A Short ESSAY OF AFFLICTIONS OR Balme to Comfort if not Cure those that Sinke or Languish under present misfortunes and are not prepared in these unsetled times to meet all events with constant and equall tempers Written from one of His Majesties Garrisons as a private advise to his onely Sonne and by him Printed to satisfie the importunity of some particular friends Luke 21.19 In your patience possesse ye your Soules 1 Pet. 4.19 Let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their Soules to him in well doing as unto a faithfull Creatour London Printed by E. G. 1647. My deerest Sonne SInce I know that man is only truly happy that the want of outward things cannot make miserable I cannot but advise you to winde up and raise your thoughts to higher objects then sublunary triflles And when you doe looke upon the low transitories of this world let it be through the wrong or rather Right end of the Christians Perspective that they may appeare but little if any thing in your eyes which are so weake and empty of all true comfort in themselves that as Saint Ambrose upon the devils vanishing prospect Matthew 4. saith he shewed all in a moment to our Saviour least looking a little he had seene nothing neither doth our Jesu who knew best the way to happinesse in that he was the way set any other estimate upon them for when he commands us to seeke a Kingdome it is of heaven not earth omitting the very naming of any thing here below as of no value all things temporall being with him but as dust upon the ballance or over-waights cast onely into the scale as appendices of grace and so meane as not worthy the name of a gift from him And this the devill knew so well that in his temptations of power he acknowledged Christ to be the Sonne of God But as Aquinas observes in that of weaknesse wherein he bated his lure onely with the perishing nothings the shadowes and semblances of glory the sole Monarchy of the world he considered him onely as a man and durst not once call him the Sonne of God knowing it might prevaile with fraylty not Infinitie From whence let me ingage you to fortifie your selfe against such allurements And though you are likely by Gods mercy yet to possesse a competent measure of earthly comforts notwithstanding the straites and difficulties I have passed let not them possesse you but be in the world not of it And though some part of the affections will touch upon it while you are here let it be but like a wheele in Puncto in the least point and that not fixt but moving considering all below are but perishing vanities good onely when vertue animates and sends them abroad in their using not injoying when you must be taken from them if not they from you and the longest terme of having them is but for life which ever diminisheth by increasing and is at most but a bubble a smoake or ayery being the onely difference as one saith betweene sleep and death that soone comes to nothing Yet this short spanne or thread of life is most commonly ravelled out in trouble to get care to keepe and feare to loose these unsatisfying comforts which at no time are permanent but now as it were dying at the very root when such an Inundation of misery is broken in upon us as hath almost brought all things to another Chaos so that nothing but an almighty power can bring light out of our darknesse forme beauty and order out of such a heape and masse of confusion Nay such is the violent tide and impetuousnesse of some mens passions as they would doe more then Noahs flood in making but one common grave for State Church and all though God hath in his goodnesse yet bounded them in saying Hitherto you shall goe and no further and will still give us safety salvation in the Arke the true and Ancient Protestant faith Reverentiall worship as it was reformed and practised in Queene Elizabeths dayes rise and rage those waters never so much for God being Pilot will steere and keep it floating upon those devouring waves till he finde it another Ararat to rest on yet that you may guide your course with the more comfort and safety in this troubled Ocean J shall like a lanterne in the haven or so many Sea-markes for direction commend unto you these few practicall considerations following which truly like the ballast of the Ship have kept me in an even and safe course in the midst of our greatest stormes and made me by Gods infinite goodnesse happy in misery rich in want and contented in all conditions nor will they prove unprofitable to you if you looke up to God for a blessing when you reflect upon them in your meditations but will make you in habit and affections above misfortunes if not a Martyr when called to it upon Christian and noble termes and in Calmes tackle and tite your weake built Pinnace to endure all weathers upon any change And I feare though our present clouds the immediate messengers of tempests doe somethtng scatter they may gather again into a higher malignity then ever since I see they are still bigge with those foggy and fiery exhalations out of which the Thunder-bolts of Gods wrath were lately formed and made and I feare our new sinnes will againe midwife and bring them forth to wrack us in the very haven if wee allay not the storme by a shower of repentant teares and by our more faithfull sincere and constant returnes to God turne his wrath from us which he of his mercy grant if it be his blessed will and how ever inable you and all his to undergoe with an equall temper and holy submission what his wisedome hath appointed for us Onely I shall desire you to use these short Essayes piously the Subject whereof is chiefly the Christians comportment in afflictions as a meanes to fix your Quick-silver and