A Short ESSAY OF AFFLICTIONS OR Balme to Comfort if not Cure those that Sinke or Languish under present misfortunes and are not prepared in these unsetled times to meet all events with constant and equall tempers Written from one of His Majesties Garrisons as a private advise to his onely Sonne and by him Printed to satisfie the importunity of some particular friends Luke 21.19 In your patience possesse ye your Soules 1 Pet. 4.19 Let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their Soules to him in well doing as unto a faithfull Creatour London Printed by E. G. 1647. My deerest Sonne SInce I know that man is only truly happy that the want of outward things cannot make miserable I cannot but advise you to winde up and raise your thoughts to higher objects then sublunary triflles And when you doe looke upon the low transitories of this world let it be through the wrong or rather Right end of the Christians Perspective that they may appeare but little if any thing in your eyes which are so weake and empty of all true comfort in themselves that as Saint Ambrose upon the devils vanishing prospect Matthew 4. saith he shewed all in a moment to our Saviour least looking a little he had seene nothing neither doth our Jesu who knew best the way to happinesse in that he was the way set any other estimate upon them for when he commands us to seeke a Kingdome it is of heaven not earth omitting the very naming of any thing here below as of no value all things temporall being with him but as dust upon the ballance or over-waights cast onely into the scale as appendices of grace and so meane as not worthy the name of a gift from him And this the devill knew so well that in his temptations of power he acknowledged Christ to be the Sonne of God But as Aquinas observes in that of weaknesse wherein he bated his lure onely with the perishing nothings the shadowes and semblances of glory the sole Monarchy of the world he considered him onely as a man and durst not once call him the Sonne of God knowing it might prevaile with fraylty not Infinitie From whence let me ingage you to fortifie your selfe against such allurements And though you are likely by Gods mercy yet to possesse a competent measure of earthly comforts notwithstanding the straites and difficulties I have passed let not them possesse you but be in the world not of it And though some part of the affections will touch upon it while you are here let it be but like a wheele in Puncto in the least point and that not fixt but moving considering all below are but perishing vanities good onely when vertue animates and sends them abroad in their using not injoying when you must be taken from them if not they from you and the longest terme of having them is but for life which ever diminisheth by increasing and is at most but a bubble a smoake or ayery being the onely difference as one saith betweene sleep and death that soone comes to nothing Yet this short spanne or thread of life is most commonly ravelled out in trouble to get care to keepe and feare to loose these unsatisfying comforts which at no time are permanent but now as it were dying at the very root when such an Inundation of misery is broken in upon us as hath almost brought all things to another Chaos so that nothing but an almighty power can bring light out of our darknesse forme beauty and order out of such a heape and masse of confusion Nay such is the violent tide and impetuousnesse of some mens passions as they would doe more then Noahs flood in making but one common grave for State Church and all though God hath in his goodnesse yet bounded them in saying Hitherto you shall goe and no further and will still give us safety salvation in the Arke the true and Ancient Protestant faith Reverentiall worship as it was reformed and practised in Queene Elizabeths dayes rise and rage those waters never so much for God being Pilot will steere and keep it floating upon those devouring waves till he finde it another Ararat to rest on yet that you may guide your course with the more comfort and safety in this troubled Ocean J shall like a lanterne in the haven or so many Sea-markes for direction commend unto you these few practicall considerations following which truly like the ballast of the Ship have kept me in an even and safe course in the midst of our greatest stormes and made me by Gods infinite goodnesse happy in misery rich in want and contented in all conditions nor will they prove unprofitable to you if you looke up to God for a blessing when you reflect upon them in your meditations but will make you in habit and affections above misfortunes if not a Martyr when called to it upon Christian and noble termes and in Calmes tackle and tite your weake built Pinnace to endure all weathers upon