Works, Part 4 · Religious instruction · Chapter 53
CHAP. LIII. Of Prosperitie, and Aduersitie, and of Griefe, and of the temptations incident to it.
GOd by the multitude of his benefits warneth vsus, and prepareth vsus for some troubles and temptations to come: for surely he putteth not on the armour, but hee will alsoProsperitie. prouide for vsus the battell.
2 Now it is no great thing to fauour the Gospell, because it is in fauour: but to embrace it in trouble, is of true louelove, which wee may trie, if being in prosperitie wee can feeleThe triall of our louelove to the Gospell. the miserie of others: for if we can reioyce in the prosperitie of the Church, though we be in miserie, if we can be moued and grieued with the miserie of the Church, though wee be in prosperitie; this sheweth that our hearts are vpright, and that true zeale remaineth in them.
3 In prosperitie, if we vse our goods to our owne ease, and waxe carelesse, that is vnbeleefe: but if we giuegive God glorie, and waxe more carefull, this is an argument of true faith.Securitie. Let vsus then striue against infidelitie both in prosperitie and aduersitie, and trie our faith by these meanes: for if God worke in vsus humilitie, in the abundance of his mercy, it is a signe of our faith: if in wants wee be disquieted, it argueth infidelitie: but if wee stay our selues vponupon God, it is faith.
4 They that continue safe in prosperitie, by Gods grace shal perseuere in aduersitie: butNote. I dare not warrant them safe in prosperitie, who hauehave beene safe in aduersitie.
5 The more prosperitie encreaseth to Gods children, the more they feare.Whō to feare most.
6 In prosperitie it is good to vse the song of Salomon, and in aduersitie the lamentations of Ieremiah.
7 God suffereth euill men to prosper in this world for two causes: first, that eueryevery good1 man hauing in him some sinnes, might for his few euill things hauehave here a temporall punishment:Why sometime the euill prosper more than doe the godly. and eueryevery euill man hauing some good things, might be rewarded with temporall benefits. Secondly, God often chastiseth his, and suffereth the wicked, that it might be seene that good men serue not God for the things of this world, as Sathan reckoned by2 his account with Iob, as also for that the Lord maketh not his bookes cleere in this life, but reserueth the full and finall account vntounto the last day of iudgement, wherein eueriethingNote. shall be fully recompenced, whether it be good or euill.
8 Wee must not marueile at wicked mens successe, it is no new thing. Iob saw it, andThe wicked sometime prosper. Dauid especially, Psal. 73. Zachar. 3. the followers of Iehosua the High Priest are monstrous persons. Paul doth expound it wil, calling them a gazing stock. And though God say, hurt not mine annointed, yet are they harmed: Elias for speaking against Ahab, and Iohn Baptist for telling Herod his sinne If Paul speake against the Idole of Diana, he is a seditious fellow. It was some thing no doubt, that made Moses so loath to goe to Pharaoh, when God sent him. To consider the troubles of the godly, it were enough to make Ieremiah write new bookes of Lamentations, to make Dauid sit him downe by the riuers of Babel: for theThe afflictions of the godly in this life. tower of Babel is higher than the hill of Sion. Poore little Isaac must goe to slaughter, while Ismael sits at home: good Iacob must bee set to keepe sheepe, whiles my Lord Esau rides on hunting. If you looke for Ioseph, you shall finde him in prison, Daniel in the Lions denne: and so it is true of all for the most part, yet I knowe it shall be well with them that serue God,Of griefe, and the temptations incident to it.
9 If we waste our strength and spend our prayers, and are not answered, wee suffer then some griefe in withstanding a secret sollicitation to mistrust. Griefe would faine hauehave ease, whereof it is, that it laboureth alwayes to lay it selfe open, and to moue pitie, it feareth nothing more then to be hidden. And for this cause nature hath giuen more helps to bewrayPrayers this affection then any other, as heauines of the countenance, hanging of the forehead, mouing of the eyes, sighes and groanes. It teacheth eloquence, and maketh vsus to change our speeches, and so wee learne to amplifie the causes of our woe. Hereof it commeth, why falling vponupon the obiect of griefe, we are loath to depart from speaking of it, we double our speeches on that Theame. We know the matter of Ezeckias griefe forced his tongue to touch it twice: The tongue, the tongue shall praise thee, &c. When Christ spake words of doctrine and exhortation to Ierusalem, once to name it was enough: but when hee spake in an Argument of griefe, then he must needes say, Ierusalem, Ierusalem. Doe we not see how Dauid in his heauines dwelt vponupon the name of Absolon? Habacuc, chap. 2. hee strikes twice on one string, and speakes not onelyonly to shew his minde, but to satisfie his griefe.