unconstant temper And I shall not doubt but God of his mercy will water this my planting which the heavenly dew of his grace and make it bring forth comfort here with joy in the holy Ghost and with the Phenix Glory in your Resurrection which is the Prayer of Your affectionate Father Aprill the 20. An. Do. 1646. AN ESSAY OF AFFLICTIONS AND The Christian's comportment in them IF the whole life of Christ was a continued crucifixion in that he was borne a Martyr found a Golgatha in Bethlem and made his birth and his death his Christmas and good Friday both Morn and Evening of one and the same day of suffering we that fight under the Banner of his Crosse must not thinke to follow our Generall in his triumphs if we leave him in the field or carry no markes of Honour Prints of his wounds about us which how mortall soever never prove deadly But as Romanus said when Asclehiades made his tormentors cut and crucifie him Tot
fetters which made Pyrrhus say his victories were enough to undoe the Conquerour in that what is got by power is commonly kept with care and hazard especially if like flies that most commonly suck their nutriment from wounds and sores we live upon the blood and teares of other men And if a heathen could be master of such a pious moderation let us make it the center of our desires as most diffusive of equall Justice to all and most uniting and reconciling all extreames from a middle symbolizing with both and if like a still we thus keep our selves in a moderate temper we shall willingly want with submission what we cannot get by lawfull meanes knowing that all things in this world even life it selfe are but the dresse and shadowes of good when vertue onely and a happy death brings the refined part But admit there were true happinesse in injoying the best coloured dirt or any outward splendid greatnes yet he that desires no more then he hath hath in that more then any other can injoy in having their desires in all things else For there as in a dropsie drinking doth but increase thirst and desire being infinite in respect of the bounded joyes of this world hath absent not present felicity for its object and is so farre here from being satisfyed that the worldly mans happinesse doth but increase his Trouble like Alexanders whose heart inlarged with his possessions so as one world could not fill it but lost his felicity in that he had wonne by wishing for another that he might conquer whereas contented poverty is a happy Fortune because it fixeth our restlesse desires yet then we may invert it with Seneca and say It is not poverty if it be content how much more therefore should wee Christians learne with Saint Paul in what condition soever we are * Phil. 4. to center in a submissive satisfaction taking no dividing distracting thoughts and care for any thing no not for food and rayment * Matt. 6. though of all things else they intitle themselves to our Assiduity and diligence in their obteyning But let us cast our burden and care upon God for he beareth the one and is ever mindfull of the other * Ps 37.55.22 1 Pet. 5.7 Nay he hath promised that if we first seeke the kingdome of God and the righteousnesse thereof all these things shall be added a Mat. 6.33 as an over waight to us added not given because of no great worth nor value with a pious man if we cast our selves upon him in a holy recumbency and fiduciall confidence for the rest b Ps 34. Jsa 26. A most holy thirst or way to want nothing necessary for us yet here we must onely leave the event to God not omit any lawfull and moderate indevour on our parts as subservient to his providence which ordinarily doth not carry us from one extreame to another but by middle wayes for though he provides our daily bread he gives it onely to them that aske and labour for it * 1 Tim. 5.8 but when our actions as well as our tongues put forth their voyce they cry aloud in the eares of God * Mal. 3. and never misse of a blessing for as he that gives us life cannot want meanes to continue it in that he can make the rich mans barne the poore mans magazine so by giving one he becomes our debter for the rest Deus donando debet if wee cancell not our title by distrust Gods present benefits being ingagements to future mercies like Jacob and Esau one having a hand upon the others heel they come into the world as twins Nay it were the greatest Atheisme and infidelity in the world to thinke if we be not wanting to our selves that God either can or will let us want any thing that is good * Rom. â— when to convince us he doth not onely send us to his promises but to his unexampled goodnesse even towards his irrationall creatures to the lilie of the field which saith he neither spins nor takes paines to the fowles of the ayre which neither sow nor reape and shall not we aske as Saint Paul in another place sayes of Oxen doth God take this care of flowers birds beasts and shall he not much more provide for man for whose use service and delight those creatures were made Nay should we want bread yet we shall not want life for man of all creatures lives not by bread onely but by the blessing of God upon him For thus God can give forty dayes sustenance in one small refreshment as to Elias and put leannesse into the soules of those that are daily fed with quailes and manna for his children usually fare best upon a hard diet like many birds that grow fattest in sharpest and most biting weather and with poor Lazarus get more health and strength from Dives his crums the dogs ordinary then the other from all his full dishes and with the Nightingale sings most sweetly when the thorne is against her breast most pricked and stung by any misery like Paul Silas in their chaines