A Christian Library, Chapter 5
CHAP. 5. That it serves to work in us amendment of life.
2 SEcondly, the malice of our enemies serves to work in us amendment of life. Every affliction sanctified, rubs off some rust, melts off some drosse, straines out some corruption, &c. which done, we rise out of trouble, as Christ rose out of the grave: for when the gold is fined, the fire shall hold it no longer. The outward cold of affliction doth greatly increase the inward heat and fervour of the graces of God in us. Indeed no chastisement (saith the Author to the Hebrewes) for the present seeme… to be joyous, but grievous: But afterwards it bringeth the quiet fruit of righteousness to them that are thereby exercised, Heb. 12.11.
We are dunged with reproaches, that we may prove a richer soil for grace, as Nazianzen speaks, (alluding to the parable of the Fig-tree,) God beats us, that he may better us: he hedgeth us about with thorns, that he may keep us within compasse, lest we break over into Satans pastures: which indeed will fat us but to the slaughter. Yea, he pricks us with goads, that he may let out our ill humours: and happy thorns or lancets of tribulation are those, which open a vein for sin to gush out at.
God strips the body of pleasure to cloath the soul with righteousnesse, and oftentimes strengthens our state of grace by impoverishing our temporall estate: for commonly the more prosperity, the lesse Piety. The poor (saith Christ) receive the Gospel, though the rich are more bound. It was an observation of Tacitus, that raising of the fortune did rarely mend the disposition: only Vespasian was changed into the better. Yea, if it make us not worse, it is a wonder: Evagrius gives it as a high praise of the Emperour Mauritius, that in the height of all his Majesty, he reteined his ancient Piety. We serve God, as our servants serve us: of which many have too good cloaths, others too much wages, or are too fine fed to do work; as …sops Hen being over-fed, was too fat to lay: or perhaps too many under them; as a Gentleman having but one servant, thought him over-burdened with work, and therefore took another to help him: but having two, one of them so trusted to the others observance, that oft-times, they were both missing, and the work not done; then he chose a third; but was worse served them, then before: whereupon he told his friend, When I had one servant, I had a servant; when I had two, I had but half an one: now I have three, I have never an one. Few men can disgest great felicity: Many a man hath been a loser by his gains, and found that, that which multiplied his outward estate, hath abated his inward, and so on the contrary, David was never so tender, as when he was hunted like a Partridge, 1 Sam. 26.20. Ionah was at best, in the Whales belly. Stevens face never shone so fair, as when he stood before the Council, Acts 6.15. Whilest the Romans had wars with Carthage and enemies in Affrick, they knew not what vices meant in Rome.
Now if the winter of the one is found to be the spring of the other, and the corruption of prosperity the generation of piety; who will esteem those things good which make us worse, or that evil, which brings such gain and sweetness? Before I was afflicted (saith David) I went astray, but now I keep thy commandement, Psal. 119.67. These evils do press us, but it is to God and to holiness. Yea, how much lower our afflictions weigh us down on Earth, so much the more earnestly our affections mount up to Heaven.
An Egge will swim in s…lt water, but sink in fresh: so we. King David among so many publick and private calamities and disasters, kept his head above water, and stood upright in his heart to God: But King Solomon his son, even sunk in the midst of delights and pleasures. Too much rankness layeth the Corn: and Trees over-laden with Fruit, are their own ruine. Happy was he, Iohn 9. in being born blinde, whose gain of bodily sight made way for the spiritual, who of a Patient became an Advocate for his Saviour, who lost a Synagogue and found Heaven, who by being abandoned of sinners, was received of the Lord of glory: God rarely deprives a man of one faculty, but he more then supplies it in another. The defect of corporal sight, hath not seldome mended the memory: for what is taken from one sense is divided amongst the rest. When Zachary was dumbe, Iohn Baptist the voice was a breeding. Hannibal had but one eye: Appius, Claudius, Timelon, and Homer were quite blinde; So was Mulleasses King of Tunis, and Iohn King of Bohemia ▪ but for the loss of that one Sense, they were recompensed in the rest, they had most excellent memories, rare inventions, and admirable other parts. Or suppose he send sickness; the worst Feaver can come, does not more burn up our blood than our lust; and together with sweating out the surfets of nature, at the pores of the body; we weep out the sinful corruption of our nature at the pores of the conscience: Yea, the Authour to the Hebrews saith of Christ himself, that though he were the Son, yet (as he was man) He learned obedience by the things which he suffered. Heb. 5.8. As in humane proceedings, Ill manners beget good Laws; so in Divine; the wicked by their evil tongues beget good and holy lives in the godly: Whence Plutarch adviseth us so circumspectly to demean our selves as if our enemies did alwayes behold us. Nothing sooner brings us to the knowledge and amendment of our faults, then the scoffs of an enemy: which made Philip of Macedon acknowledge himself much beholding to his enemies (the Athenians) for speaking evil of him, for (saith he) they have made me an honest man, to prove them liars: even barren Leah, when she was despised became fruitful.
