The Life of Faith, Chapter 10
CHAP. X. The evil effects of ſore afflictions, where Faith doth not help to bear them; Faith looks to the Author, cauſe, ends of affliction; Good thoughts of God a great help to bear affliction; Three ends thereof, Deut. 8.16. Why outward troubles are oft accompanied with inward; Faith ſees all in God in affliction; Aſſurance not neceſſary to comfort; Believers more then Conquerours in affliction; Col. 1.11. opened; Recumbency the moſt noble Act of Faith; The advantage of Believers above others in affliction; The Concluſion.
ALthough afflictions are in a proper ſence called temptations, yet it will be requiſite to conſider them by themſelves, and to ſhew the uſe of Faith therein both for bearing them, and improving them. Afflictions if they be ſore and heavy, are as I have beforeſaid, a ſhadow of death, by reaſon whereof a Chriſtian is many times ready to faint, Heb. 12.5. yea, to charge God fooliſhly, as if he would at laſt caſt us off, 1 Sam. 27.1. yea, as if he had already caſt us off, Pſal. 31.32. Iſa. 49.14. yea, as if he took pleaſure, or it did him good to grieve and afflict his own children, Job 10.3. and (which is more ſad) when they preſs hard, our feet are ready ſomtimes to ſlip, & we almoſt repent of our repentance, and think we have cleanſed our hearts in vain, Pſal. 73.2, 13. So that God is fain to take off his rod leſt we ſhould be tempted to put forth our hand to iniquity, Pſal. 125.3. But though we be as dying, yet by Faith behold we live, 2 Cor. 6.9.
Firſt, Faith looks to the Author of our affliction, ſeeth the inviſible hand which inflicts and moderates them, Heb. 11.27. while Sence looks only at the Inſtrument thereof. Now this doth much quiet the ſoul under affliction, as Eli ſaid, 1 Sam. 3.18. It is the Lord, let him do what ſeemeth him good. And Job, though the Chaldeans and Sabeans had ſpoyled him, and taken away his goods, aſcribes it to God, as the righteous permitter and wiſe orderer of it, Job 1.21. When Attila, King of the Hunns, came into France, Lupus Biſhop of Troyes, met him, and asked him, who he was that ſo ſpoyled and made ſuch devaſtations in the earth? He anſwered, Dei ſe eſſe flagellum, He was the Scourge of God; Whereupon Lupus commanded the City Gates to be opened to him, and welcomed him with theſe words, Fauſte ingrediatur flagellum Dei, Magdeburg. Cent. 5. cap. 10. While the rod is in Gods hand there is no danger, he is a wiſe God and cannot be overſeen; a ſtrong mighty God, who can rule the rod in his own hand, Iſa. 10.15. A righteous God, and can do us no wrong, Jer. 12.1. and will not give man advantage againſt him ſo as to enter in o judgement with him, Job 34.22. He is a good God, who doth not afflict willingly, nor grieve the children of men, Lam. 3.33. and ſo will be ſure to lay on no more than need requires, 1 Pet. 1.6.
Secondly, Faith looks to the cauſe of our affliction; Sence is ready to quarrel with God, as if he took pleaſure to afflict, Job 10.3. as if he took us for his enemies, and ſet us up for his mark to ſpend all the Arrows of his diſpleaſure upon us, Job 13.24. & Chap. 16.12. but by Faith we may ſee through theſe clouds, Iſa. 8.17. and ſtay our ſelves on God, though we walk in darkneſs and ſee no light, Iſa. 50.10. Job, when he had recovered himſelf, and had found his faith, would not let his hold go of God though he ſhould kill him, Job 13.15. Yea, Faith can ſee love and faithfulneſs in the greateſt afflictions, becauſe it judges not by Sence, meaſures not happineſs by preſent enjoyments, and ſo makes not things before us an evidence of love or hatred, Eccleſ. 9.2. but reckons of things according to the tendency of them to the promoting our everlaſting happineſs; wherefore David acknowledges that it was in faithfulneſs that God had afflicted him, Pſal. 119.75. God was therein faithful to the intereſt of his ſoul.
Now this doth much caſe the burden of affliction, we can eaſily bear that which we know is done out of love; the wounds of a friend are better than the kiſſes of an enemy, Prov. 27.6. We are impatient of an enemy beſieging us in a City, or impriſoning us in a Caſtle, when we can well enough be content our Phyſician ſhould confine us to a Chamber, becauſe we know he doth it out of his love and care. If ever we would comfortably bear afflictions let us maintain good thoughts of God, and not make the ſevereſt interprerations of his Providences, or entertain any evill ſurmiſes or jealouſies of him; we ſhould indeed be ſo ſenſible of his Fatherly diſpleaſure as not to deſpiſe his chaſtening, but not queſtion his Fatherly care ſo as to faint when we are rebuked of him, Heb. 12.5.
