A Covert from the Storm, Doctrine 3
The Third Doctrine.
Among other troubles, ſome believers endure bonds and impriſonment.
In the Catalogue of ſufferings, impriſonment is reckoned by the Holy Ghoſt, Heb. 11. 36. And others had tryal of cruel mockings and ſcourgings, yea moreover of bonds and impriſonment. And the Apoſtle ſpeaks after this manner, Acts 20. 22, 23. And now behold I go bound in the ſpirit unto Jeruſalem, not knowing the things that ſhall befall me there, ſave that the holy Ghoſt witneſſeth in every City, ſaying that bonds and afflictions abide me. The members of Chriſt, though made free by their Head, yet may have fetters put upon them by unreaſonable men. In the impriſonment of the Saints, two things are to be conſidered.
1. Their confinement, and the reſtraint that is laid upon them. Liberty is agreeable to Nature, 'tis therefore a great tryal to loſe it; and the cloſer the impriſonment is, Nature accounts it the more irkſome. To have lovers and friends and acquaintance put far away, may well be lookt upon as a great affliction. To be within double doors, and thoſe doubly barr'd; to look through Iron grates, is a condition which needs ſo…thing from above to ſweeten it.
2. Their being numbred among evil doers, is another part of the impriſoned believers tryal. As the Lord himſelf was numbred among the tranſgreſſours, Iſa. 53. 12. ſo are his Priſoners. The ſame Gaol contains Thieves and Harlots, and the Witneſſes of Jeſus, their innocency is …ull…ed, and things that they know not are laid to their charge: But the Lord hath promiſed, that within a while, their righteouſneſſe ſhall be brought forth as the light, and their judgment as the Noon day, Pſal. 37. 6.
Now the Reaſon why the Saints are impriſoned by their enemies, is twofold.
1. That they may be puniſhed. If their enemies can go no further, they will go thus far, and hereby they think to take ſome revenge upon them; though they little imagine what a ſweet place they ſend the Saints to; God turns their revenge into a kindneſſe.
2. That they may be hindred from doing good, is another Reaſon why the Saints are confined. They went about doing good while Liberty was enjoyed, therefore they are reſtrained, and their feet made faſt, that they may no longer be thus employed, though it be as their Lord and Maſter himſelf was, in the dayes of his fleſh. But it is the application of this Doctrine I principally intend.
USE I.
Of Direction, how the Saints ſhould behave themſelves when they are impriſoned. Their carriage I ſhall direct in theſe particulars.
1. They muſt carry themſelves humbly before God. Sin and the deſert of it ſhould be called to remembrance; and how a worſe place than a priſon hath been juſtly merited. You ſhould lament your not improving of Liberty while you had it, your unprofitableneſs, your unuſefulneſs, that ſo little good was done, when you had opportunities in your hands. The Croſſe indeed that's laid upon you, is a badge of honour; and yet withall there is ſomewhat medicinal in it, which argues remainders of ſpiritual diſtempers that ſhould be matter of humiliation. The more humble and contrite you are, the more viſits you are likely to have from the High and Lofty One, who inhabiteth Eternity: He dwells with the lowly, that he may revive the ſpirit of the humble, and that he may revive the heart of the contrite ones, Iſa. 57. 15.
2. You muſt carry your ſelves meekly and modeſtly towards your enemies; you muſt bleſs them that curſe you, and p…y for your deſpightful perſecutors, Mat. 5. 44. Call not the Wild-fire of your own paſſions by the name of zeal: and ever remember that excellent and divine Maxime, The wrath of man worketh not the righteouſneſſe of God, Jam. 1. 20. Imitate the perfect Pattern, who when he was reviled, reviled not again, when he ſuffer'd, he threatned not, but committed himſelf to him that judgeth righteouſly. Meekneſs and humility will be lovely and convincing too, in the eyes of your adverſaries, and they may be brought to acknowledge, if Chriſt hath any followers, that you do moſt reſemble him, and are likely to be the perſons.
3: Be not daunted at impriſonment. Look with another kind of countenance than thoſe do that ſuffer for evil doing. Let not your joyes be ſo low as to be in the power of creatures to rob you of them. Shew by your chearfulneſs you have choſen that good part which men cannot take away from you. Check your ſpirits when they begin to deſpond, and ſay with David, Pſal. 43. ult. Why art thou caſt down O my ſoul? and why art thou diſquieted within me? Hope thou in God, for I ſhall yet praiſe him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God. And that you may be thus fortified, beg that the Lord would ſtrengthen you according to his glorious power with all might, unto all patience and long-ſuffering with joyfulneſs, Col. 1. 11.
