An Expository Comment on 2 Corinthians 1, Exposition · Sermon 54
SERM, LIV.
Motives exciting us to a patient Submiſsion unto God under all the Afflictions he layes upon us.
2 COR. 1. 6.
Which is effectual in enduring of the ſame ſufferings, which we alſo ſuffer.
WE are yet treating on the manner, How the Salvation of believers is promoted by their ſufferings, which is ſaid to be foreign, In enduring or in patience; in a patient enduring. It is not my purpoſe (I told you) to enlarge my ſelf according as this Subject of patience might require. Some things have been ſpoken to declare the nature of it; I ſhall adde at this time ſome motives and encouragements to be patient under the moſt extream ſufferings we are put upon. And
Firſt, This conſideration may greatly calm and compoſe our ſpirits, If we Motives to patience. 1. We ſhould conſider and be affected with what we have deſervedſenſibly affect our ſelves with what we have deſerved. All-impatiency and turbulency of heart ariſeth, becauſe we are not throughly humbled under our own guilt and unworthineſſe; for if this were taken notice of, we would wonder, why dogs ſhould have childrens bread, why we ſhould have the leaſt drop of mercy, who deſerve the deluge of Gods wrath. Doeſt thou at any time find repinings and frettings of heart within thee? Do thou preſently poſſeſſe thy ſoul with thy wretchedneſſe and unworthineſſe: Say, Who am I Lord, that it is no worſe? This is not hell, nor everlaſting damnation that I am in, and yet I have a thouſand times over deſerved that. It was this that quieted David's heart under that ſour affliction he conflicted with, when Abſolom had made ſuch a ſtrong conſpiracy againſt him, 2 Sam. 16. 11. when Shimei curſed him with ſuch a grievous curſe, that Abiſhai had no patience to bear it, Why ſhould this dead dog curſe my Lord the King (ſaith he) let me go and take off his head? Who but a David would have been avenged? But what tameth Davids heart? Let him alone, let him curſe, for the Lord hath bidden him. David knew that it was for his ſins that Abſolom rebelled, Shimei curſed; and therefore he dare not grudge nor mutter. So 2 Sam. 15. 26. while David is compaſſed about with the ſame difficulties; ſee how ſoft his heart is, ready to receive any impreſſion; But if he ſay, I have no delight in him, behold here I am, let him do to me, as ſeemeth good to him. Thus David's heart is like the veſſel caſt into the fire, it may be put into any form, or faſhion; and what is the reaſon of it? A true humbled ſpirit under all its unworthineſſe. Thus the Church Lament. 3. 22. though ſhe be in ſuch deſolations, that ſhe cals to all the paſſengers who come by, to ſee if there were ever any affliction like hers, yet (ſaith ſhe) It is of the Lords mercies that we are not conſumed: As wretched as we are, we might be worſe. It is the Lords mercy that we do but taſte of his cup of wrath, that we do not drink up the dregs. Here is a good patern to write after. Let thy troubles and exerciſes be like Nebuchadnezzars furnace, heated ſeven times hotter then ordinary, yet thou wilt have cauſe to ſay, if thou regard thy own guilt, It is of the Lords mercy, that it is no worſe. And verſ. 39. Wherefore doth a living man complain, a man for the puniſhment of his ſins? Art thou a living man not a damned man, and doeſt thou complain? Think, what if thy condition were like thoſe that are chained up in everlaſting darkneſs, gnaſhing their teeth, and roaring out for the endleſſe torments that are upon them? Wouldſt thou not then judge this condition thou art in, though afflicted and troubleſome, to be a mercy? Certainly if the damned in hell are bound to acknowledge the juſtice of God, and to give him the glory thereof, though it be in their confuſion; How much rather art thou bound to give God the glory of all his Attributes in theſe diſpenſations to thee, though bitter to fleſh and blood? Take heed then of being like Jonah, of ſaying, Thou doeſt well to be angry. It is an eaſe to pour forth thy complaints. For what, doth God do thee any wrong? Doth not the worm that eateth up all thy comfort breed in thy own breaſt? Is not thy deſtruction from thy own ſelf? Certainly if any thing, this may ſtop thy mouth, and quietly compoſe thy ſoul. But
