the Church Yet we should by faith rest assured that the Head and Husband of the Church would not suffer such a Dispensation to come if He knew not how to bring good and advantage out of it and that thereby good seed was sowen which though accompanied with teares and bloud yet should yeeld full sheaves at length which should be brought home with Joy 2. We would do well to search ourselves at such a time to see if we as particular members of the Church be reaping any advantage by what we hear and see of the Sufferings of Christs eminent Servants as for example see if thereby the truth of the Gospel become more riveted in our souls we becometh more rooted in the faith and assurance thereof and more fixed in our Resolution to adhere thereunto See if Truth becometh lovely desireable to us upon this account See if grace be growing more within and if our hearts and affections be loosed more and more from the things of a world and we be prepared more to quite all for Christ and His Cause See if by the example of others we be more animated and encouraged to avow and abide by the truth cost what it will See if these newes be raising us out of our bed and making us prepare for the battel and make ready for the approaching storme if we finde any such advantage thereby let us blesse Him who is giving us meat out of the eater and doing us good by the dear cost and charges of others 3. This should comfort such as are called forth to suffer for the Name of Jesus they need not trouble themselves with thoughts what shall become of the Church and Interest of Christ but leave that upon the Lord and beleeve that He shall make it contribute to the furtherance of the Gospel and to the enlairgment of His Kingdom Ministers called to suffer may possibly think Oh what shall become of the poor people we cannot get preached unto them as formerly but what if God make their stedfastness in suffering more advantagious than their preachings would have been What if that edifie more than many preachings did or would do Ought not they upon this Consideration rejoice in their Lot and suffer cheerfully that Christs Interest may prosper more thereby What know they what influence their Christian carriage may have on all On-lookers yea and on Enemies and Persecuters themselves beside what confirmation friends may have thereby CONSIDERATION XVII The Lord Reigneth in Zion BEleevers are not like unto the Subjects of Kings here on earth who may be dethroned and their Crowns may fall from their Heads and the Scepters be taken out of their hands and they may lose all the Ensignes of Royalty and when it falleth out so as is done many a time Subjects have but cold Comfort in looking to the Throne when it hath forsaken him that sat thereon But Beleevers have a King who liveth and reigneth for ever and ever and whose Kingdom is an everlasting Kingdom It cannot then but be strange that when Men who have all their temporal happiness hanging upon the standing of Kings of Clay can rejoyce in adversity when they have any hope of their King 's recovering of his lost Throne and Kingdome though the grounds of their Hop be most disputable and uncertaine that the Children of God in the day of their Adversity can draw so little Comfort from the sure and certaine Grounds of Hope which they have to look to If Christs Crown and Throne were not surer than the fading and perishing Regalia of Men what would beleevers do Whither could they go for consolation in the day of their Distress and Anguish But now seing their King is not like the Kings of the Earth why are they so heartless in the day of their extremity Sure the Reason must be because they beleeve not that He is such a King as He is indeed or they know not how to improve to any spiritual Advantage such a noble Ground of Consolation as this is Wherefore it may be useful to speak a little unto this And so we shall first lay down some Propositions clearing up this Truth and next some Conclusions pointing out the improvement that may be made thereof First As for the Propositions take these following 1. The Lord standeth under the Relation of a King to His Church and People He hath taken to himself that Name and Title and accordingly we finde them eyeing this in the day of their Distress So David Psal. 5 vers 2. and 84 v. 2. embraceth Him crying My King and my God and he comforteth himself with this Ps. 10. v. 16. The Lord is King for ever and ever And the Church crieth out Psal. 74 v. 2. God is my King of old and comforteth herself with this Esai 33 v. 22. The Lord is our judge the Lord is our Lawgiver the Lord is our King He will save us So
short in regaird of the great and manifold effects which God is to bring about by the same a through Consideration of which would make us say if we judged according to our usual manner that the Afflictions must of necessity continue a long time to the end those great and noble effects may be produced thereby Would we consider how much Dross and Corruption in His own people remaineth to be purged away as Pride Carnality Inordinat Self-love and Love of Pleasures Riches Honours Ease c. Carnal-Security Passion Self-conceite Formality Hypocrisie c. we would see a necessity for the Crosses lying-on for a long time in order to the purging of these away As also would we consider how much Hypocrisie Hollow-heartedness there is to discover how many false Friends to Christ and His Interest there are to be made known we could not but think that of necessity in order to the effectuating of this discovery a long time of trouble and trials were requisite As likewise if we called to minde how many things His people are to learne thereby Considering I say those and such like noble Effects which the great Master of Work is to effectuate and produce by the Affliction And how they would seem to call for the continuance of the same for a considerable time And withall how notwithstanding the Lord prevents the thoughts of many and maketh a short work and doth that in a few Moneths or Dayes which we could have thought should have called for many Yeers When then the Lord maketh such a quick dispatch of such a great Business we may well say that the time is short and that many Years are but a very short time 2 The time of Afflictions may be accounted short considering what our Sins and Provocations call for at His hand When in righteousness the Lord might keep us under the rod all our dayes and multiply Afflictions upon us to our very dying day Ten or Twenty Years Captivity should seem a very short time a few Years Imprisonment would seem nothing to a man who had been condemned to perpetual Imprisonment To another possibly who got no such Sentence a few Moneths Imprisonment would seem longer than many Years to him because he expected no less than perpetual Imprisonment So were we considering that in regaird of our deservings the time of Afflictions might justly be continued to the end of our dayes a few Years or Moneths would appear to be no considerable time Wherefore in respect of our deservings a long time of Affliction is but a short time because the longest is nothing to what we have deserved 3. They may be accounted short in respect of the dayes of Prosperity which they have had sometimes in the world The Lord doth not alwayes chide He will not cast off for ever but though he cause griefe yet will He have compassion according to the multitude of His tender Mercies Lam. 3 vers 32. and so He sendeth Prosperity which lasteth longer than their Adversitie did as we see Iudg. 3 vers 11. after Eight Years bondage they had rest Fourtie Years And vers 30. after Eighteen Years trouble they had rest Fourscore Years So Chap. 5 vers last after twenty Years bondage they had rest Fourty Years Thus the Lord sometimes sendeth such a length of Prosperity that the dayes of Adversity are forgotten as if they had been few and inconsiderable 