Of Afflictions
Job v. 6, 7.
“Although affliction cometh not forth of the dust, neither doth trouble spring out of the ground; yet man is born unto trouble, as the sparks fly upward.”
Job’s friends, though, in the particular case of Job, they were mistaken, yet they were certainly very wise, godly, apd observing men; and many of their sentences were full of excellent and useful truths, and particularly this speech of Eliphaz, which im* porteth these two propositions : —
1. That the general state of man in this world is a state of trouble and affliction; and it is so common to him, so incident to all degrees and conditions of mainkind, that it seems almost as universal, as that natural propension in the sparks to fly upward: no person of whatsoever age, sex, condition, degree, quality, profession, but hath a part in this common state of mankind: and although some seem to have a greater portion of it than others, some seem .to have greater and longer vicissitudes, and intermissions, &nd allays thereof than others, yet none are totally exempt from it; yea, it is rare to find any man, that bath bad the ordinary extent of the jige of man, but his troubles, crosses, calamities, and afflictions, have overweighed and exceeded the measures of his comforts and contentments in this life.
2. That yet those afilictions and troubles do .neither grow up by a certain regular and constant course of nature, as plants and vegetables do out of the ground; neither are they merely accidental and casual, but they are sent, disposed, directed, and managed by the conduct and guidance of the roost wise providence oF Almighty God, and this be proveth in the sequel of the chapter. And, as in all things in nature, the most wise God doth nothing at random, or at a venture; so in this part of his providential dispensation towards mankind, he doth exercise the same, with excellent wisdom, and for excellent ends; even for the good. and advantage of mankind in general, and particularly of those very persons that seem most to suffer and be afflicted by them; sometimes to correct, sometimes to prevent, sometimes to heal, sometimes to prepare, sometimes to humble, always to instruct, and teach, and better the children of men.
And, indeed, if there were no other end but these that follow, this seeming sharp providence of Almighty God would be highly justified. Namely, First, To keep men humble and disciplinable. Man is a proud, vain creature; and were that humour constantly fed with prosperity and success, it would strangely puff up this vain humour: afflictions and troubles are the excellent and necessary correctivos tpf It) and lance this swelling imposthume of pride and haughtiness, which would otherwise render men intolerable in themselves and to one another. Secondly. To bring mankind to recognize Almighty God, to seek to him, to depend upon him: this is the most natural and special effect of afflictions: “In their afflictions they will seek me early.” The rough and stubborn mariners in a storm, will cry every one to his God. Thirdly, To tutor and dis- <»pline the children of men in this great lesson, that their happiness lies not in this world, but in a better; and by this means, even by the crosses, and vexations, and troubles, of this world, nd by these plain and sensible documents, to carry mankind up to the end of their beings. God knows, those few and little comforts of this life, notwithstanding all the troubles and crosses with which they are interlarded, are apt to keep the hearts, even of good men, in too great love of this world. What would become of us, if our whole lives here should be alto* gether prosperous and contenting, without the intermixture of crosses and afflictions? But of the great things more hereafter.
Now, since the state of mankind in this world is for the most part thus cloudy and stormy, and that, ordinarily, we can expect it to be no otherwise, there are these considerations which become every wise and good mind to acquaint himself with.
I. What preparation is fit to be made by every man before they come.
II. How they are to be received, and entertained, and improved, when they comep and while they are -incumbent.
III. What is the best and safest temper of mind when any of them are removed.
I. Touching the first of these; namely, preparation before they come; the best preparatives seem to be these: —
1. A right and sound convicticMi, and eonsideraption of this most certain experimental truth; namely, That no man whatsoever, how good, just, pious, wise soever, can by any means expect to be exempt from them, but must be more or less subject to afflictions of one kind or other, at one time or another, in one measure or another; for man is certainly born to trouble, as the sparks fly upward. And this certain truth will be evident, if we consider the several kinds of afflictions that are common to mankind: and herein I shall forbear the instances which concern our childhood and youth, as such, that yet notwiths|;anding are subject to afflictions, which, though they seem not such to men of riper years, are yet as real and pungent, and deeply and sensibly grievous to them, as those that seem of greater noment to men of riper years; but I shall apply myself to those instances which are more evident, and of which those that have the exercise of their reason may be more capable.
Afflictions seem to he of two kinds: (1.) Either such as are common calamities, befalling a nation, city, or society of men. (2.) Or more personal, as they concern man individually.
(1.) Touching the former of these, namely, common calamities, such as wars, devastations, famines, pestilences, spreading contagions, epidemical diseases, great conflagrations; experience tells us, and daily lets us see, that tfiey involve in their extent the generality of men, good and bad, just and unjust, pious and profane: and although the gracious God is sometimes pleased, for ends best known to himself, strangely to preserve and rescue, as it were, some out of a common calamity, yet it is that which I do not know how any man can promise himself, though otherwise ever so pious and just, because I find not that anywhere, in the evangelical dispensation, God Almighty hath promised to any person any such immunity: and common experience shows us, that good and bad are oftentimes involved in the effects and extremities of the same common calamity. And indeed it would be little less than a miracle, and somewhat above the ordinary course of the Almighty’s arrangement of things, to give particular exceptions in such cases. If a man receive any such blessing from God, he is bound eminently to acknowledge it is a signal, if not miraculous, intervention of the divine mercy, but it is not that which a man can reasonably expect; because, although upon great and momentous occasions, Almighty God is pleased not only to give out miracles, but even to promise them also, as in the justifying of the truth of the gospel, in the first publication thereof, yet it is not right for any particular person to suppose, that, for the preservation of a particular interest or concern, God Almighty should be, as it were, engaged to put forth a miracle, or little less than a miracle; and the reasons of this are,
1st, Because, under the evangelical dispensation, the reward of goodness, piety, and obedience, is of another kind, and of greater moment, namely, eternal
N 3 happinesBv and Mt exemplton from tempond oali mities;. if Almighty God grant such an exemptioo, it is of bounty and abundancOf not of promise. It is true, under the old covenant with the people of Israel) their promises were in great measure of temporal bene£t6, and the constitution of that church, as it was in a great measure typic£dy so the divine administration over them was usually miraculous, both in their blessings, preservations, and exemptions. And there was a special reason for it; for they were to be a monument to all mankind, and also to future ages, of a special an signal arrangement; and, consequently, the obedient might, upon the account of the divine promise, expect blessings and deliverances, even in public calamities that might befal the people in general: but we have no warrant to carry over those promises of temporal benefits and exemptions to the obedience under the gospel, which, as it is founded upon another covenant, so it is furnished with better promises.
