An Offer of Farther Help to Suffering Saints, Chapter 3
CHAP. III. Evincing the neceſſity of a ſound and reall work of grace upon the heart, to fit a man for the ſufferings of Chriſt.
HAving ſhewed you that God doth ſometimes put his deareſt people upon very hard ſervices for him, and what an excellent thing it is to prepare our ſelves to obey the call of God to them; In the next place I come to ſhew you, wherein this preparation or readineſs for Sufferings conſiſts, and how many things concur and contribute their aſſiſtance to this Work.
Now there is a two-fold preparation or readineſs for Suffering; the one is habitual, the other actual: That habitual readineſs is nothing elſe but the inclination of a Soul, to ſuffer any thing for Chriſt; which inclination ariſeth from the Principles of Grace infuſed into the Soul: But then as fire, though it have a natural inclination to aſcend, yet may be violently depreſt and hindered, that it cannot aſcend actually, ſo may it be in this caſe; and therefore, before a man can be fitted for Sufferings, as Paul was, there muſt to this habitual be ſuperadded an actual readineſs, which is nothing elſe but the rouzing of Grace out of the ſleepy and dull habits, and awakening it to its work in a time of need: as the Lyon is ſaid to laſh himſelf with his Tail, to rouze up his Courage before he fight. The former is a remote power; the latter a proxim and immediate power. I muſt handle the former in this Chapter, and you are to know, that it conſiſteth in a found and reall work of Grace or Converſion wrought upon the ſoul; without which I ſhall make it evidently appear to you, that no man can be fit or ready to ſuffer as a Chriſtian.
What ever ſtock of natural Courage, moral Principles, or common Gifts of the Spirit be lodged in any mans Breaſt, yet all this (without ſpecial grace) can never fit him to ſuffer for Chriſt. And had not this Work been really and ſoundly wrought upon the heart of this bleſſed man, as indeed it was, Acts 9.3, 4, 5. he had quickly fainted under his Sufferings; and ſo will every ſoul ſooner or later do, that ſuffers not upon the ſame Principles he did.
1. For firſt, No man can ſuffer for Chriſt, until he be able to deny himſelf, See Matth. 16.24. Selfdenial goes in order of Nature before Sufferings. Beloved, In a Suffering hour the Intereſts of Chriſt and Self meet like two men upon a narrow Bridge; one muſt of neceſſity go back, or the other cannot paſs on: If you cannot now deny Self, you muſt deny Chriſt. The Yoke and Dominion of Self muſt be coſt off, or elſe Chriſts Yoke and Burden cannot be taken on.
It is confeſt that Self may not onelyonly conſiſt with, but be a motive to ſome kind of Sufferings: Ambition and Applauſe may carry a man far this way; Pride is a Salamander that it ſeems can live in the flames of Martyrdome, 1 Cor. 13.3. but to be a Servant to Self, and a true Sufferer for Chriſt are incompatible. Self may make you the Devil's Martyrs, but Grace onelyonly can make you Chriſts Martyrs. So that let a man be ſeemingly carried for a while with never ſo high a Tide of Zeal for Chriſt, yet if Self be the Spring that feeds it, thoſe ſelfends like ſo many little Ditches joyned to the Banks of a River, ſhall ſuck and draw away the Water into themſelves, that the lofty Stream will ſink and come to nothing ere it have ran far: So then of neceſſity Self muſt be dethroned in the hearts of Chriſts ſuffering Servants.
But now it is real Grace onelyonly that depoſes Self, and ſubjects its Intereſts to Chriſts; for Sanctification is nothing elſe but the dethroneing of exalted ſnf, and the ſetting up of Chriſts Intereſt above it in the Soul. This is it that alters the property of all a man hath, and ſuperſcribes them with a new Title, Holineſs to the Lord, Iſa. 23.18. Zech. 14.20, 21. Thenceforth a man looks at himſelf as none of his own, but paſt into anothers right, 1 Cor. 6.19. and that he muſt neither live, nor act ultimately for himſelf, but for Chriſt, Rom. 14.7. Heb. 13.7, 8. Phil. 1.20. He is no more as a Proprietor, but a Steward of all he hath, and ſo holds out upon theſe terms to lay it out or lay it down as may beſt ſerve his Maſters ends and glory.
