Eighteen Choice and Useful Sermons, Sermon 7
The Seventh SERMON.
HEBR. 12.6.
For whom the Lord loveth be chaſteneth.
THe Apoſtle, having exhorted us before unto patience, and not to faint when vve are afflicted, here he gives us a reaſon, which is as it vvere a cordiall to keep us from fainting; For it is God that ſends afflictions, The Lord chaſtens. They be his beloved that are afflicted; He chaſtens whom he loves, and he he doth not torment and torture them like a tyrant; but he doth onelyonly chaſten them, even as a Father doth chaſten and correct his children; For whom the Lord loves (ſaith the Apoſtle) he chaſtens: ſo that the parts to be conſidered in theſe words are three.
Firſt,Diviſion. The Agent or party afflicting, from vvhom theſe chaſtiſements or afflictions are ſent, and that is God, The Lord chaſtens,
Secondly, The Patient or party afflicted upon vvhom theſe chaſtiſements or afflictions do light; namely the beloved of God, He chaſtens whom he loves.
And thirdly, The quality of the action, in the vvord chaſtens, vvhichwhich implies, that they are not ſevere puniſhments; but fatherly chaſtiſements.
And firſt for the Agent, or party afflicting, in that it is God that chaſtens.
The Doctrine to be gathered from hence is this,Dect. That God is the Authour of afflictions, All afflictions, all croſſes and tribulations whatſoever they be, from the leaſt to the greateſt, come not by accident, chance or fortune, but by Gods providence. As we may ſee by theſe two things.
Firſt, Becauſe there is not any affliction that can light upon any man, but God hath ordained and fore-appointed the ſame; God, I ſay, in his eternall counſell, hath decreed, determined and fore-appointed whatſoever afflictiocan befall any man. This is manifeſt out of thoſe words of the Prophet in the,Amos 3.6. 3d. of Amos, Shall there evill in a City (ſaith the Prophet) and the Lord hath not done it? Where by evill, is meant, not the evill of ſin, but the evill of puniſhment: for there is a two-fold evill, Malum culpae, the evill of ſin, whereof God is no way the Authour (For thou art a God, ſaith the Prophet David, Pſal. 5.4.that haſt no pleaſure in wickedneſſe.) And there is Malum paenae, the evill of puniſhment, as affliction and chaſtiſement, and God is always the Authour thereof. And of this kind of evil the Prophet ſaith, That there ſhal be no ſuch evil, no not in a whole City, but the Lord hath done it, that is the Lord hath decreed it to be done: for ye ſee the Prophet ſpeaks of a future evill, Shall there be evill? and yet he ſaith, that the Lord hath done it, becauſe in his decreed it. So we ſee that whatſoever Herod and Pilat together with the people,Acts 4.28. did or conſpired againſt our Saviour; yet God had decreed whatſoever they did, and they could not do any thing, but what God before in his eternall counſell had determined to be done.
Secondly, Becauſe. God hath not only decreed all afflictions than can poſſibly befall us, but be doth likewiſe order and diſpoſe the ſame, and brings them to p…ſſe in the ſelf-ſame manner that he hath decreed them. For though God ſomtimes do uſe the Miniſtry of Angels to afflict us, as he uſed the Miniſtry of an Angel in the afflict on of David, and his people, by plague and peſtilence: and though ſomtimes he uſe the Miniſtry of the Devill to afflict us, as he uſed the Miniſtry of the Devill in the affliction of Job: and though he uſe ſomtime the miniſtry of men to afflict us, as he uſed the Miniſtry of Joſephs brethren in the affliction of Joſeph, 1 King. 24. Job. 1.12. Gen. 37.28. Numb. 21.6.when he was ſold to the Iſra…lites; and though he uſe ſomtimes the Miniſtry of unreaſonable and encelede creatures to afflict us, as the fiery ſerpents to …lict the Iſraelites, the heat of the Sun to afflict Jonas, Jonas 4.4.and a winde and a tempeſt to afflict the Diſcip…es, yet God himſelfe is always the principall Agent,Mat. 8.24. and they but the inſtruments; God diſpoſeth of