A Counterpoison, Religious treatise · Chapter 37
CHAP. XXXVII.
That stripes from the Almighty, are speciall tokens and pledges of his adoption and love.
3. WE shall beare the Crosse with more patience and comfort; if we consider, that stripes from the Almighty are so far from arguing his displeasure, that contrarily there are no better tokens and pledges of his Adoption and love; As many (saith God) as I love, I rebuke, …nd …sten: Revel. 3. 19. My Sonne, saith the Author to the Hebrewes, out of Solomons Proverbs, Despise not the c…stening of the Lord, neither faint when thou art rebuked of him: for w…m the Lord loveth, hee c…steneth; and hee … sonne whom hee receiveth. If you endure chast…, God offereth himselfe unto you, as unto sonnes: for … so…e is it whom the Father chasteneth not? If therefore yee be without correction, whereof all are partakers; then are yee …sta…d…, and not sonnes: Heb. 12. 5. to 13. Prov 3. 11, 12. He is a Thist… and not good Corne, that commeth not under the Flayle. Yea, what use of the Graine it self, if it passe not the edge of the Sickle, the stroak… of the Flayle, the winde of the Fan…, the weight of the Milstone, the heat of the Oven?
Many a mans felicity driveth him from God; and where happinesse domineereth, vertue is commonly banished. And doth not experience shew, that feare and joy, sweet and sower, sharpe and flat, one with another, doe better then either alone: for if you be too harsh, you make the Childe a foole; if too f…nd, a wanton. The bridle governes the horse, the spurre quickens him; the weight upon the line makes the Iacke goe, the oyle upon the wheele makes it goe glib, and nimble: The sayles give the speed, the ballast steadinesse to the motion of the Ship. And hereupon God weighs out to us our favours and crosses in an equall ballance; and so tempers our sorrowes, that they may not oppresse; and our joyes, that they may not transport us. Each one hath some matter of envy to others, and of griefe to himselfe.
Thou dealest mercifully with us, least wee should fall from thee; and despaire; thou beatest us, least wee should forget thee, and so perish, (saith Saint Austin:) He that knowes our frame, knowes we are best when we are worst, and live holiest when wee are miserablest: wherefore by affliction he separates the sinne that hee hates, from the sinner whom he loves; and we are by much the better for this scowring. It is the wont of Fathers to hold in their owne Children, when they suffer the Children of bond-men to goe at large, and doe as they list; yea, when divers children are playing the wantons, if we see a man take one from the rest, and whip him soundl…; we conclude, that alone to be his Childe. Yea, wise and discreet Fathers will force their Children earnestly to apply themselves to their study, or labour; and will not let them be idle, although it bee Holy-day: yea, constraine them to sweat, and oftentimes to w…, when their Mothers would s…t them on their l…pp…, and keepe them at home all day in the shadow, …o… …u…ning their white. Jacob is bound prentise, while proph…e Esau rides a hunting: Of Elkana… his two wives, … was in more esteeme with God, yet barren; and Peninnah lesse, yet she was fruitfull. 1 Sam. 1. They were all grosse inconsequences; for Gedeon to argue Gods absence by affliction, his presence by deliverances, and the unlikelihood of successe, by his owne disability: Judges 6. 13. 15. The valiant man was here weake; weake in faith, weake in discourse; for rather should he have inferred Gods presence upon their correction; for wheresoever God chasti…eth, there he is; yea, there he is in mercy: nothing more proves us his, then his stripes; he will not bestow whipping, where he loves not: fond nature, indeed, thinkes God should not suffer the winde to blow upon his deare ones, because her selfe makes this use of her owne indulgence; but none (out of the place of torment) have suffered so much as his deare Children. If he had said we are Idolaters, therefore the Lord hath forsaken us, because we have forsaken him; instead of (the LORD hath delivered us unto the Midianites, therefore he hath forsaken us) the sequell had beene as good, as now 'tis faulty; for sins, not afflictions, argue God absent: Yea, commonly, the measure of our sufferings is according to the measure of grace in us, and Gods love to us; He is a chosen vessell unto me (saith God to Ananias touching Paul;) therefore he must suffer great things for my sake: Acts 9. 15, 16. Job, for a righteous and upright man, had no fellow; by the testimony of God himselfe: Joh 1. 8. Yet the next newes we heare of him, Joh is afflicted in his Sonnes, in his substance, in his body; from the crowne of the head, to the soale of the foot. Saint Austin, when God called him, was farre more assaulted by Satan, th…n Alippius, because God had endued him with greater learning and gifts; and intended him an instrument of bringing more glory to his Name. And lastly, as Christ was annointed with the oyle of gladnesse above his fellowes, Psal. 45. 7. so he was annoynted with the oyle of sadnesse above his fellowes: as was his backe, so was his burthen; as were his partes, so were his passions, and his stroakes, answerable to his strength.
