Joy in Tribulation, Chapter 5
CHAP. V. What comforts a Christian soule may gather from affliction it selfe.
FIrst therefore is it a small comfort that this evil cō meth not only from God as a Father, but from the wisdom, love, faithfulnes of such a father? The Lord in his gracious love determineth to do us good, maketh an everlasting covenāt with us (not to please our flesh & blood, but) to do us good, Ier. 32…40, 41putteth his feare into our hearts, that we shall never depart from him, yea, to delight in us to doe us good: and in his wisdom knowing that there is in us naturally a deceitfull heart, starting aside like a broken bow,Ier. 5.…3. an evill and unfaithfull heart readie to depart from the living God;Heb. 3.12. such, as when it was at the best, soone turned out of the way which hee māded; he appointed his chastisemēts as thongs to bind us to his feare, and to settle us in his covenant, in which consisteth our onelyonly happinesse.
Can we thinke that God taketh any pleasure in the smart of his children?Heb. 12.10 If we (which after our owne pleasure) have no delight in the griefe of our infants; oh then let our owne affections teach us, that hee who is love, who is infinit love,Lam. 3.33. doth not afflict willingly, nor grieve the children of men: were not our necessity more then his pleasure, wee should never taste of chastisement. How then should we rejoyce (if not in the smart of the correction, yet) in the love of the Correctour? Shall a little Sugar sweeten, and make pleasant to our taste many things, which in themselves are sower and bitter; and shall not the love of Christ, which is better than wine, Can…. 1.1.which is better than life it selfe, Psal. 63.3.sweeten a light, nay the most grievous aff…iction? Iustly may wee blame our taste, that there is much flesh, and little savour of the Spirit in it,Cant, 5.1… if Christ Iesus, who is wholly delectable, and his love, which to us is the most delectable thing in him, cannot take away the bitternesse of some gentle, nay, the most sharpe correction.
Secondly, how soveraign… a Cordiall is it to an afflicted Spirit, when hee remembers that all his troubles are eyther such as the world layeth upon him to draw him from God to it selfe, or God layeth upon him, to draw him to himselfe from the world? Seeing both of them are the very portion of Gods children. For the former, persecutions of wicked men, slanders, reproches, and the scofs of the world are ranked among chiefe blessings, and are bequeathed by Christ as his legacie: See, Mar. 10.30. and we in such a case commanded by our Saviour to rejoyce,Mat. 5. 11, 12. and to dance for joy, as being a most happy & blessed estate: For the other, should wee not as much rejoyce in it?Heb. 12,7. For in these afflictions God is offered to us (so is the word foreign) as unto Sonnes. Is there any gift in the world, or is the world it selfe a gift comparable to God? Seeing then that God offereth himself to us in these chastising afflictions, how welcome should they be unto us, and how great pleasure should wee take in them, not for any thing indeed in them, but for that which they bring unto us? Is not their estate wofull, who being in the visible Church, and making no other account but to share the inheritance, shall at length be found bastards, and thrust out of doores (like scornfull Ismael) to their eternall shame and confusion?Heb. 12. 8. Now such are all they who receive no chastisement from the hand of God: who then would not comfort himselfe in that correctiō, which is indeed for the time, unpleasant to the flesh, but yet even then, to the spirit, an evidence of an happinesse beyond all thought or time? who would not with Moses, Heb. 11.25rather choose to suffer affliction with the children of God, then to enioy the pleasures of sinne for a season?
Another especial comfort we may receive from the end or purpose of God; namely, that his grace which he hath given us may be tried, and so himselfe glorified. Now this triall implyeth not onelyonly the proofe, or manifestation of it, that others might take example by it, and God might have glory, but also a defaecation (as I may say) or purifying it, taking away the rust, soyle and filth which it gathereth by our corruption.Isa. 105…19 Thus in the first sense the Lord tried Ioseph by his affliction. Thus Abrahams faith; thus the faith of those three royall young men was proved or tryed.Dan. 3. Likewise that other kinde of tryall, whereby, as gold is purified in the furnace, so grace in affliction, is mentioned by the Apostle,1 Pet. 1.7. That the tryall of your faith being much more precious then gold, though it be…ried by fire, might be found unto praise, and honour, and glory. So Iob, Iob 23. 10He knoweth my way, and tryeth mee, and I shall come forth as gold. A speech worthy to be (as indeede it is) eternized for ever, and fitly written down by the finger of that blessed Spirit, by whose mouth it was also spoken. The Lord (saith that holy Patient) knoweth all my wayes; hee knoweth how dearely, more than my appointed food, I have occounted his Word: hee knoweth that I have followed his steps yet he trieth me, (not because he is ignorant of any thing in mee, for hee knoweth all my wayes, but) first, that as in a furnace the most precious mettal leaveth behind it some drosse, so I from this tryall might come forth much more purified and clensed from my sinfull steynes and pollution; and secondly, that I might be current in his kingdome, even a patterne, as well of his powerfull grace in upholding me, as of patience to them which shall be herafter exercised by like afflictions. A Christian who hath seene and loathed the filthinesse of his sinfull heart, what will hee not bee willing to doe or suffer, that he may have it cleansed? Many weake women will endure much to mend some deformity in their bodies, and shal not a Christian suffer the divels image to bee scoured off (although it bee with smarting water) that the beauty of God may be imprinted upon him?
But especially it should much refresh us to know, that hee who hath guided us into this narrow way of affliction, will safely lead us through it, and bring our feet into a large place, even the liberty of Gods children: going along with us in all our evil, and upholding us in it for our good, and Gods glory. Surely, if the Furnace heated at once as for seven times,Dan. 3. could not consume the bodies of those stout Confessors, nay, could not singe a thred of their garments, so long as the Angell of the Lord was among them; what affliction or trouble shal hurt us, when the Lord of Angels is with us, nay in us, supporting our weaknesse, and bearing it out in all our troubles?
Lastly, the many excellent delightfull fruits springing from this bitter roote, will abundantly recompence, and with great, yea, infinite usury repay all that evill which can possibly bee in any affliction. First (which before was mentioned,Pro. 20.30) The blewnesse of the wound serueth to purge the evill, and the stripes within the bowels of the belly. It purgeth out the old leven, and maketh us a new lump. Secondly, the fire of affliction softneth our yron hearts, and prepareth them for the hammar of the Word,Ier. 23.29. to frame us after the image of God, and to set upon us the beauty of his holinesse. It bringeth forth the pleasant fruit of righteousnesse. Now what is there in all the world, which if wee might wish and have, wee would preferre or equall with this holinesse? Neither should it too much trouble, nay in some respect it should cheere us that we find inward terrors, & grievances, doubts, desertions, buffeters of Satan; we apply outward medicines to infants and weake ones, but inward Physicke, as it is given by expert Physicians, to the strong, so it worketh more strongly. Inward stripes worke on the bowels, clense the inward man: this shaking rooteth our faith more strōgly, and this disease of doubting occasionally, se…leth us in more fulnesse and assurance of faith.