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<DATE>2011-03-30</DATE>
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<NAME>Olivia Bottum</NAME>
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<TEXT LANG="eng">
<FRONT>
<DIV1 TYPE="title page">
<PB REF="1" MS="y">
<P>THE Benefit OF AFFLICTIONS.</P>
<P>BY <HI>EDWARD REYNELL</HI> E&s;qu.</P>
<Q><BIBL><HI>2 Tim. 2.12.</HI></BIBL>
<P>If we &s;uffer, we &s;hall al&s;o reign with him.</P></Q>
<P><HI>LONDON,</HI> Printed for <HI>Abel Roper</HI> at the <HI>Sun</HI> in <HI>Fleet-&s;treet,</HI> 1660.</P>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="to the reader">
<PB REF="2">
<PB REF="2">
<HEAD>THE EPISTLE TO THE READER.</HEAD>
<P>_THough this &s;mall <HI>Tract,</HI> &s;eem not to invite an <HI>Epi&s;tle,</HI> yet [being faln into an <HI>Age,</HI> wherein Pride, Prejudice and Precipitancy have &s;hut our <HI>Eares] I</HI> thought fit to acquaint thee <HI>(Courteous Reader)</HI> that the many ra&s;h and uncharitable Cen&s;ures, &s;o frequently
<PB REF="3">vented from the mouths of many [vulgar <HI>Ju&s;tice,</HI> ever judging tho&s;e <HI>criminous,</HI> whom they &s;ee <HI>calamitous</HI>] hath oc|ca&s;ion'd the&s;e en&s;uing <HI>Lines;</HI> as al&s;o, for the comfort of <HI>tho&s;e,</HI> whom God (through his <HI>afflicting</HI> hand) &s;hall leave <HI>labouring</HI> under the <HI>Pangs</HI> of the worlds <HI>Reproach</HI> and Contempt.</P>
<P>Nothing being <HI>[now adayes]</HI> more u&s;ual, with the Community of people [the chiefe&s;t part of who&s;e <HI>Innocency</HI> con&s;i&s;ts in finding <HI>fault</HI> with &s;uch as are better then <HI>them&s;elves]</HI> then to account tho&s;e the greate&s;t <HI>&s;inners,</HI> who are the deepe&s;t <HI>Sufferers;</HI> not knowing that the &s;oul of every <HI>Saint</HI> con&s;i&s;ts of &s;acred <HI>Riddles</HI> and holy contradictions; and that God makes his chiefe&s;t <HI>Cordials</HI> out of tho&s;e <HI>poi&s;onous</HI> Serpents that <HI>&s;ting</HI> us: yea, often <HI>extracts</HI> his be&s;t Antidotes, from what may &s;eem to <HI>de&s;troy</HI> us.</P>
<P><PB REF="3">
Which &s;hould &s;erve to &s;ilence the ma|lice, and clear up the <HI>&s;ight</HI> of tho&s;e [who&s;e be&s;t <HI>Objects</HI> &s;eem evil, if be|held with <HI>blood-&s;hotten eyes</HI>] that make the pre&s;ent &s;ufferings of many, the great|est <HI>Indications</HI> of their &s;ins, and <HI>Gods Ju&s;tice</HI> attending them.</P>
<P>Neither is it any &s;ufficient <HI>Argument,</HI> that becau&s;e God puni&s;heth our <HI>Faults,</HI> he hates our <HI>per&s;ons:</HI> it being <HI>formerly</HI> the gro&s;s mi&s;take of tho&s;e <HI>Heathens, A|thi&s;ts, and Idolaters,</HI> with the Apo|&s;tates, and <HI>Hereticks</HI> of old, who fond|ly mi&s;took the meaning of tho&s;e hot and &s;harp <HI>Per&s;ecutions,</HI> which often befell the Primitive Chri&s;tians, and Orthodox <HI>Profe&s;&s;ors</HI> of <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> crucified: conclu|ding that they mo&s;t de&s;erved the true <HI>Cro&s;s,</HI> who &s;o much gloried in the <HI>Cro&s;s</HI> of their <HI>Saviour:</HI> no way con&s;idering that we have often times more cau&s;e to
<PB REF="4">ble&s;s God for our <HI>Cro&s;&s;es,</HI> then our <HI>Com|&s;orts:</HI> &s;eeing, as there is a <HI>Cro&s;s</HI> in the <HI>be&s;t things</HI> to the <HI>wicked:</HI> &s;o there is a <HI>A ble&s;&s;ing</HI> hidden in the <HI>wor&s;t things</HI> to the <HI>godly.</HI></P>
<P>Bue we find it no new <HI>thing,</HI> to con|demn the <HI>Generation of Gods people:</HI> the <HI>Tenents</HI> of <HI>Religion,</HI> which is <HI>my&s;ti|cal and &s;piritual,</HI> being <HI>Paradoxes</HI> to to <HI>carnal men.</HI> If the <HI>Rabble</HI> may have their <HI>Vote,</HI> St. <HI>Paul,</HI> who would not have wanted his <HI>whippings</HI> to have mi&s;sed his <HI>Comforts,</HI> &s;hall be accounted <HI>mad, &amp; not fit to live,</HI> Act. <HI>22.22. John Bapti&s;t</HI> &s;hall be accu&s;ed <HI>to have a Devil: The Apo&s;tles to be full of new wine:</HI> Nay, <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> him&s;elf &s;hall be thought, <HI>to be be&s;ides him&s;elf,</HI> and worthy to be <HI>cru|cified.</HI></P>
