Joy in Tribulation, Chapter 2
CHAP. II. Where comfort is to be found: even in all things; and first in affliction it selfe.
SUrely it is not the least of our miseries, which sinne brought in upon us, that with the losse of all spirituall comfort, wee lost also all knowledge where to seeke & finde it. How easily can we by our taste discerne the best meates and drinkes, how easily can we learne where, and how to procure them? but in what consisteth our true comfort, the strength and solace of our poore, naked, miserable Spirits, and where to search for it we are wholly ignorant, blind as stones, nay worse, wilfully blinde. What foole will let downe a nett for fish in the mountaines, or set a toyle for Deere in the Seas?Mat. 7.16… Doe men looke for grapes of thornes, or figs of thistles? yet this madnesse is common to natural men, who thinke to finde strength in vanity, and comfort in vexation: when seekes a rich man for shelter against the evill day? His wealth is his strong City, & an high wall in his conce…t. Pro… 18,1…Where doe worldlings search for, and hope to finde joy,Psal. 4.7. and solace? in their Wheate, and Wine. The Epicure comforts and cheers up his soule, Eat, drink, and be merry, Lu. 1….19…thou hast goods laid up for many yeeres. Nay, the drunken Hog thinks to drinke downe sorrow in his swiltub;1 Cor. 15.3… Let us eat and drinke, for to morrow we shall dye. Come, and I will bring wine, Esa. 56.12…and wee will fill our selues with strong drinke, and to morrow shall be as this day, and much more abundant: as if a man should seeke for Paradise under the frozen Poles, for heaven in hell.
Now as nothing is more vaine then to search for comfort against the sorrowes of this world in this world of sorrowes, so as fond were it for a Christian to rake out any comfort from the puddles of heathen and naturall men. Their best Physitians and medicines can never possibly worke upon the part affected, th…t is, the Conscience. The choice of them are but as Io…s friends, m…serable comforters. Their barrennes in this fruit will yeeld us an excellent document how beggar-poore our nature is in any grace; when we obserue what weake comforts those strong wits with all their studie, and helpe of nature produced in the necessities of themselues, and their friends. Looke what difference wee finde in swoons and qualmes, betweene hot water and small beere, such, & infinitely more shall wee obserue betweene the consolatiōs given by God in the Scriptures, and naturall men in their writings. See it in some instances.
As first against affliction in generall: All calamities (say they) are either casuall, and a wise man will despise chanceable events; or else fatall, such as by destiny are set out for us, and therefore cannot be avoided, but must be borne. Now consider what vertue there is in such a plaister to heale the least scratch of any trouble.
Compare with this the comforts of the blessed Spirit .i. God offers himselfe to thee in affliction as a Father: Heb. 1….7.armeth thee with proportionable strength to passe through it: 1 Cor. 10… 13.clenseth thy defiled heart by this purging fire, Pro. 20.30and purifies it from the drosse of sinne; 1 Cor. 11. 32.prevents eternall condemnation, 2 Cor. 14.7and embrightens thy heavenly crowne by it. And what wound so deepe, which these ingredients will not perfectly cure, and skin soundly?
Come to particulars: In banishment, the Phylosopher will tell thee, Every soyle is a valiant mans Country. In disgrace and infamy, It is but popular breath, lighter thē ayre. In death; Cities (say they) States, the whole world of men are mortall. Now alas what strength is there in these weake reeds to beare up a soule plunged, and even swallowed up in feare and horror? Certainly, if a man were sinking before, these comfortours would be so farre from raising his dejected heart, that they would rather utterly overwhelme, and drowne it in all hopelesse perplexity.
But our great comfort maks us to see,Heb. 11.13 that here we are strangers and Pilgrims: Phil. 3.20neither can we be exiled from God, and from our heavenly Ierusalem, Mat. 5.11. 12.and Blessed are you when men revile and persecute you, and say all manner of evill of you. Reioyce, and leape for ioy, for great is your reward in heaven. Hee maketh us to know that death is bu… a sleepe in the Lord, 1 The. 4.14.a rest from all labou…, Rev. 14.1…which cannot separate from the love of God, Rom… 8.38. 39.but uniteth us unto Christ. Phil. 1.….….By these and such like, the soules of the faithfull have beene revived, and quickned in the midst of death, and supported in spite of all opposition of Satan, and his instruments. Heathens then are Physitions of no value, and all their Simples gathered from their naturall reason, like to those of our Empiricks, which perhaps will not hurt, but certainly will nothing helpe us.
Therefore passing by these dry pits, which will hold no water, let us come to the spring-head, even our glorious head, the Lord Iesus (who is both the Physitian, and medicine of the broken heart) and to his holy Ordinances, the channels (full channels) of all heavenly consolation.
For I purpose not here to summe up all the Cordials, which may refresh and glad an humbled, dejected Spirit, (that must bee the worke of greater gifts and longer time) Verely as the Bee drawes honey from every herbe, eve… weeds and venemous plants; so the faithfull Christian may extract comfort from all things, even the most grievous and fearefull. If he looketh up to heaven, it was made for him; here to light him, hereafter to harbor him: If downe to the earth, it is given to the Sonnes of men, especially the Sonnes of God, as a Nurs… of their temporall life, and a bed in death. All the Creatures are his; nay, death and hell yeeld him this comfort, (not onelyonly that he is delivered from them, but) that they shall revenge him of his enemies, and torment his tormentors. But I desire to bee short, & therefore wil confine my selfe to narrower limits.
Now as in any great house there are not onelyonly Cisternes retaining, and by divers pipes conveighing water unto every Office, but specially a living well, or fountaine, feeding these Cisternes: So in the Church, (which is Gods house) wee shall find certaine Ordinances of God, wherein he layes up, and whereby h…e conveyes these sweet refreshings unto our soules: Afterward, they will lead us on unto the Well-head, that River of God, nay, Seas and Oceans of all consolation, even the God of all comfort. First, therefore, (to omit many) the Lord hath stored up for us, & bringeth home to us much comfort, as well in other holy meanes, as in affliction it selfe. But (as Nathaniel of Nazareth, so) some Christian, perhaps, will speake of affliction: Can any good thing come out of evill?