Objection 1: Did I But Know That My Afflictions Were in Love, I Would Be Quiet

I shall now address myself to answer those objections, and to remove those impediments, which hinder poor souls from being silent and mute under the afflicting hand of God, &c.

Object. 1. “Sir, did I but know that I were afflicted in love, I would hold my peace under my affliction, I would sit mute before the Lord. But oh! how shall I come to understand that those strokes are the strokes of love, that those wounds are the wounds of a friend?” I answer,

1. If thy heart be drawn more out to the Lord by the affliction, then the affliction is in love; if it be so sanctified, as that it draws out thy soul to love the Lord more, Ps. xviiL

1 — 8; cxvi. 1 — 5; cxix. 67, 71; Isa. xxxviii., and to fear the Lord more, and to please the Lord more, and to cleave to the Lord more, and to wait on the Lord more, and to walk with the Lord more, then thy affliction is sent in love. Oh! then they are the wounds of a friend indeed. If the afflictions that are upon us do increase our courage, strengthen our patience, raise our faith, inflame our love, and enliven our hopes, certainly they are in love, and all wounds are the wounds of a friend. But,

2. If you are more careful and studious how to glorify God in the affliction, Dan. iii. vi., and how to be kept from sinning under the affliction, than how to get out of the affliction; then certainly your affliction is in love. Where God smites in love, there the soul makes it his work how to glorify God, and how to lift up God, and how to be a name and an honor to God. The daily language of such a soul under the rod is this, Lord, stand by me that I sin not, uphold me that I sin not, strengthen me that I sin not, Joshua vii. 7. He that will not sin to repair and make up his losses, though he knew assuredly that the committing of such a sin would make up all again, he may conclude that his affliction is in love.

He that will not break the hedge of a fair command, to avoid the foul way of some heavy affliction, may well conclude, that his affliction is in love. Christians! what say you? do you thus bespeak the Lord? Lord, take care of thy glory, and let me rather sink in my affliction, than sin under my affliction! If this be the bent and frame of thy heart, it is certain the affliction that is upon thee is in love. The primitive times afforded many such brave spirits, though this age affords but few.

3. If you enjoy the special presence of God with your spirits in your affliction, then your affliction is in love, Ps. xxiii. 4 — 6. “When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee; when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burnt, neither shall the flame kindle upon thee,,)# Isa. xliii. 2. Hast thou a special presence of God with thy spirit, strengthening that, quieting that, satisfying that, cheering and comforting that? “In the multitude of my thoughts, that is, of my troubled, intertwined, and perplexed thoughts, (as the branches of a tree by some strong wind are twisted one within another, as the Hebrew word properly signifies,) u thy comforts delight my soul,” Ps. xciv. 19. Here is a presence of God with his soul; here are comforts and delights that reach the soul; here

* The bush, which was a type of the church, consumed not all the while it burned with fire, because God was in the midst of it.

is a cordial to strengthen his spirit. When Paul would wish his dear son Timothy the best mercy, the greatest, and the most comprehensive mercy in all the world, a mercy that carries the virtue, value, and sweetness of all mercies in it, he wishes the presence of God with his spirit, “The Lord Jesus Christ be with thy spirit,” 2 Tim. iv. 22. In point of honor, of profit and pleasure, of safety and security, and of comfort and joy, it is the greatest blessing and happiness in this world, to have the presence of God with our spirits, especially in times of trials: “For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day,” 2 Cor. iv. 16. By the outward man you are to understand, not merely our bodies, but our persons, estates, and outward condition in this world; and by the inward man you are to understand, our souls, our persons, considered according to our spiritual estate. Now, when the inward man gains new strength by every new trouble, when as troubles, pressures, afflictions, and tribulations are increased, a christian’s inward strength is increased also, then his afflictions are in love; when the presence of God is with our inward man, cheering, comforting, encouraging, strengthening, and renewing that, we may safely conclude, that all these trials, though they are ever so sharp and smart, yet they are in love.

