Canaan yet we see how hardly they were brought to depart from thence Yea when they were in the way to Canaan they would often haue returned backe againe into Aegypt to their flesh-pots Num i4 3 4 Exod. 16.3 Num. 11.5 their fish their cucumbers their pepons c. If they had liued in preferrement there and enioyed the fatte of the land as they did in Iosephs time Gen. 45.18 and 47.11 it would no doubt haue beene an hard matter to haue perswaded them to depart So it fareth with the most of vs wee are in this world as in a Sea of misery neuer out of one danger or other yet such is our folly we loue to be here still What would we do if we neuer had any thing to molest vs It is a lamentable thing to consider that our mindes should bee so dazeled with the glittring shew of riches plesures honors as they cannot look to heaueÌ„ that our hearts should be so oppressed and weighed downe with couetousnes and ambition that they can not raise vp themselues vnto celestiall cogitations and that our soules should be so ensnared with the pleasant inticements of the flesh that they seeke for their felicitie vpon the earth And therfore the Lord in mercy to preuent this euill doth by daily experience of miseries put his children in minde of the vanity of all earthly things Caluin instit lib. 3. cap 9. sect 1. lest they should promise to themselues a constant and continuall peace in this world hee suffereth them many times to bee disquieted and molested with warres with tumults with robberies and other iniuries lest they should with too much greedines gape after brittle and inconstant riches or should too much rest in those which they doe possesse God bringeth them to pouerty sometimes by banishment sometimes by barrennes of the earth sometimes by fire sometimes by one meanes and sometimes by another lest they should take too much delight in the comfortes of marriage he eyther causeth them to be vexed with the shrewdnesse of their wiues or humbleth them with lewd children or afflicteth them with the losse and death of their children And if it fall out that the Lord doe spare them in all these things yet lest they should either swell with vaine-glorie or reioyce with foolish confidence he chasteneth them with sickenesse and diseases that they may learne how fraile and vnstable all earthly things are and may lift vp their eyes to heauen where that incorruptible crowne of glory is laid vp for them And thus the Lord in his vnspeakeable goodnes many times diminisheth the health of our bodies that we may more earnestly desire the saluation of our souls He taketh away the things of this life that we may more carefully seeke after the things of a better life So that afflictions are like to a great storme at Sea Philip. 1.23 to make the godly wish to be in the hauen As the waters of the deluge the more they increased the higher they bare vp the Arke So the waters of tribulation the greater they are the higher they lift vp the soule towardes heauen according to that speech of Bernard a Per flagella domini spernuntur teâ—rena amantur coelestâ—a De coena dom serm 10 By the Lords corrections we contemne earthly things and loue heauenly And therefore as Zeno b Diog. Laertius in vita Zenonis hauing suffered shipwracke became the Scholler of Crates and studied Philosophie and after said it was an happie shipwracke that made him affect such excellent knowledge So may wee say much more truly It was a blessed sicknes a blessed pouerty a blessed imprisonment c that caused vs to looke towardes the kingdome of heauen Ninthly affliction doeth saue the children of God from hell condemnation If God should let vs alone we would neuer rest till we run headlong to hell as foolish childreÌ„ if they be not hinderd will run into the ditch And therefore it is the Lords mercie to lay the rodde vpon our backs that so we may bethinke our selues of the danger wherein wee stand and may labour to preuent it And this is that which Iob saith Iob 33 16.18 that the Lord openeth the eares of men by corrections that so he may keepe backe their soules from the pit and that their life should not passe by the sword And the Apostle hath a saying to the same purpose i Cor. 11.32 that when we are iudged we are chastened of the Lord because we should not be condemned with the world When a man is desperately about to cast himselfe into the fire or to drowne himselfe in the water can any do him a greater benefite then to preuent him and saue his life So there cannot be a greater benefit to vs then when we are ready to drowne our selues in perdition by our sinnes that the Lord by his corrections should stay vs and holde vs backe Last of all affliction doth fitte and prepare vs for the kingdome of Heauen As the Apostle saith of the Thessalonians that by persecutions and tribulations which they suffered they were counted woorthie of the kingdome of God 2. Thess 1.5 As the parching heat of the Sun ripeneth the corne and maketh it fitte to bee carried into the barn so doth afflictioÌ„ ripen the godly that they may be meet to be gathered into Gods barne And this is done two wayes First because by afflictions â—as wee haue heard wee are purged and purified from our sins which else would hinder vs from comming there Apocal. 