Christ the only begotten of the Father could not come to glory but through many tribulations and afflictions I hope the doctrine which I have delivered standeth without contradiction and that it is a most undoubted and undeniable truth that None no not the best of Gods children are without their trials and affflictions Reason 1 And if any should demand a reason why the Lord doth thus deal with his dear ones many may be rendered some whereof respect the sinnes of his children either as they are past present or to come Sometime the Lord afflicteth his children that so they may ransack and search their own hearts and consciences and so find out some sinnes which have a long time lurked in their breasts and are not as yet repented of Lament 3.39 40. Man suffereth for his sinne let us search and try our wayes The heart is deep yea deceitfull and wicked above all things who can know it Jere. 17.9 It hath many turnings and secret corners many holes for sinne to sculk and lurk in so as it will very hardly be found out unlesse a privie watch be set a narrow search be made In the examination of a craftie a cunning thief the Justice or Judge had need to gather his wits together and to have his eyes in his head least he be not able to find out that villany which will never be confessed though the evidence be cleer against it Affliction will quicken our wits and cleer our eye-sight so as we shall be the better able to finde out those sins which otherwise peradventure would never have beene discovered That person that cannot by affliction be wrought upon to search what is amisse in him will never do it If the conscience which hath been rockt asleep in the cradle of prosperity cannot bee awakned by affliction it is in a deep if not a deadly sleep Josephs brethren could be touched in their consciences for their unnaturall and cruell usage of their brother when they were in some straights suspected as they conceived to be spies and one of their brethren taken and bound before their eyes Genes 42.21 Whereas for divers yeares before they had no check of conscience for their sinne Iob in the day of his adversitie could call to mind old sinnes afflictions could bring them fresh to his remembrance Thou writest bitter things against me and makest me to possesse the iniquities of my youth Iob. 13.26 Elihu hath an excellent speech to this purpose If they be bound in fetters and tyed with the cords of affliction then will he shew them their worke and their sinnes Teaching us hereby that until such time as the Lord by some affliction or other doth hamper and shackle us wee have no list to finde out our sinnes but had rather cover and daube them over Whereas affliction like unto a prospective-glasse will shew us things a farre off and discover unto us many corruptions which wee have either buried or else slighted over In affliction wee can see our formalitie barrennesse loosnesse dead-heartednesse lithernesse in good duties pride hypocrisie earthly-mindednesse uncharitablenesse and many moe old and new sinnes which before we took little or no notice of Therefore if thou beest now under the rod of God or hereafter mayst be say unto thy heart surely there lieth some wedge of gold or Babylonish garment hid which the Lord would have me search and find out certainly there is some Ionah that hath raysed this storme there is some sinne or other that hath caused all this affliction to befall me which must be found out yea and cast out of my heart as Ionab was thrown out of the ship before this storm will be calme before the Lord will take off his hand from afflicting me Therefore do not repine at the Lords wise and righteous dealing but let thine anget and indignation reflect upon thine own vile heart cast thy selfe with all humilitie at the feet of God begge some of his eye-salve whereby the eyes of thy understanding may be enlightned that thou mayst be the more able to gage and search the bottom of thy heart find out that or those sinnes which have provoked the Lord against thee lest thou perish through impenitency St. Paul writing unto the Corinthians about their prophaning of the Lords ordinance their abuse of the Sacrament telleth them that for this cause many are weake and sick among you and many sleep for if wee would judge our selves wee should not be judged 1. Cor. 11.30.31 implying thus much that Gods hand lay upon them that so they might search out see and confesse their sinnes that so God might pardon them Therefore as at all times so especially in the time of affliction wee should narrowly sift and search our hearts lest any corruption lye lurking there to do us a mischief And if ever we bee brought to a sight and confession of our sinnes it will be while the rod is upon our backe when the Lord had throughly jerked Ephraim he could smite on his thigh bee ashamed and confounded because he did bear the reproach of his youth Jerem. 31.19 Old sinnes could bleed afresh before them when the hand of God did crush them The Lord by the Prophet Ezekiel told Jerusalem that he would judge her after the manner of harlots and would give her the blood of wrath and jealousie Ezek. 16.38 Because thou hast not remembred the dayes of thy youth but hast provoked me with all these things behold therefore I also have brought thy way upon thine head saith the Lord God yet hast thou not had consideration of all thine abominations Vers 43. Teaching us that the end of Gods correcting them was to bring them to a consideration and sight of their sinnes Reason 2 A second reason of the Lords dealing sharply with his children is to purge them and cleanse them from all their filthinesse of the flesh and spirit This appeares by divers places of Scripture I I will turn my hand upon thee and purely purge away thy drosse and take away all thy sinne Esa 1.25 And some of them of understanding shall fall to trie them and to purge them and to make them white Dan. 11.35 And so in Esa 4 4. When the Lord shal have washed away the filth of the daughters Sion and shall have purged the blood of Jerusalem from the midst thereof by the spirit of judgement and by the spirit of burning And Esay 27.9 By this shall the iniquitie of Jacob be purged and this is all the fruit even the taking away of his sinne not by justifying but by sanctifying them by the rod of affliction beating sinne out of its old corners for as Elihu said Iob 36.10 He openeth their ear to discipline and commandeth them that they return from iniquity when the Lord doth afflict us he doth really call upon us and charge us to turne from our evill wayes Hee knoweth my way and trieth me saies Iob 23.10 and I shall come forth like
of olde were much puzled about the divine Providence thinking it an unseemly thing to make God the author of an evill and therefore affirmed that there were two gods The one was the Father of mercies and author of all good that doth betyde man The other was an evill god the enemie of mankind the actor of such evills as do befall man But wee acknowledge onely one God the wise and just dispenser of good and evill for out of the mouth of the most High proceedeth both evill and good Lam. 3.38 Plato and other Heathens would say That God was the cause of all good things in Nature beleeving and acknowledging a Divine Providence in prosperity but when adversity came they were of another minde It is reported of Cato that hee stoutly held and defended a Divine Providence all the while that Pompey prospered and the citie flourished but when he did see Pompey to bee overthrown by Caesar in so just a cause when hee beheld the body of Pompey cast upon the shoare without any honor of buriall and himselfe exposed to danger by Caesars army hee then changed his opinion denying that there was any Divine Providence but that all things fell out by chance It were well with many Christians which know or at least should know more of Gods minde then Coto knew if they were not somtimes sicke of Cato his disease for they can trust God and acknowledgeâ— his Providence all the while they live at ease and in prosperitie but let the Lord change their estate and then they change their minde or an the least they begin to demurre about the truth of this doctrine Object But how can it be said That God ordereth and disposeth of all afflictions when there be many euils which wee bring upon our selves and may thank our selves for as appeareth in divers places of Scripture Hast thou not procured this unto thy selfe in that thou hast forsaken the Lord thy God Jerem. 2.17 Againe it is said Hos 13.9 O Israel thou hast destroyed thy selfe And ordinary experience tells us how many mischiefes many bring upon themselves through surfets ryot c. Answ Wee procure unto our selves by reason of our sins whatsoever evills do befall us Besides God by withdrawing or with-holding of his grace gives us over to our own lusts or Satanâ— tentaâ—ions and so makes us his instruments to worke our selves that mischiefe or to bring upon our own paies those evills hee intended should befall us Therefore it is undoubted truth that God hath his hand in our afflictions and it may bee confirmed by these reasons Reason 1 First in regard of the infinitenesse of his being filling both Heaven and Earth with his presence Am I a God at hand saith the Lord and not a God afarre off Can any hide himselfe in secret places that I shall not see him saith the Lord Doe not I fill Heaven and Earth Jerem. 23.23 24. Whither shall we goe from his spirit or whither shall wee flee from his presence Psal 139.7 If wee be in hell there shall the Lords hand take us yea though wee more hid in the bottome of the sea the Lord can thence command the serpent to bite us Amos 9.2 3. So that the Lord is every where The Heaven and the Heaven of Heavens is not able to containe him 1. King 8.27 Hee is above us beneath us he is before us and behind us he is without us and within us hee is not only all eye to observe all for his eyes behold all nations Psal 66.7 But he is also all hand to order and dispose of all particulars If any thing were out of Gods reach or did fall out beyond his presence and privity then were not the Lord infinite and then were he not God But the Lord being every where and filling every place must needs have the ordering and disposing of all things which are done in Heaven or in the earth for as it pleaseth the Lord so all things come to passe Reason 2 that the Lords hand should bee in every affliction which befalls us because Hee worketh all things after the counsell of his will Ephe. 1.11 Man may devise and plot what he please hee may take others into confederacie with him but the Lord laughes them to scorne Psal 37.13 Their counsell shall bee brought to nought their decree shall not stand Esay 8.10 But the counsell of the Lord shall stand and the thoughts of his heart throughout all ages Psal 33.11 So Esay 46.10 My counsell shall stand and I will do whatsoever I will If the Lord hath a will to any thing that thing must needs follow for his willing of it is the doing of it I have purposed it and I will do it Esay 46.11 Therefore they blasphem the omnipotencie and power of God who say That Gods will attendeth and follows mans and worketh in many things as our will inclineth which is to set the cart before the horse to make the supreme governesse come after the handmaid Object But doth it not please the Lord to afford so much libertie to his creature that some thing may bee done as wee will and best liketh us Answ The Scripture doth no where tell us that God doth at any time suspend his omnipotencie and purpose so farre as to put the staffe at any time out of his owne hand that man may will any thing against or without the will of God Wee may not say wee will go to the next towne But if God will Jam. 4.15 The heart of man purposeth a way but the Lord directeth his steps Prov. 16.9 Howsoever the wicked may bandy themselves against the Lord his anointed they can do no more nor other but whatsoever his hand and counsell hath appointed to bee done Act. 4.28 Reason 3 Thrdly because all the creatures both of Heaven and Earth and under the Earth are ready prest as so many servants and souldiers to be sent forth and commanded at the will of God their Soveraigne Lord and chieftaine If the Lord will lead any of his hosts against Pharoah and his people for the rescue and deliverance of Israel his chosen they shall march in battell aray and they shall follow in ten severall troups and at the heeles of one another The least the meanest and the vilest of these hosts though of Lice or Grashoppers under the conduct of the Lord shall be able to make head against this great Monarch Pharoah and bring down the spirit and stomack of this proud King who a little before asked Who is the Lord that I should heare his voice and let Israel go I know not the Lord neither will I let Israel go Exodus 5.2 All which considered namely That the Lord is every where fulfilling all places and that all things are effected as hee will and that all creatures are at his bay wee may safely conclude That no affliction can befall us but that which the Lord appointeth unto us as 1. Thes
many of his deare children groane under many long and tedious sharp and biting afflictions Answ The Lord hath many ends in dealing thus with his children First because they have been a long time delighted with some sinne which through custome is become as it were naturall and being so will not easily will not quickly be purged out of them That which is gotten to the bone will not easily be had out of the flesh Hard knubbs and knurles must have great and long wedges driven in to them many hard and great stroaks given them before they will yeeld Many hard and stony hearts will not be broken with little and short afflictions some kinde of mettles must be kept a great while longer in the furnace then others or else they will never be dissolved even so it fareth with some natures little and short afflictions work not upon them no whit at all molifie nor soften their hard and stony hearts therfore the Lord is forced to keep them down the longer Many men when any trouble befals them think to out-growe it or to beare it off by head and shoulders and to make as good a shift as they can never looking up to God whom they have offended and provoked by their sinnes but let these know that God will bow them or else he will breake them The Lord is the Lord of hosts he can send crosses thick and three-fold upon us to abate our lofty and proud spirits to break our rocky and stony hearts Gods wrath is answerable to his power as this is infinite so he can make the other insupportable Many are stiffe and stubborn as the Lord complaines They obeyed not neither inclined their eares but made their necks stiffe and would not heare nor receive correction Ier. 17.23 Little and short afflictions will not serve to reclaime such as these are therefore the Lord keeps them longer under his hand Againe the Lord doth thus deale with many of his children to work their hearts to a greater dislike of their sinne as that which hath brought upon them all those troubles which now lye upon them therfore in the time of our affliction we should fall upon our sinne upbraiding it and charging it with all our crosses Ah thou vile and loathsom sinne I may thank thee for this expence for this reproach and shame Ah cursed sin how hast thou heretofore domaniered over me Thou hast hitherto been too strong for me but God by this affliction I trowe will tame and hamper thee Is this the fruit I reape by entertaining thee Oh cursed be the time that ever I knew thee that ever I was ruled by thee The more grievous our affliction is the greater hatred we should beare our sinnes the causes of them and the more fearfull should we be for time to come of medling any more with them We say The burnt child dreads the fire Ephraim had been a long time polluted with idolatry The Lord stops her way with thorns and makes a wall that she may not finde her pathes Hos 2.6 exerciseth her with long affliction untill shee come to say What have I any more to do with Idols Hos 14.9 If I must buy my sinne at so deare a rate if thus long I must be afflicted for my sinne away with all I will no more of it Theirdly the Lord doth oft-times keepe the rod long upon his children for their greater and deeper humiliation Great sinnes must bee greatly repented of Great transgressions require great and long humiliation Davids sinnes of adultry and murder killing the husband with the sword that he might injoy his wife were great sinnes and those which caused the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme therefore the Lord threatned him with long affliction The sword shall never depart from thine house 2. Sa. 12.10 Neither will the Lord give us over or cease to afflict us one way or other untill hee hath brought us upō our knees broken our hard hearts and sufficiently humbled us under his hand For if we walk stubbornly against him he will walke stubbornly against us then their uncircumcised heart shall be humbled and they shall willingly beare the punishment of their iniquity Lev. 26.41 Remembering mine affliction and my mourning the wormwood and the gall my soule hath them in remembrance and is humbled in mee Lament 3.19 20. Fourthly the Lord by continuing his hand of affliction long upon his children doth hereby make known the strength of his Grace which is sufficient to support his children under long and tedious afflictions A wise builder will lay the heaviest burden upon that peece of timber which is most heart and most able to beare it Greatest peeces are put to greatest stresse because little peeces would warpe and yeeld if not break asunder Even so where there is most strength of Grace there the Lord oft times laies on the greatest load of affliction which as it makes for the praise and glory of his Grace so doth it serve much for example unto all that are neer unto them that they may live by faith and hope that if ever they come into the like trial the Lord as he is able to support and strengthen them so he will doe it and graciously stand by them even in long and sharpe afflictions as he hath upheld others in the like case Fiftly and lastly the Lord doth this that so he may afterward replenish the hearts of his children with aboundance of inward and spiritual joy After they have tasted of more gall then others they shall eate of more hony then others Heavines hath some long time sojourned in their hearts but joy and gladnesse followeth after to inhabit in them for ever The spirit of the Lord is upon mee saith Esay to comfort all that mourne appoint unto them that mourne in Sion and to give unto them beauty for ashes the garment of gladnes for the spirit of heavinesse that they may bee called trees of righteousnesse the planting of the Lord that he might be glorified Esay 61.2 3. Yee shall sorrow saith Christ but your sarrow shall be turned into joy Iohn 16.20 If thy sorrows and afflictions have been longer then ordinary they shal make way for more then ordinary joy and thankfulnes for issue and deliverance according to that which the Church uttered Lam. 3.21 22. I consider this in mine heart therefore have I hope It is the Lords mercy that we are not consumed because his compassions faile not Have wee not then good cause to bee patient in afflictions although they bee sharp and tedious seeing they proceed from the hand of our pitifull and mercifull father To helpe forward and further your patience do but consider of these 4. things First how exceedingly we have a long time provoked the Lord by our sinnes amongst which our unbeliefe is that which hath most offended him If the Lord should deale unto us our weight and measure that is punish us according to our deserts what would become of
which thus rageth amongst us Surely our great unthankfulnesse and our horrible abuse of Gods good creatures Doth the Lord punish thee with losses or with povertie Consider whether these outward things did not make thee proud or else were occasions of imboldening thee to the committing of some sin or other Are thy children stubborne and disobedient Twenty to one but it is to punish thy disobedient and undutifull carriage formerly towards thy parents Thus might I instance in divers particulars by which it is evident that the Lord doth oft times proportionate punishments to our sins so as by our affliction wee may easily guesse at what sin the Lord aimeth and of which hee would have us most heartily repent us Secondly look into the book of God whither thou canst there find any that have formerly drunk of thy cup have been exercised and chastised with the same rod that thou art if thou dost not find any such example there aske and enquire of thy friends whether they have knowne any to be punished as thou art now if thou find any upon record in Gods booke or by report from others canst heare of any that have been in thy condition then seek and enquire what their sinnes have been what manner of persons they have been and think with thy selfe thus surely I am sick of their disease in that my Physitian takes the same course with me which he did with them I have committed their sins in that I partake of their punishment Thirdly if thou wouldest faine find out that sinne for which especially thou art afflicted consider when thou art under the rod what sinne lieth heaviest upon thy conscience very probable it is that that sinne which now cries loudest in thine eares from the voice of thy conscience cried loudest in the eares of God for punishment Too many commit sinne with delight thinking they shall never heare more or worse of it But when affliction commeth the consciencc begins to tell tales and lay open things done in secret Dost thou not remember how at such a time in such a place thou didst commit such a villany Dost thou not know how once in such a kind thou didst highly dishonor God Hast thou forgot how thou didst once wrong thy neighbor in such a thing Thus in affliction the conscience many times brings to mind that sinne of ours which wee had buried in forgetfulnesse as appeares by Joseph his brethren and so should never have repented of it if the Lord by affliction had not made our conscience to discover it unto us Fourthly if the Lord doth not meet with thy sinne in its kind or if thy conscience do not reveal unto thee all thy wickednesse or that sinne for which thou art punished then bee earnest with the Lord in prayer that hee would bee pleased to inlighten thine understanding and helpe thee to make a narrow search and tryall of thy wayes or else that hee would discover unto thee that or those sins for which his hand doth now lye so heavily upon thee Thus did Job I will say unto God condemne mee not shew me wherefore thou contendest with mee Iob 10.2 Before Ezekiel could behold the wicked abominations of Israel the Lord taught him to digge in the wall Ezek. 8.8 9. So before we shall be able to discerne that sinne or any other of our sinnes for which we are afflicted the Lord by his spirit must demolish that wall of hardnes of heart which hindereth us from seeing our sinnes or else he must give us of his eye-salve wherewith anointing our eyes those scales of ignorance and spirituall blindnes may fall from our eyes that so we may the better see our sinnes Intreat the Lord to shine into thy dark understanding by the light of his Word that it may enter thorow even to the dividing asunder of thy soul and spirit of thy joynts and marrow that it may be a discerner of thy thoughts and the intents of thy heart as the Apostle speakes Heb. 4.12 And be thou well assured of this for thy comfort that he that is truely desirous and withall scedulous and deligent to finde out his speciall sinnes hee shall have them in the end discovered and layed open unto him because as you have formerly heard this is one end why the Lord doth correct us that so we may search and trye our wayes and turne again unto the Lord. Lam. 3.40 That we may be brought to a true sight and sense of our sinnes and so be throughly humled for them Affliction serves to ransack the bottome of the heart to launch our festred consciences and o let out by confession the festred and corrupted matter there ingendred Iosephs bretheren never came to see the odiousnes of their sin untill affliction enlightned them and then they could say Wee have verily sinned against our brother in that we saw the anguish of his soul when he besought us and we would not heare him Gen. 41 21. Now if once we come to see sinne in its proper colours and to be perswaded of the nature and danger of it then we are in the broad way to repentance and this will worke our hearts not only to a loathing but to the leaving and forsaking of our former evils For what man but hee that is desperately carelesse of his own welfare and happines will dare to put on a garment infected with the Plague What man that is in his right minde will take a snake into his bosom Who is so foole-hardy as to pull a Lyon by the beard or take a mad Dog by the eare He that wilfully wittingly lives in sinne doth a great deale more endanger the safety and good of his soul then any man by the Plague or any other meanes doth the welfare of his body Lighten mine eyes saith David Psal 13.3 that I sleep not in death Prosperity thickens these eyes of ours or else doth cast such a mist before them that we cannot see sinne in its coulours yea the worse and more wicked any man is the lesse doth he see his evill the lesse is hee perswaded of the danger of sinne All the wayes of a man are clean in his own eyes Prov. 16.2 Through Satans subtilty and mans infidelity it comes to passe that those which commit the grossest sinnes and greatest offences imagine that their faults bee the smallest and those that are plunged into deepest dangers do dreame of greatest safety and security as many who have their hands deepest in the troubles and persecutions yea in the blood of Gods servants will thinke that they do God best service Ioh. 16.2 Of this minde was S. Paul all the the while hee breathed out threatnings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord Acts 9 1. Therefore least such as belong to God should sleep in death by their blindnesse flying from repentance shunning reformation and running into destruction the Lord in great love opens their eyes by affliction as hee did the eyes of Nebuchadnezzar Dan.
