A Treasury of Similes, Part C · Part 46
Comforts for the afflicted.
1 LIke as a Father hauing a young Infant ſicke of ſome ſore diſeaſe, though the childe can ſpeake neuer a word, is readie to helpe it: and if it can ſpeake, yet being full of paine, cannot call for things as it ought, yet if the mother can but by any ſignes geſſe at the meaning of it, ſhee will accept as much of it, as if it had ſpoken verie plentifully: yea though it ſhould ſay one thing, & meane an other, ſhee would giuegive it according to the meaning of it: Euen ſo the Lord that is filled with the bowels of compaſſion towards vsus in Chriſt, farre aboue any father or mother, though hee delighteth to heare vsus pray vntounto him, yet when as by the extremitie of our miſeries, wee are oppreſſed or diſtracted, ſo that wee cannot in any orderly maner pray vntounto him as we ought, hee alloweth of the ſighes and ſobbes that we offer vp vntounto him, and graunteth not ſo much our words (which are none or fewe) as the meaning of his ſpirit, which is plentifull in vsus. Pſal. 103.8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14. Rom. 8.26. 2. Cor. 1.3, 4, 5. Iſa. 38.14.
2 Like as if one in a burning Feauer ſhould in the midſt of his ſit aske colde water, and his friend the Phiſition ſhould in ſtead of that, giuegive him a wholeſome medicine, ſhould in denying that particular thing demaunded, graunt vntounto his generall meaning, which was, that hee might hauehave that which might do him moſt good, though now beeing diſtempered, hee was not able to iudge of it, but did take one thing for an other: So whatſoeuer wee aske in our diſtreſſe, our meaning muſt needes be, if it be ruled by Gods ſpirit, that wee would hauehave that which might procure our beſt good: therefore if the Lord turne our croſſes to our good, though we prayed for the cleane taking away of them, hee fulfilleth both theſe promiſes at once. Rom. 8.28. 2. Cor. 12.8, 9.
3 Like as if the Phiſition through his skill, can cure a man by taking away his bloud and humours, by cutting and ſearing his fleſh, which of themſelues are hurtfull: if he can by art ſo temper that which is poyſon (as the vipers fleſh) temper it with other wholeſome things, and correct it with thoſe that be cordiall, that of it, he will make a ſoueraigne Treacle, euen that which ſhall expell poyſon, and ſo make that which could cauſe death, to be a preſeruer of life: Euen ſo, ſhal not the Lord by his infinit wiſdome, and almightie power, who bringeth light out of darkeneſſe, and good out of euill, and calleth the things that be not, as though they were; ſhall not he be much more able by the moſt greeuous croſſes that can befall vsus, work the greateſt good for vsus that may be: ſo that when we would hope for good by our afflictions, and ſo be comforted in them, wee are not ſo much to looke to the things themſelues, how they are like to worke vponupon vsus; as the promiſe which the Lord hath made vntounto vsus concerning this matter, and ſo to be ſure that the Lord himſelfe will worke our good hereby, becauſe he hath ſaid it?
4 As it is all one if the fearefull Patient ſhould hauehave not one, but a whole company of Phiſitions ſaying vntounto him, that vndoubtedly this medicine is like to do you good, we know the working of it well, and hauehave hadde great experience of it in many, you need not to feare it, take it vponupon our credit; this would much moue him: So no doubt this ſhould correct the too much feare that is in vsus, of being hurt by the croſſe, that wee heare ſo many excellent and famous men very skilfull therein, to ſpeake ſo boldly vntounto vsus of the benefite of it: Euen thoſe whom weare moſt ready to beleeue in all other things, why then ſhould we not do ſo in this?
5 As the Mother by ſome vnpleaſant thing, weaneth the childe from the breaſt, vponupon which it would otherwiſe alwayes linger to the hurt of it, now when ſtronger meate is more fit for it: Euen ſo the Lord weaneth vsus by affliction from the louelove of this world, and thus turneth it vntounto our good.
6 As the fire doth not hurt the Gold, in conſuming the droſſe, and the file in taking away the ruſt: and the purgation in expelling ill humours: So afflictions cauſing vsus to abhorre and leaue ſome ſinne or other, which if wee continued in, would deſtroy vsus; may truly be ſaid to work our good.
7 As Phiſicke ſerueth not onelyonly to cure vsus of the diſeaſes we are fallen into, but to preſerue vsus from them in ſome tollerable health: Euen ſo the croſſe both recouereth vsus out of ſinne, when we are fallen into it, and preuenteth many, that otherwiſe might creepe vponupon vsus.
