Consolations for the Afflicted
The like also may be said of the reasonable creatures, which howsoever they may seem at their own will and pleasure to afflict and punish us; yet is both their will and power so overruled, limited and ouermastered, by the allgouerning power and providence of God, that they cannot go one foot beyond their tether, but when they are come to the utmost bounds of their permitted liberty, there, will they▪ nill they, they must make a stand, and howsoever they may fling and kick to show their will and malice, yet their power is so curbed and restrained, that they cannot beyond their allowed limits do us any harm. And thus the Lord ruleth as his instruments in o • r afflictions both Angels and men; and that both good and bad. For howsoever the good and holy Angels are God's willing ministers, to watch over and guard the faithful in all dangers, and his ready messengers to convey unto them his blessings and benefits; yet when the Lord their master and commander is pleased to use them as his instruments in afflicting & correcting them, they are pressed to do his will. Howbeit they have their commission which they must observe, their time appointed when to begin, and when to make an ende, and the very number and measure of their blows that they are to give, which they neither can nor will exceed. An example whereof we have in the destroying Angel smiting the Israelites with the plague and pestilence; who continued the execution of God's judgments til the Lord restrained him, but no sooner doth the Lord c • mmād him to cease, but presently he sheatheth his sword of vengeance, and desisteth from doing any further harm. So the Lord intending to plague Jerusalem by the ministry of an Angel, first giveth commission to another Angel that he should set a mark upon the foreheads of them that did mourn, and cry for all the abominations that were done in the midst thereof; and then biddeth the destroying Angel to go through the City and smite, neither sparing nor pitying any, old or young, maids or children, but with all chargeth him not so much as to touch a man, who by his mark was exempted from the common calamity and destruction. And thus the four Angels who had power given them to hurt the earth and the Sea, are restrained from the execution of their commission, till the servants of God were marked in their foreheads. Neither doth the Lord thus order and dispose by his wise and powerful providence the good Angels only, who being his servants take their chief delight in doing his will; but also he doth often use, & by the same wise providence dispose of, the wicked Angels and Devils, as his instruments for the afflicting of his faithful children. And when they think of nothing less then of doing his will, glorifying his name, or doing good to his Saints and servants; but contrariwise wholly aim at God's dishonor and their destruction: even then he overruleth them by his powerful providence, & maketh them (maugre their malice) to effect his will, and to serve him unto those ends for which he employeth them. In which respect one well saith, y t though the will of Satan be always wicked, yet his power is never unjust, because he hath his will from himself, but his power from God, and therefore what he unlawfully affecteth to do, that God will not suffer to be done but justly and lawfully. And this is the cause why the spirit which vexed Saul is called the evil spirit, and y e Spirit of the Lord; namely the spirit of the Lord in respect of that just power which was granted unto him by God; and the evil spirit in regard of the desire of his unjust and malicious will. And thus he used Satan in afflicting Job for the trial of his patience, that it might be crowned with the greater glory; when as the Devil aimed at nothing less, but only sought to cause Job by these afflictions to blaspheme God unto his face. And thus he gave him from time to time his commission which he could not pass. And so the Lord telleth the Angel of the Church of the Smyrnians, that the Devil should cast some of them into prison; but willeth them to be of good comfort because it was not at his own pleasure, but at God's appointment, who foretold them of these afflictions; not as long as he list but only for ten days, which was the time limited by God: not that he might hereby attain unto his own malicious ende, which was that they might be destroyed, but that he might further and advance God's end, namely that being tried and found faithful they might obtain the crown of life. And therefore howsoever there can be nothing more terrible and fearful then to know that Satan who hath been a murderer from the beginning, and an ancient enemy of mankind, exceeding us so much in power, and having his power so much exceeded by his malice, should be the next and immediate cause of our afflictions; yet when we consider with all, that he is but a bare instrument in the hand of God, which by his power and providence he turneth and windeth at his good pleasure; and always forceth him, whether he will or no, to serve for the advancing of his own glory, & the spiritual good & everlasting salvation of his elect, there is in this meditation sufficient cause to expel all fear and horror, and matter enough of patience & consolation.
Finally the Lord thus ruleth and overruleth all the intentions and actions of wicked men, when he useth them as his instruments for the afflicting of his servants; so as they cannot begin to hurt them but by his permission; nor continue to vex & mol • st them longer then the appointed time. And when they aim at nothing else but the disgorging of their spite, the enlarging of their rule and sovereignty, and the enriching of themselves with the spoil; the Lord aimeth at the good of the faithful, and by these chastisements humbleth them by unfeigned repentance, that they may not be condemned with the world. And thus the Lord used the Chaldeans and Sabaeans as his instruments for the afflicting of Job, Saul, Shimei and Absalom, for the chastising of David; Nebuchadnezzar, the Babylonians and Assyrians, for the correcting of his people Israel. In which regard he calleth him his servant whom he had appointed to this work; and affirmeth that he was but as a rod in his hand, wherewith he did visit their sins, and execute his righteous judgments. O Ashur (saith he) the rod of my wrath: and the staff in their hands is mine indignation; I will send him to a dissembling nation, and I will give him a charge against • he people of my wrath to take the spoil, and to take the pray, and to tread them under feet like the mire in the street. And not to insist upon more examples; thus he used the Scribes, Priests and Pharisees, Judas, Caiaphas and Pilate, for the afflicting and killing of his only son, that his death might be the price of our redemption: In which respect our Savior is called the Lamb slain from the beginning of the world, namely, in God's, eternal decree and purpose; and the Apostle Peter plainly affirmeth, that he was delivered into their hands by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God to be crucified and slain. And howsoever these wicked instruments which the Lord useth for the chastising of his servants, aim at nothing less then the effecting of his will and advancing of their good; yet doth he by his wise providence always so overrule them, that they serve for these purposes; & though they intend their ruin and even thirst for their destruction; yet when they have, as God's instruments effected his work he curbeth & restraineth their power and malice, so as they cannot go one jot further then he hath appointed them. Though at all times they are alike set upon mischief, and continually upon all occasions breath out their malice and revenge; yet only then they have power to touch the children of God, when he permitteth them for his own glory and their good. As we may see in the example of Laban, who implicitly confesseth that he pursued Jacob to do him mischief, but could not because God by a dream had forbidden him. In Sennacherib, who came purposely to destroy Jerusalem, but could not effect his will, because the Lord put his hook in his nosethrils, and led him back from whence he came. In Saul, who oftentimes practiced to take away David's life, yet was never able, not that he wanted worldly power to effect his will, but because the Lord overruled him by his providence, so as he could not hurt him. By all which and innumerable other examples it appeareth that wicked men are but the Lord's instruments, who correct his children when he pleaseth, but cannot so much as touch them till he permitteth them. And with this argument the Lord by vision encourageth Paul to the work of the ministry, Fear not (saith he) but speak and hold not thy peace; for I am with thee, and no man shall lay hands on thee to hurt thee. The consideration whereof serveth for the singular consolation of the faithful in their affliction; for when (as it usually cometh to pass) they are more vexed with the sight of their enemies pride, tyranny and cruel insolency, then with the sense of the evils which they suffer from them; and are more troubled and frighted with the apprehension of those dangerous effects, which their malicious rage may produce for the time to come; then with all their miseries either past or present; then they are to remember, that these wicked men can do nothing by their own absolute will and power; but that they are wholly at God's disposition, as being inferior instruments of this supreme and chief cause, by whom he correcteth them, not according to their malicious lusts, to their ruin and destruction; but according to his own wise and judicious pleasure, for their spiritual good, and the eternal salvation of their souls. Then they must call to mind that these impious worldlings are but the slaves and servants of our heavenly father, whom he hath appointed to correct us for our faults; & although they much malign and be at enmity with us; yet we shall receive no hurt hereby; seeing our gracious father standeth by and will not suffer them to torment us at their own wills, but appointeth the number of stripes, and the measure of our correction, which notwithstanding all their malice, they cannot exceed, nor enlarge their cruelty above that which is permitted unto them.
Yea but why doth not the Lord correct his servants rather by his own hand, then by the hand of a stranger, or an enemy? And why doth he not let his chaste • zements come purely from himself, or by the means of innocent creatures, or righteous men, executing his just judgments by just instruments, rather then by wicked and ungodly men? who infuse into them the poison of their maliciousness, embitter them with their gaule and spleen, and pollute and defile them with their corruption? To which I answer; that the execution of punishment in it self, being a servile thing, doth not so fitly agree with the nature of God, who being the chief goodness, taketh his chief delight in doing good, & in communicating himself unto his creatures; neither doth he willingly punish us, but that we enforce it upon his justice by our sins; whereof it is, that when the Lord doth execute his judgments, he is said by his Prophet, to do his strange work, and his strange act. And therefore, because it is not familiar and delightful unto his nature, he doth it not by himself, but commonly allotteth it to the Devil and wicked men, who are the fittest to be his executioners, as being naturally disposed to hurt and destroy. Even as among men it is an usual thing for the righteous Judge to use wicked and base wretches, for the executing of his just sentence upon malefactors, who have deserved punishment; with whom notwithstanding he doth not at all communicate in their bloody cruelty and spiteful malice, which they sometimes exercise towards the persons executed. Neither doth it at all disparage, or any whit detract from God's justice and goodness, that the wickedness of sinful and ungodly men is intermixed with the execution of his righteous judgments; but doth rather magnify his wisdom and power, in that he can bring good out of evil, and light out of darkness; effecting his just designs by wicked instruments, contrary to their nature and intention. For as it doth much commend the exquisite skill of the workman, when as he can work curiously with bad tools; and the art of the Physician, who of the flesh of the Viper can make sovereign methridate, and change this malignant poison into an wholesome preservative and counterpoyson; and as the power and wisdom of so •• great commander doth gloriously shine; when as he cannot only vanquish his enemies; but also make them fight on his own side, and become his instruments of conferring good upon his own soldiers: So what can more magnify the wisdom, goodness and power of God, then that he should be able to perfect the fair and straight works of his righteous judgments, by these crooked and crabbed instruments? then to make the viperous generation of wicked men to serve for wholesome preservatives, which keep his servants from the contagious infection of sin? And so to conquer these enemies of his glory and our salvation with his divine power, and overrule them by his wisdom, as that they shall in despite of all their pride and malice, serve his children for their spiritual use and benefit; and being themselves wicked and evil help to advance them to a higher degree of grace and goodness? And this is one cause why the Lord thinketh it fitter to serve his own providence of wicked men, that he may bring good out of evil, then not to permit any evil at all.
And unto this we may add, that as the Lord by using these wicked instruments for the chastising of his children, doth manifest his mercy and goodness, in making them serve for the advancement of their good; so doth he make way for the manifestation of his justice, whilst he giveth these wicked men up to the exercising of their own malicious and cruel lusts in the chastizements of his servants, whom they unjustly hate and malign; that so he may after he hath punished one sin with another, make way for deserved vengeance, and take occasion justly to increase their punishments in this life, and their more fearful condemnation in the life to come. For as the wise and loving father having reformed his child by correction, and made him respective and careful in the performance of all god duties; doth to give him contentment, and assurance of his love and clemency, upon the continuance of his good courses, cast the worn rod which is past use into the midst of the fire: So doth the Lord cast these wicked instruments; which are (as he calleth them) the rodds of his wrath, into the fire of destruction, when he hath no further use of them for the chastisement of his children, that so they may the more securely rejoice in the assurance of the love of their heavenly father, and in the ruin and overthrow of his and their enemies. So the Lord threateneth that when he had accomplished all his work upon mount Zion and Jerusalem, he would visit the fruit of the proud heart of the king of Ashur, and his glorious and proud looks, sending among his fat men leanness, and kindling under his glory a burning, like the burning of fire. The like judgment is denounced against proud Babylon, that because when y e Lord being wrath with his people▪ did pollute his inheritance, and give thē into their hand, she did show no mercy unto them, but did lay her very heavy yoke upon the ancient, therefore he would bring upon her suddenly in one day, the loss of children and widowhood, that is, desolation, and shameful dishonor. And thus the Lord professeth, that he was greatly angry with the careless heathen, in that when he was angry with his people but a little, they helped forward the affliction.
Yea but how can the Lord in justice so severely punish wicked men for afflicting of his children, seeing they are but his instruments, which have done that only which he appointed them? I answer, that this serveth nothing for their excuse, nor doth anything at all extenuate their faultiness; for howsoever they in afflicting God's servants do the secret will of God, which no creature in heaven or earth is able to withstand; this maketh nothing for them, seeing this hidden will was never propounded as a rule unto which they should conform their actions: but the Lord hath given unto us the knowledge of his will revealed in his word, unto which he requireth conformity and obedience. And by this they are enjoined to love the faithful above all others, and by all good means to seek the advancing of their good; whereas contrariwise they do hate them so much the more, afflicting and persecuting them even for this thing above all others, because they are of the household of faith, and of God's own family; who make conscience of their ways, and will not run with them into the same excess of riot. Neither do they at all aim at God's end, or ever think of effecting of his counsels & secret will; but they only labor to effect their own malicious designs, and to accomplish their own wills, whereby they desire to glut their cruelty, and to advance themselves out of the ruin of God's servants. So the Lord saith, that whereas in his cret counsel, he sent the King of Ashur against his people to afflict them for their sins, he thought of nothing less; neither did his heart esteem it so; but he only imagined to destroy and cut off not a few nations; that he might make all his Princes Kings; and so himself a mighty Monarch. Thus it was the will of God to afflict David by wicked instruments, as he also revealed it unto him by his Prophet; but they never once dreamed of doing that which God had decreed; for Absalom aimeth at the satisfying his ambition by usurping the kingdom; Achitophel at the making of the people more bold and resolute in following of Absalom against his father, when by his abhominable fact all hope of reconciliation between them, should be quite cut off; and Shimei aimed at nothing but at the easing of his spleen, and disgorging his malice by his railing and reviling. Finally, it was the will of God that his Son should die for the redemption of mankind; but those wicked instruments which were used for that purpose, never so much as thought of accomplishing this will of God. But the Priests, Scribes, and Pharisees sought in all their proceedings to establish their own estates, to maintain their reputation among the people, and withal to revenge themselves and satisfy their malice against our Savior, who by discovering their hypocrisy blemished their glory, and wrought then out of the favor of the people. And so Judas aimed at a little gain, and to enrich himself with the price of blood. And Pilate feared the loss of his place by offending Caesar, or to have in it those inconveniences which might befall him by displeasing the people. In all which respects, as the sin of these wicked instruments towards God is not at all extenuated, by their executing of his hidden counsel, seeing they do it not in obedience unto God, but (being overruled by his providence) whether they will or not: so doth it nothing at all lessen their wrongs and injuries against the faithful, in that they are but bare instruments, and the Lord the supreme and principal cause of all their afflictions, seeing whereas he aimeth in them at their spiritual good and salvation, these wicked men do all they do out of malice and hatred, and that to the end, that they may hereby bring them to ruin.
And in this regard as they are not to look wholly unto thē who are but the instruments, nor to respect only their malicious purposes and designs; but to have their eyes fixed principally upon God who is the supreme cause, and upon those excellent ends at which he aimeth in these their chastisements and corrections; so neither are they wholly to neglect them; but as in receiving benefits we do so acknowledge the Lord to be the principal author and fountain of them; as that we do not forget to render due thanks and respect unto those, whom he useth as the instruments of our good: so in all our afflicitons which are imposed upon us by the means of these wicked men; as we are to look unto the Lord, the supreme cause of them, that hereby humility and patience may be wrought in us; so we are also to look unto the wicked men themselves, as instruments and means of our crosses and miseries; hating (though not their persons yet) their malice, rage and cruelty; and using all good and lawful means, which either the word of God or spiritual wisdom can suggest unto us, whereby we may cross them in their wicked purposes, and free our selves from their injuries and oppressions; having herein the word of God for our warrant, which enjoineth us to use all honest courses for our preservation, the repelling of injuries and the advancing of our own good; as also to hate all evil and injustice wheresoever we find it; whether it be directed against our selves, or any other: and the Saints of God for our precedents, as Moses, David, Hezekiah, the Apostles, yea our Savior Christ himself, as might be shown by many instances, if it were not in it self clear and evident. So that howsoever in diverse afflictions we are to look only to the hand of God, which doth use inferior causes as means and instruments to inflict his judgments and chastizements, having in themselves no malignity nor will to hurt us, as when he causeth the air to infect us, the water to drown us, the fire to burn us; in which cases we are not to blame the creatures which are privileged from malice and sin, and are but God's bare instruments for the effecting of his will: yet when he useth wicked men for his instruments, as we are chiefly to look unto the hand of God, so we are to have some respect unto them in regard of that malignity and sin which is in them, whereby they desire our hurt and destruction. For in all afflictions we are to consider not only the action and work as it is simply natural, and the disposition of them to the manifestation of God's glory, and our good, in which respect God is the chief author of them; but also an accidental confusion & malignity of the action; which is wholly to be ascribed to man's corruption by whom it is performed; the former whereof being good and just we are to like love and embrace; the other we are to hate and flee as being unjust, corrupt and wicked.
And thus it appeareth that the Lord who is the principal and supreme cause of all our afflictions, doth so govern and overrule all secondary and inferior causes and means by his most wise and powerful providence, that when they seem most to oppose against him, they do but effect that which he willeth and hath purposed to be done. Wherupon it also followeth that as he disposeth at his pleasure of the causes themselves, so also of all their ends, making them all serve to the furthering of his ends, which are the supreme and chief of all, as namely his own glory, & salvation of his elect, and that when they seem to look another way, and to be not only opposite to his purposes, but also infinitely contrary one unto another. And as the Planets have everyone their own motion in their proper orbe differing from all the rest, and most of all from the motion of the primum mobile, or that which is first moved, but yet contrary to their own motion are overruled and daily carried with it, and as a man walking on the top of the hatches a contrary way to the motion of the ship, doth notwithstanding go that way which it goeth, because he is moved with it; so when the motion of our wills doth exceedingly vary the one from the other, and all seem to drive to a contrary end then that at which God aimeth; yet are they all so overruled by his power and providence, in whom we live, move and have our being; that at last we meet together and bend that way whether he intendeth. All which is brought to pass after an unknown manner and by such hidden courses, that we know not whether we go, much less are we acquainted with the motion of others, carrying them to the same main end; like unto many rivers, which by diverse and contrary ways, run naturally and freely in their own current unto the main Ocean, and yet never think whether they go, and much less of their meeting in the same Sea. And thus all the ends of the King of Ashur, and all his army were by God directed to that main end of chastising his people and punishing the wicked and rebellious; although (as the Lord plainly affirmeth) he never so much as thought so, or ever aimed at this end. So the devils end in casting the Saints into prison, was that being tormented they might be brought to make an Apostasy from the faith; but the Lord maketh Satan's end and action serve to further the end which he had propounded; namely that by these afflictions they might be tried, and being approved might be crowned. It was his end in afflicting Job to bring him unto destruction, by causing him to curse God unto his face: but God maketh the Devils action and end to further his, which was, that he might be glorified in the trial of his graces, the faithful edified by his example, and that Job himself might be fitted and prepared to receive a greater measure of his blessings here, and of glory and happiness in the life to come. But this will more plainly appear in the afflictions of Joseph, wherein as there were many agents, so likewise many ends. His brethren being full of envy, sought to have him removed, whom their father (as they supposed) ouerloued. The Ismaelitish merchants respected their gain, his mistress aimed first at the satisfying of her filthy lust, and after at the revenge of her scorned love; his master, in his wrong conceived jealousy, at the punishment of so great an injury as he thought he had received; the iaylour at his ease and safety; the ungrateful Butler thought of nothing but pleasing the King; the King sought to ease his troubled mind by understanding the meaning of his dream; the Devil to bring by the sin of many, innocent Joseph unto destruction. But all these ends so diverse and opposite one to another, the Lord so over-ruled by his wise and powerful providence, that he made them all concur to the effecting of his own ends, which were the trial of Joseph's graces to the glory of him that gave them; which Joseph in modesty passeth over; and the preserving of his Church in the time of extreme famine, by sending him into Egypt to make provision for them. The like may also be observed in the death and passion of our Savior Christ; wherein Judas out of his covetousness betrayeth him to gain the silver pieces; the Scribes and the Pharisees out of their malice and envy persecute and accuse him, to uphold their state and honor by removing their enemy; Pilate condemneth him out of fear and flattery to keep his grace with Caesar, and to please the people; the soldiers crucify him out of ba • barous greediness to receive a reward, and to benefit themselves with the spoil of his garments, the Devil useth them all as his slaves and vassals out of his malice to mankind, that he might hinder our salvation by destroying our Savior. But God overruleth by his gracious and wise providence both him and them; making all their ends and actions to serve for the furthering of his most loving and merciful end, even when they most opposed against it namely the redemption and salvation of all his elect by the precious death, and all-sufficient sacrifice of his innocent Son. By all which it appeareth, that whilst the Devil and wicked men pursue their own ends the Lord attaineth his, and whilst in afflicting God's servants, they wholly aim at their destruction; the Lord by his providence overruling all their purposes and endeauou • s, maketh them when they think of nothing less to serve for the glorifying of his holy name in the manifesting of his graces, and the salvation of the souls of his afflicted children. So that they are in his hand in this respect, like the arrow in the hand of a cunning archer, which fl • eth to the mark, and yet knoweth not whether it is going; for though they be well acquainted with their own malicious ends, and pursue with all greediness their own intentions; yet oftentimes failing of them, they never fail the furthering of those ends which God hath propounded unto all their actions, although they go blindfolde to them, and never so much as think of them. The consideration whereof may greatly comfort us in all our afflictions imposed on us by wicked men; for when we see our selves assaulted by them on every side, all of them aiming at our hurt and destruction in the general, but yet carried thereunto by their particular ends; one out of malice to our persons, another out of desire to revenge misconceiued wrongs, and supposed injuries. This man out of covetousness hunting after a prey in our spoil; and another out of pride and ambition seeking our down fall, that he may lay the foundation of his own glory and honor, in the ruins of our estate; he out of envy and hatred, thinking that he is better, if he make us worse; and another out of his greediness laboring to make us worse, that he may make himself better; then are we to remember there is a supreme providence, wisdom and power, which ouerseeth and ouerlooketh all their actions and ends, and when they are most eager in pursuing their designs, doth make them, when they think least of it, to serve him for the effecting of all his counsels and purposes, and the furthering and advancing of those his main ends, even his own glory and the salvation, as of all the faithful, so also of us among the rest.
