A Little Cabinet, Section 35 – Section 40
Of afflictions, why God doth afflict his own people, and how to know what Sin God aims at in affliction; and when a man may be ſaid to ſuffer for wel-doing, and when for evil doing.
VVE read in Scripture that man is born to trouble as the ſparks flie upward, and although his dayes be few, yet they are full of trouble; nay we may find in the Scriptures of truth, that the Lords own deareſt ones have been exceedingly exerciſed this way, Job 6. 4. Job the juſteſt man alive, was fought againſt by the terrors of the Lord; and David a man after Gods own heart had no reſt in his bones, becauſe of his ſin, and was ſo waſted with the grief of his heart, that his moiſture was turned inth the drought of ſummer, Pſ. 32. 3, 4. and Hezekiah who walked in the truth and with a perfect heart, had the anger of the Almighty to break his bones like a lyon, Iſa. 28. 13. Was not Abel murthered by his brother? Noah mocked by his Son? Job ſcoffed by his wife? Jacob threatned by his brother? baniſhed from his Father? abuſed by his uncle? in the day conſumed with heat, in the night with froſt? Gen. 31. 4.
Did not the ſon of God himſelf lie bleeding upon the croſs, and cry out in the bitterneſs of his ſpirit, my God my God why haſt thou forſaken me? Iſa 53. 5. But he was wounded for our tranſgreſſions, and bruiſed for our iniquities, perſecuted in his child hood by Herod, Mat. 2. 16. tempted by the Devil, reviled by the High-prieſts, branded for a babler, wine-bibber, blaſphemer, mocked by the Jews, ſtript of his garments, crowned with thorns, the firſt fruits of the curſe, he was hanged between two thieves, and nailed his hands to the croſs, and pierced his ſide with a ſpear, &c.
Some reaſons why the Lord doth afflict his own people.
1 Cor. 11. 32. VVE are chaſtned of the Lord, that we ſhould not be condemned with the world: ſometimes he doth afflict a few, that the reſt might beware, Luke 13. 5. And ſometimes he doth afflict his people for the tryal of the truth, and ſtrength of their graces, Job 1. 21. Again, ſometimes he brings his own dear ones into miſery, that he might magnifie the attributes of his mercy in healing them; ſo it was with him that was born blind: and ſometimes he doth afflict them, to keep them humble and low in their own eyes, and to put them upon the uſe of means, whereby ſin may be ſubdued. Sometimes the Lord doth afflict, for the prevention of ſin for time to come; he doth puniſh thoſe that ſerve him, and lets the world go free, this was Davids temptation, Pſalm 73. 13. Affliction is a ſeal of adoption, no ſign of reprobation▪ for the pureſt corn is cleaneſt fanned, the fine…t gold ofteſt tryed, and the ſweeteſt grape hardeſt preſſed, and the trueſt Chriſtian heavieſt croſſed; affliction doth many times make a bad man good, but it doth alwayes make a good man better; nay God can look ſowrly and chide bitterly, and ſtrike heavily, even where, and when he loves dearly: it is a common thing for all men to be afflicted, but it is an extraordinary thing to be bettered by it: in all afflictions conſider three things.
1. The fountain from whence it comes, and that is from Gods love, Eccleſ. 7. 14.
2. The end whither it ayms, (our good) It was good for me that I was afflicted, Pſalm 119.
3. Conſider, our puniſhment is leſs then our deſert; the conſideration of this made Aaron to hold his peace, Lev. 10. 3. and Hezekiah to wait for deliverance, Iſa. 38. 13, 14. This made David to be dumb, Pſal. 39. 9. This made Ely to ſay, it is the Lord, let him do as ſeemeth him good, 1 Sam. 13. 18. yea, this made Job to ſay, bleſſed be the name of the Lord.
The Lord doth try the truth and ſtrength of his own people to the higheſt, and yet layeth no more upon the weakeſt, then he doth enable him to bear.
IF Job do exceed all others in patience, as he did, Job 5. 11. then the truth and ſtrength of this patience ſhall be tryed to the uttermoſt.
1. The Sabeans take away his Oxen and his Aſſes, Job 1. 15.
2. A fire from heaven came down and burnt up his ſheep, Job 1. 16.
3. The Chaldeans came and ſtole away all his cammels, Job 1. 17.
4. His ſervants that were plowing and keeping the ſheep, were all ſlain by the edge of the ſword, fire from heaven.
5. His ſons and daughters were all at once ſlain by the fall of an houſe, Job 1. 18, 19.
6. Then his body was ſmote, and became full of boyls from the crown of the head, to the ſole of the foot, Job 2. 7.
7. Then his wife that lay in his boſom, tempts him to curſe God and dye, Job 2. 9.
8. His three near and dear friends came to him, and ſtayed with him ſeven dayes and ſeven nights, and ſpake not one word of comfort to him, Job 2. 13.