8 As ſome ſickly bodies are driuen to diet themſelues, and are in continuall Phiſicke to preuent that which their corrupt eſtate would otherwiſe neceſſarily pull vppon them: So likewiſe ſome are alwayes, or the greateſt part of their liues, in the diet of affliction, not ſo much to bring them from groſſe and grieuous ſinnes, which they are not yet fallen into, as to keepe them from falling, which the Lord knoweth they are readie to doo, in reſpect of their ages, callings, and places that they liue in.
9. As vntamed Heyfers, which are kept from ſtraying out of their paſtures, with hedges and ditches: Euen ſo the Lord puts thornes and bryars in our wayes, as Hoſeah ſaith, 2.6. that is, layeth affliction vponupon vsus, and ſo as it it were, ſtoppeth the way that we might not breake forth by diſobedience to our hurt. Pſal. 119.67.71.
10 As a father ſpareth not the rodde, till his childe be thereby humbled, to the confeſſion and amendment of his fault, becauſe his purpoſe is to doo him good, when as notwithſtanding, he letteth his ſeruant go, when hee ſeeth that he will not profit by words, or a fewe ſtripes, as not caring for him: So the Lord when hee ſpareth the wicked in their ſinnes, and reſerueth them to further iudgement, correcting his owne children, againe and againe, ſheweth that his purpoſe is to doo him good.
11 As a wiſe and carefull Phiſition, who purpoſing not ſo much to giuegive Phiſicke vntounto his ſicke Patient, as to cure him thereby, if the firſt medicine will doo it, there he leaues him; if not, he applieth one medicine after an other, becauſe he hath a diligent care of him: and if at any time he maketh intermiſſion, it is becauſe the Patients weakneſſe, whom he would by that meanes to gather ſome ſtrength, not that hee meaneth to leaue him: Euen ſo the Lord purpoſing according to his word, by affliction to do vsus good, when by the firſt croſſe we profit not as we ought, then either he letteth it lie the longer vponupon vsus, or remouing it, ſendeth an other in ſtead of it, though not preſently, becauſe we could not beare it, yet afterwards, when it ſeemeth beſt vntounto him.
12 Like as when a mans body is ſo diſtempered, and ſome member ſo putrified, then it is beſt for him to hauehave his bloud taken away from him, to be launced and ſeared, yea to hauehave a part cut off: Euen ſo when any affliction or calamitie doth befall vsus, let vsus not be diſcontented therwith, or be impatient, but ſubmitting our iudgements and wills, to the iudgement and will of God, let vsus quietly endure, ſeeing the Lord giueth vsus that, not which we fondly deſire as the beſt, but which he knoweth to be, and is indeed the beſt.
13 As the ſicke Patient cannot as he is man, but feele the launcing and ſearing of his fleſh, and ſo complaine of it with great griefe, yea crie out for the extremitie of paine, though hee knoweth it to be beſt for him then, and therefore dooth after a ſort moſt willingly ſuffer it: Euen ſo ſome are ſo full of complaints in their afflictions, becauſe they are not perſwaded at that time, that the very thing is ſent for theyr moſt ſpeciall good, and therefore ſuch are to meditate vponupon this heretofore ſet downe, concerning this matter.
14 As in worldly matters we will beare many things at the hands of them whom we louelove, as the child at the mother, the husband at the wife; & one friend at an other: Euen ſo, how much more ought we to beare al things at the hands of God, whom we know ſo loueth vsus in Chriſt, and therfore we ought ſo to louelove him again, & no doubt wold beare, if there were that louelove in vsus which ought to be.
15 Like as when the childe hath offended his father, he …hould ſay to his ſeruant in his anger; Take him out of my ſight and puniſh him, it would be more greeuous then if he ſhould take correction of him himſelfe: Euen ſo it may miniſter vntounto vsus ſome comfort, that in afflictions we know that we are vnderunder our Fathers hand, and that he hath not deliuered vsus vntounto any other to be tormented. Rom. 8.29. Pſal. 66.10.
16 As in a familie great is the priuiledge of the eldeſt brother, and none muſt looke to go beyond him, nay euerie one cannot be like vntounto him; and if any might come to as great an inheritance as hee, by dooing thoſe things which he did before them, they might not refuſe the condition, vnleſſe they would prefer themſelues before him: So likewiſe ſeeing it hath pleaſed the Lord to conſecrate the Prince of our peace through affliction: Heb. 2.10. and he came vntounto glorie no other way then this, wee muſt thinke it good for vsus to go the ſame way, that we might be like vntounto him, and ſo by our practiſe, ſhewe that wee acknowledge him to be the Prince of our peace, and our eldeſt brother.
