A Counterpoison, Religious treatise · Chapter 10
CHAP. X.
That it prevents greater evills of Sinne and Punishment to come.
7. SEventhly, the Lord by this evill of Chastisement for sinnes past, preventeth the evills of sin, and greater punishments for the time to come. The Lord (saith Elihu) correcteth man that he might turne away from his enterprize, and that he might keepe backe his soule from the Pit, and that his life should not perish by the sword, Job 33. 17, 18. This salt doth not onelyonly preserve from Corruption, but also eate out Corruption. We are chastened of the Lord (saith the Holy Ghost) that we might not be condemned with the world, … Cor. 11. 32. If we be not chastned here, we shall be condemned hereafter: Erring soules bee corrected that they may be converted, not confounded. If Paul had not beene buffetted by Sathan and wicked men, he had been exalted out of measure, 2 Cor. 12. 7. Pride is so dangerous a poyson, that of another poyson there was confected a counterpayson to preserve him from it: God would rather suffer this chosen Vessell to fall into some infirmity, then to be proud of his singular priviledges, Least I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of Revelations; (there was the poyson of Pride insinuating it selfe) I had a Thorne in the flesh, the messenger of Sathan to bu…et me; There wa… the Counterpoyson or Antidote which did at once make him both sick and whole.
And this is no unusuall thing with God: who in mercy doth so use the matter, that he cures one sinne by another: how many proud men have beene healed, by the shame of their uncleannesse? how many furious men, by a rash bloudshed? and so in many other cases: one Devill being used for the ejection of another.
Yea, we gain strength by every new fall; for hence issues deeper humility, stronger hatred of sinne, fresh indignation against our selves, more experience of the deceitfulnesse of our hearts, renued resolutions untill sinne bee brought under, &c. 2 Cor. 7. 11. The Lord sets some messenger of Sathan and our lusts together by the eares, as the Aegyptians against the Aegyptians: that while two poysons wrestle, we may live. But my purpose is to speak of affliction, not sinne. Bodily sicknesse (saith S. Gregory) clenseth away sinnes committed, and curbeth, and hindereth those, that in health might have beene committed. The flesh indeed is nourished by softnes, but the spirit by hardnes: that is fed by delights, and pleasures, this groweth by bitternes. And hereupon when a Religious man (as Rufinus relates) prayed John the Ankorite, to free him of a certaine Ague; he answered him, truly thou desirest to have a very necessary companion cast out of doores: for saith hee, as cloathes are washed with sope, so is the minde purified by diseases. And the same may be averred of all kindes of crosses: For is it not commonly seene, that the pleasures of the body are the poysons of the soule: heape riches and …onours upon an evill man: you doe but minister wine to him that hath a feaver, saith Aristotle: hony to one oppressed with choler, and meat to one troubled with morbus cealiacus, which increaseth the disease, saith Plutarch. For as Noah was drunk with his owne wine, so the cup of prosperity hath intoxicated many a soule: and God hath no worse servants in our Land, than they that can live of their Lands, and care for nothing else.
Commonly, where is no want, is much wantonnesse. And as we grow rich in temporals, we grow poore in spirituals. Naball cannot abound, but hee must surfeit; Turtullus cannot be cloquent, but hee must turne the edge of his wit against the Gospell. Many cannot have beauty, but they must love their faces, more than their soules. Wee use Gods blessings, as Jehu did Jehorams messengers: David, Goliahs sword: We turne them against their owner; and giver: and fight against Heaven with that health, wealth, wit, those friends, meanes, mercies that wee received thence, abusing peace to security, plenty to ease, promises to presumption, gifts to pride: for commonly, so much the more pr…d, idle, secure, wanton, scornefull, impenitent: by how much the more we are inriched, advanced, and blessed. And it is just with God, to make us know what we had, by what we want; But I proceed:
The enjoyment of the Worlds peace might adde to my content, but it will indanger my soule; how oft doth the recovery of the body, state, or minde occasion a Relaps in the soule? Turne but the Candle, and that which keepes me in, puts me out; The younger brother shall not have all his portion least he run Ryot; All the life of Salomon was full of prosperity, and therefore we find, that Salamon did much forget God; but the whole life of David had many enemies and much adversity, and therefore we see by his penitentiall Psalmes, and others, that David did much remember God: And indeed, if God did not often visit us, we should serve him as the Women of Tartary doe their husbands: who marry if they be absent but twenty dayes. But the fire of correction, eates out the rust of corruption. And as Vineger with its sha…pnesse, keepes flowers from corrupting: so their malice keeps our soules from festering; Bees are drowned in Honey, but live in Vineger. Now if sweet meates breed surfets, it is good sometimes to taste of bitter, it is good somewhat to unloade when the Ship is in danger by too liberall a ballast. I will tell you a Paradox (I call it so because few will beleeve it, but it is true) many are able to say, they have learned to stand by falling, got strength by weaknesse. The burnt Child dreads the fire, and a broken bone well set, is faster ever after; Like Trees, we take deeper root by shaking; And like Torches we flame the brighter for bruizing and knocking, God suffered Sathan to spoile Job of his substance, rob him of his Children, punish him in his body; Yet marke but the Sequell well, and you shall find, that he was crost with a blessing. As the Physition in making of Triacle or Meth…id…te for his Patient, useth Serpents, Adders, and such like poyson, that he may drive out one poyson with another; Even so our spirituall Physition is pleased to use the malice of Sathan, and wicked men, when hee tempereth to us the Cup of affliction, that hereby he may expell one evill with another; Yea, two evils with one; namely, the evill of sinne, and the evill of punishment, and that both temporall and eternall.