Thirdly, By Faith we look to the end of our afflictions, there are three ends of them which are ſet down together, Deut. 8.16. The firſt is to humble us, 1 Pet. 5.6. this they do as they bring our ſin to remembrance, Gen. 42.21. as they let us ſee our dependance on God, and how obnoxious we are to him, how much we are at his mercy. The ſecond is to prove us, Job 23.10. 1 Pet. 1.6. and I have elſewhere ſhewed what an excellent fruit of affliction this is. The third is to do us good in the latter end, Heb. 12.11. By experience we may know this afterwards, as David could ſay, It was good for him that he was afflicted, Pſal. 110.71. But Faith rejoyces in this before hand, being the ſubſtance of things hoped for; and as the Levites praiſed the Lord before the victory, in confidence of his faithfulneſs in making good his Promiſe; 2 Chron. 20.21. ſo a Believer can rejoyce in tribulations, in hope of the happy iſſue thereof, as it is ſaid Mr. Dod did once in a very great affliction, becauſe he knew God would do him good by it.
Fourthly, Faith takes Gods bare word, when a man hath nothing elſe to truſt to; and indeed this … moſt properly Faith, otherwiſe we deal with God as we do with one whom we count a knave, whom we dare not truſt any further than we can ſee him; let Faith have but a Promiſe and it will be too hard for ſenſe or reaſon, becauſe it knows it is impoſſible for God to lie, but nothing elſe is impoſſible to him but what is againſt his Nature or Word. Abraham believed this, Heb. 11.19. Therefore he obeyed, knowing that if there was no other way to fulfill the Promiſe, God could do it by raiſing the dead; and this is to be obſerved, that when God will do any notable thing for any of his people, he firſt doth, as it were, ſentence to death all means conducing thereto, that ſo they may believe in him that raiſeth the dead, 2 Cor. 1.9. Thus he dealt with Abraham, with Joſeph, with the Iſraelites in bringing them out of Aegypt. And if Chriſtians did but duly conſider this, it would free them from many ſad doubts and fears concerning their own condition: Many when they read the many Promiſes in Scripture to the children of God, and compare their own condition therewith, are ready to ſay, as Linacer, when he read the fifth Chapter of Matthew, Either this is not the word of Chriſt, or theſe are not the people of Chriſt; ſo either theſe Promiſes are not true, or we have no right in theſe Promiſes; and out of modeſty they rather chooſe to affirm the latter, and ſo caſt away their confidence, reaſoning concerning themſelves, as Job's friends did concerning him, Job 4.7. God never caſt off a righteous perſon, but he had caſt off Job, wherefore Job was not a righteous perſon, but an hypocrite: and this is one cauſe why inward troubles do ſo oft accompany outward troubles: as in David, Pſalm 6.2, 3. his body and ſoul were ſore vexed together. When men are in great ſtraits and afflictions, they think theſe things cannot ſtand with the Promiſes of God concerning his preſence with his people, Iſa. 43.1, &c. his protection and proviſion, Pſal. 84.11. wherefore ſure they are none of his people. Do but obſerve how Chriſt rebukes his Diſciples, Luke 8.25. for being afraid, though they were in ſuch great danger, and he imputes this to the defect of their faith.
Fifthly, Faith ſees all in God in time of affliction, as it ſees God in all in time of proſperity: Thus Habakkuk lived by the ſame faith, chap. 3.17, 18. which he preached, cha. 2.4. Thus David had reckoned the protection of God as a garriſon, Pſal. 31.21. though ſome think he means Keilab, by that ſtrong city, yet others think, he means nothing but Gods Salvation, Iſa. 26.1. Ezek. 11.16. eſpecially comparing it with Pſal. 3.5. which he wrote when he fled for his life; and yet, how doth he there profeſs his own ſecurity, in confidence of Gods Salvation, v. 8. Pſal. 112.7. and it holdes as well for any other mercy, as for protection; for God, in promiſing to be a God to his people, Gen. 17.7. doth in effect promiſe, that his power, wiſdome, goodneſs, or any other of his Attributes ſhall not be wanting to them when they may be improved for their Good. And where we ſee not the power of God put forth at any time for our help, and ſupply, in what we deſire or need, let us account that there the wiſdome and goodneſſe of God are ours, in denying us what he knowes would not be good for us, and what is better for us to want than have. Amemus unum bonum, in quo ſunt omnia bona, & ſufficit, &c. August. Med. Many obſerve a difference in the words of Eſau and Jacob, Gen. 33.9, 11. though they are tranſlated alike, Eſau ſayes foreign but Jacob foreign a wicked man, like Eſau, may have much; but a godly man, like Jacob hath all: For, as Austine ſaith, he hath all, that hath God, who hath all.