10 This griefe in it selfe is indifferent, in vsus good or bad, according to the cause of it. If God would not hauehave vsus grieued at all, why did he not frame our hearts of brasse? or why were not wee hewed out of marble? Indeede to be sorrowfull, where we should not, or to laugh where wee should weepe, this beseemes not wise men, much lesse Christian men to doe. Simplie to be grieued is not reproueable, but to be grieued out of Time, measure, orAn euill griefe. place, is fault worthy. When the light of the world began to be darkened by Eclipse, when the life of the world began to goe to the shadowe of death, women somwhat well affected, followed him bewailing him: But Christ told them, these teares wasted on him, might bee better spent on themselues. For (saith hee) the time will come when mothers shall thinke them most happy that are no mothers, and in this case*Egeritur lachrymis dolor. Teares shall bee the onelyonly vent to ease your hearts, keepe them therefore against those dayes. So that griefe in some sort is sweete and allowable in the sight of God. Now that wee may discerne the better betweeneGriefe of passion, and of compassion. sorrowes, let vsus note there is a griefe of passion, and a griefe of compassion; the first we sustaine in our selues, either vponupon some euill present, or vponupon some good thing absent: the other workes in vsus vponupon the estate of others, when we shall see the Sword of the prophane sheathed in the bowels of our owne brethren, who can make a doubt, that a good man might say with the Apostle, Rom. 9. I speake the truth, my conscience bearing me witnes in the holy Ghost, that I hauehave great heauines, and continuall sorrow. And if for others, shall we notGriefe of indignation. much more be grieued for things in our owne persons? Yes, for be it that a man were free from the griefe of indignation, wherewith Dauid so laboured; be it that a man were freeGriefe of emulation. from the griefe of emulation, wherewith he also was tried; be it that a man were free from the griefe of contrition, wherewith euen Dauid was exercised; be it, I say, that a man wereGriefe of contrition. free from all these: yet from the griefe of a longing expectation in their prayers, how free or vnfree rather Gods children are, their sighes and sobs doe shew. We crie for aide, weGriefe of a longing expectation in prayers. seeke for helpe, and yet it is deferred, this is a great griefe, and this is an holy griefe. But marke how in our best affections, Sathan takes occasion by these things (most good) to draw vsus to things most euill.
11 In suffering griefe we shall be prouoked to mistrust God, and therefore not in vaine was it spoken by our Sauiour Christ, to arme them against the griefe of his departure, Pray that ye▪ fall not into temptation. Surely whatsoeuer our estate be here, Sathan will not leaue vsus without some sollicitation to sinnes. Art thou in prosperitie? say not in thy heart, thers is no God: The Phenix of the world by wealth became a wanton. Is the world in an vproare?Psalme 13. 1. the Diuell if he can, will keepe thee without all feare. And of this an ancient Father complaineth, saying; It is a dolefull thing to see, how honorable men of gray haires, were wholy in time of publike calamities giuen ouer to securitie, and that when destruction wasSecuritie in publike calamities. Psalme. 9. imminent, when as much as all their liues were worth, did hang on one single thred. Nay he goeth further; Mens iniquities grew vp with the punishment of iniquitie, as if their sin should feed still the punishment of sinne, so many of them did dye dallying, because they dallied with destruction. But if wee cannot come to this stupidirie, not to be moued at all, our case must be thought the happier, yet are wee not freed from as great a temptation as the former, for euen this leadeth vsus along to another triall, and that is a temptation to distrust, if our sighes and grones hauehave not successe in things praied for.