4. The time of Affliction may be accounted short considering how that oftentimes for as long as the delivery seemeth to be a coming yet when it cometh His People are surprized therewith their expectation is prevented they imagined in their own apprehensions a longer duration of the trouble so that mercy preventeth them when it cometh and this maketh the by-past time of their Affliction seem short Though the People of God had been a conderable time in bondage and under the feet of Adversaries yet it appeared unto them but as it were as the time betwixt seed time and harvest Psal. 126 vers 5 6. after God had wonderfully delivered them out of Captivity and Bondage they draw this Conclusion from this rare Act of Gods Providence about them They that sow in tears shall reap in Ioy and he that goeth forth and weepeth having precious seed shall doubtless come againe with rejoiceing bringing His sheaves with him Whereby is imported that Gods People abiding by the Lord though they should meet with Affliction in their Duty and be made to weep sore be reason thereof yet the time of delivery should come like an Harvest with fruit recompensing all their toile and tears and so they summed up all their Seventy Years into less than Seven Moneths And how came it to passe that the time seemed so short That Psalm pointeth this forth as one Reason hereof Vers. 1 When the Lord turned againe the Captivity of Zion we were like men that dream They were surprized with the mercy for they did not look for it but thought their exiled Condition should have continued longer because they saw no appearance or probability of a returne So that in regaird of what the People of God themselves may imagine the time of the Affliction may be short 5. It may likewise be accounted short and inconsiderable in regaird of the wonderful and extraordinary goodness of God that appeareth in the delivery when it cometh it may be attended with such signal and notable Mercies which so fill their souls with amazement and satisfaction that the length of the time of their Affliction disappeareth and evanisheth and as if it had been nothing it is presently forgotten So in that forecited Psal. 126 vers 2. The delivery is accounted signal and wonderfully remarkable such as filled their mouth with laughter and their tongue with singing It was such a notable delivery accompanied with so many rare Passages and carrying in the bosome of it so many rare demonstrations of Gods Power Tenderness Faithfulness Constancy and loving Kindness that they could not but be filled with admiration thereat and have their tongues loosed to sing his praises Yea they took notice of this circumstance which increased the admirablness of the delivery that even Strangers and Heathens were made to say that God had done great things or the poor Jewes and they themselves being no less convinced hereof could not but subscribe to the truth thereof and as it were take the word out of their mouth and say v. 3. The Lord had done great things for us whereof we are glade Now this being so remarkable a delivery the first sight and apprehension of it did so fill their soul with Joy and Admiration that the long Seventy Years Bondage seemed to them but as the paines and labour of a few Moneths in expectation of a good harvest after the seed was sowen as the long paines of a women travelling in Child-birth are forgotten when she hath brought forth a Man-Child In respect therefore of the delivery so signal as to its Ingredients Attendants and
the deliverance of the people of God out of the Babylonish Captivity in which they were to be full Seventy yeers would come though at this present while he is getting this discovery and manifestation there was no appearance of their being brought in bondage led away captive out of their own land by the Babylonians far less of their delivery out of that Captivity the people being now dwelling in their owne Land living in peace and quiet far from any molestation from the Caldeans His faith and perswasion of the truth of what the Lord said to Him and by Him was the ground of this his Admiration and Ravishment For what we do not beleeve to be true how rare and uncouth so ever it be it will not ravish us nor cause in us a rapture of Admiration Hence we see all the sayings of God how improbable and unlikely so ever they may be should be embraced with fulness of faith we should with Abraham Rom. 4 18. Against hope beleeve in hope He did not consider his own body now dead nor the deadness of Sarahs womb nor did he stagger at the promise of God through unbeleef but was strong in the faith giving glory to God and was fully perswaded that what God had promised he was able also to performe vers 19 20 21. So no more should we take any notice of the humane improbability and of the many unlikelyhoods and of such things as might to humane reason walking upon humane grounds make the thing promised seem altogether improbable if not impossible But having the firme Word of God who cannot lie nor change there to rest as anchored upon that immovable Rock and ride-out all stormes of carnal Reasonings and corrupt Suggestions and Temptations of Satan 2. We see in the Prophet that all the consideration that he might have had at this time of the Improbabilities small Appearances Difficulties yea and Incredibilities to humane judgment standing as mountaines in the way of the charriot of God's Faithfulness Truth coming With Salvation to his people did but contribute to his more firme and fixed gripping of and cleaving to the Promises and Predictions and raise in his soul an holy Ravishment and Rapture of wondering at this rare and wonderful Work of God which he saw by faith And this should teach us to take notice of the Difficulties and Improbabilities that seem to us to lye in the way of the accomplishment of the great Promises for no other end than this that we may become more fixed in the faith thereby and be raised up to see more of the Glorious Power Truth Goodness and Faithfulness of God and helped to get a fuller look of God as Incomprehensible in all His wayes 3. We may observe here in the frame of the Prophet That he discovered in God something Rare Admirable Excellent and Glorious that ravished him and transported his soul He saw a Divine Holy Mysterie in God's way When the way of the Lord was to humane eyes Unclear Dark and Cloudy he saw the Glory of God shining forth with greater brightness and splendour He saw the Lord while covered as to his way of working with a thick cloud by the eye of faith he pierced the clouds and saw the Invisible Thou art a God Nay he saw that such a way whatever the shallow dim-sighted Reason of Man might apprehend concerning it was God's way and had the manifest lineaments of God engraven upon it he saw that that hid way was God-like and these thick clouds that to humane reason would darken the beauty and lustre of God's Glory did the more set off to him the Divine Glory and Majesty of God O what an excellent frame is this and how useful and necessary for his people in a day of clouds and darkness And what a sharp eagles-eye must faith have that can discover Glory in obscurity and see a rare and singular sight of God even when He is hiding himself and can observe a greater Glory and splendour of Excellency in the clouds and darkness that are about His throne How great must the difference be betwixt that sight of God which a Natural eye measuring things according to the rule of Carnal Reason can get of the most refulgent and self-manifesting Operations of God and that discovery of God which faith getteth in those dispensations of God which have no Glory or Majesty in them unto a Carnal eye How averse and unwilling should the consideration of this make us to judge of God and of his Wayes and Doings by Carnal Reason And how blinde a judge must that be of Gods Wayes and Dispensations 4. We may here take notice in the Prophets frame That he discovereth in the wayes of God about which now his thoughts are occupied an unsearchable Depth a Mystery and Incomprehensibleness For he is like a man walking into the sea and findeth it the longer the deeper and at length is like to drown and there standeth and cryeth out this ocean hath no bottom I shall lose my selfe if I go further He hath been as it were wading in his contemplations of the Mystery of God's wayes with and about his Church and People and as one loseing ground he cryeth out Verily thou art a God that hidest thy self Thy wayes are Incomprehensible Unfathomable and Unsearchable As the Apostle Paul in a case not unlike Rom. 11 33. how unsearchable are his judgments and his wayes past finding out David hath an expression not unlike in his contemplations of God Psal. 145 3. Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised and his greatness is unsearchable 5. It is observable in the Prophets frame That as he discovereth in the wayes of God which were now the matter of his Spiritual Meditation a singular rare Beauty and Divine Excellency a transcendent Glory so he saw this while all these wayes of God were covered with clouds and darkness Even when He was hiding himself and clouds and darkness were round about Him he saw that Righteousness and Judgment were the habitation of his throne as it is Psal. 97 2. Faith can see God in the dark and discover a God hiding himself Faith can go-in thorow clouds and coverings and dark dispensations and see the Glorious God acting in Majesty and carrying on His work in Faithfulness and Truth according to His everlasting Purposes and Faithful Promises This should be our study in the day of God's hiding of Himself as to His visible dispensations and oùtward work in the world 6. We may here also mark in the holy Prophets frame a sutable Submission of spirit holy Acquiescence of soul in this singular and rare way of the Lords bringing-about His Intended Designes There is no footstep here of the holy mans Murmuring Repining Grudging or Quarrelling at this dark and unseen way of the Lord 's ordering His matters but on the contrary we may observe the Prophet stouping putting his mouth in the dust sweetly acquescing in and
so multiplied motives to seek salvation an outgate by sinful and unlawful wayes and meanes doubled yet the soul is fixed on Him and on Him alone and will say Asshur shall not save us we will not ride upon horses but in God alone the fatherless findeth merey Hos. 14 3. All which may discover our sinful and unsutable frame in such a dark day when the Lord is in Glory and Majesty sutable to Himself carrying on His work out of our sight and is hiding Himself that we cannot see him nor know what he is doing so may it point forth our duty and teach us what to think and what to do in such a day And to this end we may hence learn in particular to minde those duties following 1. In such a day wherein the Lord hideth Himself we should beware of entertaining any jealous thoughts of Him Satan will then be busie to muster up all the Arguments and Grounds he can to cause Beleevers at least turn jealous of God and to doubt if He will appear any more for Zion to the end they may faint and give over Faith and Hope and then he hath gained his point and Beleevers in such a day may expect this and feare their own hearts that will be too ready to comply with all Satans Motions and Suggestions This therefore would be carefully guarded against 2. In such a day the unchangable Purposes of God His faithful Word and Promises should be the subject of our Meditation on these should we dwell and ruminate to the end our heads may be keeped-up in hope and we may not despond 3. We should beware to make the day darker by sinful departing from God and by giving way to Satans Temptations When folks in a dark night are walking among snares and pits they will set down their feet with great warriness and circumspection so should we do in such a day lest we make our Condition worse 4. We should observe narrowly what we can mark in the Dispensations of the Lord that will say and evince to us according to the grounds of spiritual reasoning that God is about His work and that though we see Him not yet He in working under ground and carrying on His projects to the end we may be confirmed in our hope and strengthened to waite with patience and faith 5. We should minde our duty whatever He do for that is it we are called to and so much the rather that the Lord hideth Himself should we be diligent in unquestionable duties for He meeteth him that rejoiceth and worketh righteousness Esai 64 v. 5. 6. We should beware to limite the holy One of Israel let us rather stoup and adore and acknowledge Him to be Jehovah who doth what He will The Third thing considerable in these words of truth is what is imported by that word Verily And it wouldseem to pointe out to us these particulars following which I shall but mention First That it is no light or easie mater to win to the faith and to the sight of this by saith That God is the Lord and the God of Israel and the Saviour when He hideth Himself For this ejaculation seemeth to have been or is so here expressed as if it had been the issue and result of some great inward wrestling out of which when the Prophet getteth up his head he cryeth out Verily thou art a God that hidest thyself c. And considering the frame of our heart by Nature and the subtilty of Satan and his skill and diligence to muster up all Considerations in such a day to our disadvantage this difficulty cannot but be great Secondly That this truth is of great moment being here confirmed by such an asseveration It is a truth useful and necessary to be beleeved and fixed in the heart For it is attended with great advantages and the want of the faith of it is not only sinful but most hurtful and dangerous being accompanied with many sad evils and being the cause of dreadful effects and consequences Thirdly That this Truth should be fixed in our hearts as a great and fundamental point and put beyond all doubt or disput with us that He is a God that hideth Himself the God of Israel and the Saviour The Last Particular here considerable is the Prophets uttering this Mater to God and speaking thus to Him Verily thou art a God that hidest thyself c. Which pointeth forth to us these things First The sincerity and uprightness of heart in the Prophet who could thus speak unto God and lay the matter before Him as it was Which should teach us to be honest sincere and upright in all our carriage free of deceit and hypocrisie Secondly The reality of this his Exercise and outgate for it was no made and supposed thing but real To teach us so to carry Thirdly That the Prophets heart was more warmed unto God and that this was the result of his excercise in his meditations that his heart was drawn nigher unto God for now he uttereth the matter in the very bosome of the Father It is well when our exercises have this issue and outgate Fourthly His open Profession of this matter was to exalt and glorify God for herein is a piece of solemne worship performed unto God which pointeth forth our duty in the like case CONSIDERATION XXI No man can make straight what God hath made crooked ECCLES VII V. 13. Consider the Work of God for who can make that straight which He hath made crooked IN a day wherein the People of God are persecuted and afflicted for His sake and cause it were a great help and advantage unto a christian and sutable carriage under that dispensation to have right and sutable thoughts of God and of His divine works In such a day we fancie and imagine many things amiss in the Providential Workings of God many things we think we see that might be helped and if we had the disposal of matters in our hand should be quickly redressed and thus being led away with our own proud hearts and insensibly carried down the strame we fall a censureing of the holy Way of the Lord and a quarrelling with Him because He doth not rectifie matters according to our mind and doth not governe the world or at least the Church according to our wishings and wouldings Now because this frame of spirit is so repugnant unto the Holy Will of God so unsutable unto the Children of God so hurtful unto the Soul and such an Enemie unto the right deportment of Souls in the day of Crosses and Affliction it will be of use to to speak some thing if the Lord will help to rectifie our mistakes and to cure us of these Distempers We think we see many crooked Passages in God's Way and Dispensations with the Church and with ourselves in particular and we imagine also we know wayes how to set all these crooks even But this is really a clear demonstration of our follie
