A Treatise of Self-Denial, Treatise · Chapter 36
CHAP. XXXVI. Bodily health and eaſe from torments.
19. BUt a far greater Intereſt of ſelf to be denied, doth conſiſt in our bodily health and eaſe and from thoſe pains and torments, which perſecutors uſe to inflict upon the godly. An averſeneſs to ſuffering, is natural to man, and in it ſelf no ſin, but an exceſſive averſeneſs, doth ſignifie too much tenderneſs of the fleſh, and too little power of Reaſon, which ſhould quiet the mind, when it cannot abate the pain of the body; and muſt uſe to ſubmit to a leſſer evil, to avoid a greater: or to obtain a greater good than it depriveth us of: Paul and Silas could ſing with their bodies ſore, and their feet in the ſtocks. To be joyful in tribulation ſhould be no ſtrange matter to a Saint: much more with a patient ſubmiſſion to undergo it. We may not thruſt our ſelves into the fire, nor chooſe ſuffering without a call; but we muſt ſuffer rather than ſin, and chooſe the wounds and hurts of the body before the wounds and loſſes of the ſoul. But becauſe fleſh and blood will draw back, and make too great a matter of ſufferings, I ſhall briefly give you ten Conſiderations that may perſwade you herein to deny your ſelves; and in two caſes I deſire you to make uſe of them: Firſt, in caſe you have no way to eſcape ſuffering, but by ſinning: then deny your ſelves and chooſe to ſuffer. Secondly, in caſe of Gods afflictions which unavoidably lie upon you: then deny your ſelves by a quiet and patient ſubmiſſion: And for both conſider.
1. That is the beſt condition for us, in which we may be moſt ſerviceable to God. And if we ſuffer for Righteouſneſs, we may ſerve God as well in ſuch ſuffering as in a proſperous ſtate: Or if God himſelf afflict us, we may ſerve him in our affliction: Our patience then is the ſervice that we are called to. The ſufferings of the Saints have done very much to the promoting of the Goſpel and building of the Church: Men will ſee that there is ſomewhat worth the ſuffering for, in the Chriſtian Religion, and ſee that Heaven is taken by believers for a certain thing, when they can let go earth for it: They will be moved to enquire, what it is that moves you to ſuch conſtancy and patience. And why ſhould we not be willing of that condition, in which we do our Maſter the beſt ſervice, what ever the doing of it ſhall coſt us? The commodity of our end is the chiefeſt commodity.
2. That is the beſt condition for us in which we may have moſt of God. But certainly we may have as much and uſually more of God in ſuffering, eſpecially for his cauſe, than we can have in proſperity; eſpecially when we ſin to eſcape theſe ſufferings. Is it bodily eaſe, or God that you ſet moſt by? It will be ſeen by your choice. If you prefer your eaſe before him, you muſt expect to have no better than you chooſe. If you prefer him before your eaſe and proſperity, you muſt be gladder of God with adverſity and pain, than of proſperity and eaſe without him. A beaſt hath health and eaſe as well as you, and yet you will not think him as happy. If you are tormented or loſe your health for Chriſt, you loſe nothing but what a Turk or Infidel hath, yea but what a beaſt hath, as well as you! But you may have that of God by the advantage of your ſuffering, that none but Saints have. And God's preſence can make a ſuffering ſtate as ſweet as a proſperous. And he hath given you ground in his promiſes to expect it, Iſa. 43. 1, 2, 3. [When thou paſſeſt through the fire, I will be with thee—] 1 Cor. 10. 13. [There hath no temptation taken you, but what is common to man: but God is faithful who will not ſuffer you to be tempted above that your able; but will with the temptation alſo make a way to eſcape, that you may be able to bear it.] 1 Pet. 4. 14. [If ye be reproached for the name of Chriſt, happy are ye: for the ſpirit of glory and of God reſteth upon you: On their part he is evil ſpoken of, but on your part he is glorified] ver. 16. [If any man ſuffer as a Chriſtian, let him not be aſhamed, but let him glorifie God on this behalf.] What is the Scripture fuller of, than comforting promiſes to the ſufferers for Chriſt? To fly from ſuch ſufferings then, is but to fly from the preſence of God, and our own conſolations.