any change And I feare though our present clouds the immediate messengers of tempests doe somethtng scatter they may gather again into a higher malignity then ever since I see they are still bigge with those foggy and fiery exhalations out of which the Thunder-bolts of Gods wrath were lately formed and made and I feare our new sinnes will againe midwife and bring them forth to wrack us in the very haven if wee allay not the storme by a shower of repentant teares and by our more faithfull sincere and constant returnes to God turne his wrath from us which he of his mercy grant if it be his blessed will and how ever inable you and all his to undergoe with an equall temper and holy submission what his wisedome hath appointed for us Onely I shall desire you to use these short Essayes piously the Subject whereof is chiefly the Christians comportment in afflictions as a meanes to fix your Quick-silver and unconstant temper And I shall not doubt but God of his mercy will water this my planting which the heavenly dew of his grace and make it bring forth comfort here with joy in the holy Ghost and with the Phenix Glory in your Resurrection which is the Prayer of Your affectionate Father Aprill the 20. An. Do. 1646. AN ESSAY OF AFFLICTIONS AND The Christian's comportment in them IF the whole life of Christ was a continued crucifixion in that he was borne a Martyr found a Golgatha in Bethlem and made his birth and his death his Christmas and good Friday both Morn and Evening of one and the same day of suffering we that fight under the Banner of his Crosse must not thinke to follow our Generall in his triumphs if we leave him in the field or carry no markes of Honour Prints of his wounds about us which how mortall soever never prove deadly But as Romanus said when Asclehiades made his tormentors cut and crucifie him Tot
that we might see the power and mercy of God in his deliverance both from corporall and spirituall blindnesse for as contraries are the best Comments upon one another so Gods Goodnesse and Greatnesse most appeares in bringing health out of Sicknesse Light out of Darknesse and forming all the well ordered and various beauties of the world out of nothing or a Chaos and great Masse of confusion happinesse out of misery glory out of sufferings giving victory in thraldome and triumph to his when conquered as the true trophies of Christian magnaminitie and most legible Characters of his favour to his Church which with the bush is ever burning * Exod. 3.2 yet never to be consumed like the Arke however floating upon the proud imperious high swelling waves sinkes not but when threatned to be involved in the whole worlds generall destruction having but one common winding-Sheet the pleated waters and as it were one common buriall place then is preserved and by those watery rising mountaines but lifted up the neerer heaven God as it were like another Neptune imbarking himselfe in and hazarding Shipwrack with his Church Secondly they are sent for our salvation not as a cause of but way to glory as they are a meanes of our holinesse here in that whosoever will live godly in Christ Jesus must suffer afflictions and happinesse hereafter * 2 Tim. 3.12 there being no way to ascend the mount of honour but by the steps of vertue through a rough and difficult path no Haven to be gained unlesse we passe the straits no way to heaven but by the gates of hell for unlesse we fill up the sufferings of Christ in his body the Church and beare his crosse we cannot be partakers of his Crown induring being the condition of Reigning with him * Act. 14.22 Colos 1. â—4 â— Tim. 2. â—2 â— Ps 73.4 In that his first intention when he destroyes is to Preserve us which is the Reason as David saith the wicked have no bands in their death receive not their punishment here And who would not upon these terms lose a life to save it who may by saving lose it nay what Marchant would not to recover his wished haven with a wealthy lading be contented to have his vessell weather beaten and torne and much more a Christian that is a man of warre a Barke built for all weathers stormes and Calmes knowing that the rough Sea proves the Pilot and makes him keep at the sterne and helme using all holy endevours to avoid every Rock and Sand of Temptation and ply the pumpe upon the least leake knowing that the smallest sinne unrepented neglected or not with Jonas throwne over-bord to appease the storme will sinke the tallest vessell and better unlade all then the man should perish Nay shall our Lord Head and Generall be all wounded torn and exposed to all degrees of suffering for us and shall not we his Church and members undergoe some troubles indure a scratch or weare a scarre for him shall hee drinke up the full Cup and showres of his Fathers