foes and their former love may be turned into future hatred It is possible that those that are nearest and dearest unto thee may reject thee Yet though thy father and thy mother should forsake thee the Lord will not he will take the care of thee Psal 27.10 If God hath once chosen thee for his own and set his love upon thee whether thou beest in health or in sicknesse in ease or in paine in prosperity or adversitie in life or in death all is one God loveth thee neverthelesse Before he shewed thee his love he knew what would befall thee yea nothing as wee have heatd can betide thee but that which he intended and provided in love for the so that whether you live or die you are the Lords Rom. 14.8 The Lord for special ends may give thee over unto afflictions he may give thee up into the hands of those that hate thee yea even unto the death and therfore will take away thy life from thee As it is written for thy sake are we killed all the day long we are counted as sheep for the slaughter Rom. 8.36 Yet none of these nay not all these put together can any whit diminish or abate the love of God towards thee much lesse spoile thee wholly of it and take it cleane away from thee when they have done the worst they can against thee or unto thee When thou art plunged into the deepest distresse that might or malice can bring thee into thou art still as deere and precious in the Lords eye as ever thou wert nay if it were possible deerer now then ever thou wert before if those troubles and afflictions which thine enemies have devised and brought upon thee be for righteousnesse sake One friend may love another deerely yet when the one shall expose himself to danger or trouble for the others sake when I see my frend hath not regarded his life for my good but adventured and hazarded his own life in my defence and safety how doth this increase mine affection towards him as it was said of Jonathan his soule was knit with the soule of David and Jonathan loved him as his own soule 1 Sam. 18.1 So this will knit my heart and love unto him and I shal love him as mine own soule How much more then may we be assured that if our afflictions be for Gods cause in his defence he will abundantly recompence and more deerely love us Then let no man say that he is lesse beloved of God then others because he is more afflicted then others be God still loves his and will own them for his people whatsoever outward sorrowes or miseries may befall them I have surely seen the trouble of my people and have heard their cry and I know their sorrowes Exod. 3.7 Though wee bee in trouble yea and such trouble as makes us cry out for griefe and sorrow yet still we bee the Lords people Outward miseries and troubles cannot make God to respect any of his any thing the lesse God is not like some proud people of the world who will acknowledge their friends no longer then they are in prosperity and be able to requite their kindnesse with kindnesse againe Some such beasts there bee that if they bee either advanced into high places above their parents or their parents their brethren sisters and friends fallen into decay and poverty will scarse own them but grow to bee ashamed of them It is farre otherwise betwixt the Lord and his people when they are up to the knees in durt when they are cruelly oppressed when in a poore and base condition it may be not having cloaths to cover their nakednesse when their cheekes looke pale and their faces leane and wan through hunger sorrow or sicknesse when they be grown out of favor through bodily diseases they are even then as lovely in the Lords eyes as ever and hee will then acknowledge us for his people aswell nay better then in our great prosperity If a childe be sick in the family how are the thoughts and minde of the parents taken up about that child how do they tend it and pitty it O my poore sicke child c. thus doth the Lord pitty his children and tender them in their affliction Vse 1 Now to make some application of the point Is it so that the perswasion of Gods love is a great help to carry us cheerfully through afflictions here hence then we may be instructed what the cause is that wee are so much troubled and perplexed with afflictions as if they were the meanes of our undoing that the very thought or expectation of them is most grievous and irkesome unto us certainly here is the ground of all our feares and doubts the want of a sound perswasion and assurance of Gods love in correcting us Did we beleeve that when we are afflicted wee are in the hands of our holy righteous everliving and everloving God who never did us any wrong who never intended us any harme but alwayes goeth the best the wisest and the most loving way to worke with his children would wee not bee lesse afraid of afflictions then we be more willing to undergoe them then we are Little do wee know how highly we dishonor God how much we gratify and please the Devill when wee repine against the hand of God when wee bee impatient in afflictions and question his love for correcting us The Devill desired that Job might be sorely afflicted that so he might bee brought to curse God Stretch now out thine hand and touch his bones and his flesh to see if he will not blaspheme thee to thy face Job 2.5 It is a pastime unto the Devill to set God and his children at variance and therefore hee desires to vex and perplex us that so wee may open our mouths against the Lord and quarrell with him for when we are discontented with the Lords dealing when wee mutter and murmur against the Lord what do wee lesse then rebell against him Hence it is that Moses called the murmuring Israelites Rebels Numb 20 10. Heare now ye rebels shall wee bring you watter out of this rocke Therefore murmure not against the Lord for then thou rebellest against him and robbest him as much as in thee lieth of his most glorious attributes his power his goodnesse his love his truth When we deal with that man which makes cōscience of his word wee question not the truth of his promise but rest upon the performance and making good of that which he hath said If a father promiseth unto his childe any thing the childe makes as sure reckoning of the thing promised as if hee had it already in possession Shall wee dare to give lesse credit to God then to man when hee telleth us hee correcteth us in love and intendeth our good in afflicting of us shall wee dare to question the truth of his word especially when hee hath seconded his Word by oath yea and sealed both with the blood
them Such is the unmercifulnesse and crueltie of many that they are ready to set their feet upon the necks of those whom the Lord hath cast down Indeed it is an easie thing to go over where the stile is low hee that is cast down to the ground may easily bee crowed over as the Chaldeans would make themselves merry with the poore captived Jewes They that led us away captive required of us songs and mirth when wee had hanged up our harps Psalm 127.3 To require a song from those whose cheeks were bedewed with teares and whose heart within them was as heavie as lead yea even ready to break with sighs and sobs was a thing unreasonable even adding of sorrow to their misery Whereupon saith the Lord unto those Babylonians Esay 47.9 I was wroth with my people I have polluted mine inheritance and given them into thine hand thou didst shew them no mercy but thou didst lay thy very heavie yoke upon the ancient therefore now shall destruction come upon thee Though God doth afflict his children for their good yet hee will not give their enemies leave to trample them underneath their feet or unmercifully to triumph and insult over them because he hath brought them under When Jobs miserable comforters began to crow over him and to censure him for his great afflictions Job tells them that hee that is in miserie ought to be comforted of his neighbour but men have forsaken the feare of God Job 9.14 What dost thou know to the contrary but that the Lord hath brought thy neighbor into misery to be the object of thy mercie that thou shouldest exercise thy charitie upon him releeve and comfort him which if thou dost not it is an argument that thou wantest the true feare of the Lord for the Lord hath commanded us to relieve the oppressed Esa 1.17 It is a service most acceptable unto God to relieve and refresh our brethren when they are in any trouble or distresse and such a service as seldome or never goes without a blessing Blessed is hee that considereth the poore the Lord will deliver him in the time of trouble Psalm 41.1 Therefore as thou desirest that God should blesse thee be thou as willing as thou art able to succor and comfort those that are in adversitie If thou wantest outward means of helping and relieving of them let them have a word of comfort from thee to support them advise counsell and direct them as thou art able if not yet pittie them pray for them that God would sanctifie their crosses give them faith and patience to beare their crosses and to give them in good time a good issue out of them and in the mean time do thou entertain a charitable opinion of them do not say or think that they are greater sinners then others because peradventure their afflictions and crosses are greater but that the Lord is pleased to prove them more then others for their greater good This wise judging and mercifull considering of the poore afflicted even when some heavie and strange calamities do befall them is a thing which God much respecteth yea and will certainly recompence with some blessing or other But if thou beest censorious or regardlesse of others woe and miserie it is a signe that thou wantest bowells of pitty and compassion thou wantest true charity for this would teach thee to remember them that are in affliction as if yee were also afflicted in the body Hebr. 13.3 Thus it is