The Pathway to Prayer and Piety, Part 2
A CONSOLATORIE EPISTLE Againſt all Croſſes.
CHriſtian Reader, as before I hauehave armed thee againſt the feare of death, ſo in the ende of this booke I would faine arme thee againſt the feare of all dangers. I cannot doe it better, then by recalling to thy mind the temptations of Chriſt, ſet downe in that Epiſtle, which once I preſented to an Honorable perſon in this Kingdome.The Lord Ruſſell. Satans ſophiſtries. Maſter Perkins, who had the vſe onelyonly of his left hand. Matth. 3. Mat. 4.1. And the rather, becauſe I feare that a new Dedication of that booke vntounto him, will put out mine from that worthy mans workes: who hath done more good by his one hand, in this Church, then the moſt hauehave done by both theirs. For thy comfort therefore vnderſtand with me, that as Iohn the Baptiſt was in one deſert, ſo our Sauiour Chriſt hee was in another: but as theſe two differed in their being in the world: ſo did they not accord in their being in the wilderneſſe. Iohn was with ſome men, Chriſt with none; Iohn was with wild men, Chriſt with wild beaſts; Iohn was preaching, Chriſt praying; Iohn was baptiſing, Chriſt fighting; Iohn was feeding, Chriſt faſting; Iohn was encountring with Diuels incarnate, Chriſt did encounter with the Prince of thoſe diuels. From Iohn preaching in the deſert, learne we diligence in our calling: from Chriſt tempted in the deſert ſée we troubles in our calling:aPſ. 34.19 Manie are the troubles of the righteous, but the Lord deliuereth them out of all.
If it pleaſe you but to reade the ſtory of the Goſpell, amongſt many other things you ſhall ſee ſet downe, that monomachy or ſingle combate which was hand to hand betwixt Chriſt and the Diuell. And as for Chriſt Ieſus, you ſhall ſée him faſting, fighting, conquering. Faſting and an hungrie, to ſhew he was man: fighting and encountring, to ſhew hee was Meſſiah; and conquering and triumphing, to ſhew hee was God. And as for the Diuell, you ſhall ſee him obeiecting, anſwering, flying. Obiecting, thatbMat. 4.3. Chriſt might deſpaire;cMat. 4.6. anſwering, that hee might preſume; and flying,dMat. 4.11 when he could not ouercome.
In Chriſts temptations, we ſee the eſtate of thee1. Pet. 2.21. Church; in Satans aſſault, we ſée his malice to thef1. Pet. 5.8 Church. Is Chriſt tempted? thinke it not ſtrange if wee fall intogIo. 15.20 temptations. For the griefe of the head, is the griefe of theh1. Cor. 12 26. members: and the temptation of Chriſt, ſheweth the temptations ofiIo. 15.20. Chriſtians. It is true of Chriſt, thatkAct. 14.21. by many tribulations hee did enter into the kingdome of God: thatlHe. 2.1…. our High Prieſt was conſecrated by afflictions, that ſo hee muſt ſuffer and enter into hismLuk. 24.26. glory.
He is no ſooner borne into the world, but hée isaMat 2.14 hunted by Herod; baptized at Iordan,bMatth. 3.16.4.1. but Sathan ſets on him: a Preacher of repentance but thecIoh. 7.1. Scribes proſcribe him; todLu. 11.15 worke miracles, but the Phariſees ſlander him. Hee is no ſooner to ſuffer, buteIo. 12.27 the Diuell aſſaults him; apprehended, but thefIo. 18.28. Iewes deliuer him; deliuered, butgLuk. 23.11. Herod derides him;iMat 27.27. derided, buthLu. 93.24 Pilate condemnes him; condemned, but the Souldiers abuſe him. Is hee on the Croſſe? thekMat 27.39. people will not pitty him; is he riſen? the High prieſts willMat. 28.15. belle him. In a word, is hee vponupon earth? he is tempted in hismLuc. 11.16. perſon is hee in heauen? hee isnAct 9.4. tempted in his members. Thus the life of Chriſt was a warfare vponupon earth, and the life of Chriſtians muſt bee a warfare vponupon earth. We liue heere in a ſea of troubles: the ſea is the world, the waues are calamities, the Church is the ſhip, the anker is hope, the ſailes are louelove, the Saints are paſſengers, the hauen is heauen, and Chriſt is our Pilot, When the ſea can continue without waues, the ſhip without toſſings, and paſſengers not be ſick vponupon the water, thou ſhal the Church of God be without trials. Wee begin this voyage ſo ſoone as we are borne, and wee muſt ſaile on till our dying day.