wrath and shall not wee taste of those few remaining drops for him shall innocence suffer and guilt goe free nay shall God dye for man and man undergoe no pressure for God nay for himselfe his own advantage where dissectings are recompactings God forbid No away with such pusillanimity my soule and leave not thy Saviour in his sufferings for thee Though thou art called with Simon of Cyrene to take up his Crosse or rather thine * Isay 53. which he bore for thee and beare it for him till thou comest to Golgatha the place of Sculs thy grave nay further if possible For as a devoute man said if he could finde or apprehend any defect of joy in heaven it would be onely in that he could not there suffer for his Saviour Though what we undergoe here is not more for his glory then our benefit And therefore as Musick is sweetest when expiring let the last swanlike Act of our sufferings be but harmoniously accordant to Christ in that sweet ditty of his not mine but thy will be done And a Ravishment of delight will so possesse our soules as we shall onely account our life from our Death and that our birth day to Eternity Our eve or vigil to our great festivall at the marriage of the Lambe for as God moved upon the waters in the Creation before they brought forth the first Creature so afflictions are now those many waters in which God moves to make us conceive in our hearts by the holy Ghost like the wombe of the virgine till Christ be formed in us and we bring forth holinesse which he ever crownes with happinesse Now though these are the first Primary and Principall ends why Gods children are thus brought forth with labour sorrow a curse as ancient as sin it selfe there are many other practicall uses and pious considerations we should entertaine them with for as one saith Schola crueis est schola lucis and Oratio Lectio temptatio the rough but ready way to Heaven and the troubled waters of Repentant teares the cleerest Perspective in an Eclipse of Gods favour to see his face shine in our devotions which usually rise and fall with the waves of afflictions the greatest misery ordinarily making us most importunate for mercy as one depth calling upon another and most carefull of our wayes Like the Horse that ever goeth surest and best when he feeles the spurre and bridle the mariner that most useth his plummet and compasse in stormes And thus we will consider afflictions First as they are incentives to Prayer and like fire extract the best incense of our devotions making them to ascend in a holy flame of zeale to mediate our peace and pacifie an exasperated Deity whose Power Justice and Mercy are all ingaged to deliver them that in afflictions call upon him * Ps 30.34 107. Hos 5 Esay 49.3 Lam. 3. For then we doe their errand and cannot misse of a Gracious Audience no more then Abraham where Dust and Ashes pleaded with his maker and as it were so charmed his eare with this Oratory that importunity it selfe could not weary him * Gen. 18. Nay with this spirituall Ingine Impotence and weaknesse overcomes Power and Omnipotence puts manacles upon the hands of God and with an humble reverence be it spoken worsts him in the conflict making him cry out Let me alone or till thou art gone I can doe nothing Exod. 32. Numb 14. as to Moses Thus a faithfull Prayer workes all kinds of miracles makes the Heavens Earth and Seas obey For when the gasping Earth is dying for Thirst Elias can by Prayer quicken and enliven it It can fix the Sunne in the firmament as in a Center give Eares to the Grave and make them open and life to the dead Jo. 12. And ever nests a Christian like a Dove in the clifts of the Rock in the wounds of his
night of Affliction some love glances in the most unkinde divorce which is never long though it seemes long to us Twelfthly Afflictions are sent as trials from God and a meanes of evidencing to our selves the truth of our faith by the exercise of it as it is the assurance of things hoped for the evidence of things * 1 Peter 1 Isai 40.31 not seen which made Abraham rely upon the Promise not disputing the meanes of its performance knowing that Phoenix like God could raise him up a seed from the dead ashes of his Isaac Gen. 22. though in him he offered the comfort of his life the staffe of his age the summe and Recapitulation of all his numerous posterity possessing as it were future Joyes and by them was made unsensible of present troubles or at least not regarding them but endured that Crosse despised the shame looking unto Jesus the finisher as well as the author of his faith * Heb. 12.2 the comfortable beames of the sunne of righteousnesse still beating upon his soule in their strongest reflex in the darkest and most clouded night of Temptation which can never be hindered by the stormy windes because Celestiall