Prophet Jeremiah speaketh Thou hast consumed them but they have refused to receive correction they have made their faces harder then a stone and have refused to return Jerem. 5.3 They were unwilling either to beare their correction or to be bettered by it But let it not be so with any that love the Lord or their own good let both these extremities be avoided of us and let us exercise the golden mean to be sensible of the hand of God and to be cheerfull and thankfull for our affliction seeing as hath been proved so much good commeth unto us by them Object If it be so that afflictions are so profitable then may wee yea ought wee to pray that God would afflict us for may not every one nay should not every one pray for that which may be profitable for himselfe and others Answ Those things which in themselves are evill howsoever by the wise Providence and mercifull disposition of God they may have a good issue and work together for the best to those that love God yet may wee not lawfully pray for such evills to light upon our selves or others upon presumption of Gods goodnesse to turn them to the best The disasters and miserable calamities which for many yeeres together have rent and torn the Church have stirred us up to seek and cry mightily unto â—he Lord and to be humbled with fasting before him may wee therefore pray that the rod of God may still lie upon the backs of his people that ruines and the breaches of Sion may not be repaired Surely no for wee are to pray for the peace of Jerusalem That peace may be within her walls and prosperitie within her pallaces Psal 122.6 7. Death in it selfe is an evill thing for it is the wages of sinne Rom. 6.23 Yet by the infinite power and mercy of God who delights to bring good out of evill it is made the period of all our labors and an entrance into Gods own presence may we therefore being wearle of our lives desire death sooner then the Lord will Albeit afflictions when the Lord sendeth them unto us shall bring good unto his children yet ought wee not either to pray for them or wilfully to cast and plunge our selves into them Therefore Agar praies unto the Lord Give me not poverty nor riches feed me with food convenient for me Prov. 30.8 Wee are to pray for such a condition in which the Lord sees wee shall be best able to honor and glorifie him and procure most good to our selves and others Now whether this will be by prosperitie or adversitie wee must leave it to the wisedome of the Lord who knoweth better then our selves what is expedient and needfull for us Object But if it be so that afflictions are so profitable unto us whether being in them may wee pray for deliverance out of them or no Answ Wee are to pray for deliverance out of them if wee have received that good by them which God intended us otherwise wee are to be willing nay desirous that the Lord would not take off his plaister untill the sore be healed lest it ranckle and grow worse and so wee cause the Lord to apply some sharper medicine to lay upon us some greater affliction Therefore in thine affliction call upon the Lord and say Smite Lord correct me still untill thou hast done me good by thy rod let me have this affliction sanctified else let mee not be eased let it not be taken off me Are there not many delivered oft times out of sicknesse for whom it had been better in respect of their souls they had still continued upon their sicke bed The like may bee said of many other kinde of afflictions and that it had been better for some they had never come out of them Therefore when wee are in affliction let us not pray for freedome and deliverance but conditionally if it be the will of God to inlarge us and if he seeth that deliverance will be better for us Otherwise to desire the Lord to keep us still under and to give us patience and faith to beare his rod and to profit by it But if any shall unwillingly beare the Lords yoke using all means he can to cast it off and to pull his head out of the collar this shewes that such a person doth not desire that the Lord should do him good neither doth hee acknowledge the Lords wisedome and righteousnesse but seemeth to tell the Lord what hee thinkes were better for him And let him know that the Lord will either keep him in affliction longer then otherwise hee would or else that this affliction shall be but a fore-runner of some greater judgement Therefore let us not vexe or disquiet our selves in our afflictions and so make them more grievous unto us then the Lord would have them Lee us cast our selves upon the Lord and resolve to abide his pleasure and assure wee our selves that the longer wee are under his hand the more good he will do us and the better able we shall be to beare his hand You shall heare a new cart in the street which will squeak and make a noise if the least load that can be lie upon it whereas an old seasoned cart will go under a great weight and make no noise even so many a Christian not used to beare affliction will squeak and cry out upon every little trouble whereas hee that hath been seasoned long and exercised with afflictions undergoes many great and grievous ones cheerfully and contentedly Wert thou never in affliction untiil now then look up to the promises of God acquaint thy selfe with them and they will make thee cheerfull and thankfull for thy affliction It is my comfort in my trouble for thy promise hath quickened me Psal 119.50 Say as Sydrac Meshac and Abednego said our God whom wee serve is able to deliver us and hee will deliver us Hast thou been formerly afflicted and delivered let former deliverances confirm and strengthen thy faith in this present or future afflictions as it did Paul wee should not trust in our selves but in God Who delivered us from so great a death in whom we trust that yet hereafter hee will deliver us 2. Cor. 1.10 In the mean time resolve to tarry the Lords leisure consider not what now thou feelest but what good hereafter thou art like to find by thine afflictions Blesse God that hee will take this course with thee as Job said What is man that thou dost magnifie him and thou settest thine heart upon him And dost visit him every morning and triest him every moment We would take it as a great grace and honor if the King should every day send to know how we do but if hee should daily come in person to visit us how highly should wee think our selves honored It is thy case that art afflicted The King of Kings hath sent his servant nay comes with his servant to visite thee when he sendeth affliction unto thee Assure thy selfe he mindes thee nay sets his heart upon thee if he regarded not thy good and welfare hee would suffer thee to take thy swinge in sin but because he loveth thee he correcteth thee It is a truth the Lord hath spoken it As many as I love I rebuke and chasten bee zealous therefore and amend So be it FINIS 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Fervent Zeal what it is Doct. 1. The best have afflictions Affliction findeth out sinnes Iob 36 8 9 Affliction purges out sinne Affliction is physick for the soul Affliction preventeth sinne Affliction teacheth us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Affliction trieth the truth of grace in us Affliction doth fit us for Gods service Affliction teacheth us to prize Gods benefits Affliction weaneth us from the world Affliction stirs us up to prayer 0. Affliction quickneth our devotion Affliction coÌ„formeth us unto Christ Vita crucis vita lucis Affliction prepareth us for glory Censure not the afflicted How are we said to be conquerers when conquered 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Store thy self with comfort out of the word of God Break off thy sinnes by repentance Afflictions of the godly and wicked differ Seek to the Lord by prayer Comfort for the afflicted 1 Sam. 2.17 22. M. Culverwell of faith Desire to be with Christ Death how it may be desired Woe to those that are not afflicted Note Doct. 2. All our afflictions come from God God filleth both heaven and earth Againe it must needs be God worketh all things as he will All creatures are subject unto the Lord. Away with Fortune and luck 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God disposeth of all tempests Patient in afflictions 1 Helps to the patient bearing of affliction Our enemies are but the Lords rods to whip us Comfort for the afflicted God doth order our affliction Note Go to God for issue and deliverance Fero spero Note Vncheerfulnesse doth much hurt Doctr. 3. Perswasion of Gods love will helpe us to beare our affliction Because God will helpe our crosse God intends our good in afflicting us No misery can make Gods people miserable Nothing can separate us from God We learne from hence why we be so troubled with our affliction Note Be perswaded of Gods Love Tokens of Gods afflicting of us in love Note Doct. 4. The chiefe end of Gods afflicting us is the bettering of us By affliction wee come to know our selves Note By affliction wee come to judge aright of sinne Affliction makes us to feare God The feare of Gods is very profitable Wee do not make satisfaction by our afflictions Our stubbornnesse provoketh God to afflict us Amend by little else greater affliction will come Note Adde not affliction to the afflicted but pitty them Live by faith in affliction Be thankfull for affliction Note Dan. 3.17
A CORDIALL FOR THE AFFLICTED Touching The Necessitie and Utilitie of Afflictions Proving unto us The happinesse of those that thankfully receive them AND The misery of all that want them or profit not by them By A. HARSNET B. D. and Minister of Gods Word at Cranham in Essex The Second Edition enlarged with direction touching Spirituall Afflictions LONDON Printed by Ric. Hodgkinsonne for Ph. Stephnes and Chr. Meridith at the Golden Lion in Pauls Churchyard 1638. TO THE HONOrable Lady the Lady JOHAN BARRINGTON The Wife of that Noble and renowned Sr. FRANCIS BARRINGTON late of Barrington Hall and to the Right Worshipfull The Lady MARY EDEN the Wife of Sr. THOMAS EDEN late of Ballingdon Hall Much honored Ladies IT is too true a saying that Greatnes and Goodnesse seldom go together for not many mighty not many noble are called Yet blessed be God for his mercies to you-wards wee finde both of these in both of you For your Greatnesse next under God yee are beholding unto your Parents out of whose loynes you came For your Goodnesse yee are in in some measure beholding unto Affliction by which The Lord hath done you good so as I make no question but that ye may both of you say with David It is good for mee that I have beene afflicted Hereupon worthy Ladies I have adventured to put forth this small Treatise touching the Necessitie and utility of Affliction under your Ladiships names and Patronage joyning you both together because God hath already conjoyned you so neere in affinity by the marriage of your Pious and Religious children beseeching your Ladyships to accept of these my poore labors being such as tend to the furtherance and increase of your comfort in present or future trials For allbeit yee bee good proficients in the School of Affliction Yet peradventure yee may have forgotten some good lessons which Affliction hath formerly taught you or else have not attained as yet to that good wherein it may hereafter instruct you To help you in either or both of these be pleased I heartily beseech your Ladiships seriously to peruse what is here tendered unto you and then I doubt not but by Gods blessing yee shall be able to make that good use of Affliction that yee shall not only blesse God the Father of mercies and God of all comfort who as hee hath afflicted so hath hee comforted you in all your tribulations but yee shall also be able to comfort others which are in Affliction by the cōfort wherewith yee your selves have been comforted of God Which fruit that yee may reape I shall sow my Prayers before throne of Grace and for ever rest your Ladyships to be commanded in the Lord AD. HARSNET Cranham TO THE CHRIstian Reader Increase of Faith Hope and Patience SVch is our blindnesse and ignorance that wee are too ready to judg amisse of our selves as may appeare by two extreames into which the most runne The one is self-conceitednesse or flattering our selves in and about our spirituall estate perswading our selves that wee are in the estate of Grace and that wee have the love and favor of God when as it is neither so nor so For the redressing of which mischiefe I have heretofore undertaken the discoverie of true and sound grace from false counterfeit that so we may no longer be deluded by an overweening of our selves and too high an opinion of our goodnesse as if we were that which wee are not or were not that which wee are The other extream is a diffidence and distrust of Gods love and our own happines through the sense and smart of some troubles and afflictions wherewith it pleaseth the Lord in mercy and wisdom to exercise and trie us Whence it commeth to passe that too many of Gods deere ones are ready to cēsure themselves as out-casts or at the best as a people but meanly beloved or regarded of God in that they are so sorely afflicted For the healing of which error that there may be no mistaking that we neither charge the Lord with any want of love to us ward or hard dealing with us in afflicting of us nor surcharge our selves with unnecssary needles feares and cares nor yet causelesly increase our griefe by adding of more sorrow to our affliction I have now undertaken this Treatise Wherein my desire and ayme is to minister some comfort to such as are in affliction that so they may not cast off their hope of hapines in Heaven because they are exercised with judgments upon earth but rather beleeve that the Lord it now refining and pollishing them that so they may bee the fitter for that glory which is prepared for thē I know it is a hard thing to obey in suffering yet because it is that which maketh for our good we should with the more willingnes and cheerfulnes undergo whatsoever afflictiōs it shal please the Lord to exercise us with If our afflictions brought God out of love with us or us more in love with that which God hates and is hurtfull unto us or if our afflictions were sent unto us as curses wee had great cause to mourn in them but seeing they make so much for our good being sanctified unto us and the word of truth telleth us that wee are blessed in thē have wee not great cause to bee thankfull to God for them the Lord sees how ready we are to plunge our selves into perils if we be but a while exempted from afflictions therefore that wee may not be too bold with sin the Lord wil have us to fall into affliction least being let alone wee fall into condemnation For where God is most silent in threatning and most patient in sparing there is he most inflamed with anger and purpose of revenge And seeing we are willing to receive being sick or diseased any medicine from the hand of him that can truely say probatum est good experience hath been made of the worth working of it let my counsel good reader be acceptable unto thee give me leave to tell thee how much good thou maist gain by afflictiō if through thine unbelief and impatience thou doest not put it from thee I assure thee by good experience that howsoever afflictiō be untoothsome and unpleasing to the flesh it is most soveraign and profitable unto the soul as in the Treatise following I have made plaine unto thee Now if the stile and phrase dislike any because it is so plain and homelike let him know that I prepared this provision for poore and hungry souls unto whom course mean things are welcome and bitter things are sweet not for queasie and full stomacks which despise an hony-combe He that is falne into a pit wil refuse no hand that may help him out of it He that hath a wound in his body will be glad of any plaister that may heal or ease him Accept then of these my poore labors which I desire may be as a hand to help thee out of affliction
to be mistaken in this particular as though God did at any time afflict any without cause Although the Lord doth sometimes afflict and not for sinne yet never without sinne either inherent or imputed God is so farre from picking holes in our coat so far from afflicting any without just cause that hee may see enough in the best of us yea even in our best services performances to afflict us The best of us brought with us into the world so much corruption and do carry about us such bodies of sinne as may expose us to all the plagues of this and another life Every one of us hath in himselfe sufficient fewell for the fire of Gods wrath to work evermore upon him if the Lord in his justice would be pleased to kindle it Let no man therefore question Gods justice in afflicting the best of his children because as I have said he somtimes afflicteth us to prevent some evill to come which through our naturall propension through some violent occasion or through some strong temptation wee may be drawne into Ephraim was mad upon sinne therefore saith the Lord Hos 2.6 I will stop thy way with thornes and make an hedge that she may not find her paths Too much sun-shine will dazle our eyes Too much honey turnes to gall so too much prosperity and ease breeds security and makes us proud or wanton therefore lest our ranck blood should cause some inflamation it pleaseth God our wise and loving Physitian to open a veine to cool us and to keep us in good temper Horses that are full fed and pampered grow many times restif Vessels unused do quickly grow rusty even so our nature would soon contract some evill if the Lord should not now and then take us into affliction 's scouring house The Lord sees that prosperity and immunity from affliction blunts the edge of our devotion cools the fire of our zeal and dulleth our eager pursuit after Heaven and Heavenly things and therefore he afflicts us to prevent these evils as hee took away Jeroboams sonne by death lest if he had lived longer he might have trod in the steps of his wicked father and been tainted with his sinnes It may be the Lord seeth that wee would run into some danger if he should let us alone therefore as he snached Lot out of Sodom lest he should have perished in their flames so he catcheth hold of us by affliction thereby to deliver us from some sinne wee are falling into Therefore whatsoever triall and affliction doth befall thee lay thy hand upon thy mouth murmure not against the Lord but be thankfull unto him and say O Lord thou knowest the distemper of my soul thou knowest how prone I am to sinne and wickednesse and thou who seest things to come as if they were present seest I was inclining to some evill but in mercy hast by this affliction prevented mee keep mee therefore from falling into evill by what means thou pleasest suffer mee not to sin against thee Reason 4 Fourthly the Lord doth afflict us to teach us some good lesson which without affliction hee sees wee shall hardly learn Psal 119.71 It is good for me that I have been afflicted that I might learn thy statutes Corrections are instructions God will have none of his to perish for want of instruction he sendeth his word amongst us to teach us his wayes that so we may walk in his truth Psal 86.11 But outward prosperity so thickens our eare and so hardens our heart that we cannot wee will not heare to our profit Jerem. 22.21 I spake unto thee when thou wast in prosperitie but thou saidst I will not hear this hath been thy manner from thy youth that thou wouldest not obey my voice therefore the Lord openeth the ear of men even by their corrections Job 33.16 For such as will not hear the word shall hear the rod Mica 6.9 Manasses learned that lesson in the school of affliction which could never be taught him in the school of the Prophets 2 Chron. 33.12 In his tribulation he humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers He that was prowd and could set himselfe against the Lord and his truth and all that professed it all the while he was in prosperity and upon his throne when the Lord caused him to be cast in prison and put chaines of iron upon his leggs in stead of a chaine of Gold about his neck hee could then learn to be humble and obedient unto the Lord. Nabuchadnezzar being pulled out of his Babel driven from men to have his dwelling amongst the beasts could at length come to praise extoll magnifie the King of heaven whose works are all truth and able to abase those that walk in pride Dan. 4 34. Our hearts are very hard and sturdy so as the word will not break them untill the Lord by affliction subdues and humbles these hearts of ours making them soft and yeelding so as the word may take some impression in us Hence it is that Solomon tells us Prov. 15.32 Hee that obeyeth correction gets understanding Some say that many and I have found it true in some children after a sicknesse grow both in ripenesse of understanding and in stature of body so it is with the Lords children affliction bringeth them to a better understanding of heaven and heavenly things as Nebuchadnezzar confessed Dan. 4.33 Mine understanding was restored unto me and causeth the inner man to grow more then before It teacheth us to walk in the right way and to keep Gods Word as Psal 119.67 Before I was afflicted I went astray but now I keep thy word What havock did Paul before the Lord met with him make of Christs flock entring into every house hee drew out both men and women and put them into prison Acts. 8.3 And being armed with malice and authority he posteth to Damascus to put in execution his bloody commission but the Lord meets him by the way unhorseth this persecutor strikes him down to the ground and smites him with blindnesse and what followed Paul was now a new man Act. 9.6 He then both trembling and astonied said Lord what wil thou that I do What had become of Paul if affliction had not beene Which of Gods children cannot say as David said It is good for me that I have been afflicted Nay what affliction hath at any time befalne us which wee could have spared Nay let me go a little further is it not best with us when wee are under the rod Would it not be better with us thinke you if the Lord should afflict us more If thou beest the child of God I appeale to thy conscience whether thy case had not been farre worse then now it is if affliction had not been Many are like unto those kind of fishes which seldom or never without much difficulty and labour can be caught but when the water is troubled So before troubles do befall many they cannot be caught
