The Victory of Patience, Chapter 4
CHAP. 4. That God suffers his children to be afflicted and persecuted, by ungodly men, that so they may be brought to repentance.
NOw the Reasons which have chiefly respect to the good of his children in their sufferings, being thirteene in number, are distinguished as followeth:
God suffers his children to be afflicted by them
1 Because it Brings them to repentance.
2 Because it Workes in them amendment of life.
3 Because it Stirs them up to prayer
4 Because it Weanes them from the love of the world.
5 Because it Keeps them alwayes p…epared to the spirituall combate.
6 Because it Discovers whether we be true beleevers, or hypocrites.
7 Because it Prevents greater evils of sin and punishment to come.
8 Because it makes them Humble.
9 Because it makes them Conformable to Christ their head.
10 Because it Increaseth their Faith.
11 Because it Increaseth their Ioy and thankfulnesse.
12 Because it Increaseth their Spirituall wisdome.
13 Because it Increaseth their Patience.
First, the Lord suffers his children to be vexed and persecuted by the wicked, because it is a notable meanes to rouze them out of carelesse security, and bring them to repentance, he openeth the eares of men (saith Elihu) even by their corrections, that he might cause man to turne away from his enterprize, and that he might keepe back his soule from the pit, Iob 33.16, 17, 18. The feeling of smart will teach us to decline the cause; those bitter sufferings of Iob toward his later end, made him to possesse the iniquities of his youth, Iob 13.26. Whereby (with Solomons Evis-dropper, Eccles. 7.21, 22.) he came to repent of that whereof he did not once suspect himselfe guilty; it made him not thinke so much of what he felt, as what he deserved to feele: Sathans malice not seldome proves the occasion of true repentance, and so the devill is overshot in his owne Bow, wounded with his owne weapon. I doubt whether that Syrophenician had ever inquired after Christ, if her daughter had not beene vexed with an uncleane spirit; yea, whether the devill had beene so effectually cast out, if he had with lesse violence entred into her, Mark 7. Our afflictions are as Benhadads best Counsellors, that sent him with a corde about his neck to the mercifull King of Israel. The Church of God under the Crosse is brought to a serious consideration of her estate, and saith, Let us search and try our wayes and turne to the Lord, Lam. 3.40. Manasses also the King of Iudah, that horrible sinner, never repented of his idolatry, murder, witchcraft, &c. till he was carried away captive to Babel, and there put in chaines by the King of Ashur. But then (saith the Text) hee humbled himselfe greatly before the God of his fathers, 2 Chro. 33.11, 12. Yea, the prison was a meanes of his spirituall inlargement. The body that is surfetted with repletion of pleasant meates must be purged with bitter pils; and when all outward comforts faile us, we are willing to befriend our selves with the comfort of a good conscience, the best of blessings. Affliction is the Hammer which breakes our rockie hearts; adversity hath whipt many a soule to heaven, which otherwise prosperity had coached to hell: was not the Prodigall riding post thither, till he was soundly lasht home againe to his Fathers house, by those hard-hear…ed and pittilesse Nabals which refused to fill his belly with the husks of the Swine? And indeed seldome is any man throughly awaked from the sleepe or sin, but by a…fliction; but God by it, as it were by a strong purge, empties and evacuates those surerfluities of malice, envie, pride, security, &c. whererewith we were before surcharged.
The Serpents enmity may be compared to the Circumcision-knife which was made of stone, unto Rubarbe which is full of choller, yet doth mightily purge choller; or to the sting of a Scorpion, which though it be arrant poyson, yet proveth an excellent remedy against poifon. For this, or any other affliction when we are in our worldly pompe and jollity, pulleth us by the eare and maketh us know our selves: I may call it the Summe of Divinity, as Pliny cals it the Summe of Philosophy; for what distressed or sick mau was ever lascivious, covetous, or ambitious? He envies no man, admires no man, flatters no man, dissembles with no man, despiseth no man, &c. That which Governours or Friends can by no meanes effect, touching our amendment, a little sicknesse or trouble from enemies will, as S. Chrisostome observes.) Yea▪ how many will confesse, that one affliction hath done more good upon them, than many Sermons; that they have learned more good in one daies or weekes misery, than many yeeres prosperity could teach them; untouched fortunes and touched consciences seldome dwell together; and it is usuall for them that know no sorrowes, to know no God: repentance seldome meets a man in jollity, but in affliction the heart is made pliable and ready for all good impressions; and so the very end which God aimes at in setting those Adders upon thee, is, that thou shouldst prie narrowly into thine owne forepast actions; which if thou dost, an hundred to one thou wilt finde sin, it may be this very sin the cause of thy present affliction: and untill thou dost sift and try thine owne heart for this Achan, and finde out which is thy Isaac, thy beloved sin, looke for no release, but rather that thy sorrowes should be multiplied, as God threatned Eve. The skilfull Chyrurgion when he is launcing a wound, or cutting off a limbe, will not heare the Patient though he cry never so, untill the cure be ended; but let there be once a healing of thy errours, and the Plaister will fall off of it selfe; for the Plaister will not stick on when the soare is healed. If the Fathers word can correct the childe, he will fling away the rod, otherwise he must look to have his eyes ever winterly. Thus as the two Angels that came to Lot lodged with him for a night, and when they had dispatched their errand, went away in the morning: So afflictions which are the Angels or the Messengers of God, are sent by him to do an errand to us; to tell us, we forget God, we forget our selves, we are too proud, too selfe-conceited, and such like: and when they have said as they were bid, then presently they are gone. Why then complainest thou, I am afflicted on every side? Why groanest thou under thy burden, and criest out of unremedied paine? Alas, thou repentest not; trouble came on this message to teach thee repentance, give the messenger his errand, and hee'l be gone: He that mournes for the cause of his punishment, shall mourne but a while; he that mournes onelyonly for the punishment, and not for the cause, shall mourne for ever: the soule cannot live while the sinne lives; one of the two must dye, the corruption, or the Person; but Repentance is a Supersed…as, which dischargeth both sinne and sorrow, moving God to be mercifull, the Angels to be joyfull, Man to be acceptable, and only the Devill to be melancholy.