Secondly, Not only the apprehenſion of thy guilt may thus rebuke all ſtorms 2. Conſider Gods great goodneſs in changing the nature of thy afflictions.within thee, But the conſideration of Gods goodneſſe and mercy is admirable, that doth thus alter and change the nature of theſe afflictions that are upon thee. For whereas thou mightſt have been ſuffering for thy ſinnes, thou now ſuffereſt for God and a good cauſe. Whereas they might have been a curſe, now they are made a bleſſing, whereas they might have adminiſtred all ſorrow and bitterneſs; now thou art to account it all joy, when thou falleſt into divers temptations; give not over ſucking of this honey-comb, till thou haſt got all the ſweetneſſe out of it; God maketh this crown of thorns, a crown of gold; That which might have been a ſtone is turned into bread; The fruit of thy ſinne is made a priviledge and an honour: Hence the godly have alwayes looked upon their ſufferings, as a bleſſed thing, as eminent expreſſions of Gods love to them: Hence in all their troubles they have been more prepared and purified to bleſſe God: As Bels caſt into the fire, do afterwards make a ſweeter and clearer ſound; ſo that this is encouragement enough, to conſider how God changeth the nature of theſe troubles, the fruit of ſinne is made the fruit of Gods love to thee, and alſo of righteouſneſſe to thy ſelf.
Thirdly, Be not dejected under ſufferings for God, but rejoyce with patience, 3. Conſider that God will be with thee.Becauſe God will be with thee, thou ſhalt have the preſence and aſſiſtance of Chriſt, and then Chriſt being in the ſhip with thee, thou canſt not ſuffer ſhipwrack. Paul ſpeaking of that admirable and ſtrong conſtitution of grace, whereby he was able to endure heats and cold, he could abound, and he could want, be changed from one extream condition to another, and yet be the ſame in heart and affection, he addeth, He can do all things through Chriſt that ſtrengthneth him, Phil. 4. 13. Thou haſt the ſame power with Chriſt in ſome ſenſe; what he can do thou canſt do: as a little child inabled by a Gyant, can do what the Gyant can do. I can do all things; Paul hath a kind of Omnipotency. If then the troubles thou art to combate with were too ſtrong for thee, ſuch as would overwhelm thee, then thou mightſt be impatient and diſcontented, but be quiet and wait for the power of God. See alſo how notably Paul ſpeaketh to this, 2 Cor. 12. 10. I take pleaſure in my infirmities, in reproaches, in neceſſities, For when I am weak, then am I ſtrong. And verſ. 9. Gods ſtrength is ſaid to be perfected in Pauls weakneſſe: moſt gladly therefore will I glory in my infirmities, that the power of Chriſt may reſt on me. What wonders and paradoxes doth Paul ſpeak? His words are miracles, he will moſt gladly glory and rejoyce in all his reproaches; and why? Becauſe hereby Gods power will be the more manifeſted. Thus you ſee great ground for patience, becauſe Cods power will come in, and that very ſeaſonably you will have grace to help in time of need, Heb. 4. 16. The Pythagoreans called God, Ipſam opportunitatem, Oppornunity it ſelf, becauſe he did alwayes come in ſeaſonably to help: How much more may Chriſtians put forth their patience and faith in this particular? Thou art ſure to have his gracious power and aſſiſtance, and thou art ſure alſo to have it in the beſt ſeaſon, and moſt opportunely. Let not then impatience ſo trouble the waters of affliction, and bemud them, that thou canſt not ſee the face of God ſhining upon thee, and his arm ſtretched out to help and deliver thee.
