The Godly Mans Journey to Heaven, Treatise 2 · Meditation 5
5. Behold that fountaine out of the which prosperitie and aduersitie do flow with that vse the wise child of God maketh of them when he looketh on this fountaine.
VVHen shall I begin, ô my soule, to profit aright, by spirituall and temporarie prosperitie, by inward and outward aduersitie? either when the hand of God is lying heauie and sad vponupon me, or when it is afarre off shaken on me, telling me that it is drawing neere me? Oh my soule, here I must assure thee from the blessed true mouth of that God who can deceiue none, that that monstrous mountaine Inconsideration, blinding the eyes of thy vnderstanding, is that onelyonly chiefe thing whereby that subtle enemie trauelleth to hinder, and doth hinder the soule of man from profiting to saluation, by prosperitie, by aduersitie. Thou canst tell me, ô my soule, what I hauehave, but canst thou tell me from whom and for whom I hauehave that which I hauehave, and so canst thou tel me first how thou shouldst vse thy selfe, who hath that which thou hast, towards him, for whom and from whom thou hast it. Secondly, canst thou tell me how thou shouldst imploy & bestow that which thou hast from him and for him. Againe, in the day hast thou seene and felt, or foreseene sharpe tentations and troubles? thou canst tell me, ô my soule, what is that which lieth vponupon thee, what is that thou fearest shall light vponupon thee? but canst thou tell me whose hand layed that vponupon thee, which lyeth on thee; wherefore was that layed on thee, which lyeth on thee; and what thou mightest assuredly expect if thou hadst grace thus to carrie thy selfe? Oh, ô my soule, when shall men hauehave their eyes enlightened, to see that heauenly rich treasure which is to be found in these foure Scriptures, which may serue as eye-salue, to cure thy spirituall blindnesse, and to free thee of that alledged monstrous mountaine, Inconsideration. One of them penned by Isaiah in his 45. Chapter, and by Amos in his 3. The second penned by Ieremie in the 3. of his Lamentations. The third by Hosea in his 5. and the fourth by Isaiah in his 1. Chapter. Also thy God, ô my soule, by the mouth of Isaiah, in the 7. verse of his 47. Chapter saith: I forme the light and create darkenesse; I make peace and create euill. Amos in the 6. verse of his 3. Chapter saith. Shall there be euill in the Citie, and the Lord hath not done i…? Ieremie in the 39. verse of his Lamentations saith. Man suffereth for his sinne. Hosea in his 14. and 15. verses of his 5. Chapter bringeth in our God speaking thus. I will spoile and go away, and none shall rescue it, I will go and turne to my place, till they acknowledge their fault and seeke me. In their afflictions, they will seeke me diligently. Isaiah in the 19. and 20. verses of his 1. Chapter, bringeth in the Lord saying. If ye consent and obey, ye shall eate the good things of the land: but if ye refuse and be rebellious, ye shall be deuoured by the sword; for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it. Euen the mouth of that Lord, ô my soule, who can falsifie no promise made to them that feare him, and who can as easily execute iudgement as he doth threaten iudgement against those who abuse him. Now, ô my soule, what if men, inioying peace, and good things spirituall, temporarie, had eyes to see that they had that peace, and these good things of God, and for God; ô what would the sense hereof put vndoubtedly out of their hearts, banish strongly from their hearts, breed and conceiue happily in their hearts. Beleeue me, ô my soule, the true sense hereof would put vndoubtedly out of, and banish strongly from that garden of the heart of Gods child, two most fearefull euill weedes, (as we speake, whereeuer they enter and remaine for any space) too well: alas, To wit, Pride the diuells sinne, and Securitie, the proud mans snare. The sense hereof would put out and banish Pride the diuells sinne, out of the heart of Gods child, neither suffer him looking on the shining spirituall estate of his soule, well beautified, and inriched with spirituall graces: neither permitting him, beholding his outward blooming condition, by reason of his estate of his bodie, and goods, to lift vp himselfe, either against his God, the giuer of all these, or against his neighbour (not so liberally delt with) for whose benefite he must know that these things were bestowed on him. The sense of this would put out and banish Securitie, the proud mans snare from the heart of Gods child, not suffering him with these foolish Israelites, first, to set vp a golden calfe to himselfe, and there after banquet delicately, and to play merily before it; till wrath come from God turning their vntimely & vnthākfull mirth, vntounto fearefull bitter mourning, nor suffering him strongly, yet secure Sampson, Iud. 16.to lie sleeping vponupon the knees of Dalilah, till the seuen lockes of his head are shauen off, and so his God being moued to depart from him, he be first taken, and thereafter be fully abused and mocked by these vncircumcised Philistins, whom he had subdued before valiantly. The sense hereof would breed and conserue in that garden of the heart of Gods child, fiue most pleasant, sweet and holesome herbes. Humilitie, Charitie, Diligence, Thankfulnesse, and Feare, Humilitie, considering that he hath nothing but that which he hath receiued,1. Cor. 4. 