A Counterpoison, Religious treatise · Chapter 40
CHAP. XL.
Application of the sormer grounds.
ANd so you have the residue of the grounds of comfort; it remaines that I should apply them: For this Doctrine, though it be better understood than practised; as Cassandr… was better knowne than trusted: yet being both knowne, applyed, and duly trusted to, will (like the Sunne) not onelyonly delight our understandings with its contemplation, but also warme and quicken our affections. Wherefore, is there any weake Christian so white-livered with Nicodemus, that the reproaches and persecutions which attend his profession, make him ashamed of Christ; or cause him to think that it is in vaine to serve the Lord: whereby hee is frighted out of the narrow way that leadeth to life? Let him draw neare, for … chiefly direct my speech unto him: Are afflictions and persecutions so necessary and profitable, as hath been shewed? Doth not God onelyonly gaine glory by our sufferings, but doe they also bring … to repentance, and amendment of life? stirre us up to prayer, weane us from the love of the world, keepe us alwayes prepared for our enemies assaults, discover whether we are sincere or no, make us humble, improve all Christian graces in us? Is God more specially present with us in afflictions? Cannot our enemies diminish one haire of our heads, without Gods speciall leave and appointment? Hath he promised that wee shall not be tempted above our strength? Are these stripes the chiefest tokens and pledges of Gods love and adoption? Were none of his children ever exempted from the like? And lastly, shall our momentany sufferings be rewarded with overlasting glory? Yea, shall our glory bee increased, as our sufferings have beene m…re? Then let them serve as so many restoratives to thy fainting spirit; yea, lift up thy hands which hang downe, and strengthen thy weake knees: Heb. 12. 12. For I suppose thy fainting and drooping is from feare, and thy feare from doubting, and thy doubting from unbeliefe, and thine unbeliefe chiefly from ignorance of these things: and whence is thine ignorance of th…se but this? Thou hast never beene conversant in the booke of God; or if thou hast, thou didst never seri…us…y ponder these Scriptures which have formerly beene rehearsed: for hadst thou seriously considered them, thou wouldst not have dared to make that an occasi…n of griefe and prejudice, which the Spirit of God maketh the greatest c…use of joy and confirmation that can be. For what can be spoken more expresse, direct, and significant? What demonstrations can be given more sollid? What Fortisications or Bulwar…es so strong and safe against the affronts of Satan, and the World? Thou sayest thou art persecuted for well-doing, and therefore thinkest it a strange thing. God saith it is, and ever hath beene common to all his children, not Christ himselfe excepted.
Take notice of these things, (for it is the God of all truth and blessednes that speaks them) and apply them to thy selfe, as if they were particularly spoken to thee by name, even as when twenty be in a roome, where is a faire well-drawne picture; every one thinkes the picture lookes upon him: and have not more modesty or manners (in leaving those dishes for thy betters) then will doe thee good. Be not like a Monkey, which looking in a Glasse, thinks he sees another Monkeys face, and not his owne: and know withall, that it is no small sinne even to doubt, when we have Gods command and warrant to secure us.
