A Counterpoison, Religious treatise · Chapter 22
CHAP. XXII.
That they are patient, because patience brings a reward with it.
6. BEcause patience in suffering brings a reward with it, in reason a man would forgive his enemy even for his owne sake, were there no other motive to perswade him: for to let passe many things of no small moment, as that if we forgive not, we can doe no part of Gods worship that is pleasing to him: for we cannot pray aright, 1 Tim. 2. 8. Wee cannot communicate in the Sacrament, but we make our selves guilty of Christs blood, 1 Cor. 11. 27. Mat. 5, 24. Wee cannot be good hearers of the Word, James 1. 21. and that it maketh a man captive to Satan, Ephes. 4. 26, 27▪ and many the like: If ye forgive men their trespasses (saith our Saviour) your heavenly Father will also forgive you; but if you forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your heavenly Father forgive you your trespasses, Mat. 6. 14. 15. So he that will not be in charity shall never bee in Heaven: And why should I doe my selfe a shrewd turne, because another would. Yea, we desire pardon, as we give pardon, and we would be loath to have our owne lips condemne us. When wee pray to God to forgive us our trespasses, as wee also forgive them that trespasse against us, and doe not resolve to forgive our brethren; wee doe in effect say, Lord condemne us, for we will be condemned: whereas he that doth good to his enemy, even in that act doth better to himselfe. It is a singular sacrifice to God, and well pleasing to him to doe good against evill, and to succour our very enemy in his necessity, But we may perchance heape coales of fire upon the others head, Rom. 12. 20, though we must not doe it with an intent to make his reckoning more, but our reckoning lesse,
Againe, Blessed is the man, saith Saint James, that indureth temptation (viz. with patience) for when he is tryed, he shall receive the Crowne of life, James 1. 12. And this made Moses not onelyonly patient in his sufferings, but joyfull, esteeming the rebuke of Christ greater riches than all the treasures of Aegypt▪ For saith the Text, he had respect unto the recompence of the reward, Heb. 11. 26. And well it might; for whereas the highest degree of suffering is not worthy of the least and lowest degree of this glory, Rom. 8. 18. Saint Paul witnesseth, that our light affliction which is but for a moment (if it be borne with patience) causeth unto us a farre most excellent and eternall weight of glory; while we looke not on the things that are seene, but on the things which are not seene, 2 Cor. 4. 17, 18. Where note the incomparablenesse and infinite difference between the work and the wages, light affliction receiving a weight of glory, and momentany affliction… eternall glory; answerable to the reward of the wicked, whose empty delights live and dye in a moment; but their insufferable punishment is interminable and endlesse: their pleasure is short, their paine everlasting; our paine is short, our joy eternall. What will not men undergoe, so their pay may be answerable? The old experienced Souldier feares not the raine and stormes above him, nor the numbers falling before him, nor the troopes of enemies against him, nor the shot of thundring Ordnance about him, but lookes to the honourable reward promised him. When Philip asked Democritus, if hee did not feare to lose his head, hee answered, No: for (quoth hee) If I dye, the Athenians will give mee a life immortall; meaning, he should be statuted in the treasury of eternall fame: if the immortallity (as they thought) of their names, was such a strong reason to perswade them to patience, and all kind of worthinesse; what should the immortallity of the soule be to us? Alas, vertue were a poore thing, if fame onelyonly should be all the Garland that did crowne her: but the Christian knowes, that if every paine he suffers were a death, and every crosse an hell, he shall have amends enough. Why, said Ambrose on his death bed, we are happy in this, we serve a good Master, that will not suffer us to be losers. Which made the Martyrs such Lambes in suffering, that their persecutors were more weary with striking, than they with suffering. And many of them as willing to dye, as dine. No matter (quoth one of them) what I suffer on earth, so I may be crowned in Heaven. I care not, quoth another, what becommeth of this fraile Barke my flesh, so I have the passenger, my soule, safely conducted. And another.
If at night thou grant me Lazarus boone,
Let Dives dogs like all my sores at noone.
And a valiant Souldier going about a Christian atchievement; my comfort is, though I lose my life for Christs sake, yet I shall not lose my labour; yea, I cannot endure enough to come to Heaven. Lastly, Ignatius going to his Martyrdome was so strongly ravished, with the Joyes of Heaven, that hee burst out into these words; nay, come fire, come beasts, come breaking of all my bones, rackings of my body, come all the torments of the Devill together upon me; come what can come in the whole earth, or in hell; so I may enjoy Jesus Christ in the end.