And thus doth God's providence show it self in the ends of our afflictions, and of them that do afflict us, disposing of them all for his own glory and our good: The like also may be said of the manner, measure and time of our afflictions; all which he so ordereth and overruleth, that nothing befalleth us, either in the manner, measure or continuance of them, but by the wise guidance of his all-seeing providence. For he hath as well appointed how we shall come into afflictions, as what we shall suffer; & though there be in thē a thousand strange circumstances, and ten thousand vnthought of accidents, and unexpected casualities; much confusion and disorder in respect of secondary means, and innumerable errors and mistakings; yet is there nothing in them all unto him casual and accidental, but all foreseen and fore-ordained long before; neither any confusion or error, but all in a direct order and method, one cause producing and drawing on another, like the diverse links of the same chain, as may plainly appear if we do examine the former examples. So doth he by the same providence share out unto us the measure of our afflictions, giving unto us a convenient draught of this bitter potion, according to the proportion of our strength and patience. Neither doth he let loose the Devil and wicked men to assault us all at once, according as their fury would carry them; but like the master of the masteries he sitteth by, and appointeth such adversaries to contend and wrestle with us, as may only exercize our patience, and not wholly vanquishe and overcome it. And as he appointeth the manner and measure, so also the time of our afflictions, which all the malice and fury of our enemies cannot any jot lengthen or prolong. As we may see in the 400. years appointed to the Israelites in the Egyptian servitude, which being expired, they came out, maugre all the malice of their enemies, the same day; in the 70. years of the Babilonishe captivity, at the expiring whereof Daniel prayeth for deliverance, and hath presently his suite heard and granted; and in the afflictions and persecutions of the Church of Smyrn • , raised by Satan, which is restrained to a determinate time of ten days. And thus the Lord ordereth our afflicitons, both in respect of the causes, manner, measure and end, (as I shall have occasion to show more fully hereafter) in regard whereof he is said, to correct us in judgment for our amendment, and not in wrath to cut us off. Which argument the Lord useth to comfort his afflicted Church in her captivity; Fear not (saith he) O my servant Jacob, for I will deliver thee, &c. I am with thee (saith the Lord) to save thee, though I utterly destroy all the nations where I have scattered thee, yet I will not utterly destroy thee, but I will correct thee by judgment, and not utterly cut thee off. The which consolation let us apply unto our selves in all our crosses and afflictions, and considering on the one side, that the Lord is the chief cause and author of them, and also ordereth and disposeth them by his wise and powerful providence; that Satan and wicked men are but his bare instruments whom he ruleth at his pleasure, and that whatsoever they intend and aim at, he maketh all their purposes and devices to serve his own ends; and finally, that he appointeth both the manner, measure & time of our conflict and trial; and on the other side, that he who doth all this, is unto us no stranger or enemy, but our most dear and gracious father, who hath so loved us, that he hath not spared to give his only and best beloved Son to the death for our redemption, who can, because he is able, and will, because he so much tendereth us, turn all our crosses into comforts, and makes them serve as means to further our salvation; let us not only with patience and comfort, but even with thanksgiving and rejoicing hold out in all our trials and suffer with meekness and quiet contentedness whatsoever it shall please him to lay upon us.
CHAP. VIII.
Of the meritorious and deserving cause of our afflictions, which is our sin: and of the comforts which arise from this consideration.
ANd thus have I shown what are the efficient causes of all our afflictions; as also the comforts and consolations which do arise from the consideration of them; now we are to proceed unto the causes moving and inciting the Lord to lay upon us these afflictions: and these are of two kinds; the first is in us, which is the meritorious cause of all our crosses; the other is in God, which is his love inclining him thus to chastise us, that we may not be condemned with the world. First therefore (as order requireth) we will entreat of the meritorious and deserving cause of all our miseries and calamities, that out of the meditation thereof we may lighten the burden of our crosses, and make them more easy to be borne upon the shoulders of patience. The cause meriting and deserving affliction is sin, which is that strong cart rope or cable, whereby we draw upon us all afflictions & miseries, whether we consider them as the punishments of a righteous judge; or the chastisements and corrections of a gracious Father. And this the Lord plainly showeth unto us in the 28 chapter of the book of Deuteronomy; where having promised all blessings and benefits, and also protection and exemption from all miseries and evil, to those who keep the commandments of God; he afterwards annexeth a severe threatening to the transgressions thereof, namely, that if they did not obey the voice of the Lord their God, to keep and do all his commandments, then all his curses, should come upon and overtake them; and so expresseth a large catalogue of them, from the fifteenth verse to the ende of the Chapter. So the Psalmist speaking of those that are in prison and captivity, saith that they dwell in darkness and in the shadow of death, being fast bound in misery and iron; because they rebelled against the words of the Lord, and despised the counsel of the most high. And a little after he affirmeth, that fools (he meaneth sinners) by reason of their transgression, and because of their iniquity are afflicted: and that God turneth a fruitful land into desert barrenness for the wickedness of them that dwell therein. So the wise man maketh affliction to be (as it were) the shadow of sin, which doth always attend upon it; affliction (saith he) followeth sinners; but unto the righteous God will recompense good; and the fruit and harvest which cometh of the sinners seed time, for as he saith, He that soweth iniquity shall reap affliction, and the rod of his anger shall fail. And most plainly the Church in the Lamentations, affirmeth sin to be the cause of all our sufferings; man (saith she) suffereth for his sin. In regard of which near neighbourhood, and inseparable union between sin and punishment, linked together with the bond of Justice and God's righteous judgment, they are confounded in their names, and punishment is signified by the name of sin, for so the Lord saith unto Cain; If thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door; that is, due punishment deserved by this sin, and contrariwise whereas it is said, that his punishment was greater then he could bear, it may be also rendered, that his sin was greater then could be pardoned. And as this truth appeareth directly by the former testimonies; so also both by the examples & confessions of those who have been afflicted. Concerning the former the Lord saith unto the people of Israel, that their sin was the cause of their divorcement from him; and that for their iniquities and transgressions they were sold into captivity, and their mother (that is their Church and nation) was forsaken. So the Prophet Jeremiah in the name of the Lord saith thus unto them; thy ways and thine inventions have procured thee these things, such is thy wickedness. And again, I have stricken thee with the wound of an enemy, & with a sharp chastisement, for the multitude of thine iniquities, because thy sins were increased. Why criest thou for thine affliction? thy sorrow is incurable, for the multitude of thine iniquities. Because thy sins were increased, I have done these things unto thee. And this the Prophet acknowledgeth in his lamētations, in the name of his Church and people; the Lord hath afflicted her for the multitude of her transgressions, and her children are gone into captivity before the enemy, Jerusalem hath grievously sinned, therefore she is in derision, &c. Finally our Savior implieth this truth in his speech to the man whom he had cured of his grieeuous diseases; Behold (saith he) thou art made whole, sin no more, least a worse thing come unto thee. And to the same purpose one of the ancients upon the example of Jonah, speaketh fitly. As soon as Jonah (saith he) entered into the ship; God caused the surging waves to rise and swell, to teach us hereby, that where there is sin, there also is a tempest, and after disobedience followeth a storm. But being devoured of a whale, he notwithstanding liveth; to learn us hereby, that as to him that liveth in sin, a ship is no safeguard, so to him who by repentance hath put it off, neither Sea nor beasts are hurtful or pernicious. And hereof it is, that being to cure one sick of a palsy, he first taketh away his sin, before he taketh away his disease. Son (saith he) be of good comfort, thy sins are forgiven thee; and then Arise and take up thy bed, and go to thine house. And so the afflicted Church having affirmed that man suffereth for sin, persuadeth to repentance as the only means to remove their crosses and calamities, because thereby sin which is the cause of them is removed Let us (saith she) search and try our ways, and turn again to the Lord. By all which it appeareth that sin is the only deserving cause which moveth the Lord to send afflictions; the which is most consonant with God's most infinite truth and justice; and that whether we consider them as punishments inflicted upon the wicked; or chastisements whereby he correcteth his own servants & children: for what can be more righteous, then y t he should inflict those judgments & punishments vpō wicked men, which he hath denounced in his law against the transgressors thereof, whether they concern this life or the life to come; seeing all both by right of creation & continual preservation, are bound to obedience upon condition of reward and punishment, as being the vassals and subjects of this great King of heaven and earth? and what can be more just, yea and full of mercy then for the Lord to chastise the faults of his children and servants, that he may reclaim them from their sins, and withhoulding them from the broad way which leadeth to destruction, may draw them by this afflicted and straight path, unto that happiness which they formerly lost by following the delights of sin? To which purpose one saith, that it is just with God to scourge every son whom he receiveth, that we who were banished out of the joys of Paradise for our rebellious desiring unlawful delights, should again be restored & received, by our meek suffering of sorrows & crosses, & being runawaies by doing evil, should be brought again and repossessed of our happiness by suffering evil; doing there against justice, and suffering here for justice. In which regard we are to justify God in all his judgments, and bear with patience that which he sendeth, not only because it is unlawful to repine and strive against them; but because the Lord herein willeth nothing but that which is lawful and expedient. For which we have the Prophet David for our example, who approveth God's judgments; not only in general crying out, righteous art thou O Lord, and just are thy judgments; but also particularly in those which himself suffered; I know O Lord (saith he) that thy judgments are right, and that thou • ast afflicted me justly or in truth.
Yea but the Scriptures teach us, that our sins are not always the causes of our afflictions, and that there are diverse other causes which move the Lord to lay upon his children these crosses and calamities: for thus the Lord afflicted Abraham whilst he required obedience to that difficult & grievous commandment of sacrificing his son, not for the punishment of his sin, but for the trial of his faith; and thus Job endured many crosses and calamities, not for any sins committed by him, but for the trial and approving of his love, faith, patience, obedience, and other of God's graces, against the calamities and wicked slanders of the Devil. And our Savior saith directly of the blind man, that he was not punished with that great infirmity, either for his own sin or the sin of his parents; but that the works of God might be made manifest in him. To which I answer that in truth God doth by afflictions as well make trial of his graces in us, as chastise us for our sins, and that besides our iniquities and transgressions, there are in God's secret counsels other causes of our crosses and calamities, but seeing the Lord hath in his word denounced these miseries and afflictions against us, as punishments and chastisements for our iniquities and transgressions; and doth not reveal unto us when he trieth us, and when he correcteth us; therefore leaving God's secrets unto himself, we are not to look unto his hidden counsels, but unto his will revealed, and according thereunto we are always to make this use of our afflictions, that when we are judged we are chastened of the Lord, and justly corrected and punished for our sins? Neither shall we need to fear any great error in this behalf, seeing besides all our other transgressions we brought enough sin and corruption into the world with us, to deserve all the punishments of this life, and the life to come; and every man hath in him sufficient fuel for the fire of vengeance and punishment▪ if God's justice and wrath do only inflame it. Yea rather let us know, that this is the best and safest course to ascribe our crosses to our sins deserving them, because (though we err in respect of God's secret purpose, in sending this affliction which we presently suffer) we shall take occasion thereby the better to humble our selves under the hand of God, to approve and justify his righteous judgments, and to renew our repentance by sorrowing for our sins, as being the causes of all our smart, and laboring to mortify and forsake them for the time to come. Whereas contrariwise the error of not ascribing our afflictions to our sins deserving them, when they are in truth for this only cause inflicted by God, is most dangerous and pernicious; seeing it continueth us in our wickedness, and hindereth our repentance; according to that complaint of the Lord by the Prophet. They gave themselves to deceit, and would not return; I hearkened and heard, but none spake aright, no man repented him of his wickedness, saying, what have I done? everyone turned to their race, as the horse rusheth into battle. And therefore the saints of God in all ages, leaving God's secret counsels to himself, have evermore insisted in their sins, as the only cause of all their afflictions; so holy David complaineth; There is nothing sound in my flesh, because of thine anger; neither is there rest in my bones, because of my sin; and the Prophet crieth out in his prayer for the people, Behold thou art angry, for we have sinned; and those there famous worthies, Daniel, Ezra and Nehemiah, in those excellent prayers which they make in the behalf of themselves and their people, acknowledge their sins to be the causes of all their calamities. Yea even Job himself who was in truth afflicted for the trial of his spiritual graces; howsoever he defendeth his innocence against his three friends, to maintain his uprightness and sincerity from their false calumniations and aspersions; yet having to deal with God, he acknowledgeth his sin to be the cause of all his calamities. I have sinned (saith he) what shall I do unto thee, O thou preserver of men? &c. And why doest thou not pardon and take away mine iniquity?
Whose example we must imitate, laboring in all our afflictions to be brought unto the sight of our sins, that we may bewail and forsake them. And considering that God doth not only in general correct us for sin; but visiteth our special sins with special judgments and afflictions; therefore let us not content our selves to have in some general manner ascribed our crosses to our iniquities as the causes of them; but let us also search out our special and particular sins, which are the causes and occasions of those miseries which we presently endure and suffer: that taking more particular notice of them; we may in more especial manner repent of them, and more effectually labor in subduing and mortifying them. And for our direction herein, let us consider of certain signs, whereby we may know when the Lord correcteth a particular sin with some special punishment or chastisement. Whereof the first is, when being afflicted with some special judgment, after examination we find that in the Scriptures such a punishment is denounced against such a sin; as when affiance in the creature is punished with their insufficiency and impotency whereby they cannot, or infidelity and treachery, whereby they will not afford unto us that help which we expect from them. When pride is punished with dejection and contempt; whoredom with barrenness or want of posterity; idolatry with adultery, and such like. Secondly, when as our sins are punished by law of requital like for like; as when having dishonored God by scandalous sins, the Lord in the very same doth dishonor us; when having committed spiritual adultery, we or ours are left of God, to commit corporal filthiness; when having neglected our duties to our parents, our children do neglect theirs unto us; and when having oppressed our inferiors, we our selves are oppressed by our superiors. And thus did God fit David's chastisement to his offense, in the sin against Uriah; for because he took his neighbors wife to commit adultery with her; the Lord took his and gave them to one of his own house, yea unto his own son, his dear darling Absalom, to be abused by him in filthy incest. And because he had slain Uriah with the sword; therefore the sword did not depart from his house, but the same Absalom doth first slay his brother Ammon, for that incestuous rape committed with his sister Tamar; wherein there was a double punishment of David's double sin; and afterwards rebelling against him, never rested till he had expelled him out of his kingdom, and seated himself in his royal throne. So when the people of Israel inquired in the land of their captivity, wherefore the Lord did bring upon them those afflictions of bondage and cruel servitude, the Prophet is commanded by the Lord to give them this answer; Like as ye have forsaken me, and served strange God's in your land; so shall ye serve strangers in a land that is not yours. Thirdly, when as we are taken in the very act, and our sin presently is attended by our punishment; as David's numbering of the people with that fearful pestilence; Jonah his fleeing from God with that dangerous tempest; and Paul's cruel persecution with sudden blindness and astonishment. Fourthly, when as our own consciences do judge and condemn us, as having brought upon our selves such a punishment by committing such a sin; for the conscience is God's deputy to convince us, being guilty as worthy of such judgments; and to put us in mind that some special sins committed, have brought upon us such special punishments; as we may see in the example of Joseph's brethren, who adjudged themselves as worthy of all the miseries which they suffered, because they so little regarded the cry and entreaty of their brother in his afflictions. Lastly, when as our sin in it own nature bringeth forth such a punishment as the fruit thereof; as when beggary followeth idleness or wastfulnesse; weakness and sickness, the sins of uncleanness, and double plagues do accompany impenitence and hardness of heart.
And thus have I shown, not only that our sins in general are the causes of all our crosses and calamities, but also our special sins, of our more special miseries and afflictions: of which truth when our judgments are thoroughly informed; after we have made use of this knowledge for the renewing and increasing of our repentance, both for our sins in general, and those which more especially press the conscience with their guilt, and the whole person with their punishment; we may in the next place make use also thereof for the strengthening of our patience: and that in diverse respects. First, because we have no just occasion of murmuring and repining; seeing God, as his justice necessarely requireth, doth justly execute his righteous judgments upon us for our sins, and according to his revealed truth inflicteth those punishments which he had in his word formerly threatened; and if he should not thus do; punishing sin wheresoerver he findeth it, and showing his detestation of it in whomsoever it is, he might be esteemed partial, and his justice and truth would receive impeachment. When therefore the Lord acquitteth and cleareth himself from such imputations, and manifesteth his justice and truth by correcting and chastising us for our transgressions; there is no cause of sorrow and mourning (but only for our sins, whereby we have urged God upon the necessity of showing his truth, and justice to take these courses with us) unless we would be found enemies unto God, and adversaries to these excellent attributes, whilst we grieve because he is righteous in his judgments, and true of his word. Neither is there any cause of impatiency, yea rather in this respect we have just cause of joy and comfort; in that God's justice and truth are magnified in our afflictions; for better it were that heaven and earth were utterly destroyed, yea both men and Angels damned unto hell, then that the glory of God, who is the chief goodness and supreme end of all the creatures, should in the least degree be dimmed and blemished. But especially have we cause of rejoicing and thanksgiving, if we consider that in all these our afflictions the Lord doth not so much punish us for sin, as sin in us, mortifying and subduing it, that by the death and subjection thereof, we may live and reign with him. Even as the Surgeon in applying of the corrasiue, hath no quarrel to his patient, nor aimeth at his torment; but only seeketh to abate the swelling tumour, and to draw out of the sore the core of corruption that it may be cured. Secondly, as this consideration may work in us patience in respect of God, so also in regard of us, seeing we are not at all wronged in our punishments, nor have any injustice offered us by God, but do only suffer those miseries and crosses which we have justly deserved, and have pulled upon us by our own sins. And therefore when we are exercised with any affliction, we have no more reason to complain of God, nor to repine against his righteous judgments, then the malefactor hath to cry out against the righteous Judge, or to grudge against the just sentence pronounced by him; nor have more cause when we are in sickness, prison, poverty or banishment, to bend all our anger and malice against God's ministers and inferior instruments, exclaming against the oppressions of our magistrates, the falsity of our accusers, the ilnesse of the air or vnholesomenesse of our diet; then the condemned person hath to malign the prison walls that inclose him, the fetters and bolts that bind and clog him, the Scherife and officers that lead him to execution, or the hangman who by authority is appointed to execute the sentence which the just Judge hath worthily pronounced. But if there be any cause at all of complaining and exclaiming, it is at our sins which have caused the Lord our righteous Judge to take these severe courses against us, for his own glory, in the manifesting of his justice, and our everlasting good, by reforming us of our sins. If there be any reason of grieving and mourning; it is because we have deserved these judgments, and not because the Lord hath justly inflicted them. In which regard the afflicted Church demandeth, wherefore the living man is sorrowful, seeing he suffereth for his sin. Unless we had rather understand the last words as an answer to the question, namely that there is no other cause of sorrowing, but that his sins have deserved to be thus punished. And in another place she saith▪ that she will bear the wrath of the Lord, because she had sinned against him. To this purpose one saith, that by a right knowledge of the weight of our sin, we do much lighten the weight of our punishment. And that the grief of the whip is much tempered and mitigated, when the fault deserving it is duly acknowledged, even as every patient doth more quietly suffer the launcher of the surgeon, by how much more corrupt the sore is which he cutteth.
Yea but it may be that the party afflicted may truly object, that he is innocent of the fault which is made the occasion of his punishment; that he is wrongfully slandered, unjustly oppressed; and hardly entreated for his kind usage; & what place can there then be for patience? or how can he make use of the former comforts, seeing he suffereth those punishments which he hath not deserved? I answer with the Apostle, who art thou O man that disputest with God. And with Eliphaz, I demand; shall man be more just then God? or shall a man be more pure then his maker? Behold he found no steadfastness in his servants, and laid folly upon his Angels; how much more in them that dwell in houses of clay, whose foundation is in the dust, which shall be destroyed before the moth? But if thou wilt yet further reason the matter, then know, that howsoever thou art innocent in respect of the sin, which is the occasion of thy cross, yet the Lord doth not punish thee unjustly and before thou hast deserved it; for thou wast borne the slave of sin and Satan, the child of wrath, and enemy unto God; and therefore art deservedly liable to punishment; thy body and soul were wholly polluted with original corruption; and therefore are justly the subjects of crosses and calamities; for where sin pleadeth full possession, there punishment also may of due, challenge admission and entertainment. Besides what a numerous offspring of actual transgressions, hath sprung out of the womb of this fruitful mother? and of how many grievous sins dost thou stand accused and condemned before the tribunal of God's justice by the verdict and testimony of thine own conscience; for everyone whereof the Lord may justly inflict upon thee this and far greater punishments, although thou be innocent of that fault which being imputed unto thee is the cause of thy affliction? But thou wilt further object that though being guilty of many sins against God thou art deservedly punished, and therefore hast great reason to bear it with patience; yet thou art innocent in respect of men; and therefore being by them unjustly punished and vexed; thou hast just cause of impatiency and complaining. To which I answer, that we have little cause to stand much upon the secondary causes and inferior instruments, when as we consider that God the supreme and principal cause of all our afflictions doth punish us justly; nor so much to insist upon our righteousness towards men, when as our consciences are guilty of many sins against God, which have▪ justly deserved these and far greater punishments, especially considering that the former worketh in us rage and impatiency, whereby we are made utterly unfit to bear our burden; whereas the latter being dulie thought on maketh us to bear with humility and meekness, all crosses and miseries which by these inferior instruments do happen unto us. For (as one saith) he patiently suffereth wrongs and injuries, who religiously remembereth that he hath in himself sins & corruptions which in respect of God do need • oleration, and then with meekness we endure railings and revilings, when in our consciences and secret cogitations we look back to our evils committed; an example whereof we have in David who patiently heard Shimei railing against him, because though he were innocent in respect of him, yet he found himself guilty of many sins against God, which had justly deserved far greater punishments. And secondly I answer that as it is a means of patience to consider that we suffer justly deserved punishments from the hand of God; seeing it is most uncomfortable once to imagine that the chief judge of heaven and earth, should deal vnrighteouslye, because there is no limits in doing where the power is infinite; so is there great cause of patience and comfort when we suffer unjustly at the hands of men, both because it is a singular mercy of God, in that when we are guilty of so many sins for which we might justly have all the afflictions of this life imposed upon us, he passeth by them all, & is content that we should suffer in our innocence & righteousness; and also because such sufferings are very beneficial & fruitful unto us, as having y e promise of everlasting happiness; For blessed are they (as our Savior hath pronounced them) which suffer persecution for righteousness sake, for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven. And blessed are ye when men revile you & persecute you, & say all manner of evil against you for my names sake falsely; Rejoice and be glad for great is your reward in heaven. So the Apostle Peter saith, we are blessed if we suffer for righteousness sake, & in this regard, we have no cause to fear their fear, neither to be troubled. And affirmeth it to be much better (if the will of God be so) that we suffer for well doing, then for evil doing; seeing herein we be like our master Christ, who suffered for sinners, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God. And therefore he exhorteth that none of us suffer as a murderer, or as a thief, or an evil doer, or as a busy body in other men's matters. But if as any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God in this behalf. Of which precept himself and the Apostle John are good precedents and examples, who being beaten for a good cause even for preaching in the name of Christ; depart from the council rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer rebuke for his name. Whom we are to imitate, comforting our selves, when like the Apostles we may suffer in our innocence for a good cause, rather then when like offenders and malefactors, unto the heaviness of the punishment is added the weight of faultines and the guilt of sin. For as the Apostle saith, this is thanks worthy, if a man for conscience towards God endure grief, suffering wrongfully. For what praise is it, if when being buffeted for your faults ye take it patiently? but and if when ye do well, ye suffer wrong and take it patiently, this is acceptable unto God.