21.27 For no vncleane thing shall enter into Gods kingdome As gold must first be purified in the fire before it be laid vp in the kings treasury Prou. 25.4 as wheat must be cleansed from the chaffe before it be laid vp in the garner so must it be with vs. Affliction is the fire that must purge vs 2. Tim. 2.21 to make vs vessels of honour for the house of God and the fan that must clense vs to make vs pure wheat for his garner In the building of Solomons temple 1 Kings 6.7 all the stones were hewen and fitted in the quarry before they were brought thither and There was neither hammer nor axe nor anie toole of yron heard in the temple while it was in building So in the kingdome of heauen which is the spirituall house of God all the liuing stones thereof must be hewen and squared and fitted by afflictions in this life Secondly affliction prepareth vs for heauen because it is a meanes to worke holines in vs Heb. 12.14 without which no man shall euer see the Lord as the Apostle saith We see then by all these gracious effects and blessed fruits which affl ction bringeth with it that Dauid had good cause to say It is good for mee that I haue beene afflicted And therefore wee may conclude with Saint Augustine a Percutis vt sanes â—et occidis nos ne moriamur abs te
rich gluttō being in hel in torments Son saith he Luke 16.25 remember that thou in thy life time receiuedst thy pleasures and likewise Lazarus pains now therfore is he comforted thou art tormented Fiftly by afflictions wee are made conformable vnto Christ For he was not exempt from the Crosse as one saith wel a Deus filium vnum habuit sine peccato nullum sine flagello Hebr. 5.9 Ma th 3.17 Cal Institut lib. 3. cap. 8. sect 1. God had one sonne without sinne but none without affliction Though he were the author of eternall saluation to al that obey him yet he was consecrate by afflictions Yea albeit he were the beloued Sonne of God in whom he is well pleased yet we see his Father was so far from cockering and pampering of him that we may truely say he was not onely exercised with afflictions whiles he was vpon the earth but his whole life was nothing else but a continuall crosse Iohn 15.20 Why then should we looke to be exempted from that condition which Christ our head was to vndergoe especially seeing hee did vndergoe it for our sakes that in himselfe hee might giue vs an example of patience And therefore the Apostle teacheth vs that all the children of God are predestinated to this end Rom. 8.29 that they might be made like to the Image of him In a word by afflictions the Lord doth seale vnto vs the assurance of our adoption For as the Apostle saith Whom the Lord loueth hee chasteneth He. 11 6 7 8. and he scourgeth euery sonne that he receiueth If yee endure chastening God offereth himselfe vnto you as sonnes for what sonne is it whom the Father chasteneth not If therefore yee be without correction whereof all are partakers then are yee bastards and not sonnes Where wee are taught that wee can gather no greater testimony that wee are the sonnes of God than from the louing corrections which hee layeth vpon vs. Last of all there is a good end of our afflictions in respect of others If wee be constant and couragious vnder the crosse our example is a notable encouragement vnto others to treade in our steppes If wee bee fearefull and faint-hearted others may learne what frailty there is in man Rom. 12.15 Hecr 13.3 and may thereby be moued to pitty vs as if it were their owne case as also to comfort vs and to pray for vs and to watch more carefully diligētly ouer themselues To conclude the way to euerlasting glory is by this meanes as it were chalked out For hereby all men may see that Whosoeuer will liue godly in Christ Iesus 2. Tim. 3.12 must suffer persecution and that Through many tribulations we must enter into the kingdome of Heauen Act. s 14.22 And thus wee see the poynt is sufficiently cleared that afflictions to Gods children are no punishments of their sins but that the Lord sendeth them for many other good ends and purposes Vse 1 The vse of this Doctrine is very profitable First it serueth to teach euery one of vs to iudge wisely as Dauid saith of the poore and those that are afflicted Psal 41 1. There is a corruption in our nature which maketh vs rashly conclude when wee see a man afflicted with some heauie crosse that surely it is GODS iudgement vpon him for his sinne So dealt the Barbarians with the Apostle Paul when they sawe a Viper leape vpon him and hang vpon his hand they