A Counterpoison, Religious treatise · Chapter 39
CHAP. XXXIX.
That the more wee suffer here (so it be for righteousnesse sake) the greater our reward shall be hereafter.
FIfthly, We shall beare the Crosse with more patience and comfort; if with Moses wee shall have respect unto the rec…mpence of reward, which is promised to all that (notwithstanding what they shall suffer) persevere in well doing. Great are our tryals, but salvation in heaven will one day make amends, when we shall have all teares wiped from our eyes, when we shall cease to grieve, cease to sorrow, cease to suffer, cease to sinne; when God shall turne all the water of our teares into the wine of endlesse comfort; Yea, when our reward shall be so much the more joyous, by how much more the course of our life hath been griev…us.
First, see what promises are made to suffering, Blessed are they which mourne, s…ith our Saviour, for they shall be comforted, Ma…th. 5. 4. Blessed are they which suff… persecution for righteousnesse, for theirs is the Kingdome of Heaven, Verse 10. They that suffer here for well doing, shall be Crowned hereafter for well suffering. Blessed shall you be when men revile you, and persecute you, and say all manner of evill against you for my sake falsely. Rejoyce and be glad, for great is your reward in Heaven, V…rs. 11. 12. And nothing we s…ffer here, can be compared either with those woes we have deserved in Hell, or those joyes we are reserved to in Heaven.
When Marcus Marcellus who was the first that saw the backe of Hanniball in the field, was asked how he durst enter into battaile with him, he answered, I am a Romane borne, and a S…uldier, and by him I shall make my renowne everlasting: How much more should the hope of life immortall, which is the life of our lives m…t…l whe… our sortitude, and encourage us in the Christian warfar…?
Yea, it hath not onelyonly beene common for men in a bravado, to encounter death, for a small flash of honour, but you shall see a hired servant venter his life, for his new master that will scarce pay him his w…ges at the yeares end. And can wee suffer too much for our Lord and Master, who giveth every one that serveth him, not Fields and Vineya…ds, as Saul pretended, 1 Sam. 22. Nor Townes and Cities, as Cicero is pleased to boast of Caesar: but even an hundreth fold more than we part withall in this life, and eternall mansions in Heaven? John 14. 2. And certainely nothing can be too much to endure, for those pleasures which endure for ever. Yea, if the love of gaine makes the Merchant refuse no adventures of Sea, if the sweetnesse of Honey makes the Beares breake in upon the Hives, contemning the stings: Who would not get Heaven at any rate, at any cost or trouble whatsoever? Bu… to goe on, Behold, saith God, it shall come to passe, that the Devill shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tryed; and ye shall have tribulation tenne dayes; yet feare none of those things which thou shalt suffer. For be but thou faithfull unto death, and I will give thee the crowne of life, Revel. 2. 10. And againe, Blessed is the man that endureth temptation; for when he is tryed he shall receive the crowne of life, James 1. 12. A Crowne without cares, without rivals, without envy, without end.
Now if you consider it,
The gaine with hardnesse makes it farre lesse hard;
The danger's great, but so is the reward.
The sight of glory future, mitigates the sence of misery present: For if Jacob thought not his service tedious, because his beloved Rachell was in his Eye, what can be thought grievous to him, that hath Heaven i… his eye?
Lastly (not to enlarge my selfe as I might in promises of reward) Whosoever shall forsake Houses, or Brethren, or Sisters, or F…her, or Mother, or Wife, or Children, or Lands, for my names sake, he shall receive an hundred fold more, and shall inherit everlasting life, Matth. 19. 29. This is a treasure worthy our hearts, a purchase worth our lives. Wherefore eye not the streame thou wadest through, but the firme Land thou tendest too.
And indeed, who is there that shall heare these promises, and compare the seed-time with the Harvest, looke up from the root to the f…uit; consider the recompence of the reward, and will not choose ra…her to suffer adversity with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sinne for a season? Heb. 11. 25. Who will not be willing to suffer with Christ, that he may also raigne with him? 2 Tim. 2, 12. Who will not suffer these light afflictions which are but for a m… ment, when they cause unto us a far more excellent and eternall waight of glory? 2 Cor 4. 16, 17. Was Lazarus for a time extreame miserable? he is now in Abrahams bosome. Yea, blessed Lazarus, thy soares and sorrowes soone ceased, but thy joyes are everlasting. Now me thinkes if thou but considerest that thy paine will shortly passe, but thy joy shall never passe away; it should prove a notable soveraigne Cordiall to strengthen thee; not onelyonly against reproaches which attend thy profession, but even against fire and fagot. Who would not be a Philpot for a monethmonth, or a Lazarus for a day, or a Stephen for an houre, that he might be in Abrahams bosome for ever? nothing can bee too much to endure for those pleasures which endure for ever.