They were content to smart so they might gaine; and it was not long, but light, which was exacted of them, in respect of what was expected by them, and promised to them, 2 Cor. 4. 17. Neither did they thinke that God is bound to reward them any way for their sufferings; no, if he accepts me when I have given my body to bee burned (saith the beleever) I may account it a mercy.
Thus hope refresheth a Christian, as much as misery depresseth him; it makes him defie all that men …o devils can doe, saying, take away my goods, my good name, my friends, my liberty, my life, and what else thou canst imagine: yet I am well enough, so long as thou canst not take away the reward of all, which is an hundred fold more even in this world, and in the world to come life everlasting, Mark. 10. 29, 30 as when a Courtyer gave it out, that Queene Mary (being displeased with the Citie) threatned to divert both Terme and Parliament to Oxford; an Alderman askt whither shee meant to turne the Channell of the Thames thither or no: if not, (saith he) by Gods grace wee shall doe well enough. For what are the things our enemies can take from us, in comparison of Christ, the Ocean of our comfort; and Heaven the place of our rest: where is joy without heavinesse, or interruption; peace without perturbation; blessednesse without misery; light, without darkenesse; health, without sickenesse; beauty, without blemish; abundance, without want; ease, without labour; satiety, without loathing; liberty, without restraint; security, without feare; glory, without ignominy; knowledge, without ignorance; eyes, without teares; hearts, without sorrow; soules, without sinne; where shall be no evill present, or good absent: for we shall have what we can desire, and we shall desire nothing but what is good. In fine, that I may darkelyshaddow it out, sith the lively representation of it is meerely impossible; this life everlasting, is the perfection of all good things: for fulnesse is the perfection of measure, and everlastingnes the perfection of time, and infinitenes the perfection of number, and immutability the perfection of state, and immensity the perfection of place, and immortality the perfection of life, and God the perfection of all; who shall bee all in all to us: meate to our taste, beauty to our eyes, perfumes to our smell, musicke to our eares, and what shall I say more; but as the Psalmist saith, Glorious things are spoken of thee thou Citie of God: but alas, such is mans parvitie, that he is as far from comprehending it, as his armes be from compassing it; Heaven shall receive us, we cannot conceive Heaven. Doe you aske what Heaven is, saith one, when I meet you there I will tell you; for could this care heare it, or this tongue utter it, or this heart conceive it; it must needs follow, that they were translated already thither.
Now if this be so, how acceptable should death be, when in dying we sleepe, and in sleeping we rest from all the travels of a toylesome life: to live in joy and rest for evermore. Let us then make that voluntary, which is necessary, and yeeld it to God as a gift, which wee stand bound to pay as a due debt: saith Chrysostome. Yea, how should we not with a great deale of comfort and security, passe through a Sea of troubles, that wee may come to that haven of eternall rest? How, should we not cheere up one another, as the mother of Melitho did her sonne, when shee saw his legges broken, and his body bruised, being ready to yeeld up his spirit in Martyrdome: saying, O my sonne, hold on yet but a little, and behold Christ standeth by, ready to bring helpe to thee in thy torments, and a large reward for thy sufferings. Or as Jewell did his friends in banishment; saying, This world will not last ever? And indeed we doe but stay the tyde, as a fish left upon the sands.
Ob. I but in the meane time my sufferings are intollerable, saith the fainting soule.
Sol. It is no victory to conquer an easie and weake crosse; these maine evills have crownes answerable to their difficulty, Rev. 7. 14. No low attempt a starlike glory brings; but so long as the hardnesse of the victory shall increase the glory of the triumph, indure it patiently, cheerefully.
2. Secondly, as patience in suffering brings an eternall reward with it in Heaven, so it procureth a reward here also: suffer him to curse, saith David touching Sh…m…i, (here was patience for a King to suffer his impotent subject, even in the heat of bloud and midst of warre to speake swords, and cast stones at his Soveraigne, and that with a purpose to increase the rebellion, and strengthen the adverse part;) but marke his reason: It may be the Lord will looke upon mine affliction, and do me good: Why? even for his cursing this day, 2 Sam. 16. 12. And well might he expect it, for hee knew this was Gods manner of dealing: as when he turned Balaams curse into a blessing upon the children of Israel, Num. 23. And their malice who sold Joseph to his great advantage. Indeed these Shemeis and Balaams, whose hearts and tongues are so ready to curse and raile upon the people of God, are not seldome the very meanes to procure a contrary blessing unto them; so that if there were no offence to God in it, nor hurt to themselves, we might wish and call for their contempt, cruelty, and curses, for so many curses, so many blessings.