<P>And &s;urely, if every one &s;hall adven|ture,
<PB REF="4">to read and interpret his <HI>own mean|ing,</HI> according to his <HI>Fanatick,</HI> if not prejudicate and malicious <HI>Conjectures,</HI> and the various <HI>Di&s;pen&s;ations</HI> of Gods <HI>Providence:</HI> extorting the utmo&s;t of our <HI>Belief,</HI> only to their own &s;en&s;e, and to flatter their own <HI>Party, Opinion, Pa&s;&s;ion</HI> and <HI>Intere&s;t,</HI> how many &s;hould we have &s;a|crificed to the <HI>Fury</HI> of <HI>vulgar Zeal,</HI> there being none more hot, and <HI>cen&s;orious,</HI> than Per&s;ons <HI>profligatae vitae, ac famae,</HI> of egregious <HI>Ignorance,</HI> and profligate Im|pudence, and void of <HI>Con&s;cience,</HI> as well as <HI>Mode&s;ty:</HI> who think it no <HI>&s;in,</HI> to take away our <HI>Crutches,</HI> and beat us for going <HI>lame:</HI> to make us <HI>Sufferers,</HI> and then load us with <HI>Reproach;</HI> being fir&s;t <HI>injurious,</HI> and then <HI>cen&s;orious.</HI></P>
<P>Be&s;ides, <HI>Pro&s;perity</HI> and <HI>Succe&s;s</HI> are the great <HI>Idols</HI> of the <HI>Time:</HI> and many &s;eem (with ea&s;e) to trample upon tho&s;e
<PB REF="5"><HI>gods,</HI> who&s;e <HI>hands,</HI> they have cut off: not wi&s;ely con&s;idering the <HI>Paradoxes</HI> of Gods <HI>Providence,</HI> and the depth of his <HI>divine Judgements:</HI> whereby through the <HI>malice</HI> of <HI>men,</HI> and the <HI>fury</HI> of <HI>Sa|tan,</HI> for the <HI>Tryals</HI> of our <HI>Graces,</HI> and the exerci&s;e of our <HI>Patience,</HI> he often laies on great <HI>Afflictions,</HI> as well on his whole <HI>Church,</HI> as particular <HI>per&s;ons.</HI></P>
<P>And may we &s;till learn in all worldly <HI>mutations,</HI> as well to <HI>ki&s;s,</HI> as <HI>acknow|ledge</HI> that <HI>divine hand</HI> [thus guided by the mo&s;t wi&s;e <HI>Coun&s;el</HI> and <HI>Providence</HI> of a mercifull God, for our <HI>Good</HI>] and to make a wi&s;e <HI>Improvement</HI> of all our <HI>Cro&s;&s;es,</HI> whereby to have Recour&s;e to <HI>Virtue,</HI> to <HI>God,</HI> and our <HI>&s;elves:</HI> who becau&s;e he would not have us peri&s;h here, &s;ends us <HI>Afflictions</HI> in the world, and by the world as <HI>exemplary</HI> Improve|ments
<PB REF="5">in all our <HI>Sufferings:</HI> which, without the <HI>Furnaces</HI> of <HI>Gods Afflictions,</HI> the <HI>worlds Per&s;e|cution,</HI> and the <HI>Devils Temptations</HI> would grow dull and ru&s;ty.</P>
<CLOSER><SALUTE>Farewell.</SALUTE></CLOSER>
</DIV1>
</FRONT>
<BODY>
<DIV1 TYPE="text">
<PB REF="6">
<PB N="1" REF="6">
<P>_OUR fir&s;t Encounters with <HI>Life,</HI> are <HI>Tears</HI> and Bonds; and the next Le&s;&s;on we are afterwards to learn, is to take up our <HI>Cro&s;s,</HI> and fol|low him, who&s;e whole life, was a Life of &s;uffering from the <HI>Cradle</HI> to the <HI>Grave,</HI> and from his <HI>Birth</HI> to his <HI>Burial.</HI></P>
<P><HI>De&s;arts</HI> and <HI>Mountains</HI> were the Schools of the <HI>Prophets,</HI> and wild honey the diet of <HI>Him,</HI> who (by the Te&s;timony of the Son of God) was the greate&s;t of tho&s;e that were born of women. They loved their <HI>Sack-cloth,</HI> more then their <HI>Silks,</HI> and the <HI>watching</HI> of their <HI>Body,</HI> was the <HI>Sleep</HI> of their Soul. Neither was there any &s;top between them and heaven in the pouring out of their mournfull &s;peeches, and wre&s;tling Prayes; and though no day aro&s;e without its <HI>Cloud,</HI> yet did they no way value the blowes and frownes of a &s;tormy world, having once attain'd the true <HI>Olympus,</HI> who&s;e <HI>Ayr</HI> was &s;o calm and clear.</P>
<P>It was well &s;aid of a School-<HI>Divine, That the Tears of the righteous, were the &s;miles of their &s;oul.</HI> When the <HI>Marble</HI> weeps, it wa&s;heth away the <HI>Du&s;t.</HI> In our chiefe&s;t &s;orrow (which &s;hould be for &s;in) is healing; penitential <HI>Tears</HI> being the <HI>oyl</HI> of the Sanctuary: why then &s;hould we make it our &s;tudy to &s;hun that &s;orrow, which will &s;ave us from