12 There is no kinde of griefe voide of some speciall prouocation to euill. The griefe,By eueryevery g…fe Sathā will take occasion to l…ad vsus to euill. which is least dangerous, is the griefe of compassion, for we cannot be too much touched with the miseries of our brethren; and yet this griefe makes vsus spare oftentimes where we should strike: but the griefe of our own sufferings is far more full of griefe. How many the griefe of indignation hath cast away, the histories shew by whole millions. The griefe of emulation,1 marke how it grieues the godly. Dauid sawe the wicked hauing their children2 dancing before their faces, and this chastised him eueryevery morning, and see the downefall, whereunto it brought him, to say, I hauehave in vaine washed my hands in innocencie. Griefe of3 contrition is counted a godly griefe euen by Pauls own testimony, but into what extremities this godly griefe doth bring many, the number of afflicted consciences can shew and4 speake to the world. Nay the holiest griefe, the griefe of deuotion and longing for heauenly things, is not free from temptation, as wee may see in Habacucke, who seeing the delay of his prayers concludeth, Thou wilt not heare. This suggestion though it be once and againe expelled, yet the minde will grudge againe: though we hauehave once controlled and giuen a checke to such a sinne, yet must wee not thinke to bee quiet, but still Sathan is at the elbow with the same argument. With our conquest of our corruption wee must not hold our selues contented: and though wee giuegive one repulse, wee may receiue a double foile for it. But in this case a godly conscience dealing in a godly cause with his God may thinke: if I were an Idolater, the Lord might say, Goe to thy Gods in whom thou h…st trusted, see if they will helpe thee, for thou hast refused mee, and cast mee behinde thy backe. If I were a murtherer, the Lord might say, thy hands are full of blood, and thy Sacrifice is an abhomination vntounto me. If I were a blasphemer, the Lord might say, what hast thou to doe to call vponupon mee, and to take my name in thy mouth, thou hast polluted my name, how should I take pleasure in thy prayers? But when we see, wee simply protesting, as did Ezekiah; Remember Lord how I hauehave walked before thee in truth, and with a perfect heart, and h…ue done that which is good in thy sight, and yet cannot bee heard, what a prouocation to temptation is this? For we would thinke, if God will heare any, hee would heare the godly; if euerNote. he will heare, that hee would heare after long praying; if any thing, when wee complaine of violence and miserie. But to crie, and a good man to crie, and to crie long, and to crie in extremitie, and yet no hearing, this is grieuous. From this griefe growes another temptation If I hauehave prayed so long and cannot be heard, what booteth it me to pray? I will spare the labour, rather than labour without hope and helpe.
13 To be left when wee please our selues and take our pleasure in sinne, were a thing more easie; but when wee shall begge on our bare knees, when the sorrow of sinne shall make our cheekes full of teares, when wee shall wrinkle our faces with weeping, and our throats shall grow hoarse with crying, and then be as forelorne and forsaken, is not this a sore assault; what then in such a temptation may we doe? We must ouercome griefe with patience Note.and care out and burne out with this temptation by faith, and purge distrust in Gods promises To ouercome greate by faith and patience. A sweete c…nsolation for afflicted mindes.by perseuerance in prayer. Griefe naturally is heauie, and lies as lead at the heart, and consequently presseth vsus downeward, so that, if faith and prayer can keepe the heart, the hands, the voice, the eies vpward, it is apparant, that patience surmounteth griefe, and faith hath outrunne temptation. If despaire did possesse the heart, the verie naming of God would bee grieuous, yea though it were vttered by another. When then we cannot onelyonly heare God named, but name him and call vponupon his name by prayer, it shewes wee are yet children of hope hanging at the breast. As for the word, wherewith Gods Children and euen some of the Prophets hauehave seemed foolishly to charge God, we wust knowe, that they bee voide of passion not of perswasion, which thing is the more diligently to be marked to abate the rigou… of our censures, which we oft giuegive out vponupon afflicted consciences. If a manNote. shall lie down in his bed, commending himselfe into the hands of God by prayer: shal any man doubt, but his estate is of the Lord, and his safetie from God himselfe? yet it falleth out, that the same man is striken with such feares in his dreame, that he giues out desperate speeches as a man forsaken of God; will yee deeme that man rather by that sudden motion befalling him in his dreame, than by that continuall course, which hee kept being awake? If you your selues would not bee iudged in that case, iudge not others in the likeMatt. 7. 1. 2 3. case, least it be measured to you, as you hauehave measured to others.