A Counterpoison, Religious treatise · Chapter 20
CHAP. XX.
That they beare injuries patiently, because their sinnes have deserved it, and a farre greater affliction.
4. HE suffers his enemies reproaches and persecutions patiently, because his sins have deserved it, and a farre greater affliction, David felt the spight of his enemies, but he acknowledgeth his sinne to be the cause, 2 Sam. 16. 11. and God the Author, Psalm. 39. 8. From which consideration hee drawes this inference, I should have beene dumb, and not have opened my mouth, because thou didst it, Vers. 9. and so goeth on; remove thy stroake from me, for I am consumed by the blow of thine hand, Vers. 10. Whatsoever is the weapon, it is thy blow. Whence it hath always beene the manner of Gods people to looke up from the stone to the hand which threw it; and from the effect to the cause. What saith Joseph to his envious brethren that sold him into Aegypt; ye sent not me hither, but God, Gen. 45. 8. And Job being robbed by the Sabeans, they being set on by Satan, doth not say, the Devill tooke away, or the Sabeans tooke away, but the Lord hath taken away, Job 1. 21. And David speaking of his sonne Absaloms treason, I was dumbe and said nothing; why? because it was thy doing, Psalm. 39. 9. And what thinke you was the reason our Saviour Christ held his peace and answered nothing, as the Text saith, but suffered his enemies, The Chiefe Priest, Scribes, and Pharisees, and Pilate, to revile him, and crucifie him; but to approve the equity and justice of God the Author thereof? for although it were blasphemy to say hee was a sinner, yet taking upon him the sinnes of the whole World, he knew those sinnes had deserved as much, and therefore he is silent, Matth. 26. 62, 63. It is true, other reasons are given; as that hee answered nothing, because it was now his time to suffer, not to doe; his worke was now to be crucified, and not to be dignified; or as another, hee spake not a word to Herod, because Herod had taken away his voice in beheading John Baptist; but this without doubt was the maine reason. Even in like manner it is with the truely gracious; they being wronged doe not suffer rage to transport them as it doth beasts, to set upon the stone or weapon that hath hurt them, like little Children, who if they fall will have the ground beaten: their false griefe is satisfied with fained revenge. But they looke higher, even to God that occasioned it. Or if they be angry, they turne their malice from the person which punisheth them, to the sinne by which and for which he came to have leave and power to punish them; and to themselves for committing such sins. The cause of their suffering doth more vex them, than the things which they suffer: and they grieve more for the displeasure of God, than for the strips of his displeasure. It is not the punishment, but the cause of it makes them sorrowfull: And indeed, to speake home to every mans conscience, why are we patient or impatient; it is worth the noting when sinne lyes light, then reproaches and contempt lye heavy; whereas if we truely feele the weight of sinne all indignities will be as nothing. Or thirdly, in case they doe returne an answer, it is after the manner of Epictetus, who would not deny the sinnes his enemy taxed him with; but reproves his ignorance rather, in that being unacquainted with the infinity of his crimes; he layes only two or three to his charge; whereas indeed he was guilty of a Million: or according to Philip of Macedon his example, who would not punish Nicanor, although he openly spake evill of him; saying, when he heard thereof, I suppose Nicanor is a good man, it were better to search whether the fault be in us or no: so no sooner shall an holy mans enemy accuse him of hypocrisie, pride, passion, covetousnesse, &c. but he will goe to God, and accuse himselfe, and complaine, I am so indeed; yea, with Paul, I am the chiefe of all sinners, I am more vile than his tearmes can make me, and I much marvell my punishment is no greater than to heare a few ill and bitter words. And indeed one would thinke whatsoever is not paine nor sufferance, or admit it be paine and sufferance, so long as it is not a curse, but a crosse, may well be borne without grumbling. What said that Gentleman in Athens to his friends, when Ashuerus came and tooke away halfe his Plate, as he was at dinner with them, they admiring that he was not a whit moved thereat? I thank God, quoth hee, that his Highnesse hath left me any thing.
Yea, suppose we lose all we have, our goods are furthest off us, and if but in these we smart, we must confesse to find favour.
Or admit they hurt our bodyes, or kill us, which they may soone doe if God but give leave; for our life (even the best of us) is but like a bubble, which Boyes blow up in the ayre, and presently againe blow into meere ayre. Caesar goes an Emperour to the Senate, is brought a Corps home againe. What ever I say befals us, this would be our meditation; he that afflicted me for a time, could have hold me longer; he that touched me in part, could have stricken mee in whole: he that layd this upon my body, hath power to lay a greater Rod both upon my body and soule, without doing me the least wrong.
