Works, Part 4 · Religious instruction · Chapter 30
CHAP. XXX. How to profit and to examine our selues when Friends forsake vsus.
IT is an vsuall Euill, that a man sometimes shall be forsaken euen of his owne kind red, so that though hee came vntounto them laying open his pittifull estate, if he put them in minde of the brother-hood had betweene them, if hee vrgeth them with their promise, if he sueth in the title of his need, and in the Name of IESVS CHRIST, if he chargeth them with the force of naturall affection; yet they are deaffe, and will not heare his moane. Strange, yet an vsuall euill it hath bene heretofore, is now, and will bee heereafter. Wherefore it shall be profitable to learne, how wee shall stand affected in this triall before the Lord. The best way is not, as some hauehave done, to repine at this euill as at a thing but lately sprung vp, saying, Who was euer so forsaken of his friends as I am? who was euer so vnkindly dealt with, the world was neuer so wicked, mens hearts were neuer so hard: but the surest course is to enter into our owne soules, and to looke what fruite wee are to reapeThe vse of Affliction. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. vnderunder the hand of the Lord, who by this kind of affliction either punisheth some sinne, or proueth our faith, or worketh in vsus some further mortification, or stirreth vsus vp to a more carefull vsing of the means of our saluation, or else to a more earnest contempt of this life, and more hungrie longing for the life to come.
2 First therefore, let vsus examine our selues in this vnkindnes of our friends to vsus, whether heretofore wee hauehave not offered some vnkindnes vntounto our friendes, whereby God in his iust iudgement should meete with vsus, and by raising vsus vp others to deale vnnaturallie with vsus, to punish our vnnaturall dealing with others. If herein our conscience condemne vsus not, let vsus reach out this examination a degree further, and let vsus see whether wee hauehave not sought the fauour of man more then the fauour of God, whether wee loued not our friends rather carnally than spiritually, and whether wee hauehave not beene instruments to them of sinning, or we ourselues lie not in some secret sin vnrepented of. If in any of theseTo seek mens fauour more then the fauour of God. wee be guiltie, wee are to thinke, that the Lord by the vnkindnes of our friends correcteth somewhat in vsus, either our preposterous and fleshly louelove, or our hypocrisie, or our corruption, louing for backe and bellie. Well, if in all this our hearts doe acquite vsus, it may be the Lord will trie our faith, whether we louelove him for his owne sake, or for hire, whether we follow him, so long as our well doing is rewarded, or whether wee are carefull for the zeale of his owne glorie, euen in our afflictions to walke with him: although he vtterly vncase and strip vsus out of all his ornaments. Such indeede is our Faith, as it is in temptation, such are our fruites, as they bee in the triall, and then we giuegive a cleere testimonie of our faith to the world, when being destitute of all helpe we can behold God taking vsus vp, and say: Though my father and my mother will forsake me, yet God will take me vp. Psal. 27. when the help of man forsaking vsus we doubt not of the helpe of Angels, when the world frowning on vsus, wee see the Lord fauouring vsus. To which end the Lord oft sequestreth our friends, farre from vsus, to knit and glue vsus neerer to himselfe. For it is a common corruption in vsus to stay our selues too confidently in our friends, as the childe too trustingly and wholie to depend on his fathers prouiding for him, as the wife only to see & search helpe in her husband, as a seruant to count his master as his God in relieuing him: which vnbeliefe in God, and too much trust in man, the Lord to cleere the case before our eyes, putteth man from this preheminence in helping any longer, and taketh the prerogatiue of the stewardship wholy to himselfe, that they that will fetch, must of necessitie fetch at his hands. To this triall the Lord doth ioyne the confirmation of our Faith, as when he maketh vsus exiles and forlorne Pilgrimes among men, that we might be entertained of him, as of a fostering Father, for that after he ministreth to vsus in distres greater comforts immediatly by his spirit, then euer we tasted of, whilest in our prosperitie he let vsus to be serued mediatly by men. How euident this is, the Martyrs of God can tell vsus by their writings, who when all men forsooke them, when no man durst speake to them, when their friendes stood aloofe off from them, had greater feelings, more glorious ioyes, and sweeter meditations from the Lorde himselfe,Sweet ioyes and feelings vnderunder the crosse. then euer they had in their life and libertie before. What losse then is it to bee an exile in earth among men, and to be a Citizen in heauen among Angels? What hazard is it when in steed of father, mother, and brother, wee are in league with the Father, the Sonne, and the holy Ghost? who thinketh it not a sufficient supplie in the eye of Faith to hauehave the momentanie imprisonment of the bodie recompenced with the most glorious libertie of the Saints and Angels? Let the Lord therefore send vsus by these meanes out of our strong hold in the meanes, seeing without some such working vponupon vsus, wee would hardlie giuegive ouer our holde, for that, wee are as proude beggars, who so long as they can hauehave reliefe and maintenance at home, will neuer seeke abroade. But how doth the Lorde by this visitation further our mortification in vsus? Surely in withdrawing the Fewell and matter, wherewith before our naturall corruption was more enflamed and made more foggie. How many in prosperitie shal we see complaining of lust burning them, of concupiscence intoxicating them, of anger fretting them; of glutton…e deuouring them, of couetous cares consuming them, and that so strongly, as if there were no hope to be recouered? How be it when the Lord hath soked and softned them a little in the brine of affliction they are lesse starke, and beginne to yeeld, there is a great change and wonderfull alteration in them, their lust is cooled, their wrath is pacified, their concupiscence is abated, their gluttonie well tempered, their couetousnesse fullie satisfied, their affections are so tamed, and their corruption so subdued, that they thinke themselues highly indebted and much beholden to the cunning skill of affliction, which so wonderfully bringeth them downe.