2d, Because the best of men in this life have sins and failings enow, to justify the justice of Almighty God, in exposing them to temporal calamities; and yet his mercy, goodness, and bounty, are abundantly magnified in reserving a reward in heaven far beyond the merit of their best obedience and dutifiiluess: so that, though they are exposed to temporal calamities, Almighty God still remains, not only a true and faithful, but a liberal and bountiful Lord unto them in their everlasting rewards. What are light afflictions, and but for a moment, in comparison to an eternal weight of glory? And the latter is the reward of thdr obedience under the gospel, the former may be possibly the punishment, or at least) correction for their sins.
And therefore, although at the intercession of Abraham, the Lord was pleased to grant a relaxation of the destruction of Sodom, for the sake of ten righteous, it was an act of his bounty; and so it was when he delivered Lot and his family: yet he had not been unjust if he had swept them away in that common temporal calamity, because possibly the sins of Lot himself might have been such, as might have acquitted the justice of God in so doing; for the highest temporal calamity is not disproportionate to any one sin. And although he were pleased in mercy to spare Lot and his two daughters, yet neither was he wholly exempted from that great calamity; for his house, goods, and the rest of his family, perished in that terrible conflagration.
And upon this consideration, we have just cause to blame two sorts of persons; namely, 1. The rash censure of some inconsiderate persons, that are too ready to censure all such as fall under a common calamity, whether of fire, sword, or pestilence; as if they were therefore greater sinners than those that escape. Tbe error is reproved by our Saviour in the instance of the Galileans, and those upon whom the tower of Siloam fell. 2. The mistaken apprehension of men concerning themselves, that upon an opinion of their own righteousness or desert, think themselves exempted from the stroke of common calamities, or are ready to accuse the divine justice, if they are not delivered from them. If they truly -considered the just demerit of any sin, and their own -Bins and failings; they would acknowledge both the soo
justice and goodness of God, if he reserve an eternal ’ reward of their obedience, though he expose them to the worst of temporal evils.
(2.) Concerning personal evils, they are of several kinds. 1st, Such as befal the body. 2d, Such as befal the estate. Sd, Such as befal the name. 4th, Such as befal a man’s friends or relations.
1st, Touching the first of these evils, namely, those that befal the body, they are of two kinds., 1. Some that are not so epidemical or universal upon ail men; such are casualties or accidental hurts, diseases springing from the particular complexion or temperament of persons, such as are hereditary diseases, incident to certain ages, infectious diseases arising from contagion, putrefaction, ill disposition of the air or waters. 2. Some diseases are incident to every man in the world. If a man lives to a great old age, his very age is a disease, and the decay of natural heat and moisture, doth in time bring the oldest man to his etid; but if he live not to the attainment of old age, most certainly as he meets with death in the conclusion, so he meets with some disease or other that makes way for his dissolution. So that, upon the whole account, though this or that man may not meet with this or that particular disease, casualty, or distemper that, it may be, attacks another, yet as sure as he is mortal, so sure shall some disease, distemper, casualty, or weakness meet with him, that shall bring him to the dust of death. That person, therefore, that is subject to the universal edict and law of death, is and must be subject, sooner or later, to those diseases, sicknesses, casualties or weaknesses, that must usher in his death and dissolution. And although one man may escape a chronical disease another an acute disease; one man may escape a contagion, another a consumption; one man may escape this disease or casualty, another that; yet most certain it is) that every roan shall meet with some disease, distemper, or casualty that shall be sufficient to dissolve his composition, and put a period to his life.
2d, Concerning afflictions that particularly afiect a man in his estate. It is very true that some are more afflicted in this kind than others. The more wealth any man hath, the more obnoxious to losses; and the more any man loves wealth, the deeper the afflictions of this nature wound him: and this is generally true in all worldly matters whatsoever; the more a man’s heart is set upon it, the deeper nd the more bitter the cross or affliction is therein. But though afflictions of this kind, pinch some closer than others, yet there are Very few that totally escape those in this kind. The poorr man reckons it his affliction* that he wants wealth; and the rich man is not without his affliction, either in loss of it, or the fear of such losses, which create as real a trouble as the loss itself: fire and shipwreck, envy and oppression, false accusations, robbers, a prodigal heir, or a false friend, thousands of such like avenues there are to rich men’s treasure: and either they do actually attack it, and then they cause sorrow; or they do continually menace it, and so they cause fear. Nay, sometimes a rich man hath as great an affliction in his knowing not where, or how, to dispose of his wealth, as he that wants it.
3d| Touching afflictions in the name: most ceriainly, of all things in the worlds a good name is most easily exposed to the injury of any person; a false accusation, or false report, an action or word misinterpreted. A man hath no. sequrity of his wealth against invasiops of others; but he hath much- less security touching his name, because it is in keeping of others more than of the man himself: and it is visible to every man’s experience, that he that hath the greatest name is most exposed to the envy, and therefore, to the detraction and calumnies of others; and he that values his name and reputation most, is easiest blasted, and deeper wounded by calumny, though really false, than he that hath little reputation, or he that esteems it lightly.
