The Mystical Marriage, Chapter 4
CAP. IIII. The heavenly marriage is happy not onelyonly in the pleasures, but in the labours of love.
A WISE husband though most loving, is not alwayes embracing: hee doth love ever, but doth not ever embrace: For there is a time to embrace,Eccles 3. and a time to be farre from embracing. There is the service and labour of love, as well as the pleasure of love: and accordingly as we reade once that Isaac sported with Rebekah, so wee reade also that she made savoury meat such as her husband loved. No doubt she had pleased him before by the like service, that she pleased him so certainly now; at least she was no better than Sarah, who did her husband the service of making cakes for the entertainment of his guests. So doth the mysticall wife also, she thinkes sometimes how she may please her husband by service, and not onelyonly how she may take pleasure in him, and of him. For the soules husband will not onelyonly please, but be pleased; hee will not onelyonly give love, but take it, and the love which he takes, shall be sometimes in the labours of love. Hee is her Lord, and therfore he expects service from her, that shee may not call him Lord in words onelyonly, but in deedes, even in doing his will. Neither is this service, a meere service, or a thing onelyonly of toyle and trouble; but it is an easie yoake, and a light burthen:Mat. 11.29 yea it is full of profit and advantage, for it bringeth and increaseth rest and happinesse to the soule. For indeede love ever seekes the good of the beloved, and accordingly Christ Iesus who is love, sets the soule on worke for her owne good.
For the soule hath many gaines annexed to her worke, she gaines before she workes, she gaines in her worke, and she gaines after her worke: She gaines before the worke; for this is one maine cause, why those weighty joyes, sweete embracements, and ravishing consolations are given her, that she may cheerfully runne the race, and performe the service set before her. When Angels bring meate to Elijah, it is because hee hath a great journey to goe; so that he is beholding to his great journey for his Angels foode. The outward Israel is fed with the bread of heaven, to maintaine him in his walke unto Canaan, and the inward Israel is fed with the true bread that commeth downe from heaven, to enable him in his workes, and walkes through this pilgrimage to heaven. Neither doth this course holde onelyonly in the service of doing, but in the service of suffering; in the passive, as in the active obedience. Christ Iesus shews his Disciples on the Mount a patterne of his heavenly glory, and then to Christ thus gloriously transfigured, Moses and Elias doe speake of the suffering which hee should accomplish at Ierusalem. So to the Head himselfe, the glory set before him is an encouragement to the enduring of the Crosse,Heb. 12. and despising the shame: And if it be so to the head, it should be such also to the body. And such it is indeed to the true members of that body, for they receive not the grace of God in vaine, but can doe, and will doe all things through Christ that strengtheneth thē.Phil. 4.13. For as they finde that they are strengthened with all might, according to Gods glorious power, so they know the end for which they are thus strengthened, even unto all patience and long-suffering with joyfulnesse. Col. 1.11.Wherefore let us think that the parcels of glory, joy and strength which we now receive in the visitations of Christ Iesus, are a kind of wages paid aforehand to encourage us more cheerfully & confidently to the worke of doing and suffering. And accordingly having received them, let us not dreame of rest, but of labour; not of setting up Tabernacles, but of service and sufferings. And let us not doubt, but if the Angels foode be a preparation and call to a long, or laborious journey, of doing or suffering; the same foode will also strengthen and enable us to performe the journey unto which it calls; so that in the strength thereof we shall be able to walk even to the Mount of God.
Yet neither is all the comfort, encouragement, and gaine given to the soule before her worke, but even in her worke she gaineth. In the service of her husband is continuall gain, and that not of strength onelyonly, but of pleasure and delight. For the soule having tasted Christ in an heavenly communion, so loves him, that to please him is a pleasure and delight to her selfe: Yea there is such a law of love shed into her by that communion, that his commandements are so farre from being grievous to her, that there is no pleasure in her taste comparable to them. No sweet things, no precious things in her judgement may be compared to the sweetnes and preciousnes of cōmandements. Therefore it is the true voice of the Spouse, and therein not so much her mouth as heart speaketh, They are more to be desired than gold, Psal. 19.10yea than much fine golde, sweeter also than hony, and the hony combe. Behold how the soule married unto Christ delights in the law of her husband; and no wonder if she love his law, when she loves him; neither if her heart be to his law, when his law is written in her heart. Besides, the law of his lips is a law of grace, and a law of grace is a lovely law. So she loves his law, because his law is lovely; she loves it because it is his law whom she loves; she loves it because the love of his law is written in her heart. And as she loves his law, so she loves to fulfill it; for her love will not be quiet, untill it see her words turned into her deedes. And this she doth not negligently, nor heavily, but like a lover, pleasantly and chearfully. Looke but to a carnall lover, and see how he affects the title of a servant, and is more than glad, (even proud) to receive and fulfill the commands of his beloved. Give then spiritual love to a soule, and she will rejoyce also to perform the spiritual commands of her beloved. If a man know not this, it is because hee loves not, but let him love, and then he will both know and doe it. For the nature, and law of love in the lover, naturally moveth to the fulfilling of the law of the beloved. And as the Sun in whom a law or covenant of motion is written, rejoyceth like a gyant to runne the race and motion of that covenant, so the soule in whom this law of love is written,Psal. 19.5. rejoyceth to runne the race and motion of this law. Obedience is the kindly fruite of a loving soule,Ier. 31: 33, 35, 36. and a loving soule bringeth forth this fruite as kindly, as a good tree bringeth forth good fruite.