3 Now let vsus consider, how vnderunder the crosse we are made more zealous in the meanes of our saluation. How customably heare we, how coldly pray we, how carelesly receiue we the Sacraments, what feare, what indignation, what heat, what wrath, what repētance doth the discipline of the Church worke in vsus, what maiestie appeareth in our publike exercises, what authoritie and fruite in our priuate meditations? But if the Lord rouse vsus vp from this apolexie and dead numbnesse of spirit by some fatherly correction, how profit wee by the word, how beautifull are the feete of them, that bring the glad tidings of saluation, how sweete are the promises, how soone doe the threatnings worke on vsus, how zealously will wee pray, how glorious are our feelings, what ioyes vnspeakable in the Sacraments, what feare of sinne, what trembling at God his iudgements, what indignation with our selues, doth the Church censure worke in vsus? and whereof commeth this? Surely because being driuen out of eueryevery crannie and creuis, where wee were went to bee harboured, wee can finde no rest, vntil we come vnderunder the roofe of the Lord his house, who in all our dangers, and after all our rebellions, will not push vsus out of his doore, he wil take vp such Lazarus, Gods fauour and co…tenance in affliction.and not into a spittle house, but into his Arke of comfort and Tabernacle of consolation. Oh deepe sea of Gods merciemercy, which neuer can be sounded, that when men growe to such a Lordlinesse, as they will not heare vsus, nor see vsus, nor vouchsafe to speake to vsus, he should not refuse to giuegive vsus free audience, and by his readie hearing moue vsus to bee eloquent and long in our prayers to him, who as soone as he doth but looke on vsus, doth promise a release from our miserie.
4 When our friends will not speake to vsus, the Lord calleth to vsus, hee will enter some long speech with vsus, and denieth vsus not all the comforts, which the promises of the Gospell may affoord. When our familiar acquaintance will scarcely lend vsus a potsherd to scrape off our scabs, the Lord by his Sacramēts reacheth out the surest pledges of his eternall good will towards vsus. But yet behold another worke of affliction, it bringeth vsus to theSacraments. contempt of this world, and breedeth in vsus the louelove of the world to come, whereunto in prosperitie we are very hardly brought. For besides that wee see few noble, rich, healthie, strong and honourable men desire death, or to be wearie of this life, be it neuer so long, if wee consider how loath such men are to depart, how gladly they would indent, that their life and tearme of their lease might after an hundred yeeres expired, bee renewed for an hundred yeeres longer, wee shall see prosperitie will perswade all and ouercomes many to die in the nest. Nay which more is, affliction can hardly call vsus away or knock vsus off, wee grow so deafe, and take hold so fast of the world: For who is so sick, but euen in paine hee would rather wish to liue the longer, than to die the sooner? who so clogd with pouertie.The afflictions of the Church in Egypt were Gods rod to driue them forth to the promised land. that to be freed from his clog would desire to die? If the Israelites panting and breathing vnderunder the yoke of most seruile impositions and trauels were hardly drawne towards the promised land of libertie, and easily would hauehave retired to the former labours of their seruitude, what thinke you should hauehave allured them out of Egypt, if they had liued there in some preferment and ease, as did Ioseph in the court? what could Moses and Aaron hauehave done to hauehave driuen them out of the place? And I pray you, if we being neuer so sick, neuer so poore, can still be content to hauehave our abiding in this life, what will we doe, if the Lord still graunt vsus friends, leaue our conscience vntouched, our bodies vnharmed, our goods vnconsumed? Surely we would not hauehave leasure to think of death, much lesse to die, as our common speeches of our wise, strong, and wealthie men doe shew, who, when death dealeth with them, crieout, what must I needes away, alas I neuer thought of anie other heauen, I am not fit to depart, I am very loth to die? Thus it is the wisedome and goodnes of God to waine vsus from the world by affliction, which as it causeth vsus to finde great comfort in beholding God but euen in a glasse, so it hasteneth vsus to taste of the fulnes of comfort in him, by beholding him face to face.