Fourthly, As you have need of patience under theſe exerciſes, So let it 4. Conſider what good will redound to thee by thy afflictions.have its perfect work, becauſe of the unspeakable good that will redound to thee hereby. If this be duly weighed, thou wilt bleſſe God for thy ſufferings more than for all thy mercies and outward ſafety; thou wilt ſee, that to loſe father, and mother, and life it ſelf, is to winne them. God doth by theſe ſufferings bring in Novum & inauditum modum ſalutis, interire ne poreas, a new and unheard of way of ſafety, by making thee to die, that thou mayeſt not periſh. We might heap up many places of Scripture that demonſtrate the benefit of ſuch ſufferings. So that the opinion of the Gnoſticks, which Tertullian confuteth, was directly oppoſite to Scripture. It ſeemeth the Gnoſtick was an hater of Martyrdome, and accuſed Chriſt of ſeverity and cruelty for requiring ſuch things at the hand of his followers; he thought Chriſt was injurious to his people, if he expected ſuch hard things from them; but this made them charge Chriſt thus fooliſhly, becauſe they did not conſider that thoſe ſufferings were advantages, that it was no more a loſſe to the godly, then it is to the grains of corn, when thrown into the earth, and die (as it were) there; unleſſe you do ſo to the corn, it cannot bring forth fruit. Thus the godly, except they are thus afflicted, except they have theſe tryals, they are great loſers, and that in a two-fold reſpect. For
1. Their ſpiritual good is promoted by the patient enduring of afflictions. 1. What ſpiritual good.Our Saviour cals it, John 15. The purging of the Vine; that as the cutting of the luxuriant branches do not hinder, but increaſe the fruit thereof: Thus alſo do theſe tribulations, they are like razors to cut off all ſuperfluities; and therefore compared ſo often to the fire, which doth conſume the droſſe, and make gold more purified. Art thou then impatient, becauſe God taketh away thy corruptions from thee, becauſe he applieth ſuch remedies that will kill thy luſts, and make thee more believing, and more heavenly minded? Do you not ſee the diſeaſed perſon under the Phyſicians care, though for the preſent under auſteer remedies? The perſon complains, and cries out, yet afterwards, when by this means he cometh to perfect health, then he thanketh the Phyſician, and rewards him. Now all thy afflictions and tribulations for Gods cauſe are medicinal: It is God the wiſe Phyſician, that commandeth thee to be thus let blood: Fear not therefore, neither faint under it; this is the way God taketh to ſanctifie and cleanſe thy ſoul; this winnowing will deliver thee from thy chaff; theſe bitter pils will kill thoſe worms of pride, vain-glory, and other luſts within thee.
2. It's not onelyonly thy ſpiritual good here, But thy eternal good hereafter that is promoted by theſe ſufferings. It's the ſalvation of thy ſoul that is intereſſed 2. Eternal.in theſe troubles; ſo that thou art to be afraid (as it were) leſt if thou art without theſe here, thou ſhalt be without ſalvation hereafter. Chriſt hath promiſed ſo much to him that ſhall loſe any thing for his ſake, that it muſt be high Atheiſm not to believe it. And if thou doeſt believe it, and yet hadſt rather have preſent pleaſures and profits, than future glory, then thou proclaimeſt thy exceeding great folly and madneſſe. If then thou love thy ſelf, thy ſoul, thy ſalvation, be patient in enduring all that God layeth upon thee.
