A Prospect of Heaven, Treatise · Chapter 31
CHAP. XXXI. Setteth down a cordial to them that are in affliction, and a Preparative to them that are not.
A Twofold uſe may be made of what was laid down in the precedent Chapter; and it concerns them that are in affliction, and them that are not: for them that are in affliction, a cordial of unſpeakable comfort: for what can more comfort an afflicted ſoul when he ſeeth how all earthly joyes have forſaken him, and that he is every day fain to eat the bread of ſorrow, and to mingle his drink with tears, what can more comfort him than to know and to be aſſured, that yet for all this, he is never the farther from God, never the farther from Heaven: the world powreth contempt upon him, but God hath not caſt him out of his favour: his outward man peradventure is weakened and decayed, but his inner man is ſafe and untouch'd: Earth hath denyed him peace and comfort, but in Heaven there's laid up for him a crown of bleſſedneſs.
This was it that gave Job comfort, and made him Victor in ſtercore, made him ſing Songs of Triumph, even when he was ſitting on the dunghill; his ſubſtance was gone, his Children were ſlain, his Wife tempted him, his Servants ſcorned him, his enemies inſulted on him, his Friends forſook him, the Devil was a ſcourge to him, God himſelf ſeemed to hide his face from him, yet for all this, ſaith he, I know that my Redeemer liveth, and that I ſhall ſee him at the laſt day: there is no comfort in the world comparable to this; ſo we may be ſure to come to Heaven at the laſt, no matter though we go thither in a a whirlwind and a fire; no matter whether a ſmooth way or a rugged: Better go a fowl way to a Banquet, than a fair way to a Gibbet. The reward we look for in Heaven is ſometime compared to a reaping, to a harveſt; now you know when the corn is ſown once, before we come to reap it, it ſuffers a great deal of hard weather; many daſhing rains, many nipping froſts, many biting winds, yet none of all theſe do hinder the harveſt, they make the corn never the worſe either for ripening or reaping: in due ſeaſon we ſhall reap, as the Apoſtle ſaith, notwithſtanding all theſe. Afflictions are to us while we are living in the world, as hard weather to the corn while it is growing in the field: they nip us, they pinch us, they blow cold, they beat hard upon us, yet they ſhall not ſpoil us of the harveſt we look for, they ſhall not bereave us of the leaſt of thoſe ſheaves of joy that lye a ripening for us, but in due ſeaſon we ſhall reap the full crop into our garners: let this then be a cordial to all that are in affliction.
Let it be alſo a preparative for thoſe that are not: prepare your ſelves O Chriſtians for the patient bearing of all trials that God ſhall ſend upon you, by laying up before hand this comfort and aſſurance, that no trials ſhall rob you of your crown.
Object. Peradventure you will object, that yet they have done ſo by ſome— extremity of affliction hath driven them into extremity of deſpair; ſo inſtead of receiving the Crown of life, they have cauſed their portion in the ſecond death.
Reſp. Affliction hath not cauſed this, but the ill uſe that hath been made of affliction: we are to judge of affliction as we are to judge of proſperity: they are either of them good or evil according to the good or evil uſe that is made of them: it's certain, that ſome that are in proſperity ſhall come to Heaven, yet their proſperity is not the cauſe of it; and ſo for ſome that are in affliction, 'tis poſſible for them to miſs of Heaven, yet 'tis not their affliction that deprives them of it: the good or evil uſe of either, is that which makes all of us in either to be happy or unhappy.
Let it therefore prepare us for the conſtant and patient bearing of afflictions, whenſoever they ſhall come upon us, eſpecially if they ſhall come upon us for the teſtimony of the Goſpel, and for righteouſneſs ſake; for if the crown of glory belong to any that ſuffer, then certainly to thoſe ſufferers that our Saviour ſpeaks of, Matth. 5.10. Thoſe that ſuffer for righteouſneſs ſake, they of all other are bleſſed, and to them belongeth the Kingdom of Heaven: yea, if in Heaven there be degrees of glory (as we may perſwade our ſelves there be) we may withall perſwade our ſelves that the chiefeſt manſions are for ſuch: they that moſt partake with Chriſt in his ſufferings, they ſhall moſt ſhare with him in glory; the faire… crowns of glory that Heaven hath to give, ſhal… be ſet upon the Heads of Martyrs; firſt the Crown of Martyrdom, and then a Crown of Glory: as God hath called them to their ſufferings, ſo doubtleſs he will ſtrengthen them in their ſufferings, and crown them for their ſufferings: may they therefore ſtand faſt unto the end, and bear all their troubles and tribulations patiently, conſtantly, joyfully: Patienter propter Deum, confidenter propter auxilium, gaudenter propter praemium; patiently, for God's ſake, becauſe he hath called them to it; conſtantly, for his aſſiſtance ſake, becauſe he will aid them in it; joyfully, for the rewards ſake, becauſe he will crown them for it. Upon this account it was, that the Apoſtle commendeth the Hebrews, that they paſſed thorow all manner of afflictions, and cleaved faſt to the Goſpel, and therefore bids them call to remembrance the former dayes, in which after they were illuminated, they endured a great fight of afflictions; partly (ſaith he) while ye were made a gazing-ſtock both by reproaches and afflictions, and partly while ye became companions of them that were ſo uſed: for ye had compaſſion of me in my bonds, and took joyfully the ſpoilin… of your goods, knowing in your ſelves that ye ha… in heaven a better, and an enduring ſubstance, Hebr. 10.32, 33, 34. Have any of us then received the beginning, the earneſt, the firſt-fruits of eternal life, then let it be far from us to think of leaving all theſe rich hopes of eternity, for fear of the ſharpeſt temporary ſufferings; and let me add, that afflictions are ſo far from keeping us from Heaven, as they be rather a way to bring us to Heaven. We muſt through much tribulation enter into the Kingdom of God, Act. 14.22. Certainly, many perſons had never come to Heaven, if God had not brought them to his Kingdom this way.