his children that the truth and strength of grace may be tryed and seen in us that so wee may throughly know our selves The skill of the Pilot is then best discerned when the windes blow when the waves billows rise mounting the ship as it were up to heaven from whence down it falls again into the deep every gust of winde threatning to turn it over every wave of the sea comming over the ship and gaping to swallow it up In these tempestuous times in these great perils to keep the ship up-right and to save it from drowning this doth manifest both the knowledge and the paines of the Pilot whereas every skuller will be able to crosse the seas in a calme and when there be no waves to crosse him So every one will hold up his head and be cheerfull whiles prosperity blowes upon him and nothing to crosse him but adversity tryes the man and the truth and strength of grace in him For Prov. 24.10 If thou be faint in the day of adversity thy strength is small Saint John having spoken of that warre which the beast should make with the Saints and how they should be led into captivity and be killed by the sword ads presently after Revel 13.9 here is the patience and faith of the Saints as if he should say By these afflictions will the Lord both exercise and manifest the faith and patience of the Saints Many drugs and spices have an excellent savor in them which wee cannot smell untill such time as they be either grated or stamped to powder or burnt in the fire so when we are grated by trouble stamped in the morter of affliction or cast in the fornace and fire of tentation then more then before the fragrant and sweet smell of grace is discerned in us Arise O North saith Christ Cant. 4.16 and blow on my garden that the spices thereof may flow out When persecution blew upon the blessed Martyrs in those bloody times of Popery how sweetly did grace smell in them how meekly how patiently and cheerfully did they go under their crosse and undergo whatsoever malice and crueltie could inflict upon them The rage and violence of their enemies was so farre from daunting and putting out the light of grace in them that it more increased it Reason 6 Sixthly the Lord doth sometime afflict his children to fit and prepare them for some speciall work and service wherein they are to be imployed When wee see a Carpenter tumbling and rowling any piece of timber up and down wee may conceive that he overlooks it to see whether it will serve his turn or no but when hee strikes his axe into it when he falls to hewing squaring and sawing of it then wee know for certain it is for some use and service All the while the wheat lies still upon the mowe it serves for no use before it can be used it must be threshed and fanned or winnowed or cast up and down Even so the Lord deales with his children before he imployes them in any speciall service Affliction is the axe the saw the chissell which heweth and pollifheth us the fan which winnoweth and cleanseth us making us fit for that work which he hath appointed us unto Before Joseph can be promoted in Pharaohs Court and have the sway as it were of his Kingdom that he may store up provision for Jacob and his family he must endure much hard-ship he must be sold as a slave unto strangers carryed by men unknown away from his fathers house into a farre countrey and there he must bee cast into prison Psal 105.17.18 They held his feet in the stocks and he was laid in irons Before Moses is sent unto Pharaoh to charge him to let the children of Israel depart out of Egypt before he is appointed to bee the captain and commander of that great and mighty people of Israel hee must be banished from house and home from kindred and acquaintance and as Heb. 11.25 suffer adversity with the people of God Before David could have the scepter of the kingdome put into his hands and the crown set upon his head hee must endure many a hard brunt go thorow many difficulties and perills be tossed up and down from post to pillar banished from wife and children with a world of other troubles wherewith it pleased the Lord to exercise him Yea Christ himselfe was by affliction fitted and prepared for that great worke of our redemption For it became him that he should consecrate the Prince of their salvation through afflictions Heb. 2.10 Therefore whensoever thou art exercised with any kind of afflictions say thus with thy self I perceive the Lord hath some work to set me about some service to imploy me in and therefore makes tryall of me before-hand that so I may be the better able to do him service in that work hee shall set me about and call mee unto Reason 7 Seaventhly the Lord doth somtime withdraw from his children these outward and earthly comforts lest through their long and plentifull enjoying of them they begin either to grow wanton in the abuse of them or else begin to underprize if not contemne them The Lord sees that wee would not esteem aright of the comforts which we reap from his love and bounty if sometimes more or lesse wee should not feel the smart of his displeasure for abusing his benefits Plenty oft times causeth satietie as appeareth by those full fed Israelites who grew to a lothing of that food which the Lord in abundance provided for them Wee can see nothing but this Manna Numb 11.6 The prodigall mentioned Luk. 15. grew weary of his fathers house their diet and fare too coorse and homely not fine enough for his dainty tooth their society and company too plain and rude for such a gallant as he was abroad hee must and from his father he would to see fashions or to trie conclusions so long that at length the begger meets with him poverty pincheth him and hunger biteth him then he could looke backe from whence he came and then he could prize the priviledges of his fathers family How many hyred servants of my fathers have bread enough and I die for hunger Luke 15.17 He should now think himselfe a happy man if upon any conditions he could but get into his fathers house againe though he were put unto any service though but as one of his hired servants Luke 15.19 Absence and intermission of any outward benefits and desireable comforts adde a great deale of life to the love of them and waight to their worth and valuation The goodnesse of any thing wee enjoy is better perceived by vicissitude of want then continuall fruition Sleep is never so much longed for and desired as after the tediousnesse of some wakefull and wearisom nights of restlesse tossings up and down or turning too and fro in our tedious bed The light if it were alwayes day with us would never be so acceptable were
comming towards them in the time of a tempest at sea when every wave threatens to swallow up the ship or in the time of any terrible thunder and lightning how godly how holy will the prophanest be out of their beds they must and to prayer they will if they be able themselves if not as Pharaoh intreated Moses Exod. 9.28 Pray unto the Lord that there be no more mighty thunders and hail So they will intreat those that can to pray for them But what sayes holy Job of such hypocrites as these are Will God hear his cry when trouble commeth upon him will be set his delight on the Almighty will hee call upon God at all times Job 27.9 10. Is hee like to speed that seldome or never goes unto the Lord but when want necessity drives him for if affliction were not he would not come at God It fares with many as with young chickins in á faire calme sun-shine day you may see them all stragling from the hen one heere and another there the hen desirous to have her young ones neere here clucks and clucks again for them as having some provision for them but they regard not her call untill at length the kyte draws neer them ready to catch one of them up then they cry and runne with all speed to their dam for shelter Even so the Lord seeing us to straggle too farre from him calls us unto him but wee regard not his call whereupon he lets flie at us hee causeth some affliction or other to terrifie us and then wee speed it to the Lord then wee can lay on tongue Help Lord c. So that the Lord deales with us as Absalom did with Joab because we deal with the Lord as Joab did with Absalom Absalom sends for Ioab but hee would not come to him 2. Sam. 14.29 Absalom sends again and Ioab was the same man still he stirs not a foot hee would not come Whereupon Absalom commandeth his servants to set fire on a field of barley which Ioab had Ioab then needs no more messengers hee can then arise and come in haste to Absalom without any more sending for Thus it is with us the Lord sends for us by the mouth of his Ministers he would have us come and appeare continually before him Cant. 2.14 Shew me thy sight let me hear thy voice but wee have little or no minde this way he may send in haste but wee take time and will goe at our own leisure whereupon the Lord sets on fire something wee have that is spoiles us of some-thing that is pleasing and delightfull unto us and then wee can run with open mouth Save us Lord c. So that it is meere need drives many unto God by prayer If they could have helpe elsewhere or by any other wayes be furnished or have their turn served they would not come at God Davids words may well be applyed unto them Psal 142.4 5. I looked upon my right hand and beheld but there was none that would know me all refuge failed mee and none cared for my soul then cried I unto the Lord and said Thou art my hope and my portion When other refuge and helpe failes then they can runne unto the Lord for help and succour These do in a manner tell the Lord as many rogues do answere us at our doores Truely they never asked any thing of us before and if they could shift it or if great necessitie did not compell them to begge they would not now have troubled us Therefore the Lord deales with these as many a wise and discreet tradesman doth with some pedling chapman whose custome he never had before neither now should have it if hee could elsewhere have furnished himselfe with wares and commodities for his turne If any wares be worse then other the tradesman will put them off to such a fellow because he knows it is not love but necessitie that brought him unto his shop As for his choyce and best commodities those he will reserve for his best chapmen whose custome he hath alwayes had and who will not leave his shop to go to another Even so will the Lord deal with the wicked who do not continually trade with the Lord in prayer but now and then when they are at some pinch Haply the Lord who is good unto all and his mercies are over all his works Psal 145.9 may put them off with some of his refuse wares helping them at their need with some outward worldly commodity but as for his choice and rich wares his love his grace his Christ his salvation these shall those have who seeke him continually Reason 1 Againe affliction puts life into our devotion and maketh us more instant in Prayer For if Affliction maketh us not importunate nothing will The Lord holds us many times at the staves end and seemeth to turn away from our prayers that so our prayers may grow more fervent for though God knows our wants and takes no delight in our sorrows yet oft times hee seems not to heare us till our cries be loud and strong God sees it best to let his penitent ones dwell for a time under their affliction and when he sees them sinking he lets them alone till they be at the bottome that out of the deep they may fetch deep sighes and cry louder to the Lord and so prevail For a vehement suiter cannot but speed with God whatsoever he askes If our prayers want successe it is because they want mettall and heart their blessing is according to their faith and fervencie In this behalfe affliction is very needfull for the best of Gods children for too many of them too often seek the living God with dead affections Oh the perfunctory cold drowsie lifelesse prayers which are made by some Many which make conscience of the duty and dare no day omit it do pray so coldly with so little zeal and devotion all the while they are full and at ease that the Lord is even compelled to lash them to sharpen their fervency and to shake off that lythernesse and luskishnesse wherewith they were wont to come before him Our God that heareth prayers knoweth how cold and feeble how slight and perfunctory oft times wee be when wee are in prosperity and the rod of God is not upon us so as little or no life and power appeareth in them do wee not find by our own experience that trouble and affliction whether it be outward or inward not onely drives us to prayer but causeth us to set all our might and strength when wee are wrestling with the Lord that so wee may be the more able to prevaile with his Majestie Affliction will fashion and forme the flowest tongue unto this holy duty and doth oft times furnish us with sighs and grones which cannot be expressed If ever a Christian will tugge and wrestle with the Lord it shall be when affliction lieth sore upon him All the while the childe feels the
rod or the stick hee cries out hee layes on tongue hee doth with all eagernesse and earnestnesse intreat for pardon or no moe stripes even so when wee feel the smart of Gods rod whipping of us there is an edge set upon our prayers wee pray not in that drowsie and sleepy manner wee did before This appears by that which David speakes Psal 88.9 Mine eye mourneth by reason of affliction Lord I have called upon thee I have stretched out my hands unto thee In their affliction they will seek me diligently saith the Lord. Hos 5.15 You may observe many a dog sleeping in the chimney corner which will not arise when he is spoken unto but if you spill but a drop or two of any scalding liquor upon him he is up and is gone he cries and laies on tongue Thus the Lord by affliction awakens his children so as they call upon him in a more lively manner then formerly they have done If you peruse the Psalmes of David you shall find that very many if not most of them were penned in the time of triall and affliction And the sharper his afflictions were the more fervent and earnest were his petitions unto the Lord Out of the depths have I cryed Psal 130.1 The lower hee was brought by affliction the higher was he in prayer crying out unto the Lord. Thus was it with his forefathers in the dayes of the Judges the greater their danger was the more instant and earnest were they in prayer unto the Lord. To give you one instance The children of Israel were sore troubled and vexed by the Ammonites whereupon they cryed unto the Lord for help but the Lord gave them a cold answere saying unto them Ye have forsaken me and served other Gods wherefore I will deliver you no more Goe and cry unto the gods which ye have chosen let them save you in the time of your tribulation Judges 10.13 14. Whereupon they confessed their sinnes made hast to put away their strange gods from among them then they will lay on tongue unto the Lord beseeching him that he would do unto them whatsoever he pleased Onely wee pray thee deliver us this day Judg. 10.15 Thus I have made it evident that afflictions are very needfull to drive us unto the Lord in prayer yea to make us amend our pace to double both our diligence and our fervency in prayer Therefore If any be afflicted let him pray Wee highly dishonor God and wrong our selves if wee seek not unto the Lord in our troubles Call upon me in the day of trouble so will I deliver thee and thou shalt glorifie me Psal 50.15 Wee must make our afflictions our arguments to move God to deliver us as David did Psal 25.16 Turn thy face unto mee and haue mercy upon me for I am desolate and poore Reas 11 Eleventhly the Lord doth thus afflict his deare children to make them conformable unto Christ who though he were without sinne yet was he not without affliction If then affliction be a meanes of purging out sinne and refining of us as formerly we have heard then it is needfull wee be afflicted that wee may be made more like unto Christ both in sufferings and in righteousnesse The life of the crosse is the life of light Christ was the light of the world and his life was in a sort a continuall crosse Was it thus in the green tree and shall it not be so in the dry was the head thus continually exercised and should the body go free especially when all the sufferings of Christ were for our sake either suffering for us or to teach us patience by his example or to sanctifie our afflictions unto us God will have all his elect to be made like to the image of his Sonne Rom. 8.29 Not onely in holinesse and obedience but also in sufferings Wee must know the fellowship of his afflictions and be made conformable unto his death Phil. 3.10 Not any that shall reigne with Christ can be exempted or priviledged from suffering with him If any man will follow me let him denie himselfe and take up his crosse daily and follow me Luke 9.23 Yea the dearer and nearer unto him wee be in love the more conformable must wee expect to be made unto him in-affliction For the bearing of the crosse is a part of our tenure or holding of Christ himselfe as may be gathered out of that place last quoted Luk. 9. Christ himselfe held by this tenure Luke 24.26 Ought not Christ to have suffered these things and to enter into his glory And as any of Gods children have obtained a more evident right and cleare title unto this inheritance or as any hereafter shall obtain therein a greater portion of glory then other by so much the more strictly are they tied and bound to observe the custom of the Mannor For God hath predestinated us as I said even now to bee made like to the image of his Sonne first in his sufferings then in his glory for we an heires annexed with Christ if so be that we suffer with him that we may be also glorified with him Rom. 8.17 The end of the Lord his hewing and squaring of us by affliction is to make us lively stones of that spirituall house 1. Pet. 2.5 so that we may be joyned with Christ the chiefe corner stone 1. Pet. 2.6 unto whom wee be made conformable by affliction And againe 2. Tim. 2.12 If we suffer wee shall also reign with him Hence it is that James saith chap. 1.12 Blessed is the man that endureth temptation for when he is tryed he shall receive the crown of life which the Lord bath promised to them that love him Therefore such as go without correction whereof all the Lords people are partakers cannot be conformable unto Christ for hee was consecrated through afflictions Hebr. 2.10 Hee was a man full of sorrows and had experience of infirmities Esa 53.3 He was in all things tempted as we are that so hee might both have a feeling of our infirmities and also succour us in them for in that hee suffered and was tempted hee is able to succour them that are tempted Hebr. 2.18 Reas 12 Lastly not to keep you any longer in laying down of moe reasons the Lord doth afflict his children in this life that they may not perish in another life When wee are judged wee are chastened of the Lord because wee should not be condemned with the world 1. Corin. 11.32 Prosperity immunity and freedom from afflictions ease liberty and fulnes is the broad way which leadeth to death and condemnation Hence it is that our blessed Saviour hath pronounced woe to those that are rich woe to those that live in fulnesse woe to those that live merriy c. Luke 6.24 25. Now because Gods children doe naturaly linger after these earthly delights and comforts the Lord in great mercy doth hedge up our wayes with thornes Hos 2.6 Hee will have us to
