Conflicts and Comforts of Conscience, Treatise · Chapter 8
CHAP. VIII▪ The Comfort; How a man may ouercome, or at least not be ouercome of the former Conflict.
BVt hence Satan. And now poore Soule, hast thou foolishly lost thy friends? Lament the cause, more then the effect. So shall thy life be now not much more bitter in the losse of thy friends, then it was wont to be sweet in the inioying of them; So as, remembring themselues, they offend not God in the excesse of their strangenesse, or disaffection, by adding to the burthen, which they should helpe to beare. And then shalt thou comfort thy selfe with hope, that you shall one da… meet and conuerse in Hea… in an vnseperable inoffensiue societie. In the meane time their distast shall bee but one of those bi…ter ingredients in that strong potion, which it pleaseth thy heauenly Physitian to purge the corrupt humour withall, or as Rue in thy Diet-drinke, to macerate thy Spirits, and to frustrate the force of strongest Poyson. But are they, for all this, become thine enemies? God forbid. They are onelyonly strange to thee in a two-fold regard: First, Because they would hauehave thee to know, that they louelove thee so intirely, as that they cannot indure the least spot or blemish in thee. Secondly, Because (not being priuie to those grieuous conflicts, so long & still afflicting thy Soule, none taking notice thereof, but God) their estranged countenance might silently admonish thee, thus smiting thee friendly, & reprouing thee. Though no doubt all this must needs add to thy greater humiliation. Which is such a benefit, as though they know it not, yet thou mayest acknowledge it. If outward crosses of the world had been the onelyonly causes of this desertion, this had but deserued to be ranked among them, as ordinarie, and so the more easily borne of him, who makes no more vse of his friends, but to serue their turnes, rather then his own. In which regard the fewer friends hee hath, the lesse trouble, if a man had rather auoid the paines, then inioy the pleasure of well-doing. But now that they stand aloofe for some offence taken in point of moralitie, it can be no other, but a testimonie of their more sincere louelove to vertue. So that in such a case, take heed thou dost not take offence. For else, what comfort for thee?
But now in this destitution, what shall the desolate man doe? How shall he be comforted, weeping for those friends, which now are not? when he may say with Dauid, I looked vponupon my right hand (he meaneth,Psal. 142.4. where his neerest and dearest friends should be) and beheld; but there was no man that would know me; refuge fayled me; no man cared for my Soule. Surely in Dauid's case take Dauid's course. What did Dauid then?verse …. I cryed vntounto thee, O Lord, I said, Thou art my refuge, and my portion in the Land of the Liuing. O well-fare such a friend, who when all other faile, is a sure refuge! And such is God to the faithfull forlorne Soule, when of all the world forsaken. And this benefit thou mayst take of thine estranged friends, hereby to take occasion to take the faster hold, and make thy fuller interest in God, as Dauid did.Note And euer as thy friends faile thee, by death or otherwayes, or the world frowneth on thee, …et it driue thee to indeare Gods friendship the more vntounto thee, who is better to thee, then tenne Sonnes, then tenne thousand Friends, then all the World. And art thou denyed the societie of thy friends? Thou shalt the lesse desire it, the more thou walkest with God in thy solitarinesse, increasing thine acquaintance with him. Thus shalt thou neuer be lesse alone, then when alone.
Psa. 51.12.13.Againe, Being a Minister, first be reconciled to God thy selfe, and then labour by thy faithfulnesse and assiduitie in thy Ministry, to reconcile and win others to God, so begetting new friends vntounto him: So shalt thou be sure neuer to want most faithfull and fast friends; All that louelove God, will louelove thee. And these bee such friends, as not measuring their louelove by worldly and carnall respects, as worldlings doe, no change of fortune can change their friendship. Yea these also beeing indued with that louelove, which is kindled in their hearts by Fire from Heauen, euen the Holy Ghost, it is so tempred with humilitie, in a sense and experience of humaine infirmities, as that it will not by and by cast or cut off a fellow-member, affected with some accidentall humour fallen into it, but will rather apply fit medicines to cure it. Following the Apostles counsell, Brethren, if a man bee ouertaken in a fault, Gal. 6.1.ye which are spirituall, restore such a one in the Spirit of meekenesse, considering thy selfe, least thou also be tempted. Beare ye one anothers burthen, and so fulfill the Law of Christ. In these shalt thou find that Well of liuing Water springing vp vntounto euerlasting life, whose Christall streames of louelove, are neither dried vp with the parching heat of persecution, nor frozen vp with the pinching cold of stormie temptations suffered in their Brethren, but at all times are open to refresh the wearie Soule. To whom that of the Heathen Poet may bee applyed, which he sang of true friends, whom yet he neuer knew:
Hor. Car. l. 1. Ode 13Faelices ter & amplius,
Quos irrupta …enet copula,
Nec malis diuulsus querimon…is,
Suprema citius soluet amor die.
O happy and thrice happy they,
Whom loues knot holds inuiolate:
Not loosened till lifes last day,
By back-complaints begetting hate.
In a word, thy solitariines from old friends shall herein be a solace to thee, that thou takest it from the good hand of God vponupon thee, to which thou doest willingly submit thy selfe. Perhaps formerly thou madest more account of thy friends louelove, then of Gods louelove: Bee the rather content then, and patient, that God hath layd this burthen vponupon thee, nor simply as a punishment, but for thine amendment, yea and inlargement of diuine louelove, learning hereby to louelove and inioy God, aboue the best things of this life. And if friends fly from thee, neuer do thou run after them. OnelyOnly pray for them, and so leaue them and thy selfe to Gods all-disposing prouidence, who giues and takes away as pleaseth him; Blessed be the Name of the Lord.