4th, Touching friends: there are two things that induce the loss of friends: 1. That which seems casual, yet very common, whereby either friends become enemies, or at least grow into neglect; which is sometimes done by misrepresentations, false reports, by prevalency of factions, by difference in matters of interest, by the declination of a man’s condition. 2. That which is certain: death, takes away a man’s friends and relations from him, or him from them; the more friends and relations any man hath, the more losses of them or in them he shall necessarily have upon this account; because every one of them is subject to all those casualties that any one of them is subject to, whether in estate, name, body, or death, and, consequently, the more friends and relations, the more crosses and calamities; for all the crosses and losses that befal any of my friends are communicated to me, and in a manner made mine: and the greater my number of friends and relations soa
are, the more losses of them and in them I am subject to; for every one of them is subject to the same calamities with myself, which become in effect mine by participation. So that the more friends and relations I have, and the dearer and nearer they are, the more crosses I have, by participating therein: and every bitter arrow that wounds any of them, glanceth upon me, and makes my wounds the more, by how much the more friends and relations I have; and makes them the deeper, by how much the nearer and dearer those firiends or relations are to me. It is true, that in a multitude of good and dear friends and relations there is a communication of more comfoits: but since, generally, the scene of every man’s life is fuller of crosses than comforts, the troubles and afflictions of many friends or relations outbalance and overweigh those comforts..
And these crosses and afflictions in body, estate, name, and friends, though possibly they may not all come together, or in their perfection, at one time, upon any one man; yet, as no man is exempt from any of them at any time by any special privilege so sometimes they have fallen in together in their perfection, even upon some of the best men that we read of: witness that great and signal example of Job, who, at one time, suffered the loss of all his children, of all his servants, of all his goods, of his great and honourable esteem among men, of his .health; and, besides all this, lay under severe afflictions in his mind, and under the imputation of a hypocrite wi his best and judicious friends.
Upon all this that hath been said, a man may, md, oppn evidefit reason and «x^Tleckc> cilx. .<^ conclude, “That even the most sincere piety and integrity of heart and life cannot give any man any exemption or privilege from afflictions of some, or indeed of any kind.”
And this consideration alone is sufficient, 1. To silence and quiet that murmuring, and unquiet, and proud distemper, that often ariseth in the minds of good men themselves, that are ready to think themselves much injured if they fall under the calamities incident to mankind: whereas, the just and wise God never gave any promise, or privilege, or exemption from external calamities and troubles to those whom yet he owns as his children. 2. This consideration is sufficient to quiet the minds of persons thus afflicted against the common temptation, which is apt to arise upon this occasion, as if they were hated or forsaken of God, because sorely afflicted: whereas most certainly the favour or love of God is not to be measured simply by externals, but rather the gospel teacheth us a quite contrary lesson, namely, that God is pleased to chasten those whom he loveth best. This consideration is sufficient to check the censorious humour that is in many, who, like the Barbarians, presently conclude that person or place to be more sinful than others, because they suffer more, it may be, than others. Acts xxviii. 4. This was the uncharitable, and indeed unreasonable, error of Job’s friends of old, and of many at this time, in reference both to public and personal visitations.
2. The second good preparative against affliction, is a frequent practical supposition, wherewith we are to entertain ourselves, even in the time of our greatest prosperity. That the case may, and probably will be altered with us; and so cast ourselves, as it were, into the mould of an afflicted condition. For instance,, I am now in health; what if I were now to enter into the valley of the shadow of death, or into some acute, painful, or desperate disease? How am I fitted with patience, resignation of myself into the hand of God, and contempt of the world? For such an estate as this I must come to sooner or later; how shall I bear or carry myself in it, or under it, were it now upon me? I have now a plentiful estate, external affluence; what if, at this moment, I were bereft of all, either by fire or depredation, how were my mind fitted with humility and patience to submit to a poor, strait, wanting condition? I have now a good husband wife, children, many &iends that esteem me, and are faithful to me; what if God should in a moment deprive me of all these? what if my dearest friends should become my bitterest enemies, how should I bear myself under these changes? I have a great name and esteem in the world; what if, in a moment, a black cloud of infamy, and scorn, and reproach was jlrawn over it, and that I should become a scorn and reproach, with Job, among children of fools? yea, children of base men viler than the earth. How were I fitted with humility and evenness of mind to comport with such a condition, till it pleased God by his providence and manifestation of my innocence, if he think fit, to scatter this black cloud of calumny and reproach, or if not, yet quietly under it to enjoy the testimony of a good conscience and my own integrity? These, and the like anticipations of troubled and afflicted conditions, would habituate and fit our minds to bear them; Airnish hs with suitable tempera for them; render them easy to us, when they oome; and keep our souls in a due state of moderation and watchfulness before they come: as the good martyr Bilney before his martyrdom, by often putting his finger into the candle, made the flames, which he was after to endure, more familiar and tolerable.
8. The third preparative against affliction and calamitous seasons, is to reason ourselves off from overmuch love and valuation of the world, and the best things it affords. Philosophy hath made some attempt in this business; but the doctrine of the gospel hath given us far more noble and effectual topics and arguments, than any philosophy ever did or can: by giving us a plain and dear estimate and valuation of this world, and all that seems most valuable in it; but this is not all: by showing us plainly and clearly a more valuable, certain, and durable state after death, and a way of attaining it, with much more ease and contentment, than we can attain the most splendid temporals of this world. Cer- ’ tain it is, that the weight and stress of afflictions and crosses He not so much in the things themselves, which we suffer in them or by them, as ‘in that overvaluation that we put upon those conveniences which afflictions or crosses deprive us of. When news was brought to that noble Roman of the death of his son, it was a great pitch of patience that even the moral considerations wrought in him, Ntwi me genuisse mortalem; though perchance, it was not without a mixture of Stoical vainglory. We set too great a value upon our health, our wealth, our reputation; and that makes us unable to bear, with that evenness and eontentedness of mind, the loss of tfaem5 by sickness, poverty, or reproach. We 8<^ too great a rate upon that temporal life here, because we set too great a value upon this world, to the enjoyment whereof this life is here accommodated and proportioned; and that makes us fear death, not only as the ruin of nature, but as that which puts a period to all our comforts: whereas, had we but faith enough to believe the evangelical truths, touching our future happiness, it would make us pot desire death, because we might in the time of this life secure to ourselves that great and one thing necessary, and it would make us not to fear death, because we see a greater fruition to be enjoyed after it, than all the glory of this present world can yield.
