A Counterpoison, Religious treatise · Chapter 15
CHAP. XV.
How it increaseth their spirituall wisedome.
12 OUr sufferings make us teachable, and increase in us spirituall wisedome. He delivereth the poore in his affliction, and openeth their eare in trouble, Job. 36. 15. And again, He openeth the eares of men, even by their corrections, Job 33. 16. We are best instructed when we are most afflicted; Pauls blindnesse tooke away his blindnesse, and made him see more into the way of life, then could all his learning at the feet of Gamaliel. And what saith Naaman upon the cleansing of his Leprosie? Now I know there is no God in all the earth, but in Israel. O happy Syrian that was at once cured of his Leprosie, and his misprision of God. The Prodigall sonne regarded not his Fathers admonition, so long as he enjoyed prosperity; when we smart not, we beleeve not, and God is not feared, till felt: but that which makes the body smart, makes the soule wise. It is good for me (saith David) that I have beene afflicted: that I may learne thy Statutes. We grow wise by evills, whereas prosperity besottsus. Even to lose is some wayes profitable; it makes a man wary. Yea, S. Basil calls want, and pennury, the inventer of all Arts. And S. Austin the mistris of all Philosophy. The best wisedome is dearest bought: Algerius the Martyr could say out of experience, he found more light in the dungeon, then without in all the world.
The Scottish King, prisoner in Mortimers hoale, learnt more of Christ, then in his pallace he could all his life. Luther could not understand some Psalmes, till he was in affliction: the Christs crosse is no letter, yet it taught him more learning then all the letters in the row. Yea, what will not affliction teach us, when even the savagest Beasts are made quiet and docible with abating their food, and rest, or by adding of stripes?
That Breefe-braynd fellow in Scaliger, had his eare boared with thunder: when nothing else would doe it. Yea (saith Molineus) Bonifacias his silly reasons for the Popes supremacy, did well enough, being propounded with a sword in the hand. Even as the Clay with water, and the Iron with fire, are made plyable and apt to receive impression from the workeman; even so when wee are soaked in the flouds of sorrow, and softned in the fire of affliction, we are aptest to receive the impression of Gods Law into our hearts, when hee speakes unto us by his Ministers; If the Lord breaks us in peaces with the Plow of his Justice, then let the Seedsmen (his Ministers) sow the seed of his Word; we shall receive it through the furro…es of our eares, into the ground of our hearts, and grow up in wisedome, and saving knowledge. Or when the bard heart is grownd to powder betweene the upper and the n…ther milstone of the two Tables: it will see, and imbrace that counsell, which before it slighted. We heare, and reade much, of the corruption of our natures, odiousnesse of our sinnes, necessity of a Saviour, sweetnes of Gods love in Christ, &c. but wee never fully apprehend these things, or taste how good the Lord is, till some sharpe affliction comes. A man knowes not where his house is ill covered, till winter: Crosses are like pinching frosts, that will search us; wee learne to know our selves by that we suffer.
Yea, Affliction so brings downe our stomacks, that we can see even matter of thankefulnes, where our former pride found matter of complayning. And that which formerly had no more taste, then the white of an egge, (viz. the glad tydings of the Gospell) is now such a spectacle of unspeakable mercy, as ravisheth our soules with admiration.
Many a good word is even spilt upon us, till God sets it on with his Rod: Naomy will not looke home-ward, nor wee heaven-ward, till the Almighty have dealt very bitterly with us. Zippora falls presently to circumcising her sonne, when shee sees her husbands life lyes upon it.
Were it not for temptations, we should be concealed from our selves: like t… …nchanted Asse in Lucian, which returned to his proper shape againe, when he saw himselfe in a looking-glasse. So long as we prosper, like those wives in Jeremy, Chap. 44. 17, 18. we judge of things by their events, and raise our confidence according to the successe we have: and so blesse our selves, without being blest of God; like the Theefe that applauded himselfe for mercyfull, because he had never kild any; and yet rather then lose a Ring, he would cut off the travellers finger; but strong affections will give credit to weake reasons. O how blinde and partiall are wee, before affliction hath humbled us: even so stupid, that Narsisus like, we are inamoured of our owne shaddowes: bragging, we discharge. 4 good conscience, when indeed we discharge it quite away: and this righteousnesse in opinion, is almost the onelyonly cause of all unrighteousnesse.
Before want came, poverty was more contemptible, then dishonesty: but now it is disgracefull to none, except fooles and knaves. Then we could censure things indifferent, and passe by haynous crimes: now wee are able to distinguish them, and so judge righteous judgement. Before trouble came, we were either ungrounded in the principles of Religion, or unconscion…ble in the practise: and by vertue of our mother wit, could poste and passe sinne from our selves, unto some other; as Adam laid the fault upon Eve his wife, she upon the Serpent, and the Serpent upon God. Or excuse, or extenuate it: which (saith Fabius) is to dubble it.
