A Covert from the Storm, Doctrine 5
The Fifth Doctrine.
Saints are impriſoned that they may be tried.
The Devil, ſayes the text, ſhall caſt ſome of you into priſon that ye may be tried. The word in the original is foreign that ye may be tempted. Now trial, or tem… tation is ſometimes taken in a bad ſometimes in a good ſenſe, and the text may be underſtood either way.
1. Tryal or temptation may be taken in a bad ſenſe as referred to the Devil. Certainly he by impriſoning believers deſignes to make them weary of their Lords yoak; he would fain have them murmure and be impatient under reſtraint, and draw them to ſome ſinful compliance, to the wounding of their conſciences for the regaining of their liberty. He endeavours to make them grow diſcontented, & quarrel at the Lords diſpenſations; that their enemies which are vile, and the baſeſt of men ſhould yet proſper, and themſelves in the mean time be expoſed to ſo many hardſhips and inconveniencies notwithſtanding the integrity of their hearts, and the unblamableneſs of their converſations.
2. Trial or temptation may be taken in a good ſenſe, as referred to Gods permitting the Saints to be thus exerciſed. He hath certainly a wiſe, and gracious, and holy end in it. 'Tis true, God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man, Jam. 1. 13. And yet 'tis expreſly affirmed that God did tempt Abraham, Gen. 20. 1. How ſhall theſe two places be reconciled? I anſwer, That temptation ſpoken of by the Apoſtle James, is to be underſtood concerning drawing away and enticing to wickedneſs, v. 14. of ch. 1. And thus God tempteth not; he neither infuſeth, nor excites any ſinful inclinations in the heart of man, but ſtrictly forbids ſin, and will ſeverely puniſh it. Thus men are tempted by Satan, and eſpecially by their own luſts. But that temptation ſpoken of by Moſes, is as much as trying or making proof of Abrahams ſincerity: and thus to tempt, is not at all unbecoming, or inconſiſtent with the Lords holineſſe and goodneſs: and when he ſuffers believers to be impriſoned, 'tis for their tryal that he does it.
Now here I ſhall firſt ſhew, What of the Saints is tryed by impriſonment, and ſufferings of the like nature. Secondly, to what end they are thus tryed.
In the firſt place, What of the Saints is tryed by impriſonment, and ſufferings of the like nature. Firſt, their Faith. Secondly, their Love. Thirdly, their ſubjection and obedience.
1. Their Faith is tryed. They that can looſe what they have for Chriſt, it argues a full perſwaſion that Chriſt is better than their earthly enjoyments, and that they believe there is ſuch a fulneſs in him as can make up all their loſſes. Such eſteem the promiſes of eternal bleſſings, exceeding great and precious, who are reſolved to embrace them whatever they fling away beſides. When in a good Cauſe we lightly eſteem liberty and outward accommodations, it ſhewes we have that faith which is the ſubſtance of things hoped for, and the evidence of things not ſeen, Heb. 11. 1. Our faith gives a ſubſiſtence to, and mightily reallizeth thoſe things which as yet we have only the hopes of enjoying; and makes the great things of another world evident, though not to be ſeen or poſſeſſed till hereafter. Faith is a noble grace, it glorifies God exceedingly; when a man upon the Lords word, will conſent to quit all that's near and dear to him, in expectation of a Kingdom and Glory which no man alive ever ſaw.
2. By impriſonment and other ſufferings Believers Love is tryed. They who can undervalue Liberty, and livelyhood, and life, for the ſake of the Son of God, may boldly ſay as Peter did in another caſe, Lord thou knoweſt all things, thou knoweſt that we love thee, 'Tis manifeſt they love the Lord Jeſus in ſincerity. But if when the world and Chriſt ſtand in competition, we hold to the world, and deſpiſe the Lord, certainly our love is but a painted, not a real fire. Love is a Grace of an uniting nature. The Hiſtory tells us, That the ſoul of Jonathan was knit to David, and he loved him as his own ſoul: and we find that the diſpleaſure which Saul had conceived againſt David, and the danger that Jonathan was in, for his affection ſake, could not cool, much leſs quench his love. If we love our Lord, our ſouls will be knit to him; and troubles will be ſo far from diſſolving the union, that they will cauſe us to cling the cloſer, and c…a…p the faſter about him.
2. By impriſonment, and ſufferings of the like nature, there is a tryal made of believers ſubjection and obedience. When they will do for God, though preſently ſuffering for God follow; this argues they have learned to deny their own wills, and taken the Word and will of God as their guide and Rule. When they regard the commands of God above the commands of men, are awed by the threatnings of God more than the threats of men, and dread Gods diſpleaſure more than mans anger; this is a demonſtration that they have ſubmitted unto Chriſts Scepter, and that the Promiſe of the Covenant is fulfilled, Heb. 8. 10. I will put my Lawes into their minds, and write them in their hearts, and I will be to them a God, and they ſhall be to me a people.
In the ſecond place I am to tell you, for what end God will have his Saints thus tryed.
1. That the truth of their Grace may be evident; and great peace muſt be the concomitant of that evidence. When their gold is tryed in the fire, and gliſters the more, ſhines the brighter, they may be pronounced rich indeed. The man that is rich in the World, hath no reaſon to glory in his riches▪ for he is but a beggar in compariſon.