4. The:, next preparative against afflictions is to keep piety, innocence, and a good conscience before it comes. As sin is the sting of death, so it is the sting of affliction; and that which indeed gives the greatest bitterness and strength to affliction: and the reason is is, because it weakens and disables that part in man which must bear and srupport it. This is what the wise man observes, ^’The spirit of a man will sustain his infirmities; but, a wounded spirit who can bear?” Which is no more than this: it is the mind and spirit of man, rightly principled, that doth bear and carry a man through those difficulties, and afflictions, and infirmities, under which be 16; but if that spirit or mind, which should carry and bear those evils, be hurt, or wounded, or faint, or infirm, what is there left in a man to bear that indeed which should be our suppoiX? liixit>^^wt:^<& and a good conscience keeps the mind and spirit of a man in courage and confidence: and indeed it hath an influence, and suflPrage, and attestation, and support from the God of heaven, to whom a good conscience can with an humble confidence appeal, as Hezekiah did under a great affliction, and this access to Almighty God doth give new supplies, succours, and strength to the soul to bear it up under very great and pressing afflictions. But, on the other gide, sin doth disable the soul to bear affliction, till it be thoroughly repented of. 1. Because it doth in a great measure emasculate and weaken the spirit of a man, makes it poor, cowardly, and unable to bear itself up under the pressure of afflictions. 2. It doth in a great measure, obstruct the intercourse between God and the soul, and that influence that might and would otherwise be derived to the spirit, or mind of a man, by the God of the spirits of all flesh.
Therefore, the best preparative against affliction is, to have the soul as clear as may be from the guilt of sin: 1. By an innocent and watchful life in the time of our prosperity, before affliction attack us. 2. Or, at least, by a speedy, sincere, and hearty repentance for sin committed; and this repentance to be speedy, before affliction come; for though it is true, that many times affliction is the messenger of God to awaken a sinner to repentance, and that repentance is accepted by the merciful God; yet that repentance is most kindly and easy, and renders afflictions less difficult and troublesome, which prevents afflictions, and performs one great end and use of affliction before it comes. He that hath a soul cleansed by faith and repentance from the guilt. of sin, before the severity of affliction comes upon him, hath but one work to do, namely, to fit himself with patience to undergo the shock of affliction; but he that defers his repentance, till driven to it by affliction, his work is more difficult, because it is double, namely, to begin his repentance, and to bear his affliction.
And because in many things we offend all, and the best have their failings and sins of daily incursion, a daily revising and examining of our own failings, and renewing of our repentance for our daily faults, is of singular use to render afflictions easy, because repentance cleanseth the soul, and renders a man in God’s acceptation as if he had not oflPended.
5. The next preparative against affliction is to gain an humble mind. When affliction meets with a proud heart, foil of the opinion of its own worth and goodness, there ariseth more trouble, and tumult, and disorder, and discomposure in the contest of such a heart against the affliction, than possibly can arise from the affliction itself; and the struggling of that distemper of pride with the affliction galls and entangles the mind more than the severest affliction, and renders a man very unfit for it, and unable to bear it. The prophet Isaiah describes it, “her sons at the head of every street were like a wild bull in a net.” But, on the other hand, an humble, lowly mind, is calm and patient, and falls with ease upon an afflicted condition; for the truth is, the great evil of suflPering is not so much in the thing a man suffers as in the mind and temper of spirit of the aio
Blin that meets with it; an bamUe mtiid is a mind
rightly prepared with the greatest facility to receive the shock of any affliction for such a mind is already as low as affliction can ordinarily set it.
And certainly) if any man consider aright he hath many important causes to keep his mind always humble. 1. In respect of Almighty God, the great and glorious King of heaven and earth, whom, if a man contemplate, he will put his mouth in the dust, acknowledge himself to be but a poor worm, and therefore unworthy to dispute the divine dispensations, providences, or permissions. 2. In respect of himself: he that considers aright himself, his sins, and failings, and corruptions, will have cause enough to humble himself, and reckon that he is justly obnoxious to the severest crosses and afflictions. Why doth a living man complain, a man for the punishment of his sins T* It is mercy enough the affliction extends not yet so far as his life; a living man to complain, carries a reprehension in itself of the complaint.
6. Another most singular preparation against affliction, is a steady resolved resignation of a man’s self to the will and good pleasure of Almighty God, and that upon grounds of the greatest reason imaginable. For, 1. It is a most sovereign will: for his will must be done whether we will or not: therefore, it is the highest piece of folly imaginable to contest with him,^ that will not, cannot, may not be controlled* It is true, we have commission to pray to him, to deliver us from evil; but when we have so done, we must withal desire that his will may be done; this pattern the Sob of God hath given us,
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Fathier, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; yet not my will, but thine be done.” Wil« liogly, therefore, submit to that will, which, whether thou wilt or not, thou must, thou shait endure; for his will 18 the most sovereign wiir,’the will of the absolute monarch of heaven and earth. 2. As it is the most sovereign will, so it is the most wise will; what he wills, he wills not simply from sovereignty, but his will is founded upon and directed by a most infinite wisdom: and since thou canst not, upon any tolerable account, judge thy will wiser than his, it becomes thee to resolve thy poor, narrow, inconsiderate will into the will of the most wise God. 3. As it is a most wise will, so the will of God is most certainly the moat beneficent and best will. What reason hast thou to suspect the beneficence of his will; whose will alone gavQ thee thy being, that he might communicate his goodness to that being of thine, which he freely gave thee? It is true, it may be thou dost not see the reason, the end, the use of his dispensations; yet be content with an implicit submission to resign thyself up to his disposal, and rest assured it shall be best for thee, though thou yet canst hot understand what it means. If he hath given thee a heart to resign up thy will unto his, be confident he will never mislead thee, nor give thee cause to repent of trusting him. It was a noble pitch of a heathen’s mind, namely Epictetus, ^’ In every enterprise this ought to be our prayer: Guide me, O God, and thou divine Providence, according to thine own appointment; I will with cheerfulness follow: which, if I shall decline to do, I shall be an undutiful man, and yet shall nevetthe
lew Follow thy appointment, whether I will or not.” But Christians ha?e learned a reason of a nobler descent, namely, “That all things shall work together for good, to those that love God.” And certainly there can be no greater evidence of thy love to him, than to make the will of God the guide, rule, and measure of thine own.
