Consolations for the Afflicted, Book 1 · Chapter 3
CHAP. III.
Of the tentation of afflictions, and how it is vrged by the enemies of our saluation.
BVT howsoeuer afflictions through the blessing§. Sect. 1. That out of our afflictiōs ariseth a dangerous tentation. of God, and his ouerruling wisedome & power, become vntounto the faithfull, not onelyonly harmelesse, but also profitable, and doe serue as meanes to further their saluation; yet are they in their owne nature euill and hurtfull, and so dangerous and pernitious vntounto vsus, that though wee had no other enemies, yet these were strong enough to giuegive vsus a finall ouerthrow, and to hinder the saluation of our soules, if the Lord should withdraw his helping hand, and leaue vsus to our owne strength. For in themselues they are the ground and foundation of a strong tentation; namely that because wee are thus afflicted, it is a certaine signe that wee are condemned of God as wicked and reprobate men, and for our sins iustly cast out of his louelove and fauour; that we are pursued by his wrath, which beginneth to inflict those deserued punishments vponupon vsus in this life, wherewith we shall be ouerwhelmed in the life to come; and therefore that our estate is most miserable and desperate, our burthen for the present beeing intolerable, and wee without hope of ease for the time to come; if at least God hauing forsaken vsus, we doe not helpe our selues with our owne power & policie, and those means sayling which Gods word warranteth as lawfull, we do not finde some other meanes of our owne deuising, whereby we may bee eased and deliuered. The scope of which tentation is to ouerthrow our faith, hope, and affiance in God, as being our chiefe enemy, who doth thus afflict vsus; to plunge vsus into deepe despaire and to driue vsus into al impatiencie, that thereby we may be moued to murmure and repine against the Diuine prouidence, and euen to blaspheme God to his face; to cast off all profession of religion, al feare & seruice of God as being bootlesse & vnprofitable, and finallie to cease relying vponupon his power and promises, and to vse all wicked and vnlawfull meanes for the remouall of these afflictions.
And this tentation beeing in it selfe very dangerous, is§ Sect. 2. How the tentation of afflictions is vrged by Sathan. made much more strong and powerfull to worke our ouerthrow, as it is vrged and inforced by the spiritual enemies of our saluation. For Sathan is ready to tell vsus that these afflictions are the iust punishments of our sinnes, and the signes of Gods wrath, and heauy displeasure; that they are testimonies to assure vsus that wee are cast out of his louelove and fauour; for if God loued and delighted in vsus, he would communicate his blessings vntounto vsus, which are the pledges of his louelove, and not continually torment vsus with these plagues and punishments, afflictions of mind and body, sicknesses and diseases, imprisonment and banishment, losse of goods and friends, and innumerable other miseries, which in his law he hath threatned against the wicked and reprobate. And thus he vrged this tentation against our Sauiour Christ himselfe, vsing his pouerty & want of necessaries, as a reason to proue that he was not the Sonne of God. If (saith he) thou be the Sonne of God, command that these stones be made bread, AsMatth. 4. 3. though he should hauehave said, thy want and penury, do plainly manifest that thou art not the Sonne of God, as thou doest boast thy selfe to be, for if thou were so neere and deere vntounto him, he would not suffer thee to want common necessaries; or else at least thou hast power in thy selfe, to make prouision of fit meanes for the preseruing of thy life; and without dependancie on him art able of thy selfe to make bread of stones, wherwith thou maiest nourish thy body; and preserue thy life.