for true Faith becomes the stronger by difficulties ever preferring the Crosse of Christ to the Triumphes of Emperours and all the Crownes of Kings and with certaine fishes mentioned by Pliny is ever swimming against the streame to recover the fountaine Christ knowing that all Refreshments are originally and virtually there and with the needle in the mariners compasse is fixt unmoveable in the greatest tempests because not governed by the turbulent and unconstant winds but the unchangeable Heavens and never count it any victory to trample upon a worme any small triall or to wade through a shallow River but grapples with and overcomes the greatest oppositions knowing Crosses cannot be so large as to out-circle their Crownes Neither is this all for faith can here make absent things present and conquer when conquered and though humane friendship is like Quick-silver soone incorporating with the best mettles but in difficulties and the fire conveyes it selfe away faith then knowes divine helpe to be most present having the Angels for her Corps de Guard and God his Pavilion round about her Nay in that fire as with Moses in the bush a strange pallace for Divinity to inthrone in rather then his shall want a comforter for if his people be in Captivity or that Ashur afflicts them without a cause they trusting in him in their distresse God will not be kept above in heaven without a * Is 52.4.5 * Gen. 46.6 * Ps 46.1 what doe I here And I will goe down O the exalted humility of our God to be their present helpe in trouble Their help in not alwayes their deliverance from trouble Indurance their companion making their prison their heaven the persecutors Chaines * Gen. 39.21 their Bracelets and Ornaments the Lyons their Guardians not destroyers as to Daniel In that God and a Christian are but one in their sufferings †Js 63.9 * for I am afflicted in their afflictions saith he and they that persecute us persecute our Jesus in us as in Saint Paul who will be sure to releive us in our necessities having ingaged all his Attributes for it and make our almost emptied Curse a never to be exhausted spring the Ravens our Caterers and fishes to bring mony in their mouthes to pay our ordinary rather then we should want to defray our charges as in the case of Tribute nay rather then the faithfull should suffer to destruction his Church which should appeare like an Army well ordered with banners both for beauty and terror God himselfe will in their march to Canaan be both Harbinger Quarter-master Generall and Sutler to the Campe making the wildernesse a downe bed the Rocke a Seller the heavens a larder to afford them all necessaries Nay he will beyond it feed them to delight even with Quailes and Manna satisfying them as he did David in his most naked and abject condition And as a Banquet to his meat before the cloth be taken away and these outward things fail he wil give us Christ and in him a full taste of his mercies the onely store-house and true Magazine nay the abstract and Epitome of all the treasures both of heaven and earth and higher I cannot soare in this meditation For if he spare not his sonne but deliver him up not onely for but to us shall he not with him freely give us all things * Rom. 8.32 Jo. 6 as the Apostle argues all necessaries here and lasting joyes hereafter but taking downe our earthen Cottages to rebuild them stately Palaces making every graine of dust spring innumerous fresh glories to us Thirteenthly Afflictions are sent for the exercise of our charities in suffering with censuring of and giving examples of a holy submission to others First In suffering with others compassion being Passion at at the rebound for who is afflicted and I burne or suffer not saith Saint Paul Nay this fire softens our natures makes them more pliable malliable and easie to take impressions from others sufferings and so compassionate as to make their miseries our unhappinesse as if one soule did animate divers bodies and we live and dye in one another as it was in the Apostles times which is the true box of Spicknard in the Canticles Christ powreth out to comfort and refresh his spouse with when nearest fainting under the crosse in that their sufferings are his Crucifixions * Jsa 63. Act. 9.5 And if God thus became man tooke our Ignominy and infirmities upon him for us shall wemen become beasts to one an other devest our selves of this most noble part of humanity and be so farre from Christians as not to be reasonable creatures in our tender compassion to others but like freebooters Rifle and Rob them to inrich our selves when they should be objects of our pitty and releife for there ought to be that harmony and concord amongst us as we should endevour like one Instrument of many strings to tune all our faculties