Works, Part 4 · Religious instruction · Chapter 5 – Chapter 7
CHAP. V. Of Affliction.
WHen we are in affliction we are not so wise of our selues, as to see the cause of it: or if we see the cause, we cannot see the mercy of God, that his hand which is vponupon2. Chor. 19. 3. vsus, is not a destroying hand, but a deliuering hand.
2 Afflictions worke much in men, but most when they come with the word of God, toHow to consider of Gods hand in affliction. giuegive vsus a more liuely sight of sinne, and to manifest the rich mercies of God in Iesus Christ to deliuer vsus from sinne. Iehosaphat was more humbled by the speech of Iehu the Seer, than he was being compassed with an host of enemies round about.
3 When affliction commeth to Gods children, not so much the sinnes themselues, as2. Chro. 19. 2, the not auoiding of the meanes which procured their sinnes, and not the vsing of the meanes which might hauehave preserued them from sinne, will torment their consciences: forThe conscience in afflictions. as a man falling into some sicknesse, if it come whilest he is walking in his calling, is then lesse grieued, than if through surfetting hee had procured and ha…ched the disease in himselfe, euen so it commeth to pa…m in the other. By vsing the meanes of godlines in simplicitie of heart, we shall be either freed from sinne, wherein we hauehave lyen, or else be confirmed in some good things begun in vsus.
4 Although the godly sha…l escape hell in the world to come, yet they shall be punished in this world: and though the wicked be not punished in this world, yet shall they not escape hell in the world to come.
5 When Sathan doth desca…t vponupon our afflictions, we must be comforted being Gods1. Pet. 5. 9. children, because we suffer no more than Gods childrē before hauehave suffered, and the Lord himselfe doth suffer with vsus.
6 It is the Lord which sendeth crosses to his children to saue them, that they freeze notThe crosse needfull. with the wicked world in their dregs.
7 When Moses was rebuked of the Lord for the not circumcising his sonne, his faith was weake, and his wife in performing that dutie, was almost without faith, yet the Lord saith, and that if any affliction lie vponupon vsus, it is for want of faith: and if it depart withoutFaith. Note. Patience. effect in vsus, then a sorer punishment is like to light vponupon vsus, because we hauehave not profited by the crosse of Christ: but if we effectually profit by it, and still it lie vponupon vsus, let vsus then patiently abide, for it is to trie our faith.
8 If we would so prouide for our selues, that no afflictions make vsus quaile, let vsus in the time of prosperitie and quietnes, cut off all headie affections, as griefe, sorrow, and suchHeadie affections. like; and then shall they not in our trouble preuaile against vsus.
9 When our afflictions doe not driue vsus to God, nor cause vsus more humbly to heareTo seeke vnlawful means in affliction. and seeke his word, but rather to stoppe our …a…es▪ and to runne from it, and to seeke vnlawfull meanes, let vsus then mourne secretly and heartily vntounto God, for the direction of Gods spirit: for that case is dangerous.
10 It is the Lordes merciemercy that wee are not destroyed, Lamenta. Chap. 3. But when we are freed from punishments, and others are afflicted, it is either to shewe his further merciemercy, or his further iudgement: if wee waxe better, and bee more thankefull, then it is of merciemercy; but if wee waxe proude, and thinke our selues better then others, then is it assuredly to confound vsus: And heereby wee may gather comfort or griefe, when wee escape punishments. If hee pu…ish not in this worlde, eyther GOD is vniust, or else there is a hell to punish them euerl…stingly. But his children, if they profite not by one, he sends another to condemne them in this worlde, that they may escape in the worlde to come.
11 We must denie our selues and our owne reason; that we may continue with Christ, we must take vp our crosse and follow him, and if wee will be glorified with him, wee mustThe Crosse of Christ. also suffer with him; and if we will rise againe with him, we must first die with him, and if we will partake of his benefits, we must also drinke of his cup. But many would willingly hauehave in Christ forgiuenes of sinne, yet would they not beare his crosse.