assert an Vniversal Subjective Grace that is Grace and Power granted to every One to hearken to the voice of God calling in Nature and in the Gospel to convert and turne themselves to believe and repent if and whensoever they will because they see not how it is consistent with Gods Wisdom and Goodness to require any duty of man but what he giveth him full ability to performe not regairding the stock of strength that was once given to man and was dilapidat by Adam But as to this how crooked so ever we suppose it to be we must rest here that the Carnal mind is enmity against God for it is not subject to the Law of God neither indeed can be Rom. 8 vers 7. And that the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God for they are foolishness unto him neither can he know them because they are spiritually discerned 1 Cor. 2 v. 14. and that Faith is the gift of God Ephes. 2 v. 8. And that it is God that worketh in us both to will and to do according to his own good pleasure Phil. 2. vers 13. And that Christ is a Prince exalted to give Repentance Act. 5 v. 30 And that God is a free Dispenser of His grace as being obliged to none and shewing mercy to whom he will 4. That work of the Lord 's covenanting with Adam as the Head in the name of all mankinde and his imputing his sin unto his posterity who were in his loines so that all become borne and conceived in sin and obnoxious to the wrath of God because of that transgression of Adam according as the Apostle speaketh Rom 5 vers 12. Wherefore as by one man sin entrâ—…d into the world and death by sin and so death passed upon all men for that all have sinned And againe Vers. 14. Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adams transgression And Vers. 18. Therefore as by one mans offence or by one offence judgment came upon all men to condemnation This Dispensation I say seemeth so crooked to some such as Pelagians Socinians Arminians and Quakers that they must absolutely deny it and say there is no such thing as original sin though Paul saâ—…eth Ephes. 2 vers 3. that we were by nature including himself the Children of wrath And David telleth us in his humble Confession of sinnes to God Psal. 51 ver 5. Behold I was shapen in iniquity and in sin did my Mother conceive me And Iob sayeth Chap. 14 v. 4. Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean Not one And to the same purpose Bildad Iob. 25 v. 4. How can he be clean that is borne of a Women 5. For further setting even what otherwayes men think crooked in the way of the Lord they imagine assert and defend an Universal Redemption saying that Christ hath died for all equally say some with some difference say others because it seemeth a crooked thing with them and inconsistent with the Nature and Goodness of God not to seek the Salvation of all and not to prepare meanes of life for all so not to send Christ to die for all and every mothers son though we be plainly enough and expresly told in Scripture that the Father gave not all to the Son to redeem but some and that Christ laid down His life a ransome for those alone who were given to him to save and of whom he must give an account to the Father as having undertaken to redeem them from Hell Wrath Satan and all their Enemies and by His Power and Grace to bring them saife home at length as being their Head their Husband their Shepherd their Cautioner their Lord Ransomer their Intercessour and Advocat with the Father and that these are an all and called the â—…orld to point out their natural Original that Grace may the more appear to be grace and to pointe out their being scattered through thâ—… world and taken out of all Kindreds Tongues Nations People Languages especially now under the Gospel in distinction from the dayes of the Old Testament when the Iawes were only the peculiar people of the Lord and in Iudah only was God known and his name great in Israel 6 Further to make God's supposed crooked wayes straight the Enemies of the free Gâ—…ace of God imagine that the will of Man must be left Free to be Lord of all and absolute disposer of the decrees and purposes of God of Redemption and of Salvation so that the Lord must not by an Irresistible Power draw any home to Christ contrary to Ioh. 6 44. Nor create in any a new heart and take away the heart of stone and give an heart of flesh contrare to Ezech. 11. 19. and 36 26 27. Because they cannot see how it can consist with Gods Love to mankinde to preferre one to another they imagine that God layeth the matter alike to all mens door standing equally and knocking at every mans door and so leaving it to them alike to choose or refuse to become happy or miserable as they please and so they say that when God hath done all He can or will do to save people their will is at perfect freedome to accept or reject the Grace of God and that there is no special saving work of grace upon the heart of one more then of another O what real crooked work do foolish men make here How do they darken deforme and make crooked the glorious straight work of the free grace of God wherein absolute Soveraignity glorious Grace and the free Mercy of God shineth forth with such a Soveraigne Lustre Beauty and Glory Paul had other thoughts of the matter when he said Ephes. 1 vers 3 4 5 6 7. Blessed be the God and Father of ouâ—… Lord Iesus Christ who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in Celestials in Christ according as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world that we should be holy and without blame before him in love having predestinated us unto the adoption of Children by Iesus Christ to himself according to the good pleasure of His will To the praise of the Glory of his grace wherein He hath made us accepted in the beloved c. 7. To salve this same Diana of Free will the same Persons do deny the Free and Absolute Decrees of God touching any thing to be done by Man whether good or evil because they cannot see how God's Absolute Decrees concerning this or that can consist with the free Actings of mans will not impose an absolute necessity on man to do or not to do according to what is decrâ—…ed as the stone must absolutely and naturally move down-ward and the Sun shine and all Natural causes act and work therefore to make this supposed crook straight they see no other way but to deny all such Decrees and Purposes in God not knowing that as God's decrees determine the event