I could adde many examples to the former, as how the malice of Haman turned to the good of the Jewes: the malice of Achitophel to the good of David, when his counsell was turned by God into foolishnesse: the malice of the Pharisees to him that was borne blinde, when Christ, upon their casting him out of the Synagogue, admitted him into the Communion of Saints, John 9. 34. The malice of Herod to the Babes, whom he could never have pleasured so much with his kindenesse, as he did with his cruelty; for where his impiety did abound, there Christs pittie did superabound; translating them from their earthly mothers armes, in this valley of teares, unto their heavenly Fathers boso…e, in his Kingdome of glory. But more pertinent to the matter in hand is that of Aaron and Miriam to Moses, when they murmured against him, Numb. 12. where it is evident, that God had never so much magnified him to them, but for their envy. And that of the Arians to Paph…ti…s, when they put out one of his eyes for withstanding their Heresie: whom Consta… tine the Emperour, even for that very cause, had in such reverence and estimation, that hee would often send for him to his Court, lovingly imbracing him, and greedily kissing the eye which had lost his owne sight, for maintaining that of the Catholike Doctrine: so that we cannot devise to pleasure Gods servants so much, as by despighting them.
And thus you see how patient suffering is rewarded both here and hereafter; that we lose what ever wee doe lose by our enemies, no otherwise then the husbandman loseth his seed: for whatever we part withall, is but as seed cast into the ground, which shall even in this life, according to our Saviours promise, returne unto us the increase of an hundred fold, and in the world to come, life everlasting, Marke 10. 29, 30. But admit patience should neither be rewarded here, nor hereafter; yet it is a sufficient reward to it selfe: for hope and patience are two soveraigne and universall remedies for all diseases. Patience is a counterpoyson or antipoyson for all griefe. It is like the Tree which Moses cast into the wate…s, Exod. 15. 25. for as that Tree made the waters sweet, so Patience sweetens affliction; it is as Larde to the leane meate of adversity. It makes the poore beggar rich, teacheth the bondman in a narrow prison to enjoy all liberty, and society; for the patient beleever, though he be alone, yet he never wants company; though his diet be pe…y, his sawce is content: all his miseries cannot make him sicke: because they are disgested by patience. And indeed, it is not so much the greatnesse of their paine, as the smalnesse of their patience, that makes many miserable; whence some have, and not unfitly resembled our fancies, to those multiplying glasses, made at Venice, which being put to the eye, make twenty men in Armes shew like a terrible Army. And every man is truely calamitous, that supposeth himselfe so; as oftentimes we die in conceit, before we be truly sicke; we give the battell lost, when as yet we see not the enemy. Now crosses are either ponderous or light, as the Disciples, or Scholers esteeme them: every man is so wretched, as he beleeveth himselfe to be. The taste of goods or evills doth greatly depend on the opinion we have of them, and contentation, like an old mans spectacles; makes those characters easie and familiar, that otherwise would puzzle▪ him shrewdly. Afflictions are as wee use them; there is nothing grievous if the thoug…t make it not so: even paine it selfe (saith the Philosopher) is in our power, if not to be disanulled, yet at least to be diminished through patience: very Gally-slaves, setting light by their captivity, finde freedome in bondage. Patience is like a golden shield in the hand, to breake the stroke of every crosse, and save the heart though the body suffer. A sound spirit, saith Salomon, will beare his infirmity, Prov. 18. 14. Patience to the soule, is as the lid to the eye; for as the lid being shut, when occasion requires, saves it exceedingly; so patience intervening betweene the soule and that which it suffers, saves the heart whole, and cheeres the body againe. And therefore, if you marke it, when you can passe by an offence, and take it patiently and quietly, you have a kinde of peace and joy in your heart, as if you had gotten a victory, and the more your patience is, still the lesse your paine is; for as a light burthen at the armes end weigheth heavier by much, than a burthen of treble weight, if it be borne on the shoulders which are made to beare; so if a man set patience to beare his crosse, the weight is nothing to what it would be if that were wanting: In a word, Patience is so soveraigne a m…dicine, that it cures and overcomes all: it keeps the heart from envy, the hand from revenge, the tongue from contu…ely, the whole body from smart; it overcomes our enemies without weapons: finally, it is such a vertue, that it makes calamities no calamities.