17 Euen as he is the chiefe and principall in the Common-wealth, in the Church, in a priuate familie, and in any place, that all deſire to be like vntounto: So when wee are contented to be like vntounto Chriſt in any thing, euen in the Croſſe, then ſhall we declare that we hold him to be the chief and principall; and as it is ſaid, The firſt begotten among many bretheren.
18 Howſoeuer there is great difference betweene the head and the reſt of the members, yet there is a certaine conformitie betweene the members of the ſame body, and the head, and all of them are inferiour vntounto it: Euen ſo, howſoeuer there is no compariſon betwixt Chriſt and vsus, yet we muſt be like him in this, that we muſt not be aboue him; and therefore not to refuſe any condition tha… he hath vndergone before, vnleſſe we would prepoſteriouſly preferre our ſelues the members, before him our head: which were to darken the glorie of him that is the firſt borne; and to ſtaine the honour of him, that is the Prince of our peace.
19 As it were a diſorder if the ſubiects would refuſe to do that which the Prince had done before; or if the younger bretheren ſhould thinke much to be brought vp that way that the heire hath beene before: Euen ſo when wee ſhall refuſe to beare the croſſe which our Sauiour Chriſt by the appointment of his father, hath borne in greater meaſure then we ſhall, or can; it is nothing elſe but to lift vp our ſelues aboue him, and to ſay that we will not be conformable vntounto him, as to our Prince, or eldeſt brother.
20 As it did not repent Ioſeph, that he firſt enduring the priſon, was afterwards made ruler in Egypt: or Iacob that he came to inherit his fathers bleſſing at the laſt, by a long exile and tedious bondage: or as it did not repent the Iſraelites, that by paſſing through a forlorne Wilderneſſe fortie yeares, they came to the land of promiſe in the end: Euen ſo we muſt not preſcribe the Lord any thing in the matter of our ſaluation, but thinke our ſelues happie that we are ſaued any way: yea if we went to heauen by hell, and when wee are come thither, we ſhall finde the ioyes ſo farre ſurpaſſe all troubles and aduerſities whatſoeuer, that wee ſhall neuer repent vsus of the hardneſſe of the way.
21 Like as if one bleede at his noſe, ſo that hee bee …n ſome daunger of life, the beſt way to remedie the …he ſame, is to chaunge the courſe of the bloud, by letting him bloud in an other place: Euen ſo, ſeeing there is no Comfort in worldly pouertie, but wee thinke our ſelues moſt miſerable, wee muſt turne our eyes to our ſpirituall pouertie, and ſo wee ſhall ere it bee long finde comfort.
22 Like as if one that were blinde ſhould be ſuddenly taken and carried to ſome puniſhment, hee knew not by whom, hee might greatly feare what would be the end or meaſure of it: Or if one ſhould be dealt withall as is the maner of the Spaniſh Inquiſitours, to put the poore ſoule in the greater feare, if hee ſhould hauehave a tormenter ſent vntounto him very vgly diſguiſed, who ſhould carrie him into a darke place, hee knew not whither, that might encreaſe the griefe of his affliction the more, but if when he were in the middeſt of it, he ſhould heare the voyce of his father, and ſo perceiue that it were his father that corrected him, though ſo diſguiſed, it might ſomewhat diminiſh his feare: Euen ſo, howſoeuer it be true, that euerie croſſe is ſo much the more vncomfortable vntounto vsus, becauſe wee looke not vp vntounto him that ſendeth it, and wee are ſo blinde, that wee conſider not who ſtriketh vsus, yet when we heare out of the word, the voyce of our father ſpeaking vntounto vsus, and telling vsus that it is he that dealeth with vsus, how ſtraunge and deformed ſoeuer the tormenter may ſeeme to be, let vsus not bee too much diſcouraged, becauſe that euen when he ſtriketh vsus, the bowels of compaſſion in him, do yearne vponupon vsus, more then in a mother towards her children, and hee ſeeketh thereby to do vsus good.
23 As a Noble man will hauehave all his ſeruants to weare one liuerie, that they might be knowne: So the Lord would hauehave all his children knowne by one badge; euen the badge that he put vponupon his eldeſt ſonne Chriſt, which was the croſſe; therefore none of vsus the yonger brethren, muſt refuſe it.