Christian Directions, Chapter 17
CHAP. XVII.
Of our Carriage in reference to Crosses and Afflictions.
IN regard that all men so long as they live here in this world are subject to manifold Losses, Crosses, and Afflictions; therefore it is necessary that I should give you some directions how to carry your selves in reference thereunto.
The Directions are these.
I. Fore-cast what Losses, Crosses, and Afflictions may befall you. When you abound in plenty,Quic quid fieri potest quasi futurum cogitemus, Sen. Epist. 24 think a time may come when your plenty may be turned into penury; when you enjoy health and ease, think a time may come when your health may bee turned into sickness, your ease into pain; when you are taking your greatest delight in your Yoke-fellow, Children, or Friends, even then consider they are mortal, and may suddenly bee snatched from you; look upon all Creature comforts, as indeed they are, mutable, and moveable; thus did Anaxagoras, Anaxagoras apud Plutarch, de tranquil. animi.of whom it is recorded, that when tidings was brought him of the death of his Son▪ hee meekly replied, I always looked upon him as mortal. In like manner should we look upon all our Creature comforts as mortal, and moveable. This likewise was Iobs practice, as appears from that expression of his,Job 3. 25 The thing which I greatly feared is come upon me, and that which I was afraid of is come unto me; intimating, that in his greatest prosperity he had thoughts and fears of a change, yea of those los…es and crosses wherewith he was now exercised.
II. Prepare for Losses, Crosses, and Afflictions; the former without this will be of little or no use, a fore-sight of Afflictions will little avayl us, unless we likewise prepare for them.
Q. How may wee prepare our selves for Losses, Crosses, and Afflictions?
Ans. I. Earnestly desire, and seriously labour in the use of all means for an interest in Jesus Christ; for,
1 Though the condition of man at all times is very sad without in interest in Jesus Christ, yet the condition of a man in and under his afflictions, without an interest in Christ is more sad, in that his Conscience is then most usually awakened with the sence and apprehension of his sins and fearful Judgements due unto him for the same, of which there is no hope or possibility of escaping without an interest in Christ.
2 On the other side, the man that hath an interest in Christ, hath abundant ground of comfort in the greatest troubles and afflictions, in that Christ by his Sufferings hath taken away the sting of them, which is Sin, and changed the nature of them, by turning them from punishments into fatherly chastisements, for our profit and amendment.
2 As you would be prepared for Afflictions, be careful to get and keep a good conscience: for assuredly, the testimony of your own consciences, that you have walked as in the sight and presence of God, endeavouring to have your consciences voyd of offence both towards God,M…us a…eneus esto, …il conscire sibi. and towards men, will be as a wall of brass, yea as armour of proof unto you in the day of trouble and distress; so that your hearts shall not shrink at any affliction.
Though in the time of health and prosperity you may seem to bee rather losers than gainers, by keeping a good conscience in all things, yet in times of trouble and affliction (next to an interest in Jesus Christ) nothing will bee more available to you than a good conscience; therefore let your main care bee to keep your consciences pure and clean from sin, not maintaining peace with any sin.
3 Our preparation for affliction consisteth in a frequent resignation of our selves, and of all our comforts, into the hands of God, and to his will, for disposal as he pleaseth. By this means we shall be the more willing to part with them, when God shall bee pleased to call for any of them, especially it this resignation of all unto God be fresh upon our hearts and spirits.
4 Our preparation for afflictions consisteth in casting all our cares, fears, and troubles of mind about those evils which may befall us, upon God, who hath promised to sustain us under the same, according to that of the Psalmist,Psal. 55. 22 Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and he will sustain thee; i. e. he will comfort and support thee; To this the Apostle Peter likewise exhorteth,1 Pet. 5. 7 Cast all your care upon him, for hee careth for you▪ and truly Gods caring for us may well take us off from all inordinate, excessive, and distrustful care about our afflictions; and move us to lay the stress of our afflictions upon him, considering hee careth for us.