9. The preſence and favour of God was hid from his ſoul, Job 19. 8. and all this to try the truth and ſtrength of Jobs patience.
If Peter will boaſt of a greater love to Chriſt, then the reſt, ſaying, though I ſhould dye with thee, I will never deny thee, Mat. 26. 35. And when this love came to the tryal, inſtead of dying, he came to denying of Chriſt. So again, although Peters love made him to go out of the ſhip to meet Chriſt upon the ſea. I ſay, although his love was ſtrong, yet his faith was weak, and he began to ſink: here his truth and ſtrength was tryed to the higheſt: If Moſes will exceed all the men upon the face of the earth in meekneſs, Num. 12. 3. the truth and ſtrength of that meekneſs muſt be tryed, firſt in his abſence, the people make a calf and worſhipped it, Exod. 32. 19. After this the people ſpeak againſt Moſes, Numb. 21. 5. A little after this, when they wanted water the people chide with Moſes, ſaying, would God we had dyed in the wilderneſs, Numb. 20. 3, 4. So he was continually vexed with a perverſe and crooked generation, Deut. 32. 5. And at laſt ſo provoked by them, that he ſpake unadviſedly with his lips, Pſalm 106. 33. and ſo his meekneſs was tryed to the higheſt: Again, to inſtance one more for all, if Paul have a greater revelation then the other Apoſtles, he muſt have a thorn in the fleſh, even the meſſenger of Satan to buffet him: ſo the woman, Mat. 15. 22. to the 28. She had a ſtrong faith that Chriſt was able to help her daughter, and the mercy ſhe deſired was but external, to wit crums; now Chriſt did try the truth, and ſtrength of this faith, in a threefold ſeeming denyal; but in all tryals the Lord doth proportion them according to the ſtrength of thoſe that he doth afflict, See 1 Cor. 10. 13. The Lords people have divers corruptions, and ſo do need divers corrections.
How to know what ſin God aims at in affliction.
THE Lord ſaith in his word, hear the voice of the rod, Micah 6. 9. which if we did heedfully obſerve, we might find out the ſin that God ayms at in the affliction.
1. When we find in Scripture that ſuch and ſuch a puniſhment is denounced againſt ſuch and ſuch a ſin, we may find by the effect the proper cauſe; pride with dejection and contempt; whoredom with barrenneſs; idleneſs with poverty; worldly ſorrow with death.
2. Conſider, if thou wouldſt find out the ſin God afflicts thee for, conſider God doth puniſh thee by way of retaliation, like for like; as when we have diſhonored God, he doth caſt diſhonour upon us, and having wronged our inferiours, our ſuperiors wrong us, or if we laviſh our tongues againſt others, we are paid home with the ſcourge of tongues, thus David was juſtly dealt with, 2 Sam. 12▪ 10, 11.
3. When we are taken in the very act of ſinning, ſo Jon. 1. 12. flying, was followed with a tempeſt, and the I ſraelites murmuring for fleſh, were puniſhed by God, whilſt it was between their teeth, Numb. 11. 33.
4. When our ſin in its own nature bringeth forth ſuch a puniſhment, ſo a lazy Chriſtian doth always want four things, comfort and content, confidence and aſſurance. Idleneſs in natural things, brings forth beggery and want, drunkenneſs begets dropſies and ſurreits: ſo the ſin of uncleanneſs brings forth weakneſs and filthy diſeaſes, ſo immoderate carking, is attended with conſumptions.
5. If thou wouldſt know the ſin that brought theſe afflictions on thee, obſerve what thy conſcience doth moſt check thee for. Joſephs brethren in their troubles calls to mind their cruelty to their troubles calls to mind their cruelty to their brother Joſeph, which was indeed the cauſe of their croſs, Gen. 42. 21.
When a man may be ſaid to ſuffer for well-dong, and when for evil doing.
FIrſt, for well-doing.
1. That man that doth ſuffer for well-doing, in the account of God, according to his word, his perſon muſt be holy, he or ſhe muſt be in the main godly.