As for Originall corruption, that never troubled us, which now we bewayle as the mother, and nurse of all the rest: thinking it worthy our sighes, yea of our teares, and not without need: it being the great wheele in the Clock, that sets all the wheeles a moving: while it seemes to move slowest. Though not one of a hundred taketh it sufficiently to heart: as not seeing the evill of it. But never did any truly and orderly repent, that began not here: esteeming it the most foule, and hatefull of all, as David, Psal. 51. 5. and Paul, crying out of it, as the most secret, deceitfull, powerfull evill, Rom. 7. 23, 24. And indeed, if wee clearly saw the foulenes, and deceitfulnes of it, wee would not suffer our eyes to sleepe, nor our eye-lids to slumber, untill a happy change had wrought these hearts of ours, which by nature are no better then so many styes of uncleane devills, to be habitations for the God of Jacob.
Apt wee were, to measure our owne good, by anothers want of it, and to scoffe at others infirmities: but now other mens sinnes shall rather be the subject of our griefe, then of our discourse. Before feare of the law, shame of men, and such like base ends, bare the greatest sway with us: yea, to please men, wee could be like certaine pictures, that represent to divers beholders, at divers stations, divers formes: but now it is enough to regulate our thoughts, words, and actions, that God seeth: and indeed where are braines, there needes no more. We reade that paphnutius converted Thais, and Ephron another famous strumpet, from uncleannesse, only with this argument; that God seeth all things, in the darke, when the dores are fast, the windowes shut, the curtens drawne.
Before too much devotion, was made an argument of too little discretion: and mischiefe called vertue, when it was happy in the successe: as with the Papists, the Ostentation of the prosperity of their estate, is the best demonstration of the sincerity of their Religion: yea, and thinke also they have clypt the wings of prosperity (as the Athenians did the wings of victory) that she cannot fly away. Before, we thought drinking, and joviall company, the best receit to drive away sadnesse: but now, nothing like living well, as an Heathen hath confest. Once we thought Earth, Heaven; but now we apprehend the World, and glory thereof, to be (like a beautifull harlot) a Paradise to the eye, a Purgatory to the soule.
Yea, hee that before was indifferent in nothing but conscience, and no cause so bad, but hee would undertake it for gaine, or glory, and thinke it well done. As Sathan prevailes chiefly by deception of our Reason, whereby wee mistake vertue for vice, and vice for vertue; wherein hee imitates Hanniball, who having overcome the Romans, put on their Armour, and so his souldiers being taken for Romans, won a City by that pollicy: and to this purpose, what stone so rough, but he can smooth it: what stuffe so pittifull, but hee can set a glosse upon it: like a Beare, he can licke into fashion, the most mishapen and deformed lumpe: or like a dogge, heale any wound he can reach with his tongue: yea, what golden eloquence will he whisper in our eare; what brazen impudence? what subtill shifts? what quaint querks? what cunning conveyances? what jugling, shuffling, and packing will he use, to make any sinne feazable? (like the Hare, which if she dare not trust to her speed, she will try the turne;) and so on the contrary to discourage us in good; shewing each thing as it were in triangular glasses among the opticks, which will represent a way so fowle, so deepe, that 'tis impassable; as if it were all covered with Tapestry. But as he pleades now with eloquence, so when he sees his time, hee will speake with Thunder. Even such a man I say now, hath his eyes opened to discerne good and evill, when God speaks, and when Satan; for Gods chastisements are pills made of purpose, to cleare the sight: and vertue if it be clearely seene, moves great love and affection, as Plato speaks. Yea, when to our cost, we can (Adam like) see good from evill clearely, the subtile Serpent can deceive no longer: whereas before, wee were easily deceived, and led away with the multitude into innumerable errours. Yea, if the fish did know of the hooke, or the bird did but see the net, though they have but the understanding of fishes, and birds; yet they would let the bait alone, fly over the net, and let the Fowler whistle to himselfe.
Thus Gods corrections, are our instructions; his lashes, our lessons; his scourges, our schoolemasters; his chastisements, our advertisements. And commonly the soule waxeth, as the body wayneth, and is wisest to prescribe, when the bones and sinnewes are weakest to execute: neither doe wee hereby become wise for our owne soules good only, but affliction makes us wise and able to doe others good also that are in any the like affliction. Blessed be God (saith S. Paul) which comforteth us in all our afflictions, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any affliction, by the comfort wherewith wee our selves are comforted of God, 2 Cor. 1. 4. Yea, the whole Church, and every particular member thereof have their wisedome and knowledge improved, even by their greatest enemies. If Arius and Sabellius had not vexed the Church, the deepe mysteries of the Trinity had not bee…e so accurately cleared by the Catholike Doctors. Subtill arguments well answered, breed a cleare conclusion; heresie makes men sharpen their wits the better to confute it; as Worme-wood though it be bitter to the taste, yet it is good to cleere the eyes: yea further, the very stormes of persecution make us looke to our Tackling, Patience; and to our Anchor, Hope; and to our Helme, Faith; and to our Card, the Word of God; and to our Captaine, Christ: whereas security, like a calme, makes us forget both our danger and deliverer. Experience is the best informer, which makes Martin Luther say, When all is done, tribulation is the plainest and most sincere divinity. And another most emphatically, (shewing that knowledge is in many respects cumulative, as well as originall; like water, that besides his owne spring head, is fed with other springs and streames.) That Prayer, Reading, Meditation, and temptations, make a Divine. So that to be altogether exempt from misery, is a most miserable thing.