Two Treatises, Treatise 1 · Chapter 17
CHAP. XVII.
Containing the Fourth and laſt Uſe for Conſolation.
THe Fourth and Laſt Uſe (for a Concluſion Ʋſe 4 f…r Conſolation.of this Treatiſe) is, for ſingular Conſolation unto all true Believers, who depend on God's All-Sufficiency and Faithfulneſs. Their Benonies, will prove their Benjamins: Though they Sow in Tears, they ſhall Reap in Joy.
Amidſt their greateſt Loſſes, it's a Ground of Singular Conſolation unto them; That God is able to give them much more, &c. And if God ſee it good for them, he will give them much more, and abundantly Recompence their Loſſes. What? Though they be toſt up and down with Boiſterous Waves; yet they have a Rock to climb upon, which David Prayed to be led into, Pſal. 61. 2. When my Heart is overwhelmed, lead me to the Rock, that is higher than I. |Deduxiſti me i. e. in temetipſo, quia es Dux meus, tu es viator meus. Quia factus es ſpes mea, vox Eccleſia ad Chriſtum q. d. Quo modo tu reſurrexiſti immortalis & nos ſic eredimus reſurg…re. Hieron.The Pſalmiſt diſclaimes all other Rocks: God is the only Rock; and if we climb upon any other Rock, that is not higher than our ſelves, we ſhall non be ſafe. What? Though Enemies have great Wrath, and Flouriſh; yet the greateſt of them, have but a ſhort time, Rev. 12. 12. And, notwithſtanding Proſperity at preſent; yet inevitable Deſtruction, is the Portion of Proſperous wicked Men, Pſal. 92. 7. What; Though God reſpite the Deliverance of his People, and Anſwer not ſpeedily: It is but to prepare them for the better Reception of Mercies, to humble them, prove and refine them. And though Offences muſt of neceſſity come; yet, wo be to them, by whom they come. Let all that fear God, make it their Study to give no juſt Offence, neither by imprudent Words, nor imprudent Actions. The Wiſdom of the Serpent, is as needful as the Innocency of the Dove. Neither let any Man limit the Holy One of Iſrael, nor preſcribe Times and Seaſons to him.
Let's reſt contented, and ſatisfied with all God's Diſpenſations. If Poverty, Priſons, Diſgrace, Exile be allotted for us, let's juſtify God's Dealings in all, and leave of Murmuring at and Cenſuring of Second Cauſes. What ſaid Job in Anſwer to his Wiſe? Job. 2. 10. Shall we receive Good at the Hand of God, and ſhall not we receive Evil? Hath not Chriſt foretold, that in The World, ye ſhall have Tribulation; but he addeth a ſingular Word of Comfort in the ſame place1 Theſ. 3. 3. (viz. John 16. 33.) Be of good Comfort, I have overcome the World: This is That we are appointed unto.
Let not any of God's Children be diſcouraged by their Sufferings, provided that they Suffer for Righteouſneſs Sake; neither let them faint in the Day of Adverſity: For if thou faint in the Day of Adverſity, thy Strength is ſmall, Prov. 24. 10.
There's a Learned Author, who hathAſcendiſti in navem cum Chriſto, quid expectabis ſ…renum? Imo ventum & procellas, & fluctus navem operientes, ut mergi incipias; ſed hoc Baptiſmo Baptizandus prius es: tum ſequetur ſerenum, Excitato & implerato Chriſto, qui ſaltem dormie… aliquando. Melch. Adam. in vita Heſſi. a Saying; Thou haſt Aſcended with Chriſt into the Ship; What, wilt thou expect a Calm? Nay, rather Winds, Storms, and Waves over-whelming the Ship, that it may begin to be Drowned: But thou art Firſt to be Baptized with this Baptiſm; Chriſt being Awakened, and Prayed unto, who will ſometimes Sleep.
Let not any ante-date Deliverances, nor precipitantly Carve out Wayes of their own deviſing, and Means according to their own Imaginations, as if at ſuch a Time, and in ſuch a Way they ſhould be delivered from their Troubles. Let's Patiently and Believingly wait on that Promiſe, 2 Pet. 2. 9. The Lord knoweth how to deliver the Godly out of Temptations, and to reſerve the Unjust unto the Day of Judgment, to be Puniſhed. But ſtill let Chriſtians remember Silently, and Patiently to wait on God.