2. The cauſe that they ſuffer for muſt be good, it muſt be for righteouſneſs ſake, viz. either for his believing in Chriſt, pleading for him, or practizing of his commandments, and ſo his affliction will be better then the proſperity of the wicked, Pſalm 37. 15.
They ſhall have more comfort in ſcantneſs, obſcurity, then wicked men have in plenty, credit and great felicity, 2 Cor. 4. 8, 9. We are troubled on every ſide, yet not diſtreſſed; we are perplexed, but not in deſpair; perſecuted, but not forſaken; caſt down, but not deſtroyed.
3. He that doth ſuffer for well-doing, he muſt ſuffer in a right manner; firſt humbly: ſecondly patiently and meekly: thirdly cheerfully: fourthly, he that doth ſuffer for Chriſt, muſt have good ends, &c.
1. He muſt ſuffer humbly: we read of Chriſt, whoſe footſteps we ought to follow, that he was led as a lamb to the ſlaughter, he opened not his mouth.
2. As he did ſuffer humbly, ſo he did ſuffer patiently.
3. He did ſuffer cheerfully.
4. He did not revile again, when he was reviled; when he was threatned, he did not threaten again.
4. He that doth ſuffer for Chriſt, muſt have good ends in his ſuffering, viz.
1. To bare witneſs to ſome truth of Chriſt, contained in the Scriptures.
2. To bare witneſs for the name and glory of God, 1 Pet. 4. 13.
But when a man doth that which is evil, and doth ſuffer for it, this is not thank-worthy with God: See theſe Scriptures, 1 Pet. 2. 20. 1 Pet. 4. 15, 19.
Many men that ſuffer and glory therein, ſuffer only for their faults, and are in no wiſe acceptable to God.
The Lord is many times better then his word, never worſe.
THE Lord promiſed to Iſrael, only the Land of Canaan, but beſides that, he gave them two better Kingdoms, Numb. 32. 33. Solomon did only pray for wiſdom, and the Lord gave him more wiſdom then he asked, and riches and honour to boot, 1 King. 3. 11, 12. Jacob told the Lord, that if he would give him raiment to put on, and bread to eat, God ſhould be his God; and the Lord gave him that, and ten times more, Gon 28. 19. compared with, Gen. 32. 10 For with my ſtaff I paſſed …ver this Jordan, and now I am become two bands, Gen. 33. 4, 5, 6. So again, 1 Sam. 1. Hannah begged a ſon, and the Lord gave her a Son, and a Prophet too; ſhe deſired a ſingle mercy, and the Lord gave her a double mercy, Gen. 17. Abraham and ſaid, O that Iſhmael might live before thee, the Lord granted that, and gave him an Iſaac to boot, ver. 19. Mat. 15. 22. to the 28. The woman of Canaan did only beg of Chriſt the life of her daughter, and Chriſt gave her that, and ſaid, moreover be it unto thee even as thou wilt Again, we read Epheſ. 3. 20. That he is able to do exceedingly above all that we can ask or think: theſe words are ſo full, that they can hardly be expreſt. So again, ſometimes we only ask temporal mercies, and he gives us both temporal and ſpiritual mercies. Sometimes a ſoul doth beg only ſupport under temptations, and the Lord doth give that and more, (to wit) a deliverance out of temptation. So again, we find Mat. 18. 23. to the 27. That the Lord gave him more then he deſired; he deſired but dayes of paiment, and the Lord forgave him the whole debt. So again, Act. 3. 2, 3. The cripple did only ask of Peter and John an alms, and they gave him a mercy more worth to him then the whole world; they cured him of his lameneſs.
Mercies and deliverances are many times neareſt to us, when we think they be furtheſt off.
WE read Act. 27. 20. When all hopes of being ſaved was taken away, then Paul ſtood up and told them from the Lord, that there ſhould not be ſo much as the loſs of any mans life amongſt them. So Luk 24. 15. When two of the Diſciples were walking together, and were ſad about the death of Chriſt, Chriſt riſen from the dead talked with them, and they knew it not, Gen. 21. 16. to the 19. we read that Hagar was weeping for her ſon, who was dying for want of water, and there was a well of water by her, and ſhe did not know it, till the Lord opened her eyes, Joh. 20. 11. Mary ſtood at the ſepulcher weeping for the abſence of Chriſt, and Chriſt ſtood by her, and talked to her, before ſhe knew it. Again, we read Gen. 44. 45. chap. that Joſephs brethren were taken priſoners, and they rent their cloaths, ſaying, how ſhall we clear our ſelves? and Joſeph their brother ſtood by them, and they knew it not, even then when they were trembling, and terrified at his preſence: in a word, the Lord doth many times bring about a ſwifter, a fuller, and more univerſal help and deliverance, then heart could imagine. See Zach. 14. 6, 7. But at Even tide it ſhall be light. So that we may all conclude with David, Pſal. 77. 19. Thy way is in the ſea, and thy paths in the deep waters, and thy footſteps are not known.