also a Chideing Contending withfighting as Gen. 26 vers 20 22. So that this sin is a calling of the most High to an account and a bringing of Him before our judgment-seat as Iob 33 13. Where the the same verbe is used Why dost thou strive against him Or why dost thou call Him before thy tribunal summond Him to compear before thee or contend with Him in judgment or plead against Him He answereth not he giveth no account of his matâ—…s to any 2. It is a rebelling against the Lord. When the People of Israel murmured against the Lord and against Moses and Aaron Numb 14 v. 1 2 3. Moses said unto them Vers. 9. Only rebel not ye against the Lord. So it is said Psal. 78 vers 40. How oft did they rebel against him in the wilderness in the margine See Vers. 8. 3. It is a manifest calling his Wisdom in question and a saying that He is not wise enough to order and dispose matters aright As if He were not mighty in wisdom Iob 36 vers 5. Our Wisdom were to cease from our own Wisdom Prov. 23 vers 4. and to beleeve though we should not see that in wisdom he hath made the heavens and all Psal. 104 vers 34. and 136 vers 5. and hath established the world in wisdom Ier. 10 vers 1â—… and 51 v. 15. And not think to give Him Counsel and Advice how He should rule the world for there are Depths of Wisdom and of Knowledge in Him Rom. 11. 33. that we should think upon with Admiration for if in our wisdom we think to correct His wayes and quarrel against them and not comply with them he will destroy the Wisdom of the wise 1 Cor. 1 19 20. O what a guilt must this be to proclame ourselves wiser than He is and better able to order all things aright at least what concerneth ourselves The very hauk will not flie by our wisdom Iob 39 26. and shall we think to prescribe Rules to God 4. It is a calling in question of His Absolute Power and Soveraignity As if He might not do what he pleased but were obnoxious to us and bound to give an account of his wayes to us or could do injustice or wrong to any As if he had not that Power over His Creatures to whom he hath given being and all they have that the Potter hath over the lump of Clay or we have over our beasts which are our fellow-creatures and hold not their being of us And must not this be a great sin 5. When we are sinfully anxious and disquieted with his Dispensations towards his Church We call into question His Faithfulness and Care of and also his Love to his Church as if he had forgotten to be gracious and would be merciful no more and cared not that she perished as Christs Disciples said Mark. 4 38. contrare to 1 Pet. 5 7. And this sure must be no small sin 6. We hereby proclame Him to be an imperfect Worker and say that He is not God for his works who is God cannot but be perfect and his Way also Deut. 32 4. 2 Sam. 22 31. 7. We profess ourselves hereby able to finde out the depths of His wayes and to search Him out unto Perfection as was said to Iob Chap. 11 v. 7. Why else will we think to reprove Him and amend what He hath done as if it were amisse 8. When we are dissatisfied with His Dispensations towards us we really accuse the Most Holy of Injustice as if indeed He had wronged us and we had deserved better at His hands though all His wayes are Judgment and though He be a God of Truth and without Iniquity and just and right Deut. 42 vers 4. Eliphaz said to Iob after he heard his complaints Chap. 3. Iob 4 vers 17. Shall mortal man be more just than God Shall a man be more pure than his Maker Elihu said well Iob 34 vers 17. Shall we condemne him that is most just What a sin must it be to lay such an Imputation on Him who hath justice and judgment for the habitation of his throne Ps. 89 vers 14 and who is excellent in power and in judgment and in plenty of Iustice Iob 37 vers 23 Next The Consideration of this should cause us watch against this evil and labour for another frame of heart that will be more complying with the Wayes and Works of the Lord. And for this cause we should take another look of the Works of the Lord and consider them in another manner than we usually do and this bringeth me to the Third thing in the Text which will also lead us to a further improvment of this impossibility of helping what we suppose is amisse in the Works and Dispensations of the Lord. Thirdly Therefore let us see what way we should consider the Works of the Lord to the end we may have a suteable frame of spirit complying sweetly with all the crooks that are or we suppose to be in Gods Way and Works for in reference to this only shall we speak of considering the Works of the Lord. We should then consider the Works of the Lord whether of Creation or of Providence 1. So as that thereby we may become rooted and more setled in the Faith of this that He alone is Iehovah above all Gods and this would do much to quiet and calme our spirits For our murmuring at or displeasure with what He doth floweth from the want of the clear sight and apprehension of the hand of the only Supream and Soveraigne God therein Hence to the end that people may set Him above all imagined false and supposed God's he readeth a lecture to them of His great works Esai 40. from vers 12. and forward and inferreth once and againe vers 18 25. to whom then will ye liken God Or what likeness will ye compare with him So he setteth forth several remarkable works that He would do for his Church that they may see and know and consider and understand together that the hand of the Lord hath done this and that the holy One of Israel hath created this Esai 41 vers 20. And when we consider His Works so as to see Him alone to be Jehovah the Absolute and Soveraigne King Creator Conservator and Disposer of all Things according to His own will and pleasure then our hearts will bow more and submit unto His holy Determination and we will learne to say with good old Eli 1 Sam. 3 18. It is the Lord Jehovah let him do what seemeth him good 2. We should consider the works of the Lord till we finde thereby that He alone is the wise Governour of the World and that there is a beauty of Divine Wisdom to be seen and observed on all even on that which we account most crooked in our blinde and byassed judgments Thus did holy Iob Chap. 12. contemplate the most crooked like works of the Lord such as His breaking down shutting up of
a man sending-out waters to overturne the earth leading Counsellours away spoiled making the judges fools removing the speach of the trusty taking away the understanding of the aged pouring contempt upon Princes weakening the strength of the mighty destroying and straitning the nations taking away the heart of the chiefe of the People of the earth causing them to wander in a Wilderness wherein is no way to grope in the dark without light and making them to stagger as a drunken man and he saw in the midst of all this vers 12 13 16. that with the ancient is wisdom even wisdom and strength and that he had counsel and understanding Such a sight as this of the great and wonderful works of God would cause us put our mouth in the dust and adore the Depths of the Counsel of God and be far from quarrelling with Him for any thing he doth and when any thing appeareth crooked to us to suspect our own folly and ignorance as not seeing in to the profound Projects wise and unsearchable Contrivances of the only wise God rather than impute folly and ignorance to the only wise God It were best that we saw that we ourselves were beasts Ecâ—…les 〈◊〉 18. 