It is true, If in this life onelyonly we had hope in Christ, we were of all men the most miserable, as the Apostle speakes, 1 Cor. 15. 19. But thou must consider, that as this life is our Hell, and the wickeds Heaven, John 16. 20. So the next life shall be their Hell, and our Heaven, Vers. 21. 33. Prov. 16. 4. As Dives was in Abrahams bosome, when Lazarus was in torments; so Lazarus was in Abrahams bosome, when Dives was in torments, Luke 16. 23, 25. And herein wee fare no worse than Christ; Did not his spirit passe from the Crosse into Paradise? Did not hee first descend into Hell, and then had his ascension? Suppose thy suff…rings be great, what then? Assure thy selfe, that every pang is a prevention of the paines of Hell, and every respite an earnest of Heavens rest; and how many stripes dost thou esteeme Heaven worth? It is true, flesh and bloud is so sensuall, that it feeles a little paine in the finger, a great deale more than the health of the whole body. But let us better consider on it, and behold at once the whole estate of a Christian, we shall see his peace exceed his paine; yea, we shall see both the torments present, and the glory following: hope makes absent joyes present, wants, plenit…des, and beguiles calamity, as good company does the way. The poore Traveller in thinking of his In…e, goes on more cheerefully, and the bond-man in calling to minde the yeare of Jubilee. When the Apprentice cals to minde that his yeares of covenant will now shortly expire, and then he shall have his freedome confirmed, the very remembrance thereof maketh many laboursome workes seeme more light, and lesse grievous unto him, neither doth he afterwards repent it. Did it ever repent Jacob, when he came to inherit his Fathers blessing, that he had endured a long exile, and tedious bondage? Or Joseph, when he was once made Ruler in Aegypt, that he had formerly beene sold thither, and there imprisoned? and he had never been a Courtier, if he had not first beene a prisoner? Or did it repent the Israelites when they came to inherit the Land of promise, that they had formerly beene forty yeares passing through a forlorne Wildernesse. Or which of Gods servants did ever repent that they had passed the apprentiship of their service here, and were now gone to be made free in glory? If so, let us doe and suffer chearefully, pa…iently, couragiously, what God imposeth upon us: knowing that after we have swet and smarted but six dayes at the utmost, then commeth our Sabbath of eternall rest, which will make amends for all; knowing that death ends our misery, and begins our glory, and a few groanes are well bestowed for a Preface to …n immortall joy. Let then our eyes be continually on the joyes which follow, and not on the paine which is present; the paine neglected and unregarded cannot be very discomfortable.
But that there is reward promised to those which suffer in Christs cause, is not all; for our reward shall be answerable to our sufferings: the greater our sufferings are here, the greater shall our reward be hereafter: Matth. 16. 27. The deluge of calamites may assault us, but they shall exalt us. By our crosses sanctified, weight is added to our Crowne of blisse: for according to the measure of our afflictions, God weigheth unto us of his graces, that we may be able to beare them; and according to the measure of our graces, he proportioneth our glory, and future happinesse. Suffering for the Gospell is no inferiour good worke, and every one shall bee rewarded; though not for, yet according to his workes: Psal. 62. 12. Rom. 2. 6. Revel. 22. 12. The Apostles tell Christ, we have left all and followed thee: Matth. 19. 27. Christ tels them, when I sit on my Throne, yee shall sit on Thrones with me: Vers. 28. They that turne many unto righteousnesse, shall shine as the starres in the Kingdome of Heaven: Dan. 12. 3. And they that suffer Martyrdome, shall be cloathed with long white roabes, and have Palmes in their hands: Revel. 6. 9, 11. Now, there be three sorts of Martyrs; Re & intentione; intentione, non re; re, non intentione: in both deed and intention, as was Saint Steven; in intention, not deed, as was Saint John; in deed, not in intention, as were the Innocents. But, where the conflict is more hard, the conquest obtained shall be more glorious: for as Chrysostome speakes, according to the tribulations laid upon, and born by us; shall the retribution of glory be proportioned.