All that he is or hath, is by Grace ſubordinated to Chriſt; and if once; ſubordinated, then no more oppoſed to him ſubordinata non pugnant. This is it that makes him ſay, I care not what becomes of me or mine, ſo Chriſt may be glorified. Let Chriſt be m…gnifi…d in my body, whether it be by life, or by death, Phil. 1.20.
By Converſion Chriſt enters the ſoul, 2 Cor. 10.5.as an Army doth an Enemies Garriſon by Storm, and when he is poſſeſt of it by Grace, he preſently divides the whole ſpoil of Self betwixt himſelf and his Church. This is the firſt thing that evinces the neceſſity of a Work of Grace to prepare the heart for Sufferings.
2. And then in the next place, It is as evident that a man can never be fit to ſuffer hard Things for Chriſt, until his Spirit be enlarged, raiſed, and ennobled, ſo that he be able to deſpiſe Dangers, and look Difficulties in the face. That low and private Spirit muſt be removed, and a publick Spirit muſt poſſeſs him. If a man be of a feeble and effeminate Spirit, every petty Danger will daunt and ſink him; Delicacy and Tenderneſs is as unſuitable to a Chriſtian as to a Souldier, 2 Tim. 2.3. They that mean to enter into the Kingdome of God, muſt reſolve to make their way through that brake of Troubles betwixt them and it, 2 Tim. 3.12. They that will be crowned with Victory, muſt ſtand to it, and play the men, as that word imports, 1 Cor. 16.13. Look over all the Sacred and Humane Hiſtories, and ſee if you can find a man that ever honoured Chriſt by Suffering, that was not of a raiſed and noble Spirit, and in ſome meaſure able to contemn both the allurements and threats of men. So thoſe three noble Jews, Dan. 3.16, 17. ſo Moſes, Heb. 11.27. and ſo our Apoſtle, Acts 20.24. and the ſame heroick and brave Spirit was found in the ſucceeding Ages amongſt the Witneſſes of Chriſt. When Valence the Empercur endeavoured to draw Baſil from the Faith by Offers of Preferment, Offer theſe things (ſaid he) to Children; when he threatned him with torments, Threaten theſe things (ſaid he) to your Purple Gallauts that live delicately. And the ſame Baſil relating the Story of the fourty Martyrs, ſaith, That when great Honours and Preferments were offered them to draw them from Chriſt, their anſwer was, Why offer you theſe ſmall things of the world to us (O Emperour) when you know the whole world is contemned by us! So Luther, Money could not tempt him, nor the fear of man daunt him. Let me (ſaid he in his Letter to Staupicius) be accounted proud, covetous, a murtherer, guilty of all vices, rather then of wicked ſilence and cowardize in the Cauſe of Chriſt. Thus you ſee to to what an height and holy greatneſs the Spirits of ſuffering Saints in all Ages have …een raiſed.
But now it is Grace that thus raiſes the Spirits of men above all the ſmiles and honours, frowns and fears of men: and no other principle but Grace can do it. There is indeed a natural ſtoutneſs and generoſity in ſome, which may carry them far, as it's ſaid of Alexander, that when any great danger approached him, his courage would riſe, and he would ſay, Jam periculum par animo Alexandri, here is a danger fit for Alexander to encounter; ſo Pompey when diſſwaded from a dangerous Voyage, anſwered, Neceſſe eſt ut eam, non ut vivam, It's neceſſary that I go, not that I live. But this being fed onelyonly by a natural Spring, can carry a man no higher then Nature, and will flag at laſt. If applauſe and the obſervation of the world ſupply it not, it quickly ebbs and fails.