7. I shall conclude with that grand preparative, which is indeed the completion of all that is before said, and, in a few words, includes all: Labour to get thy peace with God, through Jesus Christ our Lord. When this is once attained, thou art set above the love of the world, and the fear of afflictions, because thou hast the assurance of a greater treasure than this world can give or take away; “a kingdom that cannot be moved:” a hope and most assured expectation that is above the regions of afflictions, and that renders the greatest and sorest afflictions, as they are, namely, light and momentary: and yet because thou art, notwithstanding this glorious expectation, still in this lower region, and subject to passions and perturbations, and fears, the merciful God hath engaged his promise to support thee here under them; to better and improve thee by them; to carry thee through them by his all-sufficient grace and mercy: the strokes thou receivest are either managed and directed, or at least, governed and ordered by him that is thy Father, and that in very love and faithfulness doth correct thee; that hath a heart of compassion and love to thee, even when he seems in his providences to frown upon thee; that while thou art under there, will make them work together for thy good; and did
that will never take from thee those everlasting mercies which are thy portion; that hath all thy afflictions, crosses, troubles, whatever they are or may be, under the infallible conduct of his own wisdom and power: and that as, on the one hand, he will never suffer thee to be afflicted beyond what he gives thee grace to bear and improve, so, on the other hand, he will so manage, order, and govern thy light afflictions, which are here but for a moment, that, in the end, they shall be a means to bring tliee^^a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.” I^ therefore, thou wouldst be soundly armed against afflictions, and prepared with ease and comfort to bear them, this one thing necessary is sufficient to render thee such, and to fit thee also with all those advantageous helps before-mentioned, which will necessarily follow upon this attainment.
II. I come to the second general head; namely,’ how afflictions incumbent upon us are to be received, entertained, and improved; and this will be, in a great measure, supplied by what hath been before said: for a mind so prepared and habituated, will be sufficiently qualified to receive and entertain them, as becomes a good man and a Christian. Nevertheless, I shall subjoin something, in order to the bearing and improving of afflictions while they are incumbent upon us; and they are these:
t» It becomes a man under afflictions, to have a very diligent, frequent, attentive, and right consideration concerning Almighty God; that he is a God of infinite wisdom, power, justice, mercy, and goodness; that he hates not any thing that he hath made, but hath a great love and bene&eenee .^ his creatures; that he designs their good and bentfit, even in those dispensations that seem most sharp and severe; that if he had not a good will to his creatures, he would never have done ao much for them as he hath done; that, whilst he exerciseth discipline to the children of men, it is evident they are under his care; that oftentimes there is a greater severity of the divine displeasure, in his leaving mankind to themselves, than in exercising them with afflictions: and that he equally discovers the love and care of a Father in his corrections, as well as in his more pleasing administrations.
2. And farther, that afflictions rise not out of the dust, but are sent and managed by the wise disposition and arrangement of Almighty God: it is his providence that sends them, that measures out their kind, weight, and continuance: and that they are always, as commissioned by him, so under the conduct of his power, wisdom, and goodness, and never exceed the line and limits of his power, wisdom, and goodness: if he bids them go, they go; if he bids them return, they return: if he commands the roost tumultuous storms of afflictions, “Peace, be still,” there will be a calm. As mankind is never out of the reach of his power to afflict and correct, so it is never out of the reach of his power to relieve and recover.
3. That as no man hath an exemption from afflictions, so it is most evident, that even the best of men are visited with them, and it is but needful they should; for where one man is the worse by afflictions, a thousand are the worse for want of them, and as many the better by them: and the wise and gracious God, that Icnows our frame better than we crarselves, doth, for the most part, in very faithfulness afflict us. The egresses of the divine counsels have ever in them a complication of excellent ends, even in afflictions themselves: they are acts of justice oftentimes to punish, and of mercy to prevent dis-. tempers and to heal them; and this is that lot which our blessed Lord bequeathed unto his own people, ‘^ In the world ye shall have tribulation.” So that, a good man may have as great cause to suspect his own integrity in the absence of them, as in the suffering under them.
4. That all the divine dispensations of comforts or crosses, are so far beneficial or hurtful as they are received and used: comforts, if they make us thankful, sober, faithful, they become blessings; if they make us proud, insolent, secure, forgetful, they become judgments: afflictions, if they are received with humility, patience, repentance, and turning to God, they are blessings; if they are received with murmuring, impatience, incorrigibleness, they become judgments, and a forerunner of greater severity.
5. The consequences of all these considerations evidently lead us into these duties, whenever we are under the pressure of affliction.
1. To receive it with all humility, as reached out to us from the hand, or permission at least, of Almighty God. There were a sort of philosophers that thought it a virtue to put on a resolved contempt of all crosses and afflictions, not to be moved at all with them, but to bear them with a stout apathy: this is not the temper that becomes a Christian; it is all one, as if a child should in v
o 2 receive the corrections of his father, with a stubbora resolution not to care for them, or to be affected with them; such a stubbornness under affliction renders it unuseful to its end, and commonly provokes the great Lord and Father of spirits totally to reject such a mind, or to master it with sharper and severer, and multiplied afflictions, till it yield, and till that uncircumcised heart be humbled, and accept of the punishment of its iniquity, Lev. zxvi. 4L
2. To receive it with patience and subjection of mind; and without either contesting with Almighty God, charging his providence with error or injustice, or swelling and storming against the affliction, or the divine dispensation that sends it: this hath two singular benefits; first, it renders the affliction iisdi more easy and tolerable; secondly, it is one of the readiest ways to shorten or abate it: for as yielding an humble submission to the hand of God, so patience and submission of will to the divine dispensation, are two of the great ends and the business of affliction, which, when attained by it, it hath performed a great part of its errand for which it was sent.