And thus may we strengthen and confirm our patience in the consideration of God's justice, punishing and correcting us for our deserts and demerits; but much more may we comfort our selves in the consideration of his mercy and goodness whereby he is moved graciously to spare us, inflicting upon us far lighter and lesser punishments then our sins have deserved. For he doth but lightly touch us, when he might justly crush us in pieces; and (as it is said of the Persian nobles) when we offend against our Prince and sovereign; instead of tormenting our bodies he doth but beat our garments, depriving us of the trifles of this life, and correcting us either by some corporal infirmity, or in our outward estates when our sins have deserved the fearefullest of his plagues. So that in our greatest afflictions, we have just cause to confess, and thankfully to acknowledge, with the Prophet David, that he hath not dealt with us after our sins, nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. For he doth not correct us in the rigor of his justice, but (as he saith) in judgment, not looking what our sins have deserved, but what we are able to bear; and knowing whereof we be made, and remembering that we are but dust, full of frailty and infirmity, he proportioneth our afflictions, not to our sins, but to our strength, which being so feeble that we cannot endure much, he doth lay upon us light chastizements for heinous sins, and but seldom correcteth us for our innumerable offenses. He doth not punish us as a judge according to the quality of our offenses, but he spareth us as a man spareth his own son that serveth him; and as a Father hath compassion on his children, so hath the Lord compassion on them that fear him.
All which mercy and pity shown unto us by God in our chastisements, will more evidently appear, if we consider on the one side, both how heinous and capital sin is in it own nature, and also how detestable, odious, and obhominable it is in his sight, and on the other side in what monstrous manner, and measure, we are defiled with it. The heinousness of sin will appear if we consider the person against whom it is committed, or the punishment which by the justice of God is allotted to it. The person against whom it is committed is the Lord himself, the sole King and monarch of heaven and earth, who is in his own nature infinite in glory, majesty, power, mercy, goodness and all perfection; and in respect of us most worthy to be served and obeyed, as being obliged unto him in that treble band of creation; preservation and redemption; whose will and law is violated and transgressed by every sin, and such a contempt and outrage offered by the sinner against his crown and dignity, that as much as in him lieth he taketh away his rule and government, defeateth him of his kingdom and sovereignty, and denying subjection and allegiance unto him, yieldeth obedience unto his arch▪ enemy the devil, and acknowledgeth him as his Prince and King. Now if a fault be to be aggravated either by the dignity of the person against whom it is committed; or by the ingratitude of the par • y who doth commit it, as offending against such an one as hath well deserved of him; then how infinite is the guilt of our sin, committed against so infinite a majesty, the King of heaven and earth, in whom, we live move and have our being, and from whom we have received whatsoever good thing we do enjoy; and that by us who are not only so base and contemptible, but also so infinitely indebted and behoulding unto him.
Secondly the heinousness of sin appeareth by the punishments which the justice of God hath allotted unto it; the which may be considered either as they are denounced in God's word, or inflicted in his works; the one being the sentence of condemnation, the other the execution. In respect of the former we find that the least sin, and but once committed, and that in thought only doth make him who committeth it liable and subject to the curse of the law, according to the sentence pronounced by God, and repeated by the Apostle: Cursed is every man that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them, under which curse is contained and comprised all the fearful plagues and punishments which are incident unto this life, as all sicknesses, diseases and sores of the body, which are so many that they would require a great part of our lives to number them; and so grievous and intolerable, that the very naming of them would appall and terrify us: all disastrous accidents which impoverish and ruin our estates; all shame, contempt, disgrace and infamy, wrongs and injuries, whereby our names are blemished and blotted, and our persons oppressed; scorned and trodden under foot: all terrors and troubles of mind, horror of conscience, doubting and despair; with that unspeakable grief which doth accompany them; a large catalogue of which miseries we have set down by God's own direction in the eighth and twentieth chapter of the book of Deuteronomy. All which though they be incomparablie more and greater, then any one man endureth in this life, yet are they without all comparison less then those hellish and everlasting punishments, which the Lord hath threatened against wicked men in the life to come. For as one saith, the damned suffer in hell an end which hath no end; a death without death, a continual consumption without wasting; because their death euerliueth, their end is always in beginning, and their decay never decayeth; but they are daily healed that they may be wounded, and repaired a fresh that they may be destroyed, they are ever dying, but never dead, ever consuming but never consumed, always burning and broiling, but never quite wasted and burnt up. But that we may not think these terrible threatenings of judgment and punishment denounced against sin in the book of God, to be but paper-shot, which by the sound thereof only affrighteth, but hurteth not: let us look into the just execution of this dreadful sentence in this life; where we shall find how heinous sin is in God's sight by those fearful punishments, which he hath inflicted on those who have committed it. And to pass by the examples of God's vengeance executed upon sinners in all ages, recorded in heathenish and human Histories; and those which every man hath observed in his own experience, let us only look into the holy Scriptures, and set before our eyes some few examples of many, which we find there registered for our use. And there we shall behold the whole world drowned saving eight persons; and all that goodly beawtie of the earth defaced and neglected; all her gay ornaments stripped off and cast away, because they were stained and blemished with man's sin. There we shall see Sodom and Gomorrah flaming and smoking with fire and brimstone, that the land might be unburdened and purged from these filthy inhabitants; and (as it were) aired and freed from the noisome stink of their sins: And Egypt plagued with great variety of grievous punishments, because unto the huge multitude of their other sins, they added outrageous oppression, and malicious cruelty against the people & church of God. Yea there we shall see the Israelites thenselves after they were chosen for God's peculiar, ennobled with so many royal titles, and special favors from God, endowed with so many privileges and perogatives above all the nations of the earth, and made famous by the destruction of their enemies, and their marvelous and miraculous deliverance; yet for all this exposed to God's wrath, and destroyed by his fearful plagues, when they transgressed his commandments and sinned against him. Among these we shall find Corah, Dathan and Abiram, men noble and great in their families and tribes, and much advanced in special favors from God above the common sort, yet when they sinned by their rebellion, swallowed alive by the earth, and descending quick into the pit. Yea when the Lord had chosen again out of this choice, and rejecting the ten tribes of Israel for their sins, retained in his special favor the people of the Jews; yet when they likewise sinned against him, we shall find them, first grievously plagued at home, and afterwards by their enemies overthrown, led into captivity, and afflicted with much misery; and being restored upon a second trial, for their sin in rejecting and crucifying Christ our Savior, finally cast off, their cities sacked and ruined, their land made desolate, innumerable numbers destroyed by the sword and famine, and the remnant reserved to be scattered among all nations, that they may be unto them a scorn and hissing, and daily spectacles of God's wrath, examples of his hatred unto sin, and continual remembrancers to put them in mind what they are to expect for the like sins, who being wild branches, were grafted into the true Olive tree, when the Lord hath left such a fearful testimony of his hatred against all impiety and unrighteousness, in breaking off and destroying the natural branches, for bearing and bringing forth these fruits of wickedness. But above all examples of God's wrath in the severe punishing of sin, are those of the first and second Adam. The former of which for transgressing one only commandment, by eating the forbidden fruit, and that but once only, was cast out of Paradise, and that which was worse, out of God's favor, despoiled of all his former happiness, deprived of all those excellent gifts and graces, and disrobed (as it were) of those rich ornaments wherewith he was endowed & beawtified in his creation; and contrariwise was subjected both in his soul and body unto all afflictions and crosses, torments and tortures, terrrours and fears in this life, and to eternal destruction, death and condemnation in the life to come. Neither was he alone thus fearfully punished for this one only sin committed by him, in his own person alone, or next heirs, but in all his posterity from the first beginning, to the end of the world, because they fell with him and sinned in his loins. In which regard we may truly say, that all the evils of this life, either the evils of sin, or the evils of punishment, all the Atheism, Paganism, idolatry, blasphemy, murders, whoredoms, rapes, incest, sodomie, buggerie, robbing, oppressing, slandering and all manner of outrageous wickedness; and also all plagues, war, famine, sicknesses and diseases, all leprosies, consumptions, agues, gouts, apoplexies, palsies, and the rest; all want, poverty, shame, reproach, with all other miseries of this life; yea all the dreadful torments of hell fire, and the everlasting condemnation of those innumerable millions of reprobate and wicked men; are all of them the deserved punishments but of this only sin. So the second Adam our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, is a notable example of God's severe justice in punishing of sin; who though he were most pure and innocent in his own nature, and no corruption found in his heart, nor guile in his mouth, yet because as our surety he undertook to make satisfaction for our sins, by suffering those punishments which we had deserved, endured innumerable miseries and afflictions in the whole course of his life, as poverty, hunger, weariness, slanders reproaches, the temptations of the Devil and the world, conspiracies and layings in wait of his malicious enemies, treachery and treason, hard censures and forsaking of his nearest friends; false accusations, unjust condemnation, mockings and scornings, buffeting, whipping, and crowning with thorns; and lasty, a bitter agony, causing him to sweat blood; the crucifying of his blessed body, and which was above all the rest, the horrible and intolerable burden of God's fierce and fiery wrath, due unto us for our sins. By all which it appeareth of what inconceivable guilt sin is, and what infinite torments and plagues it justly deserveth, seeing God hath thus fearfully punished it from time to time; especially considering that all these punishments were inflicted by him, whose justice is so perfect and exact, that it is impossible he should do the least injustice, injury, or cruelty above the desert of sin; yea in whom there also eternally resideth infinite mercy and goodness; which upon all due occasions, are ready (if there were cause) to temper and qualify this scorching heat of God's fury, and rigor of his justice.
And thus have I shown how heinous and capital sin is, both by considering it in it own nature, and in the punishments which by God's justice are allotted unto it. Now further we are to show that it is also unto God most odious and abominable: the which as it doth already in part appear by that which hath been said concerning those fearful punishments which he inflicteth upon the offenders; so will it be more manifest if we consider the persons upon whom he hath inflicted these punishments, and the contrariety which is between sin and his mos • holy nature. The first upon whom God inflicted his heavy judgments for sin, were the Devil and his Angels; who before sin committed were highly in God's favor, as being his most glorious and excellent creatures, endowed with a rich and invaluable dowry and portion of his singular gifts and graces, as purity and simplicity of nature, wisdom, power, beauty, justice, and such like; but yet when by committing sin they fell from him, they became hereby more odious and loathsome then the vilest of his creatures, and are still, and shall be for evermore pursued by his wrath, and subject to his most heavy judgments and hellish torments. If therefore sin could make such lovely and excellent creatures, above all others most loathsome and ugly in God's sight, then how loathsome, monstrous and misshapen is it when it appeareth in it own nature, and receiveth no grace from the excellency of God's workmanship in the creatures who commit it? And how bitter is it in it self, when it is quite without any mixture of their sweetness? when we would to the full set forth the ugliness and evil of anything, we usually say, that it is as black or bad as the Devil himself; but yet as black and bad as he is, he is nothing so evil and ugly as any sin; seeing this only deformed and corrupted him, who was before glorious and beautiful; and if it were possible for him to wash himself clean from this pollution and filthiness, he would again appear lovely and graceful, like the Sun in his brightness, or as an Angel of light, glorious and beautiful. The next whom God punished for sin were our first parents, who also were before their transgression most dear unto God and amiable in his sight, as being the most excellent part of this earthly workmanship, and not much inferior to the Angels themselves, seeing they were created according to his own image, in wisdom, righteousness and holiness. But yet when they sinned against God by breaking his commandment, he cast them out of favor, banished them his presence, stripped them of all his gifts, and adjudged them to suffer all the plagues and miseries of this life, and hell torments and eternal condemnation in the world to come. From which just sentence few are aquitted, notwithstanding that all-sufficient price of redemption paid by our Savior, but remain still (for want of applying Christ's merits by faith) reprobated and adjudged to everlasting punishments with the Devil and his Angels. But above all the rest, the hatred of God against sin, appeareth most fully and clearly in the example of Christ himself, who though he were his only begotten and most dearly beloved Son, of his own nature and essence, and therefore of more worth then all men and Angels, with all other creatures of heaven and earth; and though he were his immaculate Lamb free from the least spot or blemish of sin and corruption in his own most pure nature; yet when he found sin upon him, though it were not properly his own, but the sins of the elect, for which as our surety he did undertake to satisfy his fathers justice; he so much abhorred sin assumed by him, that he spared him no more then if he had been a mere stranger or utter enemy, but made him to drink up the full vials of his wrath, until by his sufferings he had fully satisfied for sin, and washed it clean out of God's sight, both from himself and all the faithful, in the pure streams of his precious blood.
Secondly, the odiousness of sin unto God appeareth in that contrariety which is between it and his most holy nature; neither are fire and water, light and darkness, heaven and hell, God and the Devil, so opposite and contrary the one to the other, as the evil of sin is to this chief goodness. In respect whereof, though God's infinite power can do all things, yet he cannot sin, though God's essence being incomprehensible be in all things, and all things in it; yet can neither sin be in it, nor it in sin; though his goodness and love in some kind and measure be extended to all his creatures, for he causeth his Sun to shine, and rain to fall upon the evil and upon the good, yet do they not in any respect extend unto sin, but he pursueth it wheresoever he seeth it with mortal and implacable hatred; neither can the beauty, excellency or loveliness of any creature in whom he findeth it, any whit mitigate or abate it; but as the infusion of Coliquintida doth make all things bitter which are mixed with it, and is it self made sweet by nothing; so sin doth make the most sweet things bitter, the most beautiful things ugly, and the creatures which are amiable and lovely, to become most loathsome & odious in God's sight; it self in the mean time being not made by anything in which it subsisteth more sweet, beautiful or amiable, or any whit less bitter, ugly or odious. As therefore we would account that a most palpable and miraculous darkness, which the brightest beams of the Sun could not penetrate and enlighten; that most bitter which nothing can sweeten; and most hard, which nothing can mollify or make ere the softer: So must we needs confess sin above all things in the world to be most ugly and deformed, seeing beauty it self can in no degree beautify it; most exorbitant and execrable, which omnipotency cannot do; most evil, which cannot be bettered by the chief goodness, and most odious and abominable, seeing God who is love it self, cannot choose but detest and hate it.
And thus have I shown how heinous sin is in it own nature, and also how it is unto God most odious and abhominable: now we are further to consider how far forth we are guilty of it, and so liable to that wrath & vengeance, which is due unto it. Where after impartial examination, we shall find, that we are every way most sinful and wicked; for we are not only guilty of the sin of our first parents in whose loins we also transgressed; but we have derived from them that contagious leprosy of original sin, which hath infected and corrupted, defiled & disabled all the powers and faculties of our souls, and all the members and parts of our bodies. Our understandings are blinded with ignorance, our imaginations only evil and that continually, our wills perverse to any good duty, and cheareful in embracing sin; our memories registers of wicked sayings, sights, examples and actions, for our sinful imaginations and concupiscence to work and ruminate upon, till they have conceived the like wickedness, and offered it to the will, to be borne and brought forth by consent and fact: our consciences seared, senseless and benumbed, not performing their duty in admonishing and accusing us for our sins; our hearts and affections are the fountains of all corruption, and the filthy forges wherein all concupiscence and sin is hammered and forged, till it come to it ugly shape and fashion. Our bodies which should be undefiled temples for the holy Ghost to dwell in, are filthy stews and brothel houses, wherein our souls and Satan commit together spiritual whoredom and uncleanness, our eyes are full of adultery and open passages, whereat the Devil at his pleasure sendeth into us whole troupes of temptations to besiege and surprise our souls; our ears like two wide gates give free admittance to all filthy and sinful discourses which defile and corrupt the heart; and all the rest of our senses, what are they but pandors to the pleasures of sin; continually betraying and exposing our souls to be defiled and abused by them. Unto which original corruption of our whole natures we have added actual transgressions, which as they have been heinous in their quality, so they have matched and far exceeded the hairs of our heads and the stars of heaven in their number and multitude; the which we have committed through the whole course of our lives, both in our childhood, youth and riper age, before and after our conversion, and that not only through ignorance and infirmity, but also against knowledge and conscience, deliberately and willfully, presumptuously and with an high hand against God.
By all which it appeareth that as sin is heinous and of infinite guilt, and consequently deserveth infinite punishment, so we are infinitely guilty of this guilt, and innumerably culpable of all kinds of wickedness: now further (that we may apply that which hath been said to our present purpose) we are to consider that the knowledge here of serveth much for the strengthening of our patience in our greatest crosses and calamities; and that whether we compare our afflictions with our sins; or with those crosses and miseries which God hath justly inflicted upon others, who notwithstanding have not so grievously offended. In respect of the former we are thus to meditate & reason with our selves; I am indeed greeuosly afflicted, but what is my punishment in comparison of my sin? For if the least transgression of the law deserveth the curse and wrath of God, his mortal hatred, all the plagues of this life, and eternal condemnation, hell and destruction in the life to come, then to how many curses, to how much wrath and hatred, to how innumerable and fearful plagues, to what and how great condemnation and hellish torments am I worthily liable and subject, who have committed sins innumerable in their number, and in their quality and quantity heinous and grievous? Seeing therefore the Lord for his Christ's sake is content to remit so much of the extremity of his justice and my deserved punishment, as that he is willing to forgive and free me from those everlasting torments of hell fire, and contenteth himself with inflicting on me temporal chastisements, and that to this end that I should not be condemned with the world, surely I have great cause to bear his hand with patience, and meekly and quietly to submit myself unto his will, though it should be his pleasure to inflict upon me all the plagues and miseries which are incident unto all mankind; and not only with patience, but also with thankfulness to acknowledge in my greatest miseries with the afflicted and captived Church, that it is the great mercy of God that I am not utterly consumed. For if every malefactor quietly and patiently suffereth his lesser punishments, when he deserveth far greater, and thankfully acknowledgeth the mercy of the judge, whē by adiudging him to the whip, he acquitteth him from the gallows? then how much more patiently and gratefully should I endure all temporal afflictions? seeing my judge freeth me from those which are everlasting, although my sins have justly deserved them; and then how much more seeing he remitteth the most of these worldly miseries also? and instead of all inflicteth but some few, and that not those which are the greatest of all, with which nevertheless he graciously mixeth many benefits and comforts, whereby their smart may be mitigated, and their sowernesse sweetened. I am indeed grievously sick but alas I have deserved the death of the soul; I have many crosses lying upon me, but if I had my due, I should have far more and greater, even all the miseries of this life and the life to come. I am tortured with sores, aches and pains, but what is all this in comparison of the merit of my sins, which have justly deserved the terrors of conscience and torments of hell? I am by death deprived for a time of my children and friends, but my sins have deserved to be deprived of the presence of God, and his Saints and Angels, where is fullness of joy for evermore; my earthly delights are taken from me, I have lost my riches, & my worldly honors have left and forsaken me; but if the Lord should deal with me according to his righteous judgment, I might justly for my sins loose all my interest in the joys and treasures reserved for me in heaven, and be overwhelmed with shame and confusion among the damned spirits. I am in prison, but if I had my due I should be in hell; I am banished my country, but if the mercy of God were not far above my desert, I should everlastingly be exiled from the presence of God and from the heavenly Canaan. I am now subject to the pangs of death, but it is such an one, as endeth all my misery, and beginneth my glory and felicity; whereas my sins so grievous and innumerable have justly merited the everlasting death of body and soul. And therefore seeing the Lord dealeth with me not according to my deserts, but his own infinite mercies, inflicting upon me short and light afflictions, instead of hellish and everlasting torments, and (as it were) doth but prick me with a pin to awaken me out of the sleep of sin, whereas I have deserved to be mortally wounded and stabbed to the heart; I will not only with patience and meekness, but also with thanksgiving and joy, praise and magnify his infinite mercies in the midst of those afflictions which he layeth upon me.
