The Victory of Patience, Chapter 10 – Chapter 12
CHAP. 10. That it prevents greater evills of Sinne and Punishment to come.
7 SEventhly, the LORD by this evill of Chastisement for sins past, preventeth the evills of sin, and greater punishments for the time to come. The Lord (saith Elihu) correcteth man, that hee might turne away from his enterprize, and that he might keepe backe his soule from the Pit, and that his life should not perish by the sword, Iob 33.17, 18. The sharpnesse of crosses are Gods spirituall hedge; This salt doth not onelyonly preserve from Corruption, but also eate out Corruption. We are chastened of the Lord (saith the Holy Ghost) that we might not be condemned with the world, 1 Cor. 11.32, Erring soules be corrected that they may be converted, not confounded; If Paul had not been buffeted by Sathan and wicked men, he had beene exalted out of measure, 2 Cor. 12.7. Pride is so dangerous a poyson, that of another poyson there was confected a counterpoyson to preserve him from it, God would rather suffer this chosen Vessell to fall into some infirmity then to be prowd of his singular priviledges Least I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of Revelations; (there was the poyson of Pride insinuating it selfe) I had a Thorne in the flesh, the messenger of Sathan to buffet me; There was the Counterpoyson or Antidote which did at once make him both sick and whole; The enjoyment of the worlds peace might adde to my content, but it wil indanger my soule; how oft doth the recovery of the body, state, or minde occasion a Relaps in the soule? Turne but the Candle, and that which keeps me in, puts me out; The younger brother shall not have all his portion least he run Riot; All the life of Salomon was full of prosperity, and therefore we find, that Salomon did much forget God, but the whole life of David had many enemies and much adversity, and therfore we see by his penitentiall Psalmes, & others, that David did much remember God: As Salt with its sharpnesse keeps flesh from corrupting; So their malice keeps our soules from festering; Bees are drowned in Honey, but live in Vineger. Now if sweet meats breed Surfets, tis good sometimes to taste of bitter, its good somvvhat to unloade when the ship is in danger by too liberall a ballast. I will tell you a Paradox (I call it so because few will beleeve it, but it is true) many are able to say, they have learned to stand by falling, got strength by weaknesse. The burnt Child dreads the fire; A broken bone well set is faster ever after; Like Trees we take deeper root by shaking; And like Torches, we flame the brighter for bruizing and knocking: God suffered Sathan to spoile Iob of his substance, rob him of his Children, punish him in his body; Yet marke but the Sequell well, and you shall find, that he was crost with a blessing. As the Physitian in making of Triacle or Mithridate for his Patient useth Serpents, Adders, and such like poyson that he may drive out one poyson with another; Even so our spirituall Physitian is pleased to use the malice of Sathan, and wicked men when he tempereth to us the Cup of affliction, that hereby he may expell one evil… with another; Yea two evills with one, namely, the evill of sin, and the evill of punishment, and that both temporall and eternall. He suffers us to be afflicted, because he will not suffer us to be damned; such is the goodnesse of our heavenly Father to us, that even his anger proceeds from mercy; he scourgeth the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of Iesus Christ, 1 Cor. 5.5. Yea, Ioseph was therefore abased in the dungeon, that his advancement might be the greater. Its true, in our thoughts we often speake for the flesh, as Abraham did for Ismael, O that Ismael might live in thy sight! no, God takes away Ismael and gives Isaac; he withdrawes the pleasure of the flesh, gives delight to the soule. The man sick of a burning feaver cries to his Physitian for drinke; he pities him, but does not satisfie him; he gives him proper physick, but not drink. A man is sick of a Plurisie, the Physitian lets him bloud, he is content with it; the arme shall smart to ease the heart. The covetous man hath a plurisie of riches, G…d lets him bloud by poverty; let him be patient, it is a course to save his soule. So if God scourge us any way, so we bleed not; or till we bleed, so we faint not; or till we even faint, so we perish not; let us be comforted: for if the Lord prune his Vine, he meanes not to root it up: if he minister physick to our soules, it is because he would not have us dye in our sins; all is for salvation. What if Noah were pent up in the Arke, so long as he was safe in it: what if it were his prison, so long as it was his Fort also against the waters?
I might illustrate the point, and make it plaine by sundry and divers comparisons. We know, one naile drives out another; one heat another; one cold another: yea, out of admirable experience I can witnesse it, that for most constitutions there is not such a remedy under Heaven for a cold in the head, or an accustomed tendernesse, as a frequent bathing of it in cold water; I can justly say, I am twenty yeeres the younger for it. Yea, one sorrow drives out another; one passion another; one rumour is expelled by another: and though for the most part, contraries are cured by contraries; yet not seldome will Physitians stop a Lask with a Purge; they will bleed a Patient in the Arme, to stop a worse bleeding at Nose. Againe, in some Patients they will procure a gentle Ague, that they may cure him of a more dangerous disease. Even so deales God with us; he often punisheth the worser part of man (saith S. Ierome,) That is, the body, state, or name, that the better part (to wit) the soule, may be saved in the day of judgement. Neither are chastisements any whit lesse necessary for the soule, than medicines are for the body: many a man had beene undone by prosperity, if they had not beene undone by adversity; they had perished in their soules, if they had not perished in their bodies, estates, or good-names. Its probable Naamans soule had never beene cleansed, if his body had not beene leaprous: and though affliction be hard of digestion to the naturall man, yet the experienced Christian knowes, that it is good for the soule, that the body is sometime sick; and therefore to have his inward man cured, he is content his outward man should be diseased; and cares not so the sins of his soule may be les…ened, though the soares of his flesh be increased. And why is it not so with thee? I hope thou desirest thy soules safety above all; and thou knowest, the stomack that is purged must be content to part with some good nourishment, that it may deliver it selfe of more evill humours. Of what kinde …oever thy sufferings be, it is doubtlesse the fittest for thy soules recovery; or else God (the onelyonly wise Physitian) would not appoint it. Now who would not be willing to bleed, when by that meanes an inveterate sicknesse may be prevented? Yea, it is a happy bloud-letting which saves the life, which makes S. Austine say unto God; Let my body be crucified, or burnt, or doe with it what thou wilt, so thou save my soule. And another, let me swim a River of boyling brimstone to live eternally happy, rather than dwell in a Paradise of pleasure to be damned after death.
