The Marks of the Children of God and their Comforts in Affliction, Title page – Table of contents
OF The markes of the children of God, and of their comforts in afflictions. To the faithfull of the Low Countrie.
By Iohn Taffin.
Ouerſeene againe and augmented by the Author, and tranſlated out of French by Anne Prowſe.
Rom 8.16.
The ſpirit beareth witnes to our ſpirit that we are the ſonnes of God. If we be ſonnes, then are we alſo heires, the heires of God and ioynt heires with Chriſt: ſo that we ſuffer together that we alſo may be glorified together.
AT LONDON, Printed by Thomas Orwin, for Thomas Man. 1590.
To the right Honorable and vertuous Ladie, The Counteſſe of Warwicke.
FOraſmuch as it hath pleaſed almightie God of his infinite goodneſſe, to giuegive vntounto the glorious Goſpell of his eternall ſonne, ſo long & proſperous ſucceſſe in this our Countrie; it is now time (right Honorable and my verie good Ladie) for euerie one that is a true profeſſor of the ſame, all carnall perſwaſions of humane reaſon deluding the ſoule being ſet aſide, to prepare our ſelues to the day of trial. For although it pleaſeth God ſometimes, for the gathering of his Church, to giuegive vntounto it as it were Halcyon daies: yet common it is not, that it ſhould any long time continue in reſt and pleaſure. Nay, by the word of GOD wee know, & by experience ſometimes of our ſelues (her Maieſties royall perſon not excepted) and now of our neighbours round about vsus we ſee, that the Church of God in this world, as it euer hath bin, ſo muſt it euer be vnderunder the croſſe. And therefore if wee will bee compted of the Church indeede, and glorie in that excellent name of a Chriſtian, let vsus knowe aſſuredlie, that vntounto vsus, euen vntounto vsus (that hauehave ſo long liued in reſt and pleaſure, if wee be the children of God) in ſome ſort and meaſure a triall muſt come. For, if God chaſtiſe euerie ſonne whom he receiueth, and eueryevery member of Chriſtes body muſt be faſhioned like vntounto the head, if the afflictions of this world are manifeſt tokens to the children of God, of his fauour and louelove towards them, and ſure pledges of their adoptiō: how can we looke, or how can we deſire to bee exempted from this common condition of God his owne children and houſehold? To this end therefore (right Honorable Ladie) I hauehave tranſlated this little booke, firſt to admoniſh ſome (who for lacke of experience, neuer feeling other daies than theſe full of peace and quietnes) that they learne to applie vntounto themſelues whatſoeuer they heare or reade of the triall of GOD his children, leaſt falſelie imagining it to appertaine either to the times that are paſt, or to other Nations, it fall ſodainlie vponupon them as a theefe in the night, & they be deſtitute of all hope and comfort. Secondlie, to awake others abounding both in knowledge and other graces, whom notwithſtanding, ſatan (by the deceaueable luſts & vaine pleaſures of this wicked world) hath ſo rockt a ſleepe, that they ſeeme almoſt, as they that are diſeaſed with the Lethargie, to hauehave forgottē both themſelues, their holie calling and profeſsion. Laſt of all, to comfort an other ſort, whome it hath pleaſed GOD ſo to preſſe downe with ſorrowes, and to exerciſe with the continuall afflictions and calamities of this mortall life, as no times ſeeming fauourable vntounto thē, they can ſcarſe receiue the words of any comfort. And becauſe your Honor hath been of long time, not onlie a profeſſour, but alſo a louer of the trueth, whom the Lord (exalting to an higher place of dignitie than many other) hath ſet vp, as it were a light vpō an high candleſticke, to giuegive light vntounto manie, I hauehave eſpeciallie dedicated vntounto your Honour this my poore trauaile, humblie beſeeching the Lord to make it no leſſe comfortable to your Honour, and to thoſe that ſhall reade it, than it hath been vntounto me who hauehave tranſlated it. Euerie one in his calling is bound to doo ſomewhat to the furtherance of the holie building; but becauſe great things by reaſon of my ſex, I may not doo, and that which I may, I ought to doo, I hauehave according to my duetie, brought my poore basket of ſtones to the ſtrengthning of the walles of that Ieruſalem, whereof (by grace) wee are all both Citizens and members. And now to returne to thoſe whō experience hath not yet taught, and whom proſperitie will not ſuffer to awake: I earneſtlie beſeech them both in the Lord, no longer to deceiue themſelues with vaine imaginations, neither to ſuffer their hearts ſo to be tied to earthlie vanities, that they ſhould deſpiſe or neglect thoſe things that cā truely make them happie indeed. When it ſhall pleaſe GOD to open their eyes to diſcerne betweene heauenlie and earthly, betweene things tranſitorie, and things euerlaſting, I know they will of themſelues bee aſhamed of this their negligence. For what are all the pleaſant things of this world, which moſt bewitch the minds of men, if they be compared with heauenlie and eternall things? If ſtatelie & ſumptuous buildings do delight; what building is ſo ſtatelie and glorious as newe Ieruſalem? If riches; what ſo rich as that, whoſe pauemēt is of pure gold, whoſe foundations and walls of precious ſtones, & gates of orient pearles? If friends, kinſfolke and neighbours; what Citie ſo repleniſhed as this, where God himſelfe in his Maieſtie, Ieſus Chriſt the head of the Church in his glorie, & all the holie Angels, Patriarchs, Prophets, Apoſtles and Martirs do dwel together in happineſſe for euer? If honor; what honor comparable to this, to be the ſeruant and child of ſo mightie a King, and heire of ſo glorious a kingdome; where neither time doth conſume, nor enuie depriue of honour, nor power of aduerſarie ſpoyle of glorie, that is endles & incōprehenſible? If then there be no compariſon betweene things heauenlie and things that are earthlie, and no man can attaine to the things that are heauenlie, but by the ſame way that Chriſt himſelfe attained vntounto them; which was by the croſſe: why (caſting off all impediments that preſſeth downe) doo we not runne on our courſe with cherefulnes and hope, hauing Chriſt ſo mightie a King, for our Captaine & guide, who (as the Apoſtle ſaith) for the glorie that was ſet before him, indured the croſſe, and deſpiſing the ſhame, ſitteth now at the right hand of the throne of God? How ſlowe and dull of heart are wee, if as Eſau, (who for a meſſe of pottage ſold his birthright) wee are contented for a ſmall and ſhort pleaſure in this wicked world, to leeſe that incomparable and euerlaſting glorie, which Chriſt the ſonne of GOD with ſo great a price hath purchaſed for vsus. The Lord giuegive vsus wiſedome to vnderſtand, & grace to heare his voice while it is ſaide to day, that when daies and nights & times ſhall ceaſe, wee may (without time) enter into his ioye and reſt which neuer ſhall hauehave end. The Lord euer preſerue your Honor; and adde vntounto a multitude of happie yeares ſpent in his feare, a continuall increaſe of al ſpiritual graces to his glorie, and your endles comfort.