3. It were our wisdom to consider the works of the Lord so as to finde out see and observe his Loving Kindness After a long rehearsal of the mighty and considerable works of God both of Creation and Providence and that both as to the whole world and more especially as to the Church Psal. 104 and 105 and 106 and 107. in end the Psalmist Psal. 107 43. saith VVho so is wise and will observe those things even they shall understand the loving kindness of the Lord. There is a loving kindness ingraven upon all the works and wayes of the Lord a sight of which would teach us to acquiesce more heartily in all He doth and submit more sweetly unto the most sowr and rugged of His Dispensations The faith and the sight of this would make all the works of the Lord appear most straight and lovely to us and therefore that our hearts may comply moâ—…e heartsomely and christianly with the works and dispensations of God and that we may be keeped from so much as desireing to have his wayes and dispensations other then they are let us study and meditate upon the works that He doth till we discover therein this mystery of loving kindness that is wrapped up in all and brought about by all that this great God doth in the world about and for His Church 4. We should also consider and contemplate the works of the Lord for this end and until we did remark in some measure the Purity Unspotted Holiness Righteousness and Integrity of this great Worker Hos. 14 9. Who is wise and he shall understand these things Prudent and he shall know them For the wayes of the Lord are right and the just shall walk in them but the transgressours shall fall therein There is in all the wayes of the Lord whether we see it or not a divine and singular Righteousness and it is the want of the sight of this that makes us quarrel Ieremiah knew that God was righteous yet he did not see it so clearly as was necessary in the Dispensations of the Lord and therefore he sayeth Chap. 12 1 2. as desireous to reason the case with God VVherefore doth the way of the wicked prosper VVherefore are all they happy that deal very treacherously Thou hast planted them yea they have taken root they grow yea they bring forth fruit c. So Hab. 1 2 3. O Lord how long shall I cry and thou wilt not hear cry out unto thee of violence and thou wilt not save VVhy dost thou shew me iniquity and cause me to behold grievance For spoiling and violence are before me and there are that raise up strife and contention And againe vers 13. VVherefore lookest thou upon them that deal treacherously and holdest thâ—… tongue when the wicked devoureth the man that is more righteous than â—…e c Therefore it would be our wisdom so to consider the works of the Lord as to be confirmed in the faith of this that the Lord is Just and Righteous in all He doth and so as to finde new and fresh demonstrations thereof and then our hearts will be more calme under all more ready to submit to acquiesce in all that the Lord doth 5. We would study dwell upon the thoughts of and consider the works of the Lord till we see and observe in them something of the Stateliness Excellency and Majesty of God for in His works which are honourable and glorious wonderful and powerful Psal. 111 2 3 4 6. there are discoveries to be had of His excellent Majesty yea a Spiritual eye can discerne this in the most common obvious and ordinary of his works Elihu saw this in the bright light which is in the clouds in windes cleansing of them in faire weather coming out of the North for after this he addeth Iob. 37 21. With God is terrible Majesty God is indeed terrible in his doing to the Children of men Ps. 66 5. and this we will be convinced of if we will come and see and rightly consider His works If we were thus studying the excellent works of the Lord we durst not censure or condemne Him or His works But would rather fear as it is Ps. 64 9. And all men shall fear and shall declare the work of God for they shall wisely consider of his doing And this would be our wisdom wherefore after much said of the commendation of the works of the Lord the Psalmist closeth the Psal. 111. with this vers 10. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom The fear of the Lord taught and learned by the works of the Lord would prove our wisdom This is one special use that we should make of His stately doings I know said the wise man Eccles. 3 14. that whatsoâ—…ver God doth it shall be for ever nothing can be put to it noâ—… any thing taken from it And God doth it that men should fear before Him See also Iob. 37. vers 22 23 24. and vers 14 15 16. 6. It were good to be so considering and meditating on the works of the Lord until we came to have low and abasing thoughts of ourselves thus did the Psalmist Ps. 8. contemplate the work of God ver 1 2 3. And then addeth vers 4. What is man that thou art mindful of him And the Son of man that thou visâ—…test him And this would stop our mouth when we were beginning to quarrel at any thing He doth and we would soon see cause of silence before Him because we would see that we were but beasts 7. We would so contemplate the works of the Lord as to see and observe how wisely steadily irresistibly He Ordereth Carrieth on His works for throughing and bringing about His designed Ends. It is our ignorance
now shall they be among the Gentiles as a vessel wherein is no pleasure for they are gone up to Assyria 17. When people settling on their lees grow secure and carnally confident as afraid of nothing as if they were without the reach of God's hand and all hazard then it is to be feared that God shall make it appear that He is stronger than they For this likewise was the sin of Iudah Ier. 21 13 14. Behold I am against thee O Inhabitant of the valley and rock of the plaine saith the Lord which say who shall come down against us or who shall enter into our habitations But I will punish you according to the fruit of your doings and I will kindle a fire in the forest thereof and it shall devoure all things round about This was also charged on Israel by Amos Chap. 6 13. Ye which rejoice in a thing of nought which say have we not taken to ourselves horns by our own strength For which cause see what followeth Vers 14. But behold I will raise up against you a nation O ouse of Israel saith the Lord the God of Hosts and they shall afflict you from the entering in of Hemath unto the Riâ—…er of the Wilderness The like we finde Amos 9 10 All the sinners of my People shall die by the Sword which say the evil shall not overtake nor prevent us See Ezek. 9 9 10. 18. When a People have followed these courses of sin notwithstanding of many reiterated warnings and admonitions given by the Lords Servants then it is to be feared that God shall wait upon them with warnings no longer but shall once for all send a devouring stroke that they shall not with all their cries get prevented nor taken off them according to that Prov. 29 1. He that being often reproved hardeneth his neck shall suddainly be destroyed and that without remedie And that Prov. 1 2â—… to 31. Because I have called and ye refuseâ—… c. I also will laugh at your calamity and mock when your fear cometh when your fear cometh as desolation and your destruction cometh as a whirle winde Then shall ye call upon me but I will not answere c. Thus was it with this People of Iudah Jer. 7 13. And now because ye have done all these works saith the Lord and I spoke unto you riseing up early and speaking but ye heard not I called you but ye answered not Then it followeth Vers 14 15. Therefore will I do unto this House as I have done to Shiloh And I will cast you out of my sight as I have cast out of my sight all your Brethren The whole Seed of Ephraim And then He addeth Vers 16. Therefore pray not thou for this People The same sin is againe charged upon them Vers 25 26 27 28. And then it followeth Vers 29. Cut off thine Hair ô Jerusalem and cast it away and take up a lamentation for the Lord hath rejected and forsaken the generation of his wrath So Jer. 25. vers 3. the Prophet tels them in the fourth Yeer of Jeâ—…ojakim that he had spoken unto them 23. Year viz. from the 13. Year of Jâ—…siah but in all vaine and Vers 4. that the Lord had sent unto them all his servants the Prophets but all was in vaine Vers 7. Therefore sad judgments are threatened Vers 8 9 10 11. even utter desolation and slavery under the King of Babylon full 70 Years Vers 12. See also Ch. 29 17 18 19. and 35 17. This was Israels sin also Hos. 5 2 and 6 5 6 7. and 9 17. My God will cast them away because they did not hearken unto Him And they shall be wanderers among the Nations 19. When People not only will not take warning but also tush at warnings then may they fear that God shall be avenged upon them for thus was it with this People of Judah Jer 5 11 12 13. For the House of Israel and the House of Jâ—…dah have dealt very trecherously against me They have belied the Lord and said It is not He neither shall evil come upon us neither shall we see sword nor famine And the Prophets shall become winde and the word is not in them Therefore is destruction by the Caldeans threatned in the following Verses 14 15 16 17. See also Ier. 6 10 11 12. So Jer. 18 v. 12 13. When the Lord threatned sad dayes to come upon them all the use they made of it was They said there is no hop but we will walk after our own devices and we will every one do the imagination of his evil heart We know what that wicked King did with the roll of threatenings Ierem. 