5 Ioseph, saying thy seruants are men occupied about cattell, might seeme to dissemble, but it is not necessarie alwayes to speake all Truth, and they confessed the principall truth, that is, that they were shepheards, which kinde of men were abhorred of the Aegyptians, and this turned to their profit: for being seuered from the Aegyptians, they might better maintaine peace among themselues, & be kept free from the corruption of the Aegyptians, whereinto by famili…ritie they might hauehave fallen. This teacheth vsus that we should not be ashamed of our kindred, though they be contemptible in the world. For Ioseph being a chiefe ruler in the land of Aegypt, yet confessed all his fathers to be shepheards, he would not hauehave his brethren change their trade, thogh he might hauehave gotten for them great preferments. Our of all this may be gathered that the Lord worketh a contempt of this world in the harts of his children, and that they had rather be doore-keepers in the house of the Lord, then to dwell in the tents of the vngodlie, wee ought likewise not to bee ashamed to be called the people of God, the Disciples of Christ, no nor yet Precisians, and such like names as are cōmonly giuen to Christians. This may teach vsus, that the meane estate is alwayes best▪ so that wee ought to giuegive God thanks for it, and not to be ambitious, for they that would be great in the world can hardly be religious. But because many will be calledNotes of brotherhood. brethren, which be no… so indeed, it shalbe good to set downe some notes of brotherhood: and the first is to helpe one another in neede, yea, though it be with danger of our liues; therefore it is said that a brother is made for the time of aduersitie: the godly brethren hazarded their liues for Paul, for those that sought Paules death, would likewise hauehave slaine these if they had knowne them. There are diuers examples of this in the Scripture, as Moses and Paul, who wished themselues accursed and wiped out of the booke of life, for their brethren. Rahab although but a nouice in religion, yet ventured her life for the espies: Ionathan for Dauid: Dauid for the people of Israell: Obadiah for the Prophets, & CHRIST for vsus all, leauing vsus an example that we should giuegive our liues for the brethren. Hester for the Church, and Iudith for the children of Israell, and Paul reioyced for the afflictions whichColoss. 1. 14. he suffered for the brethren; but we are so farre from giuing our liues for them, that if two pence would saue their liues, they should not hauehave it, so loose is our louelove, and so cold is ourDeceit in contracts. charitie. But if this be a great thing and hard to come to such perfection, let vsus see the lesser markes, and first euen the beginning of louelove, which is to abstaine from doing harme, which Paul commandeth, saying, let no man defraud his brother in any matter: but we are so farre from this, that in bargaining and such like, we soonest deceiue our brethren, because they belieue vsus easilie, and take things on our word; insomuch, that although theyMatth. 18 3. will say, I could serue you no better if you were my Father, and perhaps they say as they thinke, because the god of this world hath blinded their hearts, yet is their fraud so manifest, that it is a common saying to say, I had rather buye of him whom I neuer saw, then of my brother. We are commanded to forgiue one another euen seuentie times seuen times: but we will be meete with him seuen yeares after, & if by order of friends, or cōstraint weReuenge. be moued to forgiue, yet we wil not forgiue, we will forgiue the fault, but we will not forget the matter, nor affect the person offending vsus. Abraham in the 13. of Gen. bought peace of Lot, with the losse of his right, because they were brethren: but amongst vsus eueryevery word doth breede a quarrell, insomuch, that that which was wont to be said of little children, is now true amongst vsus: concord is seldome seene amongst brethren. If we cannot find these markes in some measure in vsus, nor yet an earnest desire to attaine vntounto them, we cānot say that we are truly louing brethren. This was an argumēt mouing the brethren to help Paul, because they knew his neede: but it is an argument to disswade vsus from helping if wee seeNote. anie in neede, & therefore rich men are commonly trusted, but poore men are not so; and if at any time we trust them, yet it is with such gaine, that although they should die in our bookes, yet they should not die much in our debts; for wee should well hauehave payde our selues, and yet many times are they cast into a losse by some, who although they are inNote Gods iudgement. great pouertie, yet wil seeme wealthy, and go braue til they hauehave spent all, and so become bankrupts. And thus because they helped not those whom they know to hauehave need, they loose their goods vponupon those whom they thought to hauehave been wealthy. The brethrē did not tarie till Paul did aske them, but willingly, and of their own accord they helped him, but we must hauehave much adoe to obtaine a little benefite; and yet readines in helping is as good oftentimes as helpe it selfe. They brought him to Caesaria and sent him to Tharsus, here appeareth their great care which they had for him, in that they ceased not to do him good, neither would leaue him vnprouided, and there sent him to Tharsus where he was borne, that both by defence of his place, and also by defence of his kinsmen, he might be kept from his enemies. And here wee learne not to bee wearie of weldoing, but to make one good turne the beginning of another. The louelove of his countrie, and the care he had in profit, caused him to go to Tharsus, although a Prophet be without honour in his own countrie, whereof there are two reasons, first, because they know him, and therefore looke for no great things of him: secondly because of emulation, but this is a prouerbiall speech, and therefore not alwaies but commonly true. It is common with men rather to displease God than their friendes: and so to regard their frendes that they forget God their best friend. Adam would not seeme to denie the taking of an apple of Eue for feare of discourtesie,Simile. but let vsus learne to please God and displease wicked men: that as the poore man said (of whom Ambrose writeth) that he knew the master was not pleased with him, because the seruants would not looke on him, so the wicked should knowe that the Lord is displeased with them, euen by the lookes of the godly.