3. To return unto God that afflicteth or permiteth it: affliction misseth its end and use, when it drives a man from his God, either to evil or unlawful means, or to shift and hide himself, or keep at a distance from him; and as it loseth its end, so it b contrary to its natural effect, at least where it meets with a nature of any understanding or ingenuity. “In their affliction they will seek me early.” God Almighty sends afflictions, like messengers, to call home wandering souls; and if a man will shift away, get farther off, and estrange himself more from him that strikes him, he will either send more importunate messengers, afflictions of a greater magnitude, to call and fetch him, as want and famine did the young prodigal in the gospel; or, which is far worse, let him go without farther seeking him: whereas the man that by affliction, as it were at the first call, comes home to God, or gets nearer to him, for the most part prevents severer monitors, and renders his suffering more short, or at least more easy, by drawing near to God, the fountain of peace and deliverance.
And if the affliction befals such a man that hath not estranged himself from Almighty God; nor departed from him in any greater offences or backdtdings, yet affliction is not without its end or use, even to such a man. Thou hast walked closely in thy duties towards God, hast depended upon him, approved thyself in his sight; yet is it not impossible that thy faith, industry, obedience, dependence, may be greater, more constant, more firm; if so it may he, as sure it may be, then, though affliction solicit not thy return to him from whom thou hast not departed, yet it solicits thy improvement.
4. To pray unto God: and this is the most natural effect of affliction, especially if it be severe and eminent. In the storm the sailors call every one upon his God; and the reason is, because in such a season, a man’s own shifts, the help and advice and assistance of friends, and other human confidences, appear too weak and ineffectual; and therefore the man is driven to that which indeed is the unum magnum,’ namely, invocation of Almigjal Ooii^ox help, support, and comfort* It is therefore a sign of a desperate mind, that one will not come to Qod in prayer, at least when afflictions grind him. And although a man be not of the number of those that restrain prayer before God, yet afflictions naturally will make the prayer of such a man more earnest, fervent, constant; it sets an edge, and adds life to the prayers of a praying man.
5. To depend and trust upon God both for support under, and seasonable deliverance from, afflic* tions. Keep thy recumbence upon his goodness and mercy, even under the blackest night of afflictions. “Though he kill me, yet will I trust in him:” and with David, even in the valley of the shadow of death, to rest upon his rod and his staff: and though it becomes the best of men to have a yielding and a soft spirit under the afflicting hand of God, yet be careful to bear up thyself under the power and goodness of God from fainting and despondence.
6. To be thankful to God under affliction, and that upon very great and important motives: 1. Thankful that they are no worse or greater: thou hast losses, but yet hast thou lost all at once? Job did; or if thou hast lost all externals, yet hast thou not something thou valuest more than all; namely, innocence, peace with God and thy own conscience? 2. Thankful that God Almighty rather chooseth to afflict thee, than to forsake thee. As long as Almighty God is pleased to afflict thee, it is plain,- that thou art under his discipline, his care; no man’s condition is desperate so long as the physician continues his administration; ilot % «v^ mwi YiKolly foraaken of God, nor past cure, so long as he is under affliction: for it is a medicine that, without thy own default, will either recover or better thee. 3. Thankful that God hath been pleased to discover so much of his mind, and design, and affections towards mankind in his word, as to assure us that the measure of his love towards, or displeasure against, the children of men, is not to be taken by external prosperity or adversity; but, on the contrary, to bear up our souls under the pressure of afflictions, assures us that they are the effects, for the most part, of his fatherly love and care, rather than of his heavy displeasure; that they may indeed sometimes be symptoms of his anger, but not of his hatred; they may be for corrections, but not for confusion: he may correct those, whom yet he accounts his children and resolves to aave.
7. To put us upon a due’ search and examination of our hearts and Ways. Certainly there is not the best man living, but upon a strict and impartial ’ search of himself may find fuel for affliction; demerit enough to deserve it; somewhat amiss, that requires amendment; some corruptions growing into exorbitancy; some errors, that stand in need of physic to oleanse them; some budding disorders, that stand in need of a medicine to prevent them. The great business of affliction, the great message that it brings from God to man, is to search out and see what is amiss, what is defective; and to ransack our souls and hearts and lives, and search whether there be not something offensive to God.
B. To put man to a double duty upon this search: i namely i upon aii impartial gcrutm) tlko]L li ^’^ conscience clear from great and wasting sins, humUy bless God for his grace, that hath preserved thee from the great transgression; but yet hamble thyself for thy sins of daily incursion, for thy sins of omission, for the coldness in thy devotions, for thy want of vigilance over thy passions, for thy neglect of opportunities of doing good. As thou hast matter of thankfulness, for escaping those greater and wasting sins which others commit; so thou hast matter of humiliation and repentance, for those sins that are of a lesser magnitude, whereunto thy daily inadvertence and human frailty renders thee liable, and to set a stricter watch upon thyself even in reference to these. Again, on the other hand, if, upon search, thou find thyself guilty of any greater sin, which hath not been repented of, thy affliction brings likewise a double message unto thee. First, a message of humiliation and repentance for thy great transgression; and turning to God, with a perfect resolution of amendment; and a message of gratitude and thankfulness to God, that hath sent this messenger of affliction to awaken thee to repentance and amendment; and hath given thee an assurance of pardon and forgiveness upon thy repentance and amendment; through the all-sufficient sacrifice of Christ Jesus. So that, whatsoever person affliction meets with, it, brings with it a useful and profitable message from heaven: if it meet with a person under the guilt of some great unrepented sin, it brings him an errand of humiliation, repentance, amendment, and thankfulness; if it meet with a good man, such a man as Job, who had the witness of God in himself, that he was a perfect man and upright, yet it brings him ilto a message of the like nature a message of grati- ;ttde to that God, that hath preserved him from the jreat transgression; a message of humiliation and repentance for his often failings and offences; a meslage of advice to proceed with greater vigilance, and to a further degree of Christian perfection in the whole course of his life.
