A Counterpoison, Religious treatise · Chapter 21
CHAP. XXI.
They are patient because their sufferings are counterpoysed and made sweet with more than answerable blessings.
5. HE beareth the crosse patiently, because it is counterpoysed and made sweet with more than answerable blessings. Satan and the world may take many things from us, as they did from Job, viz. health, wealth, outward peace, friends, liberty, credit, &c. but they can never take God from us, who gives all: and at the same time supplyes the want of these, with comforts farre surpassing, and transcending them. And therefore in the midst of misery we say with Joh, blessed be the name of the Lord.
Quest. But with what comforts doth the Lord supply our losses.
Answer. The assurance of the pardon of sinne alone, is able to clear all stormes of the minde: it teacheth misery, as sicknesse, poverty, famine, imprisonment, infamy, &c. to laugh: not by reason of some imaginary …picycles, but by naturall and palpable reasons. Yea, let death happen, it matters not: When a Malefactor hath s…ed out his pardon, let the Assizes come when they will, the sooner the better.
But to this is added, the peace of conscience, the marrow of all comforts, otherwise called the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, and surpasseth all commending: and never did man finde pleasure upon earth, like the sweet testimony of an appeased conscience, reconciled unto God, clensed by the bloud of the Lambe, and quieted by the presence of the Holy Ghost. Yea, hadst thou (who most dotest upon the world) but these comforts, thou wouldest not change them for all that Satan once offered to our Saviour; and is now accepted by many. O good life, (saith an Ancient Father) what a Joy art thou in time of distresse: And another, Sweet is the felicity of that man, whose workes are just, and whose desires are innocent: though hee be in Phaleris Bull. For these are priviledges which make Paul happier in his chaine of Iron, than Agrippa in his chaine of Gold; and Peter more merry under stripes, then Caiphas upon the Judgement-seat; and Steven the like: For though hee was under his persecutors for outward condition, yet he was farre above them for inward consolation. Neither had wealthy Cressus so much riches in his coffers, as poore Job had in his conscience. Yea, how can he be miserable that hath Christ, and all his merits made sure to him; that hath his name written in Heaven, yea, that is already in Heaven: for where our desires are, there our selves are. And the heavenly minded live not so much where they live, as where they love; that is to say, in Christ: surely his soule must bee brim full of brave thoughts, that is able to refresh himselfe with this Meditation; God is my Father, the Church my Mother, Christ the Judge my elder Brother, and Advocate; the Holy Ghost my Comforter; the Angels mine attendance; all the Creatures mine for use; the stock of the Churches Prayers mine for benefit; the world mine Inne; Heaven my home; God is alwayes with mee, before mee, within mee, overseeing me; I talke with him in Prayer, he with me in his word; &c. Sure if these be the accustomed meales of a good soule, it cannot chuse but keep naturall heat from decaying; and make it happy.
But behold yet a greater priviledge; These comforts doe not onelyonly support and refresh us, and so supply our losses in common calamities: but even in the midst of …ortures and torments, which otherwise were intollerable: The naturall mans stomack cannot (of all enemies) indure hunger; yea a prison, where hee must alwayes lie under hatches, makes him all amort: but worthy Hawkes could clap his hands for joy in the midst of the flames: and another that I reade of say, my good friends, I now finde it true indeed, he that leaveth all to follow Christ, shall have in this world centuplum, a hundred fold more; I have it in that centuplum, peace of conscience with me at parting. And Anaxarchus being laid along in a Trough of stone, and smitten with Iron sledges by the appointment of Nicocreon, the Tyrant of Cyprus, ceased not to cry out, strike, smite, and beate; it is not Anaxarchus, but his vayle you martyr so. And a childe in Josephus, being all rent to death with biting snippers at the commandment of Antiochus, could cry with a loud, assured, and undaunted voyce; Tyrant, thou los…st time, loe I am still at mine ease, what is that smarting paine; where are those torments, which whilome thou didst so threaten me withall? my constancy more troubles thee, than thy cruelty me. And how many more of those Martyrs in Queene Maryes Raigne, were even ravished, before they could be permitted to dye: so great, and so passing all expressing, is the peace and comfort of a good conscience.
Now as the Pri…sts of Mercury when they eate their sigges, and honey, cryed out, O how sweet is Truth: so if the worst of a Beleevers life in this world be so sweet, how sweet shall his life be in Heaven: but Ile hold you no longer in this.
A man that hath his sinnes pardoned, is never compleatly miserable, till conscience againe turnes his enemy: whereas on the contrary; take the most happy worldling that ever was, if hee have not his sinnes pardoned; he is compleatly wretched, (though he sees it not) suppose him Emperour of the whole world; as Adam, when he was in Paradise, and Lord of all, what did it avayle him so long as hee had a tormenter within, a selfe-condemning conscience: which told him that God was his enemy, and knew no other then that hell should be his everlasting portion: certainly this like a dampe, could not chuse but put out all the lights of his pleasure; so that Paradise it selfe was not Paradise to him, which is the case of all wicked men, be they never so great, never so seemingly happy.
True, wicked men thinke the godly lesse merry, and more miserable than themselves: yea some, that mirth and mischiefe are onelyonly sworne brothers; but this is a foundation lesse opinion. For first, no man is miserable, because another so thinkes him. Secondly, Gods word teacheth, and a good conscience findeth, that no man can be so joyfull as the faithfull. Indeed carnall men laugh more, but that laughter is onelyonly the hypocrisie of mirth: they rejoyce in the face onelyonly, and not in the heart, as the Apostle witnesseth; 2 Cor. 5. 12. or as another hath it,
Where O God there wants thy grace,
Mirth is onelyonly in the face.