And thus may we strengthen our patience, if we compare the smallnes of our affliction with the greatness of our sin: the like help we may have, if we will compare our light crosses with others more heavy punishments, though (for ought we can see) their lesser offenses are far exceeded by our more heinous sins: for how many may we behold (if self-love and impatiency blind us not) whose afflictions so far exceed ours, that if they be compared, will make us confess that our heaviest crosses are but fatherly favors, in comparison of their fearful punishments? thou hast lost thy riches; but yet some friends regard and take care of thee; but how many have there been, who having had far greater wealth, have with it lost their friends too, and so have been enforced to beg from door to door, and yet notwithstanding have miserably starved for want of relief? thou art pinched with poverty, but thou hast thine health, or wanting this, thou hast some wealth to procure thy comfort: but how many have been deprived of both at once, and being as well beggars as lazers and diseased persons, would have thought it a great happiness if being admitted into a spittle, they might have had any hope of help, and in the mean time begged by privilege? Thou art hated and oppressed by thine enemies from whom thou couldest expect no better; but how many suffer far greater evils from those whom they esteemed their dearest friends? thou art tormented with pain in thy body; but how many feeling no less outward smart, are also inwardly afflicted with the sickness of the soul, the terrors of conscience, and sorrows of mind? thou art afflicted in thy conscience with the burden of sin, and the temptations of Satan, but thou hast some wise & faithful friends unto whom thou mayest boldly unfold thy doubts and griefs, and so receive some comfort for the refreshing of thy fainting soul; but how many are there as deeply perplexed and strongly assaulted, over whom Satan obtaineth an easy victory being utterly forsaken of God and men, and so left destitute of all means of recovery? Finally thou art assaulted with afflictions, but others are overcome; thou art shaken, but many are overthrown. Thou hast time and respite granted thee by God, not only to take breath and gather strength, but also to make good use of thy afflictions for the beginning or renewing of thy repentance and strengthening of thy faith, that so they may indeed be unto thee chastisements and fatherly corrections, which reform thee of thy sins and preserve thee from condemnation; but how many hast thou heard of who have suddenly been cut off with God's vengeance, and presently destroyed in the very act of sin, whose judgments might even in the censure of charity be intitled to the name punishments, which are not inflicted for the good of the party who suffereth them, but for the example of those who see them? wherein thy state resembleth God's faithful people, and theirs the cursed nations; of both which God thus speaketh by his Prophet; I am with thee (saith the Lord to his people) to save thee, though I utterly destroy all the nations where I have scattered thee, yet I will not utterly destroy thee, but I will correct thee by judgment, and not utterly cut thee off. But though it were imagined, that thou canst not truly apply unto thee any of these consolations, because thy afflictions do exceed all other men's. And though it were supposed that thou hast no comforts to allay thy crosses, but hast with thy riches lost thy friends, & so art brought to extreme penury; that with thy poverty is joined sickness; and that thou art alike wronged and oppressed with thy friends and enemies; that thou art both tormented in body and mind, and hast no friend unto whom thou mayest impart thy griefs; yet consider that there are many whose sins have been fewer and less heinous, who after all the miseries of this life, do now suffer the everlasting torments of hell fire, in comparison whereof all these worldly punishments are no more then smoke to the scorching flame, & a painted fire, to one which truly burneth. For how many children and fools are (for ought we know) in the state of condemnation, and in the place of the damned; whom we usually call innocents, and that not unfitly if we compare their lesser sins with our enormous crimes, many of them having never committed any actual sin, but standing only guilty of that original corruption in which they were conceived and borne. How many hypocrites have their portion with the Devil and his Angels, who have seemed to serve God religously in their whole lives, and have kept themselves unblameable to the world, of many heinous faults and great crimes, of which if we were arraigned, we must needs plead guilty? How many Pagans and Ethnic infidels are in the same condemnation, who have been excellently adorned with moral virtues, and have carried themselves justly in all their ways, so as no man could accuse them of any notorious fault and gross crime, of which our consciences tell us we are not innocent? And finally how many of them broyle in these hellish torments, who had they seen and heard that which we hear and see, even the sound and light of the Gospel, sounding and shining in their ears and eyes, would have truly repented in sackcloth and ashes, and have brought forth better fruits of this their conversion then we, in their lives and conversations? If therefore we who by our more heinous sins have better deserved these hellish tortures and everlasting condemnation, are notwithstanding through the mercies of God, and faith in Christ (for unto believers only these comforts belong) delivered and freed from them, whereas they perish in their infidelity for their lesser sins, then surely have we great cause to bear not only with patience, but also thanksgiving, all the crosses and afflictions which are incident unto this life; seeing notwithstanding our demerits, we have obtained so great a deliverance, especially if we consider that we receive this mercy and special favor, of God's mere grace, and free bounty and goodness, having done nothing more to merit God's love, nor deserve better respect by anything which we have performed unto him, then those who are plunged into the deepest condemnation. And this the Lord himself professeth, that in bestowing his benefits and withholding his punishments, he hath respect to his own glory, name and covenant, and not to his people's deserts and merits. For my name sake (saith he) will I defer my wrath, and for my praise I will refrain it from thee, that I cut thee not off. For mine own sake, for mine own sake will I do it. And although in his justice he might (as he saith) deal with them as they had done, when they did despise his oath in breaking his covenant; nevertheless, he promiseth to remember his covenant, made with them in the days of their youth, and to confirm unto them an everlasting covenant. So else where he saith, Ye shall know that I am the Lord, when I have respect unto you for my names sake, and not after your wicked ways, nor according to your corrupt works, O ye house of Israel. The which should be an effectual argument to arm our patience, and a strong motive to stir us up to praise and thanksgiving in our greatest afflictions. For as when two malefactors are alike guilty of the same crime, if the Judge should inflict upon the one the full punishment which his fault deserveth, and mitigate the rigor of his justice to the other, adiudging him to some light chastisement in comparison of those exquisite tortures, which his fellow suffered, and he alike deserved; he who is thus favored and spared, would never murmur against so gracious a Judge, nor bear his correction with impatiency and complaining, but rather would think himself much obliged by so great a favor, and be always ready to acknowledge it, to his judges praise; so we have the like, yea much greater cause of patience and thankful acknowledgment of God's infinite mercy and goodness towards us; in that being alike guilty with many others of innumerable and grievous sins, and consequently obnoxious unto equal punishments; the Lord inflicting upon them those torments and tortures which their sins deserved, doth of his mere grace and love spare us, inflicting upon us the short and momentary afflict • ons of this present life, instead of those pains of hell and everlasting condemnation, which our sins deserved as well as theirs.
But yet one objection may seem to deserve an answer, whereby some do justify their impatiency and complaining; namely, that howsoever they cannot deny, but that they have deserved far greater punishments then God hath inflicted on thē; yet they are more grievously afflicted then many other, who have more heinously offended, and deserved far greater crosses by their far greater sins. Of whom I would ask, how many likewise they might observe, whom in their own consciences they acknowledge to have been less sinners then themselves, and yet have been subjected to far more and greater crosses. For are they as just as I • b, as holy as David, as full of grace, and free from sin as the Apostles of Jesus Christ; and yet how much did the afflictions of these holy men exceed theirs, if they were compared? But he hath deserved more punishment then thou, and yet suffereth less: Yea, but doest thou suffer more then thou hast deserved? If not, then why is thine eye evil because God is good? or if thou wouldest have a proportion equally observed, then what can privilege thee from the everlasting torments of the damned, seeing thou hast no less, yea much more deserved them, then many of those who do now suffer them. Again, why doest thou judge another man's servant, who standeth or falleth to his own master? It may be thou hast more heinously sinned, did not hellish pride and partial self-love blind thine eyes, causing thee to put thine own sins in the hinder part of the wallet, and thy neighbors in the former; and to look upon thine own faults under the cloud and veil of false excuses, which will scarce suffer them to be discerned, or at least not to appear in their natural greatness and scarlet die; but upon others offenses through the spectacles of hatred, envy or hard conceit, which maketh them seem far greater then they are. Yea it may be also (though thou thinkest the contrary) that they are much more grievously afflicted; seeing the heaviest punishments are for the most part unseen; and that being wicked (as thou judgest them) they do not escape a measure of punishment according to the proportion of their sin. For, for ought thou knowest they may be pursued with those hellish furies, the terrors and horrors of an evil conscience, and daily tormented with the scorching flames of God's fearful wrath due to their heinous sin. Or, though they be free from all these present evils, yet are they but like the ox fatted to the shambles of destruction, and rocked in the cradle of worldly prosperity, that being brought into the deep sleep of carnal security, they may more quietly be carried into hell. And therefore let us not judge before the time, but resting assured that, howsoever it fareth with the wicked, it shall go well with those that fear the Lord, let us bear with patience that portion of affliction which God hath allotted us, knowing that it is most fitting for us, if we be in this number, seeing our draught is measured out unto us by the hand of justice and direction of wisdom, and qualified and mitigated when it exceedeth our strength, by an infinite mercy and compassion; which will not lay more upon us then we are able to bear.
CHAP. IX.
That our afflictions are not signs of God's hatred, nor the punishments of a righteous Judge, but the chastisements of a gracious father.
AND thus have I shown the first cause moving the Lord to inflict upon us these crosses and calamities, namely our sins which are the meritorious cause of all our afflictions; as also how we may arm our selves with patience by this consideration, seeing our sin doth exceed our smart, and our punishments are far less then we have deserved: Now we are to proceed to the other cause moving the Lord thus to chastise and correct us, which is out of our selves in him, namely his infini • e love and boundless mercy, which moveth him to apply these wholesome, though sharp medicines, for the curing of our desperate diseases; and to use these profitable, though unpleasant means for the purging of our sins, the enriching of us with the invaluable treasures of his spiritual graces, and the furthering of our eternal happiness. From whence ariseth our chiefest consolation in all our distress and misery, and not only patience in troubles, but also contentedness, thankfulness, and joy in the holy Ghost. It is true that the former considerations, of God's providence appointing, ruling and disposing all our afflictions, and of his justice mixed and moderated with his love and mercy, which layeth nothing upon us but what our sins have deserved, yea far fewer and lighter punishments then we have justly merited with our innumerable offenses, and most heinous rebellion, may well persuade us to patience in our greatest calamities; but yet if we stay here and go no further, our patience will be but unpleasant and forced having in it no comfort, sweetness or spiritual joy; for our flesh being sensible of nothing but of present pain, and being hopeless either of deliverance, or of future profit by our sufferings; will make us easily to forget God's moderation in punishing, and the heinousness of our sins deserving far greater punishments, and never comparing our faults with the evils which we feel, but only looking upon the miseries which we endure, and our own weakness and inability to bear them any longer, will cause us in all impatiency to murmur and repine against God's providence, which hath inflicted on us more heavy punishments then others suffer, who (as self-love persuadeth us) have more offended. Or if our consciences tell us that our sins have justly deserved these and greater punishments; yet (howsoever this may justly cause us to bear with more outward patience that which we have deserved) it will not much abate our inward grief, or increase our comfort, unless we be assured that God measureth out unto us this proportion of affliction by the standard of his love, and will in the end convert it to our good, bringing sweetness out of bitterness, and joy out of mourning. Yea, rather the weight of sin being added to the weight of our punishment; our evil of doing concurring with our evil of suffering, and both joined with self-guiltiness, and the apprehension of God's inflamed wrath, will but the more oppress us with grief; when as we cannot so much as with any show of reason case our selves by expostulation, nor vent out any part of our sorrow by just complaining, seeing we are the only causes of our own harms. And look how much it addeth to our patience in respect of God, whom we justify in his righteous judgments; so much it increaseth our impatiency in respect of our selves, who have incensed and inflamed so just a wrath, and so merciful a justice to our ruin and destruction, and whilst it emptieth our hearts of grudging and repining, and our mouths of murmuring and exclaiming against God's wise providence, which self-guiltiness causeth us to justify in all the evils which are inflicted on us: it filleth them with fretting indignation, quarrelsome complaints, & impatient invectives both against our selves, who have been the chief causes; and also against all secondary and inferior means, which the Lord hath used as his instruments for the execution of his judgments. Neither is it likely that we should stay here, but if we do not labor to see God's Fatherly affection even in his frowns, and to discern the beams of his love & favor through the cloud of our miseries and afflictions; we will in short time like malefactors fall out with justice it self, because it maketh against us, hate the impartial uprightness of our judge, as though it were the extremist cruelty, and fly from his sight and presence as though he were our greatest enemy.
That therefore those who are exercised in this irksome combat of afflictions may have not only quiet patience, but also sweet comfort and contentment in all their crosses and troubles, we will in the next place show, that the cause moving the Lord to afflict the faithful is, not his wrath and displeasure, much less any malice or hatred which he beareth them, but his mere mercy, love and goodness, which moveth him thus to chastise and correct them, that they may not run on in the pleasing course of sin, and so be condemned with the world. The which point and passage I hold the more necessary in this discourse, because both the world and our own flesh are always ready to judge of God's love and favor, and of his hatred and displeasure, by the outward estate; and therefore as they think those most blessed and happy, upon whom God multiplieth, and (as it were) showreth, his earthly benefits; so they judge thē most miserable and forlorn, who are in adversity and affliction, as being men rejected and forsaken of God, because (whatsoever show they have made in the world to the contrary) they have more grievously offended him by their sins then any other. An example whereof we have in the Jews, who judged those upon whom the tower of Siloam fell greater sinners then other men, because they were oppressed with this heavy judgment; and in the Barbarians, who condemned Paul as a murderer, or some notorious sinner, because they saw him endangered by a viper; and contrariwise magnified him as a God, because he had escaped this bodily harm. Yea so fast doth this corruption cleave unto us, that as long as we carry this flesh about us, we are subject to be overtaken by this false and deceiving judgment, though we be in some measure enlightened and sanctified by the spirit of God. As we may see in the example of Job's friends, who being otherwise wise, religious and worthy men, yet when they saw the greatness of his afflictions, they passed upon him a most uncharitable censure; and when they could not with any probability judge him a profane and notorious sinner, because his life had been unblameable and unspotted, they condemned him for a cunning and secret hypocrite; who had made show of those virtues which were not in him: yea even holy David himself was much shaken with this temptation; for as himself confesseth his feet slipped, and were almost gone out of the path of godliness and integrity, when on the one side he saw the prosperity of the wicked, and on the other the afflictions unto which himself, and other of the faithful were daily subject; yea so was the eye of holy reason dazzled, and the light of the Scriptures clouded and as it were eclipsed from him, with the interposition of worldly and carnal temptations, that following only the judgment of sense, he acknowledgeth that he was become foolish and ignorant like a beast, judging of all things by the outward show; until having recourse unto the sanctuary, the light of God's word again appeared and dispelled those mists and fogs of earthly and carnal errors which before blinded him. And howsoever being enlightened with God's word and assisted with his holy spirit, he still got the victory over this temptation, yet how often regaining strength by new afflictions doth it return upon him, and encounter him a fresh as though it had been never foiled. For if we look into the book of the Psalms we shall find, that being exercised with afflictions he complaineth, that God hid his eyes, and would not see his miseries, and stopped his ears and would not hear his prayers, that he was corrected in God's wrath and anger, and that his jealousy did burn against him like fire: and finally that God had forgotten and forsaken him, that his favor was clean gone, that he would be no more entreated, and that he had shut up his tender mercies in displeasure. Thus also Jeremiah was so far transported with the violence of this temptation grounded upon the prosperity of the wicked and afflictions of the faithful, that though he durst not dispute with God because he knew him just and righteous in all his ways, yet he dareth to offer a parley and conference about the administration of his judgments. And the disciples themselves who were inured to afflictions, yet when they saw an heavier judgment then ordinary inflicted upon the blind man, were ready to judge that it was either for his own sins or the sins of his parents. Yea this is not the error of some few men alone, but even of the whole Church in her afflictions; for even Zion said the Lord hath forsaken me; and my Lord hath forgotten me.
And therefore seeing this temptation is so strong and dangerous, it behooveth us to arm our selves against it, lest in the time of trial we likewise be surprised and overcome, and that the rather, because it maketh way for another temptation much more pernicious then it self, namely, for hopeless despair, and hellish profaneness which attends upon it, for even David himself being pressed and pinched with the weight of his afflictions, was ready to conclude that he had cleansed his heart and washed his hands in innocence in vain, because whilst the wicked flourished, he was daily punished and chastened every morning. But the violence of this temptation more plainly appeareth when those are tried with it, who being wholly carnal have no grace to make resistance, for the flesh being pressed with the burden of the cross, is ready to conceive, that the afflictions which it beareth are the signs of God's wrath, and implacable anger, and that there is now no hope of receiving any good by serving of God, being so much displeased, nor of freedom from these evils, though there should be a surceasing from the course of sinning; and therefore in this desperate case being tempted by the Devil or the world, to leave the service of God, wherein there is no profit, and to run on in a headlong course of sin, wherein for the present there is pleasure and delight, it doth with all readiness give way unto this temptation. An example whereof we have in the stiff-necked Jews, who because for their outward and formal service of God, they had not for their reward that worldly prosperity which they expected, but rather were exercised with troubles and afflictions, they burst out into these desperate speeches; It is in vain to serve God; and what profit is it that we keep his commadement, & that we walk humbly before the Lord of hosts? therefore we count the proud blessed. Even they that work wickedness are set up, yea and they that tempt God are delivered. So else where, when the Lord by the summons of afflictions did call them to weeping and mourning, to baldness and girding with sackcloth, they spent their time in joy and gladness, in feasting and drinking, resolving to take their pleasure whilst they might have it, because on the morrow they should die. And in another place they profess that they thought it bootless to repent, because being punished in God's wrath for their sins, they had no hope of mercy and deliverance, though they should forsake their wicked ways; If (say they) our transgressions and our sins be upon us, and we are consumed because of them, how shall we then live? And therefore being at this desperate point, the Lord is fain to admonish them by his Prophet, that he thus corrected them in his love and mercy for their conversion, and not in wrath and anger for their destruction: Say unto them (saith the Lord God) as I live, I desire not the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn you, turn you, from your evil ways, for why will ye die O ye house of Israel?
That therefore these and such like temptations may not foil our faith, and cause us to make shipwreck in the tempestuous storm of troubles and afflictions; let us first generally know, that as worldly prosperity is no certain sign of God's favor; nor of his sincerity, piety and righteousness who hath it, (the which I have in the former part of this treatise plainly proved) so contrariwise worldly adversity, crosses and calamities, are no infallible tokens of God's displeasure; nor of his impiety and wickedness who is tossed and turmoiled with them. For these things fall out alike to all, and as the Lord doth in mercy and goodness give these temporal benefits unto his children, whose godliness hath the promises of this life and the life to come; so doth he give them oftentimes to the wicked and reprobate as their portion in this life, and that in his wrath and heavy displeasure, only to increase the bills of their account and fearful reckoning at the day of judgment, and to aggravate the dreadful weight of their hellish condemnation. And so in like manner as he doth sometimes lay these temporary crosses and calamities upon his own children and faithful servants, for their trial or chastisement, that hereby he may further and increase their eternal happiness; so doth he sometimes inflict them upon carnal worldlings and desperate sinners, that he may begin their hell in this life, and whilst they remain on earth, may enter then into the possession of those never ending torments of hell fire. To this truth the wise man giveth a plain testimony, where speaking of these earthly benefits and crosses, he saith, that no man knoweth either love or hatred by all that is before them. All things come alike to all; and the same condition is to the just and to the wicked, to the good and to the pure, and to the polluted: and to him that sacrificeth, and to him that sacrificeth not; as is the good, so is the sinner; he that sweareth, and he that feareth an oath. This is evil among all that is done under the Sun, that there is one condition to all, &c. So our Savior Christ showeth in the parable of Dives and Lazarus, that neither worldly prosperity is a sign of God's love, nor adversity of his hatred, and correcteth this perverse judgment, both in his disciples censuring the blind man, or his parents as enormous sinners, because of this punishment which God inflicted on him; and in the Jews, who thought, that the eighteen upon whom the tower of Siloam fell, and the Galileans, whose blood Pilate mingled with their sacrifices, were greater sinners then other men, because they were overtaken by these great and sudden judgments; showing that the former cross was inflicted, not for the sin of the party or his parents, but that the works of God might be manifest in him; and that the other were not thus punished because they were greater sinners then other men, but that they might be examples unto others, of God's anger against sin, that they might bring them to repentance. But I shall not need to illustrate this truth by examples, seeing they are so ordinary in the Scriptures, that a man shall not lighty read any page in the history of the Bible, where he shall not find both afflictions and temporal benefits (as it were) in common cast out to the good and bad, sometimes the one, and sometimes the other flourishing in prosperity, or dejected and cast down into misery and adversity.
But though this which I have said generally, may justly take away all secure presumption from carnal worldlings, whereby they persuade themselves of God's love, because they flourish in outward prosperity, and also all cause of horror and desperation from them who are in misery and affliction, because there is no certain judgment by this external estate, all things falling out alike to all: yet seeing no man out of this generality can gather unto himself any sound comfort, seeing he may be as well one of them whom God punisheth in his anger and wrath, as of them whom he correcteth in love and mercy: therefore in the next place I will more specially show, that every faithful man, who feareth God, both in his mercies and judgments, and desireth to profit by his chastisements and corrections, may to his comfort be most certainly assured, that the afflictions which he suffereth are not the fruits and effects of God's wrath and hatred towards him, but of his fatherly love and goodness; not the deserved punishments of his sins, but gentle chastisements and profitable trials, which shall tend to the advancing of God's glory, in the further enriching him with his spiritual graces in this life, and in the everlasting salvation of his body and soul in the life to come. For the clearing of the former point, namely, that the afflictions of the faithful are not the fruits of God's anger, nor imposed upon them as punishments for their sins, we are to know that these words, wrath, anger and punishment, are either taken largely, or strictly and properly. In a large signification God is said to be angry with his servants and children, when he doth afflict them, but not as a severe Judge out of the rigor of justice to punish the person for the sin sake, but as a gracious father out of mere love that he may destroy sin for the persons sake; neither hath he any quarrel to the party, but only to the sin; and therefore in love to his child, and in hatred to his faultiness, he doth by affliction mortify the sin which he abhorreth, that by the death thereof he may reserve his son whom he loveth unto everlasting life and happiness. And so he may be said to be angry, not with the person for his hatred to the sin, but with the sin, for the love of the person. He is not angry with his children in truth, because he always looketh upon thē in his Son Christ in whom he is well pleased, nor correcteth them in wrath after they are in Christ reconciled unto him, seeing the cause of reconciliation forever remaineth, even the merit of Christ's death and blood shed, whereby his justice is satisfied, and his wrath appeased; but only in semblance and show, he (like a wise father) frowneth upon them, that they may be more watchful over their ways for the time to come, and not run on in such a course of sin as would justly deserve his wrath and displeasure. He is not angry in justice, because we have sinned, but in mercy, that we may sin no more; not in his own affection and disposition, but in our feeling and apprehension, because our guilty consciences tell us what we have deserved; and because the corrupt humors of sin adhere and cleave so fast unto us, that our spiritual Physician is fain to give us these bitter potions of afflictions to purge thē away, which for the present making us sick, in our sense doth cause us to conceive and complain of him as an enemy who hateth and hurteth us, if we look to our present feeling, and no to his end, which is our spiritual cure & the recovery of our health. The like also may be said of punishment, for if we take it in a large signification, it comprehendeth both the afflictions of the godly and the torments of the wicked: first because if we respect the matter of them, and the evils themselves which are suffered both by the faithful and the wicked, they are all one. Secondly, because in the law they are threatened as punishments of sin against everyone who offendeth. And thirdly, because in the sense and feeling of the outward man, they are both alike; even as there is no difference between the smart of the stripes felt by a slave and by a son, saving that these are some time inflicted by a more light and gentle hand. But if we take it in a strict and proper sense, then is punishment so appropriated and peculiar to the wicked, that it is no way incident to the faithful and righteous. For punishment is inflicted upon enemies, and not upon friends; by a just judge and not by a gracious Father; to satisfy justice by suffering that punishment which y e fault hath deserved, though it be to the utter destruction of the party offending; and not out of love to preserve him from greater harm by reclaiming him from his faultiness; because he hath offended already, and not that he may take heed of offending for the time to come. Finally the cause of punishment is the fault of the party, and not desire of his amendment; and the end of the punisher is to revenge and hurt the malefactor for the good of others, to whom he serveth for an example of justice; and not to seek his profit and benefit by reclaiming him from his fault; for justice in punishing will have it course for sin already committed, though the offender could give assurance of his amendment for the time to come.
But that the afflictions of the faithful are not the fruits of God's anger, nor punishments for their sins, it may further appear by these reasons; first because Christ our Savior bore all our sins in his body upon the tree, as the Apostle Peter speaketh, and suffered the punishment which was due unto them, that we might be freed from it, according to that of the Prophet: Surely he hath borne our infirmities, and carried our sorrows, &c. He was wounded for our transgressions, he was broken for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was upon him, and with his stripes we are healed. But I demand to what purpose did he bear our infirmities and sorrows, if we must still bear them? to what end was he wounded and broken for our sins, if they still wound and break us? or finally how have we peace by his sufferings, or how are we healed with his stripes, if we are still at war with God's justice, and still receive stripes and wounds in this conflict? Again had not Christ freed us from all the punishment due unto our sins, he were not a perfect Savior, nor did not offer unto his Father a full and all-sufficient price for our redemption; for if he did perfectly deliver us from all enemies, then from lesser sins as well as from greater; if he did perfectly save us, then from temporal punishments, as well as from eternal; if his sacrifice were all-sufficient for the sins of the whole world, then need we not (as the Papists affirm) to have the sacrifice of our own sufferings still offered to make satisfaction for our venial sins. But the Scriptures everywhere, and especially in the epistle to the Hebrews, teach us, that Christ is a perfect Savior that he hath delivered us from all our enemies, and hath offered unto his Father an all-sufficient sacrifice, and full price for our redemption; and therefore there remaineth unto the faithful, who apply Christ and his sufferings unto themselves, no more punishments, nor satisfaction thereby to be made unto God: for Christ hath fully satisfied for us by his all-sufficient sacrifice of himself, and the precious blood of Jesus Christ hath cleansed us from all our sins, as the Apostle teacheth us.