the quantity and meaſure of our afflictions, and whomſoever he uſeth as inſtruments to afflict us, yet he reſtrains their power, and ſets them their bounds which they cannot paſſe. So we ſee when the devill afflicted Job, God ſuffered him to take away all his goods, to kill his children and ſervants, and to afflict his whole body with ſores and ulcers, but he muſt ſtay there, God hath given him a charge concerning his life, and he can go no further.Job 2.6. God diſpoſeth of our afflictions for their time and continuance, and ſets down their limits vvhen they ſhall end and ceaſe. So vve ſee in the affliction of the Iſraelites, that God determined the time that they ſhould be afflicted, and the very ſame night that the years were expired, they were led out of Egypt, Exod. 12.41.and their afflictions ceaſed. God diſpoſeth of our afflictions in regard of the end for which they were ſent, by making them ſerve for his own glory, and for our good. So we ſee in the affliction of Joſeph, God diſpoſed of his affliction for the benefit of his brethren. And therefore Joſeph ſaith unto his brethren, Be not you ſad, Gen. 45.5.nor grieved with your ſelves for that you ſold me hither, for the Lord (ſaith he) hath ſent me hither for your preſervation. Though you (ſaith he) imagined evill againſt me,Gen. 50.20. yet God diſpoſed it unto good. Seeing then, That God doth not only decree all afflictions, but likewiſe doth execute and effect the ſame, both by diſpoſing of the manner of them, by limiting their time, and turning them to the end which he hath appointed, it is manifeſt hereby that God is the Authour of all afflictions, and that they come not by accident, chance or fortune, but by Gods providence.
Ʋſe. 1 The uſe to be made hereof is divers.
Firſt, Seeing God is the Authour of all afflictions, it may teach us this, That whenſoever we are in any diſtreſſe, we are to paſſe by all ſecond cauſes, and look ſpecially upon God, as the principall Agent in all our afflictions. Many take notice of the means or inſtrument whereby they are afflicted, but look not up unto him that ſent is: as the dog flieth upon the ſtone that is thrown at him, but mindeth not him that threw it, but in every affliction we look up to God as the principall Agent. Thus when Shimei reviled David. 2 Sam. 16. telling him openly before all the people, that he was a murderer and a wicked man, and that he was an uſurper of Sauls Kingdom, and Davids Servants would have ſtain Shemei for railing on him, David would not ſuffer them to do him any harm, and he gives this reaſon, Suffer him (ſaith he) to curſe me for the Lord hath bidden him: and ſo he looks not upon Shimei, 2 Sam. 16. 11.but he hath an eye unto God as the Authour of this affliction. Thus when the Devill had got a licence from God to afflict Job, and the Sabeans on the one ſide took away his oxen as they were plowing, and his aſſes as they were feeding in their places, and the Calde ans on the other ſide took away his Camels, and put his ſervants to the edge of the ſword, Job though he underſtood by his ſervants that it was done by them, yet he paſſeth them by as being but the inſtruments, and aſcribes it to God as the principall Agent. The Lord (ſaith he) hath given, Job 1.21.and the Lord hath taken, bleſſed be the name of the Lord. And thus when Joſeph was afflicted by his brethren, and ſold into Egypt, though he knew that this was done by them, and that of an evill intent and meer malice towards him, yet he looks not upon them, but he looks upon God as the Author of his affliction.Gen. 45.7.8. Gen. 50.20. The Lord (ſaith he) hath ſent me hither for your preſervation, and the Lord hath diſpoſed it unto good. So that whenſoever we are any way afflicted, we are to paſſe by all ſecond cauſes, as being but the means and inſtruments which God uſeth to afflict us, but we are eſpecially to have an eye unto God, as to the principall Agent, and to remember that it is God that chaſtens us.