with Christ the head of the body hee is touched and affected with all their afflictions hee hath a feeling of every evill that befalls them as if it did befall himselfe They may be brought unto a low ebbe and pittifull plight by reason of afflictions yet doth not Christ esteem them the worse neither is he then ashamed to call them and take them for his brethren yea hee esteems of poore afflicted Christians as a part of himselfe though they be vile and contemptible in the eâ—es of the world yet are they honorable and precious in his sight though they be hated of the world yet are they beloved of him Thus should it bee with all true and sound members of the body of Christ we must have a fellow-feeling of the afflictions of our brethren to weep with them that weep and to be of like affection one towards another Rom. 12.15 16. So full of pitty and charity was Paul that hee was touched with the misery of all his brethren Who is weake and I am not weake who is offended and I burn not 2. Cor. 11.26 Nehemiah was a man in favor and credit with King Artaxerxes hee enjoyed the pleasures of the Court and felt no want yet when he understood of the affliction of his brethren and in what contempt and miserie the people of God were it is said that hee fell down and wept and mourned certain dayes Nehe. 1.4 The Prophet Jeremiah wished that his head were full of water and his eyes a fountaine of teares that hee might weep day and night for the miseries of the people Jerem. 9.1 But alas how few are they that do lay to heart the afflictions of their neighbors They sing to the sound of the violl they drink wine in bowles and anoint themselves with the chiefe ointment but no man is sorry for the afflictions of Joseph Amos 9.5 6. Thus too many Christians shew themselves to be Stoicks or rather stocks without any charitable affection without any bowels of compassion Many will be kind unto their friends all the while they are able to requite their love with kindnesse againe but in the day of adversitie as was touched before they are ready to turn their backs upon their neighbors whereas a true friend loveth it all times and a brother is borne for adversitie Pro. 17.17 These are hollow-hearted and false friends who like many a dog will fawn upon a man and follow him all the while hee hath somthing to give him but when all is gone hee is gone also So that it is true which the Wise man speakes Wealth maketh many friends but the poore is separated from his neighbor Prov 16.4 Take wee heed therefore that wee be not so taken up with our own fulnesse and prosperity that wee forget the wants and miseries of others so as there is left no place in our hearts to grieve for them for if wee be without compassion God will one day smite these incompassionate hearts of ours that wee shall stand in need of and be glad to have pittie from others but it shall be denied us For there shall be judgement mercilesse to him that sheweth no mercie Jam. 2.13 Therefore let us beare one anothers burthen and so fulfill the law of Christ Gal. 6.2 Thou helpest to beare thy neighbors burthen when thou labourest to comfort him in the time of affliction for it is a great ease and comfort unto him that is in any distresse to have others to condole with him to have
afflictions 387. Reasons 1 God will then help us to beare them 396. 2 God will do us good by our afflictions 397. 3 No misery can make us miserable if God love us 401. Uses 1 Whence it comes to passe that many are so perplexed in their afflictions 411. Of inward and spirituall afflictions 432. Divers objections from feare and unbeliefe answered 462. 2 Be perswaded of Gods love 488. Tokens of Gods afflicting of us in love 493. 1 If he gives us a contented minde 494. 2 If affliction brings us neerer to God 496. 3 If they worke godly sorrow in us 498. 4 If thankfull for afflictions 502. Doctr. IIII. The chiefe end of Gods afflicting of us is the bettering of us 508. Reasons 1 By affliction wee come to know our selves 514. 2 By affliction wee come to judge aright of sinne 518 How wee may find out that sinne for which wee are afflicted 524. 3 Affliction makes us to feare God 536. Uses 1 Satisfaction is not made to God by our affliction 546. 2 Our stubbornnesse provokes God to afflict us 550. 3 Amend by little else greater affliction will come 554. 4 Adde not affliction to the afflicted but rather comfort them 564. 5 Bee thankfull for afflictions 578. Whether wee may pray for afflictions 585. Errata PAge 91. line 14. for complaining read complaineth p. 92. l. 17. Esa 64.7 8 9. p. 96. l. 13. for their r. they p. 105. l. 12. r. set to p. 159. l. 16. r. so much p. 190. l. 3. r. it may p. 199. l. 9. r. as ready p. 217. l. 1. for and with r. for p. 333. l. 7. for originally r. organically p. 340 l. 5. r. makes him p. 341. l. 13. r. and disquiet p. 453. l. 16. r. drawest back p. 456. l. 4. so much put out p. 461. l. 6. r. as is implied p. 480. l. 13. for ever r. never p. 489. l. 12. for being r. be p. 524. l. ult for baiting r. biting A CORDIALL FOR THE AFFLICTED Touching the Necessity and Utilitie of Afflictions REVEL 3.19 As many as I love I rebuke and chasten be zealous therefore and amend THese words are a part of that Epistle which was written unto the Laodiceans In which Epistle there is set down first the Inscription or Superscription of the party unto whom it was sent to wit The Angel of the Church of the Laodiceans vers 14. Secondly there is a Description of the person from whom it was sent set forth by a twofold property The first is his fidelity and truth from whence he is intituled Amen or according to the originall the or that Amen which is an Hebraisme and signifies as much as Truly or Trueth it selfe explicated in the next words That faithfull and true witnesse The second is his Eternity or Power noted in these words The beginning of the Creatures of God Thirdly there is laid down the Narration or matter of the Epistle wherein there is first of all a Conviction of the Angel his sinnes the first whereof is Lukewarmnesse verse 15. which is such a temper as is neither hot nor cold He was as all hypocrites are good only in outward shew and appearance for he wanted both the mettall and making of zeal and piety He had only an outside and face of religion but wanted both the power of Gods word and the zeal of his Spirit in this allyed to the Cretians who professed that they knew God but by their works they denied him being abominable disobedient and unto every good work reprobate Titus 1.16 Then follows a Commination or the Punishment which the Lord threatned to inflict upon him for this sinne of Lukewarmenes and that is Rejection in the end of the 16. vers I shall spite thee out of my mouth The second sinne for which the Angel and in him the whole Church of Laodicea is taxed is his Pride or Boasting vers 17. For thou sayest I am rich and increased with goods and have need of nothing The third sinne was Ignorance of his wretchednesse and misery And knowest not that thou art wretched and miserable Which misery consisted in three particulars Poverty Blindnesse and Nakednesse in the end of the 17. verse The third thing in the matter of the Epistle is a Remedy prescribed for the curing of these three fore-named miseries unto each misery a severall remedy For the bringing of him out of his Poverty the Lord counsells him verse 18. To buy of him gold tryed by the fire that he might be made rich For the covering of his Nakednesse he adviseth him to furnish himself with White rayment that he might be clothed And for the healing of his Blindnesse he would have him to Annoint his eyes with eye-salve that he might see Fourthly the Lord sets down a way and course which he usually takes with his best beloved ones for the reclaming and amending of them and that is Rebuking and chastening of them in these words which I have read unto you vers 19. Whom I love I rebuke and chasten c. Which words are as a comfortable cordiall prescribed by a wise and loving Physitian unto his sick diseased patient to whom hee hath formerly administred some bitter pills or unpleasing potions The Lord before threatned to reject the Laodiceans for their lukewarmnes whereupon lest they should altogether despaire of regaining his love and favor he doth prevent their fear by telling of them that his correcting of them was no argument either of his hatred or of their rejection but an evidence of his love beating them that hee might better them Whom I love I rebuke and chasten bee zealous therefore and amend These words consist of two parts The first acquaints us with the Lords practice The second layes down the drift and end of his practice His practice in these words As many as I love I rebuke and chasten The end and drift of his practice in the latter part of the verse Be zealous c. I will briefly unfold the sence of the words and then the Lord willing collect Instructions out of them As many as I love I rebuke This word rebuke in the originall signifies not a bare and fingle reproof but even such a reproof as is uttered with some strong arguments and reasons to convince the party reproved implying unto us that when the Lord rebukes man for sinne it is an argument of his dislike and hatred of sinne And chasten This also must not be understood of ordinary correction but such a chastisement as a loving father gives unto the child of his love for the originall is taken from a word which signifies a child that as a father useth to teach and instruct his child so the Lord correcting all those he loveth intendeth thereby to teach and instruct them Bee zealous therefore These words are in opposition to their luke-warmnes and therefore Beza well renders it be hot Zeal or spirituall heat is an affection compounded of two qualities love and hatred