walke the narrow way which as wee have heard is the crosse way thorow manifold afflictions lest wee should perish and be damned with the world What had become of Manasses if he had not been afflicted He was carried into captivity that so he might be freed from the bondage of sinne and Satan Hee was put into chaines of yron that so he might bee preserved from chaines of eternall darknesse Hee was cast into prison that so hee might be kept out of hell Therefore saith David Psal 94.12 13. Blessed is the man whom thou chastisest O Lord and teachest him in thy Law That thou maiest give him rest from the daies of evill whilest the pit is digged for the wicked Teaching us that affliction is very usefull and necessary to free us fom condemnation And not onely so but to help us forward in the way to heaven for our light affliction which is but for a moment worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternall weight of glory 2. Cor. 4. The afflicted man must needs bee an happy man because glory because a crown because weight of glory be-a weighty crown of glory is not only promised but purchased and prepared for him The tryall of your faith being much more pretious then gold that perisheth shall bee sound unto your praise and honor and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ 1. Pet. 1.7 The afflictions and troubles which do befall us in this life are the Lords earnest which hee gives us of comfort and ease in another life Whereupon Paul tells the Thessalonians that those persecutions and tribulations which they suffered were a token of the righteous judgement of God that ye may be counted worthy of the Kingdom of God for which ye also suffer 2. Thes 1.4 5. As the Israelites could not come at Canaan but they must first be cast into the desart and in their journey be set upon by Amalekites their enemies So before wee can come to that heavenly Canaan our place of eternall rest wee must look to encounter with our deadly enemies the flesh the world and the devill with tentations and afflictions these stop us or at the least offer to stay us in our journey But these wee must manfully resist as Israel did Amalek When Israel went down into Egypt they met with no afflictions no rubs in the way so the way to hell is easie and smooth Wee read not of one block that lay in the rich gluttons way But when Israel came out of Egypt what trialls what afflictions befell them what enemies to oppose them So when the Lord calls us out of the world when wee begin to set our faces toward heaven the devill will muster his forces against us but if wee fight the good fight of faith if we endure to the end and be faithfull unto the death great shall be our reward and recompence even a crown of righteousnesse which the Lord that righteous Judge shall give us at that day 2. Tim. 4.8 Not as if we had merited and deserved thus much by our sufferings for the greatest afflictions that ever any Christian hath or can endure are in themselves no way worthy of that glory which shall be bestowed upon him For I count that the afflictions of this present time are not worthy of the glory which shall be shewed us Rom. 8.18 If wee had a thousand lives to sacrifice to God if wee had ten thousand rivers of oyle to offer up if wee would give our first-born for our transgression or the fruit of our bodies for the sin of our souls we are no way able to satisfie Gods justice much lesse merit heaven by all our offerings or sufferings Were our heads wells of waters and our eyes fountains of teares and wee ten thousand eyes and would willingly weep them out for sorrow through our sinnes yet all were not able to expiate one sinne nor deserve the least corner in heaven yet because the Lord would have us bear our afflictions cheerfully and thankfully hee is pleased to promise us that if we sowe in teares wee shall reap in joy Psal 126.5 if wee suffer wee shall reign with him 2. Tim. 2.12 The Lord puts none into possession of eternall life and glory in heaven before they bee made fit for it before the drosse and corruption be purged out of them for there shall enter into heaven no uncleane thing neither whatsoever worketh abomination or lies Revel 21.27 Now the way to purge and refine us as hath beene taught is to be cast into the fornace of affliction where the drosse is purged out of us and so wee fitted and prepared for the life of glory Thus have I beene somewhat large in laying down the reasons why the Lord should so correct his deare children let us now come to make some use of the point Vse 1 Doth the Lord thus deale with all his beloved ones then are many of the world much mistaken who are ready to censure those that are afflicted especially if their trials be more or greater then ordinary Censoriousnes is a lesson quickly learned and every one like unto Jobs miserable comforters can make a wrong construction both of Gods aime in correcting his children and of their estate and condition which are by God afflicted Whereby they do adde affliction unto the afflicted and persecute him whom God hath smitten Ps 69.26 The rule of our Saviour is that none should judge or be judged according to appearance John 7.24 yet how ready are many to give their verdict and passe sentence upon those that are more then ordinarily afflicted They cannot believe but there must be some extraordinary sinne in such a person more then all the world sees but known to God in that the hand of God is so heavy upon him Which error our Saviour rebuked in them which shewed him of the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices Suppose ye saith Christ that these Galileans were greater sinners then all the other Galileans because they suffered such things I tell you nay c. Or thinke ye that those eighteene upon whom the towre of Siloam fell and slew them were sinners above all men that dwell in Jerusalem I tell you nay Yet let the affliction of any of Gods deare children be more then ordinary then our foolish bolt is quickly shot and we are ready to judge of the man by the affliction as did Davids enemies Psal 71.11 God hath forsaken him pursue and take him for there is none to deliver him So the Barbarians when they saw a viper hang upon Pauls hand by and by censure him this man surely is a murtherer c. This fellow is some villain some notorious beast whom though he hath after shipwrack got to shoare yet vengeance doth now dog and pursue him and will not suffer him to live Acts 28.4 Let Christians beware of rash censuring or judging of any by their affliction for so we may quickly condemne those whom God hath chosen
clothed for this is meere folly in us because with all our carking and caring we cannot better our condition this I say was the scope of Christs words and not to beat us off from a provident and wise fore-casting of businesse or from fitting and preparing of our selves for afflictions against which we shall be the better armed if we can weane our hearts and take off our affections from immoderate and inordinate loving of the world and the things thereof Whereupon saith Paul 1. Corinth 7.32 I would have you without care .i. without setting your mindes and hearts upon the world for the fashion of this world goeth away vers 31. and our time here is but short this night may our souls be fetched away from us for which change of ours and all other tryals that in the meane time may befall us we shall be the better fitted and armed if we will prepare for them If every morning thou wilt addresse thy selfe to meet with thy crosse and arme thy selfe against all assaults resolve ere it be night to meet with some trouble this I dare boldly and confidently promise and assure thee will be an excellent help yea singular means of carrying thee a great deale more chearfully thorow thy afflictions or else furnish thee with a great deale more strength and abilitie to beare and undergo them so long as it shall please God to lay them upon thee But when I speake of preparing for afflictions and arming your selves against them I would have you know that there must be more then a bare minding of affliction or a resolution not to be dismayed or daunted with them the soul must lay in some spirituall provision we must treasure up faith and a good conscience A stocke of true holinesse lying by us will alay the heat ease the smart and sweeten the bitternesse of any affliction that can befall us It is from the want of this spirituall and heavenly provision that many carnall worldlings when any crosses or troubles befall them are struck to the very heart with fearfull amazements fears and terrors of minde and spirit yea with passionate distempers sometimes of rage and fury which puts them upon desperate resolutions I may instance in Ahitophel a man of that brain and worldly wisedome that his counsell was esteemed as the oracle of God 2. Sam. 16.23 This great statist finding himself to be over-topped by the counsell of Hushai and fearing that the rejecting of his counsell would be the obscuring of his glory it is said That he sadled his asse arose and went home and put his houshold in order and hanged himself 2. Sam. 17.23 Would this man have laid a little disgrace so neere his heart if his heart had beene sound towards the Lord and his anointed Surely no. But being a traiterous time-server and going as he conceived with the strongest side making flesh his arme and his outward esteeme and glory his idoll he desperately plungeth himselfe into a sea of horror Whereas holy Job having other manner of tryals severall tydings one upon the neck of another of the losse of all his cattell substance yea and of all his children the least of which losses would have struck so cold to the heart of many a carnall worldling that it would have dyed within him like a stone as Nabals did What was the cause that Jobs heart was not crusht into pieces under the wait of so many losses but that still he kept within compasse and blesseth God for all Would you know the true ground of his patience and holy fortitude Job was one that feared God one who in the time of his prosperitie and outward happinesse laid up store of spirituall riches and treasures He had wisely layed in store of faith and holinesse and uprightnesse upon which his soul did feed in the dayes of his affliction So as no afflictions which befell him could beat him from his hold he resolves to trust in God though he slay him Job 13.15 The consciousnesse of his former gratious and righteous carriage towards great and small especially towards the oppressed the poore and fatherlesse did furnish him with strength to undergo the sorest of his sufferings Oh be then taught by this holy example how to be fitted and prepared against afflictions A godly life the feare of the Lord faith and a good conscience will lay such a foundation for time to come that though never so many stormes do arise though the winde of affliction waves of tentation do beat upon thee yet shalt thou stand as a tower impregnable no affliction shall be able to vanquish or overcome thee It may be thy afflictions may rise like a spring of bitter waters yet the salt of a good conscience wil sweeten these waters and heal them It may be afflictions like to over-flowing Jordan are come over thee so as thou cryest with David I am come into deepe waters and the streames runne over me Psal 69.2 yet a good conscience like to Elias his mantle will cut and divide this Jordan so as thou shalt be able to passe over it For this promise hath the Lord made to every one that is godly Surely in the flood of great waters they shall not come neere him Psal 32.6 That Panoplie and whole armour of God which the Apostle exhorts us to be furnished withall that so we may resist in the evil day Ephes 6. that is to say A girdle of vertue shooes of preparation the breast-plate of righteousnesse the shield of faith an helmet of salvation and the sword of the spirit are all where a good conscience is for this is armour of righteousnesse on the right hand and on the left Righteousnesse will keep thee from being shaken with afflictions though the earrh be moved and the foundations thereof totter though all things are in combustion about thine eares yet if iniquitie be put farre away and no wickednesse dwell in thy Tabernacle then truly shalt thou lift up thy face without spot and shalt be stable and shalt not feare Job 11.14 15. For though a just man falleth that is into trouble and affliction seven times yet he riseth again Pro. 24.16 For the Lord putteth under his hand Psal 37.24 Vse 3 Thirdly if it be thus let us be the more exercised in the Word of God which will teach us how to beare afflictions and minister comfort unto us even in the heat and extremity of them Whiles means and liberty is afforded be wise now to store thy self with heavenly provision that is to say comfort out of Gods Word to cheare up thy soul and refresh thy drooping spirits in the day of affliction If thy law had not beene my delight I should now have perished in mine affliction saies David Psal 119.92 My affliction would have destroyed me and made me perish from the right way if it had not beene lenified and sanctified by thy Word The Word of God teacheth us in all times of tryall to rest upon the
be the name of our good and bountifull God live in plenty of the Gospel so as wee may speak of the food of our souls as Moses doth of bodily Lev. 26.5 Our threshing reacheth unto the vintage and the vintage unto the sowing time and wee eat our bread in plenteousnesse But little do wee know how soon the Lord may send a famine of the word as hee threatned Israel Amos 8.11 12. When wee shall wander from Sea to Sea from North to East too and fro to seek the word of the Lord and shall not find it Churches and people of other nations who not many yeares sithence had as little cause of fear and dread as wee do now feel the smart of this famine The Tabernacle of David is fallen amongst them Idolatry and superstition is in the place of the Gospel And why may not wee fear the like judgement especially seeing the Gospel is so much contemned of many amongst us Vse 4 Fourthly doth the Lord thus afflict his dear children be wee then admonished to break off our sinnes by repentance that so the Lord may either divert his judgements or else aswage and alay the heat of them For if wee will sinne God will punish Sin is that seed which being sown grows up unto a harvest of punishment Hee that soweth iniquitie shall reap affliction Prov. 22.8 Trouble waits upon sinne for affliction followeth sinners Prov. 13.21 Yea it so follows them as it will be sure to catch hold of them All these curses shall come upon thee and shall pursue thee and overtake thee till thou be destroyed because thou obeyedst not the voice of the Lord thy God Deut. 28.45 Is there any thing under the Sunne that is able to make a separation between sinne and punishment If the one be welcomed and entertained the other will not be shut out Paradice could not shelter nor priviledge our first parents from punishment after they had once sinned How then shall those be able to escape the wrath and vengeance of the Lord who make it their pastime to do evill into whose hearts and affections wickednesse hath warped and woven it selfe these must if speedily they repent not look to have the judgements of God to light upon them For what saies Job Is not destruction to the wicked and strange punishment to the workers of iniquitie Iob 31.3 Notorious offenders have oft times notable judgements Wicked ones may revell and be joviall and go on in their own wayes and pleasures but which of them can say I will continue my game my sport my lusts unto the end without feare or danger little do they know how neer at hand some judgement or other is to arrest them as it did Balshazzar to interrupt and turn their jollitie into woe and miserie Shut sinne out of dores if thou wouldst have that punishment either sanctified or taken away which doth now lie upon thee To complain of troubles or to seek to be eased of them and not to mourn and be sorry for those sinns which have procured them is folly and madnesse Do not our children when wee are correcting them confesse their faults and promise to do no more so by these words hoping to have their correction lessened and ended Wee shall shew our selves to have lesse understanding and wisedome then young children if wee take not the same course when the rod of God is laid upon us Repentance will make us gainers by our afflictions What wise man will not be willing to take that course albeit painfull which may be beneficiall and profitable unto him Repentance so sanctifies our affliction or removes it that a blessing comes with it or follows in the room of it If when our heavenly father correcteth us wee doe unfainedly promise and purpose to cast away our sinnes from us the Lord will speedily either lay aside his rod or else bestow upon us some blessing which shall make it evident that hee is pleased with our humiliation and will love us the better after it So well is the Lord pleased to see his children stoop under his hand that he will be so much the more gratious and mercifull unto them by how much the more he hath afflicted them so as they shall see the curse turned into a blessing unto them Repent thee of thy transgressions and the Lord will repent him of his corrections For that which the Lord promiseth unto a Kingdom or Nation Iere. 18.8 shall also be made good unto every person If wee will turn from our wickednesse the Lord will repent of the judgement which hee thought to bring upon us I will cast them into great affliction except they repent them of their works Revel 2.22 As our impenitencie hastens judgements threatned and continues them being inflicted so our repentance diverts them being threatned and removes them being inflicted The Ninivites repentance wrought repentance in God God saw their works that they turned from their evill wayes and God repented of the evill that he said he would do unto them and he did it not Ion. 3.10 Thus by their repentance the sentence pronounced was reversed Is not this a strange thing that the repentance of condemned malefactors should repeal the Judges sentences It were strange to see this in the Courts of men but with God it is not so strange as true our repentance not only frustrates Gods condemning sentence but turns it into an acquitting sentence it turns away the evill and as I said even now brings good in the stead of it Davids murtherous and adulterous marriage with Bathsheba brought many direfull curses but yet unfained repentance turned all those curses into blessings unto them and us for of this marriage came Christ the worlds Saviour Therefore as Daniel said unto the King Dan. 4.24 Let my counsell be acceptable unto thee and break off thy sinnes by righteousnesse for man suffereth for his sin Lam. 3.39 If wee will forsake Gods law and not walke in his judgements if wee break his statutes and keep not his commandements then will the Lord visit our transgressions with a rod and our iniquitie with strokes Psal 89.31 32. The more libertie that any of Gods children shall take to sinne the more liable are they to punishment The more care the Lord takes of them the more love he beares unto them the readier will he be to chastise them offending Is not the whole history of the Jewes a people once as dear unto the Lord as ever any were even as the signet on his right hand and as the apple of his eye Zach. 2.8 a pattern and example of an ungratious child continually exercised under the rod of his loving father evermore labouring as he trespassed so to correct him for his sinne The Scripture doth plentifully tell us how the Lord nurtured his people with severe discipline sending them one judgement upon the neck of another and all by reason of their sinnes Iere. 30.15 Why criest thou for thine affliction because thy sinnes
