saw Amasa wallowing in bloud 2 Sam. 20.12 every one that passed by stood still When we are in the hot pursuit of sin yea in the very chase bitter afflictions serve to give us a stand Psal 4.4 Stand in awe and sin not 2. They serve to awaken us out of sin How apt are we to take a sweet nap upon the Lap of our Delilah our beloved lusts And how unwilling to be disturbed Pro. 6.10 yet a little sleepe a little slumber a little folding of the hands to sleep How long did David sleep under the guilt of adultery and bloudshed before he was awaken by Nathan Sin hath a strong power to charme us into a deep sleep Pro. 23.34 Solomons Drunkard continues sleeping upon the top of a Mast Judg. 16. Sampson is dorming when enemies are upon his back Jonah 1.5 And Jonah hath his senses fast lockt up when there is but a poore planke or inch-boord betwixt him and death Who fallen into a lethargy can awake himselfe No more can men awake themselves out of this spirituall lethargy Secure sinners matter not though the house be on fire about their eares Now sanctified afflictions are meanes both to awake us and keep us wakefull Psal 77.4 Thou holdest mine eyes waking Both the eye of my body and mind How comes the Psalmist to be so wakefull Even by being plied with afflictions My sore ran I was troubled my spirit was overwhelmed I am so troubled that I cannot speake c. David in his heavy affliction of spirit could say My sin is ever before me Psa 51.3 and it was unto him as a Monster very horrid and formidable Whereas before in his jollity he was sensible of no such thing Looke up to God and beseech him in this glass to discover unto thee the thing that doth thee all the annoyance that sin may by little and little go out and grace drop in Many a soule had slept the sleepe of death if God had not sent some awakening affliction to shake them by the shoulder and shout aloud in their eares 3. They may be said to cure the soule of sin 1 Pet. 2.24 But what then becomes of the bloud of Christ by whose stripes we are healed Answer No great difficulty to unloose this knot take it in short chastisements may be said to cure the soule mediately but not immediately for they are meanes to bring to repentance which in its order and place leads us to the obtaining of pardon and God ever gives when he forgives Pardon of sin and power against sin are constant concomitants and a double portion from God given to the soule So then the bloud of Christ is the only foveraigne Medicine of souls and afflictions drive us to seeke the cure Meliores sunt ques ducit amor sed plures sunt quos corrigit timor Aug. To be wonne by love shews a spirit very Evangelicall and the love of Christ ought to constraine us yet many we see are brought home to Christ by the weeping crosse The Prodigall in prosperity had forgotten himselfe but having gone a season to the schoole of lad experience 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 at last he comes to himselfe The Dungeon preached to Manasses the doctrine of true Religion And fellowship with the beasts taught Nebuchadnezzar humility Afflictions and the Crosse are Gods file to take off our rust and make us bright Then let us not looke at present asperity but future profit At first Job something grudged the Lords visitations but in the issue of those great troubles he was of another mind No chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous but grievous yet neverthelesse afterward it yeeldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousnesse No child takes pleasure in correction for the time it is unpleasant and irkesome he cries out O good Father good Master and thinkes he hath no worse enemies in the world But when he commeth to yeares of discretion he praiseth God he was not permitted to live as he listed Receiving of Pils and drinking of potions the cutting and lancing of a man and putting long tents into wounds Eadem est ratio disciplinae quae medicinae these are not joyous for the present And yet the health which is procured afterwards brings joy So afflictions though irkesome to the flesh yet they are wholesome to the Spirit In nature the body is most healthy when the spleen is smallest And the soule is at best when the body of sin that spirit in us that lusteth to envy is brought lowest Heavens designe in this dispensation is to kill that which would kill us The time is comming in which the soule shall say Psa 119.71 It is good that I was afflicted Blessed be those afflictions that helped to keepe me out of hell and to bring me to heaven I may say of sanctified afflictions as he said of vertue Amara radix dulcis fructus The beginning is as bitter as gall or wormewood But the end shall be sweeter than honey The second reason of the point doth respect grace Reason 2 God issueth out such bitter dispensations against his beloved ones To evidence grace To see if there be any sparke of a spirituall life in the soule We try whether instruments be in tune by smiting upon them our hearts are Gods Instruments and when he smites upon us they send forth either the sound of nature or grace God led Israel in the wildernesse to prove him and to know what was in his heart Deut. 8.2 Not that God is ignorant of our estate but to make us appeare what we are and give us a sight of our selves A Pilot is best known in a storme a Souldier in fight and a Saint in affliction This day will make us discerne betweene a tree and a man Some weeds being rubbed offend the sense whereas Pomander chafed yeelds a comfortable smell Afflictions discover the carrion-like corruptions of some but are as the breaking of a box of oyntment to others What is this man or that woman saith God Silver or Drosse Corne or Chaste Flesh or Spirit He shall no longer dissemble with the world and his own soule I le make him appeare in his colours Under the Crosse the godly pray the wicked often blaspheme To try grace We are commanded to prove all things yea our own selves 2 Cor. 13. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To deale with our selves as the Goldsmith with his Gold bring our selves to the touchstone of triall the ballance of the Sanctuary to see if we be right metall and weight yea to pierce our selves thorough and see if we be sound at heart All is not Gold that glitters A varnished Paste-board or painted Post may shine till they come to scouring That may seeme to be grace which is not Jacob may mistake his Sons No flower in the garden but a weed may be found to resemble it in the wild wildernesse It is possible
