The Christians in Complete Armor, Religious treatise · Introduction 5 · Chapter 6
CHAP. VI. Sheweth that the day of affliction is evil, and in what reſpects, as alſo unavoidable, and why to be prepared for.
Doct.IT behoves everyone to arme and prepare himſelf for the evil day of affliction and death, which unavoidably he muſt conflict with. The point hath three branches.
Firſt, the day of affliction and death is an evil day.
Secondly, this evil day is unavoidable.
Thirdly, it behoves every one to provide for this evil day.
Firſt of the firſt branch, the day of affliction, eſpecially death is an evil day. Here we muſt ſhew how affliction is evil, and how not.
Firſt, it is not morally or intrinſecally evil, if it were evil in this ſenſe; Firſt, God could not be the author of it; his nature is ſo pure, that no ſuch evil can come from him, any more then the Sunnes light can make night. But this evil of affliction he voucheth for his own act, Againſt this family do I deviſe an evil, Mic. 3.2. yea more, he impropriates it ſo to himſelf, as that he will not have us think any can do us evil beſide himſelf. 'Tis the Prerogative he glories in, that there is no evil in the City, but it is of his doing, Amos 3.6. And well it is for the Saints that their croſſes are all made in heaven, they would not elſe be ſo fitted to their backs as they are. But for the evil of ſin, he diſownes it with a ſtrict charge, that we lay not this brat, which is begotten by Satan upon our impure hearts, at his door. Let no man ſay when he is tempted, I am tempted of God, for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man, James 1.13.
Secondly, if affliction were thus intrinſecally evil, it could in no reſpect be the object of our deſire, which ſometimes it is and may be. We are to chooſe affliction rather then ſin, yea, the greateſt affliction before the leaſt ſin. Moſes choſe affliction with the people of God, rather then the pleaſures of ſin for a ſeaſon. We are bid rejoyce when we fall into divers temptations, that is, afflictions.
But in what reſpects then may the day of affliction be called evil?
Firſt, as it is grievous to ſenſe in Scriprure, evil is oft put as contradiſtinct to joy and comfort: We looked for peace, and behold no good. A merry heart is called a good heart, a ſad ſpirit an evil ſpirit, becauſe nature hath an abhorrency to all that oppoſeth its joy, and this every affliction doth more or leſſe. No affliction,Heb.12.11 while preſent is joyous, but grievous; it hath like Phyſick, an unpleaſing farewel to the ſenſe. Therefore Salomon, ſpeaking of the evil dayes of ſickneſſe, expreſſeth them to be ſo diſtaſteful to nature, that we ſhall ſay, We have no pleaſure in them. They take away the joy of our life. Natural joy is a true flower of the Sun of proſperity, it opens and ſhuts with it. 'Tis true indeed, the Saints never have more joy then in their affliction, but this comes in upon another ſcore; they have a good God that ſends it in, or elſe they would be as ſadly on it as others. 'Tis no more natural for comfort to ſpring from afflictions, then for grapes to grow on thornes, or Manna in the wilderneſſe. The Iſraelites might have look't long enough for ſuch bread, if heaven had not miraculouſly rained it down. God chooſeth this ſeaſon to make the Omnipotency of his love the more conſpicuous. As Elijah to adde to the miracle, firſt cauſeth water in abundance to be poured upon the wood and ſacrifice, ſo much as to fill the trench, and then brings fire from heaven by his prayer, to lick it up: Thus God poures out the flood of affliction upon his children, and then kindles that inward joy in their boſomes which licks up all their ſorrow, yea, he makes the very waters of affliction they float on, adde a further ſweetneſſe to the muſick of their ſpiritual joy, but ſtill it is God that is good, and affliction that is evil.
Secondly, the day of affliction is an evil day, as it is an unwelcome remembrancer of what ſinful evils have paſſed in our lives. It revives the memory of old ſins, which it may be, were buried many years ago in the grave of forgetfulneſſe. The night of affliction is the time when ſuch ghoſts uſe to walk in mens conſciences; and as the darkneſſe of the night addes to the horrour of any ſcareful object, ſo doth the ſtate of affliction (which is it ſelf uncomfortable) adde to the terrour of our ſinnes then remembred. Never did the Patriarchs ſin look ſo ghaſtly on them, as when it recoil'd upon them in their diſtreſſe, Gen. 42.21. The ſinner then hath more real apprehenſions of wrath then at another time; affliction approximates judgement, yea, it is interpreted by him, as a Purſevant ſent to call him preſently before God, and therefore muſt needs beget a woful confuſion and conſternation in his ſpirit. O that men would think, of this, how they could bear the ſight of their ſins, and a Rehearſal Sermon of all their wayes in that day! That is the bleſſed man indeed, who can with the Prophet then look on them, and triumph over them. This indeed is a dark parable, as he calls it, few can skill of it, as Pſ. 94.3, 4. I will open my dark ſaying upon the harp; wherefore ſhould I feare in the day of evil, when the iniquity of my heels compaſſeth me about?