5 Would you be prepared for afflictions, then be often putting cases to your selves of such straights and troubles, of such trials and afflictions as probably may fall out, and then return into your own souls to search and try what strength you have to hold out, if you should fall into such trials and afflictions? When you enjoy abundance of this worlds goods, say to thy self, It may be before I dye I may bee stripped of all these, and reduced to great straights, what shall I then doe? Will not my faith then fail? Now I am at liberty, and enjoy the comfort of my relations, my friends and acquaintance, happily I may shortly be cast into Prison, and be deprived of all my outward comforts, what shall I then doe? how shall I be able to bear up under these sad changes? it is good to put such cases to your selves, which will bee an excellent means to strengthen your faith against the evil day, against the day of trouble and distress, and to make you with the greater confidence to trust in God. Thus the Saints of old were wont to put the hardest cases to themselves for the better strengthening of their hearts and faith, as Psal. 6. 2, 3.
III. When God shall exercise you with any losses, crosses, or afflictions, labour to bear them Christian…like; to that end observe these rules.
1 Bear them sensibly; the Lord expects we should be sensible of the waight of our afflictions; hee would not have us as Stoicks, or Stocks, which are not affected with his stripes; but like Children, he would have us sensible of the smart of the rod.Job 1. 20 Thus was Iob.
There are two Extreams whereunto we are very prone to run in times of afflictions, the one is a despising of afflictions, the other is a fainting under them, both which are hinted to us by the Author to the Hebrews,Heb. 12. 5 My Son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him; these are the two extreans we are carefully to avoyd in times of afflictions.
1 Not to despise or slight the chastisement of the Lord▪ saying, If God will have my estate, let him have it; if hee will have my Husband, or Wife, or Child, let him have them; this is a despising of the chastening of the Lord,foreign. a little regarding, yea a contemning thereof, as the Greek word implieth, which is very displeasing unto God.
2 Not to faint under our losses, crosses, and afflictions, as when Children dye, then the spirit of the Parent to dye also; or when the Husband dyeth, then the spirit of the Wife to dye also; this is a fainting under the burthen of our afflictions,foreign. as if they were unsupportable, not to be indured, as the notation of the Greek word implieth.
2 If you would bear your afflictions Christian-like, bear them with patience and silence, according to the example of David, who when God laid his hand upon his back, he presently laid his hand upon his mouth, as appeareth by his own expression, I was dumb, I opened not my mouth, because thou didst it.Psal. 39. 9
This patient silent bearing of Afflictions is opposed to two things.
1 To an inward repining at the Dispensations of God towards you.
2 To an outward complaining and murmuring at them, both which you must carefully avoyd.
1 You must carefully avoyd all inward repinings at the dispensations of Gods Providence towards you: whatsoever storms are without you, yea and blow upon you, yet your hearts within you should be calm and quiet; what though the Lords dealings with you be very sharp? yet you ought not to repine at them, but quietly and silently to submit thereunto, acknowledging the equity of Gods proceeding with you, that as he is righteous in all his ways, so in particular towards you, and thereupon to say with good old Ely, 1 Sam. 3. 18 Luke 22. 42It is the Lord, let him doe what seemeth him good; and with our blessed Saviour, Father, not my will, but thy will be done. And if you bear your afflictions thus quietly, you shall bear them with much more ease at present, and find them more profitable in the end.
2 As you must carefully avoyd all inward repining, so likewise all outward complaining, and murmuring under the sad dispensations of Gods providence. As you must not entertain any hard thoughts of God, as if he punished you above your deservings, or more than you are able to bear, so neither must you express any discontented words against the Lords dealings with you; for though a Christian may mourn under sad Providences, yet may hee not murm…e at them; though he may groan, yet not grumble; but quietly bear all losses, crosses, and afflictions, both in opposition to all inward repining, and outward murmuring.
3 If you would bear your afflictions Christian-like, you must bear them willingly and cheerfully.
To help you herein, take these few considerations.
1 That no afflictions befall any without the wise ordering Providence of God, Job 5. 6.as Eliphas implieth, when he saith, That affliction cometh not forth of the dust, neither doth evil spring out of the ground; Truly, there is not a Warrant comes to Arrest thy Body with Pain or Sickness, but it comes under the Hand and Seal of thy heavenly Father; there is not a Habeas Corpus comes to remove thy Yoke-fellow, Child, or Friend, but it is signed by thy heavenly Father. This consideration hath been a ground of comfort unto the people of God in all their afflictions;Job 1. 21 The Lord, said Iob, hath given, and the Lord hath taken away, blessed be the name of the Lord. And this must needs be a ground of comfort, yea and joy unto all the people of God, especially if you shall consider in the next place,
2 That the end God aims at in your afflictions is to doe you good, yea some special good. that could not be done so well in any other way: The Lord chasteneth us for our profit, Heb. 12. 10saith the Apostle; every Cross will bring with it some blessing or other, if the fault be not in our selves; yea the greatest cross will bring the greatest blessing.