Thou thinkest thy selfe miserable; God sai…h, thou art blessed: Thou sayest, thou art hated of the world; God saith thou art beloved of Christ, who hath chosen thee out of the world: Thou thinkest it a shame to be reproached, God saith, it is thy glory: Thou grievest at it, God saith, thou hast great cause to r…joyce; for it sheweth thee to be borne of God, thine enemies to be the seed of the Serpent: Thou sayest that all things goe cr…sse with thee, God saith, that all things shall worke together f…r the best; it may be, the increase of thy temporall happinesse: however, that it shall be for the improvement of thy graces here, for the advancement of thy glory hereafter. Thou thinkest it a signe of displeasure, God saith, it is to thy Enemies a token of perdition, but to thee of salvation: Thou thinkest thy selfe neere forsaken, God s…ith, The spirit of glory, and of God, resteth upon thee: Thou sayest, thou shalt one day perish; God sai…h, that neither things present, nor things to come, shall ever be able to separate thee from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Thou thinkest the Lord doth not heare thee, because he doth not presently answer thee in the things that thou requirest: I tell thee, it were ill for the best of us, if we were permitted to be our owne choosers: Let Peter have his desire, and his Master shall not dye, so Peter himselfe and the whole world had beene lost; in unfit supplications we are most heard, when we are repelled: our God oftentimes doth answer our prayers with mercifull denyals, and most blesseth us in crossing our desires. We may aske either bad things to a good purpose, or good things to a bad purpose, or good things to a good purpose, but in an ill season. Now, if wee aske what is either unsit to receive, or unlawfull to beg, it is a great favour of our God, to be denyed: granting is not alwayes the effect of love; if so, then had Paul beene lesse loved then Satan: Satan beg'd but once, and had his pr…yer granted, conce…ning Job: S. Paul beg'd thrice, that he might not be bufferted; yet was d…nyed: Satan beg'd his shame, who envied his successe? Saint Paul, that freedome from temptation, which would have beene wo…se, had then wanted: yea, if granting were alwayes an effect of love, then was our …ssed Saviour lesse loved than Satan; for the Lord would not let the Cup of his passion passe from him upon his earnest prayer, which he made as he was Man. But you must know, that denyals in some cases, are better than grants; the Lord will not take away the body of sinne from us, upon our earnest prayers, yet he granteth us that which is equivalent, viz. Grace, to subdue our corruptions; and withall, takes away the occasion of pride, which is better: for certainly he is more supported of God, that hath grace given him to conquer a temptation; as had the Martyrs, in b…ing able to suffer those tortures; than another who is excused to fight.
Againe, we must not measure Gods hearing of our suit, by his present answer, or his present answer by our owne sense: touching the first, Zachary a long time failed of a Sonne for all his Prayer, but when he had even forgot that Prayer, he had a Sonne; the Angell brings him good newes: Luke 1. 13. Thy prayer is heard: When did he make this Prayer? Not lately; for then he was growne old, and had given over all hope of a childe: so that his request was past over many yeares, and no answer given.
The like example we have in H…nnah, who powring out her soule before the Lord, in the trouble of her spirit; God did not immediately tell her by r…velation that she should conceive a Sonne, but he gave her for the present faith; which did worke in her j…y, and peace of conscience: for (saith the text) she looked no more sad; and when she had waited his leisure a certaine time, The Lord remembred her with a Sonne: 1 Sam. 1. There is nothing betweene God and thee but time; prescribe not his wisedome, h…sten n…t his mercy, his grace is enough for you n…w, his glory shall be more than enough hereafter. Tarry a little the Lords leisure, deliverance will come, peace will come, joy will come▪ thy teares are reserved, t…ine hunger shall be sati…fied, thy sorrow shall be comforted. In the meane while, to be patient in misery, makes misery no misery▪ while we consider that when a little brunt is once past, troubles will cease; but joyes shall never cease.
Wherefore, let us never give over, but in our thoughts knit the beginning, progresse, and end together; and then shall we see our selves in Heaven, out of the reach of all our enemies.
2. To prove that we are not to judge of GODS answering our prayers by our owne sense, I need but to instance the Woman of Canaan, (as what can speed well, if the prayer of saith from the knees of humility succeed not?) and yet behold, the further she goes, the worse she fares; her discouragement is doubled with her suite: it is not good (saith our Saviour) to take the Childrens bread, and cast it to dogges; here was cold comfort: yet, stay but a while, he cleares up his browes, and speaks to her so comfortably, that 'twere able to secure any heart, to dispell any seares. O Saviour, how different are thy wayes from ours, when even thy severity argues savour! The try…ll had not beene so sharpe, if thou hadst not found the faith so strong, if thou hadst not meant the issue so happy: it is no unusuall thing for kindnesse to looke sternly for the time, that it may indeare it selfe more, when it lists to be discovered.
