The Victory of Patience, Chapter 39
CHAP. 39. That the more wee suffer here (so it be for righteousnesse sake) the greater our reward shall be hereafter.
FIfthly, We shall beare the Crosse with more patience and comfort; if with Moses we shall have respect unto the recompense of reward, which is promised to all that, notwithstanding what they shall suffer, persevere in well doing. Great are our tryalls, but salvation will one day make amends, when we shall have all teares wiped from our eyes, when God shall turne all the water of our teares into the wine of endlesse comfort; Yea, when our reward shall be so much the more Ioyous, by how much more the course of our life hath beene grievous.
First, see what promises are made to suffering, Blessed are they which mourne, saith our Saviour, for they shall be comforted, Mat. 5.4. Blessed are they which suffer persecution for righteousnesse, for theirs is the Kingdome of Heaven, Verse 10. Blessed shall yee bee when men revile you, and persecute you, and say all manner of evill against you for my sake falsely. Rejoyce and be glad, for great is your reward in Heaven, Vers. 11.12. Behold, saith God, it shall come to passe, that the Devill shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation tenne dayes; yet feare none of those things which thou shalt suffer. For be but thou faithfull unto death, and I will give thee the crowne of life, Revel. 2.10. A Crowne without cares, without rivals, without envie, without end; And againe, Blessed is the man that endureth temptation; for when he is tried he shall receive the crowne of life, Iames 1.12. And lastly, Whosoever shall forsake Houses, or Brethren, or Sisters, or Father, or Mother, or Wife, or Children, or Lands, for my names sake, hee shall receive an hundred fold more, and shall inherit everlasting life, Mat. 19.29. This is a treasure worthy our hearts, a purchase worth our lives. Now who is there that shall heare these promises, and compare the seed-time with the Harvest, looke up from the root to the fruit, consider the recompence of the reward, and will not choose rather to suffer adversity with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season? Hebrewes 11.25. Who will not be willing to suffer with Christ, that hee may also raigne with him? 2 Tim. 2.12. Who will not suffer these light afflictions which are but for a moment, when they cause unto us a far more excellent and eternall w…ight of glory? 2 Cor. 4.16, 17. Was Lazarus for a time extreame miserable? he is now in Abrahams bosome. Yea, blessed Lazarus, thy soares and sorrowes soone ceased, but thy joyes are everlasting. Now me thinks if thou but considerest that thy paines will shortly passe, but thy joy shall never passe away; it should prove a notable soveraigne Cordiall to strengthen thee; not only against reproches which attend thy profession, but even against fire and fagot. Who would not be a Philpot for a monethmonth, or a Lazarus for a day, or a Stephen for an houre, that he might be in Abrahams bosome for ever: nothing can be too much to endure for those pleasures, which endure for ever.
Its true, If in this life only we had hope in Christ, we were of all men the most miserable, as the Apostle speakes, 1 Cor. 15.19. But thou must consider, that as this life is our hell, and the wickeds heaven, Iohn 16.20. So the next life shall be their hell, and our Heaven, Vers. 21.33. As Dives was in Abrahams bosome, when Lazarus was in torments; so Lazarus was in Abrahams bosome, when Dives was in torments, Luke 16.23, 25. And herein we fare no worse than Christ; did not his spirit passe from the crosse into Paradise? Did not he first descend into hell, and then had his ascention? suppose thy sufferings be great, what then? Assure thy selfe, that every pang is a prevention of the paines of hell, and every respite an earnest of Heavens rest; and how many stripes dost thou esteeme Heaven worth? Its true, flesh and bloud is so sensuall, that it feeles a little paine in the finger, a great deale more than the health of the whole body. But let us better consider on it, and behold at once the whole estate of a Christian, we shall see his peace exceed his paine; yea, we shall see both the torments present, and the glory following: hope makes absent joyes present, wants, plenitudes, and beguiles calamity, as good company does the way. The poore Traveller in thinking of his Inne, goes on more cheerefully, and the bond-man in calling to minde the yeere of Iubilee. When the Apprentice cals to minde that his yeares of covenant will now shortly expire, and then he shall have his freedome confirmed, the very remembrance thereof maketh many laboursome workes seeme more light, and l…sse grievous unto