saide presently amongst themselues This man surely is a murtherer Acts 28.3 4 whom though hee haue escaped the Sea yet vengeance hath not suffred to liue Yea this corruption will euen creep into the best of vs all if we do not endeauour to keepe it out As wee see in Iobs friends who though they were otherwise men of great knowledge and no doubt godly yet when they saw the strange afflictions that GOD had brought vpon him they by and by with one consent passe their censure vpon him That he was an hypocrite and that GOD had now found him out Iob 8 4 As Bildad telleth him plainely that his sonnes had sinned against GOD and therefore that hee had iustly sent them To the place of their iniquitie Iob 11.6 And Zophar bids him know that God had forgotten him for his iniquitie Yea Eliphaz commeth to particulars with him Is not saith he thy wickednes great and 22.5 6 7 9. and thine iniquities innumerable For thou hast taken the pledge from thy brother for nought and spoiled the cloathes of the naked To such as were weary thou hast not giuen water to drinke and hast withdrawne bread from the hungrie Thou hast cast out widowes empty and the armes of the fatherlesse were broken And where we see he is not afraid to charge Iob with oppression and vnmercifulnes as if these had beene the causes of his calamitie And the Disciples of our Sauiour Christ when they saw a man that was borne blinde they straitway imagined that it was either for his owne or his parents sins But we must know Iohn 9.1.2 that euery crosse is not a pursuing of a man for sinne as our Sauiour teacheth in the Gospel when he said to them that shewed him of the Galileans whose bloud Pilate had mingled with their owne sacrifices Lu. 13.1 2 3 4 5. Suppose yee that these Galileans were greater sinners then all other Galileans because they haue suffered such things I tell you nay c. Or thinke ye that those eighteene vpon whom the Tower in Siloam fell and slew them were sinners aboue all that dwel in Ierusalem I tell you nay c. And therefore if any of vs haue beene foolish this way and haue thought wickedly and vncharitably of our brethren when wee haue seene them visited by the hand of God let vs learne henceforth as Salomon saith to lay our hand vpon our mouthes Pro 30.32 lest we condemne the generation of Gods children Psal 73.15 Saint Augustine hath a most excellent saying to this purpose Although saith hee the godly and the wicked be alike afflicted yet they are distinct the one from the other there a Manet dissimilitudo passorum in similitudine passionum remaineth an vnlikenesse of the sufferers in the likenesse of their sufferings For as vnder one and the same fire golde shineth and glistereth and chaffe smoaketh and vnder one and the same flaile the strawe is broken is pieces and the corne is purged neyther are the lees therefore mingled with the oyle because they are strained out in one and the same presse So one and the same violence rushing vpon the godly and the wicked tryeth b Tantum interest non qualia sed qualis quisque patia ur De Ciu. Dei lib. 1. cap. 8 purifieth and melteth the one but it damneth destroyeth and vtterly vndoeth the other h So great a matter it is not what things one suffereth but how he is qualified that suffereth For
c. And then by a particular effect which was wrought in him thereby That I may learne thy Statutes And thus we see the coherence that these words haue with the former together with the sum and resolution of them Let vs now come to the seuerall instructions contained in them It is good for me In the example of Dauid we learne that euen the Godly themselues are subiect to many afflictions The dearest of Gods children may and oftentimes doe suffer affliction with varietie Psal 34 19 extremitie and continuance Many saith Dauid or great are the troubles of the righteous Psal 80 5. Yea God doth many times feede his owne children with the bread of teares and giueth them teares to drinke in great measure And hee threatneth euen those with whom he hath made a sure couenant and from whom hee will neuer take his mercie and louing kindnesse Psal 89 30 31 32.33 that if they forsake his lawe and walke not in his iudgements If they breake his statutes and keepe not his commaundements hee will visit their transgression with the rod and their iniquitie with strokes And to this purpose is that saying of Solomon that euen a iust man Pro 24 16 falleth seuen times that is is afflicted oft and many times And the Apostle Iames exhorteth the faithfull Iam. 1 2 to count it exceeding ioy when they fall into tentations or afflictions And hereof the Prophet Dauid himselfe is a most pregnant example Hee was a man that God had set vp on high 2. Sam. 23 1 the Annointed of the God of Iacob 1. Sam. 13.14 Yea by the Lords owne testimony he was a man after his owne heart and yet he affirmeth of himselfe that daily hee had beene