That all crosses, and curses, temporall, spirituall, and eternall, even from the paines of the damned, to the very Itch as Moses sets downe, Deut. 28. 27. are deserved, and come not upon us against equity, (equity I say in respect of God, not in respect of men, they come from a just Author, though from an unjust instrument.) And that Sinne is the ground of all our griefes, the source of all our sufferings, wickednesse the roote of our wretchednesse, that we are disciplind is from our defects, is a truth undenyable, appeares plainely: for first God affirmes it, Deut. 28. Isay 57. 17. Hosea 13. 9. Jer. 30. 15. & 4, 18.
Secondly, his servants confirme it, 1 Chron. 21. 17. Isay 64. 5. Dan. 9. 7, 8. &c. Lam. 1. 5. 8. & 3. 39. &c. Ezra. 9. 13. Luke 23. 41.
Thirdly, good reason makes for it; sinfull men smite not their dogs, much lesse their children without a cause, and shall we think the just God will smite without just cause: his Judgements (saith a Father) are sometimes secret, alwayes just. No misery had ever afflicted us, if sinne had not first infected us.
Whats the reason we all dye, it could not be in justice if wee had not all sinned: and so of all other evills, even sicknesse originally proceeds from sinne, and all weaknesse from wickednesse: one man languisheth of a Consumption, another labours of a Feaver, a third is rackt with the Gowt, a fourth swolne with the Dropsie, a fift hath his soule let out with a sword; every one hath a severall way to bring him to the common end, death: but sinne is the universall disease, Death passed upon all, for all have sinned, Rom. 5. 12. James 3. 2. Yea, as we brought a world of sinne, into the world with us; so since, …ach man hath broken every one of Gods ten Lawes, ten thousand times, and ten thousand wayes: which is farre from a privative holinesse, in reforming that which is evill; and a positive holinesse in performing that which is good, Ephes. 4. 22, 23. and every sinne helpes: for as originall sinne is the originall cause of death, so actuall sinnes hasten it.
But to conclude in generall, that sinne is the cause we suffer, is not sufficient; for commonly no judgement comes from God, but some particular provocation of man went before it: the hand of Divine Justice seldome makes us smart, without some eminent cause fore-going: therefore David seeing a famine in the Land, inquires for the particular provoking sin, 2 Sam. 21. 1. so when we suffer, our question should be what have wee done: yea, what have wee done in the same kinde; for oftentimes wee may reade our sinne in our punishment, as it fared with Adonibezeck, Judg. 1. 7. and many other mentioned in Scripture. Sodome was burnt with fire unnaturall, as they burned with lust unnaturall. Absaloms chiefe pride lay in his haire, and that became his halter. Salomon dividing Gods Kingdome, had his owne Kingdome devided. David hath slaine Uriah with the sword, therefore the sword shall not depart from his house. Dives would not give Lazarus a crum, Lazarus shall not bring Dives a drop. Judas was the instrument of his Masters death, he shall be the instrument of his owne death. Proud Bajazet vowes to imprison Tamberlaine in an Iron Cage, and carry him about the world in triumph: But Tamberlaine having conquered that bragging Turke, carried, and carted him through all Asia: to be scorned of his owne people. For instance, is any one censured, reviled, and persecuted of lewde men, for being religious; let him reflect upon his life past, and happily their revilings, and persecutions, will bring to his remembrance, that he himselfe before his conversion, hath likewise censured, reviled, or persecuted others. It may be his naturall, spirituall or politicall parents, in some kinde or other: as who can plead innocency herein? And he that is not humbled for his sinne, is not yet justified from his sinne. Yea, so often as thou remembrest thy sinnes without griefe, so often thou repeatest those sinnes by not grieving. Dion of Syracuse being banished, came to Theodorus Court a suppliant, where not presently admitted, he turned to his companion with these words: I remember I did the like when I was in the like dignity: He called his deeds past to a new reckoning. So, when thou receivest an injury, remember what injuries thou hast offered: look not to be exempt from the same wrongs which thou hast done; for he that doth wrong, may well receive it: we may well suffer patiently, when we know wee suffer justly. To looke for good, and to doe bad, is against the Law of Retaliation.