nothing in our own eyes And be we thankfull unto our good God and loving Father that he will be at these paines to refine and purge us that so he may make choice of us for his glory before others Behold saith the Lord Esay 48.10 I have fined thee but not as silver I have chosen thee in the fornace of affliction When God doth cast thee into the fornace to refine thee take heed thou dost not say or think I am cast out of his eyes the Lord hath rejected and forsaken me for this were to bring an evill report upon the waies of God and to turn his truth into a ly Ezek. 20.37 I will cause you to passe under the rod and will bring you into the bond of the covenant Yet such is the peevishnesse of our nature such is our unbeliefe that if any extraordinary affliction doth befall us especially if it be such as tarrieth and sticks by us we are ready to mutter and murmur yea ready to feare that God hath forsaken us Whereas we should rather gather arguments of comfort to our selves that the more he afflicteth us the better he loveth us in that he carrieth such a straite hand and vigilant eye over us that we shal no sooner step aside but he will be ready to fetch us in againe The Lord might give us over to our own hearts lust even unto hardnesse of heart to a reprobate minde giving us leave to eate of the fruit of our own way and be filled with our own devices Pro. 1.31 But his love compels him to take another course with us to chasten us That we should not be condemned with the World 1. Cor. 11.32 Whereupon one of the antient Fathers prayed Lord seare me here that thou maist save me hereafter cut and wound me here that thou maist for ever heale and spare me Consider what the wiseman saith Pro. 3.11 12. My sonne refuse not the chastening of the Lord neither be grieved with his correrection for the Lord corcteth him whom he loveth even as a father doth the child in whom he delighteth Children will hardly be brought to beleeve thus much and therefore they are ready to measure their parents affection by their correction and to think there is most love where ther is least correction But this is their error for wisedome telleth us Pr. 13.24 that Hee which spareth the rod hateth his sonne but hee that loveth him chasteneth him betimes Least if he let him alone with out correction as too many foolish indulgent parents do he go to Hell in the end Therefore thou shalt smite him with the rod and shalt deliver his soul from Hell Pro. 23.14 So wee are ready to think wee might do well without affliction but the Lord knowes us better then wee know our selves and hee seeth we would to hell hereafter if hee should not afflict us here I am sure it had been wo with some of us if the Lord had not afflicted us Nay some of us can say blessed bee God for his unspeakable mercie that there never did befall us any affliction which we could have spared either for the nature and kinde or for the measure and quantity thereof And may we not all say that wee are then in the best temper when we are afflicted Even the wicked will be somewhat good in affliction Pharaohs proud heart will stoope and yeeld a little then the Israelites shall go and sacrifice to their God Exod. 10.14 But their goodnesse lasteth no longer then their troubles last When afflictions end their goodnesse ends And they returne with the dog to their old vomit 2. Pet. 2.22 Their hard heart will be a little softned whiles they are in the fire as iron bendeth as the Smith would have it all the while the fire is in it But as their affliction abateth so their hardnes and wickednesse returneth as iron growing cold grows as hard as it was before nay oft times harder as water waxeth colder after heating then it was at first Therfore we have more cause to be thankfull to God for afflictions then for meate and drinke seeing the Lord doth us more good by them then by these Which good though at the first thou seest not because thy physick is now but in working yet if thou belong to God thou shalt hereafter both see it and feele it too And thou wilt justify the goodnesse of God in every particular and say I could not have spared any of Gods rods I would not have been without this or that affliction for all the world None could have been invented to doe me more good so to hit me in the right veine I had been undone I had perished for ever if the Lord had not thus and thus afflicted me Happy art thou who canst thus say But this is a lesson which flesh and blood can hardly be brought to learne and some are more dull then others that is more proud more stubborn more carnall more earthly minded then others and therfore the Lord keeps those longer in the schoole of affliction then those his children that are more tractable and teachable But as I said it is a hard taske for the best and therfore if we might be choosers we would be no sufferers if we could shift it wee would not be afflicted How hardly are we brought to beleeve that the Lord intendeth or will do us good by this evill of affliction What meate to come out of the eater sweet out of the sowre this is a very riddle unto us But faith makes it plaine and easie to be understood for faith will shew us one contrary in another good in evill health in sicknesse ease in paine glory in shame and life in death Without this eye of faith thou canst not possibly see the Lords goodnes towards thee in afflicting thee nor yet reap that good by thine afflictions which otherwise thou maiest by beleeving And for proofe herefore I wish the to peruse such treatises as do tend to this purpose In the meane time let this which I have spoken serve to comfort thee in thine afflictions Howsoever they may be tart and sharp for the present bitter and grievous unto nature as if the print of every stroke did pierce thy flesh and fetch blood from thee yet God is where he was yet God loves thee as much as ever he did if not more and loving thee will lay no more upon thee nor suffer thee to be tempted above that which thou shall be able to beare 1. Cor. 10.13 Some the Lord doth chastise with rods othersome he doth whip with scorpions as it were laying on greatest loade where he hath given greatest strength to beare as a father will lay those burdens upon the shoulders of his elder and stronger sons which will go neere to break the backs of his little ones Or as a wise Physitian who tempereth and prescribeth Physick answerable to the constitution and strength of his sick patient How should this comfort us in
perswasion will carry us on comfortably in our pilgrimage it will make us willing to beare whatsoever the Lord shall be pleased to lay upon us and to want that which wee see hee is not willing wee should injoy Wee rejoyce in tribulations saith Paul Rom. 5.3 because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given us verse 5. Reason 1 And that first of all because he that is perswaded of Gods love cannot but beleeve that God will helpe him to beare his crosse and to undergo his affliction bee it what it will For God is faithfull and will not suffer his to be tempted above that they are able to beare 1. Cor. 10.13 Object But I am weake saith one and I shall never bee able to beare such or such trials if the Lord laies any more upon mee I shall never beare it Answ Comfort thy selfe God will either make thee able or else hee will lighten and lessen thy affliction Thy God who loves thee will put to his hand hee will helpe at a dead lift his power is made perfect through weaknesse 2. Cor. 12.9 Hee loves thee and therefore will not overloade thee His grace shall bee sufficient for thee Therefore say as did Jeremy O Lord thou art my force and my strength and my refuge in the day of affliction Jer. 16.19 Reason 2 Secondly the perswasion of Gods love will be helpfull unto us to the cheerfull bearing of affliction because if wee beleeve that God loves us wee know that he intends our good in afflicting of us yea will do us good by our affliction For hee chasteneth all his children for their profit Heb. 12.10 It is good for me saith David that I have been afflicted Psal 119.71 Haply wee can see no good that is like to come unto us out of this affliction or that trouble but rather evill or hurt yet through the goodnesse and wisdome of the Lord good shall bee extracted out of this evill as the best treacle is made of deadly poyson When we are in a course of Physick at the first wee see not we feel not any good it doth us but it makes us rather worse then wee were before and causeth many a sicke qualme many a fainting fit and we wish the Physick had never been prescribed unto us or not taken of us but when wee consider of whom wee tooke it even from him whose judgement and knowledge we approve of whose care and love wee doubt not of then we are the more quieted and pluck up our spirits in expectation and hope of ease ere it be long It may be thou findest no good thine affliction hath yet done thee it being now working upon thee Yet if thou canst but rest a while and bee perswaded of the wisdome and love of God who hath administred this physick unto thee thou wilt bee contented and looke for good to follow it When rhe sonnes of Zerviah would faine have been doing with that dead dogge Shimei for cursing their Lord and Master no no saies David suffer him to curse it may be the Lord will looke upon mine affliction and do mee good for his cursing this day 2. Sam. 16.11 12. But the Apostle Paul being more full of faith putting the question past peradventure hee puts it out of question resolves and builds upon it wee know that all things worke together for the best to those that love God Rom. 8.28 Now wee know that every one that loves God is beloved of God for wee love him because he loved us first Iob 4.19 How cheerfully do wee use to welcome those that bring us but tidings of good but if any one brings us any great benefit we thinke wee cannot bid him