him, neither doth he afterwards repent it. Did it ever repent Iacob, when he came to inherit his Fathers blessing, that he had endu…ed a long exile, and tedious bondage? Or Ioseph, when he was once made Ruler in Aegypt, that he had formerly beene sould thither, and there imprisoned, and he had never beene a Courtier if he had not first beene a prisoner? Or did it repent the Israelites when they came to inherit the Land of promise, that they had formerly beene forty yeeres passing through a forlorne wildernesse? Or which of Gods servants did ever repent that they had passed the apprentiship of their service here, and were now gone to be made free in glory? If so, let us doe and suffer chearfully, patiently, couragiously, what God imposeth upon us: knowing that after we have swet and smarted but six dayes at the utmost, then commeth our Sabbath of eternall rest, which will make amends for all; knowing that death ends our misery, and begins our glory, and a …w groanes are well bestowed for a Preface to an immortall joy. Let the… our eyes be continually on the joyes which follow, and not on the paine which is present; the paine neglected and unregarded cannot be very discomfortable. But that there i… reward promised to those which suffer in Christs cause, i… not all; for our reward shall be answerable to our sufferings, the greater our sufferings are here, the greater shall our reward be hereafter; the malice of our enemies shall make for the increase of our happinesse, M…t. 16.27. The deluge of calamities may ass…u…e us, but they shall exalt us. Suffering for the Gospell is no inferiour good worke, and every one shall be rewarded, though no… for, yet according to his workes, Psal. 62.12. Rom. 2.6. Revel. 22.1…. The greater degree of grace we attaine to here, the greater degree of glory we shall have hereafter. They that turne many unto righteousnesse, s…l shine as the stars in the Kingdome of Heaven, Dan. 12. 3. And they that suffer Martyrdome shall be cloathed with long white roabs, and have Palmes in their hands, Rev. 6.9, 11. Neither would those Saints in the old Testament, which were …a…ked and …, be delivered, or accept of their enemies faire offers, to the end they might receiue a better resurrection, and a more glorious reward… H…b. 11.15. A…, when we looke to the reward, we could not wish our worke easier, or our burthen lighter: When we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, because we should not be condemned with the world, 1 Cor. 11.32. If we be not chastened here, we shall be condemned hereafter. Now whether had you rather rejoyce for one fit, or alwayes? You would do both, which may not be; you would be both Dives and Lazarus, have happinesse both here and hereafter▪ pardon me, it is a fond covetousnes, & idle singularity to affect it: What that you alone may fare better than all Gods Saints? That God should straw Carpets for your feet only, to walke unto your Heaven; and make that way smooth for you, which all Patriarchs, Prophets, Evangelists, Confessors, and Christ himselfe have found rugged and bloudy? Away with this selfe-love, and come downe you ambitious sonnes of Z…bedee, and ere you thinke of sitting neere the Throne, be contented to be called unto the Cup. Now is your triall. Let your Saviour see how much of his bitter potion you can pledge, then shall you see how much of his glory he can afford you. In all Feasts the coursest meats are tasted first: be content to drinke of his Vinegar and Gall, and after you shall drink new Wine with him in his Kingdome. Besides, without some kinde of suffering, how shall your sincerity be approved▪ Even nature is jo…und and cheerefull whiles it prospereth; but let God with-draw his hand, no sight, no trust; the Mother of Micha, while her wealth lasteth, can dedicate a good part of her silver to the Lord, but now she hath lost it she fals a cursing, Iudges 17.1, 2, 3. We all are never weary of receiving, soone weary of attending; we are ready to shrinke from Christ, so soone as our profits or pleasures shrink from us; but if with the Needle of the Compasse, in the midst of tempestuous weather, we remaine alwayes unmoveable, and stayed upon one point, it is a signe the Loadstone of the Gospell hath changed our hearts, and we are governed by Christ, as the Needle is by the North Pole. Wherefore if God should not frame outward things to thy minde, doe thou frame thy minde to indure with patience and comfort what he sends; and this will be an Odour smelling sweet a S… fice acceptable and pleasant to God: yea, herein thou shalt approve thy selfe with David, a man after Gods owne heart; and you know that as David was unto God according to his heart, so was God unto David according to his.