Never any have had so bitter draughts upon earth, as those he loves best: and that of Saint Austin is a sure Rule, Whom God s…ites not, be loves not: If he doe not thinke thee worthy of his Rod, he will never thinke thee worthy of his Crowne. Yea, where hee uses not the Rod, he meanes to use the Sword. Never was Jerusalems condition so desperate, as when God said unto her, My fury shall depart from thee; I will be quiet, and … more angry: Ezek. 16. 42. Thus not to be angry, was the greatest anger of all. Never were the Jewes more to be pitied, then when their Prophet delivered these words from the Lord, Why should yee be stricken any more? Isaiah 1. 5. Not to be afflicted is to be forsaken, and as the sicke man is in small hope of his life, when the Physitian giveth him over; so his soule is in a desperate case, whom God forbeareth to chastise for his sinnes. As many therebe, who never knew what any sorrow meant, unlesse it were such as Am…s, such as Ababs, when they are crossed in their corruptions, curbed in their lewd courses, or restrained of their wicked wills. But let them take it for a fearefull signe of some sore judgement to come: Saint Ambrose, Bishop of Millaine, as Paulinus relates, tooke into a Rich mans house as he travelled; who that hee might bid him throughly welcome, entertained him both with great cheere, and curteous discourses: and amongst other matters, told of his continued happinesse, and that he never suffered any ill all his dayes, but had all things as hee would; and happinesse so flowing in upon him, that he kn…w not what calamity meant: …hich conference did so startle Saint Ambrose, that presently he tooke his leave, telling his company that he feared to stay in that place, which never felt any dysaster; and was no sooner gone thence, but suddenly the house fell downe, and proved a grave to all her inhabitants. Poly…ates, King of the Samians, never felt any ill all his life, his hopes never fell short of his expectation, he could not wish for the thing which was not fulfilled; what he wille…, he did: Yea, having but once a Ring of excellent ra…ity that fell into the water, this losse was recovered; for the Pish was taken whi…h had swallowed it, and was presented to Polycrates: but at length all this his happinesse epilogized in a gallowes. None more happy then great Pompey all his life, yet at last he was made to drinke his owne bloud by the hands of the Executioner. Who but Andronicus, Emperour of the East for many yeares? but at length he was set upon a sc…bbed Camell, with a Crowne of Onions platted on his head, and in great mockery carried in triumph through the City. And does not sacred Writ certifie, how H…, whose command e…ewhile almost reached to Heaven, was instantly adjudged by the King to the Gibbet; while Mordecay who was condemned to the hal…e…, was all of a suddaine made second in the Kingdome.
Neverthelesse, as H…man rejoyced in his preferment to the Queenes Banquet, which was the path-way to his destruction: so many … it the onelyonly argument of Gods love, and that they are in favour with him, because they prosper in all their wayes: which would make a wise man the more suspicious, for (as Seneca that wise Roman faith) he that hath beene longest happy, shall at length have his portion of misery; and who so seemeth to be dismissed, is but deferred.