too welcome Is affliction come unto thee Welcome it for certainly if thou beest the Lords I dare boldly as David said of Abimaaz the sonne of Zadock Hee is a good man and commeth with good tydings 2. Sam. 18.27 say of affliction it is a good thing and bringeth not only tydings of good but good it selfe unto thee For no sooner comes affliction to Gods children but if it be welcomed good will bee at the heels thereof to follow after it Reason 3 Thirdly it cannot bee but the perswasion of Gods love will make us cheerfull in affliction because being beloved of God no misery can make us miserable Art thou in Gods favor then thou art ever in his eye he lookes after thee and is carefull that no evill shall befall thee Nay thou art unto him as the apple of his eye Zach. 2.8 tender and deere unto him and therefore whatsoever danger doth beset thee the Lord will bee at thy right hand to uphold and comfort thee Being in Gods favor thou art sure of his protection for thou Lord wilt blesse the righteous and with favor wilt compasse him as with a shield Psa 5.12 Noah was safe enough in that great and deadly deluge because the Lord prepared an arke for him and shut him up Daniel was safe enough amongst the Lyons because God sent his Angel shut the Lyons mouths that they could not hurt him Dan. 6.22 The Lord hath made a gracious promise that When thou passest thorow the waters he will be with thee and thorow the floods that they do not overflow thee When thou walkest thorow the fire c. Esay 43.2 from whence is this it followes in the 4. verse because thou wast precious in my sight and thou wast honorable and I loved thee Therefore if God love thee thou art happy thou canst not be miserable Nay shall I speake boldly unto thee I tell thee if thou wert if possible in Hell in the deepest gulfe of calamity that can bee yet for all this being beloved of God thy estate and condition is happy hee will gaine glory and thou shalt get good by all that evill which hath or shall befall thee Reason 4 Fourthly and lastly the assurance of Gods love will make us willing to bear our affliction because we know that nothing can separate us as was said before from this love of God but being once beloved of him we shall so continue for ever It is not all the wit or will the cunning or subtilty the power or pollicy of all the creatures on the face of the earth or underneath the earth let there bee a confederacy amongst them yea let them all cast in their lot and make one common purse Prov. 1.14 to do thee mischief let them all plod plot combine and bandy themselves against thee they shall never bee able to winde thee out of Gods love or favor if once beloved of him It is possible that thou mayest lose the love and favor of the World and the more because thou art beloved of God for the World loves none but her owne brats Joh. 15.19 It is a very stepdame or rather beldame to all that are beloved of God It is possible that thy friends may become thy
or as balsume to heal those gashes which afflictioÌ„ hath or may make in thee or to give thee some ease comfort in them Read in faith and receive in love what is heer tendered unto thee If any comfort or content may hereby accrue unto thine afflicted soul and grieved minde let God have thy praises and let me have thy praiers who desireth to rest Thy servant in the Lords Worke. A. H. An Alphabeticall Table of the chiefe things contained in this BOOKE A. AFfliction the portion of all Gods children Pag. 12. Affliction is physick for the soul 40. Afflictions are instructions 52. Afflictions fit us for Gods service 70. Afflictions weane us from the World 78. Afflictions conform us unto Christ 110. Afflictions of the godly and the wicked differ 190. Afflictions are ordered by God 348. Afflictions do not satisfie the Justice of God 546. Afflictions serve to better us 554. Affliction must not be added unto the afflicted 564. B. Beleevers though they be weake in faith are not rejected 486. Benefits of God never so much prized as in affliction 74. C. Censure not afflicted ones 122. Children of God can not spare afflictions 228. 230. Children of God why under long afflictions 293. Children of God oft sad in trialls 424. Children of God may be in horror of conscience 442. Chance how understood 275. Comfort for the afflicted 211. Conquerors how wee are so 142. Conscience when it accuseth is a sore affliction 438. Contented with our condition 494. Covenant of God stands firme 455. Creatures at Gods command 271. D. David his afflictions 17. Death how it may be desired 237. Death frees us from evills 238. 241. Deliverance out of trouble is Gods worke 363. Despairing is a sad condition 440. Devotion quickned by affliction 102. E. Our Enemies are Gods rods 313. F. Failings do not nullifie Gods Covenant 455. Faith makes affliction profitable 490. Feare of God wrought in us by affliction 536. Feare of God is profitable 540. Fortune a meere Fancy 274. Francis Spira his Condition 439. G. God in afflicting us loves us 387. God will doe us good by our afflictions 397. Good things are most prized in the time of afflicton 74. Grace the truth of it tryed by affliction 59. Grace the strength of it tryed by affliction 299. Grace weakens sinne but doth not wholy destroy it 480. A gracious heart will be thankfull for afflictions 504. H. Hand of God in all our afflictions 257. Hard hearts softned by afflictions 294. Heart if good grieves more for sinne then for punishment 499. Heathens ignorant of the Divine Providence 262. Heaven and Earth filled with Gods presence 267. I. Injuries and wrongs must bee put up 317. Inward and spirituall afflictions are very necessary 437. Job his afflictions 15. Joy succeeds sorrow 301. K. Wee come to know our selves by afflictions 5â—4 L. Love of God seen in affliction 387. Perswasion of Gods Love will help us to be are affliction 488. God loves us if our afflictions do bring us neerer unto him 496. M. Man how author of his owne woe 265. No misery can make a childe of God miserable 401. Mourning for sinne is profitable 445. Mourning for sinne doth make way for comfort 466. O. Offer of God is free 448. P. Patience needfull in affliction 287 Patience how it is helped forward 303. Patience how attained unto 330. By Patience wee possesse our selves 339. Patience conformeth us to Christ 341. Perplexity in affliction from whence it groweth 411. Pray in time of affliction 90. Prayer helpfull in affliction 197. Divers objections against Prayer in affliction answered 204. 207. Prayers of Gods children oft interrupted by Satan 464. Whither wee may pray for affliction or not 585. Prepare for afflictions 134. 140. 147. How to prepare for afflictions 157. R. Relapsing is dangerous 474. Childe of God may relapse if God leave him 477. Repentance preventeth affliction 175. Repentance purgeth out sinne 444. S. Sadnesse in affliction hurtfull 379. Sadnesse oft in Gods children 429. Satan must be resisted 457. Satans assaults shall not hurt us if wee cry to God against them 459. Sinne found out by affliction 29. Sinne purged by affliction 37. Sinne prevented by affliction 46. Sinne not hurtfull if not doubted in 484. Sinne causeth trouble 176. Sinne disliked by afflictions 296. Sinne is beaten by afflictions 511. Sinne rightly judged of in time of affliction 518. Sinners are oft met withall in their own kinde 524. Strength to beare affliction is from God 356. Spirituall simonie 448. Stubbornnesse causeth the rod. 550. T. Tempests are ordered by God 283. Thankfull for afflictions 502. Thirsting shall be satisfied 449. U. Virgin Mary her afflictions 20. Vnbeliefe a childe of God is subject unto 446. Vnbeliefe a breach of Gods Commandment 450. Vnbeliefe robs the heart of all sound joy and peace 486. Vnthankfulnesse hurtfull 470. W. Want of affliction is wofull 243. Weaknesse supported by God 462. Weaned from the world bâ— affliction 78. Wicked ones though long spared yet at last soundly punished 216. Will of God works all things 269. Word of God able to comfort us in all our afflictions 163. Word of God is most effectuall in time of affliction 519. Z. Zeale what it is 8. FINIS A TABLE OF the Contents of this BOOKE Doctr. I. AFfliction is the lot and portion of Gods best children Pag. 12. Confirmed by the example of Job 15. Of David 17. Of the Virgin Mary 20. And of Christ himselfe 26. Reason I. 1 Affliction helpeth us to finde out sinne 29 2 Affliction serveth to purge out sinne 37. 3 Affliction preventeth sinne 46. 4 Affliction teacheth us many good lessons 52. 5 Affliction tryeth the truth of grace in us 59. 6 Affliction fitteth us for Gods service 70. 7 Affliction helpeth us to prize Gods benefits 74. 8 Afflictions weaneth us from the world 78. 9 Affliction stirs us up to prayer 90. 10 Affliction quickens our devotion 102. 11 Affliction conformeth us to Christ 110. 12 Affliction prepareth us for glory 114. Uses 1 Censure not the afflicted 122. 2 Prepare for afflictions 134. 3 Store thy selfe with comfort out of Gods Word 163. 4 Break off thy sinnes by repentance 175. 5 Seek unto God by prayer 197. 6 Comfort for the afflicted 211. 7 Desire to be with Christ 236. 8 Woe to such as are not afflicted 243. Doctr. II. 2 All trialls and afflictions come from God 256. Reasons 1 God filleth both heaven and earth 267. 2 God worketh all things as he will 269. 3 All creatures are at Gods command 271. Uses 1 Away with Fortune 273. 2 God disposeth of all tempests 283. 3 Patient in affliction 287. Long afflictions upon the godly for divers speciall end 293. unto 302. Helpes to the patient bearing of affliction 339. 4 Comfort for the afflicted 344. God doth order our afflictions 348. 5 Seek to God by prayer 355. Sadnesse in affliction doth much hurt 379. Doctr. III. The perswasion of God love will help us to beare our