36. but see what followed thereupon Vers 30 31. andanother roll is written with additions Vers 32. 20. When People turn so impudent in their wayes and so fixed in their sinful courses that there is no moving of them by all the warnings that can be used nay they become enraged at and persecute such as do admonish them or exhort them to amend then the case seemeth to be desperat and their destruction must come for thus was it with Judah 2 Chron. 36 15 16 They mocked the Messengers of God and misused His Prophets until the Lord arose against his People till there was no remedy And what sufferings Jeremiah met with at their hands for his faithfulness his book telleth us Chapters 11 and 26 and 38. So was it with Israel Amos 5 10. They hate him that rebuketh in the gate they abhore him that speaketh uprightly See also Amos 7 10. to the end Upon which followed Chapter 8 v. 2. the end is come upon my People Israel I will not againe passe by them any more How much more may a People or a generation among whom not one or two or a few onely of those sins are to be found but all of them fear that such a stroke be coming that no prayer or humane intercession shall avert The Lord tels us by Ezekiel Ch. 14. that when He breaketh the staff of bread and sendeth famine on a land because of their trespassing grievously though these three Men Noah Daniel and Job were in it they should deliver but their own souls Vers 13 14. And againe if He spoile the land by noisome beasts though these three Men were in it they should deliver neither Sons nor Daughters c. Vers 15 16. So when He bringeth a Sword upon the Land v. 17 18. or a Pestilence v. 19 20. And then addeth v. 21. How much more when I send my foure sore judgments upon Ierusalem the Sword and Famine and the noisome Beasts and the Pestilâ—…ce to cuâ—…t off from it man and beast that is how much more shall I go on and devoure And how much less shall they think to escape upon the Petitions of Noah Daniel and Iob or upon the account of their relations to them So if upon one or two or a few of the forementioned sins we finde that
8. We are troubled on every side yet not distressed we are perplexed but not in despair persecuted but not forsaken cast down but not destroyed 4. Their Impatience is likewise occasioned by considering that their Trouble and Affliction is still growing when they supposed that it should have decreased But the right Improvement of this Truth would frame the Soul for patience notwithstanding hereof because the beleever would see ground to say grow as it will the hand of the Lord is about it it will grow to no greater height than he seeth good let Enemies blow at the fire as fast and with as great earnestness as they will the furnace shall be no hoter than the Supream Master and Over-ruler of all seeth fit for the ends He intendeth He knoweth the nature of the mettall and how hote a fire will serve the turn to purge it 5. This also raiseth impatient thoughts in their heart That they can see no appearance of an outgate all doores are so shut that no hope appeareth thus was it with Iob therefore hath he many such expressions as Chap. 7. vers 6. My daies are swifter than a weavers shuttle and are spent without hope Vers. 7. Mine eye shall no more see good Vers. 8. The eye of him that hath seen me shall see me no more But this Impatience would evanish if this were beleeved That the Lord's hand were in and about the affliction making a faire way to a saife escape and at length in his own due time putting a period to the Trouble when his work is finished the end He designed attained and if it were firmly beleeved that let Enemies make all as sure as they can and rage as they will they shall not be able to keep them longer under their yron harrowes than He seeth good no not one day nor an houre 3. The right improvement of this Consideration would help unto an holy and sweet Submission and cause us say with David Psal. 39. vers 9. I was dumb not opening my mouth because thou didst it When Aaron met with a sad dispensation two of his prime sones Nadab and Abihu were taken away in the fiour of their age and that in a very terrible manner by fire from heaven for their rashness and when Moses told him Levit. 10. vers 3. That this was it which the Lord spoke saying I will be sanctified of all them that come neer me it is said of him And Aaron held his peace A sight of the hand of God though in a terrible manner in that dispensation made him lay his hand upon his mouth and sit silent in the dust He had not one word to say So that a sight of the hand of God in the dispensation ordering all things in it would help them unto a Christian yea unto a cheerful Submission It would not be patience by force but an hearty willing cheerful choosing bearing and embracing of that lot because bound on their back by the hand of God Shall we not drink would they say this potion with delight that God hath prepared and carefully made up for us He knoweth what is best for us Shall we not willingly lye under the crosse that God hath tyed upon us when He knoweth what He is doing and what we must not want and will not sufler us to be temâ—…ted above what we are able When His good time is come there will be an end and all the power of Enemies shall not obstruct our Delivery The Church Micah 7. vers 9. could sweetly sit down and bear the indignation of the Lord when by faith she could say Rejoice not against me O mine Enemie when I fall I shall arise when I sit in darkness the Lord shall be alight unto me He will bring me forth to the light and I shall behold his righteousness V. 8 9. 4. The beleeving improvment of this would keep the beleever from fainting and sincking through discouragment many thoughts come into the minde while affliction is lying on their loines and Satan can suggest many things at that time to cause the poor man succumb while under the load but the faith of God's Soveraigne and Absolute O dering of all things in and about the Trouble according to his own mind would keep up their head and preserve them from a sinful and shamful fainting They look too much to instruments and pore too much upon their Nature Disposition Activity Power Wisdom Wickedness Maliciousness Rage Cruelty and Indefatigableness and forget that they are but under agents and can do nothing but as the Supream God Willeth Ordert he Disposeth and Permitteth and that He alone Over-ruleth all Moderateth and Ordereth all according to His own mind and for His own holy ends So that they cannot do any thing whether as to the Substance or as to the Circumstances of the affliction but as He who is the Supream Master of work is pleased to suffer and give way unto 5. The beleeving thoughts of this Truth would keep the Soul from that dreadful sin of Murmuring against the Lord upon occasion of any Trouble or Distress he meeteth with It is the Lord would the Soul say and who am I that I should quarrel with Him He is ordering disposing and moderating all that under agents and lixes are doing so that all things are done as He will and shall I yet be displeased and quarrelsome Enemies cannot get their will They are over-ruled in all their Consultations Projects Contrivances bloudy Resolutions and cruel Executions matters go not as they will