Ʋſe. 2 Secondly, Seeing God is the Authour of all afflictions, Therefore whenſoever we are afflicted, we are to humble our ſelves under the hand of God, and to bear with patience whatſoever it ſhall pleaſe God to lay upon us. For ſeeing God is the Authour of our afflictions, who as Saint Paul ſaith, 1 Cor. 10. is faithfull, and will not ſuffer us to be tempted above our power, but will give an iſſue with the temptation, that we may be able to bear it: and ſeeing that if we indure chaſtening, as the Apoſtle here telleth us in the next verſe, God offers himſelfe unto us as unto Sons, Heb. 12.7.he offers himſelf as a father unto us, therefore we are patiently to under go all afflictions that he ſhall lay upon us. Diogenes the Philoſopher being viſited with ſickneſſe, and being impatient by reaſon of his pain, his friend to comfort him, willed him to be of good chear, and to bear it with patience, becauſe God was the Authour of his ſickneſſe. Oh, ſaith the Philoſopher, but this is that which grieves me the more, this is that which maketh me the more impatient, ſeeing that my ſickneſſe is ſent of God. But it is not ſo with the children of God, they are always the more patient when they are afflicted, and do bear the ſame without murmuring and repining, becauſe God is the Authour of their afflication. So when old Eli 1 Sam. 3. underſtood by Samuel, what God had threatned, even to root out his houſe for ever, he ſubmitted himſelf unto Gods will, It is (faith he) the Lord, 1 Sam. 3.18. Pſal. 39.9.let him do what ſeemeth him good. The like did David, Pſal. 39. when the hand of the Lord was ſo heavy upon him, that it even conſumed him, yet he bare it patiently, I became (faith he) dumb, and opened not my mouth, for it was thy doing. When Jobs wife would have had him to blaſpheme, and to curſe God in the extreamity of his pain,Job 2.10. Thou ſpeakeſt ſaith Job, like a fooliſh woman, ſhall we receive good at the hand of God, and ſhall we not receive evill? as thinking it unreaſonable, that we ſhould be content to receive the one, and not the other. If our earthly parents do chaſten and correct us, we will endure it with patience, and ſhould we not endure the chaſtiſement and correction of our heavenly Father? We have had (ſaith the Apoſtle, here in the 9th. verſe) the fathers of our bodies which have corrected us, and we have given them reverence, and ſhould we not (faith he) much rather be in ſubjection to the Father of ſpirits? We will ſuffer the Phyſician in the time of our ſickneſſe (becauſe he hath ſeen our water, or felt our pulſe) to let us bloud, we will ſuffer him to preſcribe us a leſſe diet, and to take away from us the uſe of ſome meats, wherein in our health we were much delighted, and we will patiently endure the want thereof, and not murmure againſt him. And ſhould we not yield as much unto God, as we do to the Phyſician? yet if God take away from us any of thoſe things wherein we were wont to take comfort and delight; if he afflict us with the loſſe of our goods, with the loſſe of our health, or with the loſſe of our friends, we preſently fall into great impatiencie, as if ſo be God dealt too hardly with us: But doth not God know what is beſt for us? if he afflict thee with the loſſe of thy goods, he fore-ſaw (it may be) they would have done thee harm, and that thou would'ſt have ſet thy heart upon them. Niſi perdidiſſes tu illa te fortè perdidiſſent, faith Seneca. If God had not withdrawn thy riches from thee, it may be, thy riches would have withdrawn thee from God. If God take away thy health, and afflict thee with ſicknes, it may be, it is to cure thee of a more dangerous diſeaſe, as foreſeeing that otherwiſe if thou hadſt had thy health, thou wouldeſt have taken a greater ſurfet of the pleaſures of this life. If God do afflict thee with any kind of diſgrace, by ſuffering thee to be wronged in thy good name and credit, it may be he doth it to teach thee humility, as fore-ſeeing that otherwiſe thou wouldeſt have waxed proud, and vain-glorious. For vic…sin the mind, ſaith Plato, are as diſeaſes in the body, and chaſtilements as medicines, and ſurely God is the Phyſician that knows beſt how to apply them. And therefore whenſoever we are any way afflicted, we are to poſſeſſe our ſoules with patience, becauſe it is God that chaſtens. Laſtly, Seeing it is God that chaſtens, this may therefore teach us in all our afflictions to ſeek vntounto God for help & deliverance, Ʋſe. 3 that he that wounded us may cure & recover us, & the ſame hand that caſt us down may raiſe us up again. I (ſaith the Lord, Deut. 32.) kill and make alive. I wound & I heal. Therefore he wils us to call upon him in the time of trouble, and he will deliver us.Deut. 32.32. For howſoever by our ſins we provoke him to afflict us, yet if we call upon him for mercy and grace, he hath an ear to hear us, an eye to behold us, a heart to pity us, and an hand to help us. And thus much concerning the firſt point, the Agēt or party afflicting, That it is God that chaſtens.