But what needs all this, men commonly say in necessitated sufferings, what remedy but patience: therefore patience is a confessed remedy. Wherefore, saith one, being unable to direct events, I governe my selfe; and if they apply not themselves to mee, I apply my selfe to them; if I cannot fling what I would, yet I will somewhat mend it, by playing the cast as well as I can.
O that all implacable persons who double their sufferings through long study of revenge, would learne this lesson, and beare what they must beare patiently: then would they finde that patience can no lesse mitigate evils, than impatience exasperates them. A profitable prescription indeed (may some say) but of an hard execution! hard indeed to an impenitent sinner, that hath two burdens on his backe at once, (viz. his affliction, and his sin, which addes weight to his affliction) to carry them so easily, as he that hath but one; namely his affliction. Yea, it is altogether impossible to flesh and bloud; for our hearts are like the Isle Pathmos, in which nothing will grow, but on earth which is brought from other places. If the will be ours, the good will is Gods: Wherefore if thou art onelyonly beholding to nature, and hast nought but what thou broughtest into the world with thee, well mayest thou envie at it, but thou canst never imitate it; for to speake the truth, faith and patience are two miracles in a Christian. A Protestant Martyr being at the stake, in the midst of furious and outragious flames, cryed out, behold yee Papists, whom nothing will convince but Miracles; here see one indeed, for in this fire I feele no more paine, than if I were in a bed of Downe; yea it is to me like a bed of Roses: and Cassianus reporteth, that when a Martyr was tormented by the Infidels, and asked by way of reproach what miracle his CHRIST had done; hee answered, hee hath done what you now behold; inabled me so to beare your contumelies, and undergoe all these tortures so patiently, that I am not once moved; and is not this a miracle worthy your taking notice of. Indeed, what have we by our second birth, which is not miraculous in comparison of our naturall condition? It was no lesse than a miracle for Zacheus, a man both rich and covetous, to give halfe his goods to the the poore, and make restitution with the residue, and all this in his health. It was a great miracle, that Joseph in the armes of his Mistresse should not burne with lust. It is a great miracle for a man to forsake Houses and Lands, and all that hee hath; yea, to hate Father and Mother, and Wife and Children, and his owne life to be Christs Disciple. It is a great miracle to rejoyce in tribulation, and smile death in the face. It is a great miracle, that of fierce and cruell Wolves, Beares, Lyons, we should bee transformed into meeke Lambes, and harmelesse Doves: and all this by the foolishnesse of preaching Christ crucified. Indeed they were no miracles, if Nature could produce the like effects: but she must not looke to stand in competition with grace. Saint Paul before his conversion, could doe as much as the proudest naturall man of you all; his words are, If any other man thinketh that hee hath whereof he might trust in the flesh, much more I, Phil. 3. 4. Yet when he speaks of patience, and rejoycing in tribulation, hee sheweth, That it was because the love of God was shed abroad in his heart by the Holy Ghost, which was given unto him, Rom. 5. 5. of himselfe hee could doe nothing, though hee were able to doe all things through Christ which strengthned him, Phil. 4. 13. Hast thou then a desire after this invincible patience? seek first to have the love of God shed abroad in thy heart by the Holy Ghost; which love of God, is like that Rod of Mirtle, which (as Pliny reports) makes the traveller that carries it in his hand, never to be faint or weary. Wouldst thou have the love of God? aske it of him by prayer; who saith, if any of you lacke in this kinde, let him Aske of God that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not, and it shall bee given him, James 1. 5. Wouldst thou pray that thou mayst be heard, Aske in faith and waver not, for he that wavereth is like a wave of the Sea, tost of the winde, and carried away, Vers. 6. Wouldst thou have faith? bee diligent to heare the Word preached, for Faith comes by hearing, Rom. 10. 17. Unto him therefore that is able to doe exceeding abundantly above all that we can aske or thinke, I commend thee.