But as Grace raiſes men much higher, ſo it maintains it even when there is nothing to encourage without; when forſaken of all Creatures, and viſible ſupports, 2 Tim. 4.10. and this it doth three wayes: (1) By guiding him that hath a view of far greater things, which ſhrinks up all temporary things, and makes them appear but trifles and ſmall matters, Rom. 8.18. 2 Cor. 4.18. By Grace a man riſes with Chriſt, Col. 3.1. It ſets him upon his high places, and thence he looks down upon things below, as very poor and inconſiderable. The great Cities of Campania ſeem but little ſpots to them that ſtand on the top of the Alps. (2) By teaching him to value and meaſure all things by another Rule, then he was wont to do. He did once meaſure life, liberty, riches, honours, by ſenſe and time; and then they ſeemed great things, and it was hard to deny them; Or thus to ſlight them; but now he values and meaſures all by Faith and Eternity; and eſteems nothing great and excellent, but what hath a reference to the Glory of God, and an influence into Eternity. (3) Grace raiſes and ennobles the Spirit thus, becauſe it is the Divine nature; 'tis the Spirit of Chriſt infuſed into a poor Worm, which makes a ſtrange alteration on him, transforms him into another manner of perſon; as much difference betwixt hir Spirit now, and what it was, as betwixt the Spirit of a Child, that is filled with ſmall matters, and taken up with toyes; and of a grave States-man, that is daily imployed about the grand affairs of a Kingdome.
3. A man can never ſuffer as a Chriſtian, till his will be ſubjected to the Will of God. He that ſuffers involuntarily, and out of neceſſity, not out of choice, ſhall neither have acceptance nor reward from God. Of neceſſity the will muſt be ſubjected; a man can never ſay, Thy will be done, till he can firſt ſay, Not my will.
But it is Grace onelyonly that thus conquers and ſubjects the will of man to Gods, Pſal. 110.3. This is it that exalts Gods Authority in the Soul, and makes the heart to ſtoop and tremble at his Commands. 'Tis this which makes our will to write its fiat at the foot of every Command, and its placet under every Order it receives from God. No ſooner was Grace entred into the ſoul of Paul, but preſently he cries out, Lord what wilt thou have me to do? Acts 9.6. The Will is to the Soul what the Wheels are to the Chariot; and Grace to is the Will what Oyl is to thoſe Wheels. When we receive the Spirit of Grace, we are ſaid to receive an Unction from the holy One, 1 John 2.20. and then the Soul is made as the Chariots of Aminadab, Cant. 6.12. Non tardat uncta rota, it runs freely after the Lord, and chearfully addreſſeth it ſelf to every Service.
4. A man can never ſuffer as a Chriſtian, untill his heart be compoſed, fixed, and determined to follow the Lord through all Hazards and Difficulties. As long as a man is heſitating and unreſolved what to do, whether to go forward, or turn back again to the proſperous World, when a man is at ſuch a pauſe and ſtand in his way, he is very unfit for Sufferings. All ſuch Diviſions do both we…ken the Soul, and ſtrengthen the Temptation: The Devils work is more then half done to his hands in ſuch a Soul; and he is now as unfit to endure hardſhip for Chriſt, as a Ship is to ride out a Storm, that hath neither Cable, Anchor, nor Ballaſt to hold and ſettle it; but lies at the mercy of every Wave, James 1.8. The double-minded man is unſtable in all his wayes. But it's Grace and nothing beſides it, that brings the heart to a fixed reſolution and ſettlement to follow the Lord. 'Tis Grace that eſtabliſhes, the heart, He…. 13.9. and unites it to fear the Name of God, Pſ…l. 86.11. This gathers all the Streams into one Channel, and then it runs with much ſtrength, and ſweeps away all obſtacles before it. So that look as it is with a wicked man that hath ſold himſelf to do wickedly, if he be ſet upon any one deſign of ſin, he pours out his whole heart and ſtrength in the proſecution of that Deſign; which is the ground of that ſaying, Liberet me Deus ab homine unius tantum negetii, Let God deliver me from a man of one onelyonly Deſign. He will do it to purpoſe: So is it alſo in Grace; If the heart be compoſed, fixed, and fully reſolved for God, nothing ſhall then ſtand before him. And herein lies much of a Chriſtians habitual fitneſs and ability to ſuffer.