is the portion of Gods dear children hast thou not read that wee are every day to take up our crosse Why hast thou not then prepared thy soul for tentation Art thou now free from affliction now barrell up against an hard time the winter of adversity for the day of affliction is a time of living upon the old store spending or using not getting of spirituall strength Strength to bear affliction must be provided before affliction come Is it not childish folly or rather desperate securitie for any man that hath his enemie ready to assault and wound him to have his weapons to seek Wherefore take unto you the whole armor of God that yee may be able to withstand in the evill day Eph. 6.13 This evill day is the time of temptation and affliction which that wee may be the better able to encounter wee must bee well appointed and furnished with Christian fortitude and courage that so affliction although it may at the first daunt us yet it may neither vanquish nor foil us To this purpose first of all I advise thee to be oft and serious in this meditation Whose thou art and whose all thou hast is Art thou not the worke of Gods hands hath he not formed and fashioned thee and may not hee alter and change thee at his pleasure So the things of this life health wealth honor libertie and the like doe they not hold all in chiefe is not the earth the Lords and the fulnesse thereof Is it not lawfull for the Lord to do with his own as seemeth good in his eyes Do not wee hold these outward things with condition of the crosse and with a limitation of Gods correction Secondly know as afterward you shall hear that Gods love is immutable though our outward estate and condition be changeable Gods love never changeth he is the same God and his love as entire and great when wee are in affliction as when wee are out of it He may and doth as you have heard for speciall ends change our estate yet for his own glory sake and our comfort hee continues still the same A loving father to all that love and fear him before affliction a tender and loving father in affliction and so for ever after for whom once he loves unto the end hee loves These things setled in our hearts by the help and assistance of the Lord wee shall be armed to encounter affliction strengthned with all might through his glorious power unto all patience and long-suffering with joyfulnesse Col. 1.11 Which words do teach us that the power and strength by which wee stand upright in time of trouble and bear with patience any affliction is not of our selves but from the Lord It is God that doth stablish our hearts with his grace hee it is that worketh faith in us and a feeling perswasion of his unchangeable love and a voluntary and cheerfull resignation of our selves and all wee have to be ordered and disposed of by God as seemeth good in his eyes Whereupon saith Saint Paul I can be abased and I can abound every where in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry and to abound and to have want I am able to doe all things through the helpe of Christ which strengtheneth mee Phillippians 4.12 13. Wee say fore-warned fore-armed Bee warned therefore betimes to prepare for thy triall that when it comes thou mayst be the better armed against it Evils the more suddenly they come upon us the more grievous they prove unto us and we are the lesse able to grapple with them and encounter them Whereas preparation doth as it were pull out the sting or beat out the teeth of affliction that either it bites us not at all or else doth not so deadly wound and hurt us When Agabus had told St. Paul what welcome and entertainment hee should find at Jerusalem how they would manacle him and deliver him over into the hands of the Gentiles Acts 21.11 Some of his friends besought him that hee would not go up to Jerusalem unto whom he answered What do yee weeping and breaking mine heart for I am ready not to be bound onely but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus vers 13. Saint Paul being thus prepared for his triall could chearefully and joyfully undergoe it Hee is like to look his enemy in the face and not like a dastard to turn his back upon him and betake himselfe to his leggs that armes himselfe and prepares for the encounter The life of a Christian is a continuall warrefare and wee are souldiers Thou therefore suffer affliction as a good souldier 2. Tim. 2.2 A good souldier in garrison or in the field is every day armed at all seasons ready for the assault which may suddenly come the enemie being at hand Affliction is our common enemie which as it hath foyled many for want of preparation so hath it been vanquished of many of the Lords worthies being evermore armed against it For thy sake are wee killed all the day long wee are counted as sheep for the slaughter Neverthelesse in all these things we are more then Conquerors What bee killed and yet be a conqueror This may seem a paradox a thing contrary to common reason but it is a divine truth Would you know how Gods children do conquer trials and afflictions it is thus First when troubles and afflictions cannot vanquish or overcome them cannot spoyle them of their patience and inward peace cannot batter down their comfort but that they still rejoyce in tribulation Rom. 15.3 A Christian is then beaten when his heart and minde is beaten A man is then overcome when his heart failes when his patience joy and peace is vanquished and put to flight But if these hold it out howsoever tribulation persecution may vanquish yea destroy the outward man yet the heart and minde being not overcome wee are conquerers though outwardly conquered Object Haply you will reply and say That even the best of Gods children through the extremity of their afflictions do oft times utter many rash and inconsiderate words and shew much impatience under their crosse how then may these be said to be conquerers Answ True it is that the flesh being pinched and pained may kick and winch but yet the heart is untouched neither doth the childe of God allow of any impatient carriage or passage but is ready to take himselfe in the manner and to reprove himselfe for it As Job said I will lay mine hand upon my mouth once have I spoken but I will answere no more yea twice but I will proceed no farther Job 40.4 5. Now the minde in Gods account is the man And so long as the heart is not vanquished though through the sence and smart of the affliction the outward man and flesh may storme the Lord will crowne such for conquerers 2. Againe we are said to be conquerers when still we hold our own ground and
were increased I have done these things unto thee Thus visiting even the best of his children with the rods of men yea and sometimes scourging their transgressions with whips of scorpions which hath made them roar through anguish and to cry night and day through extremity of gtiefe For if a man will sinne God will yea must punish unlesse hee should let us perish for hee that spareth the rod hateth his sonne but he that loveth him chasteneth him betimes Prov. 13.24 Bee not therefore ventrous in sinning Though Israel transgresse yet let not Judah sinne Hos 4.15 The Lord hateth sinne wheresoever hee sees it and will sooner punish it in his deare children then in the wicked although hee will not do it with that rigor wrath and severitie wherewith hee plagues the wicked They are the people by whom his name is called upon of his houshold his servants friends sonnes yea his beloved spouse and therefore do not only shame themselves by sinning but highly dishonour God their Lord their father The lewd prankes which rogues commit in streets or vagrant persons by high-way sides do not redound to the reproach of the housholder but if any of his family especially son or daughter do grow outragious hee thinkes his credit is neerly touched and it is a matter which much concerns him to look unto Even so the prophane and licentious lives of open and notorious sinners do not so much dishonor God therefore many times he lets them have their swinge and take their course but if such as make profession of piety and truth will be bold with sinne whereby the mouthes of the wicked are opened and the name of God blasphemed the Lord if he love such and purpose to save them will not suffer them to go unpunished For as the Lord is zealous of maintaining his own glory and will have it known to men and Angels that he is no patron of sinne or sinners but will punish the wicked sinning be they never so great neither will he give alowance unto iniquitie in the godly be they never so good so also is he tender of the good of his children and therefore must not suffer them to go on in sinne which they would do if the Lord should nor restrain them being so ready to cast themselves into perils if they be but a while exempted from affliction Therefore let none of Gods children say I am safe and farre enough from correction because sure of salvation If thou beest bold with sinne thou maiest fall into sore affliction in this life though thou beest in a state of happinesse for the life to come As appeareth by old Eli whose sonnes wickednesse which hee connived at when as he should have sharply punished it was in the eye and mouth of all Israel so that Gods glory should have been much wronged and his name as much blasphemed as his offerings were abhorred if they had escaped unpunished No doubt but Eli repented him of his sinne but this might not quit him from temporall judgement The chastisements of the Almightie are many times deadly though the sinne be remitted by which the Lord was provoked God had said that the wickednesse of Elies house should not be purged with sacrifice for ever 1. Sam. 3.14 Repentance doth not alwayes free us from outward afflictions Freedom from damnation doth not free a man from affliction What punishment unlesse it bee eternall torments in hell fire can any of