IOY IN Tribulation OR CONSOLATIONS FOR AFFLICTED SPIRITS By PHINEES FLETCHER B.D. and Minister of Gods Word at Hilgay in Norfolke PSAL. 34. 19. Many are the troubles of the righteous but the Lord delivereth him out of all LONDON Printed for Iames Boler dwelling at the signe of the Marigold in Pauls Church-yard 1632. TO THE TRVLY HONOVRABLE MY MOST HONOred Cousins Sir WALTER ROBERTS Knight and Baronet and to his gracious Lady everlasting Consolaâ—ioâ—s of the Eternall Comforter SIR your very ancient Gentry doth not so enoble you in the eyes of the world as your new man in the sight of the Church 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith that ancient eloquent Father The new birth is the noblest birth In the Creation Man was the first and last creature last in time first in place and dignily being made the Sonne of God and the great Favourite of heaven And now the New Creature though last borne as Iacob yet as Iacâ—b obtaines the birth-right and over-tops the elder The best Herald Gods blessed Spirit preferres the Beraeans as more Noble or best borne who received the Word with all readinesse of minde c. And surely if high bloud of Generous parents sets us aloft in the eye of the world how much more lustre among Christians will that immortall seede give you whereby you are borne not of bloud nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man but of God Now though I well know that the neare relation of fleshly Alliance and bloud which is betwixt us beside many other knots of friendship have tyed my heart long since unto you both in all unfeyned affection yet this spirituall kindred is a much dearer and nearer linke uniting my soule unto you in the bond of the Spirit so that I can truly say with that blessed Apostle I am affectionately desirous of you and willing to impart to you not onely this slender fruit of the Gospell but mine owne soule bebause you were deare unto mee I am confident you will receive this pledge of love with the same afâ—ection with which it is presented and therefore leaving these few Consolations to the application of that great Comforter and your selves with all your Olive branches unto the Vnction of that holy one and perfect growth of the blessed Spirit I commend the weake Author to your Christian love and prayers who while hee is shall ever be Your willing servant in the Lord Iesus PHINEES FLETCHER TO THE POORE in SPIRIT CHristian Reader Whosoever thou art who mournest and art humbled under the sense of spirituall povertie to thee belongs that blessednesse of the heavenly kingdome and strong consolations of that great Comforter witnesse he that bought it for thee and by his owne mouth hath bequeathed it to thee in his Testament But how cunning Satan is to hide this evidence from thy blubbered eyes wâ—ll neede no other testimonie then thine owne unquiet and dejected spirit The height of grace is rejoycing in the Lord and this is a joy unâ—peakeable and glorious and indeede a lesser heâ—ven upon earth Now that cursed enemie envies thee that thy future heaven but is raging mad that thou should'st even here also enjoy an heaven of joy in this vale of teares therefore employes all his policies and fallacies to hinder thy rejoycing and to hold downe thy heart in distrustfull feares and sorrowes Thou maist easily observe that none have beene more câ—st downe in this uncomfortable mourning then those who thou wilt confes have had most cause of rejoicing That Princely Prophet had the oath of God attesting by his holinesse that he would not faile David And I know thou wilt acknowledge that he was in the deepest mourning a blessed Saint and had great cause to rejoyce alwaies in the Lord yet was there a time when his soule lay groaning under an intolerable burthen of heavie discomforts He that when hee walked in darkenesse and had no light when not one sparke of earthly consolation shined forth unto him could yet stay himselfe on the Lord and could fill his heart in this wane nay ecclipse with the borrowed light of his countenance â—ven this Saint found a time when his soule refused comfort when even the remembrance of â—od his maine cordiall became his speâ—iall coâ—asive so that his spirit was overwhelmed with it Reade carefully that 77 Psalme and thou wilt confesse that thy troubles of spirit doe not equall at least cannot exceede his It is a constant practice of Satan to hold and rocke a carnall heart in all presumptuous quietnesse and rejoycing and if he may to keepe downe the beleeving soule in continuall unchearefulnesse and mourning I have desired therefore to publish this little Treatise which God hath blessed to some in private that if he be pleased to glorifie his power in great weakenesse thy wounds may be suppled if not cured and to give occasion to some Brother who hath more gifts and lesse employment to enlarge this excellent subject Remember thou that the joy of the Lord is thy strength Oh let not thy sorrow no not for sinne drowne thy rejoycing in that Saviour who is become sinne for thee that thou mightest bee the righteousnesse of God in him I know when thy soule is farre from peace thou wilt be readie to say My strength and my hope is perished from the Lord but remember the Lord is thy portion Remember It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord. And let thy heart