3. At leaſt theſe ſufferings further our ſanctification, and make us better. And is not that our beſt condition that makes us beſt? Common experience as well as Scripture may ſatisfie us that a ſuffering ſtate doth very much further humiliation and mortification, and bring men to a deeper ſenſe of ſin, & help all the truths of God to work, and make them more ſenſible and ſerious than in proſperity. Then we do not only hear but feel, that ſin is evil, and that the world is vain, and that the threatnings of God are true. Why Chriſtian, if thou didſt but know that thou ſhouldſt have more of the ſpirit and its graces, and leſs of ſin, in a ſuffering eſtate, than in eaſe and plenty, wouldſt thou not even chooſe it and be glad of it? Is not ſin worſe than ſuffering to thee, and holineſs better than eaſe and peace? Alas, what ſenſeleſs, careleſs perſons ſhould we be, if it were not for the help of ſuffering! Grace uſeth to work by means: and this is the common means.
4. Conſider, that pain and ſuffering we ſhall have, whether for Chriſt or not: The worſt men undergo almoſt as much by ordinary ſickneſſes and loſſes and croſſes, as the Martyrs do that ſuffer for Chriſt; ſin will bring ſuffering: and it's better have that which is ſanctified by the intereſt of Chriſt, than that which is not.
5. And a Chriſtian that hath ſo much ado to curb and rule the fleſh in proſperity, me thinks ſhould the more patiently bear adverſity, becauſe God ſets in by it, and helps him to ſubdue the fleſh, and tame the body and bring it in ſubjection: And as it is but this burdenſome fleſh that ſuffereth, which hath been the cauſe of ſo much ſuffering to our minds; ſo our warfare againſt this fleſh, which we mannage through the courſe of our lives, goes on more proſperouſly in the time of its ſufferings, than in proſperity. A weakned enemy is eaſilier conquered. Do not therefore too much take part with the ſuffering fleſh, but ſelf-denyingly juſtifie the proceedings of the Lord.
6. And conſider that the pains and ſuffering will be but ſhort. It is but a little while, and you ſhall feel no more than if you had felt nothing. And that which ſhortly will not be, is next to that which is not. As it makes all the pleaſures and glory of the world, to be a dream and next to nothing, becauſe it's but a while, and they are gone, and never return again: So it makes our ſufferings next to nothing that they are paſſing away, and almoſt over. And then all tears will be wiped from your eyes; and pain will be forgotten, or remembred only to encreaſe your joy. When you are paſt the brunt and ſafe with Chriſt, you will never repent of your ſufferings on earth, nor will it trouble you then to think of the ſhame or ſickneſs or pain and torment that here you were put to undergo. Yet a little while and all will be over.
7. In the mean time, conſider alſo, that they are all Deſerved ſufferings. You deſerve them from God, though not from man: Nay they are a thouſand fold leſs than your deſervings: If free grace have pardoned you the main, and reſcued you from the torments of Hell, me thinks the remembrance of this wonderful mercy, ſhould make you patiently bear the Fatherly chaſtiſements that tend to the perfecting your deliverance.
8. And ſo much the rather becauſe They are ſufferings more gainful to you, than the greateſt proſperity is to the world. When you have ſuffered for Chriſt as much as your natures are able to bear, you need not fear being loſers by him: As he is engaged by promiſe to make you amends, and to give you the reward of inheritance of glory, ſo he is eaſily able to accompliſh it: All the Saints of God are in the way to glory: but his ſuffering Saints are in the neareſt way. All his ſervants are unſpeakably gainers by him: but his ſufferers are in the moſt thriving way: They ſhall have an eminency of Reward, or a Reward above the common Reward, Rev. 7. 14. [Theſe are they that come out of great tribulation, and have waſhed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore are they before the Throne of God, and ſerve him day and night in his Temple, and he that ſuteth on the Throne ſhall dwell among them.] The Churches therefore glory in their Martyrs, and for the patience and faith of Chriſtians in all the perſecutions and tribulations which they endure; A manifeſt token of the righteous judgment of God, that they may be counted worthy of the Kingdom of God, for which they ſuffer: ſeeing it is a righteous thing with God to recompence tribulation to them that trouble them; and to them that are troubled, Reſt with the Saints, 2 Theſſ. 1. 4, 5, 6. Mat. 19. 27, 28, 29. Peter ſaid Behold we have for ſaken all and followed thee; what ſhall we have therefore? And Jeſus ſaid unto them, Verily I ſay unto you, that ye which have followed me in the Regeneration, when the Son of man ſhall ſit in the Throne of his glory, ye ſhall alſo ſit on twelve Thrones judging the twelve Tribes of Iſrael: & every one that hath for ſaken houſes, or brethren, or Siſters, or Wife, or Children, or Lands for my names ſake ſhall receive an hundred fold, and ſhall inherit everlaſting life.] And is it not better ſuffer under theſe temrs of unconceivable advantage, than to ſuffer in a natural way for nothing?
