The Touchstone of Sincerity, Chapter 5
CHAP. V.
Shewing what probation Adversity makes of the sincerity or unsoundness of our hearts.
SECT. I.
THat Adversity is a furnace to try of what metal our hearts are, none can doubt, that hath either studied the Scriptures, or observed his own heart under afflictions.
When the dross and rust of Hypocrisie and Corruption had almost eaten ou… the heart of Religion among the Iews; then saith God, I will melt them, and try them; for what shall I do for the daughter of my People? Jer. 9. 7. here Affliction is the Furnace, and the People are the metal cast into it; and the end of it is Tryal. I will melt them and try them; what other course shall I take with them? If I let them alone, their Lusts like the rust and Canker in metals will eat them out. Prosperity multiplies Professors, & adversity brings them to the test: then Hirelings quickly become changlings: the gilded potshard glisters till it come to scouring. The Devil thought Iob had been such a one, and moves that he may be tried this way; being consident he would be found but dross in the tryal, Iob 1. 11. But tho' the Furnace of Affliction discovered some dross in him, (as it will in the best of men) yet he came forth as gold.
In this Furnace also grace is manifested: 'tis said, Rev. 13. 10. Here is the patience and faith of the Saints: (i. e.) here is the trial and discovery of it in these days of Adversity. It was a weighty saying of Tetullian to the persecutors of the Church in his days, probatio innocentiae nostrae, Tertul. in Apol.est iniquitas vestra. Your wickedness is the trial of our innocency. Constantius the Father of Constantine made an exploratory decree, that all who would not renounce the Christian Faith, should lose their places of honour and profit; This presently separated the dross from the gold; which was his design: for many renounced Christianity, and thereupon were renounced by him; and those that held their integrity, were received into favour.
In time of Prosperity, Hypocrisie lies covered in the heart like nests in the green bushes; but when the Winter of adversity hath made them bare, every body may see them without searching.
But to fall into closer particulars, it will be necessary to enquire what effects of adversity are common to both the sound, and the unsound; and then what are proper to either in this close trial by Adversity.
SECT. II.
IT will be expedient to the design I manage in this discourse, to shew in the first place what are common effects of adversity to both the godly and ungodly, for in some things they differ not, but as it is with the one, so also with the other: as,
1. First, Both the godly and ungodly may fear▪ Adversity before it comes. To be sure a wicked man cannot, and it's evident many godly men do not come up to the height of that rule, Iam. 1. 2. To account it all Ioy when they fall into divers temptations, or trials by Adversity.
'Tis said, Isa. 33. 14. The sinners in Sion are afraid, trembling surprizeth the Hypocrite. Namely, under the apprehension of approaching calamities: and it's true also, the Saints in Sion may be afraid: my flesh trembleth for fear of thee, and I am afraid of thy judgements; said holy David, Psal. 119. 120. & Iob 3. 23. The thing which I greatly feared (saith that upright soul) is come upon me: there is a vast difference betwixt a Saints first meeting with afflictions, and his parting with them: he entertains them sometimes with trembling, he parts with them rejoycing, smiling on them, and blessing them in the name of the Lord. So that by this the upright, and the false heart, are not discriminated: even sanctified nature declines sufferings and troubles.
2. Secondly, Both the godly and ungodly may entertain afflictions with regret and unwillingness when they come: afflictions and troubles are Wormwood and Gall, Lam. 3. 19. and that goes not down pleasantly with flesh and blood, Heb. 12. 11. No affliction for… the present seemeth joyous, but grievous; he means to God's own People. They are in beaviness through manifold temptations or trials by the rod: 1 Pet. 1. 6. When God gives the cup of affliction into the hands of the wicked, how do they reluctate and loath it? How do their stomachs rise at it? And though the portion of the Saints cup be much sweeter than theirs, (for that bitter ingredient of Gods vindictive wrath is not in it) yet even they shrink from it, and loth they are to taste it.
3. Thirldly, Both the one and other may be impatient and fretful in adversity: it's the very nature of flesh and blood to be so▪ The wicked are like the troubled sea which cannot rest▪ whose waters cast forth mire and dirt, Isa. 57. 20. It's an allusion to the unstable and stormy Ocean: You know there is naturally an estuation, and working in the Sea, whether it be incensed by the wind or no; but if a violent wind blow upon the unquiet Ocean, Oh what raging and foaming is there! what abundance of trash and filth doth it at such times cast out!
Now, though grace make a great difference betwixt one and another, yet I dare not say, but even a gracious heart may be very unquiet and tumultuous in the day of affliction. Sanctified souls have their Passions and Lusts which are too little mortified, even as Sweet-bryar, and Holy-thistles have their prickles, as well as the worthless bramble. Ionah was a good Man, yet his Soul was sadly distempered by adverse providences: Ionah 4. 9. Yea (saith he, and that to his God) I do well to be angry, even unto death.