But especially the world and wicked worldlings enforce§. Sect. 3. How the tentation of afflictions is vrged by the world. this tentation of afflictions. For as they are alwaies ready to persecute Gods seruants, and both in their words and actions to doe them all the hurt they can, by wrong, iniustice, violence, and oppression, because they make conscience of their waies, and wil not run with them into the same excessePsalm. 38. 20. of riot and outragious wickednes; that so they may discourage them in their vertuous courses, and make them to become as bad as themselues, or else may satisfie their spite and spleen against them by vexing & tormenting them: so when by their meanes and malice they lye vnderunder these heauy burthens, in stead of pittying or easing their distressed estate; wt al their skill and power they increase their afflictions, aggrauate their sorrowes, and labour all they can to disarme them of all patience, whereby they might be comforted in their grieuous miseries. So the Lord saith, that when beeing angry with his people for their sinnes, he deliuered them into the hands of the Babilonians: they shewed no mercy vntounto them, but did lay their very heauy yoke vponupon the anciēt: And forEsa. 47. 6. Zach. 1. 15. this he professeth, that he was greatly angry against the careles heathen, because when he was angry but a little with his people, they helped forward their affliciton. By all which, these wicked worldlings doe adde such waight to this heauy burthen, as vnlesse the faithfull were supported with the power of Gods might, it would presently ouerwhelm them. For first worldly wicked men (with whom somtimes Gods seruants themselues conspire in this vnrighteous iudgement) thrust them downe, who are already falling, encreasing and strengthning the afflictions, and decreasing and weakening the patience of the faithfull with their false censures and vniust criminations; whereby they are ready to iudge those who are afflicted, to be aboue all men most miserable, abhorred and forsaken of God; and of all others to be the greatest sinners, eyther in respect of some open crimes, which the world takes notice of, or of some hidden sinnes, and grosse hypocrisie which the Lord hath seene in them, though men hauehave thought well of them; which hath moued him in this extraordinary manner to afflict and punish them: of this we hauehave an example in Iobs friends, who when they could not detect iust Iob of any enormious crime, censured him for an hypocrite because the hand of God was heauy vponupon him: of the other we see the experience in those Iewes who condemned the bLuc. 13. 1. 2.Galilaeans, and them vponupon whom the tower of S …oam fell, to be greater sinners then all other men, because of those extraordinary iudgements which were inflicted vponupon them, and in the cAct. 28. 4.Barbarians, who seeing the viper leap vponupon Pauls hand, concluded presently that hee was a murtherer, whom vengeance would not suffer to liue; yea euen in the disciples themselues, who coniectured that eyther the dIohn. 9. 2. 3.blinde man or his parents, had by some speciall sinne, brought vponupon him this speciall punishment. Againe worldly men adde vntounto the waight of affliction by insulting ouer those who are thus deiected, and treading in their necks, whom the hand of God hath cast downe and humbled. And thus they ePsalm. 38. 16.insulted ouer Dauid, fPsalm. 3. 2.saying vntounto his soule that there was no helpe for him in his God: and elsewhere he complaineth that gPsalm. 31 15. and 42. 3.in his aduersity his enemies reioyced & gathered themselues together, yea the very abiects assembled themselues against him, tearing him & ceasing not; and that his teares were his meat & drinke, whilest they daily said vntounto him, where is thy God? a particular example whereof we hauehave in Shemei, who in Dauids affliction insulted ouer him, h2. Sam. 16. 7.cursing him and saying, come forth thou murtherer and wicked man, the Lord hath brought vponupon thee all the blood of the house of Saul, &c. And thus they railed on our Sauiour Christ himselfe hanging on the crosse, iMarc. 15. 29.wagging their heads and saying, Hey, thou that destroyest the temple, and buildest in three daies, saue thy selfe and come downe from the crosse. And with this insulting & triumphing is often ioyned mocking, and derision, as we may see in the example of afflicted Iob, who though in his prosperity he were reuerenced as a King, yet in his afflictions he was kIob. 30. 1.mocked by those who were yonger then he, yea euen by abiect persons, whose fathers he had refused to set with the dogs of his flocks. So Dauid complayneth, that the wicked made songs of him and lPsalm. 80. 6. & 35. 16.laughed him to scorne when he was in misery, yea it was not his case alone but common to him with all the Church, for being in captiuity…, by way of derision they willed them to mPsalm. 137. 