7. and this could not but affright him from bragging of that which he had, as if he had not receiued it. Charitie, making him to employ that which he hath for the good of others, considering that he is not Lord of that which he hath, but a steward onelyonly; who one day must giuegive an account to that Lord, who hath sent him all he hath. Diligence, making him painfull to trauell by these good things of God, to glorifie his God, the giuer of them, through the right vsing of his gifts; yea, by increasing them, lest in the day of reckokoning (he hauing put Gods money to the exchangers) hauehave that one talent which he had taken from him, and giuen to him that had ten.Mat. 25. 26. Thankfulnesse, stirring vp the child of God, (led by the cord of the gifts towards the giuegive…) wisely to cast one of his eyes vponupon himselfe, beholding how naked and poore he is in Adam, how miserable and wretched a spectacle he is, and at length could not but hauehave proued in the eyes of Angels, and men by reason of that nakednesse and pouertie; and to cast his other eye vponupon his God, and these graces and benefites, freely without merit, beside merite, contrarie to all merites, his Maiestie hath inriched him with; and out of this sight and sense, the child of God, ô my soule, is moued from his heart, and with his whole behauiour, to blesse and to glorifie his God for them: crying euen aloud before Angels and men with Dauid: Psal. 116. 12. 13. 14.What shall I render to the Lord, for all his benefites are aboue me? I will take the cup of saluation, and call vponupon the name of the Lord, euen now in presence of all his people. Feare, making the child of God inriched, and busied as is said, with the good things of God his Father, considering Satan his policie, and strength, and his owne simplicitie, and weakenesse: not to play himselfe with these good things of God, but to tremble while he inioyes them, loath to lose his humilitie, and become proud; his charitie, and turne if not a bloudie oppressor, yet a vile self-louer; his diligence, and proue secure; his thankfulnesse, and shew himselfe both forgetfull of, and vngratefull vntounto, that God who hath bene freely, and aboundantly liberall vntounto him. The sense of this moued the Spirit thus to counsell the child of God:Psal. 2. 11. Serue the Lord in feare, and reioyce in trembling, Rom. 11. 20.thou standest by faith, be not highminded but feare: make an end of your saluation in feare and trembling. Phil. 2. 12.Againe, ô my soule, what if men lying vnderunder any seene sharpe crosse or affliction, had eyes to see yt the hand of God had layed that on them which lieth on them, and that his Maiestie had layed on that his hand for their sinnes: Yea, that he had done this to the end, that he might draw them as it were by a certaine violence, turning their backe vponupon their sinnes to seeke homewards to him, by vnfained repentance? and if that they could thus seeke home to him, they should both find comfort vnderunder yt crosse, able to sweeten it to them till the day of their deliuerie should come, and in the end be fully freed of it. Would not the sense of this put vndoubtedly out of the heart of Gods child, and banish strongly from it, three most noysome, yet common weeds, and breed and conserue happily in it fiue most sweet and holesome herbes, making Gods child pleasant in the eyes, and sauorie of the nostriles of God his Father. Can I, ô my soule, possibly see that all my crosses (who euer be the instrument, whatsoeuer be the meanes by the which they be brought towards me) comes from no hand, but from the hand of my God, for my sinnes; and that to pull me from my sinnes towards my God, to the effect that in the end, it may go well with me; vnlesse my heart be freed from three weeds, kept from three weeds diuelish and fearefull. My heart must be freed from the weede of murmuring impatience, from the weede of furious and cruell vengeance, and from that fearefull poysoning, yea, slaying weede, of comfortlesse despaire; especially when thy crosses be manie be sharpe and with this do lie long on me. Dauids eyes being somewhat blinded, not perceiuing by whom the mouth of Nabal was opened against him, can giuegive place to these two fearefull weeds, Impatieuce, and Reuenge; admitting them to enter in the garden of his heart, and being led by them moue him to crie out; so, and more also do God vntounto the enemies of Dauid, 1. Sam▪ 25. 