Now if it have cleansed us from all sin, then also from venial sins (as the Papists term them) and consequently from all punishment, for where there is no guilt, there punishment hath no place, & if we be freed from transgression of the law then also from the curse. It is true indeed that the afflictions which the faithful suffer, are in their own nature the punishments of sin, and as punishments are denounced against the transgressors of the law; but Christ by his sufferings hath changed their nature, & as by reconciling us unto God, he hath made him of a severe judge, a merciful Father, so he hath made our sufferings to become the chastisements of a gracious father inflicted for our good, and not the punishments of a righteous judge imposed for the satisfying of his justice, and the destruction or hurt of him who suffereth them, neither is it material, that in matter the sufferings of the faithful and wicked be the same, that is, the same sickness, poverty, imprisonment and the like; for even the son and the slave do often suffer the same stripes, but yet these are punishments, being inflicted by the hand of an angry master, for the fault committed; those the chastisements of a loving Father correcting his child for his good and amendment. And so though the afflictions of the faithful and the punishments of the wicked are of the same nature in respect of themselves, yet their nature being changed by the sufferings of Christ, they do now much differ both in respect of their agent, and their end, the one coming from a Father; the other from a judge, they to profit and do good, and these to hurt and bring to destruction. And though these waters of Meribah be all alike bitter to the Canaanitish sinner, and the true Israelite in whom there is no guile, in respect of their natural taste, yet the wood of Christ's cross doth make these bitter waters sweet; and purifying them from the coliquintida and gall of sin, doth make them wholesome drink and profitable potions, which will quench our thirsting after the pleasures of sin, and the poisonous cups of worldly vanities.
Secondly, Christ taking upon him to be our surety hath paid our debt to the uttermost farthing, fully satisfied God's justice, and appeased his wrath towards us by taking away our sins which were the cause thereof. For standing in our stead and taking upon him to discharge our debt, he was arrested by death at the suit of God's justice, and cast into the prison of the grave, till he had discharged our debt to the uttermost farthing, but now he hath brokē the bands of death, and being delivered out of this prison is risen again; and gloriously ascended; whereby he hath certainly assured us that he hath satisfied God's justice by full payment of our debt, and therefore hath left nothing upon the score for us to satisfy; yea he hath cancelled the hand-writing of ordinances and the obligation of the law by nailing them to his cross, and hath taken away the penalty of the curse, by bearing it himself. And therefore seeing Christ hath fully satisfied by his sufferings the justice of God; he will not require a new satisfaction by our sufferings and punishments; seeing he hath fully discharged our debt to the utmost farthing, he will not unjustly require from us a second payment, or though it could be imagined, (as be it far from us that we should so imagine) that the judge of heaven and earth could use this rigorous strictness; yet he hath nothing to show if he should commence suite against us, seeing our surety upon the discharge of our debt, hath cancelled all the writings whereby we were obliged to his justice, either to make payment or to suffer punishment. Neither is that of any force which is objected by our adversaries; namely, that he suffered to satisfy God's justice for our greater sins, and so hath freed us from eternal punishments; but hath left our venial sins to be satisfied for by our selves, from the which we are freed, whilst we satisfy God's justice by our temporary punishments: For the word of God hath taught us, that he is a perfect Savior, that in him we have full redemption, and that his blood purgeth us from all our sins, without any exception or limitation. Again, as the satisfaction which Christ made for us was all-sufficient, and the price which he offered for our redemption of infinite merit and value; so both the justice and mercy of God, whereby he accepted them for full payment, are also infinite. Whereas, if (as our adversaries affirm) we are to satisfy by our temporary punishments for our venial sins, then must it needs follow, that either Christ's satisfaction was imperfect, and his sufferings so insufficient, that they needed to be patched up with our punishments; or that being perfect and all sufficient, God should be, not only unmerciful but iniust also, in not accepting of this full discharge, but requiring payment of a debt by us, which our surety hath already discharged: either of which were blasphemous to speak or think. For he that suffered for us was not man only, but God also, and therefore needs must his sufferings be all-sufficient and of infinite value and merit; and the mercies of God being infinite, and far above all his works, do make him so far off from punishing, where his justice being satisfied, willeth him to spare, that when he doth afflict his Church and people for their sins, he is said to do his strange work, unto which out of his own nature he is averse and indisposed; to have his soul grieved for the misery of Israel; and to make stay of the execution of these judgments, till by reason of the multitude of their sins joined with impenitence, there be no remedy. But as in these respects this assertion savoreth of impiety; so also of extreme folly, unless they will with like impiety shift it off themselves by imputing it unto their Creator: For who can imagine that God infinite in wisdom and bounty should frankly, for the merits of his Son, forgive our enormious and grievous sins; and punish us for these which are small and venial? that his love should enlarge it self to the remitting and releasing us from the everlasting torments of hell fire; and be straightened in forgiving us those sins which are small, and (as they call them) venial: as if a King should out of his great liberality forgive his poor and miserable subject ten thousand talents; and afterwards miserably exact a base reckoning of some few pence; or as though a Judge should pardon a malefactor for his horrible treasons or cruel murders, and should punish him for some petty theft. But it is further objected, that the iniquity of Jerusalem is pardoned, because she had received double of the Lord's hands for all her sins. Unto which I answer, that this is not the speech of a Judge punishing malefactors for their sins, and surceasing from punishment after that his justice is satisfied; but of a most gracious and compassionate father, who having severely corrected the faults of his son for his amendment, earneth in his bowels of love and tender mercy, when he knoweth his smart and pain, and seeth him humbling himself before him by true repentance. For that it cannot with any probability of truth be understood of the satisfying God's justice by their suffering of punishment, it hereby appeareth in that he saith, that they had suffered double for their sins; the which must needs have relation to the compassion of a tender father, the greatness of whose love moveth him to think that a few stripes inflicted on his humbled child, are enough and too much for his great faults; and not to the justice of a Judge, proportionating his punishment according to the demerit of the offense; seeing the least of our sins being committed against the infinite majesty of God, deserve the everlasting torments of hell fire, and therefore cannot be truly said to be punished double, though all the plagues of this life were inflicted upon us. Besides, if we should understand these words of punishments inflicted to satisfy for sins, how will it stand with God's justice, and much less with his mercy and goodness, to inflict upon his servants twice as much punishment as their faults have deserved?
And thus it appeareth that the afflictions of the faithful are not punishments for their sins to satisfy the justice of God, seeing our Savior hath borne all the punishments due unto our sins, fully satisfied God's justice and discharged our debt, by offering himself unto his Father, as a sacrifice for sin, and by paying a price of infinite value and merit for our redemption. And therefore, we are not punished as slaves, but chastised as sons, not so much because we have offended our heavenly father, as because we should, being in awe and under discipline, offend no more. For if an earthly parent doth not correct his son, to take revenge for the fault committed, but to keep him from running into the like fault for the time to come; and taking no pleasure, but rather grief and compassion in his smart and torment, would willingly pardon his fault and remit his punishment, if he were fully assured, that he would offend no more, unless it be in regard of the rest of his children, whom he would not have encouraged to commit the like fault through this conuinencie and impunity; then how much less will the Lord who is love, mercy, and goodness it self, punish his sons to satisfy his justice in taking revenge by their pain and torture? especially considering that his justice is satisfied, and their faults pardoned by the sufferings and obedience of Jesus Christ. For so one saith, that Christ by taking upon him our punishment, and not being guilty of our faults, hath quite done away both fault and punishment. And again, the Son of God hath taken upon him the flesh of sinners, and the punishment without the fault, that in the flesh of sinners, both the fault and punishment should be discharged and remitted. And therefore our afflictions are no punishments for sin past, but are inflicted by our heavenly Father to prevent sin for the time to come, either in us, after we have felt the smart of it, or in other of our brethren, who seeing sin corrected in us, are warned to take heed of it by our example.
The third argument, to prove that the afflictions of the faithful are only chastisements of a father, and not punishments of a Judge may be this; where there is no sin, there is no place for punishment; but in the faithful there is no sin, because it is not imputed unto them, for first all their sin is washed and purged away by the blood of Christ; and they being justified for his righteousness and obedience are accepted as righteous in God's sight. So the Apostle Paul saith, that we have redemption through his blood, that is, the forgiveness of sins; and again, ye which were dead in sins, and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, forgiving you all your trespasses. To the same purpose the Apostle John saith, that, he hath washed us from our sins in his blood: and else where, that the blood of Christ cleanseth us from all sin. In which respect he is called by John the Baptist, the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world. Secondly, all the faithful are in the covenant of grace, this being the only condition which God requireth, that we do believe; but it is one special branch of this covenant, that God will forgive their iniquity, and will remember their sins no more: and therefore if God so remit the sins of the faithful, that he doth not so much as remember them; how far is he from punishing them when they are thus forgiven? So when the Lord would express this covenant of grace by the similitude of marriage, he promiseh to marry the faithful unto himself in righteousness and judgment; and because on the one side, it was unfit to beat and punish his spouse, because of this near union between them; and because on the other side, she was so full of faults and infirmities, that by her sins she would deserve to be punished, therefore he addeth, that he will marry her also in mercy and in compassion, whereby in and for his Son Jesus Christ, he would remit and pardon her sins, and not inflict these judgments and punishments, though she did deserve them. Finally, the places of Scripture where the Lord promiseth forgiveness of sins, do plainly evince that God doth so pardon them, that he doth never call them into judgment, neither in this world to punish them with temporal punishments, nor with everlasting condemnation in the world to come. So he promiseth the Jews, that if they would turn from their sins by true repentance, though they were as crimson, they should be made white as snow; though they were red like scarlet, they should be made like unto wool. So the Lord saith by the Prophet Jeremiah that he would so pardon the iniquities of his people, that though one should diligently seek thē, yet he should by no means find thē. In those days, and at that time (saith the Lord) the iniquities of Israel shall be sought for, & there shall be none; and the sins of Judah, and they shall not be found; for I will be merciful unto thē whom I reserve. Now how can they be thus clean purged and washed, if some part of the punishment doth still remain? Or how are they not to be found, if he who committeth them be punished for them? Again, the Lord saith by the Prophet Isaiah, that he would put away the transgressions of his people like a cloud, and their sins like a mist: and by Micah; that he would cast all their sins into the bottom of the sea. And David, to signify the forgiveness of sin, useth the phrase of covering, and not imputing them; but if the Lord looketh upon our sins to punish them, how can he be said to put them away as a cloud? If in this life he bring them into judgment, how doth he cast them into the bottom of the sea? And if by punishing he bring them to an account, how can he be said to cover, or not impute them? Finally the contrary phrases used in the Scriptures being truly expounded, may serve as a comment to show what these mean, for if to seal up iniquity in a bag, to write and register up the sin of the people with a pen of iron, and the point of a diamond, to bind up iniquity▪ and to keep it in store, do signify that God will bring them to judgment, by punishing them in the wicked, and correcting them in the faithful; then contrariwise not to remember sin, to wash it away, to hide it out of fight, and cast it into the bottom of the sea, must needs signify, that God will never lay it to the charge of the faithful, nor inflict any of that punishment on them which they have deserved.
The fourth argument, which proveth that the afflictions of the faithful are not punishments, is because they do tend to our good, even to the mortifying of our sins, the multiplying and increasing of God's spiritual graces in us, and the furthering of our everlasting happiness. And this argument the Apostle purposely useth to comfort those who are under the cross, not only because our present afflictions shall be ouerwaighed with an incomparable weight of future glory, but also because all things whatsoever, and they among the rest work together for the best unto them that love God. So elsewhere he telleth us, that when we are thus judged we are chastened of the Lord because we should not be condemned with the world; that he chasteneth us for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness; that though for the present it be grievous to the sense, yet it bringeth the quiet fruit of righteousness unto them which are thereby exercised, and that these short & light afflictions shall cause unto us a far most excellent & an eternal weight of glory, And this good and singular profit which cometh to the faithful by their afflictions the Prophet David out of experience confessed that he had received; It is good (saith he) for me that I have been afflicted, that I may learn thy statutes; and the Church in the lamentations affirmeth, that it is good for a man that he bear the yoke in his youth. By all which it plainly appeareth that these afflictions are not punishments unto the faithful, seeing they are inflicted for the hurt, and not for the good of the party, to satisfy justice, and not out of any love, to take upon them due revenge for the evil they have committed, though it be to their utter destruction, and not to confer and derive unto them any temporal benefit, and much less that main benefit of their everlasting joy and happiness.
Lastly that cannot be a punishment which is either a cause or means of eternal blessedness; but by the testimony of the holy Ghost they are pronounced blessed who are thus afflicted and corrected, the Lord using it as a means to keep them in his fear, and to instruct them in the way of his commandments, which leadeth unto this everlasting blessedness and happiness in his kingdom, according to that of the Psalmist; Blessed is the man whom thou chastisest O Lord, and teachest him in thy law: that thou mayest give him rest from the days of evil, whilst the pit is digged for the wicked. And hereof it is, that he received comfort; not only from God's staff supporting and defending him, but also from his rod correcting and chastising him, because it was a means to contain him in the way of righteousness, which is the path of life, bringing us into God's presence, where is fullness of joy and pleasures for evermore: and to reduce and bring him back into this way when through frailty and infirmity he erred and digressed out of it, as he also confesseth in another place, before I was afflicted (saith he) I went astray, but now I keep thy word. But what blessedness, or what comfort and consolation could there be in afflictions, if they were punishments, seeing they are fruits of the curse, and tend not to advance the happiness of the party punished, but to his hurt & ruin? neither are they the causes or signs of blessedness, but the forerunners of his everlasting destruction; seeing God by them, even in this life, doth begin to show his anger, and to satisfy his justice by inflicting on them those tortures & torments which their sins have deserved.
And thus it appeareth that the afflictions of the faithful are not the punishments of a righteous judge, but the gentle chastisements of a loving Father. Against which too main objections are made, not only by our common adversaries, but also by some amongst our selves: the first is taken from the example of David, who though his sin was pardoned, yet he was not freed thereby from temporal punishments; and though his fault was remitted so far forth as it merited eternal condemnation; yet it was reserved by God to be punished with such punishments as were corporal & temporary. But unto this objection the answer is easy, if we do but remember what hath been delivered already; for the rule generally holdeth, that where sin, which is the cause, is taken away, punishment, which is the effect, ceaseth; but presently upon the confession of David's sin the Prophet assureth him from God, of the forgiveness of it, though before he had denounced those temporal afflictions against him and his house. And therefore seeing the forgiveness of sin is (as hath been said) the not imputing, covering, hiding, not remembering, casting of it into the bottom of the sea, and (as it is there said) the putting of it away; it is manifest that David's sin thus before remitted, was not afterwards brought into judgment, and he punished for it, but that these afflictions were the chastisements of a gracious father, inflicted upon David, not in hatred and revenge, or for the punishment of the sin committed, but our of mere love, to bring him hereby to more serious and sound repentance, that he might with more bitter grief bewail his sin past, and be more watchful and careful to prevent it for the time to come. Unto which end of David's good, we may add another ende respecting the glory of God, which by these afflictions, whereby he corrected David's sin, was vindicated from the slanderous blasphemies of the heathen, for whereas if David upon his repentance had not been thus corrected and afflicted, they would have been ready to have accused the Lord of partiality, seeing howsoever he punished such heinous sins in others with rigor and extremity, yet he liked them well enough in his own servants, and could be content to wink at their faults, suffering them with impunity to live in enormous crimes. All which occasion of slander was taken away, when as God did thus begin judgment in his own house, and with such severity corrected the faults of his servant, upon whom his name was called. But yet with God's glory was joined David's good; neither did God punish him as a judge, but chastise him as a father, not to satisfy justice, or to revenge his fault upon him to his hurt, but out of his mere love and mercy to bring him hereby to an hearty sorrow for his sin past, and to make him abhor and flee from the like for the time to come. For (as one saith) when God forgiveth sin, he covereth and forgetteth it; and if he covereth it, he will not observe it, and if he do not observe it, he will not reserve it in memory with a purpose to punish it. He will not acknowledge it, but rather pardoneth it. To conclude this point with the words of that excellent and worthy servant of God; it is strange (saith he) that they should so cast their eyes upon this one example of David, to prove thereby that the faithful are punished for their sins, as that they are nothing moved with so many other examples, wherein they may clearly behold the free forgiveness of sin without any temporary punishment; for we read of the publicane, that he departed out of the temple justified, and no punishment followed; Peter also obtained the pardon of his sin, and (as Ambrose saith) we read only of his tears, but not of his satisfaction. So Christ saith to the sick of the palsy: thy sins are forgiven thee, but he doth not withal impose any punishment.
The second objection is, that the bodily death of the faithful is a punishment to the body, because though the soul pass after the separation into joy and happiness, yet the body is punished for the time; seeing it corrupteth in the grave, and is not actually delivered from death, until the time of the resurrection. The right indeed of holding us under his dominion is taken away from death by Christ, but from the actual dominion thereof we are not freed till we rise again. To which I answer that death is to be considered in it own nature, or as it hath relation to the faithful, in it own nature it is indeed a punishment of sin. But to the faithful the nature thereof is changed, and of a curse it is turned into a blessing. For Christ hath taken away the sting thereof which is sin, and where there is no sin, there can be no punishment. It was indeed a deadly stinging serpent which destroyed us, but since sin was taken away, like a serpent without a sting it cannot hurt us. And there cannot be any punishment where there is no hurt or damage. Neither hath now death (as he affirmeth) actual dominion over us, seeing in Christ we have gotten the victory over it; so as we need not to crouch unto it, as captives to those who have dominion over them, but as conquerors after victory obtained by Christ, we may triumph over it, saying with the Apostle, O death where is thy sting, O hell where is thy victory. Heretofore it held us like prisoners under his arrest till God's justice was satisfied, but this being done, this arrest is turned into a rest, death into a sleep, and the grave is become to the bodies of the faithful, as a bed of down, wherein they quietly rest without all sense of evil, until the day that they are raised by virtue of Christ their head to be glorified with him. Neither is there now any hurt in death, (which hurt nevertheless always accompanieth punishment) but much fruit and benefit; and that not only in respect of the soul, which by this separation is joined with God, and enjoyeth fullness of joy and pleasures at his right hand for evermore; but also in regard of the body. For hereby it is freed from all miseries and afflictions wherewith in this life it is turmoiled, as heat, cold, hunger, nakedness, sickness, pain, with many such calamities; it is eased and resteth from those painful labors, wherewith it was spent and wearied, it is delivered both from the oppressions and injuries of wicked worldlings, yea even from their society and company which was in this world so irksome & cumbersome. To which purpose one demandeth, how it cometh to pass, that we see the good and evil perish together? and then answereth, that they perish not, but make an escape out of their miseries, who are freed from the company and persecutions of wicked men: but they truly die and perish, whom the pain and punishment of a more fearful judgment doth attend after they depart this life. And lastly (which is a benefit above all the rest) it resteth from the works of wickedness, being no more subject to our sinful souls to be abused by them, as their instruments for the committing of iniquity. Finally the Apostle reckoneth death among the chastisements wherewith the Lord corrected the Corinthians for their unworthy receiving the Lord's Supper; for this cause (saith he) many are weak and sick among you, and many sleep, that is, are dead; and then addeth that when they were this judged, they were (not punished but) chastened of the Lord, because they should not be condemned with the world. And therefore if death to them were only a chastisement of a gracious Father, and that out of mere love to preserve them from everlasting condemnation, it was a benefit, and not a punishment, proceeding from so gracious an author, to so good an end.
Yea, but by death the body is made subject to corruption, & therefore it is a bodily punishment. I answer, that though this argument holdeth in respect of mere natural men, yet not in regard of the faithful, the corruption of whose body is but a preparation to their glorification; for they are sown in corruption, that they may be raised in incorruption; they are sown in dishonor, that they may be raised in glory; they are sown in weakness, that they may be raised in power; in which respect they have no more hurt, and consequently no more punishment by this temporary corruption, then the corn hath, which must first die that it may be quickened, as the Apostle likeneth it; or then the gold hath which is melted, that being purified from the dross, it may be framed into glorious vessels fit for the Kings table. Neither is it a punishment to be corrupted, when the corruption tendeth to perfection, but only when it tendeth to destruction; seeing in natural reason it is necessary that the worser form must first be lost by corruption, before a better and more excellent can be acquired and obtained. Yea, but death is called an enemy, which is to be destroyed, and therefore until it be brought to this final destruction, it is a punishment. I answer, that it followeth not; that because death is an enemy, therefore it is a punishment, seeing punishments have their name and nature, not from the enmity and malignity of the secondary causes and instruments, but from the chief author who inflicteth them, from the end of their imposing, and the effects and fruits which they work in the party that suffereth them. As namely, when they proceed from an angry Judge, and not a gracious father, to satisfy justice, and not to reform and benefit the party; and when accordingly they hurt and profit not, they damnify and destroy the offender who suffereth them, and do not by his reformation make way for his salvation. And therefore though death be an enemy, and in it own nature full of malignity, yet seeing it is an instrument, and as it were a rod in the hand of our heavenly father, which he useth for our benefit, and maketh it to serve as a means for the deriving much good, not only to our souls, but also to our bodies, the enmity and malignity thereof doth no more prove it to be a punishment unto the faithful; then the enmity and malice of a slave, who is commanded by a loving father to chastise his son according to his appointment and no otherwise, doth make it cease to be a fatherly correction, and to become a punishment, when as the father doth it out of mere love to his child, and notwithstanding the malignity of his instrument or deputy, intendeth and powerfully effecteth the good of his son by this his chastisement. Neither doth this prove it to be a punishment, because it is an enemy which is to be, and therefore is not, yet destroyed; seeing hereby is meant the utter destruction and full abolishing of it at Christ's second coming. For even now death is destroyed, as he is, who hath the power of death, the Devil, and the rest of our spiritual enemies; namely, not that they should not assault us, but that they should not hurt us. It is true, that at Christ's second coming we shall have full redemption and perfect deliverance from the hands of our spiritual enemies, when as they shall, not only, not overcome us, and hold us in their captivity, but not so much as molest us, or disturb our peace; but in the mean time their poison, sting and strength is taken away, so that though they assault and tempt us, yet they shall never be able to hurt us, seeing the Lord so directeth us with his wisdom, and assisteth us with his power, that we still obtain the victory, and receive much profit and benefit by their encounters. And as this is true of all the rest, so especially of death, who in it self is an enemy, which is wholly to be abolished at Christ's appearing; but in the mean time, the poison and sting thereof is taken away by the death of Christ, and the nature thereof is quite changed, so as it is no longer a tyrant, which holdeth us to our hurt under his dominion, but as to the soul it is a passage to glory and happiness; so to the body it is but a sleep a little longer then ordinary, whereby it resteth from labor and sin, that when the day of glory breaketh, and the Sun of righteousness appeareth, we may lay aside corruption, and put on incorruption, and having our mortal swallowed up of immortality, may rise with full strength, beauty and vigor, to serve and praise God without pain or weariness.