nothing in our own eyes And be we thankfull unto our good God and loving Father that he will be at these paines to refine and purge us that so he may make choice of us for his glory before others Behold saith the Lord Esay 48.10 I have fined thee but not as silver I have chosen thee in the fornace of affliction When God doth cast thee into the fornace to refine thee take heed thou dost not say or think I am cast out of his eyes the Lord hath rejected and forsaken me for this were to bring an evill report upon the waies of God and to turn his truth into a ly Ezek. 20.37 I will cause you to passe under the rod and will bring you into the bond of the covenant Yet such is the peevishnesse of our nature such is our unbeliefe that if any extraordinary affliction doth befall us especially if it be such as tarrieth and sticks by us we are ready to mutter and murmur yea ready to feare that God hath forsaken us Whereas we should rather gather arguments of comfort to our selves that the more he afflicteth us the better he loveth us in that he carrieth such a straite hand and vigilant eye over us that we shal no sooner step aside but he will be ready to fetch us in againe The Lord might give us over to our own hearts lust even unto hardnesse of heart to a reprobate minde giving us leave to eate of the fruit of our own way and be filled with our own devices Pro. 1.31 But his love compels him to take another course with us to chasten us That we should not be condemned with the World 1. Cor. 11.32 Whereupon one of the antient Fathers prayed Lord seare me here that thou maist save me hereafter cut and wound me here that thou maist for ever heale and spare me Consider what the wiseman saith Pro. 3.11 12. My sonne refuse not the chastening of the Lord neither be grieved with his correrection for the Lord corcteth him whom he loveth even as a father doth the child in whom he delighteth Children will hardly be brought to beleeve thus much and therefore they are ready to measure their parents affection by their correction and to think there is most love where ther is least correction But this is their error for wisedome telleth us Pr. 13.24 that Hee which spareth the rod hateth his sonne but hee that loveth him chasteneth him betimes Least if he let him alone with out correction as too many foolish indulgent parents do he go to Hell in the end Therefore thou shalt smite him with the rod and shalt deliver his soul from Hell Pro. 23.14 So wee are ready to think wee might do well without affliction but the Lord knowes us better then wee know our selves and hee seeth we would to hell hereafter if hee should not afflict us here I am sure it had been wo with some of us if the Lord had not afflicted us Nay some of us can say blessed bee God for his unspeakable mercie that there never did befall us any affliction which we could have spared either for the nature and kinde or for the measure and quantity thereof And may we not all say that wee are then in the best temper when we are afflicted Even the wicked will be somewhat good in affliction Pharaohs proud heart will stoope and yeeld a little then the Israelites shall go and sacrifice to their God Exod. 10.14 But their goodnesse lasteth no longer then their troubles last When afflictions end their goodnesse ends And they returne with the dog to their old vomit 2. Pet. 2.22 Their hard heart will be a little softned whiles they are in the fire as iron bendeth as the Smith would have it all the while the fire is in it But as their affliction abateth so their hardnes and wickednesse returneth as iron growing cold grows as hard as it was before nay oft times harder as water waxeth colder after heating then it was at first Therfore we have more cause to be thankfull to God for afflictions then for meate and drinke seeing the Lord doth us more good by them then by these Which good though at the first thou seest not because thy physick is now but in working yet if thou belong to God thou shalt hereafter both see it and feele it too And thou wilt justify the goodnesse of God in every particular and say I could not have spared any of Gods rods I would not have been without this or that affliction for all the world None could have been invented to doe me more good so to hit me in the right veine I had been undone I had perished for ever if the Lord had not thus and thus afflicted me Happy art thou who canst thus say But this is a lesson which flesh and blood can hardly be brought to learne and some are more dull then others that is more proud more stubborn more carnall more earthly minded then others and therfore the Lord keeps those longer in the schoole of affliction then those his children that are more tractable and teachable But as I said it is a hard taske for the best and therfore if we might be choosers we would be no sufferers if we could shift it wee would not be afflicted How hardly are we brought to beleeve that the Lord intendeth or will do us good by this evill of affliction What meate to come out of the eater sweet out of the sowre this is a very riddle unto us But faith makes it plaine and easie to be understood for faith will shew us one contrary in another good in evill health in sicknesse ease in paine glory in shame and life in death Without this eye of faith thou canst not possibly see the Lords goodnes towards thee in afflicting thee nor yet reap that good by thine afflictions which otherwise thou maiest by beleeving And for proofe herefore I wish the to peruse such treatises as do tend to this purpose In the meane time let this which I have spoken serve to comfort thee in thine afflictions Howsoever they may be tart and sharp for the present bitter and grievous unto nature as if the print of every stroke did pierce thy flesh and fetch blood from thee yet God is where he was yet God loves thee as much as ever he did if not more and loving thee will lay no more upon thee nor suffer thee to be tempted above that which thou shall be able to beare 1. Cor. 10.13 Some the Lord doth chastise with rods othersome he doth whip with scorpions as it were laying on greatest loade where he hath given greatest strength to beare as a father will lay those burdens upon the shoulders of his elder and stronger sons which will go neere to break the backs of his little ones Or as a wise Physitian who tempereth and prescribeth Physick answerable to the constitution and strength of his sick patient How should this comfort us in
right hand there are pleasures for evermore Psal 16.11 And which is the summe of all wee shall have everlasting communion with the Father Sonne and Holy Ghost and with all the quyre of heaven all those blessed Saints and Angels singing and praising the name of the Lord for evermore Vse 8 Eightly and lastly Is it so that Gods dearest children go not without affliction then woe to those whom God afflicts not Which live at ease and in fulnesse Wallowing in their sports and pleasures And are not in trouble like other men neither plagued like other men Psal 73.5 These carry a black brand being marked for wicked ones Loe these are the wicked they alwayes prosper and increase in riches vers 12. The houses of the wicked saith Job are peaceable without feare and the rod of God is upon them Job 21.9 Which shewes that they are but as Oxen fatted against the day of slaughter For if judgement begin at the house of God what shall the end be of them which obey not the Gospel of God 1. Pet. 4.17 If Gods dear children if his faithfull servants who are zealous for the Lord whose soules do mourn in secret for their own sinnes and the abominations of the time and place where they live Who labor to walk before the Lord in truth and with a perfect heart who desire and indeavor to do the will of God in all things and to yeeld a cheerfull obedience unto his Commandments bee so often so many wayes so sharply many times corrected and afflicted what will become of profane foul-mouth'd blasphemers of scoffers and scorners of piety and godlinesse of proud and voluptuous persons of covetous earth-wormes of gluttons drunkards fornicators unclean persons such as take no other thought but to fulfill the lusts of the flesh certainly if the Scripture be true and God bee just these shall one day have the full viols of Gods heavie wrath and eternal vengeance powred out upon them If Gods own deare children must drink of that bitter cup of his displeasure Surely all the wicked of the earth shall wring out and drink the dregges thereof Psal 75.8 Behold the righteous shall be recompensed in the earth how much more the wicked and the sinner Pro. 11.31 If it be true that God chastiseth every sonne whom he received What will become of those whose bones are full of the marrow of sinne who sing to the viol who drink wine in bowls unto whom wickednesse is as sugar in their mouthes and wantonnesse like oyle doth make them look with a merry countenance whose life is spun with such an even thred both warpe and woofe as scarce a knot to bee seen No breach in their estate No crosses no losses but all things go as they would have them surely these are in a pittiful in a fearfull condition For howsoever they put farre away the evill day and approach to the seat of iniquitie Amos 6.3 Howsoever they may vaunt it and flatter themselves as Babel doth Revel 18.7 saying I shall see no mourning yet when they say peace and safety that is think themselves to be most secure and farthest off from evil then shall come upon them sudden destruction as the travail upon a woman with childe and they shall not escape 1. Thessal 5.3 For God useth slow but sure punishment it is long in comming but when he strikes the wicked hee will pay them home for all their wickednesse and hee will make good the slownesse of his revenge by the greatnesse of their punishment when it lighteth upon them The higher the Lord lifteth up his hand to strike the longer it is ere it fals but when it fals it fals more heavily The longer it is that Gods justice is boiling upon the fire of his wrath the more scalding hot it shall be powred upon the pates of the wicked For though the Lord be slow to anger yet is he great in power and will not surely cleare the wicked Nahum 1.3 They have not vengeance presently executed but the Lord reserveth wrath for them as in the verse before If the Lord be pleased to continue his heavie hand and that a long time upon his deare children how heavie how long and continuall shall those tortures and torments be which are prepared for stubborn rebellious and impenitent sinners If humble meek-hearted dutifull and obedient children lie many times in lingring and languishing afflions how smarting I intolerable shall those judgements be which one day the wicked and ungodly shall endure If the Lord seems many times not to regard the teares nor cries of his children that they seem as it were to welter in their sorrowes how are impenitent stiffe-necked and hard-hearted sinners like to speed when they shall cry and roar againe Surely he will laugh at their destruction and mock them when feare and trouble comes upon them Prov. 1.26 Then shall that wrath which they have treasured up unto themselves come upon them to the uttermost Woe be unto thee whosoever thou art that fearest not the Lord. Woe bee to those that revell and Jove it as if they feared neither God nor Devill as if they regarded neither Heaven nor Hell The Lord is tempering of some bitter potion for them which one day they shall drink down to their eternall woe If God humble his dear ones under his hand he will trample his enemies underneath his feet If the Israelites must be baptized in the red sea the Egyptians shall bee overwhelmed and drowned in it If Lot must lose all his goods and substance in Sodome the Sodomites shall lose both goods and lives too If Gods finger lie heavie upon his children here on earth with the weight of his loines hee will presse downe the wicked into Hell hereafter Object But doe wee not see the wicked flourish and prosper in their wayes and enterprises Answ Yes for I have seen the wicked strong and spreading himselfe like a green bay-tree but his glory lasted not long hee passed away and loe hee was gone Psal 37.35 36. Object But are not the wicked honored and advanced Answer Yes but though his excellencie mount up unto the Heaven and his head reach up unto the cloudes yet shall hee perish for ever like his dung and they which have seen him shall say Where is hee Job 20.6.7 Object But are not the wicked mighty and of great riches Answ Yes yet neither their silver nor their gold shall bee able to deliver them in the day of the Lords wrath Zep. 1.18 Object But they are allied unto great personages and have great ones in league and confederacie with them Answ It may bee so yet though hand joyne in hand the wicked shall not go unpunished Pro. 11.21 Object But they have deepe reaches unfathomed plots and projects they combine themselves together and consult how to escape from the power of evill Answ And what of this though they take counsell together yet it shall be brought to nought though they pronounce
because our safety and security lieth in it As God loveth a cheerfull doer so hee loveth a cheerfull sufferer A childe that is willing to kisse the rod wherewith it was beaten gives great content unto the parent which corrected it and makes halfe amends for the fault it hath committed Christ will have every one of his to take up his Crosse daily Luk. 9.23 the taking up of our crosse implyeth willingnesse and cheerfulnesse in the bearing of it Many a childe of God is content to beare his crosse when the Lord hath laied it upon his shoulders as the Prophet Jeremiah speakeath Woe is me for my destruction and my grievous plague But I thought yet it is my sorrow and I will beare it Jerem. 10.19 Hee dares not mutter or repine at the Lords doing but here was no rejoycing in tribulation Whereas James tells us that wee must count it exceeding joy when wee fall into divers afflictions Jam. 1.2 When the Lord commeth as it were in open hostilitie against us mustering his forces towards us when one affliction comes upon the neck of another when wee fall into divers afflictions even then we have cause of rejoycing For our afflictions comming from the hand of our loving Father cannot be hurtfull but profitable unto us Hee chasteneth us for our profit that wee might he partakers of his holinesse Hebr 12.10 Indeed if our afflictions brought God out of love with us or us more in love with sinne which God hates and is hurtfull unto us if our afflictions were sent unto us as curses wee had cause to mourn in them But when the Word of truth so often pronounceth us blessed in them as Psalme 94.12 Blessed is the man whom thou chastisest O Lord. Have wee not then great cause of rejoycing in them especially seeing our Heavenly Father hath the ordering and disposing of all our afflictions both in respect of their kinde and nature and also in respect of their measure either of quantity or continuance First in regard of their kind If you would know why this affliction befalls thee rather then another it is because the Lord the only wise and soveraign Physitian knows how to strike thee in the right veine hee knowes thy heart and the nature of thy corruption and therefore applieth such medecines unto thee as will bee most available for thy cure Which thing Job teacheth us Behold hee will break down and it cannot be built he shutteth a man up and hee cannot be loosed Behold hee withholdeth the waters and they drie up but when he sendeth them out they destroy the earth with him is strength and wisedom Job 12.14 15 16. Yea hee is mighty in strength and wisedom Job 36.5 Which he could not be said to be if any other course were better for us then that which he taketh with us The Lord is perfect wisedom and therefore will not cannot but go the best the safest and wisest way to worke for the good of his children Some peradventure may think that some other kind of affliction might have been better for them then the present some other they thinke would have done them more good then this can do But they speak they know not what And I may say unto them as Christ to his Disciples Luk. 9.55 Yee know not of what spirit yee are The choosing of the rod belongeth unto him that is to give the correction not to him that taketh it Indeed the Lord did once put David to his choice 2. Sam. 24.12 I offer unto thee three things chuse thee which of them I shall do unto thee But this was an extraordinary favor shewed unto David first to make triall of his Faith whether he had rather fall into the hand of the Lord then into the hand of man and secondly to let him know that the Lord would correct him in mercy in that hee gave him libertie to make choise of the punishment The Lord knew that either of those rods would bee sufficient to scourge David withall And none knows so well as the Lord how to meet with our corruptions or what afflictions are meet for us If thou canst not profit by that affliction which the Lord appointeth unto thee thou wilt profit by none To say some other kind were better for thee were to controll the judgement of the wise God as if hee knew not better then our selves to order and dispose of us Is it fit the patient should prescribe his Physitian what course to take with him wilt thou teach him what he shall administer unto thee this were to dishonor the Physitian therefore thou submittest to his judgement and takest what hee prescribeth thee resting upon his skill And wilt thou dare so highly to dishonor God as to question his wisedome and knowledge as if some other affliction were better for thee then this which hee is pleased to administer unto thee No no say as Ely did 1. Sam. 3.18 It is the Lord let him do what seemeth him good Secondly the Lord hath the disposing of our afflictions for quantitie for hee doth order all things in their measure number and weight but especially the afflictions of his children Jerem. 30.11 I will not utterly destroy thee but correct thee in judgement or in measure as the new translation hath it God therefore metes out unto his children not according to their merit but in mercy according to their strength looking more what they are able to undergoe then what they do deserve to be laid upon them Hee correcteth in judgement that is wisely proportioning our affliction to our strength and not in anger least he bring us to nothing Jere. 10.24 Feare not therefore O Jacob my servant saith the Lord for I am with thee I will not utterly destroy thee but correct thee by judgement and not utterly cut thee off Jerem. 46.28 Comfort thy selfe therefore in this that God is faithfull who will not suffer thee to be tempted above that thou art able to beare but will with the tentation make a way to escape that thou maist be able to beare it as was formerly spoken Thirdly and lastly the Lord disposeth of all our afflictions in respect of their time and continuance which he hath promised shall be but short For the rod of the wicked shall not rest on the lot of the righteous Psal 105.3 Hee indureth but a while in his anger Weeping may abide at the evening but joy commeth in the morning Psal 30.5 Who is a God like unto thee saith Micah that taketh away iniquitie and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage He retaineth not his wrath for ever because mercy pleaseth him Mic. 7.18 Therefore wait patiently upon the Lord for issue out of thine affliction which in due time thou shalt bee sure of For the Lord deals not with his children as the Devill doth with his servants bringing them into the briars and there leave them to scratch and rent and teare themselves but the