word It is very probable the Allegory of the wretched Infant was grounded upon some known custome Ezek. 16. Nay experience hath spoken how many poore Infants have tasted death from the cruell hands of their Strumpet-mothers who have twice dipped their soules in sin making amends for uncleannesse by committing murder But Such is the affection of Parents in the flesh that Scripture useth it as some short measure and scantling of the love of him who is the Father of Spirits to his adopted ones Psa 103.13 Like as a father pittieth his children so the Lord pittieth them that feare him Mal. 3.13 And I will spare them as a man that spareth his own Son that serveth him Surely none except Parents know or can be sensible how deare a child is Nay further when God would give a full and affectionate answer to his peoples lamentable but groundlesse complaint he corrects their distrust by this fit similitude Isa 49.15 Can a woman forget her sucking child that she should not have compassion on the Son of her wombe Yea they may forget yet will I not forget thee O sweet comfort to Saints Parents which are otherwise of perverse natures yet they will not neglect their Children and is it possible that the Lord the fountaine of mercy should empty himselfe of his fatherly affection and neglect his people Quantò mollior sexus tenerior affectus Ambr. Duplex est causa physica moralis Weemes Great is the love of a Father but far more tender is the affection of a mother Hence it is rendred by some as one cause why God hath placed the womans dug in her breast That she might impart her affection more to her child by giving it suck with her dug which is so neare her heart The love which she beareth to the little one that she nourisheth and suckleth at her breast is almost unutterable What care doth she use What restlesse nights doth she endure Nay love to her little one maketh her cleane forget her selfe So neare are Children to Parents that they are called Children of their loynes and are said to proceed out of their bowels So said David of his vip'rous Son Absalom 2 Sam. 16. Behold my son which came firth of my bowels seeketh my life So that we may call our spirituall children Philem. 12. as Paul doth his spirituall Son Onesimus nostra viscera our bowels I read that upon a turbulent sedition in Thessalonica Theodosius commanded that seven thousand should be put to death A Merchant there having two Sons put into the Calender of those that should be executed their good old Father put up a supplication for his two Sons The Souldiers pittying him told him they could not save both for then the Emperours number would not be fulfilled but they would spare one choose which he would The poore Father almost like a distracted man looking rufully on both could not tell which to choose So that while he delayed both were slaine Thus the naturall mother though an harlot seeing her Child in danger to be divided 1 Kin. 3.26 her bowels were hot and yearned upon her Son And David about Absalom after all his unnaturall villany yet Absalom is a Child 2 Sam. 18. Deale gently for my sake with the young man even with Absalom and againe Is the young man Absalom safe And it is very observable in Job that he sate still and did abide the boisterous blasts of all those lossefull tidings as being not very much moved untill he heard of the death of his children But O then Children dead So soone as the report of this touched his eare it struck him to the heart Ten children in the morning and now a child esse man Oh now he startles now he stirs now the poore pale father is brought to his knees Then Job arose and rent his mantle and shaved his head and fell downe upon the ground Other losses may go skin-deep but these go heart-deepe Children are unto Parents like unto Teeth painfull both in breeding and parting Reason 3 Thirdly Psal 49.11 It is most naturall to have an eye to the preservation of Posterity Although that ought not to take up our innermost thoughts This care we see not only in the reasonable creatures but in the unreasonable also yea even in birds of Prey and wild beasts who are yet carefull in this behalfe howsoever otherwise they be of cruell and animosious natures Psal 84.3 Thus the Sparrow finds her an house and the Swallow a nest for her selfe where she may lay her young Likewise the Eagle stirreth up her nest fluttereth over her young spreading abroad her wings taketh them and beareth them on her wings That is she carrieth them with such tendernesse and at such an height as none may reach them to do violence unto them Nay further see the force of natures instinct even the sea-monsters draw out the breast Lam. 4.3 they give suck to their young ones What piteous out-cries and cheating circuits makes the poore Lapwing And all is to divert the Passenger from her young So carefull are creatures to preserve the products of their own kind And this care must needs be more superlative in the reasonable Creature unlesse horribly degenerated Moreover God threatens this to a wicked man as a very great judgement to put out his light and expunge his name from among the living Job 18.16 17 19. As Bildad in Job very elegantly His roots shall be dried up beneath and above shall his branch be cut off His remembrance shall perish from the earth and he shall have no name in the street He shall neither have Son nor Nephew among his people nor any remaining among his dwellings And the Psalmist Psal 34.16 The face of the Lord is against them that do evill to out off the remembrance of them from the earth And againe Psa 109.13 Let his posterity be cut off and in the generation following let their name be blotted out And Solomon threatens him not with a rotten house or body but a rotten name Pro. 10.7 The name of the wicked shall rot Marke shall rot The rot we say is an evill disease where ever it lights whether amongst herds or flocks But never so ill as when it lighteth on mens names or memories that either they are mentioned with disgrace as a rotten thing or not remembred at all Also God promiseth this to his people as a grand favour and great incouragement to obedience that he will multiply and keepe alive their off-spring Abraham the friend of God is blessed with a numerous Posterity like to the Sand upon the Sea shore or Stars of heaven It was no small piece of King Davids happinesse that he saw his Son Solomon sit upon the Throne of Israel before his death And that promise made unto Christ is one of the glorious things of the Gospell He shall see his seed Isa 53.10 And