Or secondly, is any one wronged in his good name, without giving the least cause of scandall, either at present, or heretofore, which troubles him above measure: let him neverthelesse reflect upon himselfe, and perhaps he shall finde the cause lie lurking in his owne bosome: as thus it may be, thou hast not defamed thy neighbour; but hast thou not delighted to heare others speake evill of him? hast thou beene tender of his reputation, and as much as thou couldest, vindicated his good name.
Or thirdly, doth not a proud heart make thee over apprehensive of the wrong; does not the injury seeme great to thee, because thou seemest great to thy selfe: if so, be but little and lowly in thine owne eyes, and the wrong will seeme lesse: for no man can sweetlier put up disgraces from others, than hee who hath first learned to despise himselfe. Yea, this Straw diadem hurts none, but the proud, and impatient: for suppose thou findest here but hard fare, and as ill drest; a poore, hungry, humble soule will downe with all well enough.
Or fourthly, hath not selfe-conceitednes broken thy credit; probably if thou wouldest thinke worse of thy selfe, thou shouldest be better thought of: But commonly all is well while we are well esteemed; yea, with many, their reputation is more cared for, than their God. Neither would he be censured for sinne, that fears not to be damned for it. If this hath beene thy case, hence-forward let it trouble thee more to d… a fault, then to heare of it; and when thou art evill spoken of by another, call thy selfe to account before him: it may be thou deservest i…; be more sorry that it is true, then that it is knowne.
Or lastly, admit men charge thee wrongfully, and thou canst not finde out thy sin by thy punishment; yet know, that what thou sufferest is most just in respect of God, who is the Author; and who does not alwayes punish sinne in kinde: As for example, how many Murthers have beene punished in a mutenous word: the tongue in some rash language, hath scourged the iniquity of the hand. One hath done many robberies, scap't many searches, at last when all hath beene forgotten, he hath beene hanged for accessary to a Theft, he never knew. Suspected felony, hath often paid the price of an unknowne R…pe. And they that have gone away with unnaturall filthinesse, have yet clipt off their dayes with their owne coyne: so that still Gods Judgements are just; even when m…ns may be unjust; which in all cases would be acknowledged, as the godly ever doe. Mauricius that good Emperour, when hee, his wife, and his five sonnes were taken, his wife and sonnes put to death, and himselfe waiting for the like fatall stroke, could conclude thus; Just art thou, O Lord, in all thy wayes, and holy in all thy workes, as it is in the Psalmes. And a Martyr, when hee was burning at a stake; Welcome flames, my sinne hath deserved more than here I can be able to suffer. And certainly they are angry with Heaven for justice, that are angry with them for injustice. Wherefore if thou hast beene heretofore so simple as to returne like for like, hence-forward lay thy hand upon thy mouth, and say with Job, Once have I spoken, but I will answer no more; yea, twice, but I will proceed no further, Job 40. 4. 5. I will not so much consider how unjust man is that gives the wrong, as how just God is that guideth it. And this would be our meditation in all other cases; namely, to thinke whose h…ud strikes, whether by a Plurisie, or a Feaver, or a Sword, or what ever the Instrument be; and to conclude, the blow is Gods, whatsoever, or whomsoever is used as the weapon: yea, it comes not without our desert, for God is just; nor shall be without our profit, for God is mercifull. And he that doth not argue thus, comes short of the very Heathen. For Socrates could tell the Athenians, when they condemned him to dye, that they could doe nothing but what the gods permitted, and nature had before ordained. And in common reason, can a Clock goe without a weight to move it, or a Keeper to set it? no.
Now this being premised, namely, that wee endure nothing from our enemies; but that we have justly deserved from God. Yea, that we are more beholding to our greatest enemies touching the knowledge of our selves, than the best friend we have; how should we not with David, refuse to revenge our selves, in case any wicked Shimei rayle, curse, or cast stones at us, have we never so much power and opportunity to do it? Yea, admit some Abishai would doe it for us, how should we not say, let him alone, suffer him to curse, for the Lord hath bidden him, 2 Sam. 16. 11.
Againe secondly, if wee make this use of our sufferings, what more pretious than the reproaches of an enemy? for thereby we shall sooner and more plainly heare of our faults, than by a friend; although neither in a good manner, nor to a good end. Wee have great need (quoth Diogenes) of faithfull friends, or sharpe enemies: Every one hath use of a Monitor, but friends in this kind are so rare, that no wise man would willingly forgoe his enem… at any rate. Wherefore sait… one, he shall be no friend to me, that is a friend to my faults; and I am no friend to my selfe, if I thinke him my enemy that tells me of them.