Lord as he bringeth afflictions upon us so will hee also in due season bring us out of them Great and many are the troubles of the righteous but the Lord delivereth him out of them all Psalm 34.19 Vse 5 To draw to a conclusion of this point Is it so that all our afflictions come from Gods hand be we then in the fift and last place exhorted to have recourse unto the Lord in all our troubles both for strength and comfort in them and also for issue and deliverance out of them The Prophet complained of the way wardnesse and stubbornnesse of the people in his daies Esay 9.13 The people turneth not unto him that smiteth them neither do they seek the Lord of hosts This was Asa his folly who though his disease was extream yet hee sought not the Lord in his disease but to the Physitians 2. Chron. 16.12 Such is the folly and madnesse of some people that they will seek to any body yea to the Devill running to his cunning rather couzening man or that woman in their afflictions before they seek unto the Lord. As if any hand could take off that affliction which the Lord layeth upon us Deliverance out of trouble is a prerogative royall and belongs wholly unto the Lord For hee saith Moses will take away from thee all infirmities Deut. 7.15 Call upon mee in the day of trouble saith the Lord so will I deliver thee and thou shalt glorifie mee Psalm 50.15 Whereupon the Prophet Jeremiah set his eyes towards the Lord Thou art my force and strength O Lord and my refuge in the day of affliction Jerem. 16.19 Such as seek unto others and not unto the Lord in affliction do wait upon lying vanities and forsake their own mercy Ion. 2.8 They have inherited lies and vanity wherein there was no profit Jere. 16.19 Therefore if thou desirest abilitie and strength to beare thine afflictions go unto the Lord for it Power belongeth unto God Psalm 62.11 The God of Israel is hee that giveth strength and power unto his people Psalm 68.35 And so the Prophet Esay speaketh Hee giveth strength unto him that fainteth and unto him that hath no strength hee increaseth power Esay 40.29 Say not therefore in time of trouble mine affliction is greater then I can beare for though thou beest weak and ready to sink under thy burthen yet the Lord hath made thee a promise that hee will uphold thee with his hand So that though thou canst do little of thy selfe thou maist be able to do all things through the help of Christ which strengtheneth thee Phil. 4.13 Go therefore boldly to the throne of grace that so thou maist receive mercie and find favor to help thee in the time of thy need Trust in the Lord and he will helpe and save thee for who ever hoped in God and was ashamed Commit thy selfe and thy condition to God and he will stand by thee and helpe thee he will not be absent from thee over long Fall down at his footstoole make him thy hope and fortresse in whom thou wilt alwayes trust and he will imbrace thee in love he will lay thee upon the shoulders of his gracious Providence and protection hee will bind up all thy wounds he will heale and cure all thy diseases hee will refresh thy feeblenesse he will comfort thine afflicted spirits he will put under his hand so as thou shalt not faint under thy burden and in his good time will put away all pensivenesse and mourning from thee Therefore if thou bee able to hold up thy head in any storme if thou faintest not in the day of adversitie if thou standest fast and quit thee like a man say not my power or my strength hath carried mee thorow this affliction or made mee able to stand under this burthen but as Moses speakes to the Israelites concerning their outward substance Remember the Lord thy God for it is be that giveth thee power Deut. 8.18 So must thou say I have no ability to undergoe any affliction but that which the Lord is pleased to help me withall Object But will some poore weather-beaten soul say Hitherto the Lord hath supported mee but my heart now begins to faint I feel my spirits to abate and my strength begins to decay therefore if the Lord do not speedily deliver mee and send me ease the sooner I feare I shall sinke under mine affliction I can beare it no longer Answ What is the Lords hand shortened Numb 11.23 Is the Lords power weakened that hee cannot helpe thee for time to come as well as he hath hitherto supported thee Is the Lords staffe so weake that thou durest not trust unto it Or is the Lord unfaithfull to leave thee and forsake thee No no the Lord is where he was as ready at hand as willing and as able to helpe thee and stand by thee as ever hee was if thou by thine unbeleef do not put his strength from thee for if ye beleeve not surely ye shall not he established Esay 7.9 Whereas if yee put your trust in the Lord your God yee shall be assured 2. Chron. 20.20 For I am the Lord I change not and yee sonnes of Jacob are not consumed Malac 3.6 Therefore though thy flesh faileth and thine heart also as Davids did yet God is the strength of thine heart and thy portion for ever Psalm 73.26 Trust therefore in the Lord and still wait upon him for they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength they shall lift up their wings as the Eagles they shall runne and not bee weary and they shall walke and not faint Esay 40.31 Againe if all our afflictions come from God it will bee our wisdom to go unto him for issue and deliverance out of them Call upon me in the day of trouble so will I deliver thee and thou shalt glorifie mee Psalm 50.15 Mine eyes are ever toward the Lord for he will bring my feet out of the net Psal 25.15 Joseph was unjustly cast into prison by his too credulous and unrighteous master but God was with him and delivered him out of all his afflictions Act. 7.9.10 If ever thou hopest to be healed or helped out of or in any affliction it must be by the Lord his hand Refuse not the chastening of the Almighty saith Eliphaz for he maketh the wound and bindeth it up he smiteth and his hands make whole Hee shall deliver thee in six troubles and in the seventh the evill shall not touch thee Job 5.17 18 19. Hereupon they call one to another Hos 6.1 Come let us return to the Lord for he hath spoiled us and hee will heale us hee hath wounded and hee will bind us up As the Lord took his time to bring thee into trouble so hath he his time set for thy deliverance To all things there is an appointed time and a time to every purpose under heaven Eccles 3.1 Gods Providence hath set and limited the time how long his children
exhorteth us to shut the doore after us hereby he perswades us unto courage constancy or else to keep our selves close from Satans temptations that he may find no chink nor crevis open whereby he may enter into us to disturbe us for if our hearts lie but a little open so as he may have but the least advantage he is at hand to disquiet and perplex us And whereas he bids us to hide our selves he would have us to enjoy a secure freedom under Gods promise and pretection in faith and humility we should shrowd our selves under Gods wings that so he may keep us from inordinate fears and terrors untill the affliction be past which is but as a cloud or storm that will not last alwaies but will blowe over ere it be long and be at an end Therefore be cheerefull in thine afflictions Againe in that it is said As many as I love I rebuke and chasten not barely I rebuke and chasten you but I rebuke and chasten as many as are deere unto me or beloved of me this manner of speech is used for the confirmation of our faith in time of trouble and to keep us from sinking through grief or despaire For what argument can bee more forcible to perswade us to the quiet and patient bearing of our afflictions then to beleeve they be Gods love-tokens sent us for our good Whence mee may learne this Instruction that A great helpe to keep us from sinking and to enable us to beare up our heads with patience and cheerfullnesse in the time of affliction is to be perswaded of Gods love in afflicting of us This hath been in part touched before therefore I shall bee the briefer in the point How fearefull our nature is of troubles how unwilling the flesh is to taste of the cup of affliction yea how we labor to shift and avoyde it with a kinde of abhorring it common experience teacheth us And the mistrust of Gods providence and love wherewith naturally the best are infected makes us to shun and avoyd afflictions as much as possibly wee can lest wee should not bee able to grappie and encounter with them Wherein as wee bewray much weaknesse so do wee expresse great incredulity for hereby we do manifestly shew that wee thinke that God in afflicting doth not love us and that therefore hee cannot or will not helpe us to beare them that hee cannot or will not bring us fairely off them Therefore let us not give way to carnall reason nor heare what flesh and blood shall suggest unto us but what is delivered from the Word of truth which tels us that the Lord correcteth him whom he loveth even as the father doth the childe in whom hee delighteth Prov. 3.12 If wee give eare to carnall wisdome it will tell us surely if God loved us he would not thus afflict us As if our afflictions were a wall of separation twixt Gods love and us But what saies Paul Ro. 8.38 39. I am perswaded that neither death nor life nor Angels nor principalities nor powers nor things present nor things to come nor height nor depth nor any other creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus This strong perswasion of Gods love carried Paul on cheerfully in his troublesome pilgrimage and made him joyfull in all his sorrowes and afflictions Thus strongly should wee bee perswaded of Gods love for hath not the Lord said Esay 54.10 The mountaines shall remove and the hils shall fall downe but my mercy and love shall not depart from thee neither shall the covenant of my peace fall away as if hee should have said though the whole world be turned topsy turvy and heaven and earth do meet together yet standeth still my love and affection firm to theewards The change and alteration of our outward estate and condition causeth no change of Gods love for hee is still the same unto us and with us though the face and fashion of the world goeth away 1. Cor. 7.31 The things of this life are mutable and our condition is subject to daily change and alteration Times have their vicissitudes to day it is well with us to morrow ill to day at ease to morrow in paine to day we have something to morrow lesse it may be nothing to day in honor to morow in disgrace seldome continuing in one stay In which variable condition of ours and amids all changes and chances of this life here is comfort to the child of God that God is the same and changeth not but as he now loveth him so hee will for ever continue loving and gracious to him John 13.1 And hosoever we cannot tell what shall bee to morrow James 4.14 wee know our beginning as the old saying is but we know not what our end shall be as Paul went up to Jerusalem but knew not what things should come unto him there Acts 20.22 Yet such is our happinesse and comfort that come what will come no event whatsoever can keepe back or turne away Gods love from us and though our state be changed yet Gods love to us is not changed but still the same as true and as intyre as over it was My enemies may take away my liberty my goods my good name my deare friends and that which of all other things is most deare unto me even my life but I have one Jewwell all the devils in hell all the powers of darkenes all the rage and malice of the world can never spoile me of they cannot rob me of the love of my God This confidence and perswasion of Gods love and favor beares up the godly from sinking under the burden of their affliction and makes them cheerfull when as the wicked wanting this assurance are either sencelesse or else faithlesse and impatient under the crosse The faithfull making God and his favor their portion and happinesse enjoy this priviledge in time of adversity as well as in the day of prosperity and therefore their hearts or their desire is to bee as joyfull when they are in trouble and afflictions as if they were most free from them Whereas the wicked placing their whol felicity in these earthly things their profits pleasures c. When their wealth and worldly things faile their joy their hope and comfort ends with them These have nothing but nature to helpe them beare their burdens Whence it commeth to passe that infidelity and impatience do make them more grievous and burdensome whereas the faithfull having the perswasion of Gods love and the presence of his Spirit to support them take comfort in their troubles during the time of their tryall and wait for a seasonable and cumfortable issue and deliverance out of them So that it is a truth not to be questioned that the perswasion of Gods love in afflicting of us is a great help to keepe us from sinking under afflictions and to enable us with patience and cheerfullnesse to undergo them this
perswasion will carry us on comfortably in our pilgrimage it will make us willing to beare whatsoever the Lord shall be pleased to lay upon us and to want that which wee see hee is not willing wee should injoy Wee rejoyce in tribulations saith Paul Rom. 5.3 because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given us verse 5. Reason 1 And that first of all because he that is perswaded of Gods love cannot but beleeve that God will helpe him to beare his crosse and to undergo his affliction bee it what it will For God is faithfull and will not suffer his to be tempted above that they are able to beare 1. Cor. 10.13 Object But I am weake saith one and I shall never bee able to beare such or such trials if the Lord laies any more upon mee I shall never beare it Answ Comfort thy selfe God will either make thee able or else hee will lighten and lessen thy affliction Thy God who loves thee will put to his hand hee will helpe at a dead lift his power is made perfect through weaknesse 2. Cor. 12.9 Hee loves thee and therefore will not overloade thee His grace shall bee sufficient for thee Therefore say as did Jeremy O Lord thou art my force and my strength and my refuge in the day of affliction Jer. 16.19 Reason 2 Secondly the perswasion of Gods love will be helpfull unto us to the cheerfull bearing of affliction because if wee beleeve that God loves us wee know that he intends our good in afflicting of us yea will do us good by our affliction For hee chasteneth all his children for their profit Heb. 12.10 It is good for me saith David that I have been afflicted Psal 119.71 Haply wee can see no good that is like to come unto us out of this affliction or that trouble but rather evill or hurt yet through the goodnesse and wisdome of the Lord good shall bee extracted out of this evill as the best treacle is made of deadly poyson When we are in a course of Physick at the first wee see not we feel not any good it doth us but it makes us rather worse then wee were before and causeth many a sicke qualme many a fainting fit and we wish the Physick had never been prescribed unto us or not taken of us but when wee consider of whom wee tooke it even from him whose judgement and knowledge we approve of whose care and love wee doubt not of then we are the more quieted and pluck up our spirits in expectation and hope of ease ere it be long It may be thou findest no good thine affliction hath yet done thee it being now working upon thee Yet if thou canst but rest a while and bee perswaded of the wisdome and love of God who hath administred this physick unto thee thou wilt bee contented and looke for good to follow it When rhe sonnes of Zerviah would faine have been doing with that dead dogge Shimei for cursing their Lord and Master no no saies David suffer him to curse it may be the Lord will looke upon mine affliction and do mee good for his cursing this day 2. Sam. 16.11 12. But the Apostle Paul being more full of faith putting the question past peradventure hee puts it out of question resolves and builds upon it wee know that all things worke together for the best to those that love God Rom. 8.28 Now wee know that every one that loves God is beloved of God for wee love him because he loved us first Iob 4.19 How cheerfully do wee use to welcome those that bring us but tidings of good but if any one brings us any great benefit we thinke wee cannot bid him too welcome Is affliction come unto thee Welcome it for certainly if thou beest the Lords I dare boldly as David said of Abimaaz the sonne of Zadock Hee is a good man and commeth with good tydings 2. Sam. 18.27 say of affliction it is a good thing and bringeth not only tydings of good but good it selfe unto thee For no sooner comes affliction to Gods children but if it be welcomed good will bee at the heels thereof to follow after it Reason 3 Thirdly it cannot bee but the perswasion of Gods love will make us cheerfull in affliction because being beloved of God no misery can make us miserable Art thou in Gods favor then thou art ever in his eye he lookes after thee and is carefull that no evill shall befall thee Nay thou art unto him as the apple of his eye Zach. 2.8 tender and deere unto him and therefore whatsoever danger doth beset thee the Lord will bee at thy right hand to uphold and comfort thee Being in Gods favor thou art sure of his protection for thou Lord wilt blesse the righteous and with favor wilt compasse him as with a shield Psa 5.12 Noah was safe enough in that great and deadly deluge because the Lord prepared an arke for him and shut him up Daniel was safe enough amongst the Lyons because God sent his Angel shut the Lyons mouths that they could not hurt him Dan. 6.22 The Lord hath made a gracious promise that When thou passest thorow the waters he will be with thee and thorow the floods that they do not overflow thee When thou walkest thorow the fire c. Esay 43.2 from whence is this it followes in the 4. verse because thou wast precious in my sight and thou wast honorable and I loved thee Therefore if God love thee thou art happy thou canst not be miserable Nay shall I speake boldly unto thee I tell thee if thou wert if possible in Hell in the deepest gulfe of calamity that can bee yet for all this being beloved of God thy estate and condition is happy hee will gaine glory and thou shalt get good by all that evill which hath or shall befall thee Reason 4 Fourthly and lastly the assurance of Gods love will make us willing to bear our affliction because we know that nothing can separate us as was said before from this love of God but being once beloved of him we shall so continue for ever It is not all the wit or will the cunning or subtilty the power or pollicy of all the creatures on the face of the earth or underneath the earth let there bee a confederacy amongst them yea let them all cast in their lot and make one common purse Prov. 1.14 to do thee mischief let them all plod plot combine and bandy themselves against thee they shall never bee able to winde thee out of Gods love or favor if once beloved of him It is possible that thou mayest lose the love and favor of the World and the more because thou art beloved of God for the World loves none but her owne brats Joh. 15.19 It is a very stepdame or rather beldame to all that are beloved of God It is possible that thy friends may become thy