Yea, their owne consciences bare mee witnesse, as that Spanish Judge well considered: who when a murther was committed in a tumultuous crowde of people, bared all their bos…mes, and feeling upon their brest…, discovered the guilty Author by the panting of his heart▪ And Tully who makes it an argument of Roscius Amerinus Innocency, that he killed not his Father: because hee so secu…ely slept. Yea, as in prophane joy, even in laughter the heart is sorrowfull; so in godly sorrow, even in weeping the heart is light and cheerefull. The teares of those that pray, are sweeter than the joyes of the Theater, saith Saint Augustin: For our cheeks may runne downe with teares, and yet our mouthes sing forth prayses; the face may be pale, yet the heart may be quiet; and cheerefull: so Saint Paul as sorrowing, and yet alwayes rejoycing, 2 Cor. 6. 10. Neither can it be solid comfort, except it hath his issue from a good conscience. Indeed we therefore are not merry enough, because we are not Christians enough.
Now if all our sufferings are thus counterpoysed, and exceeded with blessings, have we any cause to be angry and impatient. What saith Job? Shall we receive good at the hands of God, and not evill? Hee was content to eate the crust with the c…mme. Indeed his wife (like the wicked) would onelyonly have faire weather; all peac… and plenty, no touch of trouble: but it is not so with the godly, who have learnt better things. Who will not suffer a few stripes from a Father, by whom he receiveth so much good, even all that he hath? Diogenes would have no nay, but Antisthenes must entertaine him his Scholler, insomuch that Aptisthenes to have him gone was fore'r to cudgell him, yet all would not doe: he stirres not, but takes the bl…wes very patiently; saying, Vse mee how you will, so I may be your Scholler and heare your dayly discourses I care not. Much more may a Christian say unto God, Let me in joy the sweet fr…ition of thy presence, speake thou peace unto my conscience, and say unto my soule, I am thy salvation, and then afflict me how thou pleasest, I am content, yea, very willing to beare it: Yea, if we well consider the commodity it brings, wee shall rather wish for affliction, than be displeased when it comes, Col. 1. 24. For it even bringeth with it the company of God himselfe, I will bee with you in tribulation saith God to the disconsolate soule, Psal. 91. 15. When Sidrack, Mishack, and Abednego, were cast into the siery fornace, there was presently a fourth came to bear them company, and that was God himselfe, Dan. 3. 23, to 27. And his presence makes any condition comfortable; were a man even in Hell it selfe: yea, as when S. Paul was wrapt up to the third heaven, he was so ravished wi…h the joy ther…of, that he kn…w not whether he had his body about him or not, 2 Cor▪ 12. 2. Whet…er in the body or out of the body I cannot tell, God knoweth. So Gods presence so ravisheth the soule, that while a man suffers the greatest paine, hee knowes not whether he be in paine or no. Yea, God is not on…ly … then to comfort them in all their tribulations, 2 …r. …. …. but in them: for at the same …ime when the Di…c…pl… were persecuted, they are said to be filled with joy, and with the Holy Ghost, Acts 13. 52. And … …ur sufferings in Ch…ist doe abound, so our consolation also abound…th through Christ, 2 Cor. …. 5, And las…ly b… … comsort us according to the dayes we are aff…ct…d, …nd according to the yeares we have seene evill, Ps…l. 90▪ 15. So that a Christian gaines more by his …o…es, … crosses, then the happyest worldling by …ll …is … nities: as it was said of Demosthe…s, tha… …ee got more by holding his peace, than o…er Lawyers did by their pleading.
And if so, our sufferings require patience with thankfulnesse, as it fared with Job.
Ob. But what ever others find, thy sufferings are not thus counterpoysed and sweetned?
An. What's the reason; get but the light of grace to shine in thy heart, thy prison shall be an heaven, thy Keepers, Angels; thy Chaines thy glory, and thy deliveran…e, Salvation: grow but heavenly minded, and thou shalt be able to extract gaine out of losse, peace out of trouble, strength out of infi mity, out of Teares, joy; out of sinne, holinesse; …ut of persecution, profit; out of affliction, comfort: For godlinesse in every sicknesse is a Physitian, in every contention an Advocate, in every doubt a Sch…oleman, in all heavinesse a Preacher, and a comforter unto whatsoever estate it comes, making the whole life as it were, a perpetuall h…l…luja….
Besides we looke for a Crowne of glory, even that most excellent, and eternall weight of glory, to succeed this wreath of Thornes: but if we are never tryed in the field, never set foot to runne the race of patience, how can wee looke for a Garland? Ten repulses did the Israelites suffer before they could get out of Aegypt, and twice ten more before they could get possession of the promised Land of Canaan. And as many did David indure before he was invested in the promised Kingdome: many lets came before the Temple was re-edified.
All men would come to Heaven, but they doe not like the way; they like well of A…rahams bosome, but not of D…ves doore. But God seeth it fit for us to taste of that Cup of which his Sonne dranke so deepe, that we should feele a little what sinne is, and what his love was; that we may learne patience in adversity, as well as thank…fulnesse in prosperity; while one s…ale is not alwayes in depression, nor the other lifted ever high; while none is so miserable, but hee shall heare of another that would change calamities with him.