Thirdly, the day of affliction makes diſcovery of much evil to be in the heart, which was not ſeen before. Affliction ſhakes and royles the creature, if any ſediment be at the bottome it will appear then. Sometimes it diſcovers the heart to be quite naught, that before had ſome ſeeming good, theſe ſuds waſh off the hypocrites paint, Natura vexata prodit ſeipſam. When corrupt nature is vext it ſhews it ſelf, and ſome afflictions do that to purpoſe. We reade of ſuch as are offended when perſecution comes, they fall quite out with their Profeſſion, becauſe it puts them to ſuch coſt and trouble; others in their diſtreſſe that curſe their God, Iſa. 8.21. It is impoſſible for a naughty heart to think well of an afflicting God. The hireling, if his Maſter takes up a ſtaffe to beat him, throws down his work and runs away; and ſo doth a falſe heart ſerve God. Yea, even where the perſon is gracious, corruption is oft found to be ſtronger, and grace weaker then they were thought to be. Peter, who ſet out ſo valiantly at firſt to walk on the ſea, the winde doth but riſe and he begins to ſink; now he ſees there was more unbelief in his heart then he before ſuſpected. Sharp afflictions are to the ſoule as a driving raine to the houſe; we know not that there are ſuch crannies and holes in the houſe, till we ſee it drop down here and there. Thus we perceive not how unmortified this corruption, nor how weak that grace is, till we are thus ſearch't, and made more fully to know what is in our hearts by ſuch trials. This is the reaſon why none have ſuch humble thoughts of themſelves, and ſuch pitiful and forbearing thoughts towards others in their infirmities; as thoſe who are moſt acquainted with afflictions, they meet with ſo many foiles in their conflicts, as make them carry a low ſaile in reſpect of their own grace, and a tender reſpect to their brethren, more ready to pity then cenſure them in their weakneſſes.
Fourthly, this is the ſeaſon when the evil one Satan comes to tempt. What we finde call'd the time of tribulation, Mat. 13.22. we finde in the ſame parable, Luke 8.13. call'd the time of temptation. Indeed they both meet; ſeldome doth God afflict us, but Satan addeth temptation to our wilderneſſe; This is your houre (ſaith Chriſt) and the power of darkneſſe, Luke 22.53. Chriſts ſufferings from man, and temptation from the devil came together. Eſau, who hated his brother for the bleſſing, ſaid in his heart, The dayes of mourning for my father are at hand, then will I kill my brother, Gen. 27.41. Times of affliction are the dayes of mourning, thoſe Satan waits for to do us amiſchief in.
Fifthly and laſtly, the day of affliction hath oft an evil event and iſſue, and in this reſpect proves an evil day indeed. All is well (we ſay) that ends well; the product of afflictions on the Chriſtian is good, the rod with which they are corrected, yields the peaceable fruits of righteouſneſſe, and therefore they can call their afflictions good, that is a good inſtrument that lets out only the bad blood. It is good for me that I was afflicted, ſaith David. I have read of a holy woman, who uſed to compare her afflictions to her children, they both put her to great pain in the bearing, but as ſhe knew not which of her children to have been without (for all the trouble in the bringing forth) ſo neither which of her afflictions ſhe could have miſſed, notwithſtanding the ſorrow they put her to in the enduring. But to the wicked the iſſue is ſad, firſt in regard of ſin, they leave them worſe, more impenitent, hardened in ſin, and outragious in their wicked practices. Every plague on Egypt added to the plague of hardneſſe on Pharaohs heart: he that for ſome while could beg prayers of Moſes for himſelf, at laſt comes to that paſſe, that he threatens to kill him if he come at him any more. O what a prodigious height do we ſee many come to in ſin after ſome great ſickneſſe or other judgement? Children do not more ſhoot up in their bodily ſtature after an ague, then they in their luſts after afflictions. O how greedy and ravenous are they after their prey, when they once get off their clog and chain from their heeles! when Phyſick works not kindly, it doth not only leave the diſeaſe uncured, but the poiſon of the Phyſick ſtays in the body alſo. Many appear thus poiſoned by their afflictions, by the breaking out of their luſts afterward. Secondly, in regard of ſorrow, every affliction on a wicked perſon produceth another, and that a greater then it ſelf. The laſt wedge comes the laſt, which ſhall rive him fit for the fire, the ſinner is whip't from affliction to affliction, as the vagrant from Conſtable to Conſtable till at laſt he comes to hell, his proper place and ſetled abode, where all ſorrrows will meet in one that is endleſſe.