of his deare Sonne Is any man so mindfull and carefull of keeping covenant and promise as the Lord Is any so able to make good his word as God Tricks of Law and the wilie subtilties of mans braine are oft occasions of frustrating promises made betwixt man and man but there is no wisedom neither understanding nor councell against the Lord Prov. 21.30 God is not as man that hee should lye neither as the sonne of man that he should repent hath hee said and shall he not do it hath hee spoken and shall hee not accomplish it Numb 23.19 God is so faithfull of his Word that nothing is able to make him goe back or to falsify his promise Gods Word shal stand when Heaven and Earth shall fall To mistrust Gods promise is to question whether there be a God or no. For either to deny or doubt of his truth and fidelity is to deny or doubt him to bee God Every honest man scandeth upon his credit for his credits sake he dares not eate his word hee keepeth promise though it bee to his own losse and hindrance How much more will the Lord who is jealous of his glory bee carefull to make good whatsoever hee hath said What greater indignity can bee offered to an honest and godly man then to question the truth of his word What greater dishonor can be unto the Lord then to call into question his truth which wee do when wee either say or thinke hee loves us not in afflicting of us Howsoever crosses and afflictions do oft times present themselves to the apprehension of carnal men with much terorr horror yet even in the very bitternesse and extremity of them thou by the helpe of faith maist draw a great deal of joy and comfort from them if thou wouldst fix thy minde upon such places and promises as these are Isa 43.2 and 63.8 Rom. 8.28 2. Cor. 4.17 Heb. 12.6 A patient submission to Gods will and a perswasion of his love in correcting of us is an infallible evidence that thou art a sonne and not a bastard Is there not more sweetnesse in those afflictions which are evidences of Gods love tokens that thou art in the right way to Heaven then in outward ease worldy pleasures and carnall liberty which clearly demonstrate to thy conscience that thou art in the broad way to Hell hence it was that the Apostls rejoyced when they were beaten That they were counted worthy to suffer rebuke for the name of Christ Act. 5.41 Nay all the scorne and contempt all the contumelious reproaches which the world shall spit out at thee do crown thy head and therefore should fill thy heart with aboundance of glory blessednesse and joy If ye be reproched for the name of Christ happy are ye for the spirit of glory of God resteth upon you 1. Pet. 4.14 Schoffes spitefull and taunting speeches odious nick-names and lying imputations cast upon thee by those whose tongues cut like sharpe raisors are but so many honorable badges of thy profession and Christian resolution of standing for Christ his truth and shall pull down a blessing upon thee Blessed are ye when men revile you and persecute you and say all evill against you for my sake rejoyce and be glad for great is your reward in Heaven Mat. 5.11 12. I define to beate this mile home to the head therfore I tarry the longer upon this use for if we could but bee thorowlie perswaded of this truth that God loveth us in that he correcteth us all differences betwixt the Lord and us about affliction would bee at an end and our sorrow would be turned into joy and rejoycing in tribulation Rom. 5.3 our unquietnesse would bee turned into patience our lumpishnesse into cheerfulnesse and our murmurring into thankfullnesse Therefore I would have you know that the Devill our adversary hath not a more forcible engine or any more cunning stratageme to batter our peace and patience and so to draw away our hearts from resting upon God in the time of our afflictiō then to make us to question Gods love and so to mistrust his truth Who did ever trust in the Lord and was deceived Our Fathers saith David trusted in thee they trusted thou didst deliver them they called upon thee and were delivered they trusted in thee and were not confounded Psal 22.4 5. Whereupon David praies My God I trust in thee let mee not bee confounded so all that hope in thee shall not bee ashamed Psalme 25.2 3. And was the Lord the God of David only Is he not also their God that do put their trust in his goodnesse and mercy Is Gods love and kindnesse his mercy and goodnesse lesse unto his people now then it was to those of old Or is the Lord more feeble and lesse able to helpe and do good to us then to our fathers before us No no hee is the Ancient of dayes Dan. 7.22 the same God now that ever hee was as able and as willing now to do good to those that beleeve in him as he hath beene of old Therefore in all thine afflictions learne to judge of and to measure Gods love by his word not by thy present feeling and comfort Let thine eye bee upon that love which will one day change thy estate and give thee a plentifull croppe of good out of this sorrowfull seed time of affliction Should any husbandman measure his estate and wealth by his seed time there were poore comfort to bee found for doth hee not weary his body through painfull toile and labor doth hee not empty his store and cast away his corne out of his hand but when hee doth consider that without a seed time there is no possibility of an harvest and withall that Hee that soweth liberally shall reape liberally 2. Cor. 9.6 He is then contented both with his paines and expences Even so if our eyes bee so fixed upon our present afflictions that wee see not the future good which through the love of God unto us they will bring us wee shal very hardly bee upheld in the time of our affliction but if wee look off the affliction and fasten our eye upon the love of God and that good he will doe us for that evil which we patiently and thankfully sustain how joyfully how contentedly how sweetly may we sit down and blesse God for afflicting of us Object But may some weak beleever object and say I make no question but that God in love doth chasten some of his children but how can I beleeve that my afflictions are tokens of his love when as I find and feele no good that hath come unto me through them nay I feare I am the worse for them for I am now more impatient more uncheerefull and more distrustfull of the love and providence of God then ever I was before Answ To favor thy weaknesse a little let mee tell thee that it may be this is but one of Satans wiles enterprises
a load upon thine heart and conscience or keeps thee it may be upon the rack it is not because thou shouldst thinke or say hee hath cast thee off from being his child but that thou mayest be the better fitted for that good hee intendeth thee and that thou mayest make more account of his love when it is shed abroad in thine heart God will have those which shall hereafter partake of his light now and then to know what it is to fit in darknesse and to bee in the shadow of death Now because of all other tentations and tryals incident unto us there are none so grievous and unsupportable as are inward and spirituall afflictions let it not be accounted lost time if before I proceed any further I make here some little stand both to take a view of some inward afflictions and also to prescribe some remedies for the easing if not the curing of such malladies as are most obvious and oft times prove most dangerous for want of applying or improving of those helpes means which may be used Almighty God our most wise Physition who sees us inwardly and is better acquainted with our constitution and temper then wee our selves are knoweth how to strike every one in the right veine and because people full fed are oft full of grosse humors and bad blood and those that live idly live oft times unprofitably the Lord in great wisedome doth exercise some of his deare ones with fightings within that so the inward man may be the better able to withstand outward evills as souldiers in many places are trained that so they may bee the more skilfull and better able to resist a forraign enemie Somtimes the Lord is pleased to withdraw the sweet comforts of his spirit from the hearts of his deare children and to strike them with inward terrors and feares of his wrath and vengeance which condition of theirs although it be uncomfortable for the present yet it proves profitable in the end Of all afflictions incident to the soul of man there is none so grievous and intolerable as a wounded conscience this transcends all other malladies and miseries whatsoever and therefore Solomon asketh Who can be are it Prov. 18.14 An accusing conscience tortures the soul with hellish horror here and as it were plungeth a poore sinner into hell whiles he lives When that gnawing and biting worme begins to fasten its teeth upon a poore soul his anguish and vexation becomes unspeakable and unconceivable of any but those that have felt it No favor of man no love of friends no preferment of the world no outward honors nor abundance of riches will be able to quench the fire or alay the heat of a tormented conscience As may apeare by that memorable story of Francis Spira who being upon the rack of a guilty and accusing conscience oft wished himselfe as is reported in Cains case and in Judas his place and that his soul might exchange with theirs wishing and desiring rather to be in hell torments then to be racked and rent with such hellish horrors and raging feares as did continually affright his poore soul And being by one demanded If hee feared not greater tortures and torments after this life then hee now sustained hee answered Yes but yet he wished he were in hell that so his torturing fears might be at an end This mans condition no boubt was terrible and dredfull yet who can say that hee perished everlastingly What warrant have any as some have done to judge him to bee a desperate castaway They will say that God might condemne him out of his own mouth But is this sufficient evidence for any peremptorily to passe sentence upon him The words of a distempered person are of no validitie in any civill court whatsoever Is it not an usuall thing for brain-sick and distempered persons to belie themselves and others too Object But Spira despaired of mercie Answ And what of that Have not many of Gods deare children done so many yeeres together Did any thing befall him in the time of his desperation but that which is incident unto the childe of God hath not our age afforded us examples as deep in dispaire in outward appearance as ever Spira was whether wee consider the matter of his tentation which was Apostacie or the deepnesse of his desperation and yet through the goodnesse and mercie of God they received comfort in the end Hee that will avouch Spira to be a castaway must prove that he despaired both totally and finally which as I conceive they can hardly do seeing it is said That in the midst of his desperation hee complained of the hardnesse of his heart which as hee said lockt up his mouth and tyed up his tongue from prayer Hee felt the hardnesse of his heart complained of it and lamented it the Word of God may discover corruption in us but is it not grace that makes any to be waile corruption Who knowes what case and comfort he might find and feele within before his soul went out of his body albeit hee never made any expression of it nor any neere him could perceive it Object But doth God deale so sharply with any of his children as to exercise them with such horror of conscience Answ Yes very often The conscience of a deere child of God may a long time be vexed with feares and horrors lie a long time upon the rack of unquietnesse and torture so farre from apprehending or hoping for any comfort or mercie that hee may receive the sentence of death against himselfe and subscribe to his own damnation yea he may confidently avouch himselfe to have no grace no faith to be a very castaway And yet wee see these blustring stormes have in good time blowne over and God upon unfained humiliation hath pacified their accusing conscience stilled and quieted their troubled minde by the apprehension of his love in the pardon of their sinnes For after the soul is once kindly soaked in godly sorrow and the heart sufficiently humbled in the sight of our unworthinesse the Lord at length shewes us his loving countenance tells us by his Spirit that he is reconciled unto us and that through Christ wee are freed from the guilt and so from the punishment of all our sinnes For though wee have been polluted and stained with all manner of iniquitie and impietie even from top to toe though our sinnes have been of a crimson and skarlet hue as great and grievous as may be so as peradventure in our conceit there is no possibillity of being cleansed from them yet God is able to make them as white as snow and wool Isa 1.18 There is no sinner so abominable and loathsome whom true and sound repentance will not make as holy and as righteous as Adam was before his fall Mistake me not not that any penitent if his heart-strings should breake with sighing and sobbing or his eyes fall out of his head with weeping and mourning can of himselfe be
not any of thy failings can nulifie Gods covenant which he hath made because it is an everlasting covenant Jer. 32.40 The best of Gods children do daily faile in one part of the covenant or other yet if there be not a revolting a turning back a falling away from God a betaking of thy selfe unto an other husband another love thou art no breaker of the covenant tho there be failings All this is come upon us yet do we not forget thee neither deal we falsly concerning thy covenant Psal 44.17 As the Lords love towards us did not begin in us so doth it not so much depend upon us but upon the mercy goodnesse and truth of him with whom there is no variablenesse neither shaddow of turning Jam. 1.17 For I am the Lord I change not and ye sons of Jaakob are not consumed Mat. 3.6 If Gods grace and mercy should depend upon our deservings the Devill would alwayes pick some hole or other in our coate we should never have inward rest nor assurance either of Gods love or of our own salvation For Satan is subtle and deceiptfull and he will not faile to tell us that we have broken covenant and therfore God hath cashiered us and cast us off therefore whensoever Satan comes to parlie with thee it must be thy wisdom and it will be thy safety not to hold him chat but to break off reasoning and dispute with him Object But Satan doggs and followes me with restles assaults he daily casts his firy darts at me he is daily battering my faith Answ Then go to Heaven for helpe encounter him in the name of Christ as David set upon Golia in the name of the Lord have recourse unto the promises which being well and wisely mannaged by faith will be able to foile the Devill and send him packing from thee A greater and a surer signe of victory we cannot have then this viz. To renounce our own confidence not to stand upon our own bottom but to cast our selves upon the Lord and so wee shall be strong in the power of his might Ephesians 6.10 Therefore give no way to Satan howsoever for the present he may bang thee and cause thee to bauke yet be stedfast in the faith and thou shalt be able to resist him because the Lord taketh thy part For the exceeding greatnesse of his power is toward us which beleeve Eph. 1.19 Assure thy selfe Satan shall be foiled if the power of God doth underprop thee which power if thou wilt call for and beleeven thou art sure to partake of and then if thou chance to be foiled thou standest as one undefiled in Gods account In the old Law if any womans chastitie was assaulted by any varlet if shee cryed out for helpe shee was blamelesse Deutr. 22.27 Even so when satanicall tentations do assault us if wee in the assault crie unto the Lord for helpe the Lord will not require the tentation at our hands but of Satan whose worke it was The ravished woman was chaste in Gods account because her heart and mind was so though her body was defiled So if Satan draw not consent from us his tentations may prevaile with us but shall not be layd unto our charge Therefore slie to God for help cry unto him and hee will either weaken Satan and strenâ—â—hen thee or else not lay the tentation to thy charge And take heed that thou beest not over much disquieted or unsetled by any of Satans tentations for this may give Satan some advantage if hee sees thee to be dejected hee will be the more insolent and double his forces against thee Therefore be strong in the faith feare not be not disheartned the Lord will be thy defence and under the shadow of his wings shalt thou have shelter Thinke never the worse but the better of thy selfe because Satan assaults thee it is a signe thou goest not the way that hee would have thee When any man drives his cattle to pasture if they go the way that hee would have them he is well pleased with them but if they hap to straggle out of the way he throwes a stone at one and his staffe at another even so when wee go the way Satan would have us hee lets us alone as implied by those words of our Saviour Luk. 11.21 When a strong man armed keepeth his palace the things that hee possesseth are in peace but if wee disquiet him hee will not faile to disquiet us so far as he may or can for satan can not tempt thee longer then the Lord wil permit him and hee that suffers Satan to tempt thee will not suffer thee to be tempted by him above that which thou shalt be able to beare but will even give issue with the tentation 1. Cor. 10.13 But I am feeble and weak and am not able to hold out against such fierie darts such furious oppositions as I am assaulted withall Answ But if thou wilt trust in the Lord hee will not faile thee nor forsake thee Object But I feele my heart to faint and my strength to faile Answ Hee giveth strength to him that sainteth and to him that hath no strength hee increaseth power Isa 40.29 Object I had a little strength but it is gone and vanished my faith begins now to flagge and therefore I feare I shall not hold out long Answ But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength they shall runne and not be weary they shall walke and not faint Isa 40.31 If thou hadst strength of thine own it were not to be trusted unto and though thine bee gone the Lord remaines his arme is not shortned his power is not lessened Therefore cheere up thy drooping and fainting heart let the tentation be never so smart or tart yet it is no other then that out of which God intends to fetch some glory and thou in the end shalt receive some good And know it for truth that the more restlesly Satan doth follow thee with varietie of tentations the more sweetly and securely thou maist repose thy perplexed soule upon this comfortable perswasion and assurance that thou art the Lords Object But I feele much lumpishnesse and dead-heartednesse in the best duties I performe my prayers have little or no life in them my mind is full of wandrings and idle vagaries as soone as I have begun to seek the Lord whereupon I am oft times at a stand not knowing whether I were best proceed or recede and leave off And which doth most of all perplexe mee Satan spares not to cast in oft times Atheisticall and blasphemous thoughts which makes me to feare that when I have ended my prayer God may justly begin my punishment seeing I have more offended him I feare in my prayers then I should have done with my silence Answ But dost thou admit of any of these evill thoughts are they not such as make thy heart to ake and thy soul to bleed within thee Dost thou not ever tremble at the