be discouraged Frequently hereupon Children fall into an Athymy or despondency of mind being as it were out of all heart Whereby either first their Spirits if tender-hearted are too much sadned and this sadnesse inclosed in the heart is like a moth to a Garment or a worme to wood bringing diseases and immature death Or secondly through too much dejectednesse they are made stupid and so rendred incapable of any considerable attainments or commendable actions Or thirdly they become desperate and contumacious whereby they provoke God and God cuts them off Certainly Parents need abundance of prudence in correcting their Children If Parents will not be found wanting towards their Children they must mind their education Not only fitting them for an outward and particular calling in reference to the world and well being of their bodies But also having an eye mainly at their generall and spirituall calling in relation to God and their soules Thus the Apostle Eph. 5.4 Bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. And God himselfe seems to be very confident of his servants care in this particular he saith of Abraham I know him Gen. 18.19 that he will command his children and his houshold after him and they shall keep the way of the Lord to do justice and judgement that the Lord may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him You are not inhibited the having of respect unto due decency for education doth consist in Religion Learning and Behaviour But have a care that sauce exceed not meat Every one ought to say of his naturall as John of his spirituall children 3 Joh. 3. I have no greater joy than to know that my children walke in truth A mamma corporali ad mammam spiritualem Chrys O Parents above all be mostly carefull of your childrens soules Hannah brought her Son Samuel very speedily from the naturall to the spirituall dugge so do ye Be good examples to your Children Instruct them Distâ—â—… good things into them as they are capable of receiving Children are like unto straight-neck'd bottles admitting by drops Isa 18.10 here a little there a little Yea Castigationes madicamentorum fimiles sunt non ciborum Cattw in Pro. 31.2 and correct them likewise when their is occasion Provided it be with moderation and upon necessity as Physick not frequent and famiâ—iar as daily food Such is the reiterated counrell of wise Solomon 1 Sam. 4. We know how fatall Ely's indulgence proved to his Sons being both slaine in one day and for the old man himselfe difficult it were to tell whether his neck or heart were first broken 2 Sam. 18.17 We leave Absalsm that was so much cockered up with an heape of stones upon him And it ended far from well with Adonijah 1 Kin. 2.25 whom his Father had not displeased at any time We shall discover in our children many vices which we had need to cut off whilest they are young lest they grow up with them when they are old It was said of Ptolomy that he was too young to reigne but old enough to love Harâ—ots So there are many who are in Age children but can commit sin like men Wise to do evill Jer. 4.22 but to do good they have no knowledge But O let not any nearenesse of relation make us to connive at wickednesse or be silent at sin In case of Gods dishonour we should forget our selves to be Parents and them Children using sin as a Serpent the nearer it creeps unto us the more to flye and hate it Youth is a plant very flexible but old age a tree and inflexible Youth is like soft wax fit to take a good impression but old age is hard and more unfit to take such a counterfeit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I read of Diogenes who seeing the rude carriage of a Boy did reach his Master a reall invective saying The fault is not in the Scholar but in the Master I am afraid much of the sin of Children will be laid to the charge of Parents If we have a piece of ground we will be at cost and paines in the manuring and tilling of it We take delight in ordering our Gardens and shall we neglect our Children Ought we not much more to weed sin out of them and to improve them Psal 127.3 Children we heard are the inheritance of the Lord and the fruit of the wombe is his reward and shall we reward the giver so unkindly as not to give them education O let us have a care of them while they are young lest both they and we repent afterwards when it is too late 1 Kin. 21.3 Naboth would not give the inheritance of his Fathers to Ahab Children are the inheritances given us of God take heed that through our negligence we do not what in us lyeth to give them to the Devill Commonly those Parents are most reverenced of their Children that have wisely and orderly corrected them They that have laid the reines on their necks and suffered them to go without correction are most contemned and despised of their Children afterward Correct thy Son Pro. 29.17 and he shall give thee rest yea he shall give delight unto thy soule 1 King 1. Adonijah whom David would not displease displeased his Father afterward and came at last to an untimely end A third thing required of Parents is To mixe Prayer with their Childrens Education When we carefully plough sow weed our Corn we may hopefully pray for a good harvest This was the quotidian practise of holy Job Quò multorum pignorum pateres plures sunt pro quibus deum de preceres multorum animae redimendae Cypr. He rose up earely in the morning marke this man prayed for his Children next his heart and offered burnt offerings according to the number of them all he begs a particular blessing on every childs head thus did Job continually And thus Bathsheba bespeakes her beloved Son Solomon under the name of Lemuel What my Son and what the Son of my wombe and what the Son of my Vows O it is good for Children that they have praying Parents and good for Parents that they be at some proportionable expence for their Children in spirituals laying up Prayers as well as Portions for them The Prayers of faithfull Parents are as seed sown in their life-time the fruit of which their Children may reape after they are dead Christians I tell you the time is comming and now is that Parents prayers may be of more profit unto their Children than their Estates Fourthly let Parents take need and beware of idolizing their children They are given to succeed in your stead But beware you set them not up to your selves in Gods stead 1 Sam. 2.29 It was heavens complaint against Eli that he honoured his Sons above God that is did chuse to please them rather than God If any fond Parents be guilty of this