3sing some of the songs of Sion. Thus also Ieremy complaineth, nIer. 20. 7.I am in derision daily, and eueryevery one mocketh me. Yea euen our Sauiour Christ himselfe, as hee had the greatest measure of affliction, so was he aboue all others scorned and derided, for they put on him a crowne of thornes, and a purple robe, they bowed down vntounto and mocked him saying, God saue the King of the Iewes. Finally worldly men adde vntounto theMatth. 27. 29. afflictions of Gods seruants by contemning and despising them in their afflictions; for as they labour by all meanes to make them contemptible and of an abiect condition, so hauing brought them into this estate, they despitefully despise them as the very off-scourings of al things. they make them poore by oppression or deceipt, and then contemne them because of their pouerty; they load them with slanders and foule imputations, and then despise them as men defamed and of euill report; and in a word, they helpe to plunge them into all miseries, & then disgrace and lightly value them, as being miserable and of an abiect fortune. And this Iob obseruethIob. 12. 5. (where he saith that hee who is ready to fall, is, as a spent lampe despised in the opinion of the rich. The which contempt, derision, insulting and spitefull censuring vsed by wicked worldlings towards the faithful in their afflictions is much more intolerable, and giueth a farre more fierce assault to their patience, then all the troubles and miseries which they sustaine; for though they can be content to stoop and humble themselues vnderunder the hand of God, and quietlie beare the burthen which he layeth vponupon them; yet their stomacks rise, and their hearts are ready to boyle with anger, and impatiencie, when men, who should rather pitty them, doe deride and scorne, contemne and insult ouer them in their distresse. But especially the strength of this tentation is increased, when as the afflictions of the faithfull are thus aggrauated, not onelyonly by strangers from whom they expect no better, but also by their friends & acquaintance, by their kindred and allies, who are bound vntounto them not onelyonly in nature and neerenesse of blood, but also by many benefits bestowed, and manie good offices performed vntounto them. For this made Iobs afflictions greeuous and intolerable, when vntounto them were added the vniust criminations and hard censures of his friends, from whom he expected comfort, whereas their mercy and compassion towards him would hauehave made his heauy burthen light, like a load carried vponupon many shoulders. And this made him to complaine that they were miserable comforters, because they had opened Iob. 16. 2.their mouthes vponupon him, and smitten him on the cheeke in reproch, Vers. 10.and had gathered themselues together against him: thatVers. 20. they spoke eloquently against him, vexing his soule & tormenting him with words; yt they had many times reproached him Chap. 19. 2. 3.and were not ashamed, but were impudent towards him. This made him to cry out in that great passion. HaueHave pitty vponupon Vers. 21. 22.me, hauehave pitty vponupon me (O yee my friends) for the hand of God hath touched me. Why doe ye persecute me as God, and are not satisfied with my flesh? And as his afflictions were increased by the vnpleasing society of some of his friends, who in steed of comforting tormented him, so by others of them, whilest they did abandon and forsake him, because of his afflictions; the which his misery in respect of this desertion hee elsewhere bewaileth; He hath (saith he) remooued my brethren …ob. 19. 13. 14.far from me, and allso mine acquaintance were strangers vntounto me; my neighbours hauehave forsaken me, & my familiars hauehave forgotten me, &c. Of this also Dauid complaineth. My louers Psal. 38. 11.and my friends stand aside from my plague, and my kinsmen stand a farre off, and elsewhere hee saith, thou hast put mine acquaintance farre from me, and made mee to bee abhorred of them. My louers and my friends hast thou put away from mee, and mine acquaintance hid themselues. But most intolerable are the afflictions of the faithful, when as their friends, from whom cheefly they expect comfort, doe not onelyonly neglect this duty, but also are the meanes and instruments to bring vponupon them all these miseries and crosses; and of this Dauid complaineth, my familiar friends whom I trusted, which did eat Psal. 41. 9.of my bread, hath lifted vp the heele against me: yea so strong was this tentation in his apprehension, that hee was readie to sinke vnderunder it, as he implieth elsewhere. Surely (saithPsal 55. 11. 12. 13. hee) mine enemie did not diffame mee, for I could hauehave borne it, neyther did my aduersary exalt himselfe against mee, for I would hauehave hid mee from him, but it was thou, O man▪ euen my companion, my guide and my familiar, which delighted in consulting together, and went into the house of God as companions.