I come now to the ſecond, namely, The Patient, or party afflicted, the beloved of God, he chaſtens whom he loves.
Doct. God though he love whatſoever he hath made, yet among all his creatures he loves man beſt, and among men eſpecially thoſe, who are of the houſhold of faith, which is his Church. Theſe he loves with an everlaſting love, he hath given his only Son for their redemption, and hath adopted them in Chriſt Jeſus to be his children: And yet howſoever he loves them ſo dearly, yet many times he doth afflict and chaſten them; for ſo we ſee here, whom he loves, he chaſtens. The Doctrine that we may gather from hence is this, That they who are in the love and favour of God, are nevertheleſſe afflicted. In the 11th. of Saint John, Behold Lord, John 11.3.he whom thou loveſt is ſick. Chriſt loved Lazarus, and yet did not free and exempt him from ſickneſſe.Dan. 9.23. Daniel was greatly beloved of God as the Angell Gabriel told him, yet Daniel was caſt into the Lions den. The Virgine Mary was freely beloved of God, as the ſame Gabriel told her, Luke 1. yet a ſword was to pierce through her heart, Luke 1.28. Luke 2.35. 1 Sam. 13.14. Job 1.1.as old Simeon propheſied. David was a man according to Gods own heart, yet David was often and many wayes afflicted. Job was a juſt and an upright man, yet Job was extraordinarily afflicted. Saint Paul was a choſen veſſel of God, yet after he was converted, his whole life was nothing but a continued affliction. In a word,Acts 9.15. all the Patriarchs, Prophets and Apoſtles, and all the beloved children of God, even from the beginning of the world to this preſent time have ſuffered affliction. Therefore Chriſt ſaith Revel. 3. As many as I love, Revel. 3.19.I rebuke and chaſten. Read over the Scriptures, and ye ſee examples hereof almoſt in every leafe.Gen. 39.20. In one place ye ſhall ſee Joſeph caſt into the dungeon, Dan. 3.20.in another the three children into a fiery furnace; 1 King. 22.27.here ye ſhall ſee Michea fed with the bread of affliction, there David waſhing his couch with tears; in one place ye ſhall ſee Steven ſtoned to death, Pſal. 6.6.in another ye ſhall finde John the Baptiſt beheaded. Acts 7.59.To be ſhort, as it was ſaid of Rome heretofore,Mark. 6.27. that a man could not ſtep into any part thereof, but he ſhould tread upon a Martyre, ſo a man can hardly read any part of the Scripture, but he ſhall light upon the affliction of the children of God either one or other: affliction being common to every one of them, and more common then any thing. The floud that overſpred the whole face of the earth in the days of Noah, was common & generall, yet eight perſons, ye know, were freed, frō the flood,Gen. 6.18. & preſerved in the Ark Death is more cómon & general then the flood,Gen. 5.24. ſeizing upon the whole of-ſpring of Adam, and yet two perſons Enoch and Elias have been freed from death,a King 2.,11 and were taken up into heaven while they were living upon the earth. Sin is more common and generall then death, and yet one perſon, even Chriſt, and he alone was free from ſin, but affliction is more generall then any of them all, which hath lighted upon all men without any exception, for even Chriſt himſelf though he were free from ſin,Eſay. 53.3. yet he was vir dolorum, as the Prophet Eſay calls him, a man of ſorrows, as being ſubject through the whole courſe of his life to much ſorrow & affliction. For this is the condition of all Gods children, that firſt they muſt wear a crown of thorns, before they receive a crown of glory; firſt they muſt ſuffer with Chriſt in this life, before they reign with him in the life to come. Therefore Chriſt wills us, if we will be his diſciples, to take up his croſſe every day, Acts 14.and follow him. And the Apoſtle tels us That through many afflictions we muſt enter into the Kingdom of heaven.
