A Christian Library, Chapter 14
CHAP. 14. That it increaseth their joy and thankfulness.
11 BEcause our manifold sufferings and Gods often delivering us, doth increase our joy and thankfulness, yea, make after-blessings more sweet; By this we have new Songs put into our mouthes, and new occasions offered to praise the Authour of our deliverance. When the Lord brought again the captivity of Sion; (saith David in the person of Israel) we were like them that dream, (meaning the happiness seemed too good to be true) Then were our mouthes filled with laughter, (saith he) and our tongues with joy, the Lord hath done great things for us whereof we rejoyce, Psal. 126.1, 2, 3, 4. And how could their case be otherwise; when in that miserable exigent, Exod. 14. they saw the Pillar remove behinde them, and the Sea remove before them, they looking for nothing but death? Is any one afflicted? I may say unto him as that Harbinger answered a Nobleman complaining that he was lodged in so homely a Room; You will take pleasure in it, when you are out of it: For the more grievous our exigent, the more glorious our advancement. A desire accomplished delighteth the soul, Prov. 13.19. We read how that lamentable and sad Decree of Ahashuerus, through the goodness of God, was an occasion exceedingly to increase the Iews joy and thankfulness, insomuch that (as the Text saith) the dayes that were appointed for their death and ruine, were turned into dayes of feasting and joy, and wherein they sent presents every man to his neighbour, and gifts to the poor, Esther 9.17, 22, to 28. And this joy and thankfulness was so lasting, that the Iews cease not to celebrate the same to this day. Gods dealing with us is often harsh in the beginning, hard in the proceeding, but the conclusion is alwayes comfortable. The joy of Peter and the rest of the Church was greater after he was delivered out of Prison by the Angel, Acts 12. And the joy of Iudith and the rest of Bethulia, when she returned with Holofernes head; then if they never had been in distress, Iudith 13. The Lord deprives us of good things for a time, because they never appear in their full beauty, till they turn their backs and be going away. Again, he defers his aid on purpose to increase our desires before it comes, and our joy, and thankfulness when it is come: to inflame our desires, for things easily come by, are little set by: to increase our joy, for that which hath been long deteined; is at last more sweetly obteined: What (think we) did he that was born blinde think, when his eyes were first given him▪ How did he wonder at Heaven & Earth, the strange & goodly varieties of all the Creatures, and chearfulnes of the light! every thing did not more pleas, then astonish him. Lastly, our thankfulness: for, suddenly gotten; suddenly forgotten: hardly gotten; hardly forgotten: Philoxenus was wont to say, it wil taste sweeter, if it cost me sweetly. We love that dearly, that cost us dear. As Mothers love their children, more tenderly then Fathers; because they stood them in more, Abrahams childe at an hundred years of age, was more welcome then if he had been given at thirty: And the same Isaac had not been so precious to him, if he had not been as miraculously restored, as given; his recovery from death made him more acceptable: The benefit that comes soon and with ease, is easily contemned: long and eager pursuit endears any favour: The Wise men rejoyced exceedingly, to finde the Star: The Woman to finde her piece of Silver: The Virgin Mary, to finde her and our IESUS: CHRIST, alwayes returns with increase of joy: He may absent himself for a time, but he intends it only as a preparative; to make us relish that sweet food the better: he may keep us fasting, but it is on purpose, that our trial may be perfect, our deliverance welcome, our repentance glorious ▪ Yea, the delivering of some, increaseth the joy of others, and causeth them to praise God for, and rejoyce in their behalf that are delivered, Acts 12 14. We never know the worth of a benefit so well, as by the want of it: want teacheth us the worth of things most truly. Contraries are the best Commentaries upon each other, and their mutual opposition; is the best exposition. Oh how sweet a thing is peace to them that have been long troubled with wars and tedious contentions! The thunder of the Cannon, is the best Rhetorick to commend it to us. How sweet is liberty to one that hath been long immured within a case of walls! A very Bird, never chants it so merrily, as when she is is got loose into the open air, having been long encaged. How dear a jewel is health to him that tumbles in distempered blood! For then only we begin to prize it, when we have lost it. Let a man but fast a meal or two, ô how sweet is brown bread! though it would not down before. Yea, when Darius in a slight, had drunk puddle water, polluted with dead carcaces; he confest never to have drunk any thing more pleasant: the reason was, he always before used to drink ere he was a thirst. We are never so glad of our friends company, as when he returns after long absence, or a tedious voyage. The nights darkness makes the light of the Sun more desirable; and brings of it Letters of commendations. A calm is best welcome after a tempest, &c.
Yea, what serves others sorrows for, but to increase our joy and thankfulness? Thou hast eyes; ask the blinde, whether that be not a blessing? Thou hast ears, ask the deaf, whether that be not a great blessing? Thou hast a tongue; what thinks the dumbe of that? Thou hast feet, hands, health, liberty, life, reason, &c. is all this nothing? Yea, others bleed; we sleep; others beg, we abound: others starve, we surfet: others groap in the dark, our Sun still shines: and shall not we rejoyce and be thankful? Bless (saith our Saviour) when ye are cursed: and shall not we bless, when thus blessed? Yet wo is me, we forfeit many of Gods favours, for not paying that easie Rent of thankfulness: like those nine, Luk. 17.12, to 19. we are more apt to pray, then to give thanks: because we are more sensible of our own wants, then of Gods glory. We can open our mouthes when we want any thing, either to pray, or at least to murmur: and why should not our thanksgivings, be as frequent as our blessings are? The L…pers voice was not more loud in his suit, then in his thanks. It were happy for us Christians, if we could but learn of this Samaritan.
And thus we see, that good things then appear of most worth, when they are known in their wants: When we have lost those invaluable comforts which we cannot well be without; the minde hath time to recount their several worths: and the worths of blessings appear not till they are vanisht.
No wonder then that our estates and conditions are so variable, like the face of the Heavens, or the Sea; or like the weather about Michaelmass, which is now fair, and presently again foule; or rather the hard Winter, which for one fair Sun-shine day, hath oftentimes ten, …oul: For God sees that it is very good for us: for as seeds that are deepest covered with snow in Winter, flourish most in the Spring, or as the winde, by beating down the flame, raiseth it higher, and hotter: and as when we would have some fires flame the more; we sprinkle water upon them: even so when the Lord would increase our joy and thankfulness, he allayeth it with the tears of affliction: misery sweetneth joy; yea, the sorrows of this life shall (like a dark veil) give a lustre to the glory of the next; when the Lord shall turn this water of our earthly afflictions into that wine of gladness, wherewith our souls shall be satiate for ever. We deceive our selves to think on earth, continued joys would please; Plenty of the choicest daintie is no dainty. When Pearls grew common at Rome, they wore them on their shoes, and they had much ado to save themselves out of the dirt, as Tertullian speaks. Nothing would be more tedious then to be glutted with perpetual jollities: were the body tied to one dish always, though of the most exquisite delicates that it could make choice of; yet after a small time, it would complain of loathing and satiety: and so would the soul; if it did ever Epicure it self in joyes. I know not which is the more useful: Ioy I may chuse, for pleasure; but adversities are the best for profit: I should without them want much of the joy I have. Well then, art thou vexed, persecuted, and afflicted by some cruel and malicious Saul? and is it grievous to thee for the present? Why, that which hath been hard to suffer, is sweet to remember: at last our Songs shall be louder then our cries.