<PB N="2" REF="7">de&s;troying? As <HI>Pliny</HI> calls <HI>Sickne&s;s,</HI> the <HI>Sum of Philo&s;ophy</HI> [if we could but perform that in our health, which we then promi&s;e] So <HI>Afflictions</HI> are the be&s;t <HI>Remedy,</HI> to make us know our <HI>&s;elves,</HI> when we are in the full <HI>Career</HI> of worldly Pompe.</P>
<P><HI>Stars</HI> never &s;hine more glorious, then when they are near <HI>Dark Clouds:</HI> Without <HI>Afflictions</HI> and Tryals, God will not be <HI>familiar</HI> with us. Tho&s;e Trees which are not pruned, will fir&s;t leave to bear, and then <HI>die.</HI> Yea, Nature it &s;elf, would decay and peri&s;h, if not dre&s;&s;ed, and purified by the &s;ame hand that fir&s;t made her. He that is not favoured with <HI>Cro&s;&s;es</HI> and Vi&s;itations, is (by St. <HI>Paul</HI>) ac|counted no Heir of the heavenly <HI>Jeru&s;alem.</HI> With|out <HI>Di&s;ea&s;es,</HI> we know not the benefit of a <HI>Phy&s;i|cian;</HI> and God often u&s;eth to vi&s;it us with his cor|rections, that he him&s;elf may become a <HI>Cordial. Before I was afflicted I went a &s;tray</HI> (&s;aith that Prince|ly Prophet) And &s;ure there is none of Gods <HI>Rods</HI> that we can well want. The waters of <HI>Bethe&s;da</HI> healed not untill the <HI>Angel</HI> had &s;tirred them; and though worldly <HI>Tears</HI> be the waters of <HI>Marah,</HI> yet there is a Tree to &s;weeten them.</P>
<P>Thus are we chatechiz'd for <HI>Eternity;</HI> 'tis that which all the Fathers &s;o often inculcate; 'tis that which all the Saints have found the benefit of. Gods hou&s;e of <HI>Correction</HI> was their School of <HI>In&s;truction.</HI> The ju&s;te&s;t man [then alive] was fought again&s;t <HI>by his Terrors, Job</HI> 6.4. <HI>He that walked before him in truth, and with a perfect heart, had his bones broken by the anger of the Almighty,</HI> I&s;a, 38.13. Yea, the man after Gods own heart, was &s;o wa&s;ted with
<PB N="3" REF="7">grief, as that, <HI>His moi&s;ture was turned into the drought of &s;ummer,</HI> P&s;al. 32.3, 4. Nay, his own &s;on [though without &s;in] mu&s;t bleed upon the <HI>Cro&s;s,</HI> and tho&s;e whom he hath cho&s;en for him&s;elf, be tryed in the Furnace of <HI>Affliction, I&s;a.</HI> 48.10.</P>
<P>The <HI>Dung-hill</HI> of this world, will annoy thee, while thou dwelle&s;t in this <HI>hou&s;e of clay.</HI> The ju&s;t have not only an <HI>Egypt</HI> of <HI>&s;in</HI> to encounter with, but <HI>I&s;rael</HI> even in <HI>Canaan</HI> is not in re&s;t. Nay, our Saviour him&s;elf, fir&s;t ta&s;ted the bitter <HI>Gall</HI> of the unmercifull <HI>Cro&s;s,</HI> before he eat of the <HI>Hony-comb.</HI> It is thus that our <HI>Sorrows</HI> mu&s;t be turned into <HI>Sweets.</HI> The corn is not &s;eparated but by thre&s;hing, nor men drawn nearer to heaven by worldly impe|diments &s;o much as by tribulation.</P>
<Q>Acriora Orexim excitant embammata.</Q>
<P><HI>Sharp Sauces beget good Appetites;</HI> and the <HI>Thorns</HI> (at la&s;t prove <HI>Ro&s;es,</HI> in the &s;ame place, where <HI>inno|cence</HI> hath &s;ighed &s;o much.</P>
<P>But oh! how ba&s;ely do we &s;tartle at every trou|ble? How do we endeavour to dry up tho&s;e Tears, before they have &s;ufficiently clean&s;ed our filthine&s;s? whereas <HI>Afflictions</HI> &s;hould not be re&s;i&s;ted, but with great <HI>Pre-caution.</HI> What part &s;oever God hath ap|pointed us, we mu&s;t be contented to act it faithfully. If it be long, it is u&s;ually light; if grievous, it can|not la&s;t, <HI>Dies dolorem minuit, time will wear it out;</HI> we can never loo&s;e our &s;elves in the pure and inno|cent <HI>Tracts</HI> of vertue. <HI>Grave nihil e&s;t homini, quod fert nece&s;&s;itas,</HI> that which is nece&s;&s;ary cannot be any way burthen&s;om.</P>
<P>Be&s;ides, It is Gods <HI>Prerogative,</HI> and not <HI>thine,</HI>