12.for surely I will not leaue of all that he hath, by the dawning of the day, any that pisseth against the wall. Alwayes this same Dauid, hauing his eyes happily annointed with that clearing cleane eye-salue, that Amen, that faithfull and true witnesse,Reuel. 3. 14. the beginning of the creatures of God, propines Gods elect with; and so seeing clearely by whom the mouth of Shimei was opened to curse him, and his cruell hands armed with stones (as if he had bene some dogge and not a man, much lesse a King) in his contrarie; cas…ing out, and holding out these two fearefull weedes, Impatience, and Reuenge say:2. Sam. 16. 10. He curseth euen because the Lord hath had him curse Dauid, who shall then say wherefore hast thou done so? fie vppon thee, fie vponupon thee, ô King of Israell, darke was that schoole in which thou wast brought vp; for while Samaria is besiedged by Aram, and left to that slaying sword of famine, canst thou crie out desperatly:2▪ King. 6. 35. This euill cometh of the Lord, should I attend the Lord any longer. Where thou shouldst hauehave vttered the flat contrarie thus: This euill cometh of the Lord, therefore I will attend on him constantly, and seeke home to him by repentance betimes, till this euill which is from him iustly, for mine, and his peoples many sinnes, be remoued by him, from me, and from them most gratiously. O what glorious light did shine aboundantly in that schoole, wherein iust Iob (whom God is not afflicting for sinne, but trying for the manifestation of his graces) was happily brought vp? for when he hath nothing left vntounto him but his life, being depriued of all his substance, of all his children, of health, and enuironed with a world of inwa…d and outward griefes; he can see it was not the hand of the diuell, it was not the hand of man, yea, it was not neither wind nor fire, which had depriued him of all his good things, which had enuironed him with all these euill things, but the good hand of his good God, and therefore he can out of patience say vntounto his God: the Lord hath giuen, the Lord hath taken;Iob 1. 21. say vntounto his wife touching his God and his crosse which was from God;Iob 2. 10. Shall we receiue good at the hands of God, and not receiue euill? And so Iob seeing farre better then the blind King of Israel saw, could see clearely, that which Bernard afterwards confessed freely:Bern. ser. …8. fol. 111. Nihil aduersus nos malignus spiritus potest, nisi missus, aut permissus, vnde cum eius voluntas sit semper mala, nuuquam potest esse nisi iusta; nam voluntas mala ex se ipsa sibi inest: potestatem autem aliunde quam a Deo non habet, quam potestatem sēper moderatur Deus. That wicked spirit hath no power ouer vsus, but either being sent, or suffered; whereof it commeth: that while his will is euer wicked, his power is neuer but iust; for his euill will which is from himselfe, is in himselfe; but he hath no power at all, but from God; the which power our God doth alwayes moderate, and gouerne to a good end. Besides this, ô my soule, the sense hereof breedeth and conserueth in the heart of Gods child: fiue most pleasant sweet and wholesome herbes: euen Humilitie, Patience, Repentance, Thankfulnesse, and Confidence. It breedeth iointly Humilitie, Patience, and Repentance: for can the well reformed child of God possibly see, that no hand beside the hand of God his Father is lying on him, and that not vniustly, but iustly, euen because by sinne he hath prouoked him to wrath, and yet that notwithstanding of his sinnes, this his hand is layed on him, and suffered to lie on him, not to vndoe him, but to winne him; not to driue him from him, but to draw him to him: and not be moued to shew himselfe before his God, & among men humble, patient, and penitent. The sense hereof moued Ieremie thus to cōplaine vponupon the sinful man,Lament. 3. 39. 28. 29. 30. to the sinfull man▪ Wherof is the liuing man sorrowful? man suffereth for his …. Yea this made Ieremie in that same place to speake thus, touching the humble, patient and penitent sinner: He sitteth alone, and keepeth silence, he putteth his mouth in the dust, he giueth his cheekes to them that smiteth him. Yea, the sense hereof opened the mouth of that thiefe, who was crucified on the right hand of our Maister, thus to reproue the other, crucified on his left side, when he durst attempt to reuile that holy one:Luk. 23. 39. 40. 41. Fearest thou not God, seeing we are in that same condemnation, we are indeed righteouslie here, for we receiue things worthie of that we hauehave done, but this man hath done nothing amisse. Shall not old Eli, ô my soule, who liued vnderunder the darke shadowes of the law, condemne, in that great day, a very world, liuing and giuing themselues forth for Gods children, vnderunder this our shining Sunne of the Gospell? Samuel hath told Eli very hard newes from the mouth of God:1. Sam. 3. 11. 12. 13. 