The ſecond branch of the point follows. This evil day is unavoidable. We may as well ſtop the chariot of the Sun, when poſting to night, and chaſe away the ſhades of the evening, as eſcape this houre of darkneſſe that is coming upon us all. None hath power over the Spirit to retain it, neither hath he power in the day of death, and there is no diſcharge in that war, Eccl. 8.8. Among men 'tis poſſible to get off when preſt for the wars, by pleading priviledge of yeares, eſtate, weakneſſe of body, protection from the Prince, and the like, or if all theſe fail, poſſibly the ſending another in our room, or a bribe given in the hand may ſerve the turn. But in this war the preſſe is ſo ſtrict, that there is no diſpenſation; David could willingly have gone for his ſon, we hear him crying, Would God I had died for thee, O Abſalom, my ſon, my ſon: but he will not be taken, that young Gallant muſt go himſelf. We muſt in our own perſon come into the field, and look death in the face. Some indeed we finde ſo fond as to promiſe themſelves immunity from this day, as if they had an enſuring office in their breaſt. They ſay they have made a Covenant with death, and with hell they are at an agreement, when the overflowing ſcourge ſhall paſſe through it ſhall not come unto them. And now (like debtors that have feed the Serjeant) they walk abroad boldly and feare no arreſt. But God tells them as faſt as they binde he will looſe: Your Covenant with death ſhall be diſannulled, and your agreement with hell ſhall not stand; and how ſhould it if God will not ſet his ſeal to it? There is a divine Law for this evil day, which came in force upon Adams firſt ſin, that laid the fatal knife to the throat of mankinde, which hath opened a ſluce to let out his heart-blood ever ſince. God to prevent all eſcape hath ſowen the ſeeds of death in our very conſtitution and nature, ſo that we can aſſoon run from our ſelves, as run from death. We need no feller to come with a hand of violence, and hew us down; there is in the tree a worme which grows out of its own ſubſtance that will deſtroy it, ſo in us, thoſe infirmities of nature that will bring us down to the duſt. Our death was bred when our life was firſt conceived; and as a breeding woman cannot hinder the houre of her travel, (that follows in nature upon the other) ſo neither can man hinder the bringing forth of death with which his life is big. All the pains and aches man feels in his life are but ſo many ſingultus morientis naturae, groans of dying nature; they tell him his diſſolution is at hand. Beeſt thou a Prince ſitting in all thy ſtate and pomp, death dare enter thy Palace, and come through all thy guards, to deliver the fatal meſſage it hath from God to thee, yea, runs its dagger to thy heart; wert thou compaſſed with a Colledge of Doctors conſulting thy health, Art and Nature both muſt deliver thee up when that comes. Even when thy ſtrength is firmeſt, and thou eateſt thy bread with a merry heart, that very food which nouriſheth thy life, gives thee withal an earneſt of death, as it leaves thoſe dregs in thee which will in time procure the ſame. O how unavoidable muſt this evil day of death be, when that very ſtaffe knocks us down to the: grave at laſt, which our life leans on, and is preſerved by! God owes a debt both to the firſt Adam and ſecond; to the firſt he owes the wages of his ſin: to the ſecond, the reward of his ſufferings. The place for full payment of both is the other world, ſo that except death comes to convey man thither, the wicked who are the poſterity of the firſt Adam, will miſſe of that full pay for their ſins, which the threatening makes due debt, and engageth God to perform; The godly alſo who are the ſeed of Chriſt, theſe ſhould not receive the whole purchaſe of his blood, which he would never have ſhed but upon the credit of thar promiſe of eternal life, which God gave him for them before the world began; This is the reaſon why God hath made this day ſo ſure, in it he diſchargeth both bonds.