We doe reade in Gods word of many kinds of temptations: God, Satan, Man, the World, and the Fleſh, are ſaid to tempt. God tempteth man to trie his obedience, Satan tempteth man to make him diſobedient: men do tempt men to trie what is in them: & man tempteth God, to try what is in him. The world is a tempter, to keepe man from God: and the fleſh is a tempter to bring man to the Diuel. So God temptedaGen. 22. Abraham in the offering of his ſonne: Satan bIob. 1, 18tempted Iob in the loſſe of his goods: ac1. King. 10 1. Queene tempted Salomon, in trying his wiſdome: men dExo. 17.3tempted God by diſtruſt in the deſert: the world tempted Demas, e1. Tim. 4.10.when hee forſooke the apoſtles: and the fleſh tempted Dauid, f2. Sa. 11.4when he fel by adultery. Doth God tempt vsus? take héede of hypocriſie, doth Satan tempt vsus? take héed of his ſubtilty: doth man …empt man? take héed of diſſembling: doth man tempt God? take héed of inquiring: doth the world tempt man? take héed of apoſtaſie: doth the fleſh tempt man? take héed of carnality. But doe we ſo? are wee wary of theſe tempters? No, wee are not, and therefore we fall. We fall on the right hand by temptation in proſperity, and wee fall on the left, by temptations in aduerſity. of the one it may be ſaid,1 Sam. 18. it hath ſlaine thouſands: of the other, that it hath ſlaine tenne thouſands.
When we come and ſée cities diſpeopled, houſes defaced, and walles pulled downe, we ſay the Souldier hath beene there: and when we ſee pride in the rich, diſcontent in the poore, and ſinne in all, we may iuſtly ſay, the tempter hath been there.
Now of all other temptations, it pleaſeth God to ſuffer his Church to bee tempted with afflictions. It is neuer frée either from the ſword of Iſhmael; which is aaGe. 21.9. reuiling tongue: or the ſword of Eſau, abGen. 27.41. perſecuting hand. Neither was there yet euer Chriſtian man found, who had not his part in the cup of affliction. We muſt drinke of thecMat. 20.23. ſame cup our maſter did:dMat. 10.24. the diſciple is not aboue his maſter.
The reaſons why God doth viſit vsus thus with afflictions, are: 1 To humble vsus.Reaſons why God doth afflict his children. 2 To weane vsus. 3 To winow vsus. 4 To preuent vsus. 5 To teach vsus. 6 To enlighten vsus. 7 To honour vsus. 8 To cure vsus. 9 To crowne vsus. 10 To comfort vsus. 11 To protect vsus. 12 To adopt vsus. And laſt of all, to teach and comfort others. ToaEcc. 3.10 humble vsus, that wee be not proud:bPſa. 119.67. to weane vsus, that wee louelove not this world:cLuk. 22.31. to winnow vsus, that wee be not chaffe:dPſa. 119.71. to preuent vsus that we doe not ſinne:ePſa. 39.9.40.1. to teach vsus that we be pacient in aduerſity: tofGen. 42.21. enlighten vsus, that wee ſee our errors: togIam. 5.11 honor vsus, that our faith may be manifeſt: to cure vsus that wehDeut. 32 15. ſurfet not of ſecurity: toi2 Ti. 4.7. crowne vsus, that wée may liue eternally: tokIoh. 6.33 comfort vsus, that he may ſend his ſpirit: tolAct. 12.7 protect vsus, that he may guide vsus by his Angels: tomHeb. 12.7. adopt vsus that wee may bee his ſonnes:n2. Pet. 2.5 and to teach others, that they ſeeing how ſinne is puniſhed in vsus they may take heed it be not found in them: that theyo2 Cor. 1.6. ſeeing our comforts in troubles, may not be diſcouraged in the like trials.
