The Works of Jeremiah Burroughs 9-11, Treatise 3 · Chapter 26
CHAP. XXVI.
Saints must walk by Faith in time of Afflictions 1 They may see the Love of God therein. 2 The Wisdom of God. 3 The Faithfulness of God. 4 The Tenderness of God. 5 The Protection of God. 6 The Strength of God. 7 The Glory God takes in delivering.
BUt God follows me with lamentable and sore Obj. afflictions together with my sin, what should I do in that case?
Answ. Thou must walk by Faith here: This likewise befel Paul, he was troubled with temptations and stirrings of corruption, he cries out sometimes that he was sold under sin, and many great and sore afflictions were upon him; but through the exercise of Faith he was able to go on in his way, and to walk with God in the midst of the greatest and sorest afflictions that did befal him: This were a Point of very great use, To shew how Faith doth act in afflictions, and how the soul may be enabled to walk with God comfortably in the time of afflictions: the use of Faith is much in time of affliction. Hope that hath all its strength from Faith, is call'd an Anchor, an Helmer, and Shield: now the use of these things are in time of storms, in time of danger and opposition: Then (if ever) Faith should shew what it's able for to do; as David said to the King of Akish, Thou shalt know what thy Servant is able to do; and so when God calls to an affliction, God calls to Faith, Come, let's see what you are able for to do. Now Faith helps in time of Affliction many waies.
First, As the first and principal help of Faith in affliction, whereby a Saint is able to walk, is, By looking up on God, it's God in Christ that is the proper object for the eye of Faith to look upon You know Moses in the 11. to the Hebrews, was willing to endure affliction with the people of God; but how? he …aw him that was invisible, He did endure, he went on in a constant way of suffering afflictions, but it was by the sight of that God that was invisible. Now the eye of Faith by pitching its self upon God, doth mightily carry the heart through afflictions.
As thus, It sees in Afflictions the Love of God; in Heb. 12. 6. God chastises whom he loves; how can this be seen, but by Faith? when God chastises me, yet he loves me; and how easie is it for the soul to walk with God in afflictions, when he can see Love in the Rod? And so in Rev. 3. 19. there's the Love of God in afflictions.
Secondly, There's the Wisdom of God in afflictions, he works wisely in afflictions; the Lord considers what affliction is, and he measures out afflictions sutable unto the conditions of his Servants that are in affliction: you have a most excellent Scripture for that, in Psalm, 31. 7. where the Psalmist saith, I will be glad, and rejoyce in thy mercy, for thou hast considered my trouble; thou hast known my soul in adversities: Thou hast considered my trouble; A man that is impatient under trouble he himself considers his trouble with all the circumstances and Arguments of it: but thou shalt not need to consider thy trouble, to be so poring upon thy trouble, God himself considers thy trouble, he considers what a proportion there is in the trouble to thy strength; the Lord considers the Kind of the trouble, the Lord considers the Degree of the trouble, the Measure of it, and the Continuance of it: there's nothing to be considered in any trouble, but God considers of it. Oh it's a great help to a soul to walk by Faith to consider this; There is nothing in my affliction that is to be considered of, but Lord, thou doest consider of it.
3 And then the soul looks upon Gods Faithfulness in afflictions in Psalm, 119. 75. In very faithfulness thou hast afflicted me: There is a Faithfulness in this, as well as in fulfilling Promises; and you know Faithfulness is a special Object for Faith.
4 And then the soul looks upon Gods tenderness in the time of affliction, how compassionate and sensible God is of my afflictions; in Isa. 63. 9. In all their affliction he was afflicted; he was afflicted himself, he was sensible of all those afflictions, he did Sympathize with them in the Furnace.
5 Again, The Soul doth look upon Gods Protection in afflictions, and so exercises Faith: it's a notable Scripture in Psal. 57. 1. Thou wilt hide me under the shadow of thy wings until these calamities be overpast: his afflictions were very grievous and sad; but mark how he exercises Faith, he looks upon himself as under the shadow of Gods wings.
6 Further: Faith, it takes hold of the Strength of God in Afflictions, and so comes to have strength to bear afflictions beyond all natural strength: that Scripture is most famous for this, in Isa. 27. for the way of the soul in exercising Faith in the time of afflictions, Or let him take hold of my strength, that he may make peace with me, and shall make peace with me: The Lord there was speaking of his Church as a Vine in the beginning of the Chapter: Now as a Vine hath little strings that God hath in the Work of Nature put into it for to catch hold upon any thing that is next it to under-prop it; because the Vine is a weak Creature in its self, therefore God supplies the want of strength by those little strings: So saith he, Let him take hold of my strength, let him by Faith, when storms and tempests, when afflictions comes, let him by Faith take hold of my strength: as the Vine in the time of a storm, if she can catch hold upon any strong thing to support it, the Vine keeps up, whereas otherwise it falls upon the ground: So if there be Faith to take hold of the strength of God in the time of affliction, then the soul is supported and enabled to go through the affliction.
7 Yea further, Faith doth not only take hold of Gods Strength, but that's one remarkable thing, Faith looks upon God as making of it the greatest thing that himself doth delight and glory in, namely, to help his Servants in time of affliction; as in Isa. 25. 4. there you shall find the Prophet setting God out in his Glory, and it is in the helping of his people out of their afflictions, and so Isa. 30. 18. the Lord waits to be gracious, as a work that his heart is most set upon: and in the latter end of the 7. of Micah, Who is a God like unto thee, pardoning iniquity, transgression, and sin? and so he goes on in shewing of his pity▪ and compassion towards his Servants: Who is a God like unto thee? and that in this thing, in the way of his Mercy: God when he would shew his Glory to Moses, he shewed the Glory of the Attributes of his Goodness, and Mercy: Now when Faith can look thus upon God, God is not only able and willing, but accounts it his great Glory, the great Masterpiece of all his Works to be helpful to his poor Servants in the daies of their troubles and afflictions: Upon this the soul walks by Faith▪