said seeing that God is with vs in all our afflictions by his prouidence and power and by the assistance of his holy Spirit none of them shall be able to doe vs any harme And the truth of Gods loue and meaning towards vs this way he confirmeth by a most excellēt proof when he addeth 32. Who spared not his owne Sonne but gaue him for vs all to death how shall he not with him giue vs all things also In which words he sheweth that we haue no cause to feare no not in any crosse that the Lord will not giue vs whatsoeuer is profitable for vs seeing that he hath not spared his owne Sonne to saue vs. Therfore when he saith All things worke together for the best to them that feare God it is most true whether we take it generally as the words may be expounded namely not onely prosperitie but aduersitie also not onely health but sicknes not onely libertie but imprisonment not onely honour but dishonour make for the best to those that loue God Or whether it be restrained to this particular purpose of his namely to affliction of what nature or kind so euer It is no doubt the intent of the Apostle to speake of this latter and to shew that all afflictions doe not onely not hinder the saluation of the godly but doe greatly further the same Which saying of his though it containeth an whole and entire matter by it selfe yet beeing inferred vpon the former wordes he seemeth therein to answer a secret obiection which might arise in mens mindes from thence namely that it seemeth many times that the Lord doth not heare the praiers of the afflicted because their afflictions be not onely not remooued according to their praiers but somtimes increased contrarie to their earnest desire Therefore wee must remember what hath beene alreadie said touching this matter namly how the Lord in graunting our requests looketh not so much to the particular things which we desire as to the meaning of his Spirit in vs and granteth that in turning our afflictions to our singular good wheras if they were presently remooued the Lord seeth that it would be far worse with vs though we imagine the contrarie For as if one in a burning feauer should in the middest of his fit impatiently desire to be washed with colde water and then the skilfull Physitian standing by beeing his friend also should giue him some wholesome conserues or other cooling thing hee should in denying that particular thing demāded graunt vnto his generall meaning which was that he might haue some thing giuen him that might do him most good though now beeing distēpered he was not able to iudge of it but did mistake one thing for an other and thought that to be best as to be plunged into the colde water which indeede is the worst So wee whatsoeuer we aske in our distresse by praier vnto God our meaning is and must be if it be ruled by Gods spirit that we would haue that giuen vnto vs which might procure our best good and further our saluation most of all Therefore if the Lord suffer our crosses to remaine and turne them to our good though we in particular praied for the cleane taking of them away hee fulfilleth both these promises vnto vs at once namely he giueth vs according to the measure of his spirit in vs and hee also causeth them to worke together for the best to those that loue God Thus then Paul besought the Lord thrice that is very often 2. Cor. 12.8 that the messenger of Satan might depart from him and yet the Lord suffered him stil to buffet the Apostle least he should bee exalted out of measure through the aboundance of reuelations that were giuen vnto him and the Lord gaue him this further answer that his grace should be sufficient for him to vphold and strengthen him and that the power of God should be seen in the Apostles weaknesse The Lord in denying this request of his did giue him according to the meaning of his spirit in him which was that the Lord would deale with him this way as it should make most for his owne glorie and for the furtherance of Pauls saluation and also did cause this affliction to worke together with other things for his best good for this did him more good remaining then if it had beene taken away for hereby he had more experience of his owne weakenesse and of the power of God then otherwise he could haue had And thus also the Lord hath verified from time to time vnto the rest of his seruants the truth of that promise of his which is vttered by the mouth of the Prophet Salomon Pro. 10.24 God will fulfill the desire of the righteous that is God will not onely blesse those that serue him but hee will bestowe those blessings vpon thē most of all which they especially desire and do most earnestly pray vnto him for according to that that is said in the Psalme Psal 145.19 Hee will fulfill the desire of them that feare him Which promises are so to bee vnderstood not that he will alwaies giue them euery