It was cold comfort that the C…iple heard from Peter and J…hn, when he begg'd of them an almes, Silver and Gold have I none: but the next clause, Rise up and walke, made amends for all. O God, we may not alwaies measure thy meaning by thy semblance; sometimes what thou most intendest, thou shewest least: in our afflictions thou turn'st thy backe upon us, and hidest thy face from us, when thou most mindest our distresses. So Jonathan shot the arrowes beyond David, when he meant them to him: So Joseph calls for Be…jamin into bands, when his heart was bound to him in the strongest affection; so the tender mother makes as if she would give away her crying Childe, whom she hugges so much closer in her bosome. If thou passe by us whiles we are strugling with the tempest, we know it is not for want of mercy, thou canst not neglect us. Oh let not us distrust thee! if thou commest, it is to relieve us; if thou stayest, it is to try us: howsoever, thy purpose is to save us. Surely God will worke alone, and man must not be of his councell. Wherefore many times he deales with wicked men, as Eutrapllus sometimes did with his Subjects; who, when he was minded to do a poor man a mischief, would give him abundance of wealth; whereas contrarily his Children s…de themselves crost with a blessing. As when Isibel Queene of England was to re-passe from Zealand into her owne Kingdome, with an Army, in favour of her Son against her Husband, had utterly beene cast away, had she come unto the Port intended, being there expected by her enemies: but providence, against her will, brought her to another place, where shee sasely landed. Yea, this I have seene, two men striving for the way, one receiving a switch over the face, drawes his Rapier to kill the other; but by a providence in making the offer, his sadle swayed to the horse belly; whereby in all likelihood the one was saved from killing, the other from hanging: for before he could make after him, he was rid a mile. And have not some been detained (by a violent storme) from comming home, whereby they have beene exempt from feeling the d…wnefall of their house. Sure I am, the letting fall of my Glove in the darke, once proved a meanes of saving me from drowning; while another stepping before me, found the danger to his cost. And indeed, how infinitely should wee intangle our selves, if wee could sit downe and obtaine our wishes! do we not often wish that, which we after see would be our confusion; because we ignorantly follow the flesh, and blinded appetite, which lookes on nothing but the shell and outside; whereas God respecteth the soule, and distributeth his favour for the good of that, and his glo…y? It is an argument of love in the Father, when he takes away the Childes knife, and gives him a booke. Wee cry for riches, or liberty, or peace, they are knives to cut our fingers; wherefore God gives us his word, the riches of Verity, not of Vanity; He giveth us that glorious liberty to be the Sons of God, he gives us that peace which the world cannot give, nor take away: wherefore let the Christian understand, God his Physitian, Tribulation his Physicke; being afflicted under the Medicine, thou cryest; the Physitian heares thee, not according to thy will, but thy weale; thou canst not endure thy malady, and wilt thou not be patient of the remedy? No man would be more miserable, than hee that should cull out his owne wayes: What a sp… cious shew carried Midas his wish with it; and how did it pay him with ruine at last? Surely, I have seene matters fall out so unexpectedly, that they have tutored me in all affaires, neither to despaire, nor presume; not to despaire, for God can helpe me; not to presume, for God can crosse me: One day made M… rius Emperour, the next saw him rule, and the third, he was slaine of his Sould…ers. Well then, if with Paul thou hast besought the Lord often, that thy present affliction might dep…rt from thee, and canst not be heard in the thing which thou d…strest, know that thou art heard in that which is more conducible to thy Profit; and consequently rejoyce more in that thy petition is denyed, than if it had beene granted. This was the use which Saint Paul made of Gods denyall, and he knew what he did; though he had as much to boast, and rejoyce of, as any one living: yet, saith he, Of my selfe I will not rejoyce, except it be of mine infi…mities: That is, afflictions, repreaches, persecutions, inward temptations, feares, distrusts, &c. But in these I will very gladly rejoyce; Why? That the power of Christ may dwell in me: Note his reason, he had heard God say, that his power was made perfect through weakenesse, 2 Cor. 12. 