be assured and in that assurance comforted that The Lord is good unto them that wait for him to the soule that seeketh Waite for thy Lord for hee will come and will not tarry Hee that testifies these things saith Surely I come quickly Amen Even so Come Lord Jesus If you receive any profit let mee have some use of it in thy prayers Thy compassionate Fellow-member P. F. CHRISTIAN CONSOLATIONS FOR THE AFFLICTED SPIRIT CHAP. I. The necessitie of comfort in this life AS in this estat of mortalitie our weak bodies stand in coÌ„tinual need of reparation as well by Phyâ—icall purgations to dissolve and cast out ill humours which through distemper either of ayre or dyet have crept in upon us as continually by seasonable refreshings and some exercise to gather maintaine strength and health so and much more our weaker Spirits in this sinfull world so subiect to backsliding have much necessity of continuall comfort as well to raise up our fainting soules when they are staggering through unbeliefe as to under-prop and hold them fast when they stand by faith For Comfort in the large sense being nothing else but the fortifying the heart against the assault of evill it cannot be denied but that malicious enemy of man especially of Christian men holds every one in a straight siedge and failes not to make battery by all manner of engines against soule
temporall and eternall Wherefore is the living man sorrowfull Man suffereth for his sinne Your iniquities have hindered good things from you and your sinnes have turned away these things In a word reade Deutr. 28. from the 15. ver to the end and wee shall there finde that the disobedience breach of Gods law which is sinne 1 Ioh. 3.4 is that needle which draweth after it the whole file and long thred of misery and evill Againe that God is the soveraigne disposer who ordereth it according to his owne pleasure is most evident Out of the mouth of God proceedeth not evill and good yes answereth the same Prophet Spirit We have transgressed and rebelled and thou hast not pardoned Thou hast covered with anger and persecuted us thou hast slain and hast not pittied thou hast covered thy selfe with a cloud that our prayer shold not passe through thou hast made us the of-scouring and refuse in the midst of the people Shall there be any evill in a Citie and the Lord hath not done it I make peace and create evill Moreover that the generall end and office of affliction is as a trumpet to summon and call us into the Courts of God to lay downe our rebellion and acknowledge our fealty is every where manifest in Scripture I prepare a plague and purpose a thing against you returne therefore every one I have given you cleannesse of teeth yet have you not turned unto me I have with-holden the raine yet have you not returned unto me Pestilence have I sent among you yet have you not returned to meeâ— I have over-throwne you as Sodome and Gomorra yet have you not returned to me where the Lord most plainly discovereth his end of sending in so many grievances among them namely that they might returne by repentance I have smitten your children in vaine they have received no correction Affliction is no good end when correction or amendment followeth not Wherfore should you be smitten any more you fall away more and more The speciall end why God smiteth ceaseth wheÌ„ men reject repentance Furâ—hermore that Affliction is a messenger of wrath and indeede the gate of hell to the Reprobate will easily appeare by many plaine testimonies Fire is kindled in my wrath and shall burne to the bottome of hell I will send plagues among them I will bestow mine arrowes upon them Such were those afflictions laid upon Caine Saul Iudas c. Especially this truth wil be cleared in those plagus spent on Pharaoh and Egypt which were not appointed by God or ever intended as means to reclaime him else God would have rebuked Satan and not suffered him to harden the heart of that heathen King by them to further obstinacy but 1. to make his resistance more unexcusable 2. to be fore-runners to his destruction of body and soule For to this end God appointed him to shew his power in him even that power of the Potter over the clay to mak one vessell to honour another to dishonour that power whereby hee hath mercy on whom hee will have mercie and whom be will he hardeneth Compare Exod. 9. 16. with Rom. 9.17.18.21 But that Afflictions are Embassadours of peace to the faithfull and indeede a narrow gate yet a gate leading to their happinesse shall most clearely bee shewed by that which followeth and in the meane time may be sufficiently manifested by the testimony of the Apostle Wee must through many afflictions enter into the kingdome of God Now all afflictions may be differenced eyther from the subject in which they exist or the end for which they are sent The subject in which they exist is either soule or body where I so farre extend the words as to include in them al necessaries belonging to both Thus blindnes hardnesse deadnesse of heart terrors griefe desertions of the Spirit sinful infirmity many other may be reckoned among the evils and afflictions of soule so sicknesse payne losse of friends poverty disgrace and infinite other hanging upon the body and bodily estate Againe they may be considered from their end why they are sent by God namely for correctioÌ„ to some to others for confusion thus they are chastisements to his children to rebels punishmeÌ„ts It will therfore mâ—ch further our proceeding if wee briefly lay downe the difference between chastismeÌ„t punishmeÌ„t First then it is more apparent then can be denied that in the matter of them there is none or little difference For in outward evils All things come alike to all the same condâ—tion to the just unjust to him that sweareth and to him that feareth an oath So likewise many spirituall evils are common to al which is evidently cleared in the testimonies of many afflicted Saints The arrowes of the Almighty are within me the poyson whereof drinketh up my spirit the terrours of God doe set themselues in array against me Thou writest bitter things against mee and makest me possesse the iniquities of my youth Thus David complaineth that hee had lost the joy of Gods salvation see also Psal. 38.2 and 2 Cor. 7.5 So then both the faithfull and unfaithfull suffer many evils and the same afflictions in the matter of them befall both Secondly it must bee remembred that by reason of this neerenesse in their matter they are sometimes used one for another and punishment called chastisement and chastisement used for punishment though not ofâ—en yet sometime even the Scripture useth these termes promiscuously affirming the godly to be punished and the heathen chastened But in propriety of speeâ—h there is very much and palpable difference For Divine chastisement is such affliction which God of his fatherly wisedome and love layes upon his children for the triall and increase of his grace in them here and their glory in him hereafter sustayning them in the meane time by his Spirit and so bringing forth in them the fruit of holinesse and righteousnesse Contrary Divine punishment is that affliction which God in wrath and hatred layeth upon the wicked as an enemy to their confusion and further damnation with-holding the comfort and saving worke of his holy Spirit which therefore produceth in them murmuring despayre and blaspheming CHAP. IIII. The difference betweene punishnishment and chastisement OBserve from hence five manifest differeces wherby the chastisements of God are distinguished from his punishments The first is from the fountayne or cause whence they issue Chastisement is from a fatherly love and faithfulnesse in his Covenant Whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth scourgeth every â—on whom he receiveth As many as I love I rebuke chasten See also Pr. 3.12 His promise in his Covenant is If they break my Statuts keep not my Commandements Then will I visite their transgression with the rod their iniquity with strokes My Covenant will I not break c. I haue sworn by my holinesse I will not faile David
The Prophet knowing this confesseth I know that of very faithfulnes thou hast afflicted me Contrarily the punishment of the wicked is from the wrath of God as an Enemy The wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodlinesse and unrighteousnesse of men which with-hold the truth in unrighteousnesse Vpon them that disobey the truth shall be indignation and wrath Thus when the Lord had set down the great provocations of that rebellious people he infers Fire is kindled in my wrath and shall burne to the bottome of hell I will make thee to passe with thine enemies into a land which thou knowest not for a fire is kindled in mine anger whâ—ch shall burne upon you The second difference is in the subject Divine chastisement is proper to the children of God but punishment bâ—longeth to rebels God scourgeâ—h every son whom he receiveth but bastards are without correctâ—on which is more evideÌ„tly taught us in that word of the original there rendred chastise 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is derived from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a sonne or childe Reason also will further confirme it For correction being the cutting off the offence that the offender may be reconciled belongeth therefore to children But punishment is the cutting off the offender that others may take heede and beware and therefore is due to rebels and traitors The third difference is the finall cause or end unto which these afflictions are aymed The end of chastisement is amendment of life whence it receiveth the mine of corrâ—ction which signifieth to set righâ— or strait Before I was afflâ—cted I went astray but now I keepe thy wordâ— As many as I loue I rebuke and chasten be zealous therefore and amend Another end is trial and exercise of our faith love patience and other graces Hence afflictions called a fiery triall to prove us So another Apostle calls tentations The triall of our faith Consider also that saying of Saint Peter 1 Pet. 1.6.7 Looke as by some paynefull worke in putting forth the strength of the armes legges c. for the overcomming of some difficulties the body is exercised the sinewes and other organicall parts much confirmed the vital and all the members not a little strengthened so when our faith love patience or any other member of the new man is employed in any spirituall actions wherein some fleshly Combatant is vehemently opposed certaine is it that howsoever for the present there may follow some sense at least of weaknesse yet even the grace so tried and the whole inward man gathers