CHAP. 11. That it makes them humble.
8 EIghthly, that we may have an humble conceipt of our selves, and wholly depend upon God. We received the sentence of death in our selves (saith the Apostle) because we should not trust in our selves, but in God, who raiseth us up from the dead, 2 Cor. 1.9. When Babes are afraid, they cast themselves into the armes and bosome of their mother. I thought in my prosperity (saith David) I shall never be moved, But thou didst hide thy face and I was troubled. Then turned I unto thee, &c. Psal. 30.6, 7, 8. When a stubborne Delinquent being committed was no whit mollified with his durance, but grew more perverse than he was before, one of the Senators said to the rest, Let us forget him a while, and then he will remember himselfe; the Heart is so hot of it selfe, that if it had not the Lungs, as Fannes to blow wind upon it, and kindly moisture to coole it, it would soone perish with the owne heat: and yet when that moisture growes too redundant, it againe drownes the Heart. Who so nourisheth his servant daintily from his childhood, shall after finde him stubborne. We see then there is danger in being without dangers; and what saith S. Paul? Lest I should be exalted out of measure, there was given unto me the Messenger of Satan to buffet me, 2 Cor. 12.7. Our adversaries as well as our sins are Messengers sent from Satan to buffet us; and the best minds troubled, yeeld inconsiderate motions. As water violently stirred sends up bubbles, so the vanities of our hearts, and our most secret and hidden corruptions (as dregs in a glasse) shew themselves when shaken by an injury, though they lay hid before. And so the pride of man is beaten downe as Iob speaks, Iob 33.17. The sharpe water of affliction quickens our spirituall sight. So proud are we by nature, that before we come to the triall, we think that we can repell the strongest assault, and overcome all enemies by our owne power; but when we feele our selves vanquished and foiled by every small temptation, we learne to have a more humble conceit of our owne ability, and to depend wholly on the Lord: and this is set downe, Deut. 8.2- & 13.3. to the end. We esteeme our Inches, Ellues, till by triall of evils we finde the contrary; but then alas, how full of feeblenesse is our body, and our minde of impatience? If but a Beesting our flesh, it swels, and if but a tooth ake, the Head and Heart complaine. How smal trifles make us weary of our selves? What can we doe without thee? Without thee, what can we suffer? If thou be not (O Lord) strong in our weaknesse, we cannot be so much as weake; we cannot so much as be. Selfe-conceit and desire of glory, is the last garment that even good men lay aside: Pride is the inmost coat which we put on first, and which we put off last; but sore affliction will make us give all to Him, of whom whatsoever we have, we hold. And we cannot ascribe too little to our selves, nor too much to Him, to whom we owe more than we can ascribe. If then I be not humbled enough, let me want the peace or plenty I have; and so order my condition and estate, that I may want any thing, save my selfe.
CHAP. 12. How it makes them conformable unto Christ their Head.
9 NInthly, that we may be conformable to Christ our Head; and like our elder Brother who was consecrated through afflictions, reviled, buffeted, spit upon, crucified, and what not? For we must suffer with him, that we may be also glorified with him, Rom. 8.17. When the Iewes offered Iesus Gall and Vinegar, he tasted it, but would not drink; he left the rest for his Church, and they must pledge him. Whosoever (saith our Saviour) beareth not his crosse and commeth after me, cannot be my Disciple, Luk. 14.27. For hereunto are ye called, saith S. Peter, For Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that we should follow his steps, 1 Pet. 2.21. Againe, The Disciple, saith Christ, is not above his Master, but whosoever will be a perfect Disciple shall be as his Master, Luke 6.40. Yea, S. Paul made this the most certaine testimony and seale of his Adoption here, and glory afterward; his words are these, having delivered, that the Spirit of God beareth witnesse with our spirit, that we are the children of God: & having added, If we be children, we are also heires, even the heires of God, and heires annexed with Christ: if so be that we suffer with him, that we may also be glorified with him; making suffering as a principall condition annexed, which is, as if he had said, it is impossible we should be glorified with him, except we first suffer with him, Rom. 8.16, 17. Whereupon having in another place reckoned up all priviledges which might minister unto him occasion of boasting, he concludeth, that what things were gaine unto him, those he accounted losse for Christ, that he might know the fellowship of his sufferings, and be made conformable to his death, Phil. 3.10.
Againe, by suffering we become followers of our brethren who went before us. Brethren (saith S. Paul) ye are become followers of the Churches of God, which in Iudea are in Christ Iesus, because ye have also suffered the same things of your owne Countrey men, even as they have of the Iewes, 1 Thess. 2.14. It was the lot of Christ, and must be of all his followers to doe good and to suffer evill. Wherefore let us be exhorted in the words of S. Peter, to rejoyce in suffering, forasmuch as we with all the Saints, are partakers of Christs sufferings, that when his glory shall appeare, we may be glad and rejoyce, 1 Pet. 4.13.