3 As God doth intend our good th…reby, so when it hath effected that good which God intended thereby, hee will soon remove your affliction from you, for the Lord taketh no delight or pleasure in your pains or sufferings, but delighteth in mercy; Mich. 7. 8and therefore will not, neither can he suffer his afflicting hand to lye longer upon you, than in his wisdome he seeth to be needful and necessary, for the effecting of that good which he intends you thereby; and therefore if your afflictions seem long unto you, know it is no longer than needs must, and that that good for which God sent it, is not yet effected.
4 That God will either proportion your afflictions to the measure of your strength, or your strength. to the measure of your affliction, laying no more upon you than he will enable you to bear, according to that of the Apostle,1 Cor. 10. 13 God is faithful, and will not suffer you to bee tempted above what you are able to bear.
IV. If you would bear you afflictions Christian-like, you must bear them fruitfully, by labouring to make a sanctified use and improvement of them, whereby they will become comfortable blessings unto you; for a sanctified affliction is a great blessing.
Q. What course should I take to have my afflictions so sanctified unto me, that I may be able to say with David, Psal. 119. 71It is good for me that I have been afflicted?
A. I. In every Affliction take notice of the displeasure of God against thee; for though the Lord doth sometimes afflict his Children for the trial and exercise of their Graces, rather than for any displeasure he hath conceived against them, as in Iobs case it was, yet usually he strikes not till he be provoked by our Sins, and therefore it will be thy wisedome in every affliction to take notice of the displeasure of God against thee.
II. Search into thine own heart, and labour to find out the cause of Gods displeasure against thee; for it is not for nought that God afflicts thee, something or other is amiss in thee which God would have amended and reformed, and considering that the Lord doth not only in general correct us for Sin, but visiteth our special Sins with special Judgements and Afflictions, therefore whensoever the Lord visiteth thee with Sickness, or exerciseth thee with any affliction, know it is thy duty to make a strict search, and diligent enquiry into thine own heart, for the special Sin, or Sins, God aims at therein, to find out the plague of thine own heart. Thus did the people of God under their sad affliction, yea they called upon one another to the practice of this duty; Let us search and try our wayes;, said they, Lam. 3. 40. for as a Disease can never be well cured till the cause thereof be first found out and discovered: so neither can any affliction bee sanctified and removed, till that which hath occasioned it be in some sort found out and discovered.
For the better discovery of the particular Sin or Sins God aims at in thine afflictions, take these few rules and directions.
1 When God visiteth thee, or any of thy dear relations with Sickness, or exerciseth thee with any Affliction, or doth but shake his Rod over thee, set thy self as in his sight and presence, and then examine thy Soul and Conscience thorowly, make an exact survey and search into every corner thereof, to find out the particular Sin God aymeth at.
2 Take notice what sin thy Conscience doth first bring to thy remembrance: for Conscience is Gods Deputy to convince thee,Nihil sic peccata in memoriam revocare consue…it, ut p…na, & castigatio. Et hoc m…nifestum est ex fratribus Ioseph. and to tell thee, that by living in the practice of such and such a Sin, or in the omission of such a Duty, thou hast justly brought upon thee such a Judgement; as thou mayst see in the example of Iosephs brethren, who for their cruelty towards their brother, adjudged themselves worthy of all the …iseries which they suffered; for their Consciences it seems in their distress chiefly checked them for that, therefore they had good ground to suspect that to bee the cause of their present distress; under every Cross and Affliction therefore listen to the voyce of Conscience, which will deal impartially with thee.
3 Take special notice of the kind of thine affliction: for it is Gods usual manner to punish Sin in kind, by way of retaliation, observing an analogie, proportion, and similitude between the quality of the Sin, and the punishment which hee inflicteth, and so leadeth us as it were by the hand, that we may come to find and feel it by his guidance and direction, for mens punishment often bears the image and superscription of their sin upon it. Thus God oftentimes punisheth Drunkards with Dropsies,In quibus peecamus, in …isdem plectimur. and Covetous men with Theeves, who rob them as they have robbed others. Thus God often punisheth our prophaning of his Sabbaths, by inflicting some judgement upon us on that day; and our careless neglect of Family-Duties, by taking away a Family-relation. Thus there is oftentimes a proportion between mens Practices, and Gods Punishments, by comparing whereof we may many times come to find out the particular Sin, or Sins, for which God afflicts us.