The third branch of the point follows, That it behoves every one to prepare, and effectually to provide for this evil day, which ſo unavoidably impends us: And that upon a twofold account; Firſt, in point of duty. Secondly, in point of wiſdome.
Firſt, in point of duty. Firſt, it is upon our allegiance to the great God, that we provide and arme our ſelves againſt this day. Suppoſe a ſubject were truſted with one of his Princes caſtles, and this man ſhould hear that a puiſſant enemy was coming to lay ſiege to this caſtle, yet takes no care to lay in armes and proviſion for his defence, and ſo 'tis loſt, how could ſuch a one be clear'd of treaſon? doth he not baſely betray the place, and with it his Princes honour into the enemies hand? Our ſouls are this caſtle which we are every one to keep for God. We have certain intelligence that Satan hath a deſign upon them, and the time when he intends to come with all his powers of darkneſſe, to be that evil day. Now as we would be found true to our truſt, we are obliged to ſtand upon our defence, and ſtore our ſelves with what may enable us to make a vigorous reſiſtance.
Secondly, we are obliged to provide for that day, as a ſuitable return for, and improvement of the opportunities and meanes, which God affords us for this very end. We cannot without ſhameful ingratitude to God, make waſte of thoſe helps God gives us in order to this great work. Every one would cry out upon him that ſhould baſely ſpend that money upon riot in priſon, which was ſent him to procure his deliverance out of priſon; And do we not bluſh to beſtow thoſe talents upon our luſts and Satan? which God graciouſly indulgeth to deliver us from them, and his rage in a dying houre? what have we Bibles for, Miniſters and preaching for? if we mean not to furniſh our ſelves by them with armour for the evil day? In a word, what is the intent of God in lengthening out our dayes, and continuing us ſome while here in the land of the living? was it that we might have time to revel or rather ravel out upon the pleaſure of this vaine world? Doth he give us our precious time to be employed in catching ſuch butterflies as theſe earthly honours and riches are? It cannot be. Maſters do not uſe (if wiſe) to ſet their ſervants about ſuch work, as will not pay for the candle they borne in doing it. And truly nothing leſſe then the glorifying of God, and ſaving our ſoules at laſt can be worth the precious time we ſpend here. The great God hath a greater. end then moſt think in this diſpenſation: If we would judge aright, we ſhould take his own interpreration of his actions; and the Apoſtle Peter bids us, count that the long-ſuffering of the Lord is ſalvation, 2 Pet. 3.15. which plate he quotes out of Paul, (as to the ſenſe, though not in the ſame forme of words) which in Rom. 2.4. are theſe, Or deſpiſeſt thou the riches of his goodneſſe, and forbearance, and long-ſuffering, not knowing that the goodneſſe of God leadeth thee to repentance? From both places we are taught what is the minde of God, and the language he ſpeaks to us in by every moments patience, and inch of time that is granted to us. It is a ſpace given for repentance. God ſees (as we are) death and judgement could bring no good news to us, we are in no caſe to welcome the evil day, and therefore mercy ſtands up to plead for the poor creature in Gods boſome, and begs a little time more may be added to its life, that by this iudulgence it may be provoked to repent before he be called to the bar, Thus we come by every day that is continually ſuperadded to our time on earth. And doth not this lay a ſtrong obligation on us to lay out every point of this time, unto the ſame end 'tis begged for.
Secondly, in point of wiſdome. The wiſdom of a man appears moſt eminently in two things.
Firſt, in the matter of his choice and chief care.
Secondly, in a due timing of this his choice and care.