<PB N="4" REF="8">to chu&s;e thy condition; whither to be &s;ick or heal|thy; a mourner, or afflicted. Is it his plea&s;ure to to make thee the Drunkards <HI>Song,</HI> or a Reproach to <HI>Abjects;</HI> envy not tho&s;e <HI>Shimeis,</HI> which thus rail on thee, con&s;idering who&s;e doing it is; bite not the &s;tone, but look unto him that throwes it; keep clo&s;e to thy <HI>Station,</HI> and thou &s;halt find no &s;mall comfort at la&s;t; patience will dige&s;t thy mi&s;ery. Sure all is not lo&s;t; after a little forbearance, we &s;hall come out from the&s;e vapours of <HI>Calumnie,</HI> as the <HI>Sun</HI> out of a <HI>Cloud</HI> at noon-day.</P>
<P>The <HI>Afflictions</HI> of man (I confe&s;s) are more moving then of any other creature, for he only is a &s;tranger here. All things el&s;e are at home: but <HI>Ardua florifera Crux, The painfull Cro&s;s &s;hall at la&s;t be crowned with Palms and Flowers.</HI> A joyfull <HI>heart</HI> will (at la&s;t) prove the fruit of his <HI>innocence,</HI> though grief and &s;orrow be the <HI>Bud and Prim-ro&s;e</HI> thereof; our <HI>Man&s;ion</HI> is in heaven, where our <HI>Savi|our</HI> is gone to prepare a place for us.</P>
<P>The <HI>Martyrs</HI> were wont to mitigate their pain, with the thought of <HI>home,</HI> and immortality; eve|ry puni&s;hment (as <HI>Tiburtius</HI> faith) being poor, where a good con&s;cience keeps us company. When we &s;hall be freed from this dark <HI>Lant-horn</HI> of fle&s;h and frailty, and when we &s;hall be rai&s;ed from death, we &s;hall not grieve &s;o much, becau&s;e the <HI>joyes</HI> of this life were not real, as we &s;hall rejoyce, becau&s;e they were none at all.</P>
<P>That lump of mi&s;ery (holy <HI>Job</HI>) who&s;e &s;pirit was nothing but patience, as his body was nought but <HI>Sores,</HI> retained alwayes his <HI>Affections</HI> in an equal
<PB N="5" REF="8">Re&s;ignation, <HI>Came I naked into of the world? &s;o &s;hall I go out,</HI> Job 1.21. There is as much valour to be &s;hewed in a Bed as in an Army: But alas! though we cannot avoid <HI>Evils,</HI> how are we afraid to bear them!</P>
<P>Indeed, we interpret out <HI>Afflictions</HI> ami&s;s, and therefore are ca&s;t down; we take every whipping to be an effect of <HI>Anger,</HI> when it is a &s;ign of <HI>Love.</HI> God makes us &s;ick in our body, to cure &s;ome di&s;ea&s;e in our <HI>Soul.</HI> Can we attain to <HI>Tabor,</HI> before we pa&s;s by <HI>Calvary?</HI> Shall we not fir&s;t ta&s;t <HI>Gall</HI> with our Saviour, before we receive the &s;weet benefits of his ble&s;&s;ed <HI>Re&s;urrection?</HI> Ah! is there any &s;uch precious thing to be gotten in the world, that we &s;hould for&s;ake Je&s;us in the wilderne&s;s of Temptati|on, and plea&s;e our &s;elves in the vain and tran&s;ito|ry hopes of our own unbridled <HI>Fancies?</HI> How do we know whither in de&s;iring to be delivered from <HI>Affliction,</HI> we do not ask of God to take away a gift, which is nece&s;&s;ary to our &s;alvation? &s;eeing that <HI>Malady,</HI> or Affliction, which makes us di|&s;tate worldly plea&s;ures, gives us a di&s;po&s;ition to ta&s;t the joyes of Heaven.</P>
<P>The brave and happy men of this world enjoy their <HI>wi&s;hes,</HI> but their <HI>Ship</HI> doth peri&s;h in the har|bour, as it is &s;porting; whereas God [by his infi|nite Providence] gives Tempe&s;ts to his <HI>Elect,</HI> that he may work a miraculous <HI>Calm,</HI> by his Almighty Power. And though the waters &s;eem to re&s;erve their choler, to vent it only upon the Ship which carries ju&s;t per&s;ons, yet is it alwayes accompanied with that happy and comfortable voice, <HI>It is I, be not afraid.</HI></P>
<P><PB N="6" REF="9">
God takes off his own people from the ilne&s;s of their wayes, <HI>By hedging them up with Thorns,</HI> Ho&s;. 2.6. But it is to bring them into a <HI>Bed of Ro&s;es,</HI> and by the wormwood of this world to &s;hew the &s;weetne&s;s of him&s;elf. He is plea&s;ed to draw the <HI>In&s;truments</HI> of his <HI>Power</HI> out of the <HI>Objects</HI> of our <HI>Infirmities:</HI> where he comes, the <HI>Tempe&s;t</HI> cea&s;eth; and they know Je&s;us very ill, who (with his Di|&s;ciples) in the <HI>Storms</HI> of Affliction, take him for an <HI>Illu&s;ion,</HI> and cry out for fear of his pre&s;ence, which &s;hould make them mo&s;t rejoyce.</P>