Gods children think to escape unlesse he will forbeare such sinnes as provoke the Lord to wrath against him David was as far from damnation if wee consider Gods purpose and decree as the devill is from salvation yet you have heard how his afflictions made him roare and roare againe Obje If it be thus that upon every sinne the Lord is thus ready to afflict his children may bee demanded what priviledg the godly have more then the wicked or what difference there is betwixt them seeing the one must be corrected and punished as well if not before or more then the wicked if they do sinne Answer Surely the child of God hath no more rather lesse liberty and priviledge to sin then the wicked Yet there is a great deal of difference in their afflictions For though all things fall alike to both in respect of the evills themselves as the childe of God may perish through famine fall by the sword die of the pestilence c. Yet in respect of the effects and ends of these outward evills there is great difference betwixt them For their nature is much altered and there is as much difference betwixt the afflictions of the Godly and the wicked as is betwixt poison corrected and rectified by the arte and skill of the Physitian that so it may be medicinable and wholsome and that poison which remains in its naturall temper The Lord in afflicting his children doth it with a father-like heart and hand in mildnesse and mercy to amend and better them Whereas hee correcteth the wicked with the rod of his wtath in justice and severity to plague and torment them The wicked shall be cast away for bis malice but the righteous hath hope in his death Pro. 14.32 In respect of the wicked the Prophet Nahum 1.2 speaks thus God is jealous and the Lord revengeth even the Lord of anger the Lord will take vengeance on his adversaries and he reserveth wrath for his enemies Loe here is anger wrath and vengeance belonging to the wicked Whereas in respect of the godly Mica 7.18 19. speakes thus He taketh away iniquitie and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage Hee retaineth not his wrath for ever because mercy pleaseth him Hee will turn againe and have compassion upon us hee will subdue our iniquities and cast all our sinnes into the bottom of the sea By which places it appeares that afflictions are nothing but the messengers of Gods wrath the rods of his indignation the arrows of his vengeance to plague and punish the wicked for their sinnes and to give them an earnest and taste of those endlesse torments which they have purchased by their wickednes Whence ariseth in them feare and terror horror of conscience rage and desperation Whereas to his children afflictions are tokens of the tender and father-like care the Lord hath of them they are cords of his love to draw them neerer unto him Yea they be badges of their adoption For whom the Lord loveth hee chasteneth and scourgeth every sonne that hee receiveth Hebr. 12.6 And this bringeth forth the quiet fruit of righteousnesse to them that are thereby exercised Again the Lord takes pleasure in avenging the wickednesse of the wicked upon their own pates I will ease me of mine adversaries and avenge me of mine enemies Esay 1.24 And not only so but I will laugh at their destruction and mock when their fear commeth Prov. 1.26 Whereas it is a grief unto him to afflict his people His soul was grieved for the
exhorteth us to shut the doore after us hereby he perswades us unto courage constancy or else to keep our selves close from Satans temptations that he may find no chink nor crevis open whereby he may enter into us to disturbe us for if our hearts lie but a little open so as he may have but the least advantage he is at hand to disquiet and perplex us And whereas he bids us to hide our selves he would have us to enjoy a secure freedom under Gods promise and pretection in faith and humility we should shrowd our selves under Gods wings that so he may keep us from inordinate fears and terrors untill the affliction be past which is but as a cloud or storm that will not last alwaies but will blowe over ere it be long and be at an end Therefore be cheerefull in thine afflictions Againe in that it is said As many as I love I rebuke and chasten not barely I rebuke and chasten you but I rebuke and chasten as many as are deere unto me or beloved of me this manner of speech is used for the confirmation of our faith in time of trouble and to keep us from sinking through grief or despaire For what argument can bee more forcible to perswade us to the quiet and patient bearing of our afflictions then to beleeve they be Gods love-tokens sent us for our good Whence mee may learne this Instruction that A great helpe to keep us from sinking and to enable us to beare up our heads with patience and cheerfullnesse in the time of affliction is to be perswaded of Gods love in afflicting of us This hath been in part touched before therefore I shall bee the briefer in the point How fearefull our nature is of troubles how unwilling the flesh is to taste of the cup of affliction yea how we labor to shift and avoyde it with a kinde of abhorring it common experience teacheth us And the mistrust of Gods providence and love wherewith naturally the best are infected makes us to shun and avoyd afflictions as much as possibly wee can lest wee should not bee able to grappie and encounter with them Wherein as wee bewray much weaknesse so do wee expresse great incredulity for hereby we do manifestly shew that wee thinke that God in afflicting doth not love us and that therefore hee cannot or will not helpe us to beare them that hee cannot or will not bring us fairely off them Therefore let us not give way to carnall reason nor heare what flesh and blood shall suggest unto us but what is delivered from the Word of truth which tels us that the Lord correcteth him whom he loveth even as the father doth the childe in whom hee delighteth Prov. 3.12 If wee give eare to carnall wisdome it will tell us surely if God loved us he would not thus afflict us As if our afflictions were a wall of separation twixt Gods love and us But what saies Paul Ro. 8.38 39. I am perswaded that neither death nor life nor Angels nor principalities nor powers nor things present nor things to come nor height nor depth nor any other creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus This strong perswasion of Gods love carried Paul on cheerfully in his troublesome pilgrimage and made him joyfull in all his sorrowes and afflictions Thus strongly should wee bee perswaded of Gods love for hath not the Lord said Esay 54.10 The mountaines shall remove and the hils shall fall downe but my mercy and love shall not depart from thee neither shall the covenant of my peace fall away as if hee should have said though the whole world be turned topsy turvy and heaven and earth do meet together yet standeth still my love and affection firm to theewards The change and alteration of our outward estate and condition causeth no change of Gods love for hee is still the same unto us and with us though the face and fashion of the world goeth away 1. Cor. 7.31 The things of this life are mutable and our condition is subject to daily change and alteration Times have their vicissitudes to day it is well with us to morrow ill to day at ease to morrow in paine to day we have something to morrow lesse it may be nothing to day in honor to morow in disgrace seldome continuing in one stay In which variable condition of ours and amids all changes and chances of this life here is comfort to the child of God that God is the same and changeth not but as he now loveth him so hee will for ever continue loving and gracious to him John 13.1 And hosoever we cannot tell what shall bee to morrow James 4.14 wee know our beginning as the old saying is but we know not what our end shall be as Paul went up to Jerusalem but knew not what things should come unto him there Acts 20.22 Yet such is our happinesse and comfort that come what will come no event whatsoever can keepe back or turne away Gods love from us and though our state be changed yet Gods love to us is not changed but still the same as true and as intyre as over it was My enemies may take away my liberty my goods my good name my deare friends and that which of all other things is most deare unto me even my life but I have one Jewwell all the devils in hell all the powers of darkenes all the rage and malice of the world can never spoile me of they cannot rob me of the love of my God This confidence and perswasion of Gods love and favor beares up the godly from sinking under the burden of their affliction and makes them cheerfull when as the wicked wanting this assurance are either sencelesse or else faithlesse and impatient under the crosse The faithfull making God and his favor their portion and happinesse enjoy this priviledge in time of adversity as well as in the day of prosperity and therefore their hearts or their desire is to bee as joyfull when they are in trouble and afflictions as if they were most free from them Whereas the wicked placing their whol felicity in these earthly things their profits pleasures c. When their wealth and worldly things faile their joy their hope and comfort ends with them These have nothing but nature to helpe them beare their burdens Whence it commeth to passe that infidelity and impatience do make them more grievous and burdensome whereas the faithfull having the perswasion of Gods love and the presence of his Spirit to support them take comfort in their troubles during the time of their tryall and wait for a seasonable and cumfortable issue and deliverance out of them So that it is a truth not to be questioned that the perswasion of Gods love in afflicting of us is a great help to keepe us from sinking under afflictions and to enable us with patience and cheerfullnesse to undergo them this