Ʋſe. 1 The uſe to be made hereof is two-fold. Firſt, Seeing Goddeth viſit his own children with the rod of affliction, then much leſſe ſhall the wicked eſcape Gods judgements; if God chaſten the godly whom he loves, and is loved of them, much leſſe will he ſpare his enemies, & thoſe that hate him. Prov. 11.31.Therefore Solomon, Proverbs 1…. Behold the righteous ſhall be recompenſed in the earth, much more the wicked and the ſinner.
And therefore Peter, 1 Epiſt. 4. Chapter. If judgement, ſaith he,1 Peter 4.17.18. firſt begin at us, what ſhall the end of them be that obey not the Goſpel? and if the righteous ſcarcely be ſaved, where ſhall the ungodly and the ſinner appear? For if God chaſten the one, much leſſe out of doubt will he ſpare the other. You will ſay, but it is ordinarily ſeen in the World, that the wicked are not ſubject to the like afflictions that the godly are. Their houſes, as Job in his 21. Chapt.Job 21.9. ſaith of the wicked, are peaceable without fear, and the rod of God is not upon them: and as the Prophet David ſaith of the ungodly, they proſper in all their wayes, and flouriſh like a green bay-tree. It is true indeed, and cannot be denied, that the godly many times do ſuffer in this World more croſſes and afflictions then the wicked; but therefore we muſt remember that the puniſhment of the wicked is kept and reſerved till the World to come. Lazarus was farre more afflicted in this life, that lay full of ſores at the rich mans gates, and would have been glad of a morſell of bread; then the rich man was, that fared ſo ſumptuouſly and lived in pleaſure: but therefore what ſaith Abraham to the rich man, Sonne, ſaith he,Luke 15.25. remember that then in thy life-time receivedſt thy good things, and Lazarus evill, but now is he comforted and thou art tormented. Whenſoever therefore we ſee the godly to live in affliction and miſery, and the wicked in proſperity and hearts-eaſe, yet it need not trouble us, becauſe there will come a time when the wicked ſhall be puniſht and the godly comforted, When the godly ſhall have all their teares wiped from their eyes, Revel. 7.17.and the wicked ſhall ſuffer Gods wrath and vengeance; for if God afflict and chaſten ſuch as he loves, much leſſe ſhall the wicked eſcape Gods judgements.
Secondly, Seeing God doth chaſten thoſe whom he loves, 2. Ʋſe.this may therefore teach us to beware of cenſuring hardly of them, that are in any diſtreſſe or affliction, as if this were an argument that they are out of Gods favour, and that God hath forſaken them. We are prone to judge, amiſſe of thoſe that are in diſtreſſe. If Job, be afflicted,Job 4.7.8. Acts 28.4. his friends will think that he is an Hypocrite. If the Barbarians ſee a Viper hang on Pauls hand, they will ſuſpect him therefore to have been a murderer: and if the Diſciples ſee the man that was born blind,John 9.2. they will judge that either he or his Parents had ſinned, as if they muſt needes be wicked perſons that are afflicted.
The Samaritans as Joſephus writes of them, when they ſaw that matters went proſperouſly with the Jewes, they were wont to ſay then that they were come of Abraham; but when the Jewes were under the Croſſe and ſuffered affliction, they would then derive their Pedegree from Babel and other Nations, and would not acknowledge them for Abrahams Children, as if only the wicked and not the godly were ſubject to affliction. But we ſee here that God chaſtens whom he loves, and therefore that we are not to judge hardly of ſuch as we ſee afflicted.
And thus much likewiſe for the ſecond point, the Patient or party that is chaſtned by God, namely Gods beloved, He chaſtens whom he loves.
I now proceed to the third and laſt, the quality of the action in this word chaſtneth, which implyeth (as I ſaid) that God doth not torment and torture us like a tyranne, but he doth onelyonly chaſten us, as a Father doth chaſten and correct his Children: theſe chaſtiſements do not proceed from God as an angry judge, for our plague and puniſhment, but as from a merciful and loving Father, for our correction and amendment; for herein he offers himſelf unto us as unto Sonnes, as the Apoſtle ſaith. So that theſe chaſtiſements to the godly are ſignes of their adoption, and pledges of Gods love and favour towards them, which that we may underſtand the better, I purpoſe to ſhew you two things.
Firſt, vvhat theſe chaſtiſements are, or how God doth chaſten us.
And ſecondly, To what end they are, or why he doth chaſten us.