Yea, ever where more worke is done, there more wages is given; and when the fight, or conflict is sharper, and the victory harder, the glory of the triumph is greater, and the Crowne of reward more glorious. Whence it was that those Saints in the Old Testament, which were racked and tortured, would not be delivered, or accept of their enemies faire offers, to the end they might receive a better resurrection, and a more glorious reward: Heb. 11. 35. Neither would we wish our worke easier; or our burthen lighter; if we looked up to the recompence of reward: for it may bee well applyed here, which was mis-applyed in the tryall of that holy man Job, We doe not serve God for nothing. Though we must not serve him meerely for reward, as hyrelings, nor for feare, as servants; but as children for love.
O that (when we suffer most) we could but meditate, and looke upon with the eye of faith, the fulnesse of those joyes, and sweetnesse of those pleasures; which (having once finished our course) we shall enjoy at Gods right hand for evermore: Psal. 16. 11. being such as eye hath not seene, … eare heard, neither hath entred into the heart of man to conceive: 1 Cor. 2. 9. For certainly the remembrance… thereof, would even raise up our soules from our selves, and make us contemne and slight what ever our enemies could d…e; as it did our Fore-fathers: much more to slight reproaches, which are such bugbeares to a great many. And no marvell, if that which hath made so many contemne fire and fagot, make us contemne the blasts of mens breath.
But I hope enough hath beene said, in shewing that our enemies instead of robbing, inrich us; and in lieu of hurting, pleasure us; …ith they greate… our graces, and augment our glory: sith, if the conflict be more sharpe, the Crowne will be more glorious. Wherefore, if our tryals be small, let us beare them with patience, which makes even great burthens easie; if they be great and grievous, let us beare them patiently too; since great is the weight of glory that ensueth them: whereas, no suffering, no reward; yea, if we be not c…sined here, we shall be condemned hereafter: 1 Cor. 11. 32. And whether had you rather rejoyce for one fit, or alwayes? you would doe both, which may not be; you would be both Dives and Lazarus, have happinesse both here, and hereafter: pardon me, it is a f…nd covetousnesse, and idle singularity to affect it: What, that you alone may fare better than all Gods Saints? That God should straw Carpets for your feet onelyonly, to walke unto your Heaven; and make that way smooth for you, which all Patriarchs, Prophets, Evangelists, Confessors, and Christ himselfe have found rugged, and bloudy? Away with this selfe-love, and come down you ambitious sons of Zebedee; and ere you think of sitting neare the Throne, be contented to be called unto the Cup. Now is your tryall: Let your Saviour see how much of his bitter potion you can pledge; then shall you see how much of hir glory hee can afford you. In all Feasts the coursest … are … first: be content to drinke of his Vinegar and …all, and after you shall drinke new Wine with him in his Kingdome. Besides, without some kinde of suffering, how shall your sincerity be approved? Even nature is jocund and cheerefull whiles it prospereth, but let God with-draw his hand, no sight, no trust: The Mother of Micha, while her wealth lasteth, can dedicate a good part of her silver to the Lord, but now she hath lost it, shee falls a cursing: Judges 17. 1, 2, 3. Cataline, whiles poore, had many seeming vertues, but having feathered his nest, you could hardly say, whether he was most lavish of his money, or his modesty. But to be equally good in a prosperous, and adverse condition, deserves prayse: When our resolution and practice is like that Maydes in Plutarch, who being set in the Market to bee sold; wh…n a Chapman askt her, Wilt thou be faithfull if I buy thee? sayd, Yea that I will, though you doe not buy me.
We all are never weary of receiving, soone weary of attending; wee are ready to shrinke from Christ, so soone as our profits or pleasures shrinke from us: but if with the Needle of the Compasse, in the midst of tempestuous weather, we remaine alwayes unmoveable, and stayed upon one point, it is a signe the Loadstone of the Gospell hath changed our hearts; and wee are governed by Christ, as the Needle is by the North-Pole. Wherefore, if God should not frame outward things to thy minde, doe thou frame thy minde to endure with patience and comfort what hee sends; and this will be an Odour smelling sweet, a Sacrifice acceptable, and p…easant to God: yea, herein thou shalt approve thy selfe with David, a man after Gods owne he…rt; …nd you know, that as David was unto God according to his heart, so was God unto David according to his.