4. Since you are taken off from other buſineſs, abound the more in duty. Now the Throne of Grace ſhould be often viſited; and the Word which ſtrengthens in weakneſs, which revives in heavineſs, ſhould be more than ever ſearched into. It is meet that Priſons ſhould be Houſes of Prayer. Being ſequeſtred from the World, you ſhould be the m…re with God. Pull up all the Flood-gates, and let the ſtream of your affections run with an holy violence towards him: Ever be telling him what you need, what you deſire, and be encouraged by the promiſe he hath made to ſatiate the weary, and to repleniſh every ſorrowful ſoul, Jer. 31. 25.
Fellowſhip with God will make ſolitude pleaſant; you will find, though alone, that you have the beſt company. If you are continually almoſt ſpeaking to God by ſupplication and thanksgiving, and hearing what he ſpeaks to you, by his Word, and Providences, and Spirit, you will have reaſon to profeſs, that a Priſon is one of the beſt places of abode, next to the Sanctuary and the New Jeruſalem.
5. Let impriſonment be improved ſo as to further your progreſs in ſanctification. Ranſack every corner of your hearts. Deal much more ſeverely with your luſts than men can deal with you; cry out with violence againſt your fleſhly and worldly inclinations. 'Tis ſin that deads and impriſons your Spirits; the more ſanctified you are, the more you will be at liberty. Tell the Lord, and ſpeak it …m your very hearts, that ſin is the worſt of all your adverſaries, and that the remainders of the old man are worſe than any fetters in the world. Never let the Lord al…, till you find the body of death pining and dying ſenſibly away, the world as a contemptible thing more under your feet, and your inward man encreaſing ſtrength, and growing up a pace to the meaſure of the ſtature of the fulneſſe of Chriſt, Ep…. 4. 13.
USE II.
Of Conſolation to impriſoned believers. Several things may be ſuggeſted as grounds of comfort and encouragement.
1. God can come at his people through barr'd and bolted doors. No dungeon can keep the Priſoner cloſe from him. We read that the Lord came to his Diſciples the door being ſhut, and ſaid, Peace be unto you. And if he come into the Priſon, the Door being ſhut, and by his Spirit ſay, Peace be to thee, the Priſoners heart will leap for joy, he will ſay, not how dreadful, but how delightful is this place? this is no other than the Houſe of God, and this is the Gate of Heaven. Our adverſaries, let them diſpoſe of us where and how they pleaſe, cannot keep God from us, or us from God, they cannot ſhut us up from his preſence: and where his gracious preſence is vouch ſafed, there is reſt; all inconveniences and miſeries are ſo light that they are hardly worth the taking notice of.
2. The heart may be enlarged where the body is confined. The Soul may be brought out of Priſon, when the body is committed to it. In the Mittimus the form of Law runs thus, That the Goalet take the body of ſuch an one. Verily over the ſpirit they have no power. What believer would not be content to be confined, upon condition his heart might be made more free to duty, more free in duty? upon condition his deſires might ſwell and overflow, and his longings after the God of all grace, might grow much ſtronger than the thirſt of the moſt ſenſual after pleaſures, or of the moſt worldly minded after Gold and Silver.
3. The Lord who will condimn thoſe that viſit not the Priſoners, Mat. 25. will not fail to viſit them himſelf. And as they more need refreſhments they ſhall ſurely enjoy them. He will behold them wich a reconciled face, and ſay to them, I am your light and your ſalvation, be not terrified with the darkneſſe of the calamitous day wherein you live. The groaning of the priſoner doth pierce the Heavens, and enters into the ear of the Lord of Sabaoth, who will return an anſwer of peace and conſolation.
4. The Priſoners of Chriſt are Priſoners of Hope. They are in but during the King of Saints his pleaſure. If Chriſt ſay, Come forth, even a Lazarus ſhall break out of a Grave: And if he have the Key of the Grave, ſurely the Keyes of priſons are at …ommand; they cannot hold any whom he hath a mind to ſet at liberty. Priſons may ſoon grow ſick of the Saints, and vomit them out as the Whale did Jonah. However, it will not be long e're the day of glorious liberty, and of full Redemption come; and then the adverſaries of the Saints will be bound hand and foot, and thrown into outer darkneſs; and the Saints will have liberty to enter into the Kingdome prepared for them, to ſee God face to face, without any lett from others or themſelves, and to live eternally in his preſence, where there is fulneſs of joy, and pleaſures for evermore, Pſal. 16. ult.