Concerning the firſt, theſe chaſtiſements of God are ſometimes called in the Scripture the judgements of God: So they are called by the Apoſtle, 1 Pet. 4. The time, ſaith he, is come, that judgement muſt begin at the houſe of God. 1 Pet. 4.17.That is to ſay, the judgement of chaſtiſement, for the judgements of God are of two ſorts, judicia caſtigationis, & judicia vindicte & condemnationis, the judgements of chaſtiſement or correction, and the judgments of revenge and condemnation.
And this diſtinction is taken out of St. Paul, 1 Cor. 11. When we, ſaith he,1 Cor. 11.32. are judged, we are chaſtned of the Lord, that we ſhould not be condemned with the World. So that there is a judgment of chaſtiſement which lights upon the godly, and a judgment of condemnation which lights upon the wicked. And theſe judgements are ſometimes publick and generall, and ſometimes private and particular. Publick and generall, as when a whole Land or Country is afflicted; as either by Warre, by Plague and Peſtilence, by Death and Famin, and any other common and generall affliction.
Thus we ſee, 1 Chron. 21. That when David had ſinned againſt God, by cauſing his people to be numbred, God to chaſten and correct him for it, offers him his choiſe of three publick afflictions, either a generall dearth and famin all over his Land,1 Chron. 21.12. for the ſpace of three years, or the Enemies to come and invade his Land, and prevail againſt him for the ſpace of three months, or a Plague and Peſtilence among his people for three dayes.
David being in this extremity, did chooſe rather to fall into the hands of God then into the hands of men, becauſe there is mercy with the Lord in his chaſtiſements, and ſo there died of the Peſtilence threeſcore and ten thouſand in three dayes. This was a generall or publick affliction.
Sometime again they are privat or particular, as when any particular houſe or family, or any privat man is chaſtned and afflicted, and that either outwardly or inwardly: outwardly as by the loſſe of goods, by the loſſe of health, by the loſſe of friends, by the loſſe of liberty, and the like. And thus Gods Children are often afflicted. Some are afflicted with want and po…erty, as L…zarus was,Luke 16.21. ſome with the loſſe of their health, as the Pal…i…-m… was,Mat. 9. 1 Sam. 2.23. Gen. 39.20. Job 16.2. Pſal. 59.1. ſome are croſt in their Children, as Eli was; ſome are wronged in their good name and credit, as Suſanna was; ſome reſtrained of their liberty, as Ioſ…ph was; ſome wronged by their friends, as Iob was; and ſome perſecuted by their enemies, as David was. Theſe are outward chaſtiſements.
Sometimes again, God doth inwardly chaſten us, as when either he leaves us for a time to our ſelves, ſo that we fall into ſome actual ſinnes, and are afterwards grieved that we have offended God.
Thus Peter was afflicted when he had denied our Saviour, and wept ſo bitterly for his denial. Or when God withdrawes from us the feeling of his love and the comfort of his ſpirit:Mat. 26.75. So that we doubt for a time that God hath forſaken us, becauſe we can find no inward comfort. And thus David was afflicted when he complained ſo grievouſly, Pſal. 77.Pſal. 77.7. Will the Lord abſent himſelf for ever, and will he ſhew no more favour? hath he forgotten to be gratious, and will he ſhut up his kindneſs in diſpleaſure? Theſe are inward chaſtiſements.
Now God in all his chaſtiſements deales otherwiſe with the godly then he deales with the wicked. The one he chaſtens in love and mercy, the other he puniſheth in his wrath and fury: the one he ſuſtaines by his gracious aſſiſtance, and inables them to bear what he layes upon them: the other he gives over to endleſs deſpaire; to the one he brings a pruning knife to lop and purge them; to the other the Axe of deſolation to cut them down and deſtroy them. And thus we ſee what theſe chaſtiſements are.
Secondly, We are to conſider to what end they are, or why he doth chaſten us. The end why God doth chaſten his Children. is partly for his own glory, and partly for their good. For his own glory two wayes eſpecially.