places unto all generations and so call your houses after your own names Rom. 12. The Gospel cals upon us to present our selves as Sacrifices unto God and therefore much more our Children which are but pieces of ourselves Hannah returnes her Son Samuel whose name declares him the answer of her prayer 1 Sam. 1. and a free boon from God as freely as he was given unto her And he is preserved the Lords faithfull Prophet and called to be a mighty Judge over Israel when Eli and his Posterity are cut off In nature transplanted trees become most fruitfull and Children are plants which flourish best in Gods garden David was a man much acquainted with the mind of God and he found no way so safe in his dangerous flight from his unnaturall Son as selfe-resignation into the hand of God If saith he I shall find favour in the eyes of the Lord 2 Sam. 15.25 26. he will bring me againe but if he thus say I have no delight in thee behold here am I let him do to me as seemeth good unto him Let the same mind be in us and say Lord if thou wilt yet intrust me with what I have I shall blesse thee But if otherwise thou canst take no more from me than what thou hast given unto me Behold therefore here am I my wife my children my all do to me and them as seemeth good unto thee Apoc. 4.10 The Elders in the Revelation cast down their Crowns before the Throne Pro. 17.6 Solomon tels us Childrens Children are the crown of old men and we ought surely to cast down these Crowns at the feet of Christ Let us confesse we had them from him and devest our selves of them to do him honour One uttered a divine Paradox Mr Palmer A Christian is one that gaineth by losing and while he loses he saves God will have us willing to lose before he make us to game To be ready to part with our children is the way to keep our Children The third use bids us moderate affections when such occasions of sorrow fall out Use 3 I do not bid you utterly to wave affections but moderate them Saint Paul prohibits not mourning but mourning without measure Religion abolisheth not affections but moderateth them Grace destroyeth not nature but rectifieth it In mortification it is the carnality of affections are struck at not affections themselves Stoicks are little better than Stocks Such an Apathy suits neither with Religion Reason nor Nature God hath imprinted affections in man with his own finger and will have them exercised When no crosse laid upon us from God neither losse of goods nor friends nor children will affect us to sorrow this is not Patience Jer 5.3 but rather blockish senselessnes Such stupidity the Lord complaines of in his own people Thou hast smitten them O Lord but they have not sorrowed I do not therefore interdict weeping upon this occasion nay Non igitur velut penicille quodam sermonis mei vesiras abstergam lacbrymas c. Ambr. in mortem Valent. Imper I say weep This is a speciall hand of God and he hath a dry heart that weeps not His eyes and heart are far asunder that affords not some teares Only set Grace on worke as well as nature Water this young plant we have this day set in the ground but drown it not Moderate sorrow God forbids Israel that heathenish practice of making themselves bald and cutting themselves for the dead And Christ excludes those artificiall mourners which were about Jairus daughter Mat. 9.23 24. to increase sorrow Seeing that affections in that case needed rather the bridle than the Spurre And the Saints of God have set limits to their sorrow to prevent excesse Hence Joseph mournes seven daies for his deceased Father Quid perdis tempora luctu And his great-grandfather Abram mournes for Sarah yet lest he should forget his measures desires to bury her out of his sight Gen. 23.4 Indeed some Saints have been excessive in this kind Rachel for her children would not be comforted And David for Absalom ingeminates his dolefull out-cries O my Son Absalom O Absalom my Son my Son But it is noted as their infirmity and in the judgement of some of the Ancients Aug. Bern. David did not so much bewaile the death of his Sons body as the danger of his soule But affections being turbulent and head-strong I propound a double meanes of moderation viz. And first we may moderate our sorrow by diverting it That is causing our sorrow to be conversant about some other object Thus Artists staunch violent bleeding by diverting the bloud and opening a vein in some other part of the body And Saylers when they are in a wrong course turne the Ship another way This was the Napkin wherewithall our Saviour wiped the eyes of his weeping attendants Daughters of Jerusalem Luk. 23 2◠weepe not for me but weepe for your selves and for your Children Spare some teares wherewith to bewaile your ensuing calamities And so much is plainely imported in and about my Text They shall looke upon me that is Jesus Christ whom they have pierced and they shall mourne c. which indeed is the spirituall and maine meaning of this Scripture had it been to our present purpose to have prosecuted it O say of present sorrow as Joab did in another case I may not tarry thus with thee 2 Sam. 18.14 There are many other things that claime interest in my sorrow and call for their due measure of teares And doubtlesse this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Cor. 7.10 c. godly sorrow is an excellent thing One observes very well That it is a good exchange to put away carnall joy for godly sorrow for then we exchange Brasse for Gold a sin for a duty Out of these brinish teares God is used to brew the wine of spirituall consolation your sorrow and consolation Joh. 16.20 Your sorrow shall be turned into joy It is good that present sorrow do not exceed sorrow for sin Say thus with thy selfe Whither can I looke that I see not cause of of mourning If I looke above me I have a Crucified Christ whom my sins have pierced to mourne over If I looke into mine own bosome there I find a sinfull soule deceitfull heart and corrupted nature yea there I view mine own ignorance atheisme hypocrisie pride covetousnesse blaspemous thoughts abominable lusts c. And if I look into the world I discover the monstrous sins of the time beastly drunkennesse hatefull pride abominable blasphemies presumptuous and daring profanenesse Magìs deploranda sunt quà m dicenda whereby God in all places is dishonoured and provoked In a word evils so horrid as are fitter to be lamented with teares than mentioned with our mouths Adde hereunto the miseries of the Church if thou hast not utterly renounced goodnesse Ecclesia in attonitu thou shalt find cause enough
