The Victory of Patience, Chapter 14 – Chapter 15
CHAP. 14. That it increaseth their joy and thankefulnesse.
11 BEcause our manifold sufferings and Gods often delivering us, doth increase our joy and thankfulnesse, yea make after-blessings more sweet; By this we have new Songes put into our mouthes, and new occasions offered to praise the Author of our deliverance. When the Lord brought againe the Captivity of Sion (saith David in the person of Israel) wee were like them that dreame, meaning, the happinesse seemed too good to be true) Then was our mouthes filled with laughter, (saith he) and our tongues with joy, The Lord hath done great things for us wherof we rejoyce, Psal. 126.1, 2, 3, 4. And how could their case bee otherwise, when in that miserable exigent, Exod. 14. they saw the Pillar remove behind them, and the Sea remove before them they looking for nothing but death? Is any one afflicted? I may say unto him as that harbinger answered a Noble man complaining that he was lodged in so homely a roome; you will take pleasure in it when you are out of it; For the more greivous our exigent, the more glorious our advancement, A desire accomplished delighteth the soule, Prov. 13.19. We reade how that lamentable and sad decree of Ahasuerus through the goodnesse of God was an occasion exceedingly to increase the Iewes joy and thankfulnesse, insomuch that (as the Text sayth) the dayes that were appointed for their death and ruine were turned into dayes of feasting and joy, and wherein they sent presents every man to his neighbour, and guifts to the poore, Ester. 9.17.22, to 28. And this joy and thankefulnesse was so lasting, that the Iewes cease not to celebrate the same to this day. Gods dealing with us is often harsh in the beginning, hard in the proceeding, but the cōclusion is alwayes comfortable. The joy of Peter, and the rest of the Church was greater after he was delivered out of Prison by the Angell, Act. 12. And the joy of Iudith and the rest of Bethulia when she returned with Holofernes head, then if they never had been in distresse, Iudith 13. The Lord depreives us of good things for a time, because they never appeare in their full beauty, till they turne their backs and be going away. Againe he defers his ayde on purpose to increase our desires before it comes, and our joy when it is come, to inflame our desires, for things easily come by, are little set by; to increase our joy for that which hath been long detayned, is at last more sweetly obtained; but suddenly gotten, suddenly forgotten. Abrahams Child at seventy yeares was more welcome then if he had beene given at thirty. And the same Isaac had not been so precious to him if he had not been as miraculously restored as given, his recovery from death made him more acceptable: The benefit that comes soone and with ease is easily contemned, long and eager pursuite endeeres any favour: The Wise men rejoyced exceedingly to find the Starre; The Woman to find her peece of silver; the Virgin Mary to find her and our IESUS: CHRIST alwaies returnes with incrase of joy; yea the LORD keepes us fasting on purpose, that our tryall may be perfect, our deliverance wellcome, our recompence glorious. Yea the delivering of some, increaseth the joy of others, and causeth them to praise God for, and rejoyce in their behalfe that are delivered, Acts 12.14. We never know the worth of a benefit so well as by the want of it, want teacheth us the worth of things most truly. O how sweet a thing is peace to them that have been long troubled with wars and tedious contentions? How sweet is liberty to one that hath beene long immured within a case of walls? How deere a Iewell is health to him that tumbles in distempered bloud? Let a man but fast a meale or two, oh how sweet is browne bread, though it would not down before? Yea when Darius in a flight had drunk puddle water, polluted with dead Carkasses, he confest never to have drunke any thing more pleasant; the reason was, he alwaies before used to drinke ere hee was athirst. We are never so glad of our freinds company, as when he returnes after long absence, or a tedious voyage. The nights darkenesse maketh the light of the Sunne more desirable; a Calme is best welcome after a Tempest: Good things then appeare of most worth, when they are knowne in their wants; When we have lost those invaluable comforts which we cannot well be without, the minde hath time to recount their severall worths; and the worthes of blessings appeare not untill they are vanisht; When we would have some Fiers flame the more, we sprinkle water upon them; Even so when the LORD would increase our joy and thankefulnesse, Hee allayeth it with the teares of affliction, misery sweetneth joy, yea the sorrowes of this life shall (like a darke vaile) give a lustre to the glory of the next, when the LORD shall turne this water of our earthly afflictions into that wine of gladnesse, wherewith our soules shall bee satiate for ever. We deceive our selves to thinke on earth continued joyes would please; Plenty of the choycest dainties is no daynty. Nothing would be more tedious then to be glutted with perpetuall Iollities; Were the body tied to one dish alwaies, though of the most exquisite delicate that it could make choice of; yet after a small time it would complaine of loathing and saciety, and so would the soule if it did ever epicu…e it selfe in joyes, I know not which is the more useful; Ioy I may choose for pleasure; but Adversities are the best for profit; I should without them want much of the joy I have. Well then, art thou vexed, persecuted, and afflicted by some cruell and malicious Saul? and is it grievous to thee for the present? Why, that which hath been hard to suffer is sweet to remember, at last our Songes shall bee lowder then our Cryes.