Both Primitive Martyrs, and thoſe of |See the large declaration of Biſhop Farrer, Biſhop Hooper, Taylor, Philpot, Bradford, Crome, Rogers, Saunders, Laurence; Fox. Act. & Mon. vol. 3. p. 162. Edit. 1641.the laſt Century, often charged, and adviſed their Brethren in theſe Words; Take heed ye Rebel not against Authority.
Let ſuch as profeſs Religion, and deſire to walk moſt cloſely with God, Evidence the Sincerity of their Profeſſion by their Loyalty, Meekneſs, and Patience; ſo that Enemies, who watch for their Haltings, may either be altogether put to Silence, or elſe Confeſs, that (as it was ſaid of Daniel) They can find no Dan. 6. 5.Fault in them, except the Law of their God.
There are ſome ſpecial Grounds of Comfort to all true Believers, to uphold and revive their Spirits amidſt the ſharpeſt Sufferings, which they meet withal; I ſhall mention them in Particulars, and ſo Conclude.
Firſt, They have Communion with1. Communion with God. God; of this only God's Children are Partakers, and only they know, what's meant by Communion with God, and cannot be content without it: Carnal Men are as meer Strangers to Communion with God, as Nicodemus was to the Myſtery of Regeneration.
Now, this Communion with God is a Sacred Acquaintance; to which Eliphaz Exhorts Job, Chap, 22. v. 21. Acquaint now thy ſelf with him, and be at Peace, thereby Good ſhall come unto thee. This, Moſes attained unto in an Eminent manner, even unto a Sacred Familiarity; Exod. 23. 11. And the Lord ſpake unto Moſes Face to Face, as a Man ſpeaketh unto his Friend. The Apoſtle ſpeaks in his own Name, and in the Name of all true Believers, 1 John 1. 3. Truely, our Fellowſhip is with the Father, and with his Son Jeſus Chriſt.
This Communion Bradford attain'd unto, in a great meaſure: For he often, not only Prayed, but Studied Kneeling, and would not riſe up, till he found ſome Spiritual Illapſes, ſome Divine Influences upon his Soul.
Bernard us'd to ſay; Lord, I will never Nunquum abs te abſque te recedo. Bern. Ep. 116.depart from Thee, without Thee.
Communion with God, will make a Priſon to be a Palace, a Dungeon a Paradiſe, Chains of Iron to be as ſo many Chains of Gold.
Alice Driver, a Faithful Martyr, whenAct. & Monum. Vol. 3. ſhe came to the Stake, and was bound with the Iron-Chain, ſhe kis'd it, and ſaid; It was the best Neckerchiff, that ever ſhe wore all the Dayes of her Life.
Sampſon did eat Honey out of the CarcaſsMelior eſt triſtitia iniqua patientis, quam l… titia iniqua ferentis, Aug. of a Lyon; and ſo, thoſe who have Intereſt in Christ, and enjoy Communion with Him, ſuck Sweetneſs out of all their Sufferings, and their very Sorrows are better than the Mirth of Wicked Men. This comforted Baſil in his Baniſhment, and in his Sufferings; Let (ſaith he) the Queen caſt me into the Sea, I will remember Jonah; let her caſt me into the Fiery Furnace, I will remember the Three Children; let her Baniſh me, the Earth is the Lord's, and the Fulneſs thereof.
He that hath Communion with God, and comes to God, as a Child to his Father, making his Moan and Complaints to him; he is a Man of Comfort, even in Times of greateſt Troubles. And nothing but Communion with God, will comfort and quiet the Soul.
A Second Ground of Comfort, is God's2 Ground of Comfort, God's Special Protection. Matth. 6. 34. ſpecial Protection, and gracious Preſervation. None can ſay, They ſhall be exempted from Troubles; for each Day hath its Troubles; and Sufficient for the Day, is the Evil thereof. Yet God's People meet with Singular Protections; Job 5. 19. *foreign. Polych. in Catena Graecorum Patrum.He ſhall deliver thee in Six Troubles; yea, in Seven, there ſhall no Evil touch thee.
Sometimes, in Common Calamities, and Epidemical Diſeaſes, both Good and Bad ſmart under the Rod: Yet Joſiah, though he dyed in War, was promiſed to dye in Peace; for he had Peace with God, and Peace with his Conſcience; and that's Peace enough.
Sometimes, God delivers his People, as Brands, out of the Burning, and gives them their Lives for a Prey; as Baruch and Jeremy had.