12 We must faithfully remember Gods corrections, and though our trouble be past, yet still with feare to remember the hand of the Lord, not to attribute our cross…s to Fortune,Health▪ complexions, or humours, nor health to Physicke; but only to God, glorifying him continually, and making our daily profite by all his louing chastisements vponupon vsus.
13 The deliuerance of the people of Israell is often repeated in the Scripture. And it is not without great cause, for it serues notably for the comfort of the godly, and the terrour of the wicked: for if we would thinke that hee were not able to helpe vsus; we see that he diuidedThe Lord hath holpen the vnworthie often in afflictions. Curse…. the mighty Seas: If we should think our selues vnworthy of helpe, he then did mi…htily deliuer the vnworthie. So that if wee being in any danger can be perswaded, that the Lord is able to helpe vsus, and that he will helpe them that are vnworthie, it wilbe a notab…e stay vntounto vsus, that we fall not away vnderunder the crosse by the vehemencie of temptations.
14 Curses are turned into blessings through Christ, as by sinne blessings are turned into curses. The benefices of God being in themselues good, yet by our corruption wee make our table a snare vntounto our selues, and so in other of his mercies.
15 Iob serued God in trueth, and yet punished, and so Lazarus: but this was not so much for their own sin, as for the trial of their faith and that after them the Church might receiue great cōfort by their examples. For as it hurts not the gold to be put into the fire,Simile. both because it is thereby tried, and also made more pure: so is it not euil for the children of God to hauehave their faith tried: if it be a strong faith it will beare the fire, if it bee weake,Triall of faith. it will yet shine brighter: if there appeare no faith, but all drosse, then the partie tried must more seriously seeke after Christ and the meanes of saluation, that he may attaine that faith that may goe through the fire of affliction.
16 It is the great goodnes of God to curbe vsus by affliction, & not to let vsus goe forward in sinne: as to diminish the health of our bodies, because we are carelesse of our soules; andSicknesse. to pull away outward things, that wee may learne to seeke heauenly things: And contrarily, it is his great punishment to leaue vsus to our selues. Let vsus marke this, that the crosses of God may be sweete vntounto vsus, & that we may the sooner profit by them: For it is certaine, God scoureth away the infirmities of his Saints by many afflictions, yet neuer breaketh his holy couenant with them, albeit they hauehave many tribulations which they deserue and pul vponupon themselues.Patience. For what causes the Lord chastiseth his elect in this life. 1 Heb. 12. 3. 4. 5 2 3 4 5 6
17 The seruice and worship of God in affliction is patience. Of Gods doings wee are not to inquire a reason: yet he hath reuealed to vsus many causes wherfore he chasteneth his elect in this life. First to declare his iustice and anger against sinne: therefore the waters of strife cost Moses his life. Secondly, to win vsus to repentance, who in prosperitie are vn…med, and will not heare him, for vexation will teach vsus vnderstanding. Thirdly, to know and trie vsus whether we will beare his louing correction: and whether we louelove him so, that we can endure our seruice vntounto blood for his sake, Gen. 22. Now I knowe thou louest me. 1. Pet. 1. 7. which triall is more pretious in his sight than gold, and the way to purifie gold is to make it passe through the fire. Fourthly, Sathan will say, Doth Iob feare God for nought? Therefore to triumph ouer him in our obedience the Lord doth it. And saith the more it is sifted the cleaner it is; the more it is cut, the more it groweth; the more it is troden the thicker it comes vp. Fiftly, to seperate vsus from the wicked, for which cause it is compared to a fanne, and the diuell is said to winnowe vsus, and hee will not vse a course sieue in doing of it. Lastly, to conforme vsus vntounto Christ, Rom. 8▪ 25. that wee may hauehave the sympathie of his affections, 2. Tim. 3. 12 all that wil liue godly must beare his crosse, and in his time and measure drinke of the cup.