much comfort and activenesse from such fiery trials For it is the very exercise of the spirituall man yeelding excellent fruit to those that are exercised by it For as trees shaken with the winde are better rooted so grace after a storme is more firmly setled PatieÌ„ce is wroght out perfited by tribulatioÌ„ grows fruitful in experieÌ„câ— wheÌ„ we grow highin our own conceit and begin to be exalted above measure then this affliction as a pruning knife tops our pride abaseth us in our owne eyes and humbles us under the mighty hand of God Remembring the gall and wormewood my soule is humbled within mee Thus when Peter arrogantly preferreh his faith and love above all his fellow Apostles and all men If all men be offended because of thee yet will I never bee offended strooken downe with that triall and sifted hee left his swelling conceit behinde him in the sieve and laying aside his comparisons answereth in a more modest streine Simon lovest thou mee more then these Lord saith hee thou knowest that I love thee So also that choice vessell of God was kept downe by the buffeter of Satan nay even the assurance and increase of our glory is intended and wrought by afflictions But hath the Lord any such end in the punishment of the ungodly No but for this cause have I appointed thee that I might shew my power in thee The fourth difference is in the adjunct The assistance of Gods holy Spirit with streÌ„gth comfortably to beare whatsoever is imposed is ever adjoyned to chastisement God is faithfull who will not suffer you to be tempted above that which you are able but will give the issue with the temptation that you may be able to beare God comforteth us in all our tribulations This we evidently see exemplified in Iob who being assailed with al maner of temptations yet was even mightily supported by that powerful Spirit by whom in the middest of that fiery furnace which like that of Nebuchadnezzar was heated seven times more than usual he was strongly sustayned in faith Though he slay me I will trust in him He shall be my salvation I know I shall be iustified I am sure my Redeemer liveth Contrary the punishments of the wicked are no way lightned by this blessed Comforter and therefore they instantly sinke under them as Saul Caine and Iudas Observe this truth in one instance Peter is apprehended imprisoned bound with two chains between two souldiers All this breaketh not his rest he sleeps stroÌ„g light could not awake him till he was smote on the side by the Angell hee knew the next day was his last yet see how soundly he sleeps when he awakes he sees a sudden great light but without any feare This rest came not from flesh and bloud but that blessed Spirit speaking peace to his soule in Christ gave him power to say and doe with David I will both lay me downe in peace and sleepe for thou Lord only makest me dwel in safety On the otherside Saul was at liberty had a stroÌ„g army had ofteÌ„ vaÌ„quished those enemies yet no sooner hard of death that by the divel the father of lies but fals along on the earth was sore afraid and there was no strength in him and though he could not but be very hungry as having eaten no bread all day and night yet refuseth to eate Whence came this feare from naturall cowardise nay certainly Saul was a man used to dangers and naturally of more courage than Peter a poore Fisher-man but the cause was The Spirit of the Lord even in his ordinary gifts as valour c. was departed from Saul how then could any strength be in him The last difference betweene chastisement and punishment is in the fruits of them There is no fruit comparable to that of divine chastisement He chastiseth us for our owne profit that wee may be partakers of his holinesse It bringeth forth the pleasant fruit of righteousnes to them that are thereby exercised This momentarie light affliction causeth unto us a most excelling excellent so is the original eternall weight of glory Now what can all the world boast of in the least degree comparable to this I call every christian soule to witnesse that all is dung and losse in comparison of these
is truly good especially when longing after thee thy righteousnes in this barren and thirstie land my soule panteth and fainteth for thy presence and for that holy Spirit wâ—ereby I call upon thee Abba Father Oh how shouldst thou not according to thy Covenant delight in me to doe me good and as thou hast promised rejoyce over me to give me my hearts desire Now then thou my gracious Father who art more ready to give thy Spirit than wee to aske him even that Spirit of Prayer and supplication Thou who hast commanded Call upon mee in the time of trouble and hast promised I will heare thee Heare now rhe supplication of thy servant and when thou hearest be mercifull Thou who commandest Seeke my face and hast given thy servant an heart to answer Lord thy face will I seeke oh hide not thy face from me nor cast thy creature away in displeasure Yea oh my God quickeÌ„ thy servant in the sense of my want and miserie and in the knowledge of thy powerfull grace and mercy alwaies to pray and never to faint So though I walke in the midst of troubles thou wilt revive me and perfect that which concerneth me CHAP. XVI Comforts arising immediatelie from God himselfe And first in generall LOoke as a vessell which is coutinually driven downe