particular thing that they aske for many times through ignorance or beeing distempered with some tēptation they aske that that is hurtfull and then God denieth them but he giueth them some other thing that is more profitable for them according to the generall meaning of the spirit of God in them And so doe parents vnto their little children whom they loue full dearely when they aske kniues and such hurtfull things in stead of them they in wisedome giue them some other thing that they shall delight in as much and so still their frowardnesse and giue them their desire in another kind Euen so the Lord fulfilleth the desire of his seruants by making an exchange when as they name one thing and he giueth them an other as good or better as it is saide in the Psalme Psal 21.4 He asked life of thee thou gauest him a long life euen for euer and euer where in the person of Dauid he sheweth how God dealeth with his Church they aske life of him and he giueth not onely that but eternall life as he did to Hezekiah but yet sometimes they that are weake and sicke and desire life they haue it not graunted but linger and pine away euen vnto death and so God taketh them into his blessed kingdome and giues them eternall life which is better then that life that they desired And thus did he deale with many of the Corinthians 1. Cor. 15.32 whō he did by death iudge and chastise in this world that they might be saued in the world to come And this was the case of his faithfull seruant Moses Deut. 3.25 who in the wildernesse desired earnestly of the Lord that he might goe ouer and see that good land that was beyond Iorden and that goodly mountain Sion and Lebanon but he would not heare him in
Errata Pag. 51. l. 15. for rather read either p. 53. l. 4. for The This. p. 55. l. for note roote p. 65. l. 4. dele not p. 98. l. 10. for vse inioy p. 101. l. 7. for walke wash p. 108. l. 20. dele that p. 109. l. 7. deest to p. 119. l. vlt. for that if p. 120. l. 3. deest to p. 140. l. 11. for turning curing A TREATISE FVL OF CONSOLATION for all that are afflicted in minde or bodie or otherwise Which armeth vs against impatiencie vnder any crosse By NICOLAS BOVVNDE Doctor of Divinitie Lament Ierem. 4.27 It is good for a man that he beare the yoke in his youth Printed by CANTRELL LEGGE Printer to the Vniuersitie of Cambridge 1608. To the right Worshipfull Sir HENRIE WARNER Knight and to the vertuous Ladie FRANCIS WARNER his Christian and godly wife the daily increase of that true godlines that hath the promises of this life and of the life to come RIght Worshipfull Sir in respect of your place indeede some learned Treatise of Iustice might haue seemed more fitting which if I had attempted I could haue added nothing vnto that which you daily practise and haue done many yeares to the great good of that part of our countrey wherein God hath placed you But yet as you are a Christian and a professor of the Gospel and so euen in the multitude of Gods blessings many waies and plentifully powred out vpon you are subiect with all the rest of Gods children vnto some afflictions and crosses this argument I hope for the time present or to come may seeme not altogether vnseasonable Seeing that the Lord hath saide that if any man will follow him Matth. 16.24 he must take vp his crosse and follow him And therefore that is it which euery one must looke for at one time or an other and in what kind it shall seeme best to his heauenly wisdome For here I haue laboured to shew out of the word of God many reasons of the patient and comfortable bearing of the same But whatsoeuer it be it proceedeth from an heart vnfainedly well wishing vnto you and so I pray you accept of it as an apparant testimonie of the same And for your selfe good Madame though your owne vertues and kindnes deserue much God hauing put vpon you that crowne of glorie Prov. 16.31 that Salomon speaketh of namely that your age is found in the way of righteousnes euen in these most corrupt and dangerous times yet the worthie memorie of M. Robert Foorth sometimes of Butly Esquire Prou. 2 17. heretofore the guide of your youth your selfe beeing ioyned vnto him in the neerest couenant of God had beene sufficient to mooue me among other his friends and allies to shew what testimonie of loue I could vnto any of his Whose zeale to the Gospel of Christ and loue to all that professed it with his sinceritie in executing of iustice heartie affection to all his neighbours great hospitalitie and releefe to the poore euen in the times of greatest scarsitie and want with most excellent orders in his family for daily praier for reading the Scriptures and for singing of Psalmes doe yet speake for him and shall whiles this age remaineth Whose vprightnesse of heart vnto God wherein he was a right Nathanael Ioh. 1.47 euen a true Israelite indeed I pray God that all his right worshipfull children sonnes and daughters may set before their eyes as an example to follow And so praying God to blesse you both with many comfortable daies together in this life and eternall happines after death in the kingdome of heauen neuer to be seuered with the like blessing of God vpon the right worshipfull your children and childrens children on both sides I bid you all most humbly and heartily fare-well in Christ Norton in Suff. Iun. 24. 