4. Fourthly, Both the one and the …ther may be weary of the rod, and think the day of adversity a tedious day, wishing it were once at an end. Babylon shall be weary of the evil that God will bring upon it, Ier 51. ult, and oh that none of Sions Children were weary of adversity too! How sad a moan doth Iob make of his long continued affliction, Iob 16. 6, 7. though I speak, my grief is not asswaged, and though I forbear, what am I eased? but now he hath made me weary.
And if you look into Psal. 6. 3, 6. you may see another strong Christian even tyred in the way of affliction: My soul (saith David in that place) is sore vexed, but thou O Lord how long! I am weary with my groaning.
5. Fifthly, Both the one and other may be driven to their knees by adversity. Lord in trouble have they visited thee, they have poured out a prayer when thy chastening was upon them, Isa. 26. 16. Not that a godly person will pray no longer than the rod is at his back; O no, he cannot live without prayer long, how few calls soever he hath to that duty by the rod: but when the rod is on his back, he will be more frequently, and more …ervently upon his knees: indeed many graceless heart are like Childrens Tops which will go no longer than they are whipt; they canno… find their knees and their tongues, till Go… find a rod to excite them. A dangerous symp…tome. The same affliction may put a gracious and a graceless soul to their knees; but th… in the external matter of duty, and in the external call or occasion of duty they seem to agree; yet is there a vast difference in the principles, manner, and ends of these their duties; as will evidently appear in its proper place in our following discourse.
But by what hath been said in this Section you may see how in some things the holy upright soul acts too like the unsanctified, and in other things how much the Hypocrite may act like a Saint: he may be externally humbled, so was Ahab: he may pray under the rod, Mal. 2. 13. yea and request others to pray for him, so did Simon, Acts 8. 24.
SECT. III.
BUt though the sound and unsond heart differ not in some external carriages under the rod; yet there are effects of adversity which are proper to either, and will discriminate them. To which end let us first see what effects adversity is usually followed withal in unsound and carnal hearts: and we shall find among other, these five symptomes of a naughty heart appearing under crosses and afflictions.
1. First, A Graceless heart is not quickly and easily brought to see the hand of God in those troubles that befall it, and be duly affected with it, Isa. 26. 11. Lord when thy hand is lifted up they will not see: when it hath smitten, or is lifted up to smite, they shut their eyes: 'tis the malice of this man, or the negligence of that, or the unfaithfulness of another that hath brought all this trouble upon me: thus the Creature is the Horizon that terminates their sight, and beyond that they usually see nothing: sometimes indeed the hand of God is so immediately manifested, and convincingly discovered in afflictions, that they cannot avoid the sight of it, and then they may (in their way) pour out a prayer before him, but ordinarily they impute all to second causes, and overlook the first cause of their troubles.
2. Secondly, Nor is it usual with these Men under the rod to retire into their Closets, and search their hearts there; to find out the particular cause and provocation of their affliction: No man repented him of his wickedness, saying what have I done? Jer. 8. 6. what cursed thing is there with me, that hath thus incensed the anger of God against me? God visits their iniquities with afflictions, but they visit not their own hearts by self-examinations. God judges them, but they judge not themselves; he shews their iniquities in a clear glass, but none saith, What have I done? This phrase, What have I done? is the voice of one that recollects himself after a rash action; or the voice of a Man astonished at the discovery afflictions make of his sins, but no such voice as this is ordinarily heard among carnal Men.
3. Thirdly, An unsound Professor if le…t to his choice, would rather chuse Sin than Affliction; and sees more evil in that, than in this.
And it cannot be doubted if we consider, the principle by which all unregenerate Men are acted, is sense not faith: hence Iobs friends would have argued his Hypocrisie, Iob 36. 21. and had their application been as their rule, it would have concluded it. This (viz. Sin) hast thou chosen, rather than affliction.
I do not say that an upright man cannot commit a moral evil, to escape a poenal evil. O that daily observation did not too plentifully furnish us with sad instances of that kind! but upright ones do not, dare not upon a serious deliberate discussion and debate chuse sin rather than affliction; what they may do upon surprisals, and in the violence of temptation is of another nature.
But a false and unsound heart discovers it self in the choice it makes upon deliberation, and that frequently, when sin and trouble come in competition: put case, saith Augustine, a Ruffian should with one hand set the cup of drunkenness to thy mouth, & with the other a dagger to thy breast; and say, drink or die: thou shouldst rather chuse to die sober, than to live a drunkard: and many Christians have resisted unto blood striving against sin, and with renowned Moses chosen affliction, the worst of afflictions; yea death it self in the most formidable appearance, rather than sin: and it is the habitual temper and resolution of every gracious heart so to do, tho' those holy resolutions are sometimes over-born by violence of temptation.
