Christ Inviting Sinners to Come to Him for Rest, Treatise · Chapter 18
CHAP. XVIII.
Of the burden of outward afflictions, and the grievouſneſs thereof laid open in three Particulars. 1. In themſelves they are a part of the curſe of the Law 2. They hinder much in doing Service to God. 3. They often help forward many ſtrong Temptations. Why God wil have his Saints to be under this Burden, Namely, 1. Becauſe he wil have his Servants to honor and obey him, meerly out of Love. 2. Becauſe he knoweth that thus their Corruptions may be beſt mortified. 3. To be a Stumbling-block to the wicked.
THe next Burden is, The Burden of affliction, the Burden of outward afflictions, Poverty, diſgrace, ſickneſs, or any kind of trouble in this world; you ſhal find theſe things to be very Burdenſom to you. Now Chriſt cals ſuch as Labor under this Burden to come to him, and promiſeth to give them Reſt, Chriſt hath a tender affection towards poor Creatures under outward burdens, towards all thoſe that the Father hath given to him, eſpecially when they are Burdened with outward affliction and the Goſpel hath in it abundance of refreſhments to help and eaſe ſinners that feel the Burden of afflictions in this world, no ſuch way of eaſe and Reſt unto them as by the Grace of God in Chriſt as we ſhal open more fully when we come to the promiſe.
Now the burden of affliction is very grievous to many, the Burden of poverty, diſgrace, ſickneſs or the like; thoſe whom God lets proſper in their waies, little think what burdens are upon their Brethren; how many in theſe daies are there of our Brethren, that groan under theſe Burdens, though we do not feel them? We know not how ſoon we may be brought under them, and therefore it wil be very ſeaſonable to ſhew the Reſt that we have in Chriſt even from under theſe Burdens. I have ſpent ſome time in opening the grievouſneſs of other Burdens, now this burden of outward afflictions men are ſo ſenſible of, that there needs not much for the opening of them, but only to tel all that feel theſe burdens, that they may come unto this promiſe▪ Yea, and they are under this invitation, Chriſt invites them to come to him for Reſt for theſe Burdens.
Firſt, Outward afflictions are burdens, becauſe they are in themſelves part of the curſe of the Law, and if they be ſanctified to any, it is by virtue of this promiſe in the Text; if any affliction upon you be Sanctified it is thence. Before you come to Chriſt al outward afflictions, poverty, ſickneſs, or any diſturbance you have in your eſtate, it is in it ſelf the fruit of the curſe, and is ſo to you til you come to Chriſt: now to bear that that is in it ſelf a fruit of the curſe, muſt needs be a burden, becauſe it is ſo contrary to Nature moſt afflictive to Nature, therefore burdenſome?
Secondly, Outward afflictions are burdenſom, becauſe they do hinder us much in doing Service, that Service that we were born for, that we were born to do in this world, they do hinder us of many opportunities of doing Service for God, outward Afflictions do. As now ſickneſs of body, what a Burden is it? Becauſe it doth hinder thoſe that are continually ſickly from doing the Service that God requires of them to do, and indeed that makes it to be moſt burdenſom to one that is gracious, it is not ſuch a Burden to one that hath a ſickly body, becauſe of the pain that he feels, but becauſe by this means my Soul is hindred in thoſe operations that I would be glad to be exerciſed in for God, and doing good in the place I am ſet in. And ſo poverty, is therefore a burden, not becauſe I cannot live ſo bravely as others do, and have as fine Houſes, Clothes, and Diet as others have; No, but becauſe I muſt ſpend all my time meerly in getting proviſion for my family that I have little time for Gods Service; others can ſpend time in Gods Service, hear, pray, and meditate, but the chief time that I have to ſpend is ſpent to get bread; now this is a burden: And beſides becauſe of poverty I have little opportunity to do Service for God, thoſe that have Large eſtates, they have opportunity to do God Service, they are called forth to publick Services, but I am not ſo as others are, now this is that that to one that hath any beginnings of Grace in his Heart is a great Burden. And by the way, it were a good argument of true Grace, if you that are under the Burden of affliction, if you felt the burden where it lies, I appeal to you that complain of the Burden of affliction, poverty, and the like, that you feel, I put this Queſtion to you in the name of God, what is it that makes your affliction moſt burdenſom? It is true, it is painful to Nature, Oh! But the Lord knows, this is that that makes it grievous, and burdenſom to me, that by means of this affliction, I am fain to ſpend ſo much time about mean works that I have little time to do good in my generation: others that have greater eſtates, I count them happier in this, that the Lord hath given unto them Larger opportunities to do him Service, then I have; I do not count them happy becauſe of their wealth, but becauſe they have larger opportunities to do God Service, but it is God that orders things thus, and I muſt be content to bear this Burden. I ſay, if thou haſt a heart thus complaining of thy Burden, it is a good ſign, and know, that in Chriſt there is abundance of Grace to Sanctifie theſe burdens to thee, divers other things might be ſpoken about the Burden of Affliction, I will add but one more.