And thus have I shown, that none of the afflictions of the faithful, no, not death it self, the greatest and last of temporal evils, are unto the faithful punishments for sin, but only the chastisements of a loving father, inflicted for his glory and their good; for howsoever the punishments of the wicked, and chastisements of the godly be in matter and in outward appearance, yea even in respect of bodily sense, and the apprehension of natural reason all one; yet is there great and manifold difference between them to be observed by the eye of spiritual judgment, enlightened by the bright beams of God's truth shining in his word. As first the chastisements of the faithful and punishments of the wicked do differ in their efficient causes who inflict and impose them. For they come from the hand of a gracious father reconciled unto us in Christ; these from a just Judge, and from a powerful and incensed enemy. They are inflicted in love and fatherly compassion, which causeth his bowels to earn, and his heart to relent, so as he cannot cast off his children like the wicked, but receiveth them again into his former favor, after that they are humbled under his chastising hand; according to that of the Prophet Hosea, How shall I give thee up Ephraim? how shall I deliver thee Israel? How shall I make thee as Admah? How shall I set thee as Zeboim? Mine heart is turned within me, my repentings are rolled together. As if he had said, though your sins are so many and grievous, that I might justly destroy you with fire and brimstone, as I did those cities adjoining to Sodom and Gomorrah; yet in regard of my covenant, and my love which in Christ I bear you, I cannot deal with you as I did with those cursed nations; but when your sins enforce me to correct you, I do compassionate your griefs, and am ready to repent and surcease your afflictions, when you repent of your sin against me. And with this agreeth God's promise made to David concerning his son Solomon. If he sin, I will chasten him with the rod of men, and with the plagues of the children of men; but my mercy shall not depart from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I have put away before me. So that the Lord in correcting his children, doth (as the Prophet Habakkuc speaketh) In wrath remember mercy, and he doth chastise them in his judgment, not in his anger to bring them to nothing, and utterly cut them off. But contrariwise, the punishments of the wicked are inflicted upon them in God's wrath and heavy displeasure; neither doth he take any compassion on them in their miseries, but rather delighteth himself in the exercising his justice and judgments upon them for their utter ruin and destruction.
Secondly, they differ in their impulsive or moving cause; for the cause moving the Lord to chastise the faithful, is his love and goodness, whereas his wrath and just displeasure conceived against the wicked for their sins, moveth him to inflict deserved punishments upon them.
Thirdly, they differ in their end, for the Lord chastiseth the faithful, that he may manifest his mercy in their conversion, but he punisheth the wicked, that he may manifest his justice in their confusion. He chastiseth them in love for their amendment, that they may not sin; he punisheth these in wrath to satisfy his justice, because they have sinned. He chastiseth them that they may like gold be purified in the fire of affliction from their dross and corruption, and so be made fit for God's heavenly treasury; he punisheth these that like chaff or stubble they may be consumed with the fire of his wrath. He chastiseth them that they may not be condemned with the world; he punisheth these that their earthly miseries may be the beginning of their condemnation, and (as it were) their first step into hell. He chastiseth them to try them, that in trial they may be approved; he punisheth these to vex and torment them, by bringing upon them that vengeance which their sins have deserved.
Fourthly, they differ in their effects; for the afflictions of the faithful do much profit them, and further their salvation; but the punishments of the wicked do much hurt them and further their condemnation. They soften and mollify their hearts, and make them to humble themselves before their heavenly father, imploring mercy and forgiveness; these do make them more hard and obdurate, and in fury and desperate madness to blaspheme, murmur and repine against their Judge, because he doth execute upon them his righteous judgments. They not only help to increase in them all spiritual graces, but also manifest them to God's glory and their own comfort; these both multiply and manifest the sins and corruptions of the wicked to their everlasting horror and confusion. They beating, and (as it were punning) the faithful, do make them like odoriferous spices to smell the more sweetly, the more they are bruised, these vexing the wicked do make them like filthy sinks and puddles to stink the more noysomly the more they are troubled. Finally, they serve as an unpleasant, yet straight and direct way which bringeth the faithful into the kingdom of heaven; but these are (as it were) the porch and first entrance of hell, and like a stormy and tempestuous sea, which splitteth and sinketh the wicked on the sands of desperation, and maketh them to wrack their souls on the rocks of destruction. To which purpose one saith, that to the damned and reprobate, tribulation begetteth pusillaminitie, pusillaminitie perplexity, perplexity desperation, and desperation confusion and condemnation.
Fifthly, the afflictions of the faithful, and the punishments of the wicked do differ, in respect of their several subjects, or the persons upon whom they are imposed; for they are inflicted on sons, these on slaves, they on friends, these on enemies; they on God's faithful and courageous soldiers, whom after the victory he will crown with glory; these on malefactors and offenders, whom it is his purpose to punish according to their demerits.
Sixthly, they differ in time and continuance; for the afflictions of the faithful are short and momentary; but the punishments of the wicked are endless and everlasting; for as the happiness of the elect and their glorification, is inchoate and begun even in this life, when they have attained unto some measure of sanctification, unto peace with God, peace of couscience and joy in the holy Ghost; so contrariwise the torments of the reprobate, are even begun in this world, when as they suffer for their sins temporal plagues and punishments, seeing they are the earnest of their condemnation, and the very flashing of that infernal fire.
Seventhly, they differ in their measure and quantity, in which respect the afflictions of the faithful are that gentle rod, whereby like children they are lovingly corrected by their heavenly father; but the punishments of the wicked are that three stringed whip, whereby the wicked are scourged and tormented like slaves and malefactors, at the appointment of their Judge. They tending to correct in judgment for the good of the party, and these to destroy and utterly cut off, as the Prophet speaketh. And though there seem to be no difference in outward appearance between the stripes of the son, and the lashes of the slave; yet is there great difference in their inward feeling, seeing they have much internal joy, and comfort from the assurance which they have of the love and favor of their heavenly father, even whilst he correcteth them, whereby they are ascertained that all their afflictions shall have a joyful and happy issue; whereas these conceiving God to be a severe Judge, and an incensed enemy, do with horror and fear suffer the evils which lie upon them, as the deserved punishments of their sins, having no better hopes for the time to come, but rather a terrible expectation of hellish condemnation after all their worldly miseries, and calamities. To this purpose one saith, that there is great difference between the chastisements of a son and the punishments of a slave. For the son is beaten, and so is the servant, but he like a servant who hath offended, but the other as free-borne, and as a son unto whom discipline is necessary. Neither do their like stripes prove them to be of like honor, nor doth it hereupon follow, that because the wicked and godly suffer the same things, therefore they are of the same condition; but correction is inflicted upon the son, for his humiliation or trial; upon the slave, for his torment and punishment. And therefore David knowing these differences, saith of the just, that many were their tribulations, but presently addeth, that the Lord delivereth them out of all: showing the cure and remedy as soon as the disease and malady. But speaking of the wicked, he saith, that many are the torments of the sinner, but addeth no comfort of help and deliverance. Finally, as there are these and many such like differences between the chastisements of the faithful, and the punishments of the wicked, for the present in this world; so far greater shall the difference be between them in that which followeth in the life to come; for the afflictions of the godly in this present life are not (as the Apostle speaketh) worthy the glory which shall be revealed. Seeing as he saith in another place, These light and momentary afflictions, shall cause unto them a far most excellent, and an eternal weight-of glory Whereas the temporary punishments of ungodly men, working in them no reformation and amendment, but rather (as hath been shown) increasing and multiplying their heinous sins, are accompanied with everlasting torments, and hellish condemnation in the world to come.
And thus have I proved that the afflictions of the faithful, are not punishments of their sins, inflicted by an offended judge, for the satisfying of his justice; but the chastisements of a gracious father, by which he correcteth his children for their profit & amendment; and have also shown the manifold and greater differences between the punishments of the wicked and the afflictions of the godly, upon the which I have the longer insisted, because the contrary opinion of the adversaries, opposed against this truth, striketh at the very root of all true and sound comfort. For as it is the chief stay, to uphold fainting souls oppressed with the heavy weight of grievous afflictions, to know, and to be assured that all which they suffer are the chastisements of a gracious Father, whereby he correcteth them out of mere love, for their own profit and benefit, and not for any pleasure which he taketh in their smart and pain, but upon mere necessity to reclaim them from their sins, and to fit them for his kingdom: so when this stay is taken away, and the afflicted party is persuaded, that the miseries which he endureth are deserved punishments of an angry judge, inflicted for the satisfying of his justice, being robbed of all consolation, he fainteth under his burden, and sinketh into the bottomless gulf of deep despair. For if he were unable to bear the burden of his afflictions when they were alone, what will become of him when the double load of God's wrath and displeasure is added unto it? or whether should he flee for comfort, when he seeth, that he who is only able to reeleeue him is an incensed enemy? How should he have any hope to have his afflictions lightened or shortened, which are inflicted to satisfy justice, when as his own conscience telleth him that his least sins are of infinite guilt in respect of that infinite majesty which is offended? or what shall stay him from fleeing out of the presence of God, when like a righteous judge he pursueth him in wrath to take due vengeance on him for his wickedness? Finally how shall a faithful man conclude w t David, that it is good for him to be afflicted, if his afflictions be the fruits and effects of God's wrath and the deserved punishments of his sin, which hurt and profit not? or how shall he pronounce them blessed whom God correcteth, if they be still under the curse, suffering those punishments which the Law threateneth? Whereas contrariwise if we be persuaded that the Lord is still our gracious Father, we will flee into his bosom for refuge against all evils, and humble our selves under his mighty hand whom we have offended, hoping to receive upon our submission, mercy and forgiveness, if we conceive that he correcteth us for our profit, our future hopes will strengthen our patience to endure present smart. If we be assured that God loveth our persons, and in all his corrections aimeth at nothing but the mortifying of our sins, and our reformation; this will make us also labor to subdue them, and to amend what is amiss, that so we may be freed from our pain and smart. Which a malefactor who is punished for his fault never aimeth at, seeing he knoweth that the end of his suffering is not to amend him, but to satisfy justice, which will have it course, and not remit any of the punishment upon the repentance of the party.
CHAP. X.
That all afflictions are imposed upon the faithful out of God's mere love. And that this love plainly appeareth in the measure of their afflictions; and first in regard of themselves, whether we respect their quantity, which is but small, or their time, which is but short.
AND thus have I shown the first branch, and main ground of the Christians comfort in the time of trouble and affliction, consisting in the knowledge and assurance of this point; that the crosses and calamities which he endureth are not punishments inflicted for the satisfying of God's justice: now the other point propounded followeth to be proved, namely that they are to the faithful the chastisements of a gracious Father, wherewith out of mere love he correcteth them as his children, not for any displeasure conceived against their persons, or for any pleasure which he taketh in their smart and pain, but only for their profit and benefit, both here, and in the life to come. For the clearing whereof we are to know, that there is a twofold kind of love to be observed in earthly parents, the first a fond and cockering love commonly incident to the weaker sex, whereby in all things they endeavor to please their children, to follow their foolish appetite and lusts, and let their own will be the rule of all their actions, and therefore if so it please them, they are content to let them languish in idleness, or to run riotous courses, which in all likelihood will bring them to perdition. But this is nothing else but with the ape to kill their young with clipping, to play the enemy under the vizard of a friend; and to make them drink the poisonous dregs of all mischief because it is sugared with love, and sweetened with the fond affection of an over-tender mother. The other kind of love, though it make not so plausible a show, is not in truth weaker, but much wiser; not less intyre and heartye, but much more discreet and profitable, as wholly aiming at the good of the party beloved; not caring much whether it please or displease, whether the things which it enjoineth be easy or difficult, tedious or delightful, so they be importantly behooveful, and greatly beneficial to him who is to undertake them. And this is the profitable love of a wise & discreet father, who sometimes withholdeth necessaries from the son whom he loveth, not because he grudgeth to give them, but because he would inure him to hardness, and make him more securely enjoy his plenty, when he knoweth how to want sometimes, also he crosseth him of his will, to teach him humility, and inureth him to such painful labor, as doth often press forth of him sweat, and sometimes tears. But especial this wise and fatherly love doth show it self, in keeping his son under a straight and severe discipline, in restraining him of his liberty, in containing him within the bonds of modesty, temperance and civility, in keeping him from running into licentious courses, and in reclaiming him from such vices and faults by due correction which being continued in without amendment, would frustrate the fathers expectation, and make him together with his comfort and joy to lose his son; and cause the child together with his Fathers displeasure to incur the danger of loosing his inheritance. Now that witless and worthless love of a fond mother, as it deserveth not to be respected and esteemed, seeing it tendeth to the hurt and destruction of the party beloved; so it is not to be expected of God's children, from so wise and worthy a Father, who in all things aimeth at their good, and chooseth rather to profit then to please them. For he knowing the corruptions of our nature, how easily we are puffed up with pride, when we enjoy worldly prosperity, and made foolishly wanton with a little cockering; how ready we are to languish in idleness, and to become effeminate with earthly delights; how prone we are to dishonor him in his gifts, and how usual it is with us to abuse these remembrances of his love, as occasions to make us both neglect and forget our benefactor, and finally how liberty bringeth us to licentiousness, wantonness to willfulness, and want of due correction to all dissoluteness and disorder; like a wise Father out of mere love he keepeth us under severer discipline; and though he suffereth wicked worldlings and damned reprobates to flourish in their impiety, to live with impunity in all manner of wickedness, and to revel and ruffle it out in all pomp and pleasure, because he intendeth to give them their portion in this life, and to let them fat themselves against the day of slaughter: yet such is his love and care over his own sons and children, that they no sooner begin to wax proud and wanton, but he presently humbleth and keepeth them under, and no sooner do they enter into a course of sinning, but he forthwith reclaimeth them from their wicked ways by his chastisements and corrections. For (as one saith) he granteth unto his child worldly felicity to comfort & not to corrupt him; and when he seeth it thus abused, he doth scourge him in this world for his amendment, and not for his condemnation; and therefore we must suffer him with patience, correcting us like a father; least we should feel him hereafter punishing us as a judge.
And this truth is manifest unto us in the Scriptures, both by testimonies and examples. So the Lord saith, that he will begin to plague the city where his name is called upon. And the Apostle telleth us, that judgment must begin at the house of God. So by the Prophet Amos the Lord thus speaketh to the people of Israel: you only have I known of all the families of the earth; therefore I will visit you for all your iniquities. The wise man also useth this argument to persuade us with patience to bear the chastening of the Lord, and not to be grieved with his correction, because he correcteth him whom he loveth, even as the father doth the child in whom he delighteth. To which place the Apostle alluding saith; My son despise not the chastening of the Lord, neither saint when thou art rebuked of him; for whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and he scourgeth every son that he receiveth. Finally the Lord himself professeth, that he doth rebuke & chasten as many as he loveth, and useth it as an argument to persuade unto repentance and zealous reformation, because whosoever escape, yet they shall be sure to be corrected (if they offend) whom he loveth and respecteth; that they may hereby be reclaimed from their wicked courses, and so be delivered from the condemnation of the world. And this also appeareth by the examples of the faithful from time to time, for who more in God's favor then Abraham the Father of the faithful, and yet how many crosses did he endure? as the leaving of his friends and country, and the leading of his life, as it were, in a voluntary banishment among a strange people, the offering of his beloved Isaac, and fear of his own life? who more dear unto God then Jacob, of whom he said, before he was borne Jacob have I loved? and yet so many were his afflictions that he affirmeth his days to have been few and evil. Who more respected of God then Job, whom he pronounced to be the iustest man upon earth? and yet who more dejected and loaded with afflictions? Who more gracious with the Lord then holy David, whom he affirmeth to have been a man according to his own heart? and yet he complaineth that when his wicked enemies wallowd in worldly delights he was afflicted daily, and punished every morning. So it is said of Solomon his son that by God's appointment he was called Jedediah, because the Lord loved him: and that David received this promise from God in his behalf, that he would be his Father, and he should be his son; and yet the Lord addeth, that if he did sin he would chasten him with the rod of men, and with the plagues of the children of men; notwithstanding his mercy should not depart from him as he took it from Saul. Yea of all his Church and people the Lord saith, that if they did break his statutes, and would not keep his commandments he would visit their transgression with the rod, and their iniquity with strokes, but yet his loving kindness he would not take from them, nor falsify his truth by breaking his covenant. But of such examples I shall have occasion to speak more hereafter, and therefore refer them to their place: only for the present let us both by these testimonies and examples be persuaded of this truth, that the Lord correcteth those who are most dear unto him, out of mere love for their profit and benefit, and that God's love, and these seeming fruits of his anger in our crosses and afflictions may well stand together; according to that of the Psalmist; Thou hardest them O Lord our God: thou wast a favorable God unto them, though thou diddest take vengeance for their inventions. And therefore when we are in the midst of our afflictions, notwithstanding these crosses and calamities, we may triumphingly cry out with the Apostle. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation or anguish, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? &c. I am persuaded, that neither death nor life, nor Angels, nor principalities, 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 our Lord.
But let us not content our selves with the general knowledge of this truth, that the Lord out of his infinite and endless love doth chastise the faithful for their good; but let us further consider how this love of God is manifested unto them in their afflictions, by insisting in some particulars. To which purpose we are to know that God's wonderful love appeareth unto his children, both in the measure of their afflictions, and in his ends which move him to lay upon them his fatherly corrections; the which his ends being secret in himself, he maketh known unto us by those fruits and effects, which by these his chastisements he powerfully produceth and worketh in us. Concerning the former, God's love appeareth in the measure of our afflictions, first generally in that he is content to afflict us in some measure; for seeing our sins have been without measure both in their greatness and number; and have been also committed against an immense, infinite and incomprehensible majesty; therefore if the Lord should deal with us according to his justice and righteous judgments, we have deserved that our punishments should be without measure, number or end. But God infinite in mercy and goodness doth not deal with us according to our deserts; but as he hath graciously turned the punishments of slaves, inflicted by a righteous Judge, into chastisements of sons inflicted by a loving father: so according to this love and mercy he hath measured out such a certain stint and proportion of these afflictions unto everyone of his children, as in his wisdom he knoweth to be fittest for them, and that both in respect of their quantity, what and how much they shall bear, and also in respect of their time and continuance, when and how long they shall endure them. In which respect we may truly affirm, that as there is no cross, calamity or affliction, which is not foreappointed of God; and ordered, ruled and disposed by his most wise and all-ruling providence; so the quantity how much, and the time how long, is also by the same wisdom, and providence ordained and appointed, in such an exact and strict manner, that as it is impossible for any man to free himself, in whole or in part, from any of that measure which is shared and alloted unto him; or to prevent it from coming, or to escape from it, being come before the appointed time; so is it alike impossible, that all the power of Devils or men should add one dram to the weight, or one minute to the time of our afflictions, more then that proportion which God by his powerful wisdom hath measured out unto them. For as he hath said to the waters of the sea, so also to these floods of affliction, Hitherto shall ye come, but no further, and here shall ye stay your proud waves. To this purpose the Psalmist saith, that God had fed his people with the bread of tears, and given them tears to drink with great measure. So the Church in her afflictions groundeth her faith upon this truth in her prayers unto God for help and deliverance. Be not angry, O Lord, above measure, neither remember iniquity forever: and again, Wilt thou hold thy peace, and afflict us above measure? As though she should say, I am assured that thou wilt not do it, seeing it is contrary to thy nature, word and usual custom. And with this agreeth the book of wisdom, where it is said, that the Lord wanted not means, to have corrected his people with much more grievous afflictions, then those which they endured, but yet he had not done it, because he had ordered all things in measure, number and weight. As also the saying of our Savior Christ himself, who affirmeth, that not only our greater afflictions, but the least and lightest, even to the falling of an hair from our heads, are ordered by God's providence, so as they cannot without his appointment happen unto us. An example whereof we have in Job, for as Satan at the first could not touch him till he had received a commission from God; so neither could he add anything unto his first afflictions, till his commission was renewed. And as the Lord measureth out unto us our afflictions, in respect of their quantity, so also in regard of their time; as we may see in the Egyptian bondage, which was appointed by God to continue 430. years, which being expired, the people of Israel were in the very same day delivered out of it. And also in the captivity of Babylon, which was to continue by God's decree 70. years, which being expired according to God's promise made unto them by his Prophet, they were delivered out of their captivity. And thus the Lord appointeth a certain time for the afflictions of the Church of Smyrna, It shall come to pass, that the Devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried, and ye shall have tribulation ten days. And also to the whole Church militant, where it is said, That the woman (that is the Church) fled into the wilderness, where she had a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand, two hundred, and threescore days. By all which it appeareth that the Lord doth not chasten his children rashly and in his fury, but with great wisdom and descretion, and upon mature deliberation appointing before hand both the quantity of their afflictions, and the time of their continuance; and no marvel, for if (as the author of the book of wisdom speaketh) the Lord doth punish the enemies of his children, and the condemned to death with such deliberation, giving them time and place, whereby they might be delivered from their malice; with how great circumspection will he judge his own sons? Now the consideration of this truth, that God doth not lay us open to afflictions, nor leave us to Satan and our spiritual enemies to be loaded with miseries at their pleasure, as our sins which are without number or end have justly deserved; but doth in his fatherly wisdom measure out unto everyone of us such a proportion of afflictions as is fitting for us; as it doth sufficiently show the greatness of God's mercy and love, so it may strengthen our patience in the time of our afflictions, and replenish▪ our hearts with joy and consolation. Seeing we stand not to the cruel courtesy of the enemies of our salvation, to endure what pleaseth them to lay upon us; but only have such a measure allotted unto us, as God in his infinite love and goodness knoweth best; and howsoever they are oftentimes the instruments of our calamities, and are used by our heavenly Physician as his Apothecaries to minister unto us these unpleasant potions, for the purging away of our corrupt and sinful humors, yet doth he strictkly prescribe such an exact bill of the ingredients, and carrieth such a watchful eye over them, whilst they are making these confections, that they are not able to add one scruple unto his proportions, nor to give us a grain more of these loathsome drugs then is fit for the effecting of the cure, & the recovery of our spiritual health.