And as the world doth exceedingly enforce this tentation§ Sect. 4. How the tentation of afflictions is admitted and vrged by the flesh. of afflictions, partly as the meanes of inflicting them, and partly as it doth aggrauate and increase them beeing inflicted: so the corrupt flesh is as ready to admit and entertaine this tentation; and iudging all things according to sense and present apprehension, as in the time of prosperity it swelleth with pride and presumption, perswading men that none more then they are in Gods louelove and fauour, because they hauehave had the largest draught of temporall benefits allowed vntounto them; so in the time of aduersitie and affliction, it is as basely deiected and plunged into the bottomlesse gulfe of horror and despaire, perswading men that they are forsaken of God, and pursued with his wrath, which now beginneth to take vengeance against them. From whence proceedeth their murmuring and repining against God and his prouidence; their impatiency to beare that crosse from which they hauehave no hope to be eased; and their resolution to vse all vnlawfull meanes to vnburthen themselues, when lawfull meanes fayle and will not helpe. So that this tentation of afflictions beeing so strongly vrged by the Diuell and the world, and so readily intertained by our corrupt flesh, must needs be very potent and powerfull to preuaile against those who are assaulted with it; and that not only meere worldlings, who esteeming the worlds prosperity as their cheefe paradise, doe abhorre affliction as their greatest hell; but euen Gods faithfull seruants, who nourishing this traitor (the flesh) in their bosoms are betraied by it, and so often foyled in this combat of tentations. Of the former we hauehave manifold examples among worldly wicked men, who being pressed with the waight of afflictions, seeke to ease their stomacks, by belching out their blasphemies against God; and feeling present smart, and hauing no hope of beeing eased for the time to come, fall into such impaciencie, that some languish in melancholy & discontent, refusing those comforts which they might enioy, because they are depriued of some which they desire; and becomming in all things miserable through their owne wilfull choice, because in some things they are miserable through necessity. Others tyred with the burthen of afflictions grow weary of their liues, and by laying violent hands vponupon themselues, shorten their daies wilfully, leaping into the endlesse torments of hell, to auoid the temporary miseries of this world. Finally others wanting strength and patience to beare their afflictions, and also this courage and desperate resolution to put an end vntounto them by such a violent course, doe willingly fall into any manner of sinne, and practise all vnlawfull meanes, which seeme to promise vntounto them the least hope of ease and freedome. Of the other wee hauehave an example in the Israelites, who though they were the sole people of God, deliuered by his mighty power from their malitious enemies, and enriched with many blessings (as it were) from the immediate hand of God, yet beeing a little afflicted and pinched with want, doe murmure and repine against the Lord, their creator and redeemer, being moued heereunto, sometime through a bare and false feare of not preuailing aNum. 14. 2.against their enemies, and sometime for want of such bExod. 16. 3.meat as they lusted after, and of cNum. 20. 3.water to quench their thirst. Yea euen Iob himselfe renowned for patience, beeing fore pressed with the waight of afflictions, doth often breake out into great impatiency, vttering such words as were not farre from blasphemy, if they had proceeded from a setled iudgement, and not from a sudden and distempered passion. For he curseth his natiuity, and wisheth that he had neuer bene, or that hee had miscarried in the birth; he complaineth that God was his enemy, and that he did shoot at him his enuenomed arrrowes, that hee oppressed him by strong hand, without hearing his cause, and that his terrours did fight against him. Thus also Dauid by his afflictions was brought somtimes to the brink of despaire, and sometime to bewray his impaciency; for he cryeth out that he was forsaken of God, that hee heard not his prayers, nor regarded his roaring, that Gods mercies were cleane gone, and his promises vtterly failed; that he had reiected his soule and pressed him downe with his terroursPsalm. 22. 1. 77. 7. 88. 14. 77. 2. 12. 13. and indignation; that the state of the wicked was happy, and that he had washed his hands in innocency in vaine, because he was punished and chastened eueryevery morning. And the like or greater impatiency was shewed by the Prophet Ieremy, who also curseth the day of his birth, and the man,Ier. 20. 14. 15. that brought first newes hereof to his father, and wisheth that his mothers belly had bene his graue, or her wombe a perpetuall conception, because he came forth of it to see labour and sorrow, and that his daies should bee consumed with shame.