18 It is not to be doubted that Christ is in the kingdome of heauē, but how came he to it? Luk. 24. He suffered all things, & so entred into glorie. No man then must looke to be Di…es all his life time, and Lazarus after death too. Christ himselfe entred not on this condition, the Apostles entred not on this condition, for Act. 14. they knewe that through many tribulations we must enter into the kingdome of God. The estate of the Church is as of a tree, we see that some blossomes the cold nippeth, and some the worme eateth, and some continue fruitfull. For some men are n…pped by reproaches, others eaten away by corrupt example, and some continue fruitfull. If a man hauehave an heritage in the world either by gift or purchase, if it hauehave a fine, or seruice ioyned with it, surely hee that will looke to hauehave the one, must looke to doe the other, else not. Now the kingdome of God is the heritage we looke for, and therefore we must hauehave the burthē of it. The burthen Christ himselfe suffered, and we must suffer it, euen the persecution both of S…em, & Caine. The Lord hath annexed the burthen & the heritage, and he will not seperate them. Nebuchadnezzer his image, Dan. 2. had an head of gold, breast, and armes of siluer, and the neerer the feete the baser it was, we must not be so: we must set our selues against all troubles, that if God will hauehave vsus to go … to heauen in a chariot of fire, we may not refuse it.
CHAP. VI. Of Anger.
IT is a good triall whether we be carnally angrie or no, if we trie our selues whether it kindleth to good workes or no, if it cause vsus to pray with libertie of minde, if it hindreth not our meditations, if we can doeThe tryall of anger. well to the party offending vsus, if we can deale with others without all peeuishnesse, though all the world accuse vsus, it is a signe that our heart is not euill.Patience.
2 Moses is said, Numb. 12. to be a me…ke man aboue all that were on the earth, and so it appeareth by his patience in bearing the reuiling speeches of his brother and sister: but Exod. 11. 8. and 32. chap. of the same booke he is said to be very angrie, and in that his fierce anger causeth many to be slaine, yet his anger is commended as good, for that the cause thereof was good. So Elihu is said to be very angrie, Iob. 32. 2. not onelyonly against the wicked but against godly men. Christ also is said to be angrie, Mark. 6. and to call Peter Sathan, Matth. 16▪ And Paul calleth the Galathians fooles, Gal. 3. verse 1. And to the Ephes. 4 28. he forbiddeth and warneth vsus onelyonly of that anger which is of sinne or mixed with sinne. Now then to discerne this euill anger note these markes following. First,1 if we be angrie in our owne cause, that is, for those things which might either pleasure vsus,2 or hurt vsus, and not for the glorie of God, our anger is carnall and euill. Secondly, againe, it is true that we shal neuer be angrie for Gods cause, vntill we can leaue all care of our own causes, and not become angrie for them, further than they are ioyned with Gods cause. Those then that in their owne cause will be as hot as may be, and in Gods cause will be as colde as ice, doe offend much in anger. 3. EueryEvery trifle must not moue anger, but a great3 and waightie matter, therefore we must be ready to beare with, and to pardon many offences, so they be not great: but when they greatly concerne the glorie of God, and are very waightie, then are we iustly angrie. 4. We may not be more angrie with the person than4 with the sinne, for godly anger is onelyonly moued against the sinne, and nothing against the person: and this may be tried two waies: first, if we mislike that sinne wheresoeuer we find it, whether it be in our selues, or in our dearest friends, then is the anger good. Secondly, when our anger hindereth vsus not from doing our duties to the person offending vsus, or to any other.
CHAP. VII. Of Angels.
AS God and his good Angels are about vsus, so the diuell and euill angels: and as the good Angels hauehave not been seene, but extraordinarily, so are the euill angels; and he that depriueth himselfe of this meditation, weakeneth his faith: For it is to our comfort and humbling: To our comfort, that albeit we be in danger, and no man with vsus; yet God and his Angels be with vsus. To humble vsus, that in euill doing, they both see vsus and can hurt vsus; as also the euill angels which still houer ouer vsus. And therefore we must knowe, that as the good Angels hauehave appeared to good men for speciall defence, so the foule spirits doe appeare also to some men for speciall sinnes. And when euill spirits so appeare, we may not with the Papists and the Iewes beleeue they be soules departed, but the euill spirits in the ayre about vsus, Epes. 6. 11. 12. 13.