But the Hypocrite dreads less the de…ilement of his soul, than the loss of his estate, liberty or life. If you ask upon what ground then doth the Apostle suppose, 1 Cor. 13. 3. a man may give his body to be burnt, and not have charity? that the Salamander of Hypocrisie may live in the flame of Martyrdom? The answer is at hand, they that chose death in the sense of this Text, do not chose it to escape sin, but to seed and indulge it. Those strange adventures (if any such be) are rather to maintain their own honour, and enrol their names among worthy and famous Persons to Posterity; or out of a blind zeal to their espoused erours and mistakes; than in a due regard to the glory of God,Timeo dicere, sed dicendum est; martyrium ipsum si ideo fiat ut admirationi & laudi habeatur à fratribus; frustr… sanguis effusus est. Hier. and the preservation of intiegrity. I fear to speak it, but it must be spoken; (saith Hierom.) that even Martyrdom it self, when suffered for admiration and applause, profits nothing; but that blood is shed in vain.
4. Fourthly, It is the property of an un… generate soul under adversity to turn fro… creature to creature for support and comfort, and not from every creature to Go… alone. So long as their feet can touch groun… I mean feel any creature relief or comfor… under them, they can subsist and live in a… flictions; but when they lose ground, the… all creature refuge fails, then their hearts fail too.
Thus Zedekiah and the self-deceivin… Iews, when they saw their own strengt… failed them, and there was little hope le… that they should deliver themselves from th… …haldeans, what do they in that strait? D… they with upright Iehosaphat say, our eyes … unto thee? No, no, their eyes were upon … gupt for succour, not upon Heaven: Wel…, Pharaoh and his aids are left still, all hope… is not gone: Ier. 37. 9. See the like in Aba… in a sore plunge and distress he Courts th… King of Assyria for help, 2 Chron, 22. 28, 2… That project failing, why then he will tr… what the Gods of Damascus can do for him▪ any way rather than the right way, Flecter… si nequeam superos, Acheronta movebo.
So it is with many others. If one chil… die, what do they do, run to God and com…fort themselves in this, The Lord liveth th… my Child die? If an Estate be lost and a Fa…mily sinking, do they with David comfor… …emselves in the everlasting Covenant, order… and sure? No, no; but if one Relation …, there's another alive; if an Estate be …ne, yet not all: something is left still, and … case will mend.
As long as ever such Men have any visible …couragement, they will hang upon it; and …ot make up all in Christ, and encourage …emselves in the Lord. To tell them of re…ycing in the Lord, when the Fig tree blos…ms not, is what they cannot understand.
5. Fifthly, To conlude, An unsound heart …ever comes out of the Furnace of affliction …rged, mortified, and more spiritual and ho… than when he was cast into it: his scum … dross is not there separated from him: …ay the more they are afflicted, the worse …ey are. Why should ye be smitten any more? ye …ill revolt more and more, Isa. 1. 5. and to …eep to our Metaphor, consult Ier. 6. 29. …od had put that incorrigible people into …e Furnace of affliction, and kept them long … that fire; and what was the Issue? why, …ith the Prophet, The bellows are burnt, …e lead is consumed of the fire, the founder mel…h in vain, &c. reprobate silver shall men call …em, because the Lord hath rejected them.
If the fire of affliction be continually …lown till the very bellows be burnt, that is, …e tongue, or rather the lungs of the Prophet, …hich have some resemblance to bellows; duplicate page duplicate page though these be even spent in reproving and threatning, and denouncing woe upo… woe, and Judgement upon Judgement; an… God fulfills his word upon them; yet sti… they are as before; the dross remains: thoug… Ierusalem be made a Furnace, and the inha…bitants, the flesh boyling in it over a fier… fire of affliction; yet as it is noted (pert…nently to my Discourse) in Ezek. 24. 6. 1… the scum remains with them, and cannot b… separated by the fire; and the reason … plain, because no affliction in its self purg… sin, but as it is sanctified, and works in th… vertue of Gods blessing, and in pursuan… of the promises
O think on this you that have had thou…sands of afflictions in one kind and another and none of them all have done you good they have not mortified humbled, or bene…fited you at all. And thus you see what th… effects of adversity are when it meets … graceless heart.
SECT IV.
BY this time, Reader, I suppose thou ar… desirous to know what effects adversit… and afflictions use to have when they mee… with an honest and sincere heart; only be…fore I come to particulars, I think it needfu… to acquaint thee, That the fruits of afflictions are mostly after-fruits, and not so discerna… by the Christian himself under the rod, … after he hath been exercised by it, Heb. …. 11. and calmly reflects upon what is past; … doth every Christian attain the same easure and degree: some rejoyce, others …mmonly submit: but I think these seven …ects are ordinarily found in all upright …earts that pass under the rod.