And thus it generally appeareth that God showeth great love and mercy unto us in that he doth afflict us in measure, seeing our innumerable and most heinous sins have deserved, and the enemies of our salvation are willing and ready to inflict on us all his plagues and punishments: in which respect we have just cause to think that we are well dealt with, if we escape any of them, and to acknowledge in our greatest afflictions with the distressed Church, that it is the infinite mercy of God that we are not utterly consumed: seeing it is not to be attributed unto any of our deserts, whose sins have pulled down God's judgments upon us, nor to want of will or power in Satan and the world who are always able and desirous to do us mischief, but only to God's infinite love and mercy in Jesus Christ, with pardoneth all our sins, and to his almighty power and providence, whereby he preserveth and defendeth us from the malice and might of all these our enemies, so as they cannot punish us at their own pleasure, but only as God's instruments afflict and correct us in such a manner and measure as he prescribeth. Now let us descend to a more special consideration of the measure of our afflictions, and take a more clear view of God's love and mercy brightly shining therein, and that both in respect of the cross it self which we bear, and also in regard of us who endure and bear it. The love and mercy of God appeareth in the measure of our afflictions, both in respect of their quantity which is but small, and in their time which is but short; for either they are light, or they are not long and if they be great in quantity, they are but momentary in their continuance; or if they be tedious in time, they are easy in weight; and therefore may be born with patience, either in regard of our sense, because they do not trouble us much, being themselves light and small, or in respect of our hope, because they will not trouble us long, seeing they are but short▪ and momentary: yea in truth we may well join both together, and affirm with the Apostle that they are both light in their load and weight, and also short and momentary in their time and continuance. And therefore well may we bear them not only with patience, but also with joy and thankfulness; especially if we consider, that through the infinite mercies of God and merits of Christ, we are corrected with these small and short chastisements, that we may be freed from intolerable torments and everlasting condemnation, and do therefore endure these light and momentary afflictions, that through the blessing of God, they may cause unto us a far more excellent and an eternal weight of glory. First then God's mercy and love towards us doth • ppeare in the measure of our afflictions, in that they are but light and small: for whereas our sins have deserved the unsupportable weight of God's wrath and the intolerable torments of the damned in hell fire; the Lord hath graciously spared us, and caused his only dear son in our stead to bear our iniquities, together with the punishment due unto them: he hath withheld it from lighting and lying upon us, whom it would have overwhelmed, and pressed down to the bottom of hell; and hath laid it upon the shoulders of our Savior who was able to bear it, and in bearing also to abolish and take it away. And now he hath fitted another burden for us, not according to the measure of our sins but of our strength: not that intolerable burden of sin and punishment, which would oppress us, and cause us to sink into the gulf of desperation, but a sweet, light and easy burden of afflictions, as our Savior calleth it, to keep us who are light upon the balance (as the Psalmist speaketh) from being puffed up and blown away with the wind of worldly vanities. And this he layeth upon us, not to toil and tire us, but that it may serve as an easy yoke to keep us in obedience, and to enable us the more fitly to draw and labor in the way of God's commandments, which in the end will bring rest to our souls: not to over burden and sink us in this sea of miseries; but rather to ballast us, that we be not over set with the boisterous blasts of Satan's temptations, and to keep us in a right course that we be not wracked upon the rocks of sin. So the author of the book of Wisdom saith; Therefore thou chastnest them by little and little that offend; and warnest them by putting them in remembrance wherein they have offended, that leaving their wickedness they may believe on thee O Lord. And this small measure of affliction which the Lord hath prepared for us, is signified in the scriptures by the name of a cup, which by our heavenly father is mingled and provided for our drinking; for it is not said that we must drink a sea of sorrows, or an infinite measure of punishment, as our sins have deserved; no nor yet a barrel or great vessel, but only a little cup. The which we must not drink alone; for the Lord hath caused his son our Savior to drink the very dregs thereof, even to the bottom, and hath only left a little pittance for us to taste & sip of, which by the death of Christ is so corrected and purified from the poison of God's wrath, and so sugared and sweetened with his merits and obedience, that not only the chief loathsomeness thereof is taken away, but also it is made hereby, of a mortal poison which would have killed us, a wholesome preservative to keep us from the contagion of sin, and a profitable potion to purge us from our corruptions. In regard whereof our afflictions and griefs are but shadows and resemblances, rather then substantial evils, & are rather vizards to fright children in Christ, then true enemies which intend us hurt. And therefore the Apostle speaking of them saith, As dying and behold we live, as chastened, and yet not killed, as sorrowing, and yet always rejoicing, &c. Whence one observeth that our sorrow hath a quasi, as though, or as▪ it were added to it, but so hath not our rejoicing, because in hope it is most assured. And why is it said, not simply that we sorrow, but as it were are sorry? because like a sleep or dream it vanisheth away, and the just shall triumph over it in the morning &c.
And howsoever these shadows of evil which are inflicted upon us, do at their first appearing & approaching, seem fearful, and terrible, yet do they upon some small acquaintance, grow so familiar with us, that we do not much avoid their company. For as the child seeing even his friend and familiar acquaintance approaching towards him, disguised with some ugly vizard, is at first sight much affrighted, and ready to cry out, and run away; but when the vizard is laid aside, returneth to himself, and being freed from fear, doth take knowledge of the party, and turn all his fear into jest, & merriment: so our afflictions like a vizarded friend, do at the first appearing much amate us, but when the vizard is removed, and we upon better acquaintance find, that they are not enemies that hurt us, but friends, from whom we receive much good & benefit, then do we grow familiar with them, and notwithstanding that their company is unpleasant to our sense, yet do we not with any great earnestness desire to be freed from it, because we find it so necessary and profitable. And thus it appeareth that our afflictions are both light and small; not that our sins have not deserved more sharp chastisements; but because a little correction seemeth enough, unto our most dear and loving Father, who so tenderly affecteth us, that when he hath given us scarce the hundredth part of the stripes which our faults have deserved, he earneth and relenteth in the bowels of his compassion, & thinking our correction more then enough, yea double to our sins, he pardoneth our iniquities, and graciously receiveth us into his former • auour.
But as our afflictions are in their quantity, small and light: so are they in their time short and momentary: for though our sins have deserved eternal condemnatiō in hell fire; yet God of his infinite mercy & goodness, doth for the death & obedience of Jesus Christ, freely remit unto us all those everlasting punishments; and contenteth himself to visit our iniquities with some temporary chastisements in this life, and with the rods of the children of men; not for our hurt and punishment, but for the amendment of our lives, and the saluatiō of our souls. And thus the Lord saith that he will afflict the seed and posterity of David, but not forever; and particularly of Solomon, that of he sinned, he would chastise him with the rod of men, and with the plagues of the childrē of men; yet his mercy should never depart from him. Yea this gracious promise he maketh to his whole Church, that he would not contend with her forever, nor be always wroth, because so the spirit would fail before him, and all mankind should be destroyed in his displeasure. The which truth the Church by faith layeth sure hold of, for her comfort; in her great afflictions; The Lord (saith she) will not forsake forever; but though he send affliction, yet he will have compassion▪ according to the multitude of his mercies. And that not because our sins are few in number▪ or light in weight, and therefore deserve but gentle chastisements; but because being a gracious • ather, he doth not punish willingly, not afflict the children of men with pleasure and delight; but rather taketh his chief pleasure in exercising his own nature, and in extending his mercy and goodness towards repentant sinners. And in this regard the Church crieth out: Who • • God like unto the • that taketh away iniquity▪ and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage? he retaineth not his wrath forever, because mercy pleaseth him▪ But most notably doth the Psalmist set forth this truth, of God's moderating and stinting our afflictions, in his love and mercy without any respect to our deservings. The Lord (saith he) is full of compassion and mercy, • low to anger, and of great kindness; he will not always chide, nor keep his anger forever. He hath not dealt with us after our sins, nor rewarded us according to our iniquities; for as high as the Heaven is above the earth, so great is his mercy towards them that fear him. As far as the East is from the West, so far hath he removed our sins from us. As a father hath compassion on his children, so hath the Lord compassion on them that fear him. For he knoweth whereof we be made, he remembereth that we are but dust. The days of man are as grass, a • a flower of the field, so flourisheth he, &c. To the same purpose is that of the Prophet Malachi, where the Lord promiseth to spare his Church, and people, as a man spareth his own son, that feareth him▪ For as the loving father accepteth of the weak endeavors, and imperfect obedience of his child; and when he offendeth him, doth not long continue in his anger and displeasure, but after that he hath corrected him for his faults, that he may not continue in them to his destruction, he receiveth him into his wonted favor, that he may not by overmuch and too long severity become hopeless & desperate: so dealeth the Lord with his children, neither cockring them in their faults, which would make them wanton and dissolute; nor yet forever frowning upon them, and correcting them as their sins deserve: but moderating his justice with mercy, he doth, after that by his chastisements he hath humbled them, & brought them to an hatred, and acknowledgment of their faults, withdraw his hand, lay his rod aside, and manifest unto them the wonted signs of his mercy and love. In which respect one compareth the Lord to a skillful musition, who in tuning his instrument doth neither too much stretch his strings, least they should break, nor let them remain too loose & slack, because it would quite dull and dead their sound and swetenes, and so spoil their musical harmony: for so the Lord dealeth with us; neither suffering us to languish in continual remissenes, nor to be brokē, & worn out with tedious tribulation; least too much ease should make us sluggish, or too much trouble faint or desperate. Yea in truth so far off are our afflictions from being irkesomely tedious, and of long continuance, that they are exceeding short and momentary. For so the Psalmist telleth us, that God endureth but a while in his anger, but in his favor is life. Weeping may abide at evening, but joy cometh in the morning. And with this assurance of hope, the people of God encourage one another to the practice of repentance. Come (say they) and let us return unto the Lord; for he hath spoiled, and he will heal us, he hath wounded us, and he will bind us up. After two days will he revive us, and in the third day he will raise us up and we shall live in his sight. Yea so short is the time of these temporary afflictions, that the Lord reputeth it but as a moment; For a moment (saith he to his people) in mine anger I hid my face from thee for a little seasō, but with everlasting mercy have I had compassion on thee. In regard whereof, we may fitly say with the Psalmist, that God hath shown us great troubles & adversities, but will return and revive us, seeing the time of their continuance i • so short, that they are rather shown, then truly suffered; even as the loving father maketh show only of his rod, and striketh therewith his children's coats, when his tender love will scarce suffer him to touch their skin.
But here some will say; To what purpose do we hear words of the brevity of our afflictions? when in our own sense and experience they are long and tedious? or what comfort is this to tell us that the afflictions of God's children last but for a moment or little space, when as we may hence conclude that we are not in this number, seeing we have passed a great time in sickness, poverty, and such other miseries? To which I answer, that our short▪ lives will not suffer us to in •• re long afflictions; for they are momentary and but a span long, as the Psalmist speaketh, and yet he who is most afflicted, hath in part of this moment, some comfort and refreshing. If therefore we complain with Jacob, that our days are evil, in regard of the miseries which we have endured, let us acknowledge with him, that they are few also: and if with the Church we complain that all our days are past in God's anger, and wasted away in labor and sorrow, let us also confess with her, that our years have been spent as a thought▪ that our life is cut off quickly and we fly away. It is true that in the sense and feeling of our frail flesh these our short afflictions do seem long and tedious; but unto the spiritual man who liveth not by sense but by faith, and in the expectation of everlasting happiness, his afflictions, though they should last his whole life, would seem but short and momentary: seeing he doth not compare the time of the •• continuance, with the rest of his life, which he leadeth in this world in joy and delight; but with that eternal glory, and never ending blessedness which he is to inherit in the world to come. Neither doth he number the days of his affliction according to the present sense and apprehension of the flesh, (which expecteth no other joy▪ or comfort▪ but what it hath in the pleasures of sin, & •• • he fruition of worldly vanities, seeing it is deputed to mortification, and is to be wholly destroyed and abolished by death; and therefore thinketh all this time lost which is not spent in earthly delight • and every day a year which bringeth with it any crosses and afflictions▪ because though it be short in it self, yet in truth it is long being compared with the momentary continuance of our life upon earth where of it is a great share) but the faithful man numbereth his days according to God's arithmetick, in whose estimation a thousand years are as yesterday when it is past, and as a watch in the night; because he compareth this finite time with that which is infinite and everlasting. And therefore considering on the one side, that all his whole life is but a moment, and less then the twinkling of an eye, in respect of that eternal life and happiness which is to follow; & on the other side, that in this momentary life, he hath many comforts and refreshings, both in regard of his outward relaxation from troubles, when being freed from his afflictions, he enjoyeth the comforts of this life, and also in respect of his inward feelings through his future hopes, and the present consolations of God's spirit and joy in the holy ghost; he is ready to conclude, that his longest afflictions are but very short, even a moment of a moment, seeing they last but a part of this life, which altogether is but short and momentary.
CHAP. 11.
That God so measureth our afflictions unto us, as that they do not exceed our strength to bear them.
AND thus doth God's love appear in the measure of our afflictions, being considered in themselves both in respect of their quantity and time: but yet this love and goodness of God will shine much more clearly, if we further consider how he measureth them unto us; first in that he doth not suffer the measure of our afflictions to exceed the measure of our strength; and secondly, in that he proportioneth them according to the scantest measure of necessity, laying no more upon us, then he is necessarily enforced to impose, having herein respect to his own glory and our benefit and salvation. Concerning the former, the Lord doth not measure out our afflictions according to our faults but according to our strength, and looketh not what we have deserved, but what we are able to bear; for as the Prophet saith, in his anger he doth remember mercy, which maketh him in all our chastisements to intend our profit, and not our punishment. Neither doth he give unto all his servants a cup of the like size, or a burden to bear of the same weight; but either fitteth their afflictions to the measure of their strength, or their strength to the measure of their afflictions, abating of the burden because it is too heavy, or adding to their power who bear it, because they are too weak. He doth not observe in sharing of afflictions an Arithmetical proportion, giving to all indifferently the same number and measure; but like a wise Geometrician he doth proportionate & fit them to the strength of the bearers, alotting a greater burden to the strongest, and a less to the weakest. In which respect he is said to correct us, in judgment, because he wisely deserveth (not only who deserveth most correction, but also) of their strength and ability who are to bear his chastisements; which not being observed, instead of loading them, he should overwhelm them, & instead of amending them, he should destroy them. But this truth will more manifestly appear, both by the scriptures, and by reason it self grounded upon them. For in the word of God we have an express promise, made by him who is faithful and true, and neither can nor will deceive us, that the Lord will not suffer us to be tempted above that we are able, but will give the issue with the temptation, that we may be able to bear it. And even reason it self enlightened by the scriptures will teach us, that it can be no otherwise, if we consider who is the author of our afflictions. For first they proceed from God our heavenly father, whose wisdom is infinite, and whose love is in comprehensible; and therefore if earthly parents out of their small model of love, and little pittance of affection, guided and directed with their shallow judgment and discretion, do not give unto all their children the like measure of chastisement, though they be alike guilty of the same fault; but have respect to their age and bigness, giving less to the youngest & weakest, and more to those who are older and of greater strength: because if they should receive these greater stripes, they would (exceeding their strength) make them dull or desperate; and if these should have their lighter chastisements, they would hereby grow careless and negligent; how much more then will the Lord, so far exceeding them in love and wisdom, thus proportionate his chastisements to the strength of his children, not punishing his babes in Christ, and those of riper age in the same measure; but correcting them with such gentleness, that they may be amended and not oppressed, and these with such severity that they may lay them to heart, and not for their lightness scorn and contemn them; seeing he doth not in his chastisements aim at the satisfying of his justice by punishing the fault, but doth all ou • of mere love for the reformation of the offender? Again the Lord is our heavenly physician, who hath undertaken to cure us of our corruptions; and afflictions are the potion which he hath prepared for the effecting of the cure; and therefore if we so far trust earthly physitions whom we think faithful and skillful, that for the recovery of our bodily health, we dare adventure to drink the potions which they have appointed, being persuaded that they will have respect to our constitution and present condition, and not give us a medicine above our strength; notwithstanding that common experience telleth us, that they themselves for want of skill are often deceived, & sometime for want of care or honesty are ready to deceive: then how much more willingly should we for the health of our souls, receive this potion of afflictions prepared by our heavenly physician, seeing we can make no question either of his skill, love or faithfulness; and therefore may be assured that in making this medicine he will have respect to our strength and ability, and will so correct this poison of affliction before he do give it us, that it will cure us and not kill us; and though it make us sick for the present even to the death, as we imagine, yet we shall find in the event, that it will not hurt us, but only by working thus effectually, will purge away the noisome humors of sin. He is also our king, and Emperor, who having pressed us to the spiritual warfare, guideth and directeth us in all our ways, and allotteth unto every of his soldiers their office, place, employment and enterprises; and therefore if even earthly commanders both in their discretion and love to their soldiers, fit their employments according to their abilities, appointing the stronger and valianter for attempts of greatest difficulty and danger, and the weaker and fainter to more easy services; how much more will the great commander of heaven and earth, out of his infinite wisdom, love and care, appoint unto every of his soldiers whom he hath pressed out to fight in this battle of afflictions, a fit task for their undertaking; and allot fit employments both in respect of labor and danger for the strength of those which are designed to them? To conclude, if we fee all who are wise and just, to have this regard, not to oppress their inferiors with labors, but to fit their imploimēts according to their abilities, if no good schoolmaster will appoint his scholar longer or harder lessons then they can learn, nor correct them with more or greater stripes then is fit for their age; but observe a proportion & measure, both in their instructions and corrections, according to their several capacities to conceive or strength to bear and endure; if no good master will appoint his feruants a greater burden then they can carry, but allot the heaviest to the strongest, and the lightest to the weakest; yea if a good man be merciful to his beast, fitting his load to his strength, and not oppressing him with more then he can bear; how much more may we be assured that the Lord will be more careful over his own children, in proportioning their burden to their strength, that they may not sink under the weight of their afflictions, especially considering that he perfectly knoweth their power and ability, and can as easily add to their strength, as detract from their burden.
Secondly God the father hath committed the tempering of our cup unto Christ our Savior, who as he hath manifested his love unto us in giving his life as the price of our redemption; and in not thinking those precious dainties too dear for us, even his body to be our meat and his blood our drink, that by them we may be nourished to everlasting life; so hath he no less skill in tempering a cup fit for our strength, and the curing of our spiritual diseases, not only as being our creator who knoweth whereof we be made, and remembereth that we are but dust; but also as being our mediator, he had experience both of the cup which he tempereth for us, and of our weakness and infirmities who are to drink it. For himself hath begun to us of this cup of afflictions, as it was tempered for him by his heavenly father, and did not only taste or sip of it, but drink it off to the very bottom: and herein alone the difference is between his cup and ours, in that his was far bigger, and the potion much more bitter and distasteful, ours lesser, and less unpleasant and loathsome; his was given unto him in anger for the purging away of our punishment in respect of sin past, but ours in love, either to be a profitable potion to purge and cleanse our bodies and souls from their present corruptions, or to be a preservative to prevent the contagious diseases of sin for the time to come. And as he hath good experience of our medicine, so also of our weakness and frailty: for as he hath drunk of our cup, so likewise also he hath borne our infirmities, and carried our sorrows; and being sick of our sins which as our s •• ety he took upon him, he was also smitten with our plagues wounded for our transgressions, and broken for our iniquities. Neither have we an high Priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities, but he was in all things tempted in like sort, yet without sin, as the Apostle speaketh And therefore as those who are pitiful and merciful in their own nature, do take the greatest compassion, and do most commiserate them who are afflicted with those griefs and diseases unto which themselves have been formerly subject: so may we assure our selves, that our Savior Christ, who hath had the feeling of our sicknesses and infirmities, and hath tasted sufficiently of these loathsome drugs of affliction, which are now ministered unto us, doth cōpassionate our griefs, and hath a fellow feeling in our miseries: and therefore having the mixing of our cup committed unto him, he will have regard to our ability, and not make it so loathsome, but that we may well take it: and having all power committed also unto him, he will help our infirmities, and give such strength unto us in our greatest weakness, that we shall be able to take so much of this unpleasant physic, as is fit for the recovery of our spiritual health. And hereof it is that the Apostle having taught us that Christ our high Priest was touched with our infirmities▪ and tempted like unto us, maketh this the ground of our faith in all our troubles, and encourageth us hereby to go boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need. So elsewhere he telleth us, that it behooved our Savior to be like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high Priest, &c. for in that himself hath suffered, being tempted, he is able to succor them that are tempted, and that now he can have compassion on the ignorant, and on them that are out of the way, because he himself also hath been compassed with infirmity. And therefore we need not now to fear • ither to be oppressed with an over heavy weight of troubles and afflictions, or that we should be tempted above our power, in regard of our frailty and infirmity, seeing he who maketh the wounds, hath also power to cure them, and he that mixeth our cup can also give us strength to drink it, according to the saying of Eliphaz unto Job, He maketh the wound, and he bindeth it up, he smiteth and his hands make whole. He shall deliver thee in six troubles, and in the seventh the evil shall not touch thee, &c. And he hath also bound himself by his most gracious promise, that he will not break the bruised reed, nor quench the smoking flax, till he bring forth judgment unto victory.