5. The neceſſity of Saving-Grace in all Sufferers for Chriſt will farther appear from this conſideration, That he who will run all hazards for Chriſt, had need of a continual ſupply of ſtrength and refreſhment from time to time. He muſt not depend on any thing that is failable: For what ſhall he do then, when that ſtock is ſpent, and he hath no Proviſion left to live upon? Now all natural qualifications, yea all the common gifts of the Spirit are failable and ſhort-lived things; they are like a ſweet Flower in the boſome, that is an ornament for a little while, but withers preſently: Or like a Pond or Brook occaſioned by a great fall of Rain, which quickly ſinks and dries up, becauſe it is not fed by Springs in the bottome, as other Fountainwaters are: and hence it is they cannot continue and hold out when Sufferings come, Matt. 13.21. becauſe there is no Root to nouriſh and ſupport. The Hypocrite will not alwayes call upon God, Job 27.10. Though they may keep company with Chriſt a few miles in this dirty way, yet they muſt turn back at laſt and ſhake hands eternally with him, John 6.66. Theſe Commets may ſeem to ſhine for a time among the Stars, but when that earthly matter is ſpent, they muſt fall and loſe their glory.
But now, Grace is an everlaſting principle, it hath Springs in the bottome that never fail. It ſhall be in him (ſaith Chriſt) a Well of water ſpringing up into eternal life, John 4.14. The Spirit of God ſupplies it from time to time as need requires. It hath, daily incomes from Heaven, 2 Cor. 1.5. Phil. 4.13. Col. Munimur quatenus unimur.1.11. So that it is our union with Chriſt the Fountain by Grace, that is the true ground of our conſtancy and long-ſuffering.
6. And then laſtly. It will appear by this alſo, that there is an abſolute neceſſity of a real change by Grace on all that will ſuffer for Chriſt; becauſe although we may engage our ſelves in ſufferings without it, yet we can never manage our ſufferings like Chriſtians without it. They will neither be honourable, or acceptable to God, nor yet beneficial and comfortable to our ſelves or others, except they be performed from this principle of Grace: For upon what principle ſoever beſide this, any man is acted in Religion, it will either cauſe him to decline Sufferings for Chriſt: or if he be engaged in them, yet he will little credit Religion by his Sufferings. They will either be ſpoiled by an ill management, or his own pride will devour the praiſe and glory of them. I do not deny, but a man that's graceleſs, may ſuffer many hard things upon the account of his profeſſion, and ſuffer them all in vain, as theſe Scriptures manifeſt. See 1 Cor. 13.3. Gal. 3.4. and although you find many ſweet Promiſes made to thoſe that ſuffer for Chriſt, yet you muſt conſider, that thoſe pure and ſpiritual Ends and Motives, by which men ought to be acted in their ſufferings, are always ſuppoſed and implyed in all thoſe Promiſes that are made to the external action. And ſometimes it is expreſt, 1 Pet. 4.16. to ſuffer [as a Chriſtian] is to ſuffer from pure Chriſtian Principles, and in a Chriſtian manner, with Meekneſs, Patience, Self-denial, &c. and this onelyonly Grace can enable you to do: So that by all this I ſuppoſe what I have undertaken in this Chapter, viz. to evince the neceſſity of a Work of Grace to paſs upon you, before Sufferings for Religion come, is by all this performed to ſatisfaction.