13.26 Against me Against whom Job who or what are you Be pleased to take Gods own testimonie if heavens witnesse may passe I passe A perfect and upright man one that feareth God and escheweth evill Cap. 1.8 Nay further One that speakes of God the thing that is right and is accepted of God in prayer Cap. 47.7 8. both for himselfe and others and yet He writeth bitter things against me We find in that Golden Psalme Psal 60.3 where David personates the Church she thus bespeakes God Thou hast shewed thy people hard things thou hast made us to drinke the wine of astonishment Indâ— Pallor membrorum vino madentium tremor Senec. or trembling It is an allusion to men addicted to drunkennesse the effect of which being long practised oftentimes ends in a continuall and habituated trembling Thou hast mingled us such a bitter potion of providence as possesseth us with a Palsie making us to tremble in every joynt to reele to and fro and stagger like drunken men And this thou hast done not to strangers but to thine own people We must needs yeeld that Zion is the Mountaine of Gods Holinesse Psal 48. beautifull for scituation the joy of the whole earth the City of the great King and God is known in her Palaces for a refuge That she is the Orbe wherein God appeares glorious to the Sons of men Out of Zion Psal 50.2 the perfection of beauty God hath shined Psal 76. Nobile illustre nomen propter inaudita miracula That it is the Theater upon which God comes forth to act his terrible and wonderfull workes In Judah is God known his name is great in Israel In Salem is his Tabernacle and his dwelling place in Zion There brake he the Arrows of the Bow the Shield and the Sword and the Battell And the Lord hath chosen Zion he hath desired it for his Habitation This is my rest for ever Psal 132. here will I dwell for I have desired it And yet the Daughter of Zion sits down weeping by the Rivers of Babylon bemoaning her selfe in this Language and blubbering out her complaint thus I am in bitternesse Lam. 1.4 And againe Cap. 3.5 He hath builded against me and compassed me with gall and travell And Verse 15. He hath killed me with bitternesse he hath made me drunken with wormwood And Verse 19. I remember my affliction and my misery the wormwood and the gall Here I stop I might be endlesse Having thus seen the truth of this Conclusion let us in the next place make some enquirie when and in what cases God may be said to deale very bitterly with his beloved ones which we may mainly demonstrate in these following particulars viz. When God smites in with an affliction Job felt the least finger of Gods hand far heavier than all his other massie and multiplied Crosses Job 6.4 The arrows of the Almighty are within me the poyson whereof drinketh up my spirit the terrours of God do set themselves in aray against me And it was not so much Babylonish Captivity as the apprehension of Gods displeasure that so deeply wounded the Churches heart Lam. 3.3 Surely against me is he turned he turneth his hand against me all the day As the love of God is better to a soule than the best things of this world Corne Psal 4.7 and Wine and Oyle nay better than life it selfe Psal 63 6. So the displeasure of God is worse than the worst things in this life nay than death it selfe One frown from God is more grievous than all the smiles in the world are joyous Eph. 6.12 The Apostle saith We wrestle not against flesh and bloud but against principalities against powers c. Whence I infer if it be so terrible to have the powers of hell how dreadfull is it then to have the powers of heaven engaged against us Here is God and not Man Spirit and not flesh It was once Eli's disswasive Argument to his Sons 1 Sam. 2.25 If one man sin against another the Judge shall judge him but if a man sin against the Lord who shall entreate for him In our contendings with men we may have Seconds but who dare joyne issue with us against God Man may deale it out with man nay in the strength of Christ man with devils But who can stand before Omnipotencie Psal 38.2 Thine Arrows stick fâ—st in me and thine hand presseth me sore This is very bitter Hidden afflictions When God hides from a soule the particular cause of an affliction Psal 42. Why art thou cast down O my soule and why art thou disquieted in me It was no little aggravation of Rebekah's trouble when she had those struglings in her wombe that she knew not the reason And therefore she goes to enquire of the Lord Gen. 25.22 Why am I thus Foelix qui potuit rerum cognoscere causas A disease found out is halfe cured but till then very hopelesse Alas saith the poore soule if I knew the speciall and particular cause why God so and so testifieth against me I would remove it that the effects might cease But seeing I am ignorant of this What hope I may walke in bitternesse all my daies Inward afflictions Such as are not only skin-deep but heart-deep Sinking down to the soule and weighing upon the Spirit These are very heavy and bitter For as those joyes which are kindled in the heart by the Holy Ghost are unspeakable So those afflictions which wound the soule and dart the conscience are intollerable Pro. 18.14 The spirit of a man will sustaine his infirmity but a wounded spirit who can beare Not huge Atlas himselfe Corporis vita statumen est anima animae columen est Deus Cart. in loe No Herbalist could ever yet shew me amongst all those varieties of simples in nature the medicine that cureth a wounded soule No no in this all are Physicians of no value None can do it but the balme in Gilead and the Physician there Sudden afflictions are much disgusted and become very bitter When afflictions give us a surprize like a whirlewind or storme at Sea When we have our eye upon one point or quarter and afflictions come in at another Our expectations are from one end evils come in at another When they throng in at our back-doores then and there as we never expected them Suddennesse or unawares contributes very much to the bitternesse of afflictions Thus the wicked are threatned Pro. 1.27 that their destruction shall come as a whirlewind And Moab to be destroyed in a night Isa 15.1 And this renders Christ's comming to judgement more terrible That he will come as a Thiefe in the night suddenly and unexpectedly It is reported that the Basilisk and Man shoot such venenation at each other from the eye at a distance that whether hath priority of aspection is destructive to the other