1. First, The sincere and upright soul be…es its self to God in affliction, Iob 1. 20. …hen God was smiting, Iob was praying: …hen God afflicted, Iob worshipped: So David, …al. 116. 3, 4. I found sorrow and trouble, …en called I upon … the name of the Lord; and …hen the messenger of Satan buffeted Paul, … this cause (saith he) I besought the Lord …rice 2 Cor. 12. 8. Alas, whither should a …hild go in distress but to its Father?
2. Secondly, He sees, and owns the hand of …od in his afflictions: how much or little …ever of the instruments of trouble appear. … Lord hath taken away, saith Iob, Iob 1. …. God hath bidden him, saith David▪ 2 …m. 16. 10. If the blow come from the …nd of a wicked man, yet he sees that …cked hand in Gods righteous hand, Psal, …. 14. And this apprehension is fundamental … all that communion men have with God …heir affl…ctions, & to all that peaceableness, …gracious submission of their spirits under … rod, he that sees nothing of God in his trou…s, hath nothing of God in his soul.
3. Thirdly, He can justifie God in all th… afflictions and troubles that come up… on him, be they never so severe. Thou ar… just in all that is brought upon us, saith Nehemiah… Nehem. 9. 33. Thou hast punished us less tha… our iniquities deserve, saith Ezra, Ezra 9. 13▪ It is of the Lords mercy we are not consumed, saith the Church, Lam. 3. 22. Are we in Babylon? it's a mercy we are not in hell. If God con…demn him, yet he will justifie God: if God cast him into a sea of trouble, yet he will acknowledge in all that sea of trouble, there i… not one drop of injustice. If I have not deserved such usage from the hands of men… yet I have deserved worse than this at the hands of God.
4. Fourthly, Afflictions use to melt an… humble gracious hearts: there is an habitu…al tenderness planted in their spirits, and … just occasion quickly draws it forth: and so usual a thing it is for gracious hearts to be humbled under the afflictings of God, that affliction is upon that score called humiliation: the effect put for the cause; to shew where one is, the other will be: 2 Cor. 12▪ 21. My God will humble me, (i. e.) he wil… afflict me with the sight of your si…s, and disorders: and if a gracious soul b… so ap… to be humbled for other mens sins, much more for his own.
5. Fifthly, The upright soul is inquisitive …der the rod to find out that evil for …hich the Lord contends with him by af…ction, Job 10. 2. shew me wherefore thou …ntendest with me: and Job 34. 31. that …hich I see not, teach thou me: If I have done …iquity, I will do no more. So Lam. 3. 39, 4. … us search and try our ways, and turn again … the Lord; in afflicting God searches them, …nd under affliction they search themselves: …illing they are to hear the voice of the rod, …nd glad of any discovery it makes of …heir hearts.
6. Sixthly, The upright heart chuseth to …ye under affliction, … rather than to be deli…ered from it by sin. I say this is the choice …nd resolution of every upright heart, how…ver it may be sometimes over-born by the …iolence of temptation, Heb. 11. 35. not ac…epting deliverence, viz. upon sinful terms, and …onditions.
They are sensible how the flesh smarts …nder the rod, but had rather it should smart, …han conscience should smart under guilt. …ffliction saith an upright soul grieves me, …ut sin will grieve God; affliction wounds …, flesh, but sin will wound my soul. Deli…erance I long for, but I will not pay so …ear for it, how much soever I desire it. Nolo … emere paenitentaim: outward ease is …weet, but inward peace is sweeter.
7. Seventhly, He prizeth the spiritual good gotten by affliction, above deliverance fro… it; and can bless God from his heart fo… those mercies how near soever his flesh hat… paid for them, Psal. 119. 67. and 71. It … good for me that I have been afflicted. Such … the value the people of God have for sp…ritual graces, that they cannot think the… a dear peny worth, whatever their flesh hat… paid for them. The mortification of one Lus… one discovery of sincerity, one manifesta… on of God to their souls, doth much mor… than make amends for all that they hav… endured under the rod.
Is patience improved, self-acquaintan… increased, the vanity of the Creature mor… effectually taught, longings after heaven i… flamed? O blessed afflictions that are atten… ed with such blessed fruits! It was the say…ing of a holy man under a sore troubl… for the death of an only Son; when in tha… dark day God had graciously manifeste… himself to his soul; O said he, I would b… contented (if it were possible) to lay … only Son in the grave every day I have … live in the world, for one such discovery … the love of God as I now enjoy.