Firſt, To ſhew how greatly he is diſpleaſed and offended with ſinne, inſomuch that he doth not ſpare it in his own Children. For this is moſt certain, that if man had never committed ſinne, he ſhould never have been ſubject unto any affliction; but as ſoon as Adam had ſinned againſt God, then God by afflicting him, made manifeſt how he is diſpleaſed and offended by ſinne, becauſe, ſaith God unto Adam, Gen. 3.17.Gen. 3. Thou haſt eaten of the Tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou ſhouldſt not eat, Curſed is the earth for thy ſake, in ſorrow ſhalt thou eat of it all the dayes of thy life, &c. For as there is nothing in the World but onelyonly ſinne that diſhonours God, ſo there is nothing but ſinne that is diſpleaſing and offenſive unto him. And this is ſo offenſive, that at firſt when it began to ſpring up in Heaven among the Angels, God preſently pulled up this weede by the root, and caſt the Angels out of Heaven: afterwards when it began to take root in Paradiſe, among our firſt Parents, God weeded it from thence, and thruſt them out of Paradiſe: afterwards again when it began to increaſe, and to ſpread it ſelf all over the earth God to cleanſe the earth from this pollution did ſend the deluge, and drowned all the world except eight perſons; and ſtill to ſhew how it doth diſpleaſe him, even thoſe whom he loves, he chaſtens for ſinne, and doth not ſpare it in his own Children.
A ſecond Reaſon, why God doth afflict us for his own glory, is to make manifeſt his power in our weakneſs, that when we are ſufficiently humbled by affliction, and paſt all recovery of our ſelves, he might ſhew his power in our deliverance, and provoke us to thankfulneſs when he hath delivered us.
Thus he ſuffered Daniel to be caſt among the Lions, the three Children to be thrown into a fiery furnace; and the Iſraelites to be ſo hotly purſued by Pharoh; that they were faine to flie through the read Sea with Moſes, that when they were delivered, they might aſcribe the glory thereof unto God, and ſay with the Prophet David, This is the Lords doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes: And theſe are the reaſons which concern Gods glory.
Secondly, God doth chaſten and correct us for our good. Si bonus eſt qui patitur, in bonum deſinit quodcunque patitur. If he be good that ſuffers, it is for his good whatſoever he ſuffers. For howſoever afflictions ſeem evill to us, yet God like a skilfull Phyſitian that will make good uſe of poyſon, turnes them to the good and benefit of his Children, and that divers wayes.
Firſt, To withdraw us from the love of the World, and to draw us nearer to God; for when we are viſited with any affliction, we are more ready to ſeek unto God for help, as the ſick man repaires unto the Phyſitian. While we live in health, and proſperity; we are more prone to forget God, as having leſſe feeling of the want of his help, and we commonly take ſuch a liking of this World, that we are loath to leave it; but when we are afflicted, then we ſeek unto God for help and comfort, which becauſe we cannot find in the World, we grow weary of it.
Plutarch reports of a Souldier of Antigonus, that having a Diſeaſe which was irkſome unto him, it made him wearie of his life; inſomuch, that he would adventure upon any danger, and there was no ſo deſperate a piece of ſervice, but he would alwayes be the foremoſt in it. The Generall much affecting him for his great valour, was at great expences to have him cured of his Diſeaſe; but when he had got him cured, looking that he ſhould be as valorous and reſolute as he was before, he found him far otherwiſe, and unwilling to put himſelf into any danger; whereof when the Generall asked him the reaſon, he gave him this anſwer, That when his Body was diſeaſed, he was weary of it; but ſeeing that now it was whole and ſound, he was loth to looſe it. As it was with this Souldier, ſo God ſeeth it to be with many of us; when we are in adverſity, we grow weary of this life, and can ſay with Jonah, Jonah. 4.8.It is better for me to die then to live: but when we are in proſperity, the caſe is altered; we take ſuch a liking of this preſent World, that we are loath to leave it; but can ſay with Peter, Maſter it is good for us to be here; and are of the ſame mind as the Cardinall was, who proſeſt he would not leave his part in Paris, for his part in Paradiſe. And therefore as a Nurſe, when ſhe would weane the Child from ſucking the dugge, will annoint her teates with ſome bitter thing; to the end, that the Child may begin to miſlike them: So God to withdraw us from the pleaſures of this World, ſends us afflictions to reclaime us from our pleaſures, and to make the ſame more unſavory unto us. For as the Children of Iſrael would never have thought of leaving Egypt, and coming into Canaan, if they had not been afflicted in the Land of Egypt: So many will never renounce the pleaſures of this life, untill they be diſtaſted thereof by affliction. And therefore God chaſtens and afflicts his Children, becauſe affliction is a meanes to weane them from the World, and to draw them unto him.