4 When Gods afflicting hand is upon thee, consider for what Sin especially thou hast often been reproved, either by the motions of Gods Spirit, or by the admonitions of his Ministers, or by the checks of thine own Conscience, and yet hast refused to reform the same; thereupon suspect that Sin in special to be the sin at which the Lord aymeth in thy present affliction;A verbis ad verbera pro reditur Deus. for it is usual with God to proceed from words to blows, to make us give more diligen… … thereunto.
5 Be earnest with God in Prayer, that hee would help thee in this search, that he would discover and make known unto thee the Sin,Job 10. 2 or Sins at which he especially aymeth; thus did Iob, Shew me, saith he, wherefore thou contendest with me; i. e. for what Sin or Sins thou dost thus afflict me. And afterwards he cries out in his afflictions, Make me to know my transgression, and my sin. Job 13. 23In like manner doe thou in thine affliction fly unto God by Prayer, beseeching him to shew unto thee wherefore he doth so contend with thee, and to make known unto thee what is thy transgression, and thy sin, that hath provoked his displeasure against thee.
III. Having fo…nd out the particular Sin God a…med at in thine affliction, then goe and confesse it unto God in Prayer, with the aggravating ci…cumstances thereof; freely judging and condemning thy self before God for the same,1 Joh. 1. 9 with a broken and contrite heart. And to such as confess their sins there is a promise of forgiveness made. To thy confessions adde earnest and fervent Prayer unto God for the pardon and forgiveness of thy sins, for and through the merits of Jesus Christ.
IV. Wherein soever upon thine examination thou findest thy self to have been faulty, Lam. 3. 40 Vera paenitentia est, quando sic paenitet hominem p…casse, ut …rimen non repetat. Bern.thou must endeavour to amend and reform; for as the end of thy search is to discover what is amiss in thee, so the end of thy discovery is to amend and reform what hath been amiss in thee. And truely without this it will little avail thee to pray unto God for the removal of thine Affliction, for the Lord himself note…h continuance in sin to be the chief cause of the continuance of his hand of affliction upon his people. Isa. 9. 12, 13.
V. Though Afflictions are special opportunities for Spiritual advantages, yet seeing they are not of themselves able to work any good in thee, without the special assistance of Gods Spirit working together with them; be earnest with God in Prayer for a sanctified use and improvement of them; that as he doth afflict thee, so he would teach and instruct thee by his holy Spirit, how to make a good use thereof, to the spiritual advantage of thine own soul. In all thy addresses unto God in Prayer, begge of him, that no affliction may pass away unsanctified; and pray more for the sanctification of them, than for their removal.
VI. In the time of thy affliction vow and promise unto God better obedience for the time to come; that thou wilt bee more careful in the avoyding of those sins, for the commission whereof, and in the performing of those Duties, for the omission whereof thy Conscience checks thee.Psal. 66. 14 David speaks of Vowes which he had made unto God in the day of his trouble and distress; and truly this vowing unto God newness of life, better obedience, and a greater watchfulness over our selves for the time to come, is a necessary duty to be oft performed by us, especially in the time of our Sickness, and that in regard of the weakness of our flesh; for howsoever in our sicknesses and afflictions there may be good motions,Per votum immobiliter voluntas firma…ur in bonum, Aqui. Su…. 2. 2. q. 88. art. 6. purposes, and intentions in our minds, yet through the weakness of …our flesh, we are apt to start from them. Now a Promise and Vow is a special means to keep us from starting from our good motions and purposes
VII. Be careful to perform the Vowes a…d Promises thou makest unto God in the day of thy trouble and distress, for by thy Vow thou hast bound thy self to performance; and therefore saith the Wise man,Quia jam vovisti, jam …e obstrinxisti. Aug. Epist. 45. an Arment. When thou vowest a vow unto God, deferre not to pay it, for hee hath no pleasure in fools; noting it to be egregious folly in any to be forward in making Vowes unto God, and then afterwards to be backward in performing what they vowed.Eccl. 5. 4, 5