<P><HI>Affliction</HI> opens the eyes of man, and makes him come to <HI>him&s;elf,</HI> that he may the better return to God; and it is a great offence to break that gla&s;s, which repre&s;enteth us to our &s;elves, by a friendly correction. Why &s;hould I be afraid to &s;hew my <HI>heart</HI> &s;tark naked to him, who&s;e <HI>Arrowes</HI> no &s;oon|er <HI>pierce,</HI> but heal; who tells us, <HI>Afflictions</HI> and <HI>Scourges</HI> in this life, are like to be our portion. And &s;hall we think to &s;peed better then our Ma|&s;ter? who at la&s;t intends us a Crown, will turn our water into wine; and (according to <HI>Samp&s;ons,</HI> Ridle) <HI>Out of the Eater &s;hall come meat, and out of the &s;trong &s;weetne&s;s. David</HI> had forty years <HI>Reign</HI> for &s;even years <HI>Bani&s;hment:</HI> and <HI>Jo&s;eph</HI> (though thirteen years under a Cloud, through fal&s;e im|pri&s;onment) reigned four&s;core years a King in <HI>Aegypt.</HI> And &s;urely Gods ends are no other, then to wean us from the world, to draw us nearer to him&s;elf; to humble and to prove us, that he may do us good at the later end, <HI>Deut.</HI> 8.16.</P>
<P><PB N="7" REF="9">
Oh Happy Afflictions to keep the heart plia|ble, and tender towards our God! yea thrice happy is he who can &s;ay (with the Prophet) <HI>Re|membring mine Affliction, and my mi&s;ery; the wormwood and the Gall; my &s;oul hath them &s;till in Remembrance, and is humbled in me.</HI> Lam. 3.19, 20. And hence is it that the Apo&s;tle al&s;o bids us, <HI>Call to remembrance the former dayes in which after we were illuminated, we endured a great fight of afflicti|ons: partly while&s;t we were made a gazing &s;tock both by reproaches and afflictions,</HI> Hebrews 10.32, 33.</P>
<P>God is thus plea&s;ed to mind us of the frailty of our condition, &s;ince when we are in <HI>Pro&s;perity,</HI> we are ready to kick the heel, and forget him. Where did <HI>Adam</HI> take his Fall, but in <HI>Paradice</HI> [the mid&s;t of the Trees of plea&s;ure?] Where is the poor <HI>Bee</HI> more &s;ubject to be drowned, then in a Pot of <HI>honey?</HI> Neither are we ever nearer a <HI>Surfeit,</HI> then in the mid&s;t of <HI>Delicacies.</HI></P>
<P>We find <HI>Flowers</HI> to be ever &s;weete&s;t after a Shower, yea to drop the &s;weete&s;t water, when fire is under them. The Gold lo&s;eth its dro&s;s by refining, and the Corn its Chaffe by the Flail. Who then would not be willing to be under Gods <HI>pruning knife,</HI> that he may bring forth more fruit? <HI>John</HI> 15.2. Who would not be content to &s;it (with <HI>Job</HI>) on the <HI>Dung-hill,</HI> bereav'd of all his goods and comforts, when they &s;hall be redoubled; yea not only to receive <HI>manifold more in this life, but everlasting life hereafter?</HI> Luk. 18.30. Surely none (me thinks) &s;hould repine to drink of
<PB N="8" REF="10">Chri&s;ts Cup here, &s;ince at la&s;t it will be &s;weetned with &s;uch good Ingredients.</P>
<P>It was the &s;aying of one, that all the plea&s;ures injoyed by all men of the world, were not worth one hours in Heaven; the thought whereof made that great Marque&s;s <HI>Galeaceus Caracciolus</HI> (though rich, and of much e&s;teem in the world) &s;o &s;trongly to with-&s;tand tho&s;e, who tempted him to return to his own Countrey. Alas! (&s;aid he) let their riches peri&s;h with them, who e&s;teem all the gold in the world, worth one dayes &s;ociety with <HI>Je&s;us Chri&s;t,</HI> and his holy Spirit!</P>
