sinne his very â—â—â—stisements are deadly as is cleare by Davids example and Lots who had a sharpe misery clapt on the heeles of a sweet mercy for he that was so beloved of God that he saved a whole City could not save his owne Spouse When God delivers us from destruction hee doth not secure us from all affliction Grace was never given us for a Target against externall evils Though we be not condemned with the world yet we may be chastned in the world Neither the Truth nor strength of Jobs faith could secure him from the outward and bodily vexations of Satan against the inward and spirituall they could and did prevayle so no repentance can assure us that we shall not smart with outward afflictions that can prevent the eternall displeasure of God but still it may be necessary and good we should be corrected our care and suit must be that the evils which shall not be averted may be sanctified CHAP. XXXVIII That Christ and all the Saints are our Partners and partakers with us in the Crosse yea our sufferings are nothing in comparison of theirs 4. WE shall beare the crosse with more patience and comfort if wee consider that Christ and all the Saints are our partners and partakers therein yea thy sufferings are nothing in comparison of what others have suffered before thee Looke upon righteous Abel thou shall see his elder brother Cain had dominion and rule over him by Gods appointment Gen. 4. 7. Yea in the next Verse thou shalâ— see him slaine by his brother After him looke upon Noah a most calamitous person as ever lived as the Chronologer computes him as for Lâ—t he had his righteous soule vexed from day to day Looke upon Job thou shalt see that miseries doe not stay for a mannerly succession to each other but in a rude importunity throng in at once to take away his children substance friends credit health peace of conscience c. leaving him nothing but his Wife whom the Devill spared on purpose to vex him as the Fathers thinke so that in his owne apprehension God was his mortall enemy as heare how in the bitternesse of his soule he complaynes of his Maker saying He teareth me in his wrath he hateth me and gnasheth upon me with his teeth he hath broken me asunder taken me by the necke and shaken me to peeces and set me up for his marke his Archers compasse me round about hee cleaveth â—y raines asunder and doth not spare to powre out my gall upon the ground he breaketh me with breach upon breach and runneth upon me like a Gyant Job 16. Now when so much was uttered even by a non-such for his patience what may we thinke hee did feele and indure Looke upon Abraham thou shalt see him forced to forsake his Countrey and Fathers house to goe to a place he knew not to men that knew not him and after his many removes hee meets with a famine and so is forced into Aegypt which indeed gave reliefe to him when Canaan could not shewing that in outward things Gods enemies may fare better than his friends yet hee goes not without great feare of his life which made it but a deare purchase then hee is forced to part from his brother Lot by reason of strife and debate among their Heardsmen after that Lot is taken prisoner and he is constrained to wage w 〈…〉 rre with foure Kings at once to rescue his Brother then Sarah his wife is barren and he must goe childlâ—sse untill in reason he is past hope when he hath a Sonne it must not onely dye but himselfe must slay him Now if that bosome wherein we all look to rest was assaulted with so many sore tryals and so divers difficulties is it likely we should escape Looke upon Jaoob you shall see Esau strive with him in the wombe that no time might be lost after that you shall see him fly for his life from a cruell Brother to a cruell Unkle with a staffe goes he over Jordan alone doubtfull and comfortlesse not like the sonne of Isaac In the way he hath no bed but the cold earth no pillow but the hard stones no shect but the moist aire no Canopie but the wide Heaven at last he is come far to finde out an hard friend and of a Nephew becomes a servant after the service of an hard Apprentiship hath earned her whom he loved his Wife is changed and he is not onely disappointed of his hopes but forced to marry another against his will and now hee must begin another Apprentiship and a new hope where hee made account of fruition all which fourteene yeares he was consumed with beat in the day with frost in the night when hee hath her whom he loves she is barâ—en at last being growne rich chiefly in wives and children accounting his charge his wealth hee returnes to his Fathers house but with what comfort Behold Laban followes him with one troope Esau meets him with another both with hostile intentions not long after Rachel the comfort of his life dyeth his children the slaffe of his age wound his soule to death Reuben proves incestuous Judah adulterous Dina is ravished Simeon and Levi are murtherous Er and Onan are stricken dead Joseph is lost Simeon imprisoned Benjamin his right hand endangered Himselfe driven by famine in his old age to dye among the Aegyptians a people that held it abomination to eate with him And yet before he was borne it was Jâ—cob have I loved and before any of this befell him God said unto him Be not afraid I am with thee and will doe thee good Genesis 28. 15. And he did so even by these crosses for that 's my good saith the Proverbe that doth mâ— good Now what Sonne of Israel can hope for any good dayes when hee heares his Fathers were so evill It is enough for us if when we are dead we can rest with him in the Land of Promise Againe heare what David saith of himselfe Thy Arrowes sticke fast in mee and thy hand presseth me sore Psal. 38. 2. and see what cause he had so to say what what were these Arrowâ—s to let passe those many that Saul shot at him which were sharpe and keene enough and those other of Doeg when hee slew fourescore and five of the Priests and the whole City of Nob both man and woman child and suckling for shewing him kindnesse Likewise Shimeis carrâ—age towards him also his distresse at Ziglag and those seventy thousand which perished by the Pestilence upon his numbring the people and the like First Nathan tels him from the Lord that The sword should never depart from hâ— hoâ—se and that he would raise up evill against him out of his owne loynes here were as many Arrowes as words Againe the Childe which he had by Bathsheba was no sooner borne but it dyed there was another Arrow Tamar his daughter being marriageable was deslowred by his owne Sonne Amnon there was two
day Gods dealing with us is often harsh in the beginning hard in the proceeding but the conclusion is alwayes comfortable The joy of Peter and the rest of the Church was greater after he was delivered out of Prison by the Angell Acts 12. And the joy of Judith and the rest of Bethulia when shee returned with Holefernes head then if they never had beene in distresse Judith 13. The Lord deprives us of good things for a time because they never appeare in their full beauty till they turne their backs and be going away Againe hee deserres his ayde on purpose to increase our desires before it comes and our joy and thankefulnesse when it is come to inflame our desires for things easily come by are little set by to increase our jâ—y for that which hath beene long detained is at last more sweetly obtained What thinke we did hee that was borne blind thinke when his Eyes were first given him how did he wonder at Heaven and Earth the strange and goodly varieties of all the Creatures and cheerefulnesse of the light every thing did not more please than astonish him Lastly our thankefulnesse for suddenly gotten suddenly forgotten hardly gotten hardly forgotten Philoxenus was wont to say it will tast sweeter if it cost me sweetly We love that dearely that cost us deare As mothers love their Children more tenderly than Fathers because they stood them in more Abrahams Childe at hundred yeares of age was more welcome than if he had been given at thirty And the same Isaac had not beene so precious to him if he had not beene as miraculously restored as given his recovery from death made him more acceptable The benefit that comes soone and with ease is easily contemned long and eager pursuite endeeres any favour The wise men rejoyced exceedingly to finde the Sâ—arre The Woman to finde her peece of silver The Virgin Mary to finde her and our JESUS CHRIST alwayes returnes with increase of joy Hee may absent himselfe for a time but he intends it onely as a preparative to make us rellish that sweet food the better he may keepe us fasting but it is on purpose that our tryall may be perfect our deliverance welcome our recompence glorious Yea the delivering of some increaseth the joy of others and causeth them to praise God for and rejoyce in their behalfe that are delivered Acts 12. 14. We never know the worth of a benefit so well as by the want of it want teacheth us the worth of things most truly Contraries are the best Commentaries upon each other and there mutuall opposition the best exposition O how â—eet a thing is peace to them that have beene long troubled with warres and tedious contentions The Thunder of the Cannon is the best Rhetoricke to commend it to us How sweet is liberty to one that hath beene long imm 〈…〉 ed within a case of wals A very Bird never chants it so merryly as when she is got loose into the open Ayâ—e having beene long encaged How deare a Jewell is health to him that tumbles in distempered bloud For then only we begin to prize it when we have lost it Let a man but fast a meale or two oh how sweete is browne bread though it would not downe before Yea when Darius in a flight had drunk puddle water polluted with dead Carkasses he confest never to have drunke any thing more pleasant the reason was he alwayes before used to drinke ere he was a thirst We are never so glad of our friends company as when he returnes after long absence or a tedious voyage The nights darkenes maketh the light of the Sunne more desireable and brings of it letters of recommendations A calme is best welcome after a tempest c. Yea what serves others sorrowes for but to encrease our joy and thankefulnes Thou hast eyes aske the blind whether that be not a blessing thou hast eares aske the deafe whether that be not a great blessing thou hast a tongue what thinkes the dumbe of that thou hast feet hands health liberty life reason c. is all this nothing Yea others bleed we sleepe others beg we abound others starve we surfet others groape in the darke our Sun still shines and shall not we rejoyce and be thankefull Blesse saith our Saviour when ye are cursed and shall not we blesse when thus blessed Yet wo is me we forfeit many of Gods favours for not paying that easie Rent of thankefulnesse like those Nine Luke 17. 12. to 19. we are more apt to pray then to give thankes because we are more sensible of our owne wants then of Gods glory Wee can open our mouthes when wee want any thing either to pray or at least to murmur and why should not our thankes-givings be as frequent as our blessings are The Leppers voyce was not more loud in his sute than in his thankes It were happy for us Christians if wee could but learne of this Samaritane And thus we see that Good things then appeare of most worth when they are knowne in their wants When we have lost those invaluable comforts which we cannot well be without the minde hath time to recount their severall worths and the worths of blessings appeare not untill they are vanisht No wonder then that our estates and conditions are so variable like the face of the Heavens or the Sea or like the weather about Michaelmas which is now faire and presently againe fowle or rather the hard winter which for one faire Sun-shine day hath oftentimes ten foule For God sees that it is very good for us for as seeds that are deepest covered with snow in Winter flourish most in the Spring or as the winde by beating down the flame rayseth it higher and hotter and as when we would have some Fires flame the more we sprinkle water upon them even so when the Lord would increase our joy and thankefulnesse he allayeth it with the teares of affliction misery sweetneth joy yea the sorrowes of this life shall likâ— a darke vayle give a lustre to the glory of the next when the Lord shall turne this water of our earthly afflictions into that wine of gladnesse wherewith our soules shall be satiate for ever Wee deceive our selves to thinke on earth continued joyes would please Plenty of the choycest dainties is no dainty When Pearles grew common at Rome they wore them on their shooes and they had much adoe to save themselves out of the durt as Tertullian speaks Nothing would bee more tedious then to bee glutted with perpetuall Jollyties were the body tyed to one dish alwayes though of the most exquisite delicate that it could make choyce of yet after a small time it would complain of loathing and saciety and so would the soule if it did ever epicure it selfe in joyes I know not which is the more usefull Joy I may chuse for pleasure but Adversities are the best for profit I should without them want much of the joy I
note of a wise man than this he so loves as if hee were to be an enemy and so hates as if he were to love againe We know a sparke of fire falling upon a solid body presently goes out which falling upon combustable matter kindles and burnes Now as with fire the light stuffe and rubbish kindles sooner than the solid and more compact so anger doth sooner inflame a fâ—ole than a man composed in his resolutions This the Holy Ghost witnesseth Eccles 7. Bee not thou of a hasty spirit to be angry for anger resteth in the bosome of fooles Vers. 9. So much fury so much folly the more chafing the lesse wisedome Some have no patience to beare bitter scoffes their noses are too tender to indure this strong and bitter Wormewood of the braine Others againe like tyled houses can admit a falling sparke unwarmed it may be coales of Juniper without any danger of burning Now what makes the difference the one hath a good head peece and is more solid the other are covered with such light dry straw that with the least touch they will kindle and flame about your troubled eares and when the house is one fire it is no disputing with how small a matter it came I confesse I find some wise men extreamely passionate by nature as there is no generall rule but admits of some exceptions Even God himselfe had particular exceptions from his generall Lawes as the Cherubims over the Arke was an instance against the second Commandement the Israelites robbing the Aegyptians against the eight the Priests breaking the Sabboth Math. 12. 5. against the fourth and Phimiras killing Zimry against the sixth Numb 25. 8. And these as they are more taken with a joy so they taste a discontent more heavily In whom Choler like fire in stubble is soone kindled and soone out for they are stung with a Nettle and alayed with a Dock being like Gunpowder to which you no sooner give fire but they And lastly this of all others is the most divine and Christian-like revenge witnesse our Saviour Christ who by death overcame death as David cut off the head of Goliah with his owne sword and even then tryumphed over his enemies when most they seemed to tryumph over him Col. 2. 15. And the Martyrs who are said by the Holy Ghost to overcome the great Dragon that old Serpent called the Devill and Satan in that they loved not their lives unto the death Revel 12. 11. There conquering was by dying not by killing and can the back of charity now bare no loade are the sinewes of lovâ— growne so feeble And holy David who when he had Sâ—ul at his mercy in stead of cutting off his head as his servants perswaded him onely cut off the Lap of his Garment and after thought that too much also And at another time when the Lord had closed him into his hands finding him asleepe in the Fort in stead of taking away his life as Abishai counselled him hee tooke away his Speare and in stead of taking away his blood from his heart he takes a pot of water from his head That this kinde of revenge for a man to finde his enemy at an advantage and let him depart free is generous and noble beyond the capacity of an ordinary man you may heare Saul himselfe confesse 1 Sam. 24. 17. to 23. Againe when the King of Syria sent a mighty Host to take Elisha and the Lord had smote them all with blindnesse and shut them into Samaria what doth the Prophet Slay them no. Indeed the King of Israel would saine have had it so his fingers itcht to be doing but Elisha commanded bread and water to bee set before them that they might eate and drinke and goe to their Master 2 King 6. 22. So a Christian truely generous will omit no opportunity of doing good nor doe evill though hee have opportunity for to may and will not is the Christians lawde Which yet is not all for besides that it is the most generous noble valiant wise divine and Christian-like revenge to passe by and forgive injuries our Saviour Christ in whom is the fountaine of all wisedome and knowledge as all the sences are in the head Zach. 4. 12. alowes none for magnanimous but such as together with forgiving Blesse those that curse them and doe good to such as hurt them Math. 5. 44. which is true generosity indeed But how contrary is the opinion of the World to the judgement of God and the wisest of men concerning vallour for should the greatest and gravest Bishop in the Land Preach this our impatient Gallants would not beleeve but that it consists in a brave revenge and that an humble patience is an argument of basenesse and that every wrong or disgracefull word is quarrell just enough to shed blood and least there should want offences or they give place â—nto wroth as the Apostle adviseth Rom. 12. 19 they will strive for the way or contend for the wall even to the death which proves them to be as wise as a wall for they come short of the wisedome of Beasts Pliny tells of two Goates Mutianus being an eye-witnesse which meeting on a straight and narrow Bridge that the one could not passe by the other nor turne aside to returne back againe neither made his way by overturning the other but the one lay downe that the other might goe over him I pray God their too much turning to the right hand before man cause them not to bee set at Christs left hand with those Goates which are destined to everlasting fire But certainly if they amend not their course God shall condemne them for invading his office for vengeance is his and that they call courage he shall judge outrage Woe is me into what unhappy times are we falne and how hath the devill blinded and bewitcht our Gallants that the wretchedst and basest cowardise should ruffle it out in the garbe of valour while the truly valiant passe for and are reputed cowards And how great is the corruption of mans heart which is not ashamed of things shamefull and yet ashamed of things wherein they ought to glory Is this courage to kill one another for the wall as though either of their honours were of more worth then both their soules Yea suppose they overcome is not this power of theirs the greatest infirmity for whether they thus dye or kill they have committed murther if they kill they have murthered another if they die they have murthered themselves Surviving there is the plague of conscience dying there is the plague of torments if they both scape yet it is homeside that they meant to kill O that they would take notice of this and lay it to heart But what 's the reason of this their mistake what makes them judge Job a foole and count David a coward for their humble patience this is the difference there was the faith and patience of the Saints here is the infidelity and
more Amnon himselfe being in drinke was kil'd by Absolom at a Feast there was another This Absalom proves rebellious and riseth in Armes against his owne Father and makes him fly beyond Jordan there was one more He lyeth with his Fathers Concubines in the sight of all Israel there was another And how much doe you thinke did these Arrowes wound the Kings heart and pierce his very soule Lastly looke upon Lazarus though Christs bosome friend John 11. thou shalt see him labour under a mortall disease c. though many soules were gained to the Gospell and cured by his being sicke Si amatur saith Saint Austin quomodo inflrmatur Thus it were easie to shew the like of Joseph Jeremy Daniel John Baptist Peter Paul and all the generation of Gods children and servants For as the Apostle giveth a generall testimony of all the Saints in the Old Testament saying That some endured the violence of the fire some were rackt others were tryed by mockings and scourgings bonds and imprisonments some stoned some hewâ—e in sunder some slaine with the sword some wandred up and downe in Sheep-skins and Goat-skins bâ—ing destitute afflicted and formented some forced to wandâ—r in Wildernesses and Mountaines and hide themselves in Dens and Caves of the earth being such as the worâ—d was not worthy of Hebr. 11. So Ecclesiasticall History gives the like generall testimony of all the Saints in the New Testament and succeeding ages for we reade that of all the Apostles none dyed a naturall death save onely Saint John and he also was banished by Domiâ—â—an to Pathmos and at anothâ—r time thrust into a Tunne of seething O 〈…〉 at Rome as Tertullian and Saint Jerome doe report As for other beleevers there was such a mulâ—itude of them suffeâ—ed Maâ—tyrdome for professing the Gospell whereof some were stoned some crucified some beheaded some thrust through with speares some burnt with fire and the like for we reade of twenty nine severall deaths they were put unto that Ecclesiasticall History makes mention of two thousand which suffered the same day with Nicanor And after that in the time of the Ten Persecutions were such an innumerable company of innocent Christians put to death and tormented that Saint Jerome in his Epistle to Chromatius and Heliodorus saith There was not one day in the whole yeare unto which the number of five thousand Martyrs might not bee ascribed ecxept onely the first day of January who were put to the most exquisite deaths and torments that ever the wit or malice of Men or Devils could invent to inflict upon them Since which time the Turke and the Pope have acted their patts in shedding the blood of the Saints as well as the Jewes and Roman Emperours as appeares in the Booke of Acts and Monuments and Revela 17. where the Holy Ghost hath foretold that the Whore of Babylon should fight with the Lambe and they that are on his side called and chosen and faithfull untill shee were even drunke with the blood of the Saints and with the blood of the Martyrs of Jesus which in part was fulfilled in England under the Raigne of Queene Mary when in one yeare a Hundred seventy six persons of quality were burnt for Religion with many of the common sort and in France where before these late bloudy Mâ—ssacres there were two Hundred Thousand which suffered Martyrdome about Transubstantiation And it is well knowne that our Saviour Christs whole life even from his Cradle to his Grave was nothing else but a continued act of sussering yea he was the person upon whom as upon one Center all our sorrowes met He that had all possessed nothing except the punishment due to our sinnes which lâ—y so heavy upon him for satisfaction that it pressed his soule as it were to the nethermost Hell and made him cry out in the anguish of his spirit My God my God why hast thou forsaken me So that there is nothing befils us but hath befalne our betters before us and to be free from crosses and afflictions is the priviledge onely of the Church triumphant For qui non est Crucianus non est Christianus saith Luther there is not a Christian that carries not his Crosse. Now the way not to repine at those above us is to looke at those below us we seldome or never see any man served with simple favours It is not for every one to have his soule 〈…〉 kt out of his mouth with a kisse as the Jewes tell of Moses It is a great word that Zozomen speakes of Apollonius That hee never asked any thing of God in all his life that he obtained not This is not our Paâ—adise but our Purgatory not a place of pleasure but a Pilgrimage not a Triumph but a Warfare Wee cannot say of this World as Tully reports of Siâ—acuse in Sâ—cily and others of Rhodes that not one day passeth in which the Sunne shines not clearely on them Yea we thinke he speeds well that lives as it were under a perpetuall Equinâ—ctâ—all having night and day equâ—ll goâ—d and ill successe in the same measure for these compositions make both our crosses tolerable and our blessings wholesome Wee that know not the afflictions of others call our owne the heaviâ—st every small current is a torrent every Brooke a River every River a Sea we make our selves more miserable than we need than we should by looking upon our miseries in a multiplying glasse we measure the length of time by the shaâ—pnesse of our afflictions and so make minutes seeme bowres and dayes moneths If we be sicke and the Physitian promises to visit us to morrow with his best reliefe with what a tedious longing doe we expect his presence Our imagination makes every day of our sorrow appeare like Josuahs day when the Sun stood still in Gibeon The Summer of our delights is too short but the Winter of our affliction goes slowly off we are so sensible of a present distresse and so ingratefull for favours past that we remember not many yeares health so much as one dayes sicknesse it is true former meales doe not relieve our present hunger but this cottage of ours ruins straight if it bee not new daubed every day new repairâ—d What then shall to dayes Ague make us forget yesterdayes health and all Gods former favours if he doe not answer us in everything shall we take pleasure in nothing Shall wee slight all his blessings because in one thing hee crosseth us whereas his least mercy is beyond our best merit but if we thinke of our deliverance from the fire of Hell this is cause enough to make us both patient and thankâ—full though the trifles we delight in be taken from us Lord take away what thou pleasest for thy glory and my good so long as thou savest me from the fire of Hell and thy everlasting wrâ—th Neither is there a better remedy for impatiâ—ncâ— then to cast up our râ—ceipts and to compare them with our deservings If