14. Behold I will do a thing in Israel, whereof whosoeuer shall heare, his two eares shall tingle. In that day I will raise vp against Eli all things which I hauehave spoken concerning his house; when I begin, I will also make an end. I will iudge his house for euer, for the iniquitie which he knoweth, because his sonnes ranne to a slaunder and he stayed them not: I hauehave sworne vntounto the house of Eli, that the wickednesse of Eli his house shall not be purged with sacrifice, nor with offering for euer. And yet when these bitter things are brought from the mouth of God to old Eli his eare, by the ministerie of a yong one; his heart knowing, louing, and fearing that God who sent him; can proue so humble, so patient, so penitent, that he can answer most meekly, offering his checkes most willingly to his smiter: It is the Lord, 1. Sam. 3. 18let him do what seemeth him good. O religious king Ezekiah, shall not thy humble patience and repentance, when thou art sharpely threatned by thy God, speaking to thee by the mouth of Isaiah, condemne the pride, the impatiencie, and the obstinacie of a great many, not kings onelyonly, but base men, in these our dayes crossed, and threatned with the crosse. Ezekiah hath ouerseene himselfe, in shewing to the Ambassadours of the king of Babel all that was in his house, and in his treasure, for this cause he must heare that sharpe Sermon brought to his eares: Heare the word of the Lord of hostes, Isa 39. 5. 6. 7behold the dayes come that all that is in thy house, & which thy fathers have layed vp in store to this day, shall be carried to Babel, nothing shall be left, saith the Lord. And of thy sonnes which shall proceed out of thee, and which thou shalt beget, shall they take away, and they shall be Eunuches in the palace of the king of Babel. But how is this bitter Sermon heard, and accepted by him? Hearken, hearken, ô my soule, vntounto that brought vntounto thy eares by the eight vers. of the 39. of Isaiah, Then said Ezekiah vntounto Isaiah, the word of the Lord is good which thou hast spoken. O admirable humilitie, patience, and repentance, worthy to be considered grauely, and imitated carefully, by all kings and subiects; who with Ezekiah would after their labours here, rest, and reigne kings with that King of kings for euer. Shall Nazianzene aduise me, ô my soule, louingly to reuerence and embrace the admonition and correction of a iust man: A viro iusto castigari praestat, quam vngi ab improbo: illius enim asperitas propter asperitatem suauis est, huius autem benignitas quoque suspecta. It is better to be chastened with sharpe whips by a iust man, then to be annointed with soft and sauourie oyle by a wicked man: for the sharpnesse of a iust man his strokes is pleasant, because of the benefit which commeth by them, but euen the liberality and courtesie of the other is to be suspected. And should not I, ô my soule, be content much more to be corrected at the hand of my God, who is iustice and goodnesse it selfe? The sense hereof breedeth also, and conserueth in the heart of Gods child, that pleasant, sweet, and wholsome herbe of heauenly thankfulnesse, making Gods child not onelyonly to be humble, to be patient, to be penitent vnderunder the crosse, but also thankfull for the crosse. Yea, yea, ô soule, Gods afflicted child, can euen from his very heart, both with his heart & with his voyce, chearfully thanke the Lord his God for his crosses layed on him; and no wonder that he do so, he being well acquainted with that fountaine out of the which his afflictions flown; with that proclamation his afflictions sounds in his eares, and conueyes to his heart; and with that fruite they bring forth at length to him. The afflictions of Gods child flow from the sweetest fountaine of God his fatherly louelove, for as our God correcteth not where he hateth, so he forgetteth not to correct where he loueth. And therefore the Angell of the Church of Laodicea must heare this spoken vntounto him:Reuel. 3. 19. As many as I louelove, I rebuke and chasten. Yea the Apostle must tell the Hebrewes,Heb. 12. 26. Whom the Lord loueth he chasteneth, and he scourgeth eueryevery sonne whom he receiueth. Pleasant and profitable is that proclamation, the afflications of the children of God soundeth in their eares, and conueyeth to their hearts. Considerest thou euer, ô my soule, that golden rich oracle brought to thy eares by the seuenth and eight verses of the 12. to the Hebrewes. If ye induce chastening, God offereth himselfe vntounto you, as vntounto sonnes, what sonne is it whom the father chasteneth not? if therefore ye be without correction, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards and not sonnes. The sense hereof moued Bernard to say: Si Deus tecum non adest per gratiam, adest per vindictam, sed vae tibi si ita tecum est, imò vae tibi si ita tecum non adest; illi namque irascitur Deus, quem peccantem non flagellat: nam quem flagellando non emendat in futura damnat. If God be not with thee by his grace, he is with thee by reuenge, but woe to thee if he be that way with thee, yea woe to thee if he