without corporall contaction Sure I am surprizing evils are oppressing evils When death seemes to come in an hâc nocte Luk. 12.20 and take away our sweet relations without any considerable summons given by sicknesse as hath been at this time it is very bitter When God sends Crosses flying upon us as Arrows swiftly and silently they wound sharply and deeply Successive and continued afflictions A little weight lying long upon the back at length grows ponderous and burdensome David was weary of his groaning Pro. 27.1 When each morning seems to be big-bellied and to bring forth a new griefe When afflictions succeed and second one other One horne springing up after another and one Hydra's head after another When afflictions are like unto Jobs Messengers one treading upon the heeles of another and preventing one another How many changes had that man Oxen and Asses are gone Sheepe and Servants are gone Sons and Daughters are gone When we have not to do with single afflictions but whole armies at once assaile us When we may say as Jacobs wife in another case Gen. 30.11 A Troupe commeth When we are left to bicker with bodies and to withstand whole broad-sides Psal 42.7 When deep calleth unto deep Take a stone cast it into a Pond and presently ye will see one circle succeed another So when God plyeth a poore soule with afflictions like waves at sea that it seems overwhelmed Gutta cavat lapidem saepe cadendo When he keeps the back continually bowed down that there is no time to looke up and get a breathing This is very sad Marble decaies at length with continuall droppings When we are exercised with stripping afflictions Which may be called so in a double respect viz. When we are deprived of an only enjoyment the want of which makes a great breach as if all were gone Thus it was with Naomi here what nearer than Husband and Sons In being deprived of them she was stript indeed And thus it was with Job what nearer than Sons and Daughters He never looked upon himselfe as a naked man untill they were gone It is threatned as a great part of Jezabels punishment Apoc. 2.23 I will kill her children with death Looke as it is in an house some goods may be removed and perhaps not be much missed But other Utensils againe are so much for use and ornament that the want of them leaves an house very naked Even so our Children are more to us than all we have in the world besides Let houses be never so well fraught they are very empty if Children be wanting What wilt thou give me Gen. 15.2 seeing I go childlesse When we are deprived of all at once That we are as it was said of the young man left utterly naked Mark 14.52 Here is stripping indeed If a faire and beautifull Apple fall from our Tree we are displeased but if not one left upon it then are we troubled Thus God threatens Idolatrous Israel Hos 2.3 to strip her naked and set her as in the day that she was borne So is Naomi not an Husband not a Child And Job seven Sons and three Daughters in the morning but in a trice all dead Corpses One Chicken serves the Hen to brood over It was comfort to old Jacob that in the want of Joseph he had a Benjamin Though Joseph is not yet Benjamin is It is a great mercy all our Arrows are not spent but there remaines yet some shafts in the quiver But when all is taken away at once as with a wet finger this is to be left naked and is very bitter And lastly increasing evills such as do thrive and grow upon us When they are like the Deluge of old swelling from the ankles to the knees thence to the navell and at last to overwhelming When they come on by degrees and the greatest is reserved for the last When the dregs lye in the bottome and the last morsell proves the bitterest bit Just thus it is with Naomi first she is afflicted with Famine next she is forced abroad afterwards deprived of her meet help her Husband and last of all of her two Sons Whose heart would not have tendred to have seen Job give audience to those mournfull Messengers One comes Job your goods are all seiz'd Very sad I am beggar'd Another Job your Servants are slaine A great deal sadder here is precious life taken away A third nay Job but here is not all I am sent unto you with more heavy tidings than all this Job your Children are every one of them dead suddenly violently even all at a clap and in the midst of their mirth and rejoycing There might you have seen shattered cups and skuls the bloud of the grape and of your Children mixed together What say you to this Job Oh! Then Job arose c. And the like shots did the wife of Phinehas withstand so long as ever she was able 1 Sam. 4. Israel is defeated very sad Your Father-in-Law Brother-in-Law and Husband are dead O griefe But here is not all The Arke of God is taken away This last shot her to the heart Then she bowed her selfe Ver. 19. and travelled for her paines came on her As it is the godly mans blessing that his light shineth more and more unto the perfect day Pro. 4.18 So it is the wickeds curse Jud. 13. that his night commeth on more and more untill at last he inherit the blacknesse of darkness for ever The godly after all the manifestations of their Fathers love find the best wine reserved last But the wicked after all his plagues at last makes up his mouth with the very dregs of divine indignation The nearer unto which afflictions we do approach the more bitter they must needs be Hence it is plaine Gods waies are not as mans waies We deale bountifully with them we love and bitterly with them we hate Joseph is distinguishingly free to his brother Benjamin Gen. 43.34 And Elkanah gives a worthy portion to his beloved Hannah If any aske the reason why God is so heterogeneous in this dispensation I answer Den. 29.29 secret things belong unto the Lord whose judgements are a great deep only revealed things to us It is no imputation to be ignorant of things not revealed Where God doth not speake the eare should not itch with desire to heare Let us not soare over high with our waxen wings Sapere ad sobrietatem God severely punished those that pryed into the Arke The Philosopher while he gazed of the heavens fell into a Pit unawares As soone and sooner may we line out the way of a Serpent over a Rock or of a ship in the waves or of an Arrow in the Aire as find out the waies which God walks in Only herein we may safely rest Say ye to the righteous Isa 3.10 that it shall be well with him Rom. 8. And all things shall worke