Fifthly, Be patient under ſuch ſufferings, Becauſe hereby thou promoteſt 5. Conſider by patience thou maiſt promote the good of othersthe good of others, the ſalvation of others. And certainly this ſhould much prevail with us. Theſe ſufferings of mine, theſe patient endurings for the cauſe of Chriſt may provoke and encourage many others. This did greatly induce Paul, and animate him in all his reproaches and difficulties he met with for the Goſpel, becauſe that hereby the Church was more propagated. With what joy, (Phil. 1. 13.) doth he ſpeak of this? That his bonds were made manifeſt every where, and many of the brethren waxed more confident and bold than before. As on the contrary we ſee the impatience, worldly fears, and Apoſtaſie of ſome have done a world of hurt to others, not only falling themſelves, but making others alſo to tumble down with them. This is a ſad thing to conſider of. If the Apoſtle, Rom. 14. ſpeaks ſo dreadfully about a ſtrong Chriſtian abuſing his liberty, that thereby he is a ſtumbling block, and on his part deſtroyeth him for whom Chriſt died: How much more will this hold true on him, who ſhall perfidiouſly forſake Chriſt rather than ſuffer for him? And although ſome of theſe have recover'd again, and manifeſted as much faithfulneſſe as they had formerly falſhood, yet thoſe that did wholly fall off, their fall was great, making the adverſary to rejoyce, and animating others to do the like. Therefore on the contrary, if thou endure with conſtancy and patience under all oppoſions, in nothing being diſmayed, this will imbolden others; thou mayeſt prevent the backſliding of others. Inſomuch that to ſuffer for Chriſt is a great act of love, not only to Chriſt, but to the Church; when with Paul, we ſhall be willing to be ſacrified for the good of other mens ſouls. Now this duty of love we owe to the Body of Chriſt, we are bound in conſcience to ſuffer reproaches, and all manner of trials for righteouſneſſe ſake, not only becauſe Chriſt requireth it, and with reference to him, but alſo out of love to the ſouls, and ſalvation of others. When we ſuffer, we do not only ſuffer as private Chriſtians, but as members of the body; and therefore the concernment of the whole body is in the ſuffering of every member. This then ſhould greatly encourage us in all our afflictions for Chriſts ſake; It is not I alone, it's not my ſalvation only, but the ſalvation of many others is carried on in this buſineſſe. Hence ſome have thought more implied in that expreſſion then ordinarily is conceived, 1 Cor. 4. 13. where the Apoſtle ſaith, We are made as the filth and off-ſcouring of the world; they ſay, the words are not to be underſtood only of diſhonour and reproach; but becauſe they were applied to ſuch Sacrifices, and devoted things, in the offering whereof common judgements were removed, piacula; therefore they inferre, That the Apoſtles ſufferings did conduce to the whole Church of God. Others come to obtain mercy by following them for an example. I ſhall not plead for this interpretation; onelyonly this is a truth in the general, That many have been converted, and ſo ſaved by beholding the courage and patience of godly Confeſſors and Martyrs. It's then a duty we owe to the Church of God, to ſuffer when Chriſt requireth. And if we read of Heathens, the Curtii and Decii, who have devoted themſelves to preſent death, to remove ſome publick calamity, what ſhame will this be to Chriſtians, if they ſhall not in a regular way ſhew ſuch zeal for the Church of God? We have a notable paſſage, 1 John 3. 16. We ought to lay down our lives for the brethren; What Chriſt did for us, we are to do for the Church. So that from this Text it is plain, there are caſes and inſtances wherein a man is bound to loſe not only wealth and eſtate, but even life it ſelf for others. Hence there is a diſtinction of Martyrium charitatis, and Martyrium fidei. A Jeſuite (Raynardus de Martyrio.) doth induſtriouſly endeavour to maintain, That if a man, having a call from God, doth venture his life by viſiting ſome infected with the plague, doing this out of love to God, and peoples ſouls, ſuch a man is as truly and properly a Martyr, and that in a ſtrict ſenſe, as one who dieth for witneſſing the faith. I ſhall not here examine this point; only in the general we may conclude, That he who layeth down his life for the brethren, for the ſpiritual good of others, having a call thereunto, he he is a Martyr, and may encourage himſelf with all thoſe promiſes, that thoſe who died for the faith have done: Yea ſuch a ſuffering and Martyrdome may be called Martyrium fidei, as well as charitatis, or miſericordiae; Faith having imperate acts, as well as elicite. Hence the Apoſtle, Heb. 11. attributeth divers worthy actions and atchievements unto Faith. By this you ſee in any ſuffering whereby the Church of God is edified, wherein we demonſtrate our love to the ſalvation of others, we may greatly encourage our ſelves. Hence alſo it is obſerved by one of the Ancients, That he who ſhall ſuffer to prevent ſchiſms and breaches in the Church of God, is more to be honoured, than he who ſuffereth, becauſe he would not offer to an Idol, becauſe here is more love to the Church of God. Let this then in all ſufferings, whether verbal, or real, mightily ſupport thee, that not my own ſalvation onelyonly, but the good and ſalvation of all thoſe, who ſhall come to hear or know this, will alſo be furthered. To be a meanes of converſion by ſuffering, is in ſome reſpect greater than by preaching.