Thus a Chriſtian mans diet is more ſower then ſwéet: his phyſick is more aloes then honey: his life is more a pilgrimage then a progreſſe: and his death is more deſpiſed then honoured. This if men would thinke of before, afflictions would bee as welcome to the ſoule of man, aspRuth 2.8 afflicted Ruth was to the field of Boaz. But becauſe wee looke not for them before they come, thinke not on Gods doing when they are come, and doe deſire to be happie both héere, and héereafter: therefore wee can away with the name of Naomi, but in no caſe would we be calledaRuth. 1.20. Mara. WeebIonah 1.15. ſee the ſea, not the whale: thecEx. 14 11 Egyptian, not the ſaluation: thedDan. 6.16.22. Lions mouth, not him that ſtoppeth the Lions mouth, If wee could ſée God in our troubles, ase2. Kings 6.16. Eliſha did in his, then would we ſay: There are more with vsus, than there are againſt vsus. But becauſe wee doe not, therefore at eueryevery aſſault of the Aſſyrians, wee ſay, as the ſeruant tof2. Kings 6.15. Eliſhah did: Alas maſter, what ſhall wee doe? and with the diſciples:gMar. 4.38 Careſt thou not maſter that wee periſh? Yet it is good for vsus to ſuffer affliction.hIā. 1.12. Iob 5.17. Bleſſed is the man that indureth temptation: for when he is tried, he ſhall receiue the crowne of life, which the Lord hath promiſed to them that louelove him. It isiPro. 3.11. commanded by God,kMat. 4.2. practiſed by Chriſt,l2 Tim. 3.12. yeelded to by the Saints,mPſa. 119 71. aſſigned by Gods prouidence, and good for vsus each way. Wee are GodsnPſal. 1.4. trées wee ſhal grow better by pruning: Gods pomander, ſmell better by rubbing: Gods ſpice, bee more profitable by bruiſing: and Gods conduits. wee are the better by running. Let vsus ſuffer afflictions, they areo2. Cor. 4.17. momentarie i… reſpect of time:pPhil. 1.29 fauours, if wee reſpect Gods louelove, and a meanes to bring vsus to the Kingdome of God. If they did conſume vsus, we might wiſh them an end; but they doeaActs 14.21. 1. Pet. 1.…. purge vsus, let vsus be content. They are Gods fanne, we are Gods wheat: they are Gods boulter, we are Gods meale: they are GodsbExod. 5. flame, we are Gods buſh: they are GodscGen. 23.9 cords, wee are Gods ſacrifice: they are Gods furnace, we are Gods gold. The wheat wil not be good without the fan, nor the meale without the boulter, nor the buſh without the flame, nor the ſacrifice without the cords, nor the gold without the furnace. They are trials not puniſhments, if we be ſons: puniſhments not trials if we be ſlaues. Let vsus thou beare them, theydPſ. 37.37 wil hauehave an end: ioyePſ. 126.5 wil follow: theyfIſa 38.10 ſhew vsus our weaknes:gHoſ. 5.15 they moue vsus to pray: theyhLuke 24.26 ſhew we are in the path-way to Heauen: andiEccl. 1.2. make vsus contemne this preſent world. By themk2. Sam. 24.17. wee learne to repent vsus of ſinne paſt,lGen. 39.9 to take héede of ſinne preſent, and to for ſée ſinne to come. By them wemAct 2.2. receiue Gods ſpirit,nPhil. 3.10 are like to Chriſt: are acquaintedoDā. 3.17. with Gods power: hauehavepExod. 15.1 ioy in deliuerance: know benefit of proſperitie: made more hardie to ſuffer: andq1. Pet. 1. hauehave cauſe to practiſe many excellent vertues. They cauſe vsus (as one ſaith) to ſéeke out Gods promiſe: the promiſe to ſéeke faith: faith to ſéeke prayer: and prayer to find God.aMat. 7.7. Séeke, and yée ſhall finde:bIob. 22.27. call and hee will anſwere:cHeb. 2.3. waite and hee will come. I am to write an Epiſtle, I muſt not be long. Iobs dIob. 2.meſſengers came not ſo faſt on him: but Iobs afflictions may come, as faſt vponupon vsus. Hath Dauid ſlainee1. Sam. 17.37. a Beare? hee ſhall encounter with a Lion: hath he killed a Lion?f1. Sam. 18.27. he muſt fight with Goliah: hath he ſubdued Goliah? he muſt make a rode vponupon the Philiſtims: are the Philiſtims conquered?g1. Sam. 21. Saul will aſſault him. Remember Dauids troubles, and foreſée what may be our troubles. The more rigteous we are, the more manifold are our troubles: and the better wee are, the better we may endure them.