by the current of any River will at length fall into the maine Sea which being the common store-house of waters both supplieth the want and receiveth the over-plus of lesser streames So when our soules have beene carryed along within these narrower bankes of comforts they will easily bee wafted into that wide Ocean whence every consolation floweth and into it ebbeth againe and emptyeth it selfe Certainly the final comfort of a Christian soule into which all the rest are resolved is God himselfe infinit in all goodnes unchangeable in his love and therefore an unexhausted Well a standing overflowing fountaine of infinite consolations Hence as hee challengeth this title and calleth himselfe The God of patience and consolation nay The God of all comfort so his faithfull servants from their experience confesse him every where their strength joy portion inhâ—ritance their Rocke Towre Shield Fortresse c. Well might David rejoyce and glory in the Lord My flesh saith hee faileth and my heart also but God is the strength of my heart and my portion for ever How strong and invincible was that faith and by it that comfort of Iob Although he kill me yet will I trust in him and hee shall beé my salvation And how answerable was their practice to this their profession Doe but consider what wee read of these holy men David being driven from his native Countrey and from his Fathers house in disgrace with the Court and in displeasure nay deadly hatred of his Prince deprived of all his deserved honours the just recompence of his noble service by the malice and tyrannie of Saul and which he accounted farre above the rest the greatest miserie banished from the holy Assemblies and the house of God affamished and even starved for want of that Word which hee preferred above all the earth not onely thrust out from abiding in the inheritance of the Lord but by the rage of his Adversaries inforced to seeke Sanctuary in idolatous Countries where hee might have beene seduced to serve other gods had yet at length hid his head under the protection of an Heathenish King and found that favour from an enemy a Heathen which he had lost among his friends and Gods people There he placed himselfe in a forraigne City with his wives and some few loose men who for their owne advantage had followâ—d him But when hee retireth thither he findeth the City burned his wives and all his substance the wives children and all the goods of all his followers carried away Nothing now was left him but his souldiers and they grieved and vexed at the heart for their losse take all against him conspire intend and speake to stone him Look out now into all the world and see where you can finde upon earth one spark of comfort for this Saint of God yet even then when he was utterly desolate and forlorne he could send up his dejected soule to heaven and there did finde and feele infinite comfort in the Lord his God See the 1 Sam chap. 30. from the 1. to the 7. vers Doe we not find the like nay more in Iob His estate was lost and for outward blessings goods and children hee was stript as naked as he was borne His wife left him but as a snare His friends come to comfort him but through the craft of Satan shake him more thau all the rest of his afflictions His life was yet whole in his body but his body broken and wounded with sore plagues from the crowne of the head to the sole of the foot But yet the Spirit of a man will sustaine his infirmitie True but a wounded spirit who can beare The inner-man embroyled by Satan and terrors of the spirit joyned to griefes and troubles of the body without plagues continually renued changes and armies of sorrowes set against him within and without the arrowes of the Almightie shot at him sticking in him and their venime drinkâ—ng up his spirit the terrours of God fighting against him made him the most afflicted and if it were possible for the faithfull to be miserable the most wretched man on earth But even then his poore soule over-wrastled with temptations cast downe within him and almost smothered with this load and heape of afflictions could lift up the head to search out the Redeemer and find unspeakable comfort in him I am sure my Redeemer liveth and I shall see God in my flesh c. What was left to those three royal young men Dan. 3. in that burning anger of the Tyrant and that seven-fold heated furnace What to the Apostle persecuted by Jewes disgraced by Heathens stoned by the consent of both and as a dead carrion dragged and cast out of the City yea too little esteemed nay judged by his owne children in the Spirit yet were they then even full of comfort in God Oh consider with what noble courage those three noble Captives defie the roaring of that Lyon even the fiercenesse of that proud King and tell him to his Beard Our God can and will deliver us out of thine hand With what Christian valour could that great Champion of the Lord Jesus compassed in and pressed downe with all the most bitter persecutions of this world cry out Victory and sing his Triumph not onely saying with the Heathen How light are all these things how slightlie doe I weigh them nay These light momentarie afflictions cause to us an excelling excellent eternall weight of glory 2 Cor. 4.17 but In all these things wee are more than Conquerors through him that loveth us So right is it oh