Thirdly, Outward afflictions is a great burden in this reſpect, becauſe it many times occaſions and helps forward many ſtrong temptations: outward afflictions do ſtrengthen, and do occaſion ſtrong temptations, which are very grievous to the Soul: As thus, when one is under affliction more then others, then comes this temptation, ſurely God loves me not, becauſe of this Affliction; then comes temptation to envy others, becauſe I am afflicted more then others; then comes temptation of diſtruſt, I ſhall periſh one day or other; then comes temptation of murmuring under the hand of God; temptation to take ſhifting Courſes, to ſhift for ones ſelf by unlawful means, Oh! what temptations have many that are under ſtrong afflictions in poverty, impriſonment, diſgrace, diſhonor in the world; what ſtrong temptations have they to ſtretch their Conſciences. And this makes outward afflictions a grievous burden, becauſe they occaſion great temptations to poor Souls to ſtretch out their hands to folly, to unlawful courſes many times to help themſelves; Yea, The apprehenſion many times before it comes is ſo grievous, as it occaſions temptation to much Evil to prevent thoſe burdens, and yet for all that, the Lord is ſo pleaſed to order and diſpoſe of things in this world, that even ſuch as he intends everlaſting good to in Chriſt, go under ſuch burdens as theſe, moſt part of their Lives, they go under the burdens of Poverty, Sickneſs, and outward troubles here in this world.
Many Reaſons might be given why the Lord ſo orders things in this world, that his …ear Servants, for whom Chriſt hath ſhed his precious blood, ſhall go under theſe burdens, though others that are wicked and ungodly ſhal ſcarſe know what they are.
1. The Lord doth hereby ſhew, that he wil have his Servants to ſerve and honor him, meerly out of Love, and not in a mercenary way to get outward things in this world, he will have us ſerve him out of Love, and out of Faith; if we ſhould proſper in outward things alwaies, our Service would be more Carnal; but now though his Servants meet with never ſuch Afflictions in this world, yet they love the Lord, and love his waies, and love his ſervice, and go on in faithful obedience to him; this ſhews the excellency of Grace, more then if they proſpered in this world.
2. And the Lord ſees this the beſt means to mortifie our Corruptions; many times thou complaineſt of thy afflictions, but who knows if thou had'ſt not ſuch afflictions, what ſins thou would'ſt have.
3. And God doth this to be a Stumbling block to the wicked, that they ſhould ſtumble at the afflictions of the Saints, and ſo periſh that way. Divers other Reaſons might be given, but all is to make way to that which is to come after, that the Lord cals all theſe, not only thoſe that Labor under the Burden of ſin, under the burden of the Law, &c. But poor Creatures that Labor under the burden of affliction, poverty and the like to come to him for eaſe and Reſt.