nay such is Gods goodnesse to us that if naturall bowels faile he will still take care of us as of those birds that expose their young ones as soone as hatched to a miracle for preservation * Luk. 12.24 and will fill our mouthes with a sweet dew or something nutritive from heaven if we open them that way to call upon him in Prayer * Job 38.41 Ps 147.9 so the naturalists whereas the affluence of worldly blessings many times like the grovling sow to her young ones kils us with abundance And this as one observes made the Raven that was unnaturall to her owne Elias his caterer in his distesse as a return of gratitude to God for nourishing up her young one without her owne breast but I rather draw this conclusion from it that God who made the most unnaturall creature in the world so serviceable and compassionate towards man in his distresse neither can nor ever will want wayes and meanes to releive us if our eyes be upon him with good Iehosophat when surrounded with destruction and with Iob by making our confidence in his mercies out live death it selfe For certainly God can never cast them out of his protection that thus rely upon his providence but will allow for necessity though not for outward bravery and insteed of the artificiall glittering beauties of the world will cloth them with the Lilies whitenes Innocency here as an under garment till they be clothed upon with glory hereafter And therefore since our heavenly Father knowes better what is needfull for us then we for our selves and accordingly dispenses it to us most seasonably let us submit to every condition and rather expect a blessing upon our poverty then desire his outward blesings with a curse * Psa 78. for God loves measure in all things and gives to every living creature
the only Olympus above the meteors and stormes of this world which for its inconstancy is in the Revelation Emblemd by a Sea and that of glasse for its frailty and brittlenesse in its forme circular and moving to shew the inconstancy of all things in it its matter fading vanishing and dying to teach us the perishablenesse and certaine mortality of all its beauties for as the Father is such are the Children all but empty glories nay man himselfe the Master peece of nature and comprehension of all other beings and perfections close bound up in a little volume if we looke into his materials the weaknesse and short continuance of the building we can account but as a vapour a shadow a bubble that soone vanisheth a walking peece of earth a well glazed pitcher soone broken a heap of ruine rather then a faire structure and in his greatest perfections a cipher or nothing In that honour is but a blaze or meteor many times made up of the basest matter a treasure without lock or key more in the power of another then the owner riches but Gold Gold but a well coloured peece of dirt which against nature rather then stay to make us happy will though a dull and heavy element take wings and flye away fame a hollow Eccho beauty a well glazed pitcher or fading flower friendship a dying happinesse joy but folly mirth a short madnesse all things in their longest continuance but a sound or flash of lightning that dyes as soone as borne a dim glasse darke resemblance or apparition of future happinesse for in the making of this goodly frame this out-building or suburbs of heaven as in a little note-booke God onely writ in short and illegible Characters drew in modell or little those everlasting inutterable ravishing glories that shall be revealed when the scene is to be opened the curtaine drawne the vaile of our soules our bodies done away even such as our cripled fancy our imped and pinnioned imaginations cannot soare to and therefore with a silent admiration a blindnesse occasioned by seeing the lustre of many suns at once let us expect to enter that immence infinite blessednesse by faith that cannot now enter into us into our finite capacities and begin our heaven in our holinesse the true way approach and gate to happinesse and from inward principles be constant in our outward sufferings for the name or cause of Jesus Act. 20. and so turne our enemies pitty at our pressures into wonder at our patience and our patience into an everlasting fruition of blessednesse and seale if Gods honour require it and our Countries good to that truth by our deaths we have made profession of in lives * Rev. 2.12 suffering all evill or punishment rather then commit any the least evill of sinne for such a temper of the soule when in the lowest center of misery will like fire to fewell turne all into it selfe into satisfaction if not complacency and with the wood in Exodus will convert these bitter waters into sweet and refreshing springs But if our weake faith doth not worke such miracles Exo. 15.25 let not our soules be vexed nor disquieted within us but trust in God as well for the resurrection of our joyes here as of our bodies hereafter who is the helpe of our countenance and our God * Psa 42.43 and having received presse mony past favours which are alwayes pledges of future mercies let us waite upon God fight unto death and not quit our colours for want of pay here but expect our triumphs hereafter when the enemy sinne and death are totally vanquished and in the meane time like Cloth in the fullers hand which must be thorowly whited and dressed to make up those robes of state the innocency of the Saints we must be for ever adorned with hereafter let us yeeld our selves to be trampled on and rinsed in severall waters many troubles still fearing that if the deluge of Affliction once begin to fall or abate a worse slime of sinne will cover the face of our earthly hearts and we for ever may stick