not any of thy failings can nulifie Gods covenant which he hath made because it is an everlasting covenant Jer. 32.40 The best of Gods children do daily faile in one part of the covenant or other yet if there be not a revolting a turning back a falling away from God a betaking of thy selfe unto an other husband another love thou art no breaker of the covenant tho there be failings All this is come upon us yet do we not forget thee neither deal we falsly concerning thy covenant Psal 44.17 As the Lords love towards us did not begin in us so doth it not so much depend upon us but upon the mercy goodnesse and truth of him with whom there is no variablenesse neither shaddow of turning Jam. 1.17 For I am the Lord I change not and ye sons of Jaakob are not consumed Mat. 3.6 If Gods grace and mercy should depend upon our deservings the Devill would alwayes pick some hole or other in our coate we should never have inward rest nor assurance either of Gods love or of our own salvation For Satan is subtle and deceiptfull and he will not faile to tell us that we have broken covenant and therfore God hath cashiered us and cast us off therefore whensoever Satan comes to parlie with thee it must be thy wisdom and it will be thy safety not to hold him chat but to break off reasoning and dispute with him Object But Satan doggs and followes me with restles assaults he daily casts his firy darts at me he is daily battering my faith Answ Then go to Heaven for helpe encounter him in the name of Christ as David set upon Golia in the name of the Lord have recourse unto the promises which being well and wisely mannaged by faith will be able to foile the Devill and send him packing from thee A greater and a surer signe of victory we cannot have then this viz. To renounce our own confidence not to stand upon our own bottom but to cast our selves upon the Lord and so wee shall be strong in the power of his might Ephesians 6.10 Therefore give no way to Satan howsoever for the present he may bang thee and cause thee to bauke yet be stedfast in the faith and thou shalt be able to resist him because the Lord taketh thy part For the exceeding greatnesse of his power is toward us which beleeve Eph. 1.19 Assure thy selfe Satan shall be foiled if the power of God doth underprop thee which power if thou wilt call for and beleeven thou art sure to partake of and then if thou chance to be foiled thou standest as one undefiled in Gods account In the old Law if any womans chastitie was assaulted by any varlet if shee cryed out for helpe shee was blamelesse Deutr. 22.27 Even so when satanicall tentations do assault us if wee in the assault crie unto the Lord for helpe the Lord will not require the tentation at our hands but of Satan whose worke it was The ravished woman was chaste in Gods account because her heart and mind was so though her body was defiled So if Satan draw not consent from us his tentations may prevaile with us but shall not be layd unto our charge Therefore slie to God for help cry unto him and hee will either weaken Satan and strenâ—â—hen thee or else not lay the tentation to thy charge And take heed that thou beest not over much disquieted or unsetled by any of Satans tentations for this may give Satan some advantage if hee sees thee to be dejected hee will be the more insolent and double his forces against thee Therefore be strong in the faith feare not be not disheartned the Lord will be thy defence and under the shadow of his wings shalt thou have shelter Thinke never the worse but the better of thy selfe because Satan assaults thee it is a signe thou goest not the way that hee would have thee When any man drives his cattle to pasture if they go the way that hee would have them he is well pleased with them but if they hap to straggle out of the way he throwes a stone at one and his staffe at another even so when wee go the way Satan would have us hee lets us alone as implied by those words of our Saviour Luk. 11.21 When a strong man armed keepeth his palace the things that hee possesseth are in peace but if wee disquiet him hee will not faile to disquiet us so far as he may or can for satan can not tempt thee longer then the Lord wil permit him and hee that suffers Satan to tempt thee will not suffer thee to be tempted by him above that which thou shalt be able to beare but will even give issue with the tentation 1. Cor. 10.13 But I am feeble and weak and am not able to hold out against such fierie darts such furious oppositions as I am assaulted withall Answ But if thou wilt trust in the Lord hee will not faile thee nor forsake thee Object But I feele my heart to faint and my strength to faile Answ Hee giveth strength to him that sainteth and to him that hath no strength hee increaseth power Isa 40.29 Object I had a little strength but it is gone and vanished my faith begins now to flagge and therefore I feare I shall not hold out long Answ But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength they shall runne and not be weary they shall walke and not faint Isa 40.31 If thou hadst strength of thine own it were not to be trusted unto and though thine bee gone the Lord remaines his arme is not shortned his power is not lessened Therefore cheere up thy drooping and fainting heart let the tentation be never so smart or tart yet it is no other then that out of which God intends to fetch some glory and thou in the end shalt receive some good And know it for truth that the more restlesly Satan doth follow thee with varietie of tentations the more sweetly and securely thou maist repose thy perplexed soule upon this comfortable perswasion and assurance that thou art the Lords Object But I feele much lumpishnesse and dead-heartednesse in the best duties I performe my prayers have little or no life in them my mind is full of wandrings and idle vagaries as soone as I have begun to seek the Lord whereupon I am oft times at a stand not knowing whether I were best proceed or recede and leave off And which doth most of all perplexe mee Satan spares not to cast in oft times Atheisticall and blasphemous thoughts which makes me to feare that when I have ended my prayer God may justly begin my punishment seeing I have more offended him I feare in my prayers then I should have done with my silence Answ But dost thou admit of any of these evill thoughts are they not such as make thy heart to ake and thy soul to bleed within thee Dost thou not ever tremble at the
unto Gods will and then whatsoever thy sinns have been whatsoever thy tentations distractions feares or doubtings be if thou wilt beleeve the Lord will graciously accept of thee for his sonns sake The Lord stands not upon thy sinns nor thy unworthynesse as I have formerly said he bids thee beleeve therefore tho thou beest unworthy of Gods favor and mercy yea beleeve because God commands thee and he is worthy to be obeyed By beleeving Christ and his righteousnesse become thine and having Christ neither sin nor the law shall be able to hurt thee for faith reprives us from the law and puts us under grace Therefore beleeve else never looke to have any sound joy or true peace to thy soul the heart is filled with joy and peace in beleeving Rom. 15.13 Where there is doubting of Gods love or our own salvation there can bee neither joy nor peace but anxiety trouble vexation and griefe Faith pacifies and quiets all For being justified by faith we have peace towards God through our Lord Jesus Christ and rejoyce under the bope of the glory of God neither do we so onely but also we rejoyce in tribulations Rom. 5.1 2 3. True faith tho never so little is able to keepe thy soul from sinking under any affliction be it never so great or grievous When Peter was strong in faith he could cast himself into the Sea but his heart and faith failing he began to sink little and weak faith will be able to keep us from drowning but not from beginning to sink When Peters faith was weakest Christ was nearest at hand to helpe him Christ who never did nor will reject the weakest beleever put forth his hand and saved Peter but yet withall reproved him for doubting O thou of little faith wherefore didst thou doubt Mat. 14.31 Doubt not therefore but beleeve And be perswaded that if the Lord intended not to shew mercy unto thee he would never haue given thee an eye to see thy sinnes a heart to grieve and mourn for them or a tongue to desire the pardon and forgivenesse of them Therefore assure thy selfe that a grieved spirit a sorrowfull heart a wounded conscience is no sure argument of a forlorn condition or of the want of the love of God Vse 2 Againe is it so is this the best way for us to bee patient and cheerfull in affliction to bee perswaded of Gods love Labor wee then to get our hearts setled in this perswasion and thou shalt finde the anguish of thy affliction much alaied thou shalt feel the smart of it much abated Holy Job was brought to a low and pittyfull condition when he desired to he let alone whiles he might swallow his spittle Job 7.19 Yet even then Job wondred at the goodnesse and favor of God that he would think him worthy the melting and trying What is man that thou dost magnifie him and that thou settest thine heart upon him And dost visit him every morning and triest him every moment Job 7.17 18. Being then undoubtedly perswaded that when God comes neer thee with affliction he is neer thee in affection that when he corrects thee he loves thee for until the heart of man be thorowly perswaded hereof hee shall never take comfort in nor pick any good out of his affliction Imagine with me a man who hath every day his full feed of the best and what outward comfort he will call for what true content can hee take in these things when hee knows that hee is under the