9. And conſider, that if ſuffering ſeem ſo great a matter to you that you are reſoved though by the way of ſin to avoid it, you will eſcape it at ſo dear a rate that you will wiſh a thouſand times you had endured i…. There is no ſcaping of Chriſtian ſuffering when you are called to it, but by running into eternal ſuffering. There is no ſcaping the Priſon & torment & fire of Martyrdom, when you are called to it, but by running into the fire of Hell. God can deliver you indeed on eaſier terms, by forbearing to call you to it, or reſcuing by his power: But you cannot reſcue your ſelves by refuſing to ſuffer and yielding to ſin, without paying dearer for your freedom than it is worth. And therefore deny your ſelves and bear what God ſhall call you to, leſt Chriſt deny you and make you ſuffer a thouſand fold more to all eternity.
10. Laſtly, conſider alſo, that this part of ſelf-denial is it that Chriſt hath fully and purpoſely taught us, by his own example. Are you better than the Lord of life? And did they not uſe him worſe than you are uſed? Do they ſlander you? and did they not ſo by him, calling him a gluttonous perſon & a wine-bibber, and a friend of Publicans and ſinners, a Sabbath-breaker, an enemy to Caeſar, a Deceiver, yea one that had a Devil, and caſt out Devils by Belzebub? Do they put a Fools Coat on you, and a Reed in your hand, and make a laughing ſtock of you? Remember what they did by Chriſt. They mixed ſcorn and cruelty together, when they crowned him with a Crown of Thorns, and ſtruck him when they had covered his eyes, and bid him read who ſmote him. And do they worſe than this by you? They ſpit in his face, and ſaved a Murderer, that he might be ſure to die. And do they worſe than this by you? [Run therefore with patience the race that is ſet before you, looking to Jeſus the Author and Finiſher of our faith, who for the joy that was ſet before him, endured the Croſs, deſpiſing the ſhame, and is ſet down at the right hand of the Throne of God: For conſider him that endured ſuch contradiction of ſinners againſt himſelf, leſt ye be wearied and faint in your mind,] Heb. 12. 1, 2, 3. [If when ye do well and ſuffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with God; for even hereunto were ye called; becauſe Chriſt alſo ſuffered for us, leaving us an example that ye ſhould follow his ſteps, who did no ſin, neither was guile found in his mouth: Who when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he ſuffered threatned not, but committed himſelf to him that judgeth righteouſly, 1 Pet. 2. 20, 21, 22, 23.
Upon all theſe conſiderations you may ſee that in the greateſt afflictions or torments of the fleſh, we have reaſon enough for the practice of ſelf-denial! And therefore as Chriſt uſed Peter, Mat. 16. when he perſwaded him to have favoured himſelf, and to have avoided ſuffering when it was neceſſary for us, bidding him [Get behind me Sathan, thou art an offence unto me; for thou ſavoureſt not the things that be of God, but thoſe that be of men] ver. 23. ſo do you deal by carnal ſelf; when it would perſwade you to favour your ſelves and put by ſuffering by yielding to ſin: take this ſelf, to be but a Satan to you, that ſavoureth not heavenly things but earthly, and command it to be ſilent and to get behind you; and do not ſo much as make your fleſh of your Counſel, nor hearken to any of its advice, in caſe of ſuffering for Chriſt.