8, 9. Neither had he onelyonly cause to rejoyce in his infirmities, but all Gods people have the same cause to rejoyce; for what the spirit of comfort speakes in this, and in all the former places recited, doe equally belong to thee for thy consolation, with all the regenerate; for whatsoever was written afore-time, was written for thy learning, and mine; that we through patience, and comfort of the Scriptures, might have hope: Rom. 15. 4. And accordingly, will a good hearer apply to himselfe whatsoever is written in the Word, for as the stomack sends the strength of the meate into every member of the body, so we should send to the eye that which is spoken to the eye, and to the eare that which is spoken to the eare, and to the tongue that which is spoken to the tongue, and to the hand that which is spoken to the hand; and so to the heart, and every faculty and member of soule and body: if we heare comfort, we should apply it to feare; if we heare a promise, we should apply that to our distrust; if we heare a threatning, we should apply that to our presumption; and so fill up the gap still where the Devi…l would enter. And indeed, had it not beene for this A…ua Coeles…is, David had surely fainted in his affliction: Psal. 27. 13. & 119. 72. but this good word from He …en fetcht him againe when hee was ready to sinke: and indeed, if Moses and the Prophets, the Evangelists and the Apostles will not comfort us in this case, then as Abraham told Dives in another case, nothing will perswade, nor prevayle. Beleevest thou the former Scriptures spoken by Christ, and his Apostles? I know that thou beleevest, with some mixture of unbeliefe; and art almost perswaded, not onelyonly to doe, but to suffer chearefully for well doing. But why dost thou not altogether believe, that it is a blessed and happy thing thus to suffer: Matth. 5. 10, 11, 12. That thou hast great cause to rejoyce and be glad, that thou art counted worthy to suffer shame for Christs Name? Acts 5. 41. Thou seest it is not for nothing that David acknowledgeth it was good for him that he was afflicted, Psal. 119. 71. that Job blesseth the time that ever he was corrected, Job 42. that Jeremy prayed for correction as a good thing, Jer. 10. 24. that a whole Church voted the same, Lament. 3. 27. It is not for nothing that Christ saith, Blessed and happy are yes when men revile you, and p…rsecu… you; That Saint James saith, Count it exceeding joy, when yee fall into divers temptations: James 1. 2. It is not for nothing that Saint Paul saith, I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in inguish, for Christs sake; &c. 2 Cor. 12. 10. That Peter and John, when they were beaten and imprisoned, departed from the Councell, rejoycing that they were counted worthy to suffer rebuke for Christs Name, Acts 5. 41. For even bearing the Crosse with Christ, is as great a preserment in the Court of Heaven, as it is in an earthly Cou…t for the Prince to take off his owne Roabe, and put it on the backe of one of his servants; as you may perceive by the Lords speech to Paul: Acts 9. 15, 16. & 23. 11. and our Saviour Christs words to his Apostles, Acts 1. 8. yea, to suffer for Christ (saith Father Latimer) is the … priviledge that God gives in this world: and the story of … is a …k-case to prove it: for did not God by him, as sometimes a School-master with his Pupill, who when he hath polished and perfected a good Scholler, bring… him sorth, provokes adversaries to set upon him with hard questions, and takes a pride to see the fruit of his owne labours. And in the warres, to have the hottest and most dangerous services imposed upon them by their Generall, is accounted the greatest honour: neither will he confer the same upon any, but the stoutest and most valiant. This Rod of the Lord (like Ah…suerus his Scepter) is never stretcht forth toward any of his, but in great love and favour. It is like the kisse, which Cyrus in Zenopho… gave to Chrysanthas, which was accounted a greater and more speciall favour, then the Cup of Gold which hee gave to Artabazus: Which being so, let us in this particular imitate the Musc…vitish women, who will not thinke their husbands love them, unlesse they chastise them; and the Indians, who are ambitious to bee burnt with them; and the Thracians, who are proud to weare their scarres. Moses esteemed the reproach of Christ greater riches then all the treasures of Aegypt: Heb. 11. 25. 26. and the Apostles esteemed it a grace, to be disgraced for him: and shall we grumble, or thinke much at it? No: in the greatest extremity of straights, let us acknowledge it a favour, and give him thankes: and so much the rather, for that it is more acceptable to God, to give him thankes once in adversity, then sixe hundred times in prosperity, as a grave Divine well observes: and indeed, it is the summe of all Religion to be thankefull to God in the midst of miseries.