displeasure of his Prince and so in danger every day of being cast into prison whereas if through the rage and malice of some of his enemies hee were cast into prison if he were perswaded of the Kings love hee would rest contented knowing and beleeving that the King will honor him for his reproach and ere it be long set him free againe Even so it is with every one that is perswaded of Gods love in his affliction Therefore as at all times so especially in the time of affliction Gods children should live by faith Affliction is like to do us little good if it be not tempered with faith As that meate which we take into our stomack concocteth not if the native heat be defective and wanting even so that affliction which is administred unto us will profit us little if faith be wanting unto us Faith stilleth the heart even in our sorest and greatest afflictions perswading us of Gods love in correcting us and that the Lord intendeth our great good by this affliction which lyeth upon us the love and care which parents have of their childrens good and wellfare doth not wholy consist in providing of meat drink and apparel for them but partly in correcting of them for their good and partly in providing of physick for them when they are any way distempered Even so almighty God our mercifull and loving father doth no lesse love us when he corrects afflicts us which as you have heard is the physicking of our soules then when he provideth outward necessaries for us and this faith doth perswade the heart of For faith judgeth not of things by sense or outward appearance but as the truth is in Jesus Christ justifying the Lord in all his waies alway magnifying the wise and holy proceedings of our good God as the only best and most profitable for us It is only the apprehension of some losse the feare of some evill or the sense of Gods wrath and displeasure in our affliction which makes the heart so sad and the spirits so lumpish in the time of affliction then set thy faith on work and it will blow over all these clouds it will answer all carnall doubts and reasonings and so settle the heart in a constant perswasion of Gods love that we shall rejoyce and be thankfull for our afflictions because we know and beleeve that God in afflicting of us loves us And to put the matter out of all doubting I will lay down a few but sure and certain evidences of Gods love in correcting of us Dost thou desire to know whether God in afflicting of thee loveth thee whether his stripes bee the blowes of an enemy or the chastisement of a loving father thou mayest know it by these tokens First when God gives thee a heart to be contented and a minde to be willing to beare whatsoever he shall lay upon thee and to want whatsoever thou seest the Lord is not willing thou shouldst injoy Hee that doth not rest content with the love and favor of God in the want of outward yea the best of outward things doth not rightly prize the love of God in that the want of other things doth more affect him and take up his minde then the consideration of Gods love and he more discontented in the missing of the one then contented with the possession of the other He that cannot be content to part with any earthly benefit when God shall call for it it is to
are mercy and truth Therefore most true it is that whosoever in affliction offereth praise doth glorifie God Psalm 5.23 Men may be thankfull for peace plenty seasonable times deliverances and the like in selfe-love but for troubles and afflictions crosses and losses to bee thankfull this manifesteth our love to God which none can shew untill hee bee beloved of God Thankfulnesse in affliction is a notable soule of faith for faith will tell as that nothing can befall us which shall either lessen Gods love or encrease our hurt yea faith perswades us that God in afflicting of us loveth us though the affliction bee unto death and hence it comes that wee are thankfull for afflictions and patient in the bearing of them Now lay all these together Art thou willing to kisse that rod wherewith thou art beaten Canst thou cheerefully say as it is Mic. 7.9 I will heare the wrath of the Lord because I have sinned against him Art thou taken off from thine old courses thine old consorts thine old comforts and brought neerer unto God Is thy heart dissolved into teares of contrition for thy sinnes and transgressions Dost thou cordially unfainedly blesse God that ever hee took thee to do that ever he laid his hand upon thee then is it as evident as the Sun at noon day that God in afflicting of thee loves thee because hee hath taught thee to make so good and holy use of thy affliction For afflictions of themselves and in their own nature are fruits of the curse and such as being unsanctified will make us storm and rage and beat us further off from God but when wee feel and find them to worke contrary to themselves their nature altered and changed this is a most evident and infallible signe of Gods love and mercie extracting Treacle out of this ranck poison and good out of this evill Thou mayst hold it as a certaine truth that God in afflicting of thee loveth thee Now I come to the latter part of the verse the drift and end of Gods afflicting us in these words Be zealous therefore and amend I purpose not to make any discourse upon Zeal or Repentance for then I should go out or my intended course which tendeth wholy to the setting forth of the necessity and utilitie of Afflictions The Lord having said As many as I love I rebuke and chasten addeth by way of exhortation these words Bee zealous therefore and amend from which words wee may gather this conclusion The chiefe and speciall end of Gods afflicting us is the bettering and amending of us The Lord knows that grace is beter for us then great possessions and a healthfull soul is more to be desired then a strong and lusty body and therefore for the good of the soul doth many wayes afflict the body That ground from which wee expect and desire good wee digge or plough and harrow but that ground which wee regard not wee meddle not with it wee take no paines about it but let it lie waste Even so dealeth the Lord with man Hee lets the wicked alone hee looks for no good from them but hee ploweth over his children and harroweth them with affliction that so they may be fruitfull that in their lives they may bring forth a rich and plentifull crop of grace and godlinesse Why do we beat our wall-nut trees Why do wee prune and cut our vines is it not to make them more fruitfull So deals the Lord with his children hee breaks and cuts off many superfluous evils with the pruning knife of Affliction that so they may grow more fruitfull in well doing The end of Gods correcting of us is not as some may think to avenge himselfe upon us for those evils which wee have committed against him nor yet to please himselfe in our smart as if hee took delight in our punnishment and sorrow but it is for the bettering of us Moses tells the Israelites that the Lord was their guid in the great and terrible wildernesse to humble them and to prove them that he might do them good at their latter end Deut. 8.16 Hee chasteneth us for our profit that wee might be partakers of his holinesse Heb. 12.10 Hee woundeth us that hee may heale us A legge that is crooked and groweth awrye must bee broken before it can be made right and streight If the Lord should not break those crooked and perverse wills of ours they would never be rectified The Lord useth to beat out one evill with another the evill of sinne with the evill of punishment There is a great deal of folly in the hearts of his wisest children they are slow of heart to beleeve and practise that which will make for their good this folly the Lord in wisdom drives away from them by the rod of correction By this shall the iniquitie of Jacob be purged and this is all the fruit the taking away of his sinne Esa 27.9 Naturally wee sport with sinne and make it a pastime to do evill Prov. 10.23 Many drink iniquitie like water Job 15.16 Wickednesse is sweet in our mouths and wee are loth to part with it untill the Lord in love doth administer unto us some affliction or other which like unto Stibium shall make us to vomit up these sweet morsells and make us out of love with our former evill wayes and courses as things not only unpleasing and distastfull unto the Lord but such as are noxious and hurtfull unto us Therefore for the preventing of that evill which sinne may bring upon us and for the bestowing upon us that good which the love and practise of sinne would hinder us of the Lord doth afflict and chastise us How did his people Israel go a whoring from him they were set upon gadding yea madding after sinne and therefore the Lord was constrained to fetch them back againe by his judgements Wee are as ready to wander out of the way as sheep going astray so that the Lord must send some affliction or other after us to call us back again as David Psal 119.67 Before I was afflicted I went astray The prodigall in the Gospel turnes his back upon his father and takes his journey into a farre countrey where he consumed and wasted his goods with riotous living but having spent all and being pinched with penury he could then mind home and returne againe unto his father with griefe and shame which had not affliction been no doubt hee would never have done The like may be said of many moe who for ought wee know to the contrary had perished if they had not been afflicted So that few or none of Gods children but can say It had been wrong with them if they had not been afflicted for by afflictions they have been much bettered Reason And that first of all because by affliction they have been brought to know themselves and to see and acknowledge the damnable estate whereinto they were by sinne plunged Hence is it said That the prodigall