be not that way with thee; for God is highly offended with that man whom he scourgeth not when he sinnes against him: for whom God amends not here by correcting of him, that man he damnes hereafter. While I am lying then vnderunder any crosse, were it neuer so sharpe, were it neuer so tedious, what would my God sound by it in thy eares, ô my soule, Surely this would he sound by it, and nothing but this: Thou art no bastard, (who hath no title to his fathers inheritance, and who it at length to be thrust out of his fathers doores, albeit he be furnished for some dayes with meate, drinke, and clothed within it) but thou art my owne well begotten, and well beloued sonne, through my onelyonly naturall Sonne Iesus, in whom I am well pleased, whom I am to keepe with my selfe for euer: yea, whom I am to make heire of all that I hauehave. But, ô my soule, what fruite at length doth the afflictions of Gods Saints bring forth? lift vp thy eyes, and behold I pray thee that pleasant, plentious, and most profitable haruest, produced by them, and offered to thy view by the 11. verse of the 12. Chap. to the Hebrewes. No chastening for the present seemeth to be ioyous, but grieuous, but afterward it bringeth the quiet fruite of righteousnesse to those who be therby exercised. Shall the sicke or wounded patient, not onelyonly be readie by words to thanke, but according to his abilitie, by deeds to reward that Physitian who presents to his mouth potions which be bitter to his taste, and repugnant to his naturall appetite, prouiding that they do cure him. And that Chirurgion who doth launce him to the effusion of his bloud; yea, who doth cut his flesh in peeces, prouiding in the meane time he be either kept from that disease he feared, or freed of that greater or longer paine he could but hauehave layen vnderunder? and should not the child of God, knowing his afflictions to be speciall tokens of Gods louelove towards him; yea, to be those forcible meanes; whereby he is diuourced from that stinking whoore of sin, by the which he was snared; yea, to be very medicines whereby his soule is preserued, and deliuered from the deadly sicknesse of sinne, and be brought home to his blessed Father, trauelling afterwards to hauehave himselfe made holy as God his Father is holy. The sense hereof moued Dauid to make that notable confession:Psal. 119. 71. It is good for me that I hauehave bene afflicted, that I may learne thy statutes. This moued the Apostle thus to informe vsus: We hauehave had the fathers of our bodie which corrected vsus and we gaue them reuerence; should we not much more be in subiection to the Father of spirits that we might liue: for they verily for a few dayes chastened vsus after their owne pleasures, Heb. 12. 9. 10.but he chasteneth vsus for our profit, that we may be partakers of his holinesse. Finally the sense hereof breeds and conserues in the heart of Gods child Confidence; neither suffering him with the Israelites to murmure against his God, as if there were some wrong done to him; neither with Saul to despaire as one altogether cast off from God: but making him leasurely awaiting vponupon his God, to possesse his soule in patience; being assured that his God will find out a time, in the which, and meanes, by the which, he shall be deliuered. And therefore as God his afflicted child, casting himselfe willingly vnderunder the hand of God his Father correcting him, can cry with Dauid, 2. Sam. 16. 11. 12.Behold my sonne which came out of my owne bellie seeketh my life, then how much more may this sonne of Iemini, suffer him to curse, for the Lord hath bidden him. So not despairing, but putting his confidence in his God, when his hand is lying heauie vponupon him, and striking him sore, he can crie with this same Dauid, It may be the Lord will looke vponupon my affliction, and do me good for his cursing this day. I am afflicted then, ô my soule, let me beware of murmuring, impatience, of cruell raging, and furious reuenge, and of destroying comfortlesse despaire. Yea, let me bring forth humilitie, patience, repentance, thankfulnesse, and confidence; seeing not onelyonly prosperitie commeth from my God, but aduersitie also: yea, seeing my God is not onelyonly my friend and Father, when he giueth and crowneth, but also when he taketh and crosseth. The sense hereof moued Augustine to crie out with ioy:August. Quid non misericorditer praestatur hominibus à Domino Deo à quo etiam tribulatio beneficium est; nam res prospera donum est consolantis, res aduersa donum est admonentis Dei. What▪ ô man is▪ not mercifully giuen by the Lord our God vntounto men, from whom euen affliction is a benefit; for prosperous things be the gifts of God comforting men, and aduersitie the gift of God admonishing and warning them. Yea, the sense hereof mooued Bernard to say: Nulla nocebit aduersitas, Bern. Psal. 91.si non dominetur iniquitas. No aduersitie can possibly annoy thee, if iniquitie domineere not ouer thee.