The Marks of the Children of God and their Comforts in Affliction, Poem
The neceſsitie and benefite of affliction.
GReat trouble and vexation
the righteous ſhall ſustains
By Gods determination,
whilest heere they doo remaine:
Which grieuous is and irksome both
for fleſh and bloud to beare.
Becauſe by nature we are loath
to want our pleaſure heere;
And eke becauſe our enemie
that auncieat deadly foe
Satan, with cruell tyrannie
the worker of our woe,
Doth ſtill prouoke the wicked ſort
in ſinne which doo delight,
To pleaſe themſelues & make great ſport,
to vexe vsus with deſpite.
Yet doo the righteous by the croſſe
moe bleſſed things obtaine,
Than anie waie can be the loſſe,
the dolor, or the paine.
The loſſe is that, which in few daies
would paſſe, fade and decay
Euen of it ſelfe: the gaine alwaies
can no man take away.
All earthly estimation
the croſſe may cleane deface,
But heauenlie conſolation
the ſoule dooth then imbrace.
Afflictions worldly pleaſures will
abandon out of minde:
Then is the ſoule more earnest ſtill
the ioyes of heauen to finde.
Theſe worldly riches, goods and wealth,
by troubles may depart:
Then inward ioyes and ſauing health
may wholly rule the heart.
In trouble friends doo ſtart aſide,
as cloudes doo with the winde:
But Gods aſſistance doth abide
to cheare the troubled minde.
Jfwe ſhould feele theſe loſſes all,
at once, by ſudden change:
We may not be diſmaid withall,
though it ſeeme verie ſtrange.
Iob lost his frends, he lost his wealth,
and comfort of his wife:
He loſt his children and his health,
yea, all but wretched life.
When all was gone, the Lord aboue
did ſtill with him remaine,
With merciemercy, kindnes and with louelove
aſſwaging all his paine:
Teaching him by experience,
that all things fickle be
(Which ſubiect are to humane ſence)
and yeeld all miſerie.
But godlineſſe within the heart
remaineth euer ſure.
In wealth and woe, it is her part,
true comfort to procure.
Affliction turn'th theſe worldly ioyes
to greater paine and woe,
Becauſe the louelove was linck'd with toyes:
religion is not ſo.
For when mans heart doth most delight
in pleaſure, wealth, and pride:
Religion then will take her flight,
ſhe may not there abide.
Where by our ſoules in wofull plight
continually remaine:
Yet hauehave not we the grace or might
from ſuch luſts to refraine.
In which estate mest willingly
(though tending right to hell)
We compt our chiefe felicitie,
and louelove therein to dwell.
Therefore the Lord which is aboue,
regarding vsus below
With merciemercy, pitie, grace and louelove,
that alwases from him flow,
Doth mix with griefe theſe earthly things
wherein we doo delight:
Which to our ſoules all ſorow brings,
or elſe remoou'th them quite.
Then dooth the holie word of God
most comfortable ſeeme:
Which we (before we felt the rod)
mere follie did esteeme.
The world which earſt moſt pleaſant was
now loathſome ſeem'th to be:
It doth appeare (as in a glaſſe)
all fraught with miſerie.
Then feare we hell, then flie we ſinne,
then ſeeke we heauen the more:
To vſe good meanes we then begin,
which we deſpiſde before.
Then can we pray, then can we call
to God for ſtrength and grace:
Which things before might not at all
with vsus hauehave anie place.
Then heare we with attentiuenes,
then read we with all care:
Then pray we with great feruentnes,
no trauaile then we ſpare.
Then ſhall we ſee, feele and confeſſe
the ſtate wherein we dwelt,
To be nothing but wretchednes:
though worldly ioyes we felt.
Becauſe the ſoule by godlineſſe
more comfort doth receaue
In one day, than by worldlineſſe,
for euer it can hauehave.
Then we with Dauid ſhall confeſſe,
that God from heauen aboue
(By humbling vsus) doth well expreſſe
his merciemercy and his louelove.
For ere we felt the ſcourging rod,
we er'de and went aſtray:
But now we keepe the law of God,
and waite thereon alway.
Then forreligion louelove the croſſe,
though it doo bring ſome paine:
The ioy is great, ſmall is the loſſe,
but infinite the gaine.
FINIS.
End of the text · Jean Taffin, The Marks of the Children of God and their Comforts in Affliction (1590)