and affections into a sweet agreement that there might be no jarring amongst our selves nor disagreement in our service of God that being well set by one key we may like two lutes which by a holy sympathy will both sound when one is but struck the one feele the others motion though most when like Instruments whose Pegs are wound up their strings scrued to the height by any outward violence they make the shrillest sounds according to that of the Apostle * Heb. 13.3 Remember them in bonds as bound being our selves of the body especially when I am sure that if a Toe the meanest and remotest member be but trod upon Christ our head feeles it Secondly our charitie must be exercised in censuring others Actions for so love hopeth all things beleeveth all things * 1 Cor. 3. and
the only Olympus above the meteors and stormes of this world which for its inconstancy is in the Revelation Emblemd by a Sea and that of glasse for its frailty and brittlenesse in its forme circular and moving to shew the inconstancy of all things in it its matter fading vanishing and dying to teach us the perishablenesse and certaine mortality of all its beauties for as the Father is such are the Children all but empty glories nay man himselfe the Master peece of nature and comprehension of all other beings and perfections close bound up in a little volume if we looke into his materials the weaknesse and short continuance of the building we can account but as a vapour a shadow a bubble that soone vanisheth a walking peece of earth a well glazed pitcher soone broken a heap of ruine rather then a faire structure and in his greatest perfections a cipher or nothing In that honour is but a blaze or meteor many times made up of the basest matter a treasure without lock or key more in the power of another then the owner riches but Gold Gold but a well coloured peece of dirt which against nature rather then stay to make us happy will though a dull and heavy element take wings and flye away fame a hollow Eccho beauty a well glazed pitcher or fading flower friendship a dying happinesse joy but folly mirth a short madnesse all things in their longest continuance but a sound or flash of lightning that dyes as soone as borne a dim glasse darke resemblance or apparition of future happinesse for in the making of this goodly frame this out-building or suburbs of heaven as in a little note-booke God onely writ in short and illegible Characters drew in modell or little those everlasting inutterable ravishing glories that shall be revealed when the scene is to be opened the curtaine drawne the vaile of our soules our bodies done away even such as our cripled fancy our imped and pinnioned imaginations cannot soare to and therefore with a silent admiration a blindnesse occasioned by seeing the lustre of many suns at once let us expect to enter that immence infinite blessednesse by faith that cannot now enter into us into our finite capacities and begin our heaven in our holinesse the true way approach and gate to happinesse and from inward principles be constant in our outward sufferings for the name or cause of Jesus Act. 20. and so turne our enemies pitty at our pressures into wonder at our patience and our patience into an everlasting fruition of blessednesse and seale if Gods honour require it and our Countries good to that truth by our deaths we have made profession of in lives * Rev. 2.12 suffering all evill or punishment rather then commit any the least evill of sinne for such a temper of the soule when in the lowest center of misery will like fire to fewell turne all into it selfe into satisfaction if not complacency and with the wood in Exodus will convert these bitter waters into sweet and refreshing springs But if our weake faith doth not worke such miracles Exo. 15.25 let not our soules be vexed nor disquieted within us but trust in God as well for the resurrection of our joyes here as of our bodies hereafter who is the helpe of our countenance and our God * Psa 42.43 and having received presse mony past favours which are alwayes pledges of future mercies let us waite upon God fight unto death and not quit our colours for want of pay here but expect our triumphs hereafter when the enemy sinne and death are totally vanquished and in the meane time like Cloth in the fullers hand which must be thorowly whited and dressed to make up those robes of state the innocency of the Saints we must be for ever adorned with hereafter let us yeeld our selves to be trampled on and rinsed in severall waters many troubles still fearing that if the deluge of Affliction once begin to fall or abate a worse slime of sinne will cover the face of our earthly hearts and we for ever may stick fast in that mire without water to cleanse us if the fountaines opened