9. To wean a man from the love of the world, md to carry up the thoughts and hopes and desires that country whereunto we are appointed. If all things went well, even with good men in this life, they would be building tabernacles here, and set up their rest and hopes on this side Jordan, as the Reubenites did in the country of Bashan, when they Found it rich and fruitful. God Almighty there-* fore, in mercy, makes this world unpleasant to good men, by affliction, that they may set the less value i:q[>on it, and fix their hopes, and desires, and endeavours, for that city which is above.
This is the voice of the rod, and of him that hath appointed it, which every wise man ought to hear and answer with all obedience, submission, and thankfulness: and when affliction hath wrought this effect, its proper business is in a great measure ended; and for the most part it is thereupon eased w removed.
Above all the temptations that befal good men in afflictions, this commonly is that which doth most greatly prevail, and doth the most hurt; namely, when, upon a diligent search, they find their con-Bciences clear from any great offences, they are too ipt to magnify their own integrity, to expostulate the reasonableness and justice of the divine dealing
o3 with them and to coro|>Iain of hard usage from him. This was Jacob’s fault, and is too apt to be the fault of good men, though neither equal to him in their perfection nor afflictions: which course nevertheless is, 1. Very unjust and unreasonable; for the best cS men have sins enough to justify the justice of God in his severest dealing with them; and corruptions enough to grow into greater enormities, which, although they perchance see not, yet the all-knowing God sees, and in mercy and with wisdom prevents, by the corrosives and cathartics of affliction; insomuch, that even that good man, when Almighty God opened his ear to discipline, .saw and acknowledged, and therefore abhorred himself in dust and ashes. 2. As it is extremely unjust, so it is extremely foolish and vain: for as it is not the way to remove the affliction, so when God is pleased to remove it, in mercy and compassion, it makes a man justly ashamed upon his deliverance, of that folly and pettishness that he showed under his affliction against Almighty God, who even then had thoughts of percy and deliverance-for him. And this very consideration had been enough to have made Job’s deliverance yet full of trouble and shame, for his frowardness in his affliction, unless the gracious God in a strange condescension of goodness and gentleness had prevented it, by giving so great a suffrage unto his integrity, and covering the errors and passionate excursions of his affliction, as a father doth the errors and follies of his child, by an indulgent commendation, “Ye have not spoken of me the thing that is right, as my servant Job.”. And thus far for the caitlage that becomes us to have under affliction, and our due improvement of it, to the ends for which Almighty God sends it: by which Almighty God receives the honour of his sovereignty, his justice, his goodness, his wisdom, his truth; and man receives the benefit of pteven* lion from sin, deliverance out of it, improvement of his graces, perfecting of his soul, and advancement of his glory, through the mercy of God, and his blessing upon this bitter cup, the cup of affliction.
III. Jl come to the third general consideration, namely, that temper and disposition of mind that becomes us to have upon, and after deliverance, from afflictions.
1. Upon our ’ deliverance from afflictions, we ought, in a special and solemn manner, to return our humble and hearty thanks to Almighty God; to acknowledge him to be the author of it; to return to him our humble and serious praises, that he hath been pleased to answer our prayer, and hath given us a plain testimony that he hath a regard to us: this is the tribute that he expects most justly from us; As he in a special manner requires our prayers onto him, when we are under affliction, so he requires that we should take notice of the returns of our prayers, and to pay him the tribute of praise upon our deliverance: Call upon nie in the day of trouble, I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me.’’ The truth is, when we are under extremities, we are easily persuaded to call to God for deliverance, the very natural pressure of affliction drives us to him, we know not whither else to fly: but as soon a» the rod is gone, we are dull and backward in retbrnin ghry to God; and we ate mo%X. ^.^t la Va notice of the means that immediately went before: if we, or any of our relationsy are delivered irom sicknes8y we have it presently upon our tongues ends, that we had a careful or skilful physician, a strong constitution, favourable weather, some lucky acddent that happened to us; and the like we are apt to do upon other deliverances, and rarely, or at least, not with that sincerity, acknowledge the mercy of God, and the hand of God, to be that which raised us up. It is true, means are not to be neglected: it is a presumption and tempting of God; but it is the providence of God that gives us means, and the blessing of God that makes them successful; that sometimes blesseth poor and weak and unlikely means to produce desired effects; sometimes maketh those very things we call accidents, that seem to import the very destruction of a man, to be the means of his recovery, and sometimes brings about the effect without any visible means. We are no less to acknowledge his goodness and influence, when we seem to be delivered by means, than if we were delivered by miracle. It is true, we are apt to fasten our thoughts and reasons upon means, because we see them: but if our eyes could be so opened as the prophet’s servant’s were, when he saw the chariots of fire in the mountain, we should see another kind of arrangement and government, and ordering and disposing of things than now we see. Many, if not most, of those signal deliverances, that a man or a nation hath, are wrought not so much by the efficacy of means, as by a secret invisible hand of providential government, which we see not. If, therefore, thou art delivered from any great distress of any kind, in such a manner, that thou canst not attribute it to means, or possibly, above or beyond means, the hand of thy deliverer is more signal and conspicuous; glorify his mercy and goodness: and if thou dost obtain thy deliverance by means, yet still glorify bis mercy and goodness; for it is his providence that sends means, his power and goodness that blesseth them to the desired success: the efficiency and energy of the principal cause is that which gives efficacy to the means, and makes them effectual. ’ 2. Endeavour to express thy thankfulness by a sincere and faithful obedience to the will of that God that hath thus delivered thee. A true and hearty thankfulness of mind will not content itself with bare verbal praises and acknowledgments, but will study and endeavour to find out, and do all that may be well pleasing and delightful and acceptable to his great Benefactor: and wherever the heart is truly affected with the sense of the favour, goodness, and love of God, and that the deliverance it hath had is from his hand, it will think nothing too much to be done, that may be well
pleasing to him. Great acclamations and verbal praises and acknowledgments, without an honest and sincere endeavour to please and obey hiAi, are but a piece of mockery and hypocritical compliment; and a mere frustration and disappointment of Almighty God, in the end and design of his mercy to us; which is, to make us really better, more dutiful, more capable of greater and everlasting mercies; to make us better examples to others, who may thereby be invited to follow us in piety and goodness. ‘A man that hath received great and. signal mercies and deliverances becomes a great and efficacious example, and of much good, or much evil, according as he carries himself after eminent mercies received: if he become more pious, virtuous, just, sober than before, he becomes a more forcible motive and encouragement to others to be like him; again, if he either remain in, or degenerate into impiety, vanity, or vice, he discourageth goodness, and becomes a great temptation to others to be like him.