CHAP. 15. How it increaseth their spirituall wisedome.
12 OVr suffereings make us teachable and increase in us spirituall wisedome. He delivereth the poore in his affliction, and openeth their eare in trouble, Iob 36.15. And againe, He openeth the eares of men even by their corrections, Iob 33.16. We are best instructed when we are most afflicted; Pauls blindnesse tooke away his blindnesse, and made him see more into the way of life; then could all his learning at the feet of Gamaliel. And what saith Naaman upon the clensing of his Leprosie? Now I know there is no God in all the earth but in Israel. O happy Syrian that was at once cured of his Leprosie and his misprision of God. The Prodigall sonne regarded not his Fathers admonition so long as he injoyed prosperity; That which makes the body smart, makes the soule wise. Algerius the Martyr could say out of experience, He found more light in the dungeon, then without in all the world: Yea, what will not affliction teach us, when even the savagest Beasts are made quiet and docible with abating their food, and rest, or by adding of stripes? Even as the Clay with water, and the Iron with fire, are made pliable and apt to receive impression from the workman; Even so when wee are soaked in the flouds of sorrow, and softned in the fire of affliction, we are aptest to receive the impression of Gods Law into our hearts, when hee speakes unto us by his Ministers; If the Lord breakes us in peeces with the Plow of his Iustice, then let the Seedsmen (his Ministers) sowe the seed of his Word, we shall receive it through the furrowes of our eares into the ground of our hearts, and grow up in wisdome and saving knowledge; yea the soule waxeth, as the body wayneth, and is wisest to prescribe when the bones and sinnewes are weakest to execute: neither do we hereby become wise for our owne soules good only, but affliction makes us wise and able to doe others good also that are in any the like affliction. Blessed be God (saith Saint Paul) which comforteth us in all our afflictions, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any affliction, by the comfort wherewith we our selves are comforted of God 2 Cor. 1.4. Yea the whole Church, and every particular member thereof have their wisdome and knowledge improved even by their greatest enemies. If Arius & Sabellius had not vexed the Church, the deepe mysteries of the Trinity had not beene so accurately cleered by the Catholike Doctors. Subtill arguments well answered, breed a cleere conclusion; heresie makes men sharpen their wits the better to confute it; as Worme-wood though it be bitter to the taste, yet it is good to cleere the eyes: yea further, the very stormes of persecution make us look to our tackling, patience; and to our Anchor, Hope; and to our Helme, Faith; and to our Card, the Word of God; and to our Captaine, Christ: whereas security, like a calme, makes us forget both our danger and deliverer. Experience is the best informer, which makes Martin Luther say, When all is done, tribulation is the plainest and most sincere divinity. And another most emphatically, That Prayer, Reading, Meditation, and temptations, make a Divine. So that to bee altogether exempt from misery, is a most miserable thing.