And commonly their change is not more …ull, then sudden; for as it often hapneth, that in very faire weather a storme doth arise: and as I have read of certaine Trees, which on Munday have beene growing in the Forrest, and before Sunday following, und… …ayle on the Sea: so the same houre hath seene the knee bowed to the head; and againe, the head stooping, and doing reverence to the knee, as every age gives instance: for else I might muster up a multitude of examples for proofe of the point. Or in case it seemes better, yet it is worse with them, when their life and happinesse shall end together: as it fared with Belshazz…r, who was sitting at a Feast merry, while on a sudden, Death came like a Voyder to take him away.
Neither are men of this world, whose bellyes God filleth with his hid treasure, upon occasion of their outward prosperity, onelyonly apt to be brought into a fooles paradise, of thinking themselves to be the speciall darlings of God: but even the godly themselves have oftentimes their eyes so dazled, with the outward glittering and flourishing estate of the wicked, that thereupon they are ready to say of them, The generation of Gods children, as i… fared with David: Psal. 73. 15. But these are not sober thoughts, yea, they are rather the dreames of men, drunke with the love of the world: for although it be as common a phrase, as it is foolish, when any great matter falls to a man, O he is made! yet experience proves, that it rather marres then makes him; for not seldome doe men possesse riches, as sicke men doe feavers … which indeed rather possesse them. And certainly, if riches were such pearles, as most men esteeme them; it is not likely the LORD would cast them to such S…ine, as mostly he doth: if such happy things, he would not throw them to such Dogges. But the truth is, what men thinke most pleasing, (viz. to have their wills, and their lusts granted) is most plaguing: Psal. 81. 12. So I gave them up unto their owne hearts lusts, and they walked in their owne counsels; so that the greatest temptation, is to be without temptation: and the greatest affliction, not to be afflicted: 2 Cor. 12. 7.
Wherefore lift up your hands which hang downe, because of some sore affliction, and your weake kn…es, Hebr. 12. 12. and know, that the worst of temporall afflictions, are an insufficient proofe of divine displeasure: yea, that stripes from the Almighty, are tokens of his love, and seales of his Son-ship.
Yea, since he that hath most grace, commonly complaines of most discomfort; confesse that the palate is but an ill Judge of the favours of God: as it's in great love no doubt, however it be taken; that the tender Father medicines his Childe for the Wormes, gives him Aloes, or the like: the Childe cryes, and spi…tters, and …eakes, as if it were poysoned; yet still the Fathers love is neverthelesse: say it bee bitter, yet bitter potions bring sweet health; and who will not rather take a vomit, then hazard life? In the Sweating sicknesse in England, their friends would stand by them, and strike them over the faces with sprigs of Rosemary, to keepe them awake: the poore soules faint, and full of paine, would cry out, you kill me: but yet they must doe it, or else they kil'd them indeed: for all that slept, dyed. Looke we (saith S…int Ambrose) with the eyes of our body, upon Lazarus estate, and we thinke it miserable; but if with the eyes of the minde, it will be otherwise; for how did the Angels doe by him, but as Nurses are wont to doe by their little children; all the day long they carry them about in their armes, and at night they lay them downe in their beds to rest.
But the supernaturall workes of God, when wee looke upon them with our owne eyes, are subject to a dangerous misprision; the very Sun-beames, to whom wee are beholding for our sight, if we eye them directly, blinde us: Miserable men! we are ready to suspect truthes, to run away from our safety, to be afraid of our comforts, to misknow our best friends.