but as He will who is over them and why then should I murmure and repine against Him 6. This would also airth the Eyes of the soul towards the right object in a day of Trouble They would not with Heathens look to chance or fortune as ruling and ordering all nor would they with the carnal multitude fâ—…x their eye upon the instruments and run with the dog to the stone that is cast at him but would see another more noble object of their sight to wit the Principal Agent Mover and Orderer of all in whose hand the wicked are as the ax and saw in the hand of the workman and as the rod in the hand of the father and this sight would help unto a Spiritual Christian frame of Godly fear Subjection of Soul and would put the soul in case to observe the Wisdom Soveraignity and absolute Dominion of God doing what He will frustrating the toakens of the liars and disappointing the craftie devices of wicked men as also this sight would minde the man of Christian duties of searching his wayes repenting of his sinnes and turning againe to the Lord for he would see it was the Lord with whom he had to do He would look for his Outgate and Salvation from God alone so that his Faith his Hope and his Confidence would be in the Lord alone His eye being fixed on this object he would not see cause of troublâ—…ng himself much about-Enemies
or how he might procure their favour and so would be keeped from Temptations to any sinful compliance or accommodation So would he be preserved from temptations to the using of unlawful meanes for an outgate Thus we see how advantagious this eyeing of the Lord in the day of Trouble is unto the afflicted and the faith and improvement of this Consideration cannot but airth the souls eye unto this object 7. The right improving of this Truth would free the beleever from many carnal disquâ—…eting distracting and perplexing feares He is ready to say oh I cannot ride out this storme I shall one day fall by the hand of Saul the next blast of temptation shall blow me over I cannot but at length faint and succumb and the Enemie shall have matter of joy and all God's people shall be made to mourn for were it beleeved that God Ordered Disposed and Over-ruled all the beleever would see no ground for these feares for he would see that no blast could blow but as He would no storme could come sooner than He thought good nor continue longer than He saw convenient nor be more violent and strong let Enemies threaten and rage as they pleased than He saw good He would see the hand of God measuring out all so as he needed not fear to be over-charged or if the trouble were indeed greater than he could well stand under he might see the Lord fitting him by secret strength for it 8. Finally the faith of this and the right improvement of it would preserve the soul from a dead and senseless stupidity under the rod or stoical frame as unconcerned with what befalleth them which hath no affinity with but is utterly repugnant to a Christian frame and to Christian valour and undaunted courage This looketh liker to the frame of an Atheist than of a Child of God who trembleth and feareth when he seeth the rod in his Fathers hand and dar not despise the chastening of the Lord. Now a sight of God's hand in all Ordering Timeing and Seasoning Mixing and Compounding Limiting and Bounding Qualifying and Restricking Terminating and Ending Directing and Over-ruling would perserve the soul from a dead Temper and cause him mark and observe the footsteps of Royal Soveraignity Majesty Wisdom Power Goodness Care and Tenderness CONSIDERATION XI Christ himself had a suffering life WHen the Leaders and Commanders of an Army are to bring the Infantrie thorow some deep water they use to alight off their horses and walk on foot that they may take a share of the same lot with the souldiers that thereby they may the more encourage them to wade with cheerfulness thorow the water and it proveth indeed some matter of Encouragment to souldiers to follow their Leaders be the way never so uneasie Our Lord Jesus in like manner who is called the Captaine of our Salvation Hebr. 2. vers 10. knowing that his followers had both fire and water to go thorow Esai 43. vers 2. the more to encourage them to endure that hard lot would come down off his Throne of Majestie and State and take a share of the lot himself yea and go before them to break the ice Therefore it cannot but be most advantagious for the souldiers of Christ. who have a mind to run the race that is set before them to be looking in the time of their affliction upon this Captain according to the advice which the Apostle giveth unto the afflicted and persecuted Hebrews Chap. 12. vers 2. Looking unto Iesus the Author and finisher of faith who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross and despised the shame 3. Consider Him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself lest ye be wearied and fainte in your mindes For this same end and purpose do we finde the Apostle Peter proposing this example for the encouragment of a number of poor scattered and afflicted saints 1 Petr. 2. vers 21. For even hereunto were ye called because Christ also suffered for us leaving us an example that ye should follow his steps And againe Chap. 3. vers 17 18. For it is better if the will of God be so that ye suffer for wel doing than for evil doing for Christ also hath once suffered the just fâ—…r the unjust that He might bring us to God It will then be of no small advantage to afflicted persons to have this Copie and Example laid before them if He would help us to speak unto it in any measure to edification It will not be necessary to speak of this subject of Christ's Sufferings in the full latitude but it will be sufficient to speak of them only in reference to the end proposed as an Encouraging Example and in order to this we shall only do these Two things 1. We shall mention and propose some particulars considerable in the sufferings of Christ which may be sutable matter for the thoughts of a Child of God in affliction to dwell upon 2. Speak some things to the advantagious improvement of the same in a day of Trouble As to the first we shall onely mention these particulars considerable 1. The Person who was put to all these Sufferings was no ordinary person we think more of the sufferings of a Noble-man Prince King or great Potentate than of the Sufferings of a mean poor man What shall we then think of the Sufferings of Christ who was higher than the Princes of the earth who was King of Kings and Lord of Lords He was in the form of God having the same Essential Divine form with the Father He thought it not robbery to be equal with God having the same Divine Nature and Properties Phil. 2. vers 6. And yet for all this He made himself of no reputation and took upon him the forme of a servant And being found in the fashion of a man he humbled himself and became obedient unto death even the death of the cross vers 7 8. Even He who was the Ancient of dayes who was set up from everlasting from the beginning ere ever the earth was Prov. 8. vers 23. Even He was put to end his dayes in paine and sorrow He whose goings forth have been from of old from everlasting Mica 5 2. Who wasthe Creator of the ends of the earth who was with God by whom all things were made and without whom was not any thing made that was madâ—… Ioh. 1. vers 1 2 3. Even He it was who was put to all this suffering What a wonder is this That the everlasting Father the Prince of peace the mighty God as He is called Esai 9. vers 6. should become a man of sorrowes and acquanted with griefe Esai 53 3. That the High and holy one who inhabiteth eternity and whose perfections and vertues are past finding out should be found in the fashion of a suffering Man That God should be thus manifest in the flesh 1 Tim 3. vers 16 This is a subject worthy of our thoughts That He who was