Perhaps this byting plaister burneth thee, but it healeth thee. He suffers us to be afflicted, because he will not suff…s us to be damned; such is the goodnesse of our heavenly Father to us, that even his anger proceeds from mercy; he scourgeth the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of Jesus Christ, 1 Cor. 5. 5 Yea, Joseph was therefore abased in the dungeon, that his advancement might be the greater. It is true, in our thoughts we often speake for the flesh, as abraham did for Ismael, O that Ismael might live in thy sight! No, God takes away Ismael and gives Isaac; he withdrawes the pleasure of the flesh, gives delight to the soule, crossing us in our wils, that he may advance our benefit. The Man sicke of a burning feaver cries to his Physitian for drinke; he pities him, but does not satisfie him; he gives him proper physicke, but not drinke. A man is sick of a Plurisie, the Physitian lets him blood, he is content with it; the arme shall smart to ease the heart. The covetous man hath a plurisie of riches, God lets him blood by poverty; let him be patient, it is a course to save his soule.
But we are so sensuall, that no reason can prevaile: Wee are sorry to lose the proper cause of our sorrow; we are like whi…ing Children, that will not stay untill their milke be cold, but must have it, though they be scalded with it. Yea, it fares with many, as with the mother of Nero: let them be damd, so they may be dubd. But our heavenly Father will doe us good, though we desire the contrary: Wherefore if he scourge us any way, so we bleed not; or till we bleed, so we faint not; or till we even faint, so we perish not; let us be comforted: for if the Lord prune his Vine, he meanes not to root it up; if he minister physicke to our soules, it is because hee would not have us dye in our sinnes; all is for salvation. What if N…ah were pent up in the Arke, so long as he was safe in it: what if it were his prison, so long as it was his Fort also against the waters?
I might illustrate the point, and make it plaine by sundry and divers comparisons. We know, one naile drives out another; one heat another; one cold another: yea, out of admirable experience I can witnesse it, that for most constitutions there is not such a remedy for a Cold in the head or extreame tendernesse, as a frequent bathing it (especially the temples) in cold water; I can justly say, I am twenty yeares the younger for it. Yea, one sorrow drives out another; one passion another; one rumour is expelled by another: and though for the most part, contraries are cured by contraries; yet not seldome will Physitians stop a Lask with a Purge; they will bleed a Patient in the Arme. to stop a worse bleeding at Nose. Againe, in some Patients they will procure a gentle Ague, that they may cure him of a more dangerous disease. Even so deales God with us: he often punisheth the worser part of man (saith Saint Hierome,) That is, the body, state, or name, that the better part (to wit) the soule, may be saved in the day of judgement. Neither are chastisements any whit lesse necessary for the soule, than medicines are for the body: many a man had been undon… by prosperity, if they had not been undone by adversity; they had perished in their soules, if they had not perished in their bodyes, estates, or good names. It is probable, Naamans soule had never been cleansed, if his body had not beene leaprous; but his leaprous flesh brought him to a white and cleane spirit; and though affliction be hard of digestion to the naturall man; yet the sheepe of Christ know, that to feed upon this salt March is the onelyonly preservative against the Rot: the experienced Christian knowes, that it is good for the soule, that the body is sometime sick; and therefore to have his inward man cured, hee is content his outward man should bee diseased; and cares not so the sinnes of his soule may be lessened, though the soares of his flesh be increased. It is better saith Saint Hierome, to have a sick stomack, than a grieved mind. Yea, hee desires with Saint Austin, that God will send him any plague, rather than the plague of the heart.
And why is it not so with thee? I hope thou desirest thy soules safety above all; and thou knowest, the stomack that is purged must be content to part with some good nourishment, that it may deliver it selfe of more evill humours. Of what kinde soever thy sufferings bee, it is doubtlesse the fittest for thy soules recovery; or else God (the onelyonly wise Physitian) would not appoint it. Now who would not be willing to bleed, when by that meanes an inveterate sicknesse may be prevented? Yea, it is a happy blood-letting which saves the life, which makes Saint Austin say unto God; Let my body be crucified, or burnt, or doe with it what thou wilt, so thou save my soule. And another, let me swimme a River of boyling brimstone to live eternally …appy; rather than dwell in a Paradise of pleasure to bee damned after death.