If any ſhall ſay, Indeed we might glory in tribulation, if we were aſſured that God is ours: But how can we ſee all in God, when we doubt of our intereſt in him? and, as the Apoſtle ſaith, that all men have not faith; ſo we may ſay, all Believers have not aſſurance. To this I anſwer, That full aſſurance is not allwayes neceſſary to our joy and comfort, as Mr. Baxter ſaith, Adam in Paradiſe did certainly live comfortably, and rejoyce in his condition, yet he was not ſure he ſhould abide therein, and not fall from it; there was not certitudo rei, or aſſurance of the thing it ſelf, therefore he could not be ſure of it. And a child may comfort himſelf in hopes of his Fathers eſtate, though he know not but his Father may diſinherit him. And if any reply, that Adam might be taken up with the happineſs of his preſent condition, and ſo not need to look forward for comfort, as Believers are fain to do, and that Adam had not ſo much cauſe to ſuſpect his condition, as a believer hath. I add, a Merchant rejoyceth much in expectation of his Ship coming home, richly laden, yet he knowes it is ſubject to great hazards at ſea, and I deſire this may be diligently heeded; Faith of recumbency (as it is commonly called) is the moſt proper and moſt noble act of faith, (though I am farr from thinking that the concluſion is not de fide, where both the premiſes are not ſo, & ſo that aſſurance is not faith) v. Daille la foi fondee, &c. partie 1. c. 12. For as Chriſt ſaid to Thomas, Joh. 20.29. Bleſſed are they that have not ſeen and yet have believed: bleſſed are they who though they are not aſſured either by any mediate or immediate teſtimony of the Spirit, yet dare rely (ſtrongly ſtrongly ſtrongly, as an eminent dying Saint once ſaid) upon the Promiſe of Jeſus Chriſt, that he will in no wiſe caſt out thoſe that come to him; for as thoſe are commanded to rejoyce that ſeek the Lord, Pſa. 105.3. though they have not yet found him, becauſe he hath not ſaid to any in vain ſeek ye my face, ſo may thoſe rejoyce that thus caſt themſelves upon Jeſus Chriſt, though he have not yet ſaid to them, I am thy Salvation, Pſal. 35.3. and he takes pleaſure in thoſe who ſo hope in his mercy, Pſal. 147.11.
Sixthly, By Faith we receive ſtrength from Jeſus Chriſt for bearing of affliction. I have ſhewed before how we have Union and Communion with Jeſus Chriſt, and through him we are able to do all things, Phil. 4.13. he ſpeaks not there of active obedience only, as a learned man hath obſerved Hales Romains, 125. foreign there is as much as vales, or poſſum, which is as well to ſuffer, as to do; and it is clear from the context, that he ſpeaks there chiefly of ſuffering. Coloſ. 1.11. There is a gradation, ſtrengthened with all might according to his glorious power, unto all patience, with long-ſuffering, and joyfulneſs. The power of God doth not only ſtrengthen us to patience, but to all patience; we may have patience in ſome afflictions, not in others; thoſe may bear loſſes perhaps, that cannot bear affronts or diſgrace; and not only to patience, but long-ſuffering: this reſpects the length of our ſufferings, as the other did the weight of the…, Some can endure a ſharp brunt, but tire under a long affliction. But he goeth further to joyfulneſs, thoſe may endure an heavy affliction, and endure it long too, which yet go drooping and heavily under it: but by Faith in the power of Chriſt we may bear long and heavy afflictions with joy: Thus we are more than conquerors, through him that loved us, Rom. 8.37. we conquer afflictions, when they do not conquer us, but we are more than conquerors when we can rejoyce in them.