So that we may thank our enemies, or must thank God for our enemies: Our souls shall shine the brighter one day for such rubbing: the cold winde cleanseth the good grain: the hot fire refines the pure gold. Yea, put case we be gold; they will but try us: If Iron; they will scowre away our rust.
I say not that a wicked heart will be bettered by affliction: for, in the same fire that gold is made bright and pure; d…oss is burnt and consumed: and under the same flail that the grain is purged and preserved; the husks are broken and diminished. Neither are the Lees therefore confounded with the Wine, because they are pressed and trodden under the same press or plank; but I speak of affliction sanctified, and of the godly.
Yet let not the wickedest man be discouraged, for as when Christ called the blinde man; the Disciples said, Be of good comfort, he calleth thee: so I may say to thee that art burthned with any kind of affliction; Be of good comfort, Christ calleth thee, saying, Come unto me by repentance and amendment of life, and I will ease thee of thy sins and sorrows, here and hereafter; only as the blinde man threw away his garment and followed Christ, so do thou answer him, I will forsake my sins and follow thee. For if God, like a prudent Prince, makes offers and fames of war; it is but to mend the conditions of peace.
But, farewel, I am for the already resolved; to whom I say, if the needle of affliction be drawn through us, by reason of wicked mens malice; it is but to convey with it the threed of amendment: and their worst to the godly, serves but as the thorn to the brest of the Nightingale, the which (if she chance to sleep) causeth her to warble with a renewed cheerfulness ▪ For as blowes make balls to mount, and lashes make Tops to go, which o… themselves would fall: so with their malice we are spurred up to duty, and made persevere in it, for commonly (like Tops) no longer lasht, no longer we go. Yea, these very tempestuous showers bring forth spiritual flowers & herbs in abundance: Devotion (like fire in frosty weather) burns hottest in affliction. Vertue provoked, ads much to it self: With the Ark of Noah, the higher we are tossed with the flood of their malice; the neerer we mount towards Heaven. When the waters of the flood came upon the face of the earth, down went stately Turrets and Towers; but as the waters rose, the Ark rose still higher and higher. In like sort, when the waters of affliction arise; down goes the pride of life, the lust of the eyes; In a word all the vanities of the World. But the Ark of the soul ariseth as these waters rise, and that higher and higher, even neerer and neerer towards Heaven.
I might illustrate this point by many observable things in nature: We see Well-waters arising from deep Springs, are hotter in Winter then in Summer, because the outward cold doth keep in, and double their inward heat: And so of mans body, the more extream the cold is without; the more doth the natural heat fortifie it self within, and guard the heart: The Corn receives an inward heat and comfort from the Frost and Snow which lieth upon it: Trees lopt and pruned flourish the more, and bear the fuller for it. The Grape when it is most pressed and trodden, maketh the more and better Wine: The drossie gold is by the fire refined; Windes and Thunder clears the Air: Working Seas purge the Wine: Fire increaseth the sent of any Perfume: Pounding makes all Spices smell the sweeter: Linnen when it is buckt, and washt, and wrung, and beaten becomes the whiter and fairer: the Earth being torn up by the Plough, becomes more rich and fruitful. Is there a piece of ground naturally good? Let it lie neglected; it becomes wilde and barren: yea, and the more rich and fertile it is of it self, the more waste and fruitless it proveth for want of Tillage and Husbandry. The Razor, though it be tempered with a due proportion of Steel, yet if it pass not the Grindstone or Whetstone, is never the less unapt to cut; yea, though it be made once never so sharp; if it be not often whelted, it waxeth dul. All which are lively emblemes of that truth which the Apostle delivers, 2 Cor. 4.16. We faint not, for though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed daily. Even as a Lambe is much more lively and nimble for shearing. If by enmity and persecution (as with a knife) the Lord pareth and pruneth us; it is, that we may bring forth the more, and better fruit: and, unless we degenerate; we shall bear the better for bleeding: as Anteus, every time rose up the stronger, when Hercules threw him to the ground: because he got new strength, by touching of his Mother.
O admirable use of affliction! health from a wound; cure from a disease: out of grief, joy: gain out of loss: out of infirmity, strength: out of sin holiness: out of death life: yea, we shall redeem something of Gods dishonour by sin, if we shall thence grow holy. But this is a harder Riddle then Sampsons to these Philistims.