<P>An&s;werable whereunto is that &s;weet and hea|venly language of the Apo&s;tle; <HI>I account not</HI> (&s;aith he) <HI>the Afflictions of this life, worthy to be compa|red with the glory which &s;hall be revealed in us,</HI> Rom. 8.18. Yea, <HI>He e&s;teemed all things but lo&s;s, for the excellency of Chri&s;t, for whom he had &s;uffered the lo&s;s of all things, accounting them but dung, that he might win Chri&s;t,</HI> Phil. 3.8. He well knew, that comfort was not the &s;tanding di&s;h of a <HI>Chri&s;tian</HI> in this life; nor <HI>Cordials</HI> to be fit, but for tho&s;e that are <HI>fainting.</HI></P>
<P>Raw fle&s;h (&s;aith a Reverend <HI>Bi&s;hop</HI>) is noi&s;ome to the &s;tomack, and yields no good nouri&s;hment be|fore it be &s;odden; &s;o are we to God, before we are &s;oked and boiled in <HI>Afflictions.</HI> Chri&s;t died, and bled, and wept for our &s;ouls, and &s;hall not we &s;uf|fer a little with him, &s;ince it is e&s;pecially for our own advantage at la&s;t? Which of the Saints of the world, was without <HI>Cro&s;ses</HI> and Tribulations, and &s;hall we think to e&s;cape that which no man could ever avoid?</P>
<P><PB N="9" REF="10">
The <HI>Di&s;ciple</HI> it &s;eems made too much ha&s;t back from the Sepulcher to find <HI>Chri&s;t,</HI> Joh. 20.10, 11. but <HI>Mary</HI> &s;tanding there <HI>weeping,</HI> &s;aw her <HI>Saviour.</HI> And certainly, he that &s;igheth not here with him, as a <HI>Pilgrim,</HI> &s;hall never rejoyce with him here|after as a <HI>Citizen.</HI> Was it not he (our Captain) who &s;hew'd us the way? He that could make <HI>Ora|tors</HI> out of tho&s;e that were <HI>&s;peechle&s;s,</HI> had nor one word to &s;ay again&s;t the <HI>Revilers.</HI> He which could command <HI>Frogs</HI> and <HI>Flies</HI> to overthrow mighty Ar|mies, would not have one <HI>Di&s;ciple</HI> to draw his Sword. He that was without &s;pot by his unparal|lel'd Sufferings, took away our <HI>&s;tains,</HI> and through his innocency anvanc'd the Standard of the Cro&s;s. He that was the Fountain of Glory, de&s;cended to the lowe&s;t aba&s;ements. He that had <HI>life</HI> at com|mand, was ravi&s;hed by the <HI>Object</HI> of his <HI>death,</HI> and tran&s;ported by the <HI>Idea</HI> of his Sufferings.</P>
<P>Shall we not then love that <HI>Cro&s;s,</HI> which he hath cheri&s;hed as his <HI>Spou&s;e?</HI> Surely, we &s;hall never be worthy of him, untill we bear, as well the <HI>En&s;igns,</HI> of his War, as the <HI>Ornaments</HI> of his peace.</P>
<P>Let our care be, that we &s;uffer not for <HI>evil doing</HI> which is the way not to carry the Cro&s;s of our Lord, but of the bad <HI>Thief.</HI> Neither-be thou troubled for &s;uffering for thy <HI>Innocency,</HI> which is greater honor, then to &s;uffer for a direct Offence. Chri&s;t was not the le&s;s the King of Heaven, for &s;uffering him&s;elf to be crowned with <HI>Thorns</HI> in this world; nor his Servants the wor&s;e, for the Reproaches of his ene|mies, which he long &s;ince told them they mu&s;t ex|pect.</P>
<P><PB N="10" REF="11">
The <HI>Viper</HI> would &s;ooner light upon St. <HI>Paul,</HI> then the <HI>Barbarian;</HI> Neither do Pirates u&s;e to &s;et upon empty Ships, but pur&s;ue tho&s;e which are richly loa|den. Satan is quiet with tho&s;e that he hath got in|to his po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ion; his Temptations are a &s;ign that God loves, where he hates; and though he &s;hould winnow thee with the <HI>Fan,</HI> and brui&s;e thee with the <HI>Flail,</HI> yet thy faith &s;hall not fail: but at la&s;t be &s;ure the Salt-&s;ea of thy <HI>Tears</HI> &s;hall become a flou|ri&s;hing <HI>Field,</HI> as it did to Gods people of old. The <HI>Cloud</HI> which appeared to <HI>Ezekiel,</HI> carried with it &s;torms, and winds, but it was withall incompa&s;&s;ed with a <HI>golden Circle;</HI> to teach us, that Storms of <HI>Afflictions,</HI> are at la&s;t accompanied with bright|ne&s;s and felicity; and the greate&s;t lo&s;&s;es with the be&s;t advantages.</P>