The Lord doth many times hand forth his mercies to us by the rule of contraries.
GOD promiſed to Abraham a ſon, and that his ſeed ſhould be as the ſtars of heaven, and the Lord made good this by the rule of contraries; there was fourteen years between Gods making the promiſe, and giving him a ſon, and he was about one hundred years old before he had a ſon, and Sarahs womb was barren; and after this ſon was born, God calleth upon Abraham to offer him up, yet notwithſtanding all this, the Lord made good his promiſe, and Abraham ſtaggered not at the promiſe of God, Rom. 4. 20, 21. Again, we find Exod. 14. when the children of Iſrael were in the greateſt ſtreight, and at the furtheſt diſtance from all humane helps, not knowing what to do, then, even then the Lord delivered them, Luke 21. 28. When ye ſee theſe things come to paſs, then lift up your heads, for your redemption draweth nigh: one would have thought ruin was nigh, to ſee ſuch things come to paſs, John 9. 15. Chriſt put clay upon the blind mans eyes; one would think clay ſhould have made him more blind, Heſt. 3. 12, 13. All the Jews were deſigned for death, Heſt. 8. 9, 10, 11, 12. This deſign, contrary to all expectation, was diſcovered and revoked, and the Jews preſerved by the rule of contraries: ſo Joſeph had a promiſe by way of viſion to be made a great man, but contrary to this, he was ſold into Egypt, and there caſt into priſon, yet at laſt he got the mercy: we might inſtance in Job and many others, but this may ſuffice to prove this truth, that God doth oft times hand forth his mercies to us by the rule of contraries, &c. This would be of great uſe to Chriſtians, if more conſidered.
The Lord doth not deſpiſe the day of ſmall things.
WE read Zach. 4. 10. That the Lord doth not deſpiſe the day of ſmall things: and it was but a day of ſmall things for Nicodemus, to come to Chriſt by night, and yet he was received and embraced: one would have thought that if Chriſt would have diſpiſed any, he would have deſpiſed him, who was ſo weak, as being either afraid or aſhamed, or both, to own Chriſt in the day, and ſo he cometh to him by night; one would have thought Chriſt would have ſaid to him, Nicodemus, is thy deſire after me ſo weak and faint, that thou doſt fear to come to me in the day? or am I ſo unworthy, as not to be owned but out of ſight? haſt thou either ſo low an eſteem of me, or beareſt thou ſo little love to me? go, return as thou cameſt, I will not accept thee in the dark, who wouldſt not acknowledge me in the light; no no, Chriſt hath not one ſillable of this, but he entertains him, imbraces him, and inſtructs him, &c. It was but a day of ſmall things with that woman, Mat. 9. 21. That had ſpent all, and grew worſe and worſe, and knew not whither to go: then ſhe reſolves to go to Chriſt: It was but a day of ſmall things with that man that came to Chriſt, Mar. 9. 22. ſaying, if thou canſt do any thing, help us: he doubted whether Chriſt could help, yea or no: It was but a day of ſmall things with the Prodigal, Luke 15. to ſay, when he knew not whither to go, I will ariſe and go to my father; yet he was received, embraced, welcomed, and honoured; well may we ſay, as in Mat. 12. 20. A bruiſed reed ſhall he not break, and ſmoaking flax ſhall he not quench. So again, it was but a day of ſmall things with David, to have thoughts to build an houſe unto the Lord, yet that was accepted, as fully as if it had been done. Again, we read Iſa. 40. 11. He will gather his lambs with his arms, and he will carry them, and that in his boſom. It is true, he doth carry our ſins on his back, and hath received all the laſhes due to us for them: ask blind Bartimeus, and he will tell you that Chriſt doth not deſpiſe the day of ſmall things; he did but ask for mercy, and preſently received the mercy, Mar. 10. 46, 47, 48. So it is but a day of ſmall things with us in reſpect of our faith, love, knowledge, and power over our corruptions, hope, patience, and ſelf-denyal, yet who hath deſpiſed the day of ſmall things? Zach. 4. 10.