Joy in Tribulation, Chapter 3
CHAP. III. The description and distribution of Afflictions.
TRue it is, that Affliction is of it selfe the very Spring of bitternesse, worldly sorrow, and death: The naturall fruit of it is no other but murmuring, cursing, and desperate blaspheming; but is wholly changed through the grace of God, powerfully working in it. Looke as the waters of Marah were very bitter,Exod. 15. 23.25. yet wh…n the Tree, pointed out by God, was cast into them, they became sweet: And as those Springs of Iericho flowed with death and barrennes,2 Kin. 2.19 20,21,2…. yet were healed by Elisha with salt: so when God seasoneth Afflictions with that Tree of Life,Heb. 2.10 (who was himselfe consecrate through Afflictions,) and with that Salt of his Spirit, he maketh them wholesome and pleasant.
The Crosse, therefore, is as some wine, which though of it selfe it be tart & unpleasant, yet seasoned with a little Sugar, it will not only goe down with delight, but warme the stomacke, and make the heart merry.
Now Affliction is nothing else (as wee know) but some evill and grievance pressing us either in body or soule, drawn in by sinne, and sent in by our just God; in generall, (as an Herald of Armes) to summon all men to lay downe their rebellion, and come in by Repentance: in particular, a Messenger of wrath, and beginning of hell to the reprobate and disobedient, but an Embassadour for peace, and the narrow gate to heaven to the Elect and faithfull. Briefly to runne over this discription:
That Affliction is a grievous evill, shall need no other witnesse but our sense; yet further testified by that infallible Truth:Heb. 12.…1 No chastisement for the present seemeth to bee ioyous, but grievous. That it is the attendant of sinne, is evident:Rom. 5.12, & 6.23. Death entred by sinne, and the wages of sinne is death temporall and eternall. Lam. 3.39.Wherefore is the living man sorrowfull? Man suffereth for his sinne. Ier. 5.25…Your iniquities have hindered good things from you, and your sinnes have turned away these things. In a word, reade Deutr. 28. from the 15. ver. to the end, and, wee shall there finde, that the disobedience & breach of Gods law (which is sinne, 1 Ioh. 3.4.) is that needle, which draweth after it the whole file, and long thred of misery and evill.
Againe, that God is the soveraigne disposer, who ordereth it according to his owne pleasure, is most evident:Lam. 3.38, 42,43,44, 45. Out of the mouth of God proceedeth not evill, and good? yes answereth the same Prophet, & Spirit: We have transgressed and rebelled, and thou hast not pardoned. Thou hast covered with anger; and persecuted us; thou hast slain, and hast not pittied; thou hast covered thy selfe with a cloud, that our prayer shold not passe through; thou hast made us the of-scouring and refuse in the midst of the people. Shall there be any evill in a Citie, Amos 3.6.and the Lord hath not done it. I make peace, and create evill?Esa. 45.7.
Moreover, that the generall end, and office of affliction is as a trumpet, to summon and call us into the Courts of God, to lay downe our rebellion, and acknowledge our fealty, is every where manifest in Scripture:Ier. 18.11. I prepare a plague, and purpose a thing against you, returne therefore every one. Amos 4… 6, 7,8,9,10, 11.I have given you cleannesse of teeth, yet have you not turned unto me. I have with-holden the raine, yet have you not returned unto me. Pestilence have I sent among you, yet have you not returned to mee… I have over-throwne you as Sodome and Gomorra, yet have you not returned to me: where the Lord most plainly discovereth his end of sending in so many grievances among them, namely, that they might returne by repentance.Ier. 2.30. I have smitten your children in vaine, they have received no correction. Affliction is no good end, when correction, or amendment followeth not.Esay 15. Wherfore should you be smitten any more? you fall away more and more. The speciall end why God smiteth ceaseth whē men reject repentance.
Fur…hermore, that Affliction is a messenger of wrath, and indeede the gate of hell to the Reprobate, will easily appeare by many plaine testimonies. Fire is kindled in my wrath, and shall burne to the bottome of hell. Deut …2. 22, 23.I will send plagues among them, I will bestow mine arrowes upon them. Such were those afflictions laid upon Caine, Saul, Iudas, &c. Especially this truth wil be cleared in those plagus spent on Pharaoh and Egypt; which were not appointed by God, or ever intended as means to reclaime him (else God would have rebuked Satan, and not suffered him to harden the heart of that heathen King by them to further obstinacy) but, 1. to make his resistance more unexcusable; 2. to be fore-runners to his destruction of body and soule. For, to this end God appointed him, to shew his power in him: even that power of the Potter over the clay, to mak one vessell to honour another to dishonour: that power, whereby hee hath mercy on whom hee will have merciemercy, and whom be will he hardeneth. Compare Exod. 9. 16. with Rom. 9.17.18.21.
But that Afflictions are Embassadours of peace to the faithfull, and indeede a narrow gate, (yet a gate) leading to their happinesse shall most clearely bee shewed by that which followeth, and in the meane time may be sufficiently manifested by the testimony of the Apostle,Act. 14.22. Wee must through many afflictions enter into the kingdome of God.
Now all afflictions may be differenced eyther from the subject, in which they exist, or the end for which they are sent. The subject in which they exist is either soule or body (where I so farre extend the words, as to include in them al necessaries belonging to both.) Thus blindnes, hardnesse, deadnesse of heart, terrors, griefe, desertions of the Spirit, sinful infirmity, & many other may be reckoned among the evils and afflictions of soule: so sicknesse, payne, losse of friends, poverty, disgrace, and infinite other hanging upon the body and bodily estate. Againe, they may be considered from their end, why they are sent by God; namely, for correctiō to some, to others for confusion; & thus they are chastisements to his children, to rebels punishmēts It will therfore m…ch further our proceeding, if wee briefly lay downe the difference between chastismēt & punishmēt
First then it is more apparent then can be denied, that in the matter of them there is none or little difference: For in outward evils,Eccl. 9.2. All things come alike to all, the same cond…tion to the just & unjust, to him that sweareth, and to him that feareth an oath. So likewise many spirituall evils are common to al; which is evidently cleared in the testimonies of many afflicted Saints;Iob… 6, 4. The arrowes of the Almighty are within me, the poyson whereof drinketh up my spirit: the terrours of God doe set themselues in array against me. Iob. 13.26Thou writest bitter things against mee, and makest me possesse the iniquities of my youth. Psal… 51.12Thus David complaineth that hee had lost the joy of Gods salvation: see also Psal. 38.2. and 2 Cor. 7.5. So then, both the faithfull and unfaithfull suffer many evils; and the same afflictions in the matter of them befall both.
Secondly, it must bee remembred, that by reason of this neerenesse in their matter, they are sometimes used one for another: and punishment called chastisement, and chastisement used for punishment, & though not of…en, yet sometime even the Scripture useth these termes promiscuously, affirming the godly to be punished, and the heathen chastened. But in propriety of spee…h there is very much, and palpable difference: For, Divine chastisement is such affliction which God of his fatherly wisedome and love layes upon his children, for the triall and increase of his grace in them here, and their glory in him hereafter, sustayning them in the meane time by his Spirit, and so bringing forth in them the fruit of holinesse and righteousnesse.
Contrary, Divine punishment is that affliction which God in wrath and hatred layeth upon the wicked, as an enemy to their confusion, and further damnation, with-holding the comfort, and saving worke of his holy Spirit, which therefore produceth in them murmuring, despayre, and blaspheming.