<P>Our Saviour cho&s;e the places of delight for &s;uffer|ing of pains, and never looked upon tho&s;e dainty <HI>Sweets,</HI> but to draw out of them mo&s;t bitter <HI>Sor|rows. Gardens</HI> indeed were made for Recreations, but our Saviour there finds only De&s;olation; The Plants whereof did groan, the Ro&s;es &s;eemed flowers of death, and the Springs belonging to them, fountains of <HI>Tears,</HI> &s;weat, and blood. Heaven wore mourning on the Cro&s;s, all the Citizens of heaven wept over his Torments; The Earth qua|ked, the &s;tones rent them&s;elves, Sepulchers open|ed, the dead ari&s;e; only <HI>Je&s;usdies</HI> immovable upon his Thron of patience.</P>
<P>Who then alas! can chu&s;e, but be a&s;toni&s;hed at the tranquillity of his Spirit, that among&s;t tho&s;e great <HI>convul&s;ions</HI> of the world, which accompanied
<PB N="11" REF="11">him all his life, and moved all about the Cro&s;s at his death: among&s;t &s;uch bloody dolours, in&s;olent cries, and un&s;ufferable Bla&s;phemies [bleeding, weeping, and praying] he &s;hould &s;hew &s;uch a &s;ereni|ty of Spirit in the very gulf of <HI>Afflictions,</HI> to which all the &s;ufferings in the world, are but &s;o many Flea|bitings.</P>
<P>This (indeed) was that bloody Sacrifice, which hath been expected from all Ages. And what <HI>&s;oul</HI> is not ravi&s;hed with admiration, and carried be|yond it &s;elf, to behold tho&s;e &s;pectacles of horrour, that bottom of endle&s;s goodne&s;s and mercy! Its a great way of Remedy, <HI>Similes aliorum re&s;pice ca&s;us, mitius i&s;ta feres;</HI> to compare our condition with tho&s;e, who&s;e &s;ufferings we find to be greater.</P>
<P>And can we think on a deeper <HI>Pattern</HI> of griefes and &s;orrow? what though we receive no comfort from the Creature, is it not enough that we have it from the Creator? The infu&s;ion of the lea&s;t piece of his Cro&s;s [I mean a true intere&s;t in his merits and <HI>Pa&s;&s;ion</HI>] being able to make the bittere&s;t afflictions of this world to become &s;weet and plea|&s;ant. And can we think on that depth of grie&s; and &s;orrow his &s;oul was in, when he cryed out, <HI>My God! my God! why ha&s;t thou for&s;aken me?</HI> praying three times, when his &s;oul was heavey unto the death, <HI>that the cup might pa&s;s from him;</HI> and &s;hall not we &s;uffer a little for his &s;ake?</P>
<P>Mingle then thy <HI>Sighs</HI> with the &s;ufferings of thy Saviour; and O what &s;weetne&s;s &s;halt thou find in <HI>Afflictions!</HI> Lay all thy &s;ortows on him, who was not only the greate&s;t of <HI>Sufferers,</HI> but is the be&s;t of
<PB N="12" REF="12"><HI>Phy&s;icians.</HI> Ca&s;t thy &s;elf at the feet of his mercy, who commanded us to deny our &s;elves, &s;hewing us the way of taking up our Cro&s;s, and our <HI>Thorns</HI> &s;hall then become <HI>Ro&s;es,</HI> in the &s;ame place where thou ha&s;t <HI>&s;ighed</HI> &s;o much: and out of their &s;harpne&s;s &s;hall we compo&s;e a Crown of <HI>Glory.</HI> Make thy ca|lamities familiar with thee, whereby they will be|come the le&s;s trouble&s;om; avoid the effect, or di&s;anull the cau&s;e, with a mature Judgement, and arm thy &s;elf again&s;t all &s;uch violent incur&s;ions, as may invade thy mind.</P>
<P>Thy Saviour wrought out thy &s;alvation in an E|&s;tate of <HI>Ba&s;ene&s;s,</HI> and oughte&s;t not thou [in thy way to glory] to be conformable to thy head, and pa&s;s through an E&s;tate of mi&s;ety? we are cho&s;en to a portion of <HI>Afflictions,</HI> as well as to Grace and Glory; <HI>Who&s;oever will live godly in Ie&s;us, mu&s;t &s;uffer per&s;ecution;</HI> and therefore to frame a Religi|on that hath no trouble with it, is to frame an <HI>Idol.</HI></P>
<P>Happy &s;ure are they then, who improve all ad|vantages to advance their chiefe&s;t good; who la|bour to grow better by Cro&s;&s;es, as well as ble&s;&s;ings, &amp; learn to make a &s;anctified u&s;e of every thing: which I confe&s;s it is no ea&s;ie thing to fle&s;h and blood, &s;eeing <HI>Religion</HI> is a <HI>My&s;tical</HI> and &s;piritual thing, and the <HI>Tenents</HI> thereof &s;eem <HI>Paradoxes</HI> to carnal men; as that a <HI>Christian</HI> is the only free man, while&s;t other men are &s;laves; that he is the only rich man, though never &s;o poor in the world; that he is the only <HI>Beautifull</HI> man, though (outwardly) never &s;o de|formed; that he is of great <HI>e&s;teem,</HI> though never &s;o much reviled, reproacht and defam'd; and that