3. T^ke heed lest, after a great deliverance, thy heart be lifted up into presumption upon God, pride, and vainglory, and a conceit of thy own goodness and worth. This is the common temptation that grows upon much mercy received, and therefore the wise Lawgiver did very frequently caution the people of Israel against this: “Speak not in thine heart after the Lord thy God hast cast them out, saying, for my righteousness the Lord hath brought me to possess this laud,” &c. Let thy afflictions find thee humble, and let thy afflictions make thee more humble; but let thy deliverance yet increase thy humility; the more mercy God shows thee, the more humble ever let thy heart be, upon, a double account: L Thy deliverances do, or should, make thee know Almighty God the more; and the more thou knowest him, the more humble it should make thee: “I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear; but now mine eyes have seen thee: wherefore I abhor myself in dust and ashes.” 2. Thou hast need to double thy guards of humility, because, upon great deliverance, thou must expect that the temptation and assaults of pride and vainglory will be most busy with thee: and, li in all lh ^teatations for afflictions thou hast studied humility; if under all thy afflictions thou hast improved thy humility; yet if now, upon thy deliverance, thou art lost in pride and vainglory, thou hast lost all the benefit both of thy preparations, and of thy afflictions, and of thy deliverances also: thou art like an unhappy ship that hath endured the sea, and hath borne the storm, and yet sinks when she is come into the harbour.
4. And upon the same account be vigilant and watchful. It is true, thou hast weathered a great storm, out of which, by the mercy of God, thou art delivered; but still be on thy guard, thou knowest not how soon thou shalt meet with another; take heed it surprise not thee unprovided. Though thou hast endured, it may be, a long and dark storm of affliction, and God hath mercifully delivered thee; yet thou hast no promise from Almighty God that thou shalt meet with no more. These three considerations should keep thee watchful and vigilant, notwithstanding great deliverance from great afflic* tions: 1. Thou art thereby better fitted and prepared to receive it; if it come it shall not surprise thee unawares, nor find thee sleeping. 2. Most certainly, if any thing be a more likely means to preserve thee under so great affliction, it is a prepared, watchful, vigilant mind: for, if I may so speak, afflictions have no great business with such a man; for he is already in that posture and frame of heart, that affliction is ordinarily sent to give a man. 8. There is nothing more likely to procure affliction than security and unpreparedness of mind: and that, First, In respect of the goodness, mercy, and justice of God, who, though with moat xiT^^^ma^ justice, yet with siugular mercy, is very likely to send affliction to awaken him and amend him, and to recal him from that tendency to apostacy that security is apt to bring upon him. Secondly, In respect of the malice and vigilancy of the great enemy of mankind; who, as he never wants malice, so he often gets a permission to worry a man. whom he hath under this disadvantage of unpreparedness and security.
5. Be careful to keep, as great afflictions, so abo great deliverances, in memory. Most men, upon the fresh receipt of mercy and deliverance, have a quick and lively apprehension of it; and, accordingly, their affections of thankfulness, and practices and purposes of obedience, are lively and diligent; but, in process of time, and as the man is further distant from his deliverance, so the memory of it doth gradually, and possibly suddenly, vanish and decay: and as the remembrance of the deliverance decays, and grows weaker and weaker, so do these affections or dispositions of the soul that are before-mentioned: the thankfulness grows faint, and so doth the obedience, and so doth the humility, and so doth the watchfulness; and as the water that hath been ’ heated, being removed from the fire, grows by degrees colder and colder, till at last it comes to its old coldness that it first had; so in a little time the affiiction is forgot, and the deliverance is forgot, and the man is grown into the very same state, as if he never had felt either, and possibly worse. Therefore, keep deliverances and afflictions too, fresh in thy memory, call thyself frequently to account for them; use some expedient that may frequently remind thee of them with all their circumstances; set them down in writing; mention them often; recoI« lect them often; and recollect what thoughts, purposes, temper of mind and spirit, was then upon thee, when thy afflictions were upon thee, or thy deliverances freshly given to thee. Consider with thyself bow if these were now as fresh to thee as they were then, with what motions or dispositions of soul thou shouldst receive them; and reason thyself into the same temper and habitude of thankfulness, as then thou hadst. By thus keeping the memory of these afflictions, and these deliverances, fresh under all their drcumstances, thou wilt with them, and in the same degree as thy remembrance is of them, revive and excite, and preserve and keep alive, and quick and active, the same gratitude, the same humility, the same obedience, the same vigilance that these afflictions or these deliverances wrought in thee, when they were fresh with thee or upon thee. The vigorous perpetuating of the remembrance of them will be an effectual means to perpetuate the due fruit of them in their life, vigour, and intention.