Tentatio quaſi interrogatio.A ſecond Reaſon why God doth afflict them, is to make manifeſt thoſe gifts and graces which lie hidden in them. For as ſhowers in the ſpring time, cauſe the budds to appear which before were not ſeene; ſo afflictions make manifeſt many virtues in Gods Children which before lay hidden. If Abraham had not been commanded to have ſacrificed his Sonne, he had not had that occaſion to have teſtified his obedience: and if Job had not been ſo grievouſly afflicted as he was, he had not had occaſion to have declared his patience. Many virtues lie hidden in the Children of God, while they are in proſperity; but when adverſity comes, then they break forth like ſtarres in the night, and do ſhew themſelves. I might alleage other Reaſons why God doth chaſten us, as to make us conformable to Chriſt our head, to ſhew us how weak we are of our ſelves, without Gods aſſiſtance, to ſtir us up to prayer, to teach us humility, and to exerciſe our patience; all which may hearten us in the time of affliction, becauſe it is for our good that God thus afflicts us. We are much dejected when we are afflicted, we count our afflictions to be long and grievous for the time; but the Apoſtle teacheth us to make another account. where he calles our afflictions both ſhort and light, our light affliction, 2 Cor. 4.17.ſaith he, which is but for a moment. Some indeed are afflicted longer then other, yet their afflictions are but ſhort that continue longeſt.Acts 9.33. Mat. 9.20. We read of one Acts 9. that was ſick of the Palſie, and kept his Bedde 8. years. St. Matthew tells us, of a Woman that was diſeaſed with an iſſue of blood for 12. years. St. Luke tells us of a Woman that had a ſpirit of infirmity,Luke 13.11. and was bowed together, and could in nowiſe lift up her ſelf for 18. years. St. John tells us of a Man that had been diſeaſed 38. years. The time no doubt ſeemed long unto theſe,John 5.5. yet indeed our whole lifetime is but ſhort, but a ſpan long as David ſaith, and therefore our ſufferings cannot be long, which are all comprized in ſo ſhort a time. For afflictions are as it were Gods ſpeedy Meſſengers, which he ſends to do his Meſſage or arrand unto us. Somtimes to tell us that we forget God, and therefore need be put in mind of him by being afflicted. Sometime to tell us that we are too proud, and therefore need affliction to be humbled by it: Sometimes to tell us that we are too much afflicted with the love of the World, and therefore need affliction to be weaned from it. Of theſe and the like arrands they are ſent unto us, and when they have done them, they are preſently gone like the Angels which were ſent over-night to Lot, and when they had done their arrands, went away the next morning. But though we ſuffered afflictions for a long time, yet we might well count our ſufferings ſhort, in regard of that endleſs and infinite happineſs which followes our ſufferings. If our future happineſs were of no longer continuance then the afflictions we ſuffered; yet this might comfort us, that our ſufferings come firſt, and our happineſs after, and that our happineſs is to come when our ſufferings are over: which may afford us more comfort in our greateſt ſufferings, then the wicked can find in their greateſt pleaſures. The wicked have their pleaſures firſt, they firſt injoy the pleaſures of ſin for a ſeaſon, wherein they can take the loſſe delight; when they conſider that after their pleaſures are paſt, their ſufferings are to come, which will eat up the pleaſures which they have formerly taken, as the ſeaven years of famine which followed in Egypt, did eat up and conſume the ſeaven years plenty which went before them.Gen. 41.30. The godly on the contrary have their ſufferings firſt, and their happineſs after, which being not ſhort as their ſufferings are, but endleſſe and eternall, if our hearts were affected with an unfained love and deſire of it, we could not but think all our ſufferings ſhort, though it were for a long time that we were to ſuffer, as the ſeaven years ſervice which Jacob ſerved for Rachell, Gen. 29.20.ſeemed ſhort unto him, becauſe he loved her.
FINIS.