fast in that mire without water to cleanse us if the fountaines opened to Iuda and Ierusalem for uncleanesse be stopt against us and then if the Baits of sinne delights of the world carry us along in those soft and boggy wayes and sinke us deeper how ever their entertainments are sweetned for the present with hony we shall ever finde the Bees sting in their taile their conclusion will be bitternesse and if our tendernesse shrinkes at the prickling of Afflictions here how shall we endure the wrack hereafter if not the sparkes of divine displeasure how the flames of hell fire for ever and ever Now to prevent this misery which is as immortal as the body the body as the soule the soule as God himselfe let us take lawfull pleasures here when God allowes them but not suffer them to take us yet sometimes please our selves in the want of pleasure it selfe * 1 Cor. 7.29.31 for what we sow in weakenesse shall rise in power * 1 Cor. 15. nay to Glory nay in Glory for as all Joyes here flow into the joyes of Heaven as rivers into the Sea so the faithfull Christian shall not loose his in death But his soule assoon as out of his body shall only goe from one Heaven to an other for the way to Heaven is Heaven so that as the Angels did not devest Heaven in coming to us good soules do invest Heaven in going to them the true joy that a Zacheus a soule in union with God and Christ apprehends here Joh 14.16 being that none can take from him For as one saith wittily crowd Heaven into a Map it s two Hemispheres are made up of joy and glory joy ushering in glory so that in the anguish of death agony of dissolution vision of horror nay sight of hell it selfe I shall see the face of God and all these will be but as Glasses that collect and reflect his ravishing rayes upon me adding joy to joy and glory to both and exchange for a great bubble blowne out with an easie breath for that childe and darling of time antiquity in blood for an empty aery title which is innobled onely by action and retaines nothing but the wax fit for any labell if wanting the stamp of true piety and worth for the hollow sound of fame a crowne that can never be lost for goodnesse and vertue will reflect a brave lustre upon the memory of a dead as well as upon the person of a living Saint a gallant eccho of praise when dead for his praising of God when living and though as one saith envy may sometimes mist the glasse of Reputation so that it shall not report a cleere light yet at the last judgement it will reverberate truly and we shall shine in a sphere all brightnesse and be known by a transparent light on every side what we were here what we are in heaven to the glory of God joy of the Saints shame and derision of of our enemies So great is the convictive Majesty of goodnesse in the beames of the setting sunne and though the highest perfection of the soule the most sublimed part of man here is full of imperfections blemishes and dying beauties which doe rather hide then shew the glory of a sanctified spirit or the true Image of God drawn in little there yet this way of taking God into us is our onely way of being taken into God and to make him our sheild and exceeding great reward Gen. 5. our defence here and Crowne hereafter when our Candles shall be put out in our earthen sockets our lofty blowne bladders empty themselves of breath and we sleepe in death a darke Gallery or shady walke onely leading betweene two lives the period and Omega of the earthly mans happinesse the Alpha and beginning of the Christians blessednesse the highest step to honour and birth day to eternity where we shall for ever injoy day without night satisfaction without satiety a tranquill happinesse in a happy tranquillity eternall blessednesse in a blessed eternity So be it Amen GEntle Reader though naturally men love the issue of their braines more then of their bodies in that they are many times longer lived more true and lasting records of the innobled soules they derive their pedigree from then the other yet the authour of this little worke chose rather to be forgotten then remembred by a peece that if examined by a cleer and open light will represent him with so many errours and ill drawn features to the world and designed it onely for himselfe and his but truly a civility to the law of friendship where desires are commands and the consideration of its usefulnesse in regard of the unhappy Harmony betweene its subject and these times made me first lend and now send it abroad and give it line beyond its authours intention though not liberty to goe but whether my hand directs for I have onely Printed a few Coppies to satisfie some private importunities and therefore if thou be one of that number its failings are now mine and thine and so intitle themselves to your forgivenesse which is the humble request of thine in all affection FINIS