I have read of a company of poor christians that were banished into some remote parts; and one standing by seeing them pass along, said, That it was a very sad condition those poor people were in, to be thus hurried from the society of men, and to be made companions with the beasts of the field. True, said another, it were a sad condition indeed, if they were carried to a place where they should not find their God; but let them be of good cheer, God goes along with them, and will exhibit the comforts of his presence whithersoever they go. The presence of God with the spirits of his people is a breast of comfort that can never be drawn dry; it is an everlasting spring that will never fail. Well, christian, thou art under many great troubles, Heb. xiii. 5, 6, many sore trials, Isa. xl. 29 — 31; but tell me, doth not God give into thy soul such cordials, such supports, comforts and refreshments, that the world knows not of? Oh then certainly thy affliction is in love.

4. If by your afflictions you are made more conformable to Christ in his virtues, then certainly your afflictions are in love. Many are conformable to Christ in their sufferings, that are not made conformable to Christ in his virtues by their sufferings. Many are in poverty, neglect, shame, contempt, reproach, &c. like to Christ, who yet by these are not made more like to Christ in his meekness, humbleness, heavenliness, holiness, righteousness, faithfulness, fruitfulness, goodness, contentedness,’ patience, submission, and subjection. Oh, but if in these things you are made more like to Christ, without all peradventure your afflictions are in love. If by afflictions the soul be led to show forth the virtues of Christ, as in 1 Pet. ii. 9, then certainly those afflictions are in love; for they never have such an operation, but where they are set on by the hand of love. When God strikes as an enemy, all those strokes do but make a man more an enemy to God, as you see in Pharaoh, and others; but when the strokes of God are the strokes of love, they do but bring the soul nearer to Christ, and transform the soul more and more into the likeness of Christ. If by thy afflictions thou art made more holy, humble, heavenly, &c. they are in love. But,

5. If by outward afflictions thy soul be brought more under the inward teachings of God, Job xxxiv. 31, 32, doubtless thy afflictions are in love: “Blessed is the man whom thou chastenest, O Lord, and teachesthim out of thy law,” Ps. xciv. 12. All the chastening in the world, without Divine teaching, will never make a man blessed. That man that finds correction attended with instruction, and lashing with lessoning, is a happy man. If God, by the affliction that is upon thee, shall teach thee how to loathe sin more, how to trample upon the world more, and how to walk with God more, thy afflictions are in love; if God shall teach thee, by afflictions, how to die to sin more, to thy relations more, and to self-interest more, thy afflictions are in love; if God shall teach thee by afflictions, how to live to Christ more, to lift up Christ more, and to long for Christ more, thy afflictions are in love; if God shall teach thee, by afflictions, to get assurance of a better life, and to be still in a gracious readiness and preparedness for the day of thy death, thy afflictions are in love; if God shall teach thee by afflictions, how to mind heaven more, to live in heaven more, and to be more fit for heaven, thy afflictions are in Jove; if God, by afflictions, shall teach thy proud heart to lie more low, thy hard heart to grow more humble, thy censorious heart more charitable, thy carnal heart more spiritual, and thy fro ward heart more quiet, &c. thy afflictions are in love. When God teaches thy reins as well as thy brains, thy heart as well as thy head, any of these lessons, thy afflictions are in love. Where God loves, he afflicts in love: and wherever God afflicts in love, there he will, first or last, teach such souls such lessons as shall do them good to all eternity. 6. If God suit your burden to your back, your trial to your strength, according to that golden promise, 1. Cor. x. 13, your afflictions are in love. u There hath no temptation taken you, but such as lie common to man; but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that you are able; but will, with the temptation, also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.” When God’s strokes, and a christian’s strength, are suited one to another, all is in love; let the load be ever so heavy that God lays on, if he put underneath his everlasting arms, all is love. As Egypt had many venomous creatures, so it had many antidotes against them; when God shall lay antidotes into the soul against all the afflictions that befall a christian, then they are all in love. It is no matter how heavy the burden is, if God gives a shoulder to bear it, all is in love. It is no matter how bitter the cup is, if God gives courage to drink it off. It is no matter how hot the furnace is, if God gives power to walk in the midst of it, all is in love.