And as this law of love is active, and laborious, so is it strong and mighty. Even death it selfe cannot overcome love,Cant. 8.6. Rev. 12.11 for love is stronger than death. Yea love enjoyeth dangers, and death it selfe; and takes them for advantages; as by which the excellence and vehemence of love may be really expressed. Accordingly, the nearest and dearest friends of the Bridegroome rejoyce that they are counted worthy to suffer for his sake.Acts 5.41. The fire of diuine louelove so inflameth thē, that much water of persecution cannot queneh it; yea such is the nature of this fire, that it feedeth on those waters, and groweth more fervent by that which would quench it. For the fire of love upon opposition kindleth another fire of an holy rage; which is full of anger and scorne, that life or death, or any other creature should offer to separate the soule from her loved Christ Iesus. And as the Bridegroom himself rejected a great Apostle with the title of Satan, when he disswaded him from expressing his love to his spouse by dying for her, so the spouse her selfe is angry, when she is disswaded from expressing her love to her best-beloved in the sufferings of love. One while being threatned with a fiery furnace, she saith, O King we are not carefull to answer thee in this matter, but bee it knowne to thee, Dan. 3.wee will not serve thy gods, nor worship thy golden image. And another while, at other threats,Acts 4.17, 18. We cannot but speake the things that wee have seene and heard. And again, when danger was denounced, and friends disswaded: I am ready not to be bound onelyonly, Acts 21.13but also to die for the name of the Lord Iesus. Thus may bee seene, not onelyonly what pleasures, but what power and might doe accompany and blesse the labours and sufferings of love: love delights in doing and suffering; yea it is angry when it may not be suffered to suffer: And as opposition riseth against it, so it riseth against opposition, yea it riseth by it, untill it rise above it.
But besides the usuall pleasure which love takes in suffering for the beloved, there are unusuall and extraordinary comforts allotted to the sufferings of love. When the Bride suffereth most for her love to the Bridegroome, the Bridegroomes love must needes be most increased to the Bride; and consequently the fruits & benefits of his love. Therefore there being an hundred-fold gaine promised in this life to the sufferings of love,Mark 10.30. the more those sufferings are, the more hundred-folde is that gaine which is promised to them. Besides, the Bridegroome seeth that the Bride hath then most need of comfort, helpe and supply, when for his sake she is in most distresse: and therefore hee that is a present helpe in trouble, cannot but be a greater helpe, in a time of greater trouble; for hee fitteth the measure of his helpe to the measure of her trouble. Hence it ariseth, that there is a peculiar height and abundance of consolations, which none can attaine unto, but those that have a speciall height and abundance of tribulations. For this proportion the Apostle acknowledgeth when he saith, As the tribulations doe abound, 2 Cor. 1.5so doe the consolations. Thus is there continuall gaine in the sufferings of love, and great gaine in great sufferings; thus is the soule made a conquerour and gainer in all labours, and losses, and crosses, through him that loveth her. What she loseth in the creature, she hath repayed with great advantage in the Creatour: what she loseth in brasse, she hath repayed in golde, not barely value for value, but weight for weight: yea the weight of the worse is farre exceeded by the weight of the better;2 Cor. 4.17 for it is but a light affliction, and it is an exceeding weight of glory, and parts of this weighty glory the soule now receiveth aforehand as earnests of the whole; and having received them, she doth now rejoyce, (even through manifold tentations of crosses and losses) with a joy unspeakable and glorious.1 Pet: 1. Her finite, measured, and utterable tribulations are overwaighed with joyes unspeakable; and that they are so, we see it in the effect of them; because the soule despiseth the sufferings for the joyes: yea the sufferings are so overcome by the joyes, that the sufferings doe not turne her joyes into sadnes, but the joyes turne the sadnes of the sufferings into joy;phil: 2.17, 1 Thes: 1.6, &c. for she rejoyceth in her sufferings.
Lastly, the soule is a great gainer after the worke; for the greatest gaine of the soule is at the end of all her labours: there is a time comming when shee shall rest from her labours;Rev: 14.13 but when shee rests from them, they shall not rest from following her, for follow her they shall into heaven, and blesse her with eternall joyes. Yea the more shee hath laboured and suffered, the more shall she be blessed and glorified. The more afflictions, the more weight of glory, for the harvest will answer the sowing; the present sowing in teares shall be followed with a proportionable harvest of joy; so that he which loveth sparingly shall reape sparingly,2 Cor. 9.6. and hee that soweth plentifully, shall reape plentifully.