1608. Your Worships in all vnfained loue for Christs sake Nicolas Bownde Errata Pag 19. l. 5. read that God 25.4 r. mixt thing 27.20 r. distracted 2◠9 r. our selues 33.16 r. infirmities 42.20 deest are 24. r. rich mercie 47.11 r. want 53.7 r. meaning 57.18 r. fauour of God 62 3. r. searing 99. 5. after man put in colon A COMFORTABLE TREATISE for the afflicted Rom. 8.26 c. Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities for we know not what to pray as we ought but the Spirit it selfe maketh request for vs with sighes which cannot be expressed 27 But he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the meaning of the Spirit for he maketh request for the Saints according to the will of God 28 Also we know that all things worke together for the best vnto them that loue God euen to them that are called of his purpose 29 For those whome he knew before he also predestinate to be made like to the image of his Sonne that he might be the first borne among many brethren c. THe generall intent and purpose of the Apostle here is to intreat of the matter of afflictions to this ende that he might shew that none of them shall be able to hinder vs frō our saluation that so beeing well perswaded of them and of the goodnes of God towards vs in them we might be the better prepared for them and haue more comfort in the bearing of them For he hauing prooued before that we are iustified saued by faith in Christ for the further assurance of all those that relie vpon Christ for their saluation he remooueth out of their minds those things that might seeme to weaken their faith herein And namely first of all the consideration of our naturall corruption cleauing fast vnto vs hindering vs from that which is good and drawing vs to that that is euill euen after such time as we do beleeue of which he hath spoken in the former chapter Rom. 7 15. saying I allow not that which I doe for what I would that doe I not but what I hate that do I. For I know that in me that is in my flesh dwelleth no good for to will is present with me but I finde no meanes to performe that that is good For I doe not the good that I would but the euill that I would not that doe I. I finde then that when I would doe good I am thus yoaked that euill is present with me For I delight in the law of God in the inner man But I see an other law in my members rebelling against the law of my minde and leading me captiue vnto the law of sinne which is in my members O wretched man that I am who shall deliuer mee from the bodie of this death For answer vnto which he saith that by the imputation of the perfect holinesse of our Sauiour Christ the guiltines of this is taken away and is not imputed vnto vs before the iudgment seat of God and therefore he saith vers 17. it is no more I that doe it but sinne that dwelleth in me for if I doe that I
or howe to pray to God as we ought and yet then his Spirit doth stirre vp in vs though not many wel ordered speches or words yet those sighes and groanes which beeing vnspeakable and not felt of them in whom they are are well vnderstood and accepted of God because they proceede from his spirit whose meaning he knoweth granteth because it maketh request for the Saints according to the will of God Wherein we are first of all to cōsider that though wee haue receiued the spirit of God euen the spirit of adoption whereby we crie Abba Father which spirit teacheth vs to pray and by which wee haue many times called vpon God with great assurance and comfort both for and with our selues and others also yet there may be a time that very often wherein wee may be so dishorted by some great affliction and in such a case that beeing as it were astonished and ouercome with the greatnesse and strangenesse of it wee cannot well tel what to pray or what to aske of God And though prayer at such a time especially be our only refuge according to the saying of the Prophet Psal 50.25 Call vpon me in the day of trouble so wil I deliuer thee yet we cannot tell how to begin and what to say And so vnlike shall we bee vnto our Father and to that that wee haue beene in times past as though wee were not the same nay our estate may seeme to bee like vnto the wicked who are at their wits ende and know not how to pray vnto God at all For if we were asked then what we would haue we cannot make a direct answer and though we haue libertie to aske of God according to our