Laſtly, Faith looks to the recompence of reward, as I before ſhewed the efficacy of it in this reſpect, to overcome temptations, ſo we ſhall now ſee how effectual it is to enable us to bear afflictions: Though our outward man periſh, our inward man is renewed day by day, ſaith the Apoſtle, 2 Cor. 4.16. Afflictions did abound, yet they gained ſpirituall ſtrength to go on more cheerfully, inſtead of fainting or drawing back, and the reaſon hereof was, they looked not on the things which were ſeen, but on the things which were not ſeen, verſ. 18. which is the work of faith, Heb. 11.1. As Columbus, when he firſt went to diſcover America, ventured a tedious and long voyage over the main Ocean, upon this confidence, that he ſhould there diſcover another part of the world, which had formerly been unknown to us, when the Spaniards that went with him were ready to mutiny, becauſe they had not ſo much judgment as to be perſwaded of any ſuch fruit of their travel. Or as Moſes had much adoe to get an unbelieving multitude along with him through the wilderneſſe, but they were oft murmuring, rebelling, turning back in their hearts unto Egypt. So have I ſeen thoſe who have been unequally yoaked, and have had ſome heavy burden of affliction lying on them, the one hath born it cheerfully and comfortably, the other hath been an hindrance, and no help, continually murmuring and complaining. In ſuch caſes the vertue of faith doth moſt evidently appear; and though there are not many amongſt us, where the Goſpel is preached, ſuch infidels as to deny the Recompenſe of reward, yet it is only the exerciſe of a true and lively Faith, which can lift up the ſoul under affliction, that being the very ſubstance of the thing hoped for, and the evidence of things not ſeen.
For a Concluſion of the whole matter let me borrow the words of a learned man, Dr. Arrowſmith, Tact. Sacr. l. 2. c. 7. ſ. 13. O quan… memorem fides virtutum nobiliſſima, &c. How ſhall I make mention of thee O Faith, the moſt noble of all Vertues? What ſhall I ſay of thee? Thou art the Hinge on which the Gate of heaven turns, the Bucket by which we draw the water of life, the Wedding Ring whereby the Soul is married to Jeſus Chriſt, the Receptacle of the Bloud of Chriſt, the only Condition of the New Covenant, and the chief part of the New Creature; they that by thee attain to a recumbency are ſafe, they that attain to aſſurance are joyful. Thou art the Eye, the Hand, the Mouth, yea, the All of our Souls. Yea, I may add, Faith is in Grace as the Philoſophers Stone in Nature, as a Catholicon or vniverſal ſoveraign remedy for all diſeaſes. It is in the Soul as the Lungs in the Body, the Inſtrument of breathing, whereby Vitalis ſpiritus (as Fernelius ſaith tanquam patulo alitur & fovetur; we are continually thereby taking in, and giving out: Either receiving from Jeſus Chriſt, or laying out for him. Wherefore with all our getting, as the Wiſeman ſaith of Wiſdome, Prov. 4.7. let us get Faith, and pray, that God will fulfil the work of Faith with power in us, 2 Theſ. 1.11. When Chriſt teaches his Diſciples the exerciſe of Love, they pray for the encreaſe of Faith, Luk. 17.5. Whatever we are called to in this World, let us pray Lord encreaſe our Faith; hereby we ſhall be able to perform our Duties, to exerciſe our Graces, to overcome our Temptations, to bear our Afflictions, to hold up in Deſertions; yea, all things are poſſible to him that believeth, Mark 9.23. Search and examine your ſelves whether you be in the Faith or no, 2 Cor. 13.5. No Faith no Life; and be diligent in the uſe of all means for the ſtrengthening of Faith, attend Ordinances, treaſure up Experiences, conſult the experiences of others, be diligent in ſecret duties, take heed of an evill heart of unbelief, Heb. 3.12. This work is to be followed well, for we are ſlow of heart to believe, Satan is a great enemy to Faith, and there are not in us the ſeeds of Faith as of obedience, Sibbs Souls Conflict. Eſpecially let us be diligent in the uſe and exerciſe of Faith; I have ſhewed the uſe of it in actu ſignato, but let us learn the uſe of it in our dayly practice; David in his greateſt grief, 2 Sam. 1.18. took care to have the Children of Iſrael taught the uſe of the Bow; it is not having good weapons in the War, that will do us any good without the uſe thereof: and Faith in the habit, not exerciſed, is but as the Sword in the Scabbard. Bellarmine, De aſcenſion. in Deum propè finem. The Apoſtles had Faith, Luk. 8.25. but they had it to ſeek when they ſhould uſe it, and ſo were at preſent as if they had none; as he that hath much and doth not enjoy it, is as if he poſſeſſed it not. Whatſoever condition you are in, or whatever you are about, ſtir up Faith, for it hath ſome work to do therein; Every thing is beautiful in its ſeaſon, Eccleſ. 3.11. and this is the ſeaſon of Faith, as Chriſt ſaid of the poor, Joh. 12.8. I may ſay of ſome other Graces, we ſhall alwaies have uſe for them in heaven, not of Faith; here we live by Faith, there by ſight.
FINIS.