In the Laſt Century, when there was Perſecution in England with Fire and Faggot, in Queen Maries Dayes, within the Compaſs of leſs than Four Years, there dyed Two Hundred Seventy-Seven Perſons by Fire and Faggot; Five Biſhops, One and Twenty Divines, Eight Gentlemen, Eighty-Four Artificers, One Hundred Husbandmen, Servants and Labourers Twenty, Twenty-Six Wives, Twenty Widows, Nine Virgins, Two Boys, and Two Infants.
In Scotland dyed Two Eminent Martyrs, viz. Mr. James Wiſeheart, and Mr. Patrick Hammelton.
In this time, there dyed none (upon the ſame Account) in Ireland: The ReaſonDr. Ʋſher Arch-Biſhop of Armagh. and Narrative, a moſt Eminent Light in the Church, (whoſe Name is Famous throughout all the Churches of Chriſtendom) not long before his Death, deſired that the Story might be tranſmitted to Poſterity. Thus he told the Story, (and many can witneſs it, that then heard it from his Mouth.)
There was (ſaith he) a Commiſſion from the Queen, ſent down by a Doctor into Ireland; who going with the Commiſſion thither, at Cheſter (where he lodged in his Travels) he boaſted, that he had a Commiſſion de Comburendis Haereticis: One of the Servants of the Inn, being a Wellwiller to Proteſtants, took notice of the Words, and got away the Commiſſion. When the Commiſſioner came into Ireland, he was Entertained with great Reſpect. After ſome time, he appeared before the Lords of the Councel in Ireland; and then opened his Box, to ſhew his Commiſſion; but there was nothing in the Box, but a Pack of Cards: Whereupon he was Committed to Priſon, and threatned exceedingly; but upon Security given, he was afterwards Releaſed, and return'd into England, and obtain'd a New Commiſſion: But as ſoon as he came to Cheſter, the Report came of Queen Maries Death, and he ſtop't his farther Journey.
This Story, that Reverend and Learned Arch-Biſhop, and Lord-Primate of Ireland aforeſaid, deſired that it might be divulged, and kept in remembrance; for he ſaid, He was ſure, that the Story was true.
But, ſuppoſe this to be a more than ordinary (as it is) Preſervation; however, Wonderful are the Preſervations of God's People! Let every one call to mind, in particular, the Gracious Providences of God in his Protection, and Preſervation; hence will ariſe Grounds of Comfort from, and Confidence in God's All-ſufficiency.
A Third Ground of Comfort, is Experience 3 Ground of Comfort, is Experience of Dayly Proviſions.of Dayly Proviſions; dayly Bread, wonderful Supplies; and theſe in Mercy given, and Sanctifyed. The Men of the World enjoy outward Things, (and they are not to be accounted Uſurpers) ex Largitione, by God's general Bounty; but Believers enjoy them ex Promiſſo, by Vertue of a Promiſe. By common Donation, and general Providence, wicked Men enjoy their Poſſeſſions; but good Men enjoy them by ſpecial Favour and Mercy in Chriſt: With Him they have all Rom. 8. 32.Things. For one to have the Good Things of this Life, as Riches and Honours, and to have Chriſt with them, to have them Sanctifyed; this is the Mercy indeed.
And, Fourthly and Laſtly, Here is the4 Ground of Comfort, is Hope of Eternal Glory. greateſt Ground of Comfort, even the Hope of Eternal Glory. Whatever be the Sorrow in Seed-Time, the Harveſt will make amends for all: Whatever be the Loſſes, the Riches of Chriſt will make abundant Compenſation.
The Kingdom of Heaven, the Glory to be revealed, the Eternal Sabbath, the Beatifical Viſion; theſe are in the Eye, Heart, and Meditation of the Saints of God.
Wherefore, with Moſes, they look unto the Recompence of Reward; with Stephen, Heb. 11. 26.they ſee Chriſt amidſt their Sufferings; and, with Moſes, ſee him who is Heb. 11. 27.Inviſible.
Compare the Outward Sufferings, with Inward Comforts; and eſpecially, Tranſient Sorrows, with Eternal Joyes, and there will be abundant Cauſe of Comfort, notwithſtanding the greateſt Afflictions that are on us, or may befal us in this preſent World. Heaven will make amends for all; and the Conſolations of God, are ſufficient for us.
Amidſt Fears and Perplexities, for real or imaginary Loſſes, let us Comfort our ſelves with the Text; and take Counſel from the Man of God, his Anſwer to Amaziah; viz.
The Lord is Able to Give us much More than This.
And upon this Conſideration, our Spirits will be Revived, and Supported, in the Times of Jacob's Troubles.
FINIS.