as they have need and would not have the heart of man more unreasonable then the unreasonable sea the most unquiet of all the Elements but keep it selfe within fit bounds and limits for as just proportion of humors in the body an equall poise of power in the state betweene supreame power and common interest an even mixture of the elements preserves the whole universe so with Solomon neither to desire poverty nor riches but to acquiesce in what God pleases to shew his love in to us is the middle and happy temper of a Christian that which makes him most enjoy himselfe in all conditions and most persevering in holinesse Therefore let us moderate our selves in our desires toward the things of this life * Mat. 6. 1 Tim 6. Prov. 30. Heb. 2. ever looking beyond the present condition to the future event and with Saint Chrysostome seeing one going to execution with a croud of attendants along the most faire and beautifull streets and another without the countenance or company of a friend passing the most narrow troublesome and unpleasant lanes to a happy marriage bed cry out Non qua sed quo non via sed finis and thinke our selves safer in shipwrack God being our Pilote then the wicked can be in the sun-shine of their happinesse * Ps 37. Eccl. 9. in that it cannot goe ill with the righteous when the wicked must perish * Eccles 8. Job 2â— Eccles 2. Psal 34. 1 Pet. 3.4 2 Cor. 1.4.6 nay for our further comfort we shall not live altogether upon expectation depend upon reversions and have our wages deferred for Godlinesse is great gaine having the Promises both of this lif and that to come even present happinesse in the most unhappy outward condition in afflictions wants necessities and death it selfe for though the man that is earthly as well as earth lookes upon them in a multiplying glasse of sence and Perspective of Fancy and by it apprehends them more greater and fuller of horrour then they are in themselves and so becomes his owne wracke and tormenter the good Christian considering the least benefit he injoyes a mercy and blessing every evill he wants a favour and indulgence when many better then he wants what he possesseth and suffers under greater miseries that he better merits finds in this vale of misery many such wels to refresh at and can by Faith which easily workes such miracles unmask the satyre unsting the viper and turne the seeming evils of this world into a reall good for their vizard being once off their venome out there is nothing left to affright us but many times they worke for our advantage even in regard of present felicity by want making us become rich and by an holy chymistry turning all those Irons that enter into our soules into golden scepters in token of our conquest over our affections emblemd by the woman in the wildernesse who then and in that sad and solitary condition tramples upon the moone all terrene things for when one depth calleth upon another our misery upon Gods mercy * Isa 9. Dan. 9. Job 13.10 Jer. 9.28 Jsa 1.26.43 Jam. 4.8.10 Exod. 34. Psal 103. he is so delighted with himselfe in the exercise of that attribute that he makes it at it were his darling and the child of his nature * 2 Cor. 1.3 as Christ is the sonne of his person exalting it above all his workes nay and ours too workes of sinne to conquer and destroy them and to turne our Egyptian darknesse and servitude into a Goshen giving us for outward afflictions inward joyes for earthly losses true and lasting delights satisfaction in poverty when many are poor when richest a heart not to desire which is more then we can desire besides and drawing more releefe from this dry Cisterne then Tantalus when in the River to the mouth a holy riddle gaining by losse and loosing by gaine an improving of our joy a hundred fold with persecutions by losing our goods * Matth. 10. Marke 10. Job 31. in regard of inward peace and complacency the issue and crown that followes it if we can but learne with Saint Paul equally to want and abound in what condition soever to be content * Ph. 4. Prov. 1.14.13.7 and by it make afflictions become a reall lye our selvs a holy paradox when in having nothing we injoy all things * 2 Cor. 6. For if God be Christs and Christ be ours as the Apostle argueth we have in him as spring and fountaine all other joyes and comforts that are but derivative from him and in their severall streames communicated to us and need looke no farther then to him for supply of all things fit for our condition And therefore it is good to trust and waite with David for his salvation who can make our prison a Palace our death a life our hell here a heaven in regard of inward comforts if in the dampe of affliction when our candle burnes dimme by our being too much undergrown in our affections we make haste to be drawn up and set our conversations for heaven and heavenly objects But admit that with afflictions God gives not that blessing in this life so as in all the travell of our soules add sharpest throws we cannot be delivered of this promised seed and numerous issue of happy fruits the effects and productions of Gods grace and goodnesse to us but when the Children are come to the birth we want strength to bring forth so that with Phineas his wife * 1 Sam. 4. we miscarry in our Pangs and loose our lives before our weake though true faith and feeble midwife patience can deliver us of those expected joyes yet then and never till then we begin to live the Act of our conscientious death for Christ and a good cause being our crowne of life deferred onely because we sought it not as we should not lost our inthroneing * Rev. 2. and inauguration in immortality if we persevere in a patient pious and humble comportment in our sufferings for it is not our resisting though to some drops of blood if we make a dishonourable retreat but keeping the field dead if not alive that inables and intitles us to the Gardland and Trophies of victory through Jesus Christ our Lord who will swallow up the victory of the grave and make it become the grave of its own victory by giving up all it s slain and becoming a slave to its captives for he that makes the greene Tree become dry he that thinkes himselfe full of sappe and life to faide and dye will make the dead and withered one to spring againe and flourish * Is 17.24 nay with Gideons * Jug 7. till these earthen Pitchers of our bodies are dashed in peeces the lampe of our soules will never shine cleere but then God reassuming them from the ashes of their cold urnes will make them as sockets in which their soules