Your Honors in the Lord moſt humble A.P.
To the faithfull of the Low Countrie.
IT is not without reaſon (right deare and worſhipfull bretheren) that the Church of Chriſt is called militant vponupon earth: and compared as well to a woman in trauaile of child from the beginning of the world, as to a ſhip vponupon the ſea toſſed with tempests, and to a field tilled, vponupon which the plowe is drawne to cut it. The preſent estate of the Church exerciſed by ſo manie diſſipations, aſſailed ſo mightelie by continuall warres (the mother and nurſe of all calamities) and afflicted by reuolts, by Libertines, by people prophane, and by ſo many heretiques, is to vsus a liuelie mirrour, a manifeſt ſeale, and an example good to be marked. Now, as the infirmitie of the fleſh which dieth not in the verie children of God, but at their death, taketh from thence, and from other matter, occaſion of temptations moſt dangerous, and many aſſaults: ſo the bounden duetie & affection which I beare towards you, driueth me to teſtifie vntounto you the feruent deſire which I feele continuallie in my heart, of your comfort, constancie and perſeuerance in the way of ſaluation. For this cauſe it is that in my voiage frō Germanie I made this little treatiſe Of the markes of the children of God, & of their conſolations in their afflictions: the which (being GOD be thanked returned) J was willing, with the aduiſe of my brethren and fellowes in the holie Ministerie, to put to light & dedicate vntounto you, to the end that reading it you might knowe and feele more and more the incomprehenſible grace of GOD towards you, by the testimonies of your adoption, and the full aſſurance of the certaintie of it: and that in the middeſt of your ſo long and heauie afflictions, you might bee partakers of the vnſpeakable comforts which GOD ſetteth forth to his children in his word: whereby alſo you feeling your ſelues truelie happie, you maie constantlie perſeuer in his holie trueth and obedience of his will, aſpiring with contētment and ioy of the holie Ghoſt to the inioying of that kingdome of glorie, the right and poſſeſſion whereof is purchaſed for you, and kept in your head Ieſus Chriſt. Finallie, J pray God with all my heart to ſhewe me this fauour, that this my little labour may bee acceptable vntounto you, and that it will pleaſe him to bleſſe it, by the efficacie of his holie ſpirit, to your comfort and ſaluation, and to the aduancement of the Kingdome of our Lord Ieſus Chriſt: Harlem 15. September 1586.
Your humble brother and ſeruant in Chriſt: Iohn Taffin Miniſter of the holie Goſpell in the French Church at Harlem.
The matters that are handled in this Treatiſe.
1 OF the great and incomprehenſible happines of the life euerlaſting promiſed to the children of God.
2 How wee knowe that wee are the children of God.
3 How euerie member of the Church ought to applie to himſelfe the markes of it, to aſſure himſelfe of his adoption and ſaluation.
4 How wee ought & may aſſure our ſelues that wee are the children of GOD, although the markes of our adoption be in vsus but ſmall and weake.
5 That the Apoſtacie and reuolt of ſome who hauehave made profeſſion of the true religion, ought not to cauſe vsus to call in doubt either the doctrine, or our adoption.
6 That afflictions ought not to make vsus doubt of our adoption, but rather to confirme vsus.
7 That the afflictions which come vntounto vsus were foretold, and therfore they ought to confirme vsus in the aſſurance of our adoption.
8 That the children of GOD hauehave at all times been afflicted, and yet beloued of God.
9 That the common afflictions of the children of Adam, are to the faithfull, becauſe of the excellent fruites of them, teſtimonies of their adoption, and of the louelove of GOD towards them.
10 Of the afflictions for Chriſtes ſake, and of the fruites of them.
11 Other fruites of the afflictions for the name of Chriſt.
12 An exhortation to perſeuer conſtantlie in the trueth of the Goſpell, in the time of perſecution: not to feare death: for man to keepe himſelfe from Apoſtacie and diſſimulation: To vſe the holie Miniſterie: To walke in the feare of God, and to pray vntounto him.
13 Holie meditations and praiers.