2. They are tryed that Satan may be ſilenced. He can no longer ſay that the Saints are mercenary or ſelfiſh, when ſelf is thus denyed, when peace of conſcience is preferred before the greateſt outward peace and proſperity; and ſo the inheritance above may be ſecured, they put it to the venture what the world can do to them, or take from them. The Lord may ſay to Satan (and this accuſer of the brethren have nothing to reply) Haſt thou conſidired my ſuffering Servants, how perfect and upright they be? They fear God, and eſchew evil, though by departing from evil they make themſelves a prey.
3. Believers are tryed, that God who upholds them may be honoured. The Lord is with them in the furnace; he keeps them like the Buſh in the midſt of the flaming fire, unconſumed. He ſhewes his wiſdome and grace, in ſo tempering the furnace, as that it is both tolerable, and alſo effectual unto their refining. The Saints have abundant cauſe readily to acknowledge, that their ſupport in trouble, their benefit by trouble, and their deliverance out of trouble, is wholly to be aſcribed unto God: and he is glorified by this, which is ſo juſt an acknowledgment.
USE I.
Of Admonition to unſound Profeſſours. Be reſtleſs till you are ſearched and changed ſo, as to have truth in your inward parts; elſe you will never abide the tryal: in the time of temptation, your ſandy foundations will deceive you; your building will fall, and great will be the fall of it, Mat. 7. 27.
You will fall away further from God, more f…ully into ſin, more deep into hell; and all theſe falls will be great and dreadful.
1. You that are unſound, in times of tryal wil fall away further from God. Some of you, though never brought quite home, yet have been almoſt perſwaded, have been not far from the Kingdome of Heaven. But all this common work, if you reſt in it, will dye away; when Chriſt puts you upon ſuffering, you will forſake him. Suffer is an hard word, who can bear it? And when you leave the Lord, you bid farewel to the Father of mercies; the God of love, and of all grace, the Fountain of living waters, the Prince of peace, the only Saviour. Well may I cry out, Oh how much folly is there in back-ſliding!
2. You will fall more foully into ſin. God may quickly throw the Reins out of his hands upon the neck of corrupted Nature; and whither may you be carryed? Apoſtatizing profeſſors often turn moſt profane; they out-run, as to riot & exceſs, the wretchest hat never pretended to Religion. The Conſcience that was once awakened, if it fall aſleep again, ſleeps more ſoundly. The heart that was once reſtrain'd from ſin that reſtraint being gone, is more eager to commit iniquity than before. Nay, 'tis ſomtimes obſerved, that backſliding profeſſors … become cruel perſecutors of thoſe wayes which once were forwardly owned by them. If this be not the unpardonable ſin, I am ſure it comes to the very brink of it.
3. You will fall more deep into Hell at laſt. Chriſt tells us that the laſt end of ſuch is worſe than their beginning, Mat. 12. 45. and that both as to ſin, and as to puniſhment. How large will be the Vial of wrath to be emptied upon Apoſtates heads? how hot their place in the Lake that burns with fire and brimſtone? Thoſe, that as the Apoſtle ſpeaks are twice dead, pluckt up by the roots, Jude 12. The ſecond death will be more terrible to them, they will be eternal fewel to a more furious flame. The ſufferings of the Saints, whether impriſonment, or death, are not worthy to be named the ſame day, with everlaſting confinement to outer darkneſs, and ſuffering in the higheſt degree and fulleſt meaſure eternal damnation. Conſider this ye hypocrites that are rotten at heart, that have God in your mouthes, but he is far from your Reins: On how long will it be ere you attain to uprightneſs!
USE II.
Of Encouragement to the Saints when they are exerciſed with Tryals.
1. The Lord hath promiſed to keep you when you are tryed. He may fan and winnow, but not a grain of corn ſhall fall to the ground ſo as to be loſt. That Scripture is very obſervable, Rev. 3. 10. Becauſe thou haſt kept the word of my patience, I alſo will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which ſhall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth. He will keep from the hour of temptation, that is, from the prevalency of, and corruption by temptation in that hour. But then you muſt be ſure to keep his Word, which is called the Word of his patience, becauſe it propoſes Chriſt as an example of patience, and layes an injunction upon you to be like him. And if you look upon this word, as your food, as your phyſick, as your treaſure, as your armour, as your heritage, I hope you will look upon it as well deſerving to be kept by you▪
2. Your tryals will make you to grow in grace. Grace is of that nature that it increaſes and gathers ſtrength by exerciſe. As the Widdowes Oyl by being drawn out did multiply; ſo Grace is augmented, not diminiſhed, by being uſed. Hark to the Apoſtle, Rom. 5. 3, 4 5. Knowing that tribulation worketh patience; not only tryeth patience, but worketh patience; and patience experience, and experience hope, and hope maketh not aſhamed. The righteous by tryals and difficulties are not ſtopt as diſcouraged perſons, but hold on their way, nay not only hold on, but grow and go ſtronger: and they that have clean hands ſhall wax ſtronger and ſtronger, Job 17. 9.
3. After you have endured tryal, you ſhall be own'd and crown'd, Jam. 1. 12. Bleſſed is the man that endureth temptation, for when he is tryed he ſhall receive the Crown of life, which the Lord hath promiſed to them that love him. And that Crown when received will make all pains, and diſgrace, and ſufferings to be forgotten.