True, it is hard for J…b, when the terrours of God fight against him, and the Arrowes of the Almighty stick so fast in him, that the venome thereof hath drunke up his spirit, Joh 6. 2…3, 4. to thinke it a speciall favour and dignity; but so it was, being rightly considered. It was hard for Josephs brethren to heare him speake roughly unto them, take them for spies, accuse them of theft, and commit them to prison, Gen. 42. 30. and thinke it is all out of love; much more hard for Simeon to he cul'd out from the rest, and committed to ward, while his brethren are set at liberty; V…rse 24. and yet it was so; yea, he loved him best, whom he seemed to favour least: yet such is the infirmity of our nature, that as weake eyes are dazled with that light which should comfort them; so there is nothing more common with Gods Children, then to bee afflicted with the causes of their joy, and astonied with that which is intended for their confirmation. Even Manoah conceives death in that vision of God, wherein alone his life and happinesse did consist: Judges 13. 22. And the Shepheards, Luke 2. who were sore afraid, when the Angell of the Lord came to bring them good tydings of great joy to all people: viz. their Saviours Birth, which was Christ the Lord. V…rs. 9, 10. But what hath beene the answer of GOD alwayes to his children in such their extasies, but this? Feare not Gideon, Judges 6. 23. Feare not Joseph, Matth. 1. 20. Feare not Zachary, Luke 1. 12, 13. Feare not Abraham, for I am thy shield, and thine exceeding grea… reward: Genesis 15. 1. Fe…re not Paul, for I am with thee, and no man shall lay hands on thee to doe thee hurt, &c. Acts 18. 9, 10. The wordes are often repeated (as Pharaohs dreames were doubled) for the surenesse. Yea, to the end, that we should be fearlesse in all our sufferings, so long as wee suffer not as evill doers: 1 Peter 4. 15. Feare not, as one well notes, is the first word in th'Annuntiation of Christs conception; and the first word in the first Annuntiation of his Birth; and the fi…st word in the first Annuntiation of his Resurrection; and almost the last words in his last exhortation, a little before his death, are, Let not your hearts be troubled, and be of good comfort; strengthning his followers, and sweetning his cr…sse by divers forcible reasons: Luke 21. Marke 13. And the words of dying men have ever beene most emphaticall, most effectuall. Nay, more than all this, if yet thou wilt not be comforted, look but John 16. 20. and thou shalt have thy Saviour assure thee by a double bond;
his Word I say▪
Oath Verily, verily, I say unto you;
that though for the present you doe feare, and sorrow, and weepe; yet all shall bee turned into joy, and that joy sh…ll no man bee able to take from you: Verse 22.
And so much of the Patience of the Womans seed.
And so much of the Innocency, of the Womans seed.
And so much of the Felicity, of the Womans seed.
If you will see the Malice, of the Serpents seed:
If you will see the Subtility, of the Serpents seed:
If you will see the Misery, of the Serpents seed:
Reade two late Treatises, SINNE STIGMATIZ'D, and THE CURE OF PREJUDICE.
FINIS.