punished Psal 73 14 and chastened euery morning Euery day that wēt ouer his head brough with it some affliction or other He was persecuted by Saul who pursued him from place to place 1. Sam. 26 20 as one would hunt a partridge in the mountaines and 22 9 and 23 19 20 He was falsely accused by Doeg that cursed Edomite betrayed and discouered by the false hearted Ziphims He was discomforted and derided by his wife that lay in his bosom He had many heartbreakings with his children Ziglag 1. Sam. 30 1 5. the towne which Achish king of Gath had giuen him for his habitation was sacked burnt by the Amalekites his wiues that were the comfort of his life were taken prisoners Yea it may appeare to all that shall read his story in both the bookes of Samuel that as if hee had beene a man borne to misery hee scarce had one good day in all his life Neit er was this the case of Dauid alone but euen all the children of God mentioned in the Scripture haue also beene partakers of the same condition Rom. 9.13 Iacob that holy Patriarke on whom God had set his loue before he was borne was many waies afflicted in the greatest part of his life He was hated of his brother and for feare of his fury forced to leaue his owne cuntry and his fathers house and to liue as a seruant in a strange land for the space of twentie yeares Gen. 31.41 He was vexed with the vnkindnesse of his churlish Vncle who notwithstanding his faithfull seruice changed his wages ten times He was vpbraided and slaundered by his Cosins the sonnes of Laban He was grieued with the peeuish behauiour of his wiues and much discomforted by his children Iob likewise though a godly man one of whom the Lord himselfe testified that he was an vpright and a iust man Iob. 1.8 one that feared God and eschewed euill Yet his life for a long time was euen a Mappe of misery It was no small affliction to loose such a deale of substance all in a day to haue his children so pittifully dismembred to haue his wife and his friends that should haue asswaged his sorrow Iob. 16.2 and 6.4 to play the miserable comforters and to adde affliction vnto his misery and which was worst of all to haue the terrours of God to fight against him Solomon also of whom the Lord said before euer hee were bone He shall bee my Sonne 1. Chr. 22 10 and I will bee his Father and concerning whom he promised that his mercie should neuer depart from him as he tooke it from Saul 2. Sam. 7.15 though he enioyed great prosperitie for many yeares yet when he turned his he art from the Lord God of Israell keept not that which he had commaunded him 1. King 11 9.10 the Lord raised him vp aduersa ies one after another which molested him with warres al the dayes of his life 1. Kin. 11 14 23.26 As first Hadad then Rezon and after him Ieroboam and when he was dead ten tribes of the kingdome were rent away from his sonne And Hezekiah a man so vpright in the sight of the Lord 2. Kin. 18 5 5 as after him there was none like him among all the Kings of Iudah neither were there any such before him was notwithstanding exercised with grieuous and continuall afflictions Verse 13 14 15 16 First of all Sanecherib king of Assyria came vp against all the strong cities of Iudah and tooke them and hee to make his peace was constrained to giue him three hundreth talents of siluer and thirtie talents of gold For raising of which summe hee was forced to take all the siluer that was found in the house of the Lord and in the treasures of the kings house yea he pulled off the plates of the doore of the temple and the pillars which himselfe had couered ouer and gaue them to the making vp of the tribute And yet notwithstanding all this 17. Sanecherib presently after sent a great arny against Ierusalem to destroy it and 19 10 11. and caused Rabshakeh with a blacke mouth to the breaking of Hezekiahs heart to blaspheme the name of the liuing God And he was no sooner by Gods mercie deliuered out of this danger and 20 1 but straightway he was visited with a sore sicknesse and as some thinke with the plague which in all appearance was vnto death So Lazarus Luk 16.20 21 22 at whose death the Angels of heauen were imployed to carry his soule into Abrahams bosome was in his lifetime poore impotent harbourlesse distressed and vnpittied In a word these famous worthies of the world that the Apostle speaketh off of whom the world was not worthy were tryed Heb. 11 36.37.38 some by mockings and scourgings some by bonds and imprisonment They were stoned they were hewen asunder they were tempted they were slaine by the sword they wandered vp and downe in sheepes skins goates skins being destitut afflicted tormented And as this is true in the generall that Gods children are subiect to many great afflictions so it is true also in the particuler that there is