Firſt, a wife man makes choice of that for the ſubject of his chief care and endeavour, which is of greateſt importance and conſequence to him; fools and children only are intent about toys and trifles. They are as buſie and earneſt in making of a houſe of dirt or cards, as Solomon was in making of his Temple. Thoſe poor bables are as adequate to their fooliſh apprehenſions, as great enterpriſes are to wiſe men. Now ſuch is the importance of the evil day, eſpecially that of death, that it proves a man a fool, or wiſe, as he comports himſelf to it. The end ſpecifies every action, and gives it the name of good or evil, of wiſe or fooliſh. The evil day of death is as the end of our dayes, ſo to be the end of all the actions of our life. Such will our life be found at laſt, as it hath been in order to this one day. If the ſeveral items of our life (counſels and projects that we have purſued) when they ſhall then be caſt up, will amount to a bleſſed death, then we ſhall appear to be wiſe men indeed, but if after all our goodly plots and policies for other things, we be unprovided for that houre, we muſt be content to die fooles at laſt; And no ſuch fool as the dying fool. The Chriſtian goes for the fool (in the worlds account) while he lives; but when death comes, the wiſe world will then confeſſe they miſ-call'd him, and ſhall take it to themſelves; We fooles counted his life to be madneſſe, and his end to be without honour. But how is he now numbred among the children of God, and his lot is among the Saints? therefore have we erred from the way of truth, Wiſd. 5.4, 5. The place is Apocryphal, but ſinners will finde the matter of it Canonical. 'Tis true indeed, Saints are out-witted by the world in the things of the world, and no marvel, neither doth it impeach their wiſdome any more, then it doth a Scholars, to be excell'd by the Cobler in his mean trade, Nature, where it intends higher excellencies, is more careleſſe in thoſe things that are inferiour, as we ſee in man, who (being made to excel the beaſts in a rational ſoul) is himſelf excelled by ſome beaſt or other in all his ſenſes. Thus the Chriſtian may well be ſurpaſt in matters of worldly commerce, becauſe he hath a nobler object in his eye, that makes him converſe with the things of the world in a kinde of non-attendance; he is not much careful in theſe matters if he can die well at laſt, and be juſtified for a wiſe man at the day of the reſurrection, all is well; he thinks it is not, manners, to be unwilling to ſtay ſo long for the clearing of his wiſdom, as God can wait for the, vindicating of his own glorious Nature, which will not appear in its glory till that day, when he will convince the ungodly of their hard thoughts and ſpeeches of him.Jud. 2.15. Then they ſhall, till then they will not be convinced.
Secondly, a wiſe man labours duly to time his care and endeavour for the attaining of what he propoſeth. 'Tis the fool that comes when the market is done; as the evil day is of great concernment in reſpect of its event, ſo the placing of our care for it in the right ſeaſon is of chief importance, and that ſure muſt be before it comes. There are more doors then one, at which the meſſenger may enter that brings evil tydings to us, and at which he will knock we know not; we know not where we ſhall be arreſted, whether at bed or board, whether at home or in the field, whether among our friends that will counſel and comfort us, or among our enemies that will adde weight to our ſorrow by their cruelty. We know not when, whether by day or night, (many of us) not, whether in the morning, noon, or evening of our age. As he calls to work at all times of the day, ſo he doth to bed; may be while thou art praying or preaching, and it would be ſad to go away profaning them and the Name of God in them; poſſibly when thou art about worſe work, death may ſtrike thy quaffing cup out of thy hand, while thou art ſitting in the Alehouſe with thy jovial mates, or meet thee as thou art reeling home, and make ſome ditch thy grave, that as thou livedſt like a beaſt, ſo thou ſhouldeſt die like a beaſt. In a word, we know not the kinde of evil God will uſe as the inſtrument to ſtab us; whether ſome bloody hand of violence ſhall do it, or a diſeaſe out of our bowels and bodies; whether ſome acute diſeaſe, or ſome lingring ſickneſſe; whether ſuch a ſickneſſe as ſhall ſlay the man while the body is alive, (I meane take the head and deprive us of our reaſon) or not; whether ſuch noiſome troubles as ſhall make our friends afraid to let us breath on them, or themſelves look on us; whether they ſhall be afflictions aggravated with Satans temptations, and the terrours of our own affrighted conſciences or not; who knowes where, when, or what the evil day ſhall be? therefore doth God conceal theſe, that we ſhould provide for all. Ceſar would never let his ſouldiers know, when or whither he meant to march. The knowing of theſe would torment us with diſtracting fear, the not knowing them ſhould awaken us to a providing care. It is an ill time to calk the ſhip, when at ſea, tumbling up and down in a ſtorme, This ſhould have been look't to, when on her ſeat in the harbour. And as bad it is to begin to trim a ſoul for heaven, when toſſing upon a ſick bed. Things that are done in a hurry are ſeldome done well; A man call'd out of his bed at midnight with a diſmal fire on his houſe-top, cannot ſtand to dreſſe himſelf in order as at another time; but runs down with one ſtocking half on may be, and the other not on at all. Thoſe poor creatures I am afraid go in as ill a dreſſe into another world, who begin to provide for it, when on a dying bed conſcience calls them up with a cry of hell-fire in their boſomes: But (alas!) they muſt go, though they have not time to put their armour on. And ſo they are put to repent at leiſure in hell, of their ſhuffling up a repentance in haſte here. We come to the Application of the Point.