neede yet wee cannot vse it for we cannot tell what to pray O what a wonderfull thing is this but yet most true and that which is to be found not in some fewe meane persons onely that are ignorant and haue not accustomed themselues to prayer but in the most excellent seruants of God euen the Apostles thēselues as Paul here bringeth himselfe in with the rest for an example and in this great infirmitie maketh himselfe like vnto the rest saying For we know not what to pray as we ought And though there be many excellēt praiers in the old new Testament by which wee might learne how to pray and especially wee haue a perfect forme of prayer prescribed by our Sauiour Christ to direct vs in all things needfull for vs yet in temptation wee aske those things many times which if we had them would bee hurtfull vnto vs and when wee doe aske that that is profitable and good yet euen then by prescribing vnto the Lord the time when the manner how and the meanes whereby wee would bee deliuered according to our owne minde wee pray with such impatience and distrust that it may be truely said of vs Wee cannot tell what to pray as wee ought This was the estate of that good King Hezekiah when he was sicke vnto death at what time beeing greatly pained in his body and sore troubled in his minde and out of all hope of life he turned his face vnto the wall and praied vnto the Lord but how hee doth expresse it in these words Like a Crane or a Swallow so did I chatter Esa 38.14 I did mourne as a doue that is in the bitternesse of his soule hee did not vse many words yea hee was altogether so confused that his prayer was like the chattering of birdes he knew not almost what to say Such was the perplexitie more then infirmitie of Dauid when as in his great afflictions in stead of praying he roared all the day long as hee saith of himselfe Psal 32.3 When I helde my tongue my bones consumed and vvhen I roared all the day so that sometimes he held his peace beeing betvveen hope and despaire and sometimes he vttered many desires but beeing carried avvay vvith the present feeling of his aduersitie they vvere more like the roarings of a vvilde beast then any vvell ordered prayer And at another time he saith Mine heart trembleth vvithin me Psal 55.4 the horrors of death are fallen vpon me feare and trembling are come vpon me and an horrible feare hath couered me in vvhich vvords hee shevveth in vvhat infirmity vveaknesse he vvas then fallen into for his prayers after vvhat manner they vvere framed hee declareth in these vvordes Vers 2. I mourne in my prayer and make a noise so that there vvas mourning and some kinde of noise and little else And another time hee expresseth his outvvard estate the inward affection of his mind and the maner of his prayer then after this sort Psal 102.3 My daies are cōsumed like smoak my bones are burnt like an herth mine heart is smitten and withered like grasse because I forgat to eate my bread for the voice of my groaning my bones doe cleaue to my skinne I am like a Pellican of the wildernesse and am like an owle of the desarts I watch and am as a sparrow alone vpon the house top Surely I haue eaten ashes as bread and mingled my drinke with weeping By which kind of speeches he sheweth how greatly his affliction did worke vpon him so that in them he did groane and weepe and cast out many fearefull cries but all things were so out of order in his praier that they were like the chattering of a Pelican and of a sparrow and the skreeks of an owle rather then any thing els if God had considered them in his iustice and so he might haue reiected them Thus wee see that these most excellent seruants of God in their greatest conflicts and agonies were so farre from beeing able to pray vnto God in any tolerable manner that in their own sense and feeling they did but roare crie sob and sigh weepe mourne and complaine and that also very confusedly euen like the Crane the Swallow the Pellican the Sparrow euen the shreeke Owle it selfe so distracted were they in thēselues and full of disorder and fallen into so many great disorders at once Therefore we may not iudge of our selues or of others by any one such accident or few particular cases least we should deceiue our selues saying I haue not the spirit of God for I cannot pray nor call vpon God in mine affliction and if I doe at any time it is not as I ought for this is that which Paul confesseth of himselfe of other the seruants of God and which wee haue seene in these two excellent Kings Hezekiah and Dauid that in affliction oftentimes we cannot tell what to pray as we ought But yet in this great vnfitnesse of ours we must not be like to the wicked who then giue ouer all prayer because they are vnfit for it and we are subiect vnto this temptation to put off praier because we see that we cannot pray as we ought and so wee are