together for Good to them that love God Such is the admirable power and goodnesse of God that he can bring light out of darkenesse and good out of evill yea he can so over-rule the nature of things that what of themselves would contra-operate he will cause to co-operate and make them serve for much good He can sweeten bitter waters and make waters of Marah become waters of life But lest any soule should be sick about this question 1 Tim â— 4 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and say Why am I thus These following reasons may minister some satisfaction unto sober minds viz. Reason 1 The first Reason respects sin Sometimes God inflicts them as Castigatory stripes because of sin It is possible whilest they are in the flesh Saints may sin nay it is impossible they should not sin True He that is borne of God doth not commit sin that is 1 Joh. 3.9 as some do unpardonably or as the wicked do continually as one in his proper element he sinneth not wilfully presumptuously impenitently c. yet not so as if he could not Deut. 32.5 or did not sin Gods purest people have their spots Pro. 20.9 Possumus quod jure possumus Jam. 3.2 Solomon bids a challenge to all the world Who can say I am pure from my sin None justly In many things we offend all The greatest selfe-justifiers will prove the greatest selfe-deceivers Take it in the Apostles own words If we marke we Apostles and Saints say that we have no sin 1 Joh. 1.8 we deceive our selves and the truth is not in us Euseb Eccl. hist l. 2. Clem. Hypotypos l. 7. James sirnamed for vertue the just reckons himselfe amongst offenders There is a Generation that are pure in their own eyes and yet is not washed from their filthinesse And I guesse none to be blacker in Gods eyes than those that are whitest in their own Nitre Sope and Snow-water will not wash off their blemishes Nay further it is plaine Saints do not only sin simply but transitively even in performing duty and doing good So saith Solomon There is not a just man that doth good Eccl. 7.20 and sinneth not It was once the perverse dispute of some Pelagians Whether by the absolute power of God a just man might not live on earth without sin But what have we to do with the absolute power of God Quid in bâc vitâ uisi Aurora sumus Greg when his pleasure is otherwise we have cause here to be humbled for the imperfection of our perfection being at best like the gray morning not cleare day Though we do some things that are of the light yet we do not want the reliques of darkenesse Sin hath some life in us still on earth our sanctification being not yet absolute which God suffers mainely for three reasons viz. 1. For the exercise of our faith patience and constancy He leaves some enemies against whom we may fight the good fight of faith as the Canaanites were left in the Land to prove the Israelites 2. For our instruction to make us know how deeply we are obliged to Gods mercy and how excellent is that deliverance we have by Christ Hereby we come to know the benefit we have by grace to which we must make our recourse Did we not feele how powerfull sin is to over-rule us we could never have known the vile servitude of sin under which we lay by nature nor the excellent grace of Christ whereby deliverance is procured We find that if the reliques of sin be so turbulent how would it trouble us tyrannize were it in its full vigour 3. For his own greater glory and Sathans greater confusion Like Conquerours that slay not all enemies but reserve some alive Captive for the day of Triumph to be put to death for their greater shame and the Conquerours greater glory Josh 10.23 c. Thus Joshuah dealt with the five Kings that made war against Gibeon So Jesus Christ the Captaine of our Salvation subdues all enemies our sins yet some remaine enclosed within us as in a Cave restrained by his power from their former liberty and when the battle is ended he will utterly spoile them of life This being so men shall smart for sin where ever it is found Saintship is no shelter The best child will deserve it at one time or other and an offending Son shall lick of the whip yea Gods own Son if he undertake for sinners So long as we have in us this bitter root we may expect some bitter fruit Psal 91.30 31 32. If Davids children in Covenant with God breake his Statutes and keep not my Commandements then will he visit their transgression with the rod and their iniquity with stripes Saints themselves do never receive the full application of freedome from affliction till death Joh. 16.33 Yet these are castigatory not condemnatory They have the Cross but not the Curse Correction Rom. 8.1 but not Condemnation A good and a bad man may lye under a like calamity and yet here is the difference to the one it is a chastening to the other a punishment Sufferings may be alike in the nature and measure of them and yet differ in the acceptation A Merchant and Malefactor both crosse the Sea in one and the same Ship To the one it is the pursuit of his Calling and for gaine to the other exile and banishment Correction stands for a good caution Joh. 5.14 Piscu ictus sapit Sin no more lest a worse thing come unto thee The sins of Saints are more dishonourable unto God and cutting to the heart of Christ than others therefore a smarter rod may hang at their girdâ—es Greatnesse of mercy aggravates the greatnesse of sin Amos 3.2 and addes to misery You only have I known of all the Families of the earth therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities Againe sometimes God dispenseth afflictions as medicinal Pils or Potions to procure the soules health Let no man ascribe to afflictions more than is their due they cannot worke of themselves yet being sanctified of God they have a threefold operation 1. For the prevention of sin They are those thornes with which God hedgeth up our way that we may not find our paths Hos 2.6 Naturally we are like unto beasts desirous to breakeforth into wrong walkes and pastures God will by these prevent our extravagancy and keepe us within compass If they go on they shal prick themselves to the bone Physicians open a veine not only to cure but many times to prevent a disease God knows our disposition how inclinable we are to this or that evill And that we should not fall into these he sends us sicknesse in body sadnesse in soule losses in our goods friends children c. And these by Gods blessing become golden bridles to curbe and restraine us from that which otherwise we should rush upon and commit When the people