Thirdly, God the holy ghost is always present with the faithful in all their afflictions and tribulations, supporting their impotency with his might, and manifesting his greatest strength in their greatest weakness; so that though their temptations are grievous and manifold, yet are they always enabled both to bear & overcome them. It is true indeed that the Lord suffereth the faithful to run into desperate dangers, and in the sense and feeling of the flesh, to be almost ou • rwhelmed with the unsupportable weight of their afflictions▪ as we see in the example of David, Job, Elias, the disciples of our savior, who were almost covered with waves before they were freed out of danger; and in the whole Church grievously afflicted in Egypt, and in most despur • te danger at the red sea, the former making them cry out in sense of pain, the other in expectation of greater evils; but most plainly in the example of Christ himself, who was so loaded with afflictions, that drops of b • ood were pressed out of him, and so oppressed with the unsupportable weight of the evils which he suffered, that speaking according to his present sense and feeling, he complaineth in agony of spirit, that he was left and forsaken of God. And all this may well stand with the truth of God's word; for he hath promised, not that we shall not be sorely loaden with an heavy weight of affliction; but only that we shall not be oppressed and overwhelmed; not that we shall escape the assaults of terrible enemies, or never be foiled in the fight, but that in the end we shall obtain the victory; not that we shall be freed from temptations of any kind, yea even of the highest and most dangerous nature, but that we shall not be tempted above our power, but shall have a good issue with the temptation, so as we shall be able to bear it. And thus the Lord is as good as his promise, when as loading us with the greatest weight of afflictions, he giveth unto us an answerable measure of strength, whereby we are enabled to bear and overcome them; the which he never faileth to do unto his faithful children who trust and depend upon him. So that in their greatest afflictions they may say with David: The Lord hath chastened me sore, but he hath not delivered me to death; and with the Apostle Paul, we are afflicted on every side, yet are we not in distress; in poverty, but not overcome of poverty, we are persecuted but not forsaken, cast down but we perish not. Not that we have any strength in our selves to endure the fiery trial, or to resist the violence of these cruel enemies, but because in our greatest weakness we are supported with the power of God's might, and held so fast by the hand of Christ, that the strongest afflictions enforced with all the violence of Satan's temptations, are not able to pul us from him. So that notwithstanding our greatest calamities, and little strength, we may rest persuaded with the Apostle, that neither tribulation, anguish, persecution, famine, nakedness, peril, sword, nor anything else, shall be able to separate us from the love of Christ. For first the spirit of God dwelling in us doth according to the greatness of our outward afflictions give us an answerable measure of inward consolation; so that where there are great crosses, there also are great comforts: and when God sendeth an extraordinary measure of worldly miseries, which in respect of our own strength would, in trying, tire us, he sendeth also an extraordinary measure of spiritual refreshings, and comfortable feelings of his love, which make ou • intolerable burden to become light and easy; of which the Apostle showeth that he had good experience, where he saith that as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation aboundeth through Christ. Whereupon he professeth his hope that the afflicted Corinthians should be made partakers of the same comforts. And our hope is steadfast (saith he) concerning you, knowing that as you are partakers of the sufferings; so shall ye be also of the consolation. The like experience of these inward consolations had the Prophet David, In the multitude (saith he) of my thoughts within me, thy comforts delight my soul. All which inward comfort and consolation we have from the holy spirit of God dwelling and reigning in us, whilst it doth apply unto us the mercies of God, and merits of Christ, and so assuring us that we have our part and interest in all the gracious promises of the Gospel, which either concern this life or the life to come, doth replenish our consciences with such peace as passeth all understanding, and with such unspeakable joy and gladness, as none conceive but they who feel it. For it is the water of the spirit which like a living fountain ever springeth in us unto everlasting life, and like a clear river floweth with the heavenly streams of sweet consolation, wherein being bathed and washed, in the scorching heat of afflictions and persecutions, we are presently cooled and refreshed, and so filled with joy and delight, according to that of the Psalmist. There is a river whose streams shall make glad the city of God, the holy place of the Tabernacles of the most high. It is this spiritual annointing and heavenly oil, which preserveth us from being consumed in this fiery furnace of affliction, and wherewith being anointed after we are scorched with these flames, our sores are suppled, and the fiery heat of the burning so extracted and drawn out, that we receive no more hurt thereby, then Moses bush, which in burning was not consumed, or the three children in the fiery furnace, whose very hairs were not touched with the violence of the flames. So that though we were deprived of all worldly comforts, yet have we no cause▪ to be faint in our afflictions, or to show impatiency in our greatest griefs, as long as we have this inward comforter to refresh and cheare us: for the consolations of God should not seem small unto us, as Eliphaz speaketh, seeing they so far exceed all earthly delights; neither should we be dejected in our minds though we want these earthly shadows, when as we are replenished with this heavenly substance.
But as the afflictions of the faithful, though never so unsupportable, are made tolerable with the consolations of God's spirit, so also by that vigor & strength which it ministereth unto them: for this holy spirit which is the strong power of God, doth so comfort by strengthening, and so strengthen by comforting them, that though they are in themselves most weak and feeble, yet being supported with this divine might; the heaviest weight of troubles and calamities shall not oppress and overwhelm them. And this the Prophet Isaiah plainly teacheth us. He giveth strength (saith he) to him that fainteth, and to him that hath no strength he increaseth power; so that though young men who are in their chiefest vigor, being weary do stumble and fall, yet they who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as Eagles, they shall run and not be weary, and walk and not be faint. So the Psalmist pronounceth him blessed who considereth the poor, because the Lord will either deliver him in the time of trouble, or else at least will strengthen him upon the bed of languishing, and will make all his bed in his sickness. And the Apostle assureth us, that because the Lord is faithful in keeping his promises, he will stablish us, when we are ready to stagger, and keep us from evil, either that it may not touch us, or may not hurt us. According to that of the Psalmist; thou shalt walk upon the Lion and Asp, the young Lion and Dragon shalt thou tread under thy feet. Because he hath loved me therefore will I deliver him &c. he shall call upon me, and I will hear him, I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver and glorify him. In regard of which help and assistance which we have from God, he would have us to lay aside all fear and cowardice, and to be bold and courageous in all our dangers and distresses. Fear thou not (saith he) for I am with thee, be not afraid for I am thy God: I will strengthen and help thee, and will sustain thee with the right hand of my righteousness. And again▪ I the Lord thy God will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, fear not, I will help thee. Fear not thou worm Jacob, and ye men of Israel, I will help saith the Lord and thy redeemer, the holy one of Israel. And unto this strength of confidence and undaunted fear, the faithful do attain, as we may see in▪ the example of David, who professeth, that though he should walk through the valley of the shadow of death, he would fear no evil, because God was with him, and his rod and staff did comfort him: neither could he be dejected with the rod of his corrections, so long as he was strengthened and upheld with the staff of his consolations. And thus the whole Church and people of God profess, that being by faith, and their manifold experience assured, that God was their hope and strength, and help in troubles, ready to be found, therefore they would not fear, though the earth were removed, and though the mountains should fall into the midst of the sea, though the waters thereof should rage and swell, and the mountains shake with the swelling there of, &c. By all whic • it appeareth, that God dealeth with his children in their afflictions, as with Jacob in wrestling with him; for as in outward show he did seem to contend and strive with him, as though he desired to foil and overthrow him, so indeed and truth he gave unto him all that strength whereby he was enabled to stand, and in the end to overcome: for so no sooner doth the Lord by sending afflictions seem to contend with us, and to desire to overthrow and cast us down, but presently he enableth us with strength & assistance of his holy spirit to overcome in this conflict; and as soon as we are ready to stagger he stayeth us from falling, and when we have received a foil, he raiseth us up again, till at last we prevail in the conflict and obtain his blessing. Neither can our weakness be any hindrance to our victory feeing we stand not by our own strength, but by the power of God assisting us, which is more manifested in our weakness, and magnified in our frailty and infirmity. And as the tender mother teaching her young or sick child to go doth oftentimes seem to leave him to his own strength, when as in truth he goeth by her help supporting him; and to let him alone to his own care and providence, when as in the mean time she hath a watchful eye unto him, so that he is no sooner ready to fall, but with nimble speed she catcheth hold of him, and prevents his danger; so doth the Lord deal with us his children, whilst in our nonage and greatest weakness, he teacheth us to go in this rough path of afflictions, which leadeth to his kingdom; for when he seemeth to neglect us, he watcheth over us: and when in our sense and feeling he leaveth us to our selves, even then he stayeth us by his strength: and when we are in greatest danger of sinking and falling, he stretcheth out with speed his powerful hand, and preserveth us from receiving any harm. An example whereof we have in David: who professeth that if the Lord had not holpen him, his soul had almost dwelt in silence, but when (saith he) I said, my foot slideth, thy mercy O Lord stayed me up.
And thus are we both comforted and strengthened, with God's holy spirit, so as our afflictions cannot oppress and overwhelm us, though they be never so great and manifold, and we never so weak and impotent in our own strength. Unto which we may further add, that the Lord in his infinite love towards us, doth not content himself to have given unto his • hildren, this inward strength and comfort in their afflictions; but also in their greatest extremities, he giveth them the fruition of many outward benefits, joining comforts with his crosses, blessings with miseries, blandishments with chastisements, and good things with evil; so that in our greatest mourning, we never want matter of joy, and thanks giving. For as the Lord in his infinite wisdom hath made such a mixture of things in this life, that as there is no man so aboundeth and flourisheth in worldly prosperity, but that he hath some crosses and afflictions in his greatest jollity: so there is no man so dejected and overwhelmed with troubles and calamities, but he hath some comforts and refreshing. As no man is so loaded with benefits, as that he is in all respects happy, without any taste of misery; so there is none so oppressed with afflictions, that he is every way miserable, without any taste of this earthly happiness. And this mixture the wise Judge of Heaven & earth hath made, to keep us in a mean, who are too prone to run into extremes; and because we would be too much exalted with continual prosperity, and too much dejected if we should feel nothing but misery, and affliction; the Lord never suffereth us so to abound with worldly happiness, but that we have something to humble us, nor so to be plunged in misery and affliction, but that we have some cause of present comfort, or future hope. And like a wise father he doth not too much dandle us, which would make us wantons; nor always beat us, which would make us desperate; but he iudiciously mingleth the one with the other, not letting us have our wills in all things, least we should neglect him; nor yet always crossing us in them, lest we should hate & rebel against him; not always cockering us, lest we should grow proud and insolent, nor always correcting us, lest we should become base & servile; but he giveth gifts, that we may love him, & stripes, that we may fear him. Yea often times he mixeth frowns with his favors, when they make us malepart; and kind speeches with his rebukes and chastisements, to show in the hatred of our faults, his love to our persons, when he seeth us humble and penitent; that so he may make us in all things to reverence him, and no less to fear him in his favors, then to love him in his chastisements. And as the wise captain and commander doth not always tire and wear out his servants, with long marches, wearisome watchings, and fierce skirmishes and assaults; but after their tedious labors bringeth them into garrisons, that taking their rest and repose, and refreshing them selves with wholesome diet, good lodging, and pleasant recreations, they may renew their strength and courage, and afterwards be more fit for service and employment: so dealeth our great Commander with us, in this spiritual warfare, giving unto us a breathing time after our fight, rest after our labors, recreation after sorrows, and after troubles and afflictions, comforts and refreshings; that so having recovered our strength, and taken new courage unto us, we may the better be enabled to do him further service. Yea he doth not only▪ interchangeably let one of these succeed the other, but like a prudent general he intermixeth them together, giving unto them in the time of their greatest labors, some rest, and in their sharpest conflicts and encounters with afflictions, some breathing, and refreshing; even as contrariwise he doth not, when they are in the garrison of prosperity suffer them to languish in idleness, and to spend their whole time in eating, drinking, pleasure, and delight, which would effeminate their minds, and make them unfit for service; but sometimes inureth them to labor, watching, and warlike ex • rcises, for the preserving of their strength, and manlike courage. To this purpose one sai • h, that God in governing the world, doth now send one thing, and then another, and doth not at all times grant prosperity, nor always inflict trouble, and adversity; but as there is in nature a vicissitude, & intercourse of all things, day following the night, and night the day; summer the winter, and winter the summer: so even in us, sorrow, and pleasure, sickness▪ and health, have their tu • nes, and changes. And therefore we should not think sickne▪ strange, for then by the same reason we should think it strenge also when we have our health; nor be much moved when sorrow cometh; for then we should be alike troubled at the approach of joy: because, in course of nature, these do follow one the other: &c. Neither now say, that this is no comfort unto thee, who always livest in misery, and affliction, seeing hereby thou shalt but bewray thy unthankfulness, and forgetfulness of God's blessings; for no man can be always in grief, neither will our nature bear it: but because we desire to spend all our time in pleasure and delight, therefore we think the shortest greifes, to be as it were an age of sorrow. Besides, those things which are good, and delightful, do when they are past, easily slip out of memory, but that which is evil and grievous maketh such a deep impression, that though it be past, yet it is never forgotten. Even the weary hireling, and the idle gentleman, the King, and captive have both their comforts, and their crosses For he oftentimes in his prison, hath his pleasures, laughing, leaping, and playing to express his mirth; and the other, under his crown hath his cares, and many a pang under his purple robe, sorrowing, shaking, carking, and dying, for fear of dying. So that there is no man's life, either without pain, or pleasure, matter of mirth, or cause of mourning, the which mixture, the Lord hath made for our profit and benefit, if we had eyes to see it, or grace to acknowledge it; for we could never well relish these dishes of prosperity, unless they were seasoned with afflictions, and made pleasing to our palates, with these sharp sawces; we would take no delight in the day of joy, unless the dark night of sorrow went before it; nor esteem of health, if we were never sick; nor think plenty a benefit, unless we were sometimes pinched with want, and penury. Neither is the value of any of God's benefits known in the fruition, but in their want. Delicates would not delight us, if they were not dainty; neither do we account anything rare in excellency; unless withal it be rare in use. Even continual pleasure would displease us, and sweetness it self without change, or mixture, would become as loathsome as gall or wormewod▪ Perpetual ease, is worse then wearisome labor; and according to the proverb; He had need to have strong bones that beareth the weight of continual prosperity. For it is a kind of misery, never to have tasted misery; and no more delight to abound always in pleasure, and plenty, then it is to have always a full stomach: seeing we surfeit of this saciety, and are more dangerously sick, being pampered with these worldly dainties, then when we use the most spare diet. And therefore it is in mercy, that the Lord mingleth our prosperity with adversity; seeing by the want of earthly benefits, he doth but whet our stomachs, and sharpen our appetites, that after when we have them, we may feed on them with more delight. For our health is sweetened, and endeared by our sickness, our plenty with our want, our liberty by our restraint, our rest by our labor, and the having our wills, by our sometimes wanting of them.
But here some will say, that howsoever there might be some pleasure or profit in an equal mixture of prosperity, and affliction; or when we have a little sour to relish all our sweet; yet there is no great comfort, when the sauce exceeds the meat; neither can I find any place for patience in mine afflictions, feeing I have so many crosses, for so few comforts, and a pound of misery, for a dram of delight. To whom I answer, that these complaints arise from the corrupt flesh, which is so wholly intent, upon that present smart which it feeleth, that it utterly forgetteth all God's blessings, and benefits, which we either have formerly enjoyed in time past, or do enjoy, in and after our afflictions; and through impatience, robbeth us of those comforts which God hath given us; which if they were duly pondered in the balance of an impartial judgment, they would not only counterpoise, but even much ouerweigh the causes of our greifes. Wherein we are not unfitly compared unto flies, who leave all the sound flesh, though of far greater quantity, and seek out only sores to suck in; or unto little children, who if any of their many delights be taken from them, in their peeuishnes and discontent cast away all the rest, and fall a crying: for so in our frowardness and impatiency, if we have not all we can desire, we think that we have nothing; and if God cross us in any one benefit, by taking it from us, we are ready to cross our selves in all the rest; casting them away by contempt, or careless neglect, when as they should serve as comforts to moderate our grief. And being resolved to torment our selves with excessive sorrow, we voluntarily forget all the good things which we enjoy, and employ all our wit to invent and find out arguments, to justify our grief; that so we may have some reason for our madness; and to aggravate the causes of our discontent with many circumstances, that according to the greatness thereof, we may also enlarge our sorrows, and have some pretext for our excessive mourning. Like unto those who being foul by nature, do paint their faces, that they may be fair by art, and so may be liked of others, who are deceived with their false beauty; or (if the deceit being discerned, they appear hereby more ugly to their judgment, then amiable to their eye) they may at least please themselves, who are willing to be deceived, with these adulterate, and adulterous colors, that they may increase their love and liking to their own persons: for so these passionate mourners, being in love with their sorrows, and knowing that they are ugly and monstrous when they are immoderate, they paint and set them out with false colors, that thereby they procure others approbation of them, or else fit them for their own liking. And removing out of sight all God's blessings and benefits they still enjoy, which would be so many arguments to convince them of folly, in their impatient sorrow; and so many blots and aspersions to blemish the counterfeit beauty of their painted grief, they do by all means amplify, and aggravate their crosses, and if they be not heavy enough of themselves to press them down, they will increase their weight by calling to remembrance all their miseries past, and by fear will anticipate all that are to come.
Such fondlings, it is hard to wean from this lothsom love; because they willfully stop their ears against all cōlations, and therefore must for a time have leave to whip themselves, with these rods of their own making; till sense of pain have brought them out of this fit of frenzy, and made them more capable of reason and persuasion, and till being wearied with their own waiwardnesse they become wiser, and more desirous of their own good. But if we have any desire in the time of our afflictions to have our sorrowful souls refreshed with true comfort, & to endure God's fatherly chastisements with patience and thankfulness: let us not fixe our eyes only upon our present troubles, and turn them away from all causes of comfort, which God offereth unto us in the midst of our miseries: neither let our minds be only intent upon the evils which afflict us, to aggravate them in our conceit and apprehension, that with them we may increase our sorrows; but let us rather exercise them in meditating upon the manifold and great blessings which we have received from God in time past, upon those also which we presently enjoy, and upon such as we expect in the time to come. For, there is no faithful man, though for the present never so miserable, who hath not had the fruition of many of God's fauous in former times; the which he may to his comfort enjoy by a grateful remembrance, not taking occasion thereby to aggravate his griefs, by calling to mind what he hath lost, but rather to renew his joy in himself and thankfulness towards God, by thinking how long he did enjoy them. As we may see in the example of Job, who in his greatest extremities armed his patience, with the remembrance of those manifold blessings which he had received from God in former times; Shall we (saith he) receive good at the hand of God, and not receive evil? Yea there is no man so overwhelmed with miseries, but that if it would please him to number them, he might find as many of God's mercies to set against them, which might serve to counterpoise the weight of his afflictions, and as much raise him with joy and comfort, as he is dejected with grief and heaviness. Thou art troubled with sickness; but thou hast sufficient wealth to provide diet, physic and other necessaries. Thou art weak and of a tender nature; but thou inioyest such a competency, as may maintain thee without any great labor. Thou art poor in estate; but thou hast thine health and strength, whereby thou art enabled to take such pains as may earn thy living. Thou hast a troubled mind; but thou hast a strong body, or many friends which refresh thee with their comforts. Thou hast a weak body; but thou hast a courageous heart. Thou hast no goods nor means of getting them; but thou hast some friends which take care of thee. Thou art destitute of friends; but thou art able to live of thyself without their help. Thou hast some bad children which grieve thee; but thou hast some other good which do delight thee: or, thou hast a virtuous wife which may supply the defect of all other comforts. Thou art vexed with miseries all the day, one grief pursuing another; but thou hast rest in the night, and when sleep cometh thy sorrows vanish. In a word, God vexeth us not with a continual fever of afflictions, but only with some ague fits, which have a good day as well as a bad; or at least have many intermissions, if they be quotidian. He doth not suffer these spiritual enemies so continually to assault us, but that he granteth unto us many breathing times to recover our strength; and if he suffer them to give us great blows, he grueth us also strong armor to bear them off: He will not deprive us of all his benefits at once, but if he cause the sun of our chief joy to set, he will make it to rise again (as it were) the next day, and in the mean time he will supply the absence of this our great light, with the innumerable stars of lesser comforts. Yea (as I said) he so intermixeth comforts with our crosses that we never have such cause of grief, but that we have as much cause of gladness. Thus he taketh away a good mother from Isaac, but he comforteth him in his loss by giving him a virtuous wife: thus when Leah was despised he made her fruitful; and when Rachel and Hannah were barren, he comforteth them in their husbands love. Thus David, when he served a malicious King who sought his life, was recompensed in the love of a gracious Prince, who was as careful to preserve him, as his father violent in seeking his destruction; and when he was vexed with ungracious sons, he was comforted in the love of most faithful servants. And therefore, when as we still enjoy from God so many benefits with our crosses, let us not so wholly be taken up in thinking on our afflictions, as that we never meditate upon God's blessings joined with them: for this is but like the Leach, to feed upon corrupted blood, and to leave that which is pure and sound; or like the foolish Merchant, of whom Plutarch speaketh, who reserved all his good wine for the use of others, and drunk himself that which was palled, and no better then vinegar: but let us think upon that which is left, as well as upon that which is lost, and not vex our selves for that which we have not, but enjoy with comfort that which we have. For otherwise though we profess Christianity, we shall come short of the wisdom which was in the Heathen Philosopher, who having lost one of his four goodly manours, said unto one who seemed much to condole his loss; Doest thou not know, that whereas thyself hast but one little farm, I have three fair manours still remaining? which being acknowledged by the party, he further demanded: why then he should not rather condole with him, for having but one, then the other with him who was Lord of so many. Finally, as we have had, and have, many good things before and in the time of our afflicitons, which may serve as comforts to lighten our calamities: So may we also refresh our fainting minds, in assurance of hope, and in the certain expectation of future blessings; when as rest shall follow our labor, and matter of mirth our causes of mourning. For, though weeping may abide at the Euening, yet joy cometh in the Morning: though we have a dropping seed time, yet our harvest shall be fair and dry; for as the Psalmist saith: They that sow in tears shall reap in joy; and whereas they went weeping carrying precious seed, they shall return with joy and bring their sheaves. And well this agreeth with the love of our heavenly Father, to turn his terrible frowns into gracious smiles, and to give some comfort to his children, after that by correction, he hath thoroughly humbled them; well doth it befit the skill and grace of our wise Physician, to minister the cordials and restoratives of consolation, after the vomits and purges of affliction, that as by the one we are cleansed from the gross humors of sin and corruption, so by the other we may be strengthened and enabled, to lead a new life, and to perform with comfort and encouragement all holy and Christian duties both to God and our neighbors.
But though it were supposed that our whole life were full of miseries, and that we had no taste of earthly comfort, nor had ever spent a day in worldly contentment, yet have all the faithful so many spiritual consolations, both in respect of their present feelings and future hopes, that they are sufficient to out-countenance all their crosses, and to sweeten all their afflictions in their greatest bitterness. For having the assurance of the pardon of their sins, and reconciliation with God, there followeth this peace with him, such peace of conscience, as passeth all understanding, and such inward consolation and joy in the holy Ghost, as maketh them to rejoice, not only in their prosperity, but also in their greatest miseries and afflictions, as the Apostle speaketh.
Neither do they make any reckoning of all the crosses and calamities which this world can inflict upon them: seeing all the miseries and evils which are to be found upon the whole earth are but as one little drop, in comparison of that infinite Ocean of woe and hellish condemnation, from which through Christ they are delivered. Besides, they have assurance by a lively faith, that in all their troubles and dangers, they have the guard of God's holy Angels attending on them, who having taken charge over them, do keep them in all their ways that they hurt not their foot against a stone; and that though they have many and great enemies to assault them, yet they have more and mighty friends who daily stand in their defense, to protect them from all their fury. Yea, they know that God's own holy providence watcheth over them; which as it sendeth, so it ordereth, moderateth, and mitigateth all their afflictions, converting and turning all to their good, and the everlasting salvation of their souls. Finally, by faith they have assurance that this unpleasant way of earthly tribulations, doth conduct them to their heavenly country, where they shall have pleasures at God's right hand for evermore; and that these short and momentary afflictions shall cause unto them a far most excellent and eternal weight of glory: and this maketh them to bear, whatsoever crosses God layeth upon them, with patience, seeing they know that the afflictions of this present life, are not worthy the glory which shall be revealed. For if that Troiane Captain thought it a sufficient encouragement, to comfort and hearten his soldiers in all their difficulties and dangers, when as he could give them some hope, that after all these cruel tempests and toilsome labors, they should at length arrive in a pleasant country, where they should take their rest and pleasure, and delight themselves in the remembrance of their passed troubles: how much more should we with patience and courage pass through this sea of worldly miseries, who have far better assurance of far better hopes; even that we shall after these our painful labors, safely ariue at the haven of everlasting rest, where it shall not be possible for all our enemies, so much as to interrupt our happiness, or disturb our joy.