thought of them Then feare not they shall not be layd to thy charge Assure thy selfe those sighes and groans which proceed from thy perplexed soul shall find so much grace and favor with God as they shall be able to prevaile with him for that blessing thou hast begd and standst in need of And although thou canst not pray as thou wouldst yet sigh and groane as thou shouldst and hee which knowes the secrets of all hearts will be able to understand the meaning of thy sighs and groans of the spirit within thee which doth plead and speak to God for thee Object But I feare the Lord doth abominate my sacrifice and service as loathsome hee may cast it as dung in my face and lay some judgement upon mee for offering up such a strange sacrifice unto him Answ If God hath given thee a heart to mourne for sinne he hath made thee able to offer him such a sacrifice as hee is well pleased with and therefore he can not but accept of thy person whatsoever thy failings have been Thy grieved soul and sorrowfull spirit is a sacrifice which casts a sweet savor in the Lords nostrills Psalm 51.17 And would God accept of thy sacrifice if hee had rejected thee No no assure thy selfe that God hath accepted of thy person if hee accepts of thy sacrifice The Lord had 〈…〉 and to his offering Gâ—â—e 4.4 The melting of thy soul and the kindly mourning over him whom thou hast pierced with thy sinne is a most infallible evidence of Gods love towards thee and of the saving presence of his holy Spirit abiding in thee Therefore let thy spirit rejoyce in that thou art able to mourne for sinne Those teares which proceed from a grieved soul and wounded spirit may be compared unto Aprill showers which bring on May-flowers although these showers wet where they fall Yet through the heat of the Sunne working with them they produce a great deale of sweetnesse in those plants and hearbs which they fall upon There is abundance of joy in all godly sorrow As the harvest is potentially in the seed so the harvest of true and sound joy growes out of this seed of sorrow Psalm 126.5 They that sow in teares shall reap in joy Why is thy soul then so troubled within thee why art thou still so sad so heavie and dejected Object Howsoever I grieve and mourn yet I can not beleeve that there is any truth of grace in mee in that I am not so fruitfull and profitable in my place and calling as I should and faine would bee I am a barren fruitlesse tree one that cumbers the earth fit for nothing but the fire Answ But is it not with thee as it fareth with some covetous earthly gripple-minded persons which spend their time in scraping and raking together these outward things pinch their bodies and are ever and anon whining and complaining that they have nothing when as their chests are full of good linnen their houses stored and stuffed full of utensills and their purse full of money but being blinded with the love of the world think they have nothing because they have not so much as their covetous eye would look over and therefore do neither thankfully acknowledge what they have received nor profitably improve any thing they do enjoy either to Gods glory their own comfort or others good Even so many afflicted souls being overladen with anguish of mind and deluded by Satan oft times complaine of the want of grace in the midst of plentie not seeing as the saying is wood for trees and thus do bely both God and themselves And it is just with the Lord somtimes to hold his children down with feares and doubtings because they have not been sufficiently thankfull to God for that rich grace they have received from him Our unthankfulnesse is not only as a great fogg and mist which doth exceedingly obscure and darken the grace of God in his children but is also as a worme or canker which eats into the sap and heart of grace so as it thrives not nor fructifies as otherwise it would do But such as are planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the courts of our God Psalm 92.13 Doth not the Prophet Jeremiah also tell us that those that trust in the Lord and whose hope the Lord is shall be as a tree planted by the water which spreadeth out her roots shall not care for the yeere of drought neither shall cease from yeelding fruit Jere. 17.8 Answ And is not this good fruit to bemoane thy barrennesse Admit that for the present thou dost not increase thy spirituall stock as thou desirest thou dost not perceive grace to thrive and grow in thee as thou dost behold it in others must it needs follow that thou are therefore utterly destitute and void of grace A man whiles hee is asleep makes no use of many good things hee hath a hand benummed with cold feels not that which it holds fast It may so fall out that grace may be somthing chilled in thee doth it therefore follow that it is quite killed in thee Thou must learn to put a difference betwixt no grace and grace some way infeebled for the present It fares with grace in the hearts of many of Gods children as it doth with the Moon somtimes in the full and somtimes in the wain or as with the Sea which somtimes flowes and sometimes ebbs even so through Satans malice and our own frailtie grace may seem somtime to ebbe in us and then no wonder if the heart be deaded and out inward peace disturbed through feares and doubtings Assure thy selfe this off and on this up and down this heat and cold ariseth from those principles of grace and corruption abiding in all the Lords people Corruption somtimes prevailes and this royles and troubles these living waters within us and makes them thick and muddy so as little good appeares in us but anon when the wind of the spirit blowes againe with its holy blast it cleanseth and refineth these troubled waters whose cleernesse may again be seen and whose goodnesse may be tasted Object But my case is worse then ordinary for I have returned with the dogge to lick up my old vomit after repenting and cleansing yea covenanting with God for ever to renounce and abandon my former sinnes I have with the swine wallowed in the old mire of filthinesse and therefore I cannot think that ever grace was in truth begun in mee Answ If it be so thy case is the more lamentable and fearefull but yet it is not desperate For divers of the Lords people many worthie ones have relapsed have fallen back unto old sinnes and yet by the goodnesse and mercie of God have recovered themselves againe and gained the love and favor of God Did not Abraham sinne the matter of Sarah his wife hazarding her chastitie by a poore plot yea a sinfull pollicie exposing his wife to adultrey for his own outward peace
walk stubbornly againist us and he will also chastise us seven times more accordng to our sinnes Lev. 26.28 If lighter afflictions wil not serve the turn greater shall The Lord came to Ephraim first like a moth Hos 5.18 you know that a moth though it be a noxious and hurtfull creature yet if it bee looked unto betimes the harme is little which it doth and the breach or hole which it maketh may easily be darned up again Thus dealt the Lord at first with Ephraim hee did favorably and gently afflict them but this salve was not strong enough to take down their proud flesh yet would not Ephraim bee healed nor cured of her wound Therfore saies the Lord I will be unto Ephraim as a Lyon Hos 5.13 14 A Lyon we know rents teares where he comes so the Lord when gentle meanes will not serve the turne comes like a Lyon with tearing and devouring judgments God when he see good to exercise his power will make the proudest Pharoah the stoutest sinner to stoop and yeeld else he will not spare to follow them with one judgment upon the neck of another All these curses shall come upon thee and shall pursue thee and overtak◠thee till thou be destroied Deu. 28.45 Consider what is spoken by the Prophet Nahum 1.9 What do ye imagine against the Lord he will make an utter destruction affliction shall not rise up the second time The Lord tarrieth long before he comes to smite his enemies he forbeareth much but when his patience is abused then he oft times gives a deady blow The spirit of the Lord did a long time strive with man in the daies of Noah but when their sinnes began to bee multiplied against the patience and long suffering of the Lord When the Lord savv that the vvickednesse of man vvas great in the earth and that al the imaginatiō of the thoughts of his heart vvere onely evill continually Gens 6.5 Then the Lord could beare with them no longer then the Lord comes with his sweeping judgment destroying from the earth the man vvhom he had created from man to beast to the creeping thing and to the sowle of the heaven vers 7. The Lord suffered Sodom Gomorrah so long that the cry of their sins did ring up to heaven but at length the Lord was even with them and paied them home for all their wickednes destroying them with fire and brimston from heaven Many other such like examples might be brought to shew how the Lord comes out against sinners at last with sweeping and devouring judgements if they will not take warning by lesser ones The history of the Jevvs a people sometime as deare unto God as the apple of his eye and as neere unto him as the signet on his right hand doth plainly teach us how severely the Lord at last deales with stiffe obstinate and impenitent sinners The favors the benefits which God bestowed upon them the priviledges which they injoyed were above all the nations of the world yet for all this did they above all other people provoke the Lord to anger against them They mocked the messenger of God they despised his Word and misused his Prophets untill the vvrath of the Lord rose against them and there vvas no remedy 2. Chron. 16.26 They did not onely kill the Prophets and stone those that were sent unto them but they crucified the Lord of life Acts 3.15 Yea and preferred a murderer before him provoking the Lord so long as hee could endure them no more and therefore hee sends against them Titus the son of Vespatian the Roman Emperour who besiged and sacked the City of Jerusalem and made such havock of the people as is most lamentable to heare of It is reported that they were besiged so long as many thousands of them perished through the famine and many of them isuing forth in hope either to escape or to finde mercy with their enemies were most cruelly hanged upon crosses and gibbets set up before their walls 500. of them somtimes hanged in one day so long untill there was no more space left unto them for execution The number of dead carcases carried out of the Citie for want of buriall to be cast into the ditches if wee will credit histories was numberlesse for at one of their gates the keeper thereof took the the tale of one hundred and fifty thousand dead bodies Nay through the exttemity of famine they were driven to eate their old shooes the dung of their stables and the fruit of their own loynes And after all this thousands of them murdered by the sword and many moe thousands carried into captivity to be a spectacle to all succeeding ages of Gods indignation and wrath against them And these things are recorded for our good that wee may not dare to stand it our against the Lord but speedily to amend upon the first warning and blow given us else the Lord will not give over but come with seven times more and greater judgemenes against us If wee belong unto the Lord hee will never leave afflicting till wee cease provoking him If wee be beloved of God hee will still follow us with correction till wee fall to unfained and sound humiliation repentance For we shall never be able to overcome the Lord and make him give over by our stubbornnesse and resisting his blow but by falling down and yeelding unto him The sturdy oke is rent and torne in pieces by the tempest when poore and weak reeds stand still by yeelding and bowing There is no standing out against the Lord no resisting by force of armes what is a silly sheep to grapple with a Lion The sooner wee yeeld and turn from our evill wayes the readier will the Lord be to repent him of that evill which otherwise hee will surely bring upon us Thou that by the Word of God and by loving and gentle correction canst not be perswaded to leave thy sinne must know that if thou belongest to God hee will never leave following of thee with one affliction upon the neck of another untill hee hath his will of thee What may wee then think of those that are little or nothing at all amended and bettered by any judgements that have befallen them assuredly if they be such as belong to the Lord hee is preparing of sharper Physick for them if they be none of his it may be hee will give them over to their own hearts lust and reserue them unto those eternall and unavoydable torments of the second death Vse 4 Fourthly is it so doth God correct his children for their great good let us then beware of doing them hurt by persecuting those whom the Lord doth smite lest we adde afflict on unto the afflicted and this wee do when wee shall either uncharitably censure or deride and scoffe at those that are afflicted or else in our mindes contemn and scorne them because it pleaseth the Lord in love for their great good to humble
companions of our sorrow to have those that fellow-feele with us cannot but be a comfort to any that are in misery Little do you think what refreshing if not ease it is to one in affliction to heare or see another to pittie his case to weep with those that weep and mourn with those that mourn doth excedingly abate though not remove and take away the smart of their affliction We shall be the more ready and willing to put forth our hand of comfort to lift our neighbor out of the ditch if wee consider how soone his case may be ours and our selves before it be long may stand in as much need of pitty and comfort as our neighbor now doth What measure you meat it shall be measured to you againe Matt. 7.2 Therefore denie not unto the afflicted any comfort which thou art able to afford him But above all beware as I said before of insulting over those that are afflicted This was the sinne of the Edomites which the Lord reproveth and threatneth by the Prophet Obadiah Thou shouldest not have rejoyced over the children of Judah in the day of their destruction neither shouldest thou have spoken proudly in the day of their affliction As thou hast done it shall be done to thee thy reward shall returne upon thine head Obadiah vers 15. The Lord will not have any to solace themselves with others sorrow nor make themselves merry at others misery though hee were our enemie Bee not thou glad when thine enemie falleth and let not thine heart rejoyce when hee stumbleth least the Lord see it and it displeaseth him and hee turn his wrath from him towards thee Prov. 24.17 18. But rather pitty those that are afflicted and then no doubt but the Lord will stirre up the hearts of others to extend mercy and bowels of compassion towards thee when thou art in affliction And if there be no man to pittie thee here the Lord himselfe will most certainly remember and recompense thy kindnesse hereafter in that day wherein hee will reward every one according to his workes and will say unto the mercifull Come yee blessed of my Father inherit yee the kingdome prepared for you from the foundation of the World for I was an hungry and yee gave me meat I thirsted and yee gave me drink I was a stranger and yee lodged me I was naked and yee clothed me I was sicke and yee visited mee I was in prison and yee came unto mee for as much as wee have done these things to the least beleever yea if wee do them to a bad liver for Christs sake wee have done them unto Christ who will abundantly recompense us Vse 5 Fiftly is this the end of God afflicting of us that hee may better us Then let faith perswade thy heart and wait in hope of a blessed and happy issue and end of thy affliction Though thou hast not wisedome enough to make good use of thy chastisments yet thy God who is perfect wisedome will make good his promise and perfect his own handy-wotke so as if thou beleeve thou shalt finde thy selfe one day much bettered by thy affliction If thou beleeve thou wilt patiently wait for the fulfilling of Gods promise a beleeving patient had rather be held to a long and continuall course of physick in hope of future health then to be in danger of his life by interrupting his course of Physick And for asmuch as our understandings are exceedingly blinded through ignorance and selfe love and much darkned with fleshly lusts as you shal see a looking glasse to be sometime covered with dust that we can neither see what is amisse in our selves nor yet amend on the suden what we find amis in us we had need to exercise our faith in praier in patience to wait for the accomplishing of that good the Lord intends us by afflicting us For as God prescribes the physick so he must cause it to work blesse it unto us we of our selves are like children who being taken in som fault and feeling the smart of the rod are ready to promise amendment but presently forget both the fault the punishment and our promise Faith will teach us not only to beg grace from God to amend our lives but also help and strength from him to walke more closly with him For as no force of the hammer can worke the Iron unto any forme unlesse it be softned by the fire even so afflictions will beat in vaine upon us until God by his spirit molifie and soften these hard hearts of ours and teach us to profit by our afflictions And although thou dost not presently finde or feel that good to be wrought in thee which the Lord intendeth yet live by faith and wait with patience and in the end thou shalt confesse that God hath shewed thee his love made good his promise and much bettered thee by afflicting thee Vse 6 Lastly if the end of Gods afflicting of us bee the bettering of us be wee then both thankfull to the Lord for our afflictions and joyfull in them Suppose thou wert fallen into some dangerous pit or quagmyre in danger of perishing wouldst thou not be glad to see any comming neere to help thee wouldest not bee thankfull to that person that should bee a meanes of thy deliverance though it were by putting some hook into thy flesh which may for the present hurt and wound thee Sinne is a dangerous pit and gulfe wherein many soules do perish When the Lord afflicts thee he doth cast a cord unto thee to lay hold of or it may bee hee strikes some hooke into thy flesh some sore affliction by which he desires to pull thee out of thy sinne hast thou not then great cause of thanks and rejoycing offered unto thee when the Lord afflicteth thee If wee had wisedome and understanding to consider aright of Gods goodnesse and love toward us there would be more thanks for and cheerfulnesse in affliction and lesse repining and mourning amongst us then there is If wee were not poysoned with infidelity and distrust it could not be but wee should be more joyfull in afflictions and thankfull for them then wee many times seeme to bee Some when the hand of God is upon them are like to a man cast into a deep lethergie which is a drousie and forgetfull sicknesse when the use of memory and reason is almost or altogether taken from us so they are like stocks and stones insensible of their afflictions they have neither hearts nor eyes to consider of or see their sinnes which have pulled this judgment upon them nor yet the end which God aimes at in smiting them And there be other some of a contrary temper and these are like to a man in a phrensie hee rages and stormes if not blasphems the hand of God upon him kicking and spurning against the Lord unwilling to beare that burthen the Lord is willing should lye upon him of both these sorts of people the