these Cockle-shells and toyes upon the sea-shore as to forget the tide which sweeps away all on a sudden Say to thy selfe I know not how soone God will bereave me of my only beloveds and take away from me the pleasure of my heart and that which is precious in mine eyes At present I have plenty and prosperity my belly is fully fed and my back warmly cloathed Now my house is richlyfurnished and my Vine and Olive branches wife and children sit round about my table But I know not how soone stripping times may come that mine eyes shall behold none of all these These things may give us the slip and salute us with an abrupt Vale when we least expect it Commonly when we thinke our selves most exempted from trials then are they at our heeles It is our wisdome to suspect our selves when our path is most pleasant I read of Nero that Tyrant who having a beautifull Lady to his Empresse would sometimes salute her with these words O goodly face and neck but when I list it shall be cut off Say to thy sweetest outward comforts O faire mercies but when God will ye must all be cut off Nay secondly Sit loose from your own selves Selfe-deniall was our Saviours Doctrine Mat. 16.24 and is the very institution of a Christian One way or other sooner or later God will try what you will do God will see if he can prevaile so far with you as to and câ—eave cling unto him when all is gone Beleeve it God will not harbour such as he knows not what to make of I speake after the manner of men None shall want their trialls Soule under colour of Religion thou maiest retaine a great deale of selfe in thee and God will put thee to it Selfe-deniall is of large extent Thinke not alwaies to carry thy course even and faire and to go on smoothly with peaceable living and formall praying and hearing God will surely take a course further than thus to try what is in thine heart The wind may blow long and loud upon the sound side of a tree and the tree make a shift to stand But when it gets into the hollow of the tree and affronts it on the rotten side then it puts it hard to it ten to one to lay it under feet O know that smooth and unblameable walking will not serve your turne there is a greater worke lies upon us to stick and stand to our tacklings when the Lord effectually tries us Now soule see and consider well what thou hast to do If it be so brought about thou canst not both hold God and thine enjoyments God and thy Children God and thy Life canst thou close with God be faithfull unto him and content with him without these Here thou art put to it indeed Mat. 16.25 Whosoever will save his life shall lose it and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it And this may serve for them that are free The Use in the next place is to the afflicted Use And to them also it speakes two things The first is comfort It is said of the waters of Marah that when they were so bitter as the people could not drinke Exod. 15. upon Moses his crying unto the Lord the Lord shewed him a tree which when he had cast into the waters the waters were made sweet The Doctrine is a bough of that tree The Lord may deale very bitterly with his beloved ones And so it is Lord Joh. 11.3 behold he whom thou lovest is sicke which is also applicable to all other sufferings Lord behold he whom thou lovest is bereaved of his Children deprived of all Heb. 〈…〉 c. Whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth and scourgeth every Son whom he receiveth That is into his love and favour in this life and into his Kingdome in the life to come And yet the scope of that Scripture marke the place speaketh unto us lovingly as unto Children 2 Sam. 23.5 This was Davids comfort Although my house be not so with God yet he hath made with me an everlasting Covenant ordered in all things and sure for this is all my salvation and all my hope although he make it not to grow The meaning is though my Family have not that flourishing prosperity but there are many enemies against my house and my Children mutiny amongst themselves yet all this shall not frustrate the free promises of God made unto me and grounded on the Messiah And this was his comfort and his hope in the want of outward prosperity Besides they come from a Father not an Avenger out of love not rigour and he that hath one hand upon us hath another under our heads and the one is not more stretched out to smite than the other is to consolate When by reason of sin and suffering the whole head is sick and the whole heart is faint Christ laies down himselfe as a Pillow for the soule to be refreshed upon by the application of his own righteousnesse and the consolations of the spirit And though all should be taken away yet there can be no want where there is Gods love in Christ The second thing which this Use speaketh is counsell and that in some particulars viz. If the Almighty have dealt very bitterly with any Be sensible of it Not only of the smart of the suffering but who sends it and for what end Be not like senselesse Ephraim Hos 7.9 whose strength strangers devoured but he knew it not and though gray haires were sprinkled upon him yet he knew not It is the Lord that giveth being to all things actions and motions both in the decree and in their actuall existence Amos 3.6 Malum culpae poenae Shall there be evill in a City that is not the evill of sin but of suffering and the Lord hath not done it He formeth light Isa 45.7 and createth darkenesse he maketh peace and createth evill As we see by the motion of the Celestiall bodies the aire becomes either light or darke even so by the change of Providence we meet with prosperity or adversity peace or trouble God is the ruler of the whole Universe wisely ordering it partly by his direction and partly by his correction in both which we ought to see a divine hand Job 19.21 Therefore saith Job The hand of God hath touched me And this good woman Ver. 13. The hand of the Lord is gone out against me Christians look neither to the right hand nor to the left but upward Know that afflictions spring not out of the dust Blame not chance blame not instruments blame not secondary causes The Almighty hath dealt very bitterly with me The Scripture is Lex loquens and speaketh this Language My Son despise not the chastening of the Lord neither be weary of his correction Whence we learne that when trialls are laid upon us and we saile in bitter waters we must be carefull to steere