7. If thou art willing to lie in the furnace till thy dross be consumed; if thou art willing that the plaster should lie on, though it smart, till the cure be wrought; if thou art willing that the physic should work, though it make thee sick, till the humors be expelled, all is in love. Cain, Saul, and Pharaoh, were all for removing the stroke of affliction; they cry not, Our sins are greater than we are able to bear; but they cry out, Our punishment is greater than we are able to bear. They cry not, Lord, take away our sins, but, Lord, remove the stroke of thy hand. Oh! but when affliction comes in love upon a soul, the language of that soul is this, Lord, remove the cause, rather than the punishment; my corruption, rather than my affliction. Lord, what will it avail me to have the sore skinned over, if the corrupt matter still remain in? There is no evil, Lord, like the evil of sin; and therefore, deliver me rather from the evil of sin, than the evil of sufferings. I know, Lord, that affliction cannot, be so displeasing to me, as sin is dishonorable and displeasing to thee; and, therefore, Lord, let me see the end of my sin, though in this world I should never see an end of my sorrows; oh! let me see an end of my corruptions, though I should never see an end of my corrections. Lord, I had rather have a cure for my heart, than a cure for my head; I had rather be made whole and sound within, than without; I had rather have a healthy soul than a healthy body; a pure inside, than a beautiful outside. If this be the settled frame and temper of thy spirit, certainly thy afflictions are in love.

There was one who, being under marvellous great pains and torments in his body, (occasioned by many sore diseases that were upon him,) cried out, Had I all the world I would give it for ease; and yet, for all the wrorld, I would not have ease till the cure be wrought. Sure his afflictions were in love. The first request, the great request and the last request of a soul afflicted in love, is, A cure Lord, a cure, Lord, a cure, Lord, of this wretched heart and this sinful life, and all will be well, all will be well.

Lastly, If you live a life of faith in your afflictions, then your afflictions are in love. Now, what is it to live by faith in affliction, but to live in the exercising of faith upon those precious promises that are made to an afflicted condition? These following promises have been choice cordials to many christians under sore distresses. God hath promised to be with his people in their afflictions, Isa. xliii. 2, 3. He hath promised to support them under their afflictions, Isa. xli. 10, and lvii. 15; John x. 27 — 29; Isa. xxvi. 3; Matt. xi. 28. He hath promised to deliver his people out of their afflictions, Ps. 1. 15. He hath promised to purge away his people’s sins by afflictions, Isa. i. 25. He hath promised to make his people more partakers of his holiness by affliction, Heb. xii. 10. He hath promised to make afflictions an inlet to a more full and sweet enjoyment of himself, Hos. ii. 14. He hath promised that he will never leave nor forsake his people in their afflictions, Heb. xiii. 5, 6. He hath promised that all their afflictions shall work for their good, Rom. viii. 28. Now, if thy faith be drawn forth to feed upon these promises; if these be heavenly manna to thy faith, and thy soul lives upon them, and sucks strength and sweetness from them, under all the trials and troubles that are upon thee, thy afflictions are in love.

A bee can suck honey out of a flower, which a fly cannot; if thy faith can extract comfort and sweetness, in thy saddest distresses, out of the breasts of precious promises, and gather one contrary out of another, honey out of the rocks, thy afflictions are in love. They are the food of faith and the very soul of faith. They are an everlasting spring that can never be drawn <hy; they are an inexhaustible treasure that can never be exhausted; they are the garden of paradise, and full of such choice flowers that will never fade, but be always fresh, sweet, green, and flourishing; and if, in the day of affliction, they prove thus to thy soul, thy afflictions are in love. If, in all thy troubles, thy heart be drawn forth to act faith upon the promises, thy troubles are from love. And this much by w7ay of answer to the first objection.