But as our troubles are many, ſo are our deliuerances many: God will deliuer vsus out of all. He that deliueredhGen. 7. Noah from the floud,iGen. 19. Lot from Sodom,kGen. 33. Iacob from Eſau, lGen. 41.54.Ioſeph from Potiphar, mExod. 9.Moſes from Pharaoh, nExod. 12.Iſrael from Egypt, o1. Sā. 19.Dauid from Saul p1. Kin. 21Eliah from Achab, q2. Kin. 6.Eliſha from the Syrians, r2. Kin. 5.Naaman from his leproſie,ſIſay 38. Hezechiah from the plague,tDan. 3. the thrée Children from the fire,uDan. 6. Daniel from the Lions,xMat. 6. Ioſeph from Herod, the ApoſtlesyActs 5. from the Iewes, zMat. 4.and Chriſt from the Deuill: he euen hee will either deliuer vsus from trouble, or comfort vsus in trouble, or mitigate troubles when they come vponupon vsus.
He,cRō. 4.21. he hath promiſed, to doe it, and he that hath promiſed, is able to doe it. And this he doth ſometimes by no means, ſometimes by ſmall meanes, ſometimes by ordinarie meanes, ſometimes by extraordinarie, ſometimes contrarie to all meanes. By nodIoh. 5.9. meanes hee cured a Créeple at Betheſda: byeIoh. 6.12. ſmall meanes he fed fiue thouſand in the Deſert: byfMat. 4.7. ordinarie meanes, hee was brought from the Pinacle: by meanes extraordinary, he was prouided for in hungergMat. 4.11.: and contrarie to all meanes, were thehDan. 5. thrée Children preſerued in the furnace of fire.
Let man thereforei1. Sam. 30.9. comfort himſelfe in the Lord:kHoſ. 6.2. after two daies hee will reuiue vsus, and the third day hee will raiſe vsus vp againe:lPſa. 30.5. Heauineſſe may endure for a night, but ioy wil come in the morning.mPſalm. 58.11. Doubtleſſe there is a reward for the righteous: verily,nMic. 7.8. God retaineth not his wrath for euer. Could hee ouercome the World, and can he not ouercome many troubles in the World? Yea let one plague follow another, as one Quaile ſings to another: yet as the oAct. 28.3Viper leaped on Pauls hand, and forthwith leaped off againe, ſo one trouble ſhall leape vponupon the righteous and anon leape off againe:pPſ. 37.24. though he fal, he ſhall riſe againe, the righteous ſhall not be forſaken for euer.
If he hath deliuered vsus from the guilt of our ſinnes, he will deliuer vsus from the puniſhment of our ſinnes. Let vsus therefore be patient in trouble, conſtant in hope, rooted in louelove: let vsus wait, and he will come, call and he will heare, beléeue and he will performe, repent vsus of our euill committed againſt him, and he wil repent of his euils intended againſt vsus. He is ouer vsus by his prouidence, about vsus by his Angels, in vsus by his ſpirit, with vsus by his word, vnderunder vsus by his power, and vponupon vsus by his Son. In him is our help, from him is our comfort, by him is our victorie, and for him is our trouble.aPſal. 25. In thée hauehave I truſted, ſaith a King:bIob. 5. who euer was confounded that truſted in the Lord, ſaid a friend? and as Elcanah was toc1. Sam. 1.18. Hannah, in ſtead of many ſons, ſo God is to his inſtead of many comforters. Of other comforters, we may ſay as Iob did of his friends:dIob 16.2 Silly comforters are you al. They wil leaue vsus as miſe do a ruinous houſe: but the Lord, (like aeRuth 1.16 Ruth to Naomi) will neuer leaue vsus nor forſake vsus. Eſpecially in the houre of death,fEccl. 41.1 which is in remembrance bitter to great men: in that houre of death he will be with vsus, and command hisgLuke. 16.26. Angels to take charge of our ſoules, thehIſa. 57.2. earth to be as a bed for our bodies: that ſo the oneiLuke 23. may go into glorie, the other reſerued in hope of like glorie,kPhil. 3.20 and bee made one day like vntounto the glorious body of Chriſt Ieſus. Thus Chriſtian Readers, you hauehave ſéene the righteous in afflictions; aslPſal. 137. Iſrael was in Babylon: and that the Lord likemZac. 4.6. Zorababel, is readie to deliuer them. Though in troubles Chriſt ſéemes as in thenMat. 8.40 ſhip to ſléepe, yet in deliuerance hee awakes as a man out of ſléepe, and as a Giant refreſhed with wine. He will rebuke the waues and winds of troubles and perſecution, and they ſhall flie before him, asaIud. 