VponUpon the consideration of these threefold gaines annexed to the labours and sufferings of love, here ariseth a just reproofe of those contemplative men, who by neglecting or rather excluding these labours and sufferings, doe neglect, & shut out these gaines. They would presently be at rest, and presently would have nothing but rest and enjoying; but it is utterly a fault and a losse to separate mystical Divinity from practicall, for howsoever they may be distinguished, they may not be separated; each having his turnes, and each giving hand to other, and strengthening one another.Nehem. 8.10 The joy of the Lord is our strength, and it strengthens us for something to bee done or suffered, and again these labours and sufferings doe increase the joy, for as the tribulations doe increase, so doe the consolations. True it is that the minde of man would presently bee at his workes end, and having received joyes, spend the whole time in gazing on them, tasting of them, or in recalling the tastes and images of them: But too much enjoying is a losse of enjoying; for it looseth all those gaines (formerly mentioned) annexed to doing and sufferings. For if a man will onelyonly busie himselfe in tasting present joy, how can he expect those joyes that are sent to prepare unto labours? or those that accompany labours? or finally, (which is of most weight) those infinite, and unmeasurable, and exceeding joyes, which in the life to come are to follow afflictions and labours? Will God give joy to enable us unto services, when he seeth hee cannot have the services for which hee gave the joyes? Can we looke for an abundance of consolations, when we exclude the abundance of tribulatiōs to which these consolations are annexed? Or can wee looke for that exceeding weight of glory, which shal follow light and momentany afflictions, and yet utterly refuse that light affliction which worketh this glory? Surely whosoever thou art that thus doest, thy losse hereby is manifold, but especially greatest in turning thy seed-time into harvest, and in eating up thy seede: thou makest the time of sowing to be the time of reaping; yea thou eatest up thy seede, which being sowne, would have given thee an ensuing harvest. True it is that ioyes are given thee here, and they are given thee to be enjoyed; but even this enjoying is but a sowing; for thereby are sowne in thee new supplies of faith, hope, and love, and of all spirituall strength, even the seeds of future active and passive services. Thou art by these joyes mightily encouraged, fortified, and enabled to an unwearied industry in the labours of the Lord, since by this which is paid thee in hand, thou seest, and feelest, and tastest, that thy labour is not in vain in the Lord. Thou doest not receive thy earnest-penny to bee still gazing on it, much lesse to bound thy thoughts with it, or to thinke thy selfe rich enough in it, but thereby to be drawne on to a chearful running in the race, that leadeth to the infinite treasure which is in heaven, whereof this penny is an earnest. Wherefore if any man will set up his rest in present joyes, and speake of building Tabernacles in them, let him know what was said of him that said so, and see whether the same agrees not also to another that saith the same agrees not also to another that saith the same, Hee wist not what he said. Luke 9.33Surely this is not our rest, neither have wee here a continuing City, but wee seeke one to come: our Sabbath here is but one day in seven, but the eternall Sabbath commeth not, untill we be past the workes of the sixe dayes. There remaineth a rest to the children of God,Heb. 4.9. and that which remaineth is not presently. Therefore seeing that rest remaineth, let us labour to enter into that rest:Vers. 6.11. let us enter into this rest, by labour, not by rest: or if by rest, by that rest, which encourageth and enableth us to labour. Having eaten with Elias, let us walke with Elias, having taken the earnest, let us doe the worke, having eaten Manna, let us walk on to Canaan. Let us not grow restive by that which was given to make us active; neither let us looke to tie these joyes together in this life of action; which are therefore intermitted, that there may be times for action, as well as for enjoying. Therefore if Iesus doe sometimes vanish out of sight, and withdraw himselfe into heaven, imagine you heard the Angel saying unto you, Why stand ye gazing into heaven? Acts 1.The same Iesus which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come as yee have seene him goe into heaven. He hath times of going, and times of returning. He hath visited thee, and is gone out of sight, expecting the fruite of his former visitation. As thou hast seene him going, so thou shalt see him comming; when thy worke is well done, hee will come and comfort, and encourage thee to the worke that is to bee done. But still remember that his best comming is his last comming: then will hee come to thee, and cause thee to come to him, and this comming together shall be without any more going asunder. Then shalt thou rest, and onelyonly rest, for even thy actions which now are labours shall then be rest. And then shall it be no griefe of heart to thee, that thou hast had here interpositions of labours betweene thy rests, since these labours here shall there be turned into the joyes of a rest eternall. Neither shall it be a griefe of heart to thee then, that thou hast had some abatements here of a temporall rest, when those abatements have beene occasions of increased degrees in a rest and glory everlasting. Thou shalt have thy joyes increased according to the increase of thy labours, for thy works shall follow thee; and if they follow thee in abundance, they shal bee followed with abundance of joyes. If thy labours have made thy five talents to bee ten, thy Lord shall make thee Ruler over ten Cities: and then shalt thou finde it best to enjoy most in the place of most enjoying. And surely that must needs be the place of most, and best enjoying, where both soule and body are enlarged and clarified to the greatest capacity of enjoying; and where this greatest capacity doth meete with the greatest perfection, and fulnesse of joy. And this fulnesse of joy is at that right hand, where the Bridegroome sitteth preparing a place for his Bride: And into that place of fulnesse of joy shall this husband receive his wife, having passed through the labours and sufferings of love, and there they shall be changed to her into large, full and everlasting joyes.