<PB N="13" REF="12">he only is the <HI>happie&s;t</HI> man, who can rejoyce in the mid&s;t of his mi&s;eries.</P>
<P>And as <HI>Children</HI> deal with nuts, &s;o &s;hould wi&s;e men with <HI>Afflictions,</HI> to break the &s;hell, and eat the Kernel. The <HI>Rod</HI> indeed hath a voice, and we ought to hear it; but where God &s;trikes with his <HI>Rod,</HI> he &s;upports with his <HI>Staffe.</HI> The Diamond (if intervening the Load-&s;tone) hinders its action; &s;o the &s;weetne&s;s of <HI>Affliction</HI> (if &s;anctified by the Au|thor thereof) &s;hall work for good (as &s;hall all things el&s;e) to tho&s;e that fear him. The <HI>Barren</HI> woman wi&s;heth for the hour of <HI>Child-bearing,</HI> which though painfull, is but &s;hort, and afterwards joyfull.</P>
<P>And is it not very convenient that in this world the <HI>puni&s;hment</HI> &s;hould be greater then the <HI>Reward,</HI> to let us know, that in the other, the Reward &s;hall be greater then our <HI>Sufferings.</HI> Never had we been happy, if we had not been mi&s;erable; <HI>Perii&s;ses, ni&s;i perii&s;&s;es; had we not been thus &s;ick, we had died.</HI> Infelicity brings us this happine&s;s, to make the re&s;t of our life the <HI>Sweeter,</HI> and our expectation here|after the greater.</P>
<P>Temptation and mi&s;ery is that which only tries a <HI>Chri&s;tian</HI> (as Sea-men are) in the Tempe&s;ts of this world. <HI>Vulnus non penetrat animam, A wound hurts not the &s;oul.</HI> Neither is <HI>Affliction</HI> other then the Cro&s;s, and Hammer to beat <HI>Repentance</HI> the nearer to our heart; it being Gods end [who is the Author of our di&s;tre&s;s, and who&s;e Almighty power (guided by a mo&s;t wi&s;e <HI>Providence,</HI> tempered with a fa|therly love, intends nothing at la&s;t, but what may work for his glory, and our good] thus to deal
<PB N="14" REF="13">with us, le&s;t we &s;hould take the place of our <HI>bani&s;h|ment</HI> here for our Countrey, and the <HI>Earnest</HI> of our Inheritance for a full <HI>payment.</HI></P>
<P>The world (indeed) brings us plea&s;ures in <HI>golden Cups,</HI> and like the <HI>Strumpet (the wi&s;e man mentions) who&s;e lips drop honey, and who&s;e words are &s;weeter then oyl, but her feet go down unto death, and many &s;trong men have been &s;lain by her,</HI> Pro. 5.3, 5. Our great Adver&s;ary fir&s;t brings us on the <HI>Pinacle</HI> (with our Saviour) promi&s;ing us, all that we can &s;ee, but all this while takes advantage again&s;t us. But Gods dealing is otherwi&s;e, he fir&s;t gives us <HI>Corro&s;ives,</HI> be|fore he admini&s;ter his <HI>Cordials;</HI> he fir&s;t humbles be|fore he exalts us: untill at la&s;t, he gives us occa&s;ion to &s;ay with that princely Prophet, <HI>Thou ha&s;t turned for me my mourning into dancing; thou hast put off my Sack-cloth, and girded me with gladne&s;&s;e,</HI> P&s;alm 30.11.</P>
<P>Let Patience then &s;o far perfect it &s;elf, as to make us willing to look as well upon our Sufferings as de|lights.</P>
<P>U&s;e renders all things ea&s;ie; and that which in the beginning &s;eems full of trouble and affright|ment, becomes a plea&s;ure in the end. <HI>Poy&s;on</HI> kills, and yet how have &s;ome been nouri&s;hed thereby? Holy <HI>Job</HI> having encountred with an Army of furi|ous <HI>Evils,</HI> and langui&s;hing upon a <HI>Dung-hill</HI> (the very &s;ink of corruption and uncleanne&s;s) under grievous Ulcers and Di&s;ea&s;es; and after the lo&s;s of all his Children and &s;ub&s;tance, was not at all affright|ted, but played with the <HI>worms,</HI> and made that which his uncharitable friends e&s;teemed for ven|geance
<PB N="15" REF="13">and mi&s;ery, to be his meditation and mirth. While he retained his Integrity, he could not mi&s;s of joy: and though <HI>Corruption</HI> was his <HI>Father,</HI> the <HI>worms</HI> his <HI>mother,</HI> and &s;oars had throughout encom|pa&s;&s;ed him, yet through this loath&s;om <HI>Veