lay amy claim to God that cannot finde parents kindred friends in him alone And thus when we have sweetly been brought to do the will of God we shall silently and contentedly suffer it passive obedience springs from active when we truly know it is Gods will we indure it with a quiet patience considering that what ever befalls us comes from his good pleasure and therefore those that have not inured themselves to the yoak of obedience will never indure the yoak of suffering 1 Another thing we may observe in Davids flight he was persecuted by his owne Son to whom he had been but too kind a Father and truly those children seldom proove happy to us that have too much of our heart Absalom had deserved death in causing his owne brother to be slain David pardons the fact in him is verified the Proverb Save a Malefactor from the Gallowes and he will hang thee if he can If Absalom had had his desert before David might have freed himselfe from much trouble and sorrow hang'd he must be if none will do it his pride shall and besides hang on record for the most disloyallest traytor and rebell and the most disobedientest Son that ever the Sun beheld Thus we see that if parents can be content that their children shall crosse God God will be content that their children shall be crosses to them if David will not correct him God will Againe if Rulers will give life when God calls for death they shall help themselves to sorrow and their friends to shame God hath here a time to pay David and punish Absalom thus you see in Elies indulgence to his ungodly sons rebuke them he did but restraine them he did not they shall be executed by the Sword of an enemy though not of justice and himselfe shall die a fearfull death 1. Sam. 4.18 And truly it 's worth our observation that when we make too much of the Creature God makes nothing of them And thus many times we nourish such Vipers as in the end eats out our bowels many a one doth by us as Joab served Abner 2. Sam. 3.27 Take us aside to speake with us quietly and then stab us Alas the true hearted lie most open to credulity and therefore 't is very easie to beguile their harmlesse intentions And indeed no enemy so bad as a bosome friend and no enmity burnes so furiously as that which ariseth from the quenched coales of love And this is it that makes us take more grievous the injury of a friend far greater than the malicious hatred of an enemy for open hostility calls us to our guards but we have had no fence against a trusted treachery Of all enemies 't is a misery to have one very powerfull or very malicious if they cannot wound us upon proofes they will upon likelyhood And of all enemies he will be the worst that hath done us an irreparable injury for when he sees he can make us no satisfaction he will proceed to hatred and then to malice and then hee 'l seek our ruine And he is the worst enemy that turnes traytor and turn traytor he cannot unlesse he hath been a friend formerly now a traytor is much more dangerous than a professed enemy and a fugitive Souldier more pernicious in time of war than he that assaulteth with open violence Ambrose could say That an enemy may be shunned but a friend cannot if he meaneth to be treacherous we may easily take heed of him to whom we have not committed our councells but it is scarce possible to prevent his mischiefs to whom we have intrusted them And truly David never met with such enmity from all his professed enemies as he had from those which were once his familiar friends Heare what a pittifull complaint he makes Psal 55.12 13 14. If it had been an enemy I could have born it but it was thou mine equall my familiar friend in whom I delighted which did eat of my bread and went to the house of God in company with me this is he that hath lifted up his heel against me But let all Traytors lay to heart how frequent have been examples of Gods vengeance on such who ever saw a bloody Traytor come to a good end few or none ever escape the hand of God or the sword of the Magistrate or their owne balter how died Zimri Achithophel Absalom Zebah Judas their owne hands made passage for their soules into hellish torments as the divell once complained before their time 2 But are these all that David hath to encounter with these were dumb dogs that would have snapt at his heels nay at his head ere he had seen them no there is another fierce mastiffe which flies at him with open mouth Shimei will take advantage of this time to vent the old grudge and malice that lay lurking in his heart till a fit opportunity he was of the house of Saul that was enough to make him an enemy so that we may conclude that malicious wretches watch an advantage when they may do a mischief It is the common course of a cursed disposition to trample upon those which are already fallen This hath been the practice of Satans instruments in all ages to insult over misery and I would it were confin'd to them onely Job was bitterly spoken against in his greatest extremity by his owne friends and they no doubt Godly too and censured for an hipocrite and yet he gives it out for a maxime that to him that is in misery pitty should be showne and of all objects of sorrow a distressed King is the most pittifull because it presents most the frailty of humanity the sorrowes of a deposed King are like the distorquements of a departed conscience which none can know but he that hath lost a Crowne towards those that have been alwayes poore piety is not so passionate For they had no elevation to make their depression seeme the greater wonder Surely a tender heart would have pittied Bajazet and Valerian as they were men the one in his Cage the other when he lay prostrate as a footstool to his proud foe who would not have wept with King Edward the second when his princely teares were all the warme water his butchers would allow him to shave him with When the hedge was his cloth of state and his throne the ground and who would not have poured out unrestrained teares to have seene King David goe up Mount Olivet barefoot and weeping as he went to see all his Nobles and mighty men in mourning and to heare all the country cry with a loud voyce 2 Sam. 15 23.30 And yet this miscreant Shimei in stead of pitty proudly insults Ah! With what spirits are they indued that can greive the greived and adde sorrow to the over-burdened What to put more waight to an overcharged bâ—ame to lash with an iron rod that back which is already flaied with whipping Surely this property is not only inhumane but diabolicall To persecute
his power providence and promised assistance either for our delivery or for strength and patience to indure these wilfull trials We see what the practise of the Saints have been to avoid troubles if they could and with their prayers they have joyned their own lawfull indeavours Thus Moses fled from Pharaoh David from Saul and Absalom Joseph and Mary from Herods cruell persecution Paul from the Jewes at Damascus And as we may pray that our bitter Cups should be removed from us so may we advise with our selves and take counsell of others and labour and indeavour in the use of all lawfull meanes to escape afflictions or to overcome them if we cannot avoid them and this all with a sweet submission to the good pleasure of God desiring that our wills may be even melted into the will of God not mine but thy will be done Obj. But here our soules may object and say that we have known many who have trusted in God and have waited for his help and have fervently called upon him for deliverance have notwithstanding at last died in their afflictions yea and we our selves still remaine under great and grievous miseries and crosses though we have often earnestly sought the face of God and with strong cries and teares have poured out our complaints and depended upon no other for succour and freedome and yet we are not delivered no nor can see no outgate or meanes when we shall escape Ans For answer to our own hearts 't is certain that all Gods children have deliverance out of their afflictions in due time whether it be by life or death that matters not one way or other we shall be delivered now seeing our longest lives are short and momentany being compared to eternity and that happiness which we shall then injoy with God the time of our afflictions cannot be long nor our deliverance farre off although it should be deferred to the day of our dissolution Ah! the comforts of God are well worth the waiting for all our days 2 Gods promises of deliverance from remporall afflictions are not absolute but alwayes to be understood with this condition if it stand with his own glory and our spirituall good for otherwise our freedome from afflictions would be no benefit but the greatest hurt now Gods glory and our salvation often times are more advanced by the continuance then by the removall of our crosses as when God tryeth by them his graces in us that he may afterward crown them and causeth our fight to be so much the more long and dangerous that accordingly our insuing victory may be the more glorious or when God doth use afflictions either for an hedge to keep us from leaping into the forbidden pastures of carnall pleasures or for a fiery Furnace to purge and purifie us from the drosse of corruptions now in these cases it is the greatest freedome not to be freed and Gods greatest mercy towards us when as he continueth us in our temporall misery 3 Let us comfort our selves when God deferreth his promises and continueth our conflict of afflictions after we have long vvaited for help and deliverance by considering that in his good time they shall most certainly be accomplished Gods promises are certain performances his truth is of his essence and it is no more possible that he should faile of his word then that he should deny himselfe and therefore since he hath promised that we shall overcome the World that we shall have strength to endure temptations and have a happy issue out of them that if we suffer with Christ we shall reign with him we may be assured though our way be long and foule yet at last we shall safely come to our journeys end that after our painfull sufferings shall come our glorious raigning and that after our dangerous fight we shall obtain a happy victory and be crowned with eternall glory Saith Bernard we may be secure in fighting seeing we are sure of over coming by flying we may loâ—e the victory but by dying we cannot ah blessed shall we be if we dye fighting because we shall be crowned dying Let the consideration of this comâ—ort us that God no lesse waiteth upon us to doe us good then we to receive it expecting a convenient time when as â—e may most fitly and seasonable extend his mercy in our deliverance and therefore â—aith the Prophet Isaiab 30.18 therefore will the Lord wait that he may have mercy upon us and therefore he will be exalted that he may have compassion upon us we waite when God will and God waites when he may when mercy may be most welcome and deliverance most glorious The fourth circumstance is Davids justifying of God in his way of proceeding behold my Son which came forth out of my bowels seâ—keth my life how much more this Benjamite c. here see that God will never leave correcting that soul whom he meanes to save till he hath brought it downe on its knees and to acknowledg he is justly dealt withall and this David confesseth Psal 119.75 I know oh Lord that thy judgments are just and that thou in very faithfulnesse hast caused me to be afflicted See the change in his dispoâ—ion when Nabal would not answer his expectation when he so excellently acted the part of an eloquent begger he presently was all on a fire vowing revenge not only to him but to all his Family now the case is altered he can indure to be railed on by one that was his subject yea and cursed too and stones and durt flung at him and not so much as a rising thought of revenge and thus we see how fierce David was with the Ammonitish Prisoners he put them to death in cold bloud nay he used great cruelty in their deaths by putting them under Saws and Harrows and Axes of Iron and burnt them alive in fiery brick-kils but afflictions at last made him so tame that not only the rightâ—ous might reprove him but the wicked might reproach him and he is silent or if he speak they be words of patience and submission So let him curse because the Lord hath â—aid curse David he that could not before endure Hanuns affront can now quietly and meekly without defire of revenge indure many opprobrious indignities and be contented that Shimei shall bemire him with the durt of his filthy tongue without the least shew of passion So Ephraim by this meanes is made to confesse his owne untamednesse with teares Jer. 31.18 and Lam. 3. makes a man to put his mouth in the dust and to be of an humble and lowly carriage towards all men doing nothing that may savour of pride contempt or disdaine but rather abasing our selves to our inferiors and even to give our cheeks to the smiters The Lord beareth and forbeareth a long time expecting our amendment and when there is no other remedy then he taketh the rod in hand when gentle meanes would not serve rougher means shall if the shaking of the
that the Lord will look on my affliction and that the Lord will requite good for his cursing this day 1 David came to Bahurim in his flight from Absalom we may seriously observe to what afflictions and streights the Saints of God may be brought they may be brought to flee for their lives this was Davids case and this is the lot and portion of all the faithfull to endure affliction in one kinde or other Abraham the Father of the faithfull had his peculiar afflictions his great fears and his unparalel'd tryals Gen. 20.11 22. Isaac had his continual griefe of minde in the marriage of one of his Sons and of his being deprived of the other for 20. yeares together Gen. 26.35.36.27 See what afflictions Jacob had persecuted by his own Brother and driven from his Fathers house into a strange Land there he suffered many an injury and indignity from his Unkle with sorrowes he sustained from and in his children Surely if we would seriously read the whole story of his life we shall finde his troubles come tumbling one on the others back Like the waves of the Sea commonly the ending of one was but the beginning of another Moses whom God so dearly loved and entertain'd into the necrest familiarity talking with him face to face was notwithstanding exercised with grievous afflictions not to speak of his hardships and streights which he sustained before he could understand it being in danger of death every hour for 3. months space To omit many things what an affliction had he in carrying such an untoward people 40. yeares together in the wildernesse and what wordly comfort had he to cheer him in suffering all these afflictions but the remembrance of the Land of promise the fruition whereof he long expected But at last he is cut off from this hope and heareth Gods definitive sentence passe upon him that he must ascend Mount Nebo and dye there Deut. 32.50 And thus Job though he were the justest man that lived upon the Earth by the Lords own testimony yet did he endure manifold and grievous afflictions as we may read in the History of his life the spoyling of his goods the slaughter of his servants the untimely death of ten children all at once the outward torment of botches and boyles and the inward terrors of an afflicted minde the scornes of the wicked the strange behaviour of his Wife the unkinde usage and hard censures of his friends that in these respects he was thought to be the fittest man to be propounded by the holy Ghost as a pattern of patience James 5.11 And thus did all the Apostles suffer afflictions yea and cruel deaths except St. John Here with a Catalogue St. Paul makes of his sufferings 2 Cor. 11.44 unto which outward vexation of body and inward cares and distractions of minde we may add his spiritual afflictions as the fight between the flesh and spirit and the buffitings of Satan which were incomparably greater then all the rest for whereas out of the strength of his faith and patience he rejoyced yea even boasted himselfe in his other afflictions by these he is much humbled and cast down in the fight of his corruptions and forced to crye out in perplexity of spirit oh wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from this body of death Now the causes which doth move the Lord to lay upon his children those great afflictions is because of sin Sin then is the meritorious cause why the Lord punisheth a place or Person Judgments never come down from God till provocations first go up from man and this the Church plainly affiâ—meth Lam. 3.39 man suffereth for his sin and this the Lord tels Israel Jer. 30.14 15. I have stricken thee with the wound of an enemy and with a sharp chastisement for the multitude of thine iniquities because thy Sons were increased why cryest thou for thine affliction thy sorrow is incurable for the multitude of thine iniquities I have done those things unto thee Object But doth God alwayes correct for sin are there not other ends which move the Lord to lay crosses upon his own children Ans It s very true God doth by afflictions as well make tryall of his graces in us as chastize us for our sins and that besides our transgressions there are in Gods secret counsels other causes of our crosses and calamities but seeing the Lord hath in his word denounced these miseries and afflictions against us as punishments and chastisements for our iniquities and doth not reveale unto us when he tryeth us and when he correcteth us Therefore leaving Gods secrets unto himselfe we are not to look unto his hidden counsels but to his revealed will and according thereunto we are alwayes to make this use of our afflictions that when we are judged we are chastned of the Lord and justly corrected and punished for our sins and thus the Saints in all ages have done still have they insisted on their sins which have primarily been the cause of their sorrowes So David complained Psal 38.3 there is no soundnesse in my flesh because of thine anger neither is there rest in my bones by reason of my sins And thus the Prophet Isaiah chap. 64.5 cryeth out in his prayer for the people behold thou art angry for we have sinned Yea Job himselfe who was chiefly afflicted for the try all of his graces though he desires to defend his innocency against his three friends to maintain the integrity of his heart from their false aspertions yet having to deal with God he acknowledgeth and sayes I have finned what shall I do unto thee oh thou preserver of men and why doest thou not parden and take away mine iniquity Job 7.20 Again 't is good to make a holy use of every affliction Is there an insufficiency and impotency in creatures that they cannot help us or infidelity and treachery whereby they will not afford unto us that help which we expect from them we may very well conclude we rested too much on those earthen propts and when contempt and scorn waite upon our heeles pride and loftinesse was our Gentleman Usher before and so of the rest God is one that will do nothing wherein his word shall not justifie his deed what befalls us from him must needes be just though we conceive not our desert because he smothers our offences his justice is in no way detected and surely if we would seriously take notice of it we may oft times read our fin in our punishment for God usually retaliates and dealeth with men according to the manner and way of their wickednesse the sin and suffering oft meet in some remarkable circumstance Now as afflictions are punishments for sins past so are they preventions against sin in time to come Phisitâ—ans when they purge their Patients aime most at the cause of the disease for when that is taken away the effects will follow thus doth God with his own dearest children he purges them so
pittyed by him though he have no ability to help or releeve us then how much more ease and comfort shall we finde in laying open the cause of our griefes before our heavenly Father who as he infinitely exceedeth all the tenderest Fathers in the World in pitty in love and compassion so he is able when as it shall be most for his glory and our comfort to free us out of all our miseries and afflictions Now a main strengthener of patience is providently to foresee crosses approaching this the heathen Seneca prescribed as a way to be rid of care and feare and to attain unto full security that whatsoever evill we may feare to be coming we should suppose that it will certainly come and so exercise our selves to bear it willingly before we be constrained to beare it upon necessity Let us then prepare our selves for the time of adversity and consider that those things which have hapned unto others may also befall us and beare those afflictions which at any time may be layed upon us But above all let us not fix our hearts upon any thing in the World but use the benefits of this life as though we used them not and injoy them so as those who are presently to foregoe them for those things which we possesse with immoderate love we alwayes lose with immoderate griefe and if we look upon our temporall blessings as upon perpetuities we shall subject our selves to much sorrow and finde small patience when their losse proveth unto us that they were but moveables It s good to forethink when we are honoured in the World and have every mans tongue as a Trumpet for our praise the time may come we may be as much disgraced and defamed for this hath befallen to many before us and will happen to many after us and why not then unto us also among the rest then seriously let us consider and examine our hearts how we should be able to beare it if we should be cast down out of the high Throne of honour and reputation into the lowest bottome of shame and disgrace and with what reasons and arguments we might strengthen our patience and mitigate and moderate our griefe and heavinesse Thus vvhen vve abound vvith riches and have such plenty of earthly things that vve have not onely for our selves a sufficiency of all vve can desire but are also able to give to others and make them beholden unto us novv then let us think hovv vve could patiently beare a change of all these things our filks for rags our full tables for course and scant fare nay may be to be constrained to ask relâ—ef even of those which formerly vve have supported and to receive it grudgingly or to be shamefully denied So likevvise vvhen vve have friends and acquaintance vvho novv smile upon us making airy covenants of perpetuall leagues pretending such dearnesse of affection that our entertainment shall be the very best and our vvelcome huggs and imbracements that in the middest of our delights vve should consider that they are not only mortall but mutable they may become our greatest enemies Novv let us forecast hovv vve could bear it to have their svveetest discourse turned into silence at the best vvhen vve shall see such a change in their countenance that in stead of smiles vve shall read slighting contempt disdaine vvhen they vvill not honor us so far as to give a reason for their estrangment or admit of an apology to plead the sincerity of our hearts towards them but shall loade us with the burden of their unkindnesses not only trying but tyring our patience with their wrongs which sticks closer to our hearts then all the injuries and outrages of a professed enemie And thus likewise for our neerest and dearest relations of Husband wife childe c. let us cast a serious look on them and consider they may quickly be taken avvay from us any of them all of them death will not be bribed will not hearken to any of our cries teares or sighs oh then let us reason with our selves how shall vve be able to endure a parting when we cannot indure the thought of it how shall we grapple with the substance when the shaddovv doth so affright us Oh! therefore vvhatsoever vve may lose of that vvhich vve most love let us think that it is novv in losing or suppose it already lost this is the vvay to prepare our hearts and arme our patience to bear the burden From the serious consideration of these things there will arise two speciall benefits 1 That we shall not be puffed up with pride in the confluence of these earthly blessings and so become insolent but use them with all sobriety and a good conscience when as our expectation like a continuall Monitor doth put us in minde of our losse 2 This daily expectation will make these afflictions which in themselves are grisly and terrible to be so well known and familiar that when they appear they will not much skar and affright us And truly the very Heathen in this matter will shame us Anaxagoras being certified of the death of his dear and worthy Son heard it with patience without any disturbance of passion for said he when I begot him I knew he was mortall and had brought him up in the expectation of this mortality And this consideration of preparing to meet afflictions before they fall upon us will armâ— our patience and abate their strength and when by our meditations we shall poyze a crosse before it be imposed upon us we shall much lighten our burthens which are made so to others by their customable bearing of them Yet must we not run into afflictions or pull them on our shoulders but that we diligently use all good meanes either to escape them before they come or to be freed from them when they are inflicted on us and then if the Trumpet of holinesse sound the alarum to Baâ—tell let us march on valiantly without delay contemne our lives and enter the conflict with cheerfulness rush into the main army of our enemies put Sathan to flight and set up a trophy of victory but if godlinesse sustain no damage the principles of religion be not undermined which concern our salvation nor any man do inforce us to doe any thing displeasing to our God let us not be superfluous in our sufferings and be sure we make not a crosse of our own and throw it in our way and so stumble in it and say it is the crosse of Christ herein we deceive our selves if we pick private quarrels against our own peace seeking out and provoking an enemy with whom the Lord hath not commanded us to fight And though we have obtained of the Lord patience to bear our burthens yet God doth not allow us to lie down under them still when we may by good and honest meanes be freed from them because this is to tempt the Lord when as needlesly we desire to make experience of
intended evill against him God disposed it to the good not only of himselfe but of many others And thus was Johs afflictions turned to his advantage here in this life what a name hath he gotten to be a pattern of patience which shall never die so long as the world lasts for all his temporall things which he lost he shall have it doubled and those that charged him for an Hipocrite shall be the first shall contribute to his reliefe and comfort and this was it which comforted him when he looked to the end God faith he knoweth my way and triâ—th me and I shall come forth like gold Joh. 23.10 Ah! if we would consider Gods manner of dealing many times he is faine to pull us down to the ground before he build us up anew empty us quite of all Creature comforts before he fils us with himselfe so never should our names have had so sweet a savour with God if they had not been by man pounded in the morter of afflictions so that many may say they had been undone if they had not been undone Thus I have heard of â—godly manâ—hat was going for France and he was going a Ship-board he broak his leg and it pleased God so to order it that the Ship in which he should have gone in at that time was cast away and not a man saved so that by breaking a bone he saved his life The like did that blessed Martyr in Queen Mary's dayes who would alwayes conclude of all Gods dealings to be very good and so he said when word was brought him that the next day he must be burned but as he was going to the stake he fell and brake his leg which when some asked him whether this were good too he replyed oh yes very good and so it fell out indeed for before his lame leg would bring him to the stake a post from Queen Elizabeth came to save him and to tell Queen Mary was dead Oh! how doth afflictions occasion more comfort and further experience of grace God seldome afflicts in vain such solemn providences and dispansations leave men better or worse but the children of God gain profit still by them for 'c is Gods course to recompence outward losses with inward injoyments for as the sufferings of Christ abound in us so also consolations abound by Christ that is inward comfort and experiences according to the rate of outward sâ—fferings Ah! a wildernesse that giveth us more of God is to be preferred above all the pleasures and treasures of Egypt Novv as afflictions occasion comfort so it tries it whether it be sound and solid for in the time of prosperity that comfort which vâ—e have is so mixed according to the mixt causes of it that vve can very hardly diâ—cern what of it is carnall and what is spirituall but vvhen all other comforts and hopes are gone then that vvhich is left is most likely to be spirituall and the spirit never vvorketh more sensibly and svveetly then when it worketh alone So likewise how can we tell whether we be able to incounter with an adversary when there appeareth 〈◊〉 to contend against us Hovv can vve tell vvith what patience vve can bear poverty vvhen vve alwayes abound in riches hovv can vve discern vvhat heart and coâ—rage vve â—ave to indâ—re shaâ—e disgâ—ace reproaches vvhen vve shall grovv old in popular applause and the sâ—reame of their favours shall flovv unto our graves hovv shall vve knovv vvith vvhat constancy and contentednesse vve can sustain the lâ—ss of children friends of the nearest and dearest relations when we never heard of the death of any of them truly we may comfort others but then it comes more kindly when we have first comforted our selves and have commanded our griefes to avoid our presence And this is she goodnesse and sweetnesse of our afflictions when being cast into this fiery Furnace we are purified from our drosse we may be approved in the touch and be esteemed and prized as well befitteth our worth and value according to that of Solomon Prov. 17.3 as the fining-pot for silver and the Furnace for gold so h Lord trieth the heart Object But some may say my afflictions are greaâ— and my strength small so that in my trials I shew so many infiâ—mities and corruptions I fear I shall never be approved how then shall I grow better by them Ans Alas poor soul dost thou think that the Goldsmâ—th hath skill enough so to proportion the heat of the fire to the mettall that it may be purified and not consumed and canst thou imagine that the Lord knoweth not how to fit his trials to thy stâ—ength or if he have knowledg and wisedome enough canst thou doubt of his will seeing he hath bound himselfe by a most gracious promise that he will not suffer us to be tempted or tried above our strength but will give a good issue with the temptations yea but in the meane time thou art pressed with such an heavy weight that thou bewraiest thine infirmities and corruptions And truely it may be necessary and profitable for thee so to doe that by this tryall thou mightest come to the sight and sense of these imperfections which before were in thee though hidden and unknowne to the end that now beholding them thou mayest be truly humbled brought to unfained repentance and to an hearty indeavour in using all good meanes to be cleansed and freed from them God many times in wonderfull mercy and love causeth us to bewray our smaller infirmities that he might free us from grosser sins and taking away all selfe confidence in our one strength he causeeth us with full affiance to rest upon him who never faileth those that trust in him Ah! We shall have treble honour for all our sufferings we are honoured by the Lord when he inricheth us with his graces and then by trying of them whereby their worth and excellency is manifested unto all that behold us And at last he will honour us by crowning his own graces in us when as by tryall they are approved Did we but serioâ—fly confider that promise Rom. 8.28 All things shall worke together not on y for good but for the best to them that love God we would think our present condition to be best what ever it be because of the wise providence of God Not to speake how prosperity workes for our good because though we are like a ship under saile with afore-winde carried sweetly and swiftly towards heaven being fully laden with the blessings of Gods left hand yet for as much as we saile in a tumultuous sea we are in great danger alwayes to be over set and many a one have been driven to that extremitie to cut downe their maine Mast and â—achling thrâ—w over-board all their goods before they could seâ—ure their lives My army said a Roman Captaine never stood in worse termes then when it had peace And 'c is noted of Solomon that of all the Kings of Juda
But we must lift up the eies of our minde above the earth unto heaven and consider that the Lord is the chiefe cause of all our afflictions and like a just judge useth wicked enemies false and fading friends Yea and also our owne improvidence and negligence as the executioners of his righteous judgements effecting by these meanes his owne purposes for the advancing of his glory and also for our eternall good And therefore let us patiently look up eye him which is invisible who hath power in his own hand to restraine their fury bridle their malice work their falsehood and treachery and make use of our own weaknesse and failings for our future advantage Waiting patiently for the Lords coming to help us or bearing patiently what the Lord imposeth on us are a like right pleasing and acceptable services unto our God which he is wont to crown with multiplyed and overflowing refreshings when he comes They that waite upon the Lord shall renue their strength they shall mount up with wings as Eagles they shall run and not be weary they shall walk and not faint Isa 40.31 Ah! We have not patiently waited so many yeares in the meanes of grace for comfort as God hath waited for our conversion Let us resolve to doe as much as we can and suffer as much in obedience to God as we can suffer for necessity or passion feare or desire and surely if we can for one thing we can for another and there is nothing wanting but the minde and therefore let us not say we cannot indure this for God would never have sent it if he had not known us strong enough to abide it onely he that knowes us well already would also take this occasion to make us know our selves And truly there is an art or skill of bearing troubles if we could learne it without overmuch troubling of our selves as in bearing of a burden there is a way so to poize it that it weigheth not over-heavy if it hangs all on one side it poizeth the body down Thus is it when we lay all the weights in the scales of creatures and other crosse accidents occasioned by our selves We pull the greatest part of our troubles upon our selves by not imparting our care so as to take upon us the care of duty and leave the rest to God Ah! Let us not thinke the day of the Lord too little and the day of man too much but relye on the all-sufficient God accounting it nothing to be judged by man as knowing in whom we have believed and that it is enough that our judgement is with the most high and the uprightnesse of our hearts are known to him and that our praise is with him And at least wise shall we be accounted patient sufferers if finding impatiencie to arise in our affections we shall be displeased with our selves for it And to checke and chide our soules for our impatiency saying as David Psal 62. Yet my soule be silent to Jehovah Neither must we be patient for a fit or take patiently one crosse and fume and 〈◊〉 for another but we must with a Christian Magnanimity be able to beare all Thus we see did Job after one affliction he patiently indured another untill they were exceedingly multiplied in number and increased in weight And this was the practice of the Prophet Isa Chap. 26.9 In the way of thy judgements O Lord have we waited for thee So likewise the Church Lâ—m. 3.26 It is good saith she both to trust and to waite for the salvation of the Lord. And let us not in a blockish stupidity lye under the correcting hand of God as if we had no sence no no god will have his blowes felt and as Ambrose well observed they doe not deserve the praise of patience who indure without complaining the wounds of adversity when being benummed they have no sence of paine And therefore moderate griefe for offending such a gracious father may very well stand with true patience we ought to grieve saith a holy and experimentall divine one of a thousand when God rebukes yet as children to their fathers scourge with shame with feare and with submission and as children to their fathers love with hearts inlarged and love redundant weepâ— and love and as children to their saâ—ers â—me with holy change and â—est reformation And as children to their fathers bounds with eye to present time for present duty Ah! Leâ— uâ—study what is our present duty and God will study what shall be for our future comfort And then may we safely expect God in his wayes of mercy when we are in his wayes of obedience And let us likewise beare our afflictions freely and willingly sweetly and silently putting our necks under the yoake and willingly kissing the rod. For if we goâ— to the crosse as beares to the stake we suffer not in obedience remember what the Lord Jesus hath said he that taketh not up his crosse daily cannot be my disciple Forced suffering against our wills is not worth the name of patience over-powered strength may beare in policy when it must yeild of necessity but little thankes for such bearing in respect of God to choose to beare rather then not when God chastiseth and his will is so to take up the crosse when flesh might finde the way to shift it Christ calling thereunto this is action and truth of duty not dull passion or patience perforce And there 's a wide difference betweene taking up our crosse and having it laied on us many a one beares a forced burden whether they will or no grudgingly and with repining no reward for this but then is our fortitude worthy of praise when we can indure to be miserable willingly And willingnesse implieth cheerefulnesse and so we must be too But here then you may object Is it not required that we should be affected with sorrow in our sufferings and moderately mourne in our crosses and afflictions and how then can we at the same time rejoyce seeing joy and mourning are opposite one to another For answer hereunto we must know that Christian sorrow rejoycing may well stand together seeing the one maketh way for the other for therefore we be waile our sins that we may rejoice in the assurance of the pardon of them of our reconciliation with God and of our interest in all the gracious promises of the Gospell So that though we give the first part to be acted by sorrow yet let us not alwayes have it continue in a Christian heart for so it would grow immoderate but after this our unfained repentance for sin and our assurance of pardon with God let us have spirituall rejoycing not only when we have a confluence of those left-handed blessings but in tribulation and afflictions Againe opposites may agree in the same subject at the same time in a divers respect for so we mourne because by our sins we have crucified the Lord of life but rejoyce in that by his death he
hath wrought the worke of our redemption we may at the same time mourne in the fight of our sins because we have difhonoured by them a gracious father and yet rejoyce in that our sorrow assureth us that they are forgiven us and we received into Gods favour We may mourne in the sence of our pain and smart but rejoyce in it as it is a figne of our adoption when God correcteth us as his children that we might not be condemned with the world So that we may spend our dayes in a joyfull mourning or a mournfull joy And thus by sence of paine the Lord maketh the flesh to mourne that it may be mortified restrained from sin for feare of punishment and by this spirituall joy apprehended by faith our good God refresheth the spirituall parâ— that it may not faint and yield when the flesh tempteth it to murmuring and dispaire Ah! Iâ— is the sweâ—nâ— oâ— God's love that allayeth the sowâ—nesse of all our afflictions This made David to say Psal 94.19 In the multitude of my thoughts which are within me thy comforts delight my soule Labour we then for patience under all our pressures it will lighten all our crosses and lesson our paines Patience in afflictions as a father saith will make us Martyrs without either fire or sword And therefore misery it selfe cannot make us miserable Let us then rejoyce and be exceeding glad for great will be our reward in heaven And let the consideration of this sweeten the bitternesse of our cup that according to the weight of our afflictions here shall be the weight of our glory hereafter Who would not then be content to drinke of Christs viniger and gall in this world so he migh drinke that new wine with him in his heavenly kingdome Oh. But how shall we obtaine this patience and a Cheerfull bearing up the head under all our pressures Answ We must know that patience is no naturall faculty or inherent quality which is borne and bred with us for naturally we are peevish and impatient if we are â—ever so 〈◊〉 crossed of our wills murmuâ— and repining against Divine providence and therefore this flower is not to be found in the barren desert of corrupted nature where it never grew neither is patience attained by the help of naturall reason and Philosophy whiâ— propoundeth unto us only shadowes of comforts that have a seeming shew a far off but vanish away when we seeke to catch them These props which uphold patience are guilded over but with humane Wit Art and Eloquence which seem to be of some strength so long as our patience is unburthened but when once patience is pressed with the least weight of afflictions then they faile and breake bewraying their weaknesse and insufficiency together with the folly of those who invented them and of us who trusted in them Alas The Philosophers for the most part were ignorant of the chiefe causes of all afflictions not ascribing them unto God and his most wise and just providence but unto fate and destany chance and fortune never looking unto the chiefe deserving cause which is sin but imagined that all crosses hapned by the guidance of blinde fortune which put no difference betweene the good and bad just and unjust and so accordingly did they apply false remedies which were as loathsome as the disease which they sought to cure Epictetus was one of the wisest of all the Philosophers and yet what cold counsell doth he give as namely that we must beare patiently that which we cannot avoid whereas that alone is enough to make a man break out into all impatiency when he shall consider that his miseries which are presently intollerable are also inevitable for the time to come that we doe beare those burthens which are common to many and that we have innumerable companions in our griefes that all mankind are subject to manifold miseries and afflictions and therefore we must not take it ill if we be not exempted from the common lot but in the mean time theyâ—make no mention of Gods providence disposing of all our afflictions and turning them to our good they do not shew that they are proportioned to the measure of our strength so as they shall never overwhelme us nor that they are the chastisements of a gracious Father and the fruits of his love again they put us in no hope and assurance that God is present with us in all our troubles and in his good time will deliver us out of all our afflictions and therefore we are not to trust to those who are but miserable comforters at the best Now if we will be sure to have true patience in our afflictions indeed we must seek for it where it is to be found and that is from the Father of lights from whom every good and perfect gift doth come now God hath promised that what ever we ask according to his will beleeving we shall obtain since therefore we have a promise let us go to God by prayer and in a humble boldnesse put him in mind of that word call upon me in the day of trouble and I will hear thee and thou shalt glorifie me and truly we never glorifie God more then when we seek deliverance from God and patiently expect it from him alone God doth many times as tender Mothers doe with their children that stray away from them which cause them to be frightned that they may return and cast themselves into their armes for protection so doth our good God cause these bugbeares of afflictions to meet and terrifie us when we have run away from him and suffereth us to be deprived of all other helps and comforts that we may with fulnesse of affiance rest wholly on him Ah! if we would consider that so ready is the Lord to hearken unto the suites of those that pray unto him that when he seeth this disposition in them he promiseth that before they call he will answer and while they speak he will hear Isai 65.24 and again Psal 91.15 he shall call upon me and I will hear him I will be with him in trouble I will deliver him and glorifie him so in Psal 145.19 he vvill fulfill the desire of them that feare him he also vvill hear their cry and vvill save them And indeed there can never be a stronger prop to uphold our patience then fervency in prayer saith the Apostle James chap. 1.5 if any of you lack wisedome namely that wisedome specially which inableth us to beare the crosse with comfort and patience let him ask of God which giveth to all men liberally and reproacheth no man and it shall be given him Oh! how it easeth us of our griefer and lighteneth our hearts of the burden of our afflictions when as we lay open our grievances before God and pour out all our complaints into his bosome now if it be an ease to our afflicted minde if we may communicate our griefesto a deare friend that at least we may be