seeme that God layeth heauier and sorer afflictions vpon vs then vpon many others yet wee must consider that hee knoweth the corruption and hardnesse of our hearts to bee such as could not bee subdewed with lighter corrections a Malo nodo mâ—lus cuneus An hard knot as the prouerb is must haue an hard wedge The Physition maketh his potions milder or stronger as the quality of the sickenesse doth require In like maner the Lord tempereth his corrections according to our disposition if he see vs tractable he dealeth more gently with vs if we be vntamed and rebellious hee layeth it on and maketh vs feele the smart Neyther will hee euer cease to follow vs with one calamity after an other till hee haue brought vs to our knees and caused vs to humble our selues sufficiently vnder his hand That I may learne thy statutes Here the Prophet doth particularly declare that which before hee had generally propounded Where by Learning hee doth not vnderstand that contemplatiue and speculatiue learning which swimmeth in the braine and is gotten by hearing and reading of the word of God but that particular learning which is gotten by experience In a word his meaning is this that hee felt the truth and comfort of the word more powerfull and effectuall in his afflictions then at any time before and that made him more carefull to liue godly when the crosse was remoued and the trouble gone From hence wee learne that the godly doe feele the fruit of their afflictions and are made better by theÌ„ when they are past and gone They are not only good for the present while they feele the smart for so an hypocrite may seeme to be but the benefite of their afflictions remaineth with them all the daies of their liues A proofe heereof wee haue in the example of Manasseh who did not onely humble himselfe greatly before the Lord as wee haue heard before when he was in tribulation 2 Chron. 33 But when God was intreated of him 12. and heard his prayer 13. and brought him again to Ierusalem into his kingdome then he reformed himselfe from his wicked courses and restored the true worship of God He tooke away the strange gods .15 and the Image out of the house of the Lord and all the Altars which himselfe had built before and cast them out of the citty 16. And he prepared the Altar of the Lord and offered sacrifice thereon and commaunded Iudah to serue the Lord God of Israel The like wee see in that good king Hezekiah Isa 38.3 who was not only religiously and deuoutly affected in the time of sicknesse when he was past hope of life for there is none so wretched but will make a shew of holinesse then but when hee was recouered of his sickenesse 9. etc hee made a holy Song of thankesgiuing wherein hee professeth the care that hee would haue of Gods seruice for the time to come So that we see the fruit of affliction endureth for euer vnto the children of God otherwise they neuer made true vse of it they neuer reaped any profite by it But I will not stand any longer in the prosecuting of this point It serueth for the iust reproofe of all those that make a shew to be somwhat good in the time of trouble but when it is gone they are as badde as euer they were So long as they feele the hand of GOD vpon them they promise great reformation but all is but hypocrisie For they are no sooner enlarged 2 Pet. 2.22 but they returne vnto their former courses with as much greedinesse as euer did the dog to his vomite And herein they are like children who while the rodde is on their backs promise great matters that they will neuer do the like againe but they remember that promise no longer then they feele the smart of the rodde And this wee see in the example of Pharaoh who so long as the plague was heauy vpon him his land made no small shew of repentance and promised that if Moses and Aaron would pray for him that the plague might be remoued hee would let the people goe they should tarry no longer Exodus 9.27 28. and 10 16 17. But as soone as euer God had spared him at their intreaty he was so farre from perfourming his promise as his heart was more hardened then euer it was before Iron whilest it is in the fire is soft and pliable and may be wroght into any forme but if it bee taken from the fire alittle it straitway returneth to his former hardnesse In like maner many men while they are in the furnace of afflictioÌ„ seem to haue soft melting hearts and make great shew of remorce for their sinnes but afterwards their hearts become as hard as the Adamant And thus men doe vse their repentance like an olde germent they cast it about them in a storme or a shewer but assoone as it is faire weather they lay it by againe But let vs bee carefull to make such an holie and sanctified vse of our afflictions when they be vpon vs that wee may be the better for them all our life after This point is necessary to be enlarged but I haue handled it a In the repentance of Peter and Iudas elsewhere and therefore I will insist no longer vpon it at this time FINIS