We usually thinke it a great signe of Gods displeasure, when he ruines our estate, and brings us to nothing; when he in his wisedome knowes, that these riches would shipwracke the soule, were they not cast over-board: and his love onelyonly forces him to it. A Mother seeing her little Sonne brustled at by Turkicocks, catcheth him up, and strippeth him of his Red Coate, at which those Birdes are offended; the Childe cryes for his Coate, but she regarding his good, leteth him weepe, but satisfieth him not. And the like of Enemies, we thinke our selves mightily wronged by them: but God findes it to fare with us, as it doth with the Oake, which gains by the maymes, and wounds given it; and thereupon spreadeth out thicker then before. Whence it is God suffers them to live, and domineere, as some Countries suffer Ravens, enacting Lawes to prohibit the killing of them; that they may devoure the Carrions, which else would corrupt the aire. And so in all other tryals: for be the root of this tree never so bitter, yet the fruit is pleasant. Well may we catch a mayme as Jacob did, but such a blessing comes withall, that we would not (if wise) be without it. Say it be a sore, and fiery tryall, yet better this fire to purge us, then Hell fire to burne us. But all the skill is in making men see this; wherefore he that opened the eyes of Paul, open ours.
But furthermore, as not to be afflicted, argues an absolute defect of goodnesse; so, if our troubles be light and few, it is because wee are weake and tender, for therefore God imposeth no more upon us, because hee sees wee can beare no more: The Physitian will not suffer a milke-sop to see his veyne opened, but makes him winke, or looke another way: The Master giveth not to his sicke Servant strong meates, as he doth to the rest, but more dainty fare; not because he is worthier than the rest, but because he is weaker, and in greater need. The skilfull Armourer tryeth not an ordinary Peece with musket shot. The wise Lapidary brings not his softer stones to the Stithy.
So that freedome from affliction is not a signe of potency, but of impotency. Wherefore, when I am stronger, I will looke for more; when I am a vessell fit for this strong and new wine, I shall be filled with it; but not before: Mar. 2. 22.
Indeed, the calling of God never leaves a man unchanged, nor do…s he imploy any in his service, whom hee does …able to the worke he sets them about. Will any m… choyce of a weak Champion? no more will God: he will either finde us fit, or make us fit to discharge the place he puts us in; as when he called Saul to be a King, he gave him a Kings heart: 1 Sam. 10. 9. And when he called the Apostles to that function, he gave them gifts answerable; so when he calls any to suffer for him, be it Martyrdome; hee giveth them the courage of Martyrs, as the times of Queene Mary witnesse. But yet, for the most part, he traynes us up by degrees; (as we eate divers things by morsels, and easily digest them; which if we should eate whole, would choake us) and doth not make us fit to undergoe great matters on the sudden. We must learne to fence in the Schoole, before we sight in the Field; and with woodden weapons men learne to sight at the sharpe; wee must encounter with some beasts or other, (I meane unreasonable men) before we sight with that fearfull Goliah, death. And indeed, if we do not learne to give entertainment to smaller crosses, the harbingers, messengers and servants of death; how shall we be able to entertaine the Lord and Master, when he commeth? Wherefore, as Jehoram said to Jehu, when he marched furiously; Commest thou peaceably? As if he should say, if thou commest peaceably, march as furiously as thou wilt: so let us say unto God, provided, thy afflictions and chastisements be directed to us as messengers of peace, and love; let them march towards us as furiously as thou pleasest, but in any case let us not be without correction: for as Mariners at Sea finde, that of all stormes a Calme is the greatest; so we, that to be exempt from misery, is the most miserable condition of all other.
Objection. But thou fearest that God hath not pardoned thy …, and this makes him so severe against thee.
Answer. Many times after the remission of the sinne, his very …stisements are deadly; as is cleare by Davids example: and Lots, who had a sharpe misery clapt on the heeles of a sweet mercy: for he that was so beloved of God, that he saved a whole City, could not save his owne Spouse.
When God delivers us from destruction, hee doth not secure us from all affliction. Grace was never given us for a Target against externall evils. Though we be not condemned with the world, yet we may be chastned in the world. Neither the Truth nor strength of Jobs faith could secure him from the outward and bodily vexations of Satan, against the inward and spirituall they could; and did prevayle: so no repentance can assure us that we shall not smart with outward afflictions, that can prevent the eternall displeasure of God; but still it may be necessary and good we should be corrected: our care and suit must be, that the evils which shall not be averted, may be sanctified.