17.4. Siſera did before Debora, and theb1 Sa. 14. Philiſtims before Debora, and the Philiſtims before Ionathan and his ſeruant. And as Chriſt aſking the woman of her accuſers, ſhee anſwered:cIohn 8. There was none: ſo in the end aſke a Chriſtian of his troubles, and he will ſay; There are none. He is a buckler for our left hand, & a ſword in our right: he is an helmet on our head, and harneſſe for our bodie. We ſhal look vponupon troubles, asdExod. 14 Iſrael did vponupon the Egyptians, as thee1. Sam. 17.52. Iewes did on Goliah, and as the Grecians did on Hector, to triumph ouer them: and as the Angell ſaid to Ioſeph; fMat. 2.20They are dead that ſought the childs life; ſo the Spirit ſhall ſay to the afflicted, They are dead that did ſéeke your life. A day of deliuerance, a yeare of Iubile wil come, and thengGen. 41. Ioſeph ſhall be out of PriſonhGen. 31. Iacob out of ſeruitude, andiIob. 41.12 Iob ſhall lie no more in the duſt of the Earth. If our afflictions were plagues, as to the Egyptians: curſes, as to Cham: deſtruction, as to Sodom: deſolation, as to Iſrael: then had wee cauſe to flie from them, as Moſes did from that miraculous Serpēt. But ſince they are but the trials of faith, corrections of a father, viſitations from the Biſhop of our ſoules; ſince they are as Phlebotomie to a Pleuriſie, and a purgation to a Plethora, they are to be endured with all patience.k1. Theſſ. 4.18. Let vsus comfort our ſelues with theſe words.
Now to the end that all men may thinke of their end, and liue well. I hauehave inſerted héere, in louelove to him, certaine propheticall verſes ſound in the pocket of a moſt Religious yong Gentleman, one M. Henrie Morrice, Sonne to M. Morrice Atturney of the Court of Wards; who thinking euer of ſudden death, died ſuddenly in Milford Lane, Septemb. 12. 1604. at the age of 23. yeares.
Twice twelue yeares not fully told, a wearied breath
I hauehave exchanged for an happie death.
My courſe was ſhort: the longer is my reſt:
God takes them ſooneſt, whom he loueth beſt.
For he that's borne to day, and dies to morrow,
Loſeth ſome daies of reſt, but moneths of ſorrow.
Why feare we death, that cures all ſickneſſes,
Author of reſt, and end of all diſtreſſes?
Other misfortunes often come to greiue vsus:
Death ſtrikes but once, and that ſtroke doth releeue vsus.
He that thus thought of death, in lifes vncertaintie,
Hath doubtleſſe now a life, that brings eternitie.
Liue, for to learne, that die thou muſt,
And after come to iudgement iuſt.
This Heauenly Meditation may well bee placed heere.
My God, I ſpeake it with a full aſſurance,
Faith will auow claime by appropriation;
My God, who keep'ſt this debter (Spirit) in durance,
Fettered with ſinne, and ſhakled with temptation:
Oh of thine endleſſe mercy ſoone enlarge me,
Nor hell nor ſinne, nor ought beſide ſhall charge me.
My ſoule may now be gone vntounto her maker,
Maker of her, but not of her Infection;
That is her own, when Gods helpe doth forſake her:
Finall forſaking is not in Election:
For where he once by grace hath made his dwelling,
There may be ſtriking but theirs no felling.
Earth what art thou? A point, A ſenſeleſſe center,
Friends what are yee? An Agie truſtleſſe triall,
Life what art thou? A daily doubtfull venter:
Death what art thou? A better lifes eſpiall:
Fleſh what art thou? A looſe vntempered morter;
And ſickneſſe what art thou? Heauens churliſh porter.
Sweet Ieſus, bid thy porter then admit me;
I hold this World and worlds delay in loathing:
If ought be on my backe that doth not fit me,
Strip me of all and giuegive me brideall clothing:
So ſhall I be receiued by my liuerie
And priſoners ſoule ſhall Ioy in gaole deliuerie.
Veni Domine Ieſu, veni citò.
The ſumme of this direction.
Mors tua, mors Chriſti, fraus mundi gloria coeli,
Et dolor Inferni, ſunt meditanda tibi.
Thinke oft on death (thine own, and Chriſts)
this Worlds deceitfulneſſe,
The ioyes of Heauen, the paines of Hell,
in which is wretchedneſſe.
Suprema cogita: cor ſit in aethere:
Felix qui didicit mundum contemnere.