The Godly Mans Journey to Heaven, Treatise 2 · Meditation 18
18. Let not the wise child of God take euill with the crosse here: but let him rather wonder that he is suffered to breath here.
MAny with the Psalmist, ô my soule, looking vponupon Gods outfield (to speake so) and so vponupon the men of this world, who hauehave their portion in this life, seeing them with Esau feeding themselues with ioy, in the fattest and largest medowes of all things their heart can wish; while Gods infield, and so his verie faithfull children, and dearest seruants, are consumed with Iacob by night with cold, and by day with heate, not hauing wherwith to refresh themselues, are made, alas, to crie out certainly:Psal. 73. 13. I hauehave cleansed my heart in vaine, and washed my hands in innocency: now doubting whether they belong to God or not, now waxing cold in his Maiesties seruice, yea, now tempted through the force of their many troubles, and pining painfull crosses to thinke that they must renounce their former profession, leauing their wonted carriage, and walking in the broad way with the wicked. Alwayes wouldst thou, ô my soule, consider 3. things grauely, thou wouldst ceasse to wonder that the Saints of God be crossed on earth here, yea, that they be now and then euen in great numbers put to cruell death, and that by those who (if nature could be hearkened vntounto) should defend and keepe them. And begin to wonder how it comes to passe, that so much as one of the Saints of God doth finde libertie to breath here. It was a wonder that Eliah was fed of rauens,1▪ King. 17. that the 3. children liued enuironed with fierie flames,Dan 3. 6. yt Daniel put off a nights lodging with fiercest lions. Thou wouldest thinke, and confesse, ô my soule, that thou sawst a wonder worthy to be admired, yea to be put in register, for the information of the following ages; if thou seest a woolfe dwelling with a lambe, a leopard lying with a kidde, a calfe a lion, and a fed beast led together by a little child, a cow feeding with a boare, and their young ones lying together. And canst thou not wonder, ô my soule, to see the Saints of God fed,Isa. 11. or suffered to feede here, lying in any place, or suffered to lie in any place here walking, or suffered to walke here. For 1. knowest thou what manner of persons Gods children be. 2. Where Gods children do liue while they do liue here? 3. How they liue while they liue here? are not Gods Saints his elects sonnes and daughters, appointed by the speciall ordinance and decree of their owne wise Father vnderunder crosses? for cannot the spirit our teacher,1. Pet. 2. 21. 22. thus informe vsus: you are all called to sufferings; for Christ also suffered for vsus, leauing vsus an example that ye should follow his steps. Againe, liue they not here, where the enemie, and enemies of God their Father, and so where their enemie, and the enemies of God, not onelyonly do liue but also do beare sway imperiously.Iohn 4. For is not Satan the head of the wicked, the Prince and God of this world?2. Cor. 4. and do we not proue our selues to be enemies to him, and all these who do reuell aud command vnderunder him. Lastly, liue they who be the children of God here, as domestickes in their owne house, or kind subiects in their owne natiue countrie, and not as strangers from home, and pilgrimes wandering abroad from their owne countrie; how then can we possibly thinke hardly of crosses here, yea how can we ceasse alwayes to expect them while they are here, and take them kindly when they come? When I read Scripture, ô my soule, I find that the Israelites met with many monstrous and sharp crosses, in the land of Egypt, in the wildernesse, and in Babel: and shall I now begin to wonder, that now Gods children in these our dayes should meete with tentation, yea, with many tentations, with sharpe crosses, yea, with many sharpe crosses in this darke Egypt, wearisome wildernesse, bloudie Babel of this last age; wherein Satan, knowing his time to be short, prouing a subtile foxe, a busie lion, a cruell dragon, rageth vncessantly against Gods secret ones, pressing altogether to ouerthrow them. The sonne of a Scottish man being at Algyre, farre from his father, and natiue Prince, would not wonder, if he were euen monstrously abused, as if he were some dogge, and not a man, by the fierce Turke. And shall thou, ô child of God, absent now in bodie from thy fathers home, and that Citie whereof thou art a free Burges, yea, from that kingdome wherein thou shalt sometime reigne, as thou art alreadie annointed for it; soiourning in the meane time where that euill one, the prince of the power of darkenesse, with his seruants and slaues, do rule and raigne, be astoined at thy crosses and tentations. Possesse thy selfe therefore in patience, ô my soule, while thou art absent, a stranger from thy home liuing amongst thy …oes: for when thou shalt be brought to thy home, to liue a domesticke at home amongst thy friends, yea with thy great friend, and onelyonly friend the Father, Sonne, and holy Ghost; all thy crosses shall be turned into crownes, and all thy bitter mournings into sweet melodious musicke, which once being tuned vp, shall neuer fall downe againe, according to that of our Sauiour. Ye now are in sorrow, Iohn 6. 22.but I will see you againe; and your hearts shall reioyce, and your ioy shall no man take from you.