A Cordial for the Afflicted, Title page – To the reader
A CORDIALL FOR THE AFFLICTED. Touching The Neceſſitie and Utilitie of Afflictions. Proving unto us The happineſſe of thoſe that thankfully receive them: AND The miſery of all that want them, or profit not by them.
By A. HARSNET, B. D. and Miniſter of Gods Word at Cranham in Eſſex.
The Second Edition enlarged, with direction touching Spirituall Afflictions.
LONDON, Printed by Ric. Hodgkinſonne, for Ph. Stephnes and Chr. Meridith, at the Golden Lion in Pauls Churchyard. 1638.
TO THE HONOrable Lady, the Lady JOHAN BARRINGTON, The Wife of that Noble, and renowned Sr. FRANCIS BARRINGTON, late of Barrington Hall: and to the Right Worſhipfull, The Lady MARY EDEN, the Wife of Sr. THOMAS EDEN, late of Ballingdon Hall.
Much honored Ladies:
IT is too true a ſaying, that Greatnes, and Goodneſſe ſeldom go together; for not many mighty, not many noble are called. Yet (bleſſed be God, for his mercies to you-wards) wee finde both of theſe, in both of you. For your Greatneſſe (next under God) yee are beholding unto your Parents, out of whoſe loynes you came. For your Goodneſſe, yee are in in ſome meaſure beholding unto Affliction, by which The Lord hath done you good: ſo as I make no queſtion but that ye may both of you ſay with David, It is good for mee that I have beene afflicted. Hereupon (worthy Ladies) I have adventured to put forth this ſmall Treatiſe, touching the Neceſſitie, and utility of Affliction, under your Ladiſhips names, and Patronage: joyning you both together, becauſe God hath already conjoyned you ſo neere in affinity, by the marriage of your Pious and Religious children: beſeeching your Ladyſhips to accept of theſe my poore labors, being ſuch as tend to the furtherance, and increaſe of your comfort in preſent, or future trials. For allbeit yee bee good proficients in the School of Affliction; Yet (peradventure) yee may have forgotten ſome good leſſons which Affliction hath formerly taught you; or elſe have not attained (as yet) to that good, wherein it may hereafter inſtruct you. To help you in either, or both of theſe, be pleaſed (I heartily beſeech your Ladiſhips) ſeriouſly to peruſe, what is here tendered unto you: and then I doubt not, but (by Gods bleſſing) yee ſhall be able to make that good uſe of Affliction, that yee ſhall not only bleſſe God, the Father of mercies, and God of all comfort (who as hee hath afflicted, ſo hath hee comforted you, in all your tribulations) but yee ſhall alſo be able to comfort others, which are in Affliction, by the cōfort wherewith yee your ſelves have been comforted of God. Which fruit that yee may reape, I ſhall ſow my Prayers before page missing throne of Grace, and for ever reſt,
your Ladyſhips to be commanded in the Lord, AD. HARSNET. Cranham.
TO THE CHRIſtian Reader; Increaſe of Faith, Hope, and Patience.
S Ʋch is our blindneſſe, and ignorance, that wee are too ready to judg amiſſe of our ſelves: as may appeare by two extreames, into which the moſt runne. The one is ſelf-conceitedneſſe, or flattering our ſelves, in, and about our ſpirituall eſtate: perſwading our ſelves that wee are in the eſtate of Grace, and that wee have the love and favor of God, when as it is neither ſo, nor ſo. For the redreſſing of which miſchiefe, I have heretofore undertaken the diſcoverie of true and ſound grace, from falſe & counterfeit; that ſo we may no longer be deluded by an overweening of our ſelves, and too high an opinion of our goodneſſe, as if we were that which wee are not, or were not that which wee are. The other extream is a diffidence, and diſtruſt of Gods love, and our own happines, through the ſenſe, and ſmart of ſome troubles and afflictions wherewith it pleaſeth the Lord in mercy and wiſdom to exerciſe and trie us. Whence it commeth to paſſe, that too many of Gods deere ones, are ready to cēſure themſelves as out-caſts (or at the beſt) as a people, but meanly beloved, or regarded of God, in that they are ſo ſorely afflicted. For the healing of which error; that there may be no miſtaking, that we neither charge the Lord with any want of love to us ward, or hard dealing with us in afflicting of us, nor ſurcharge our ſelves with unnecſſary, & needles feares, and cares; nor yet cauſeleſly increaſe our griefe, by adding of more ſorrow to our affliction, I have now undertaken this Treatiſe. Wherein my deſire, and ayme is to miniſter ſome comfort to ſuch as are in affliction, that ſo they may not caſt off their hope of hapines in Heaven, becauſe they are exerciſed with judgments upon earth: but rather beleeve that the Lord it now refining and polliſhing them, that ſo they may bee the fitter for that glory which is prepared for thē. I know it is a hard thing to obey in ſuffering: yet becauſe it is that which maketh for our good, we ſhould with the more willingnes, and cheerfulnes, undergo whatſoever afflictiōs it ſhal pleaſe the Lord to exerciſe us with. If our afflictions brought God out of love with us, or us more in love with that which God hates and is hurtfull unto us: or if our afflictions were ſent unto us as curſes, wee had great cauſe to mourn in them: but ſeeing they make ſo much for our good (being ſanctified unto us) and the word of truth telleth us, that wee are bleſſed in thē, have wee not great cauſe to bee thankfull to God for them? the Lord ſees how ready we are to plunge our ſelves into perils, if we be but a while exempted from afflictions: therefore that wee may not be too bold with ſin, the Lord wil have us to fall into affliction, leaſt (being let alone) wee duplicate page duplicate page fall into condemnation. For where God is moſt ſilent in threatning, and moſt patient in ſparing, there is he moſt inflamed with anger, and purpoſe of revenge. And ſeeing we are willing to receive (being ſick or diſeaſed) any medicine from the hand of him, that can truely ſay, probatum eſt, good experience hath been made of the worth, & working of it; let my counſel (good reader) be acceptable unto thee, & give me leave to tell thee, how much good thou maiſt gain by afflictiō, if through thine unbelief, and impatience thou doeſt not put it from thee. I aſſure thee (by good experience (that howſoever afflictiō be untoothſome, and unpleaſing to the fleſh, it is moſt ſoveraign, and profitable unto the ſoul as in the Treatiſe following, I have made plaine unto thee. Now if the ſtile, and phraſe diſlike any, becauſe it is ſo plain, and homelike; let him know that I prepared this proviſion for poore and hungry ſouls, unto whom courſe & mean things are welcome, and bitter things are ſweet; not for queaſie, and full ſtomacks, which deſpiſe an hony-combe. He that is falne into a pit, wil refuſe no hand that may help him out of it. He that hath a wound in his body, will be glad of any plaiſter that may heal or eaſe him. Accept then, of theſe my poore labors, which (I deſire) may be as a hand to help thee out of affliction, or as balſume to heal thoſe gaſhes which afflictiō hath, or may make in thee, or to give thee ſome eaſe & comfort in them. Read in faith, and receive in love, what is heer tendered unto thee. If any comfort, or content may hereby accrue unto thine afflicted ſoul, and grieved minde, let God have thy praiſes, and let me have thy praiers, who deſireth to reſt
Thy ſervant in the Lords Worke. A. H.