to Iuda and Ierusalem for uncleanesse be stopt against us and then if the Baits of sinne delights of the world carry us along in those soft and boggy wayes and sinke us deeper how ever their entertainments are sweetned for the present with hony we shall ever finde the Bees sting in their taile their conclusion will be bitternesse and if our tendernesse shrinkes at the prickling of Afflictions here how shall we endure the wrack hereafter if not the sparkes of divine displeasure how the flames of hell fire for ever and ever Now to prevent this misery which is as immortal as the body the body as the soule the soule as God himselfe let us take lawfull pleasures here when God allowes them but not suffer them to take us yet sometimes please our selves in the want of pleasure it selfe * 1 Cor. 7.29.31 for what we sow in weakenesse shall rise in power * 1 Cor. 15. nay to Glory nay in Glory for as all Joyes here flow into the joyes of Heaven as rivers into the Sea so the faithfull Christian shall not loose his in death But his soule assoon as out of his body shall only goe from one Heaven to an other for the way to Heaven is Heaven so that as the Angels did not devest Heaven in coming to us good soules do invest Heaven in going to them the true joy that a Zacheus a soule in union with God and Christ apprehends here Joh 14.16 being that none can take from him For as one saith wittily crowd Heaven into a Map it s two Hemispheres are made up of joy and glory joy ushering in glory so that in the anguish of death agony of dissolution vision of horror nay sight of hell it selfe I shall see the face of God and all these will be but as Glasses that collect and reflect his ravishing rayes upon me adding joy to joy and glory to both and exchange for a great bubble blowne out with an easie breath for that childe and darling of time antiquity in blood for an empty aery title which is innobled onely by action and retaines nothing but the wax fit for any labell if wanting the stamp of true piety and worth for the hollow sound of fame a crowne that can never be lost for goodnesse and vertue will reflect a brave lustre upon the memory of a dead as well as upon the person of a living Saint a gallant eccho of praise when dead for his praising of God when living and though as one saith envy may sometimes mist the glasse of Reputation so that it shall not report a cleere light yet at the last judgement it will reverberate truly and we shall shine in a sphere all brightnesse and be known by a transparent light on every side what we were here what we are in heaven to the glory of God joy of the Saints shame and derision of of our enemies So great is the convictive Majesty of goodnesse in the beames of the setting sunne and though the highest perfection of the soule the most sublimed part of man here is full of imperfections blemishes and dying beauties which doe rather hide then shew the glory of a sanctified spirit or the true Image of God drawn in little there yet this way of taking God into us is our onely way of being taken into God and to make him our sheild and exceeding great reward Gen. 5. our defence here and Crowne hereafter when our Candles shall be put out in our earthen sockets our lofty blowne bladders empty themselves of breath and we sleepe in death a darke Gallery or shady walke onely leading betweene two lives the period and Omega of the earthly mans happinesse the Alpha and beginning of the Christians blessednesse the highest step to honour and birth day to eternity where we shall for ever injoy day without night satisfaction without satiety a tranquill happinesse in a happy tranquillity eternall blessednesse in a blessed eternity So be it Amen GEntle Reader though naturally men love the issue of their braines more then of their bodies in that they are many times longer lived more true and lasting records of the innobled soules they derive their pedigree from then the other yet the authour of this little worke chose rather to be forgotten then remembred by a peece that if examined by a cleer and open light will represent him with so many errours and ill drawn features to the world and designed it onely for himselfe and his but truly a civility to the law of friendship where desires are commands and the consideration of its usefulnesse in regard of the unhappy Harmony betweene its subject and these times made me first lend and now send it abroad and give it line beyond its authours intention though not liberty to goe but whether my hand directs for I have onely Printed a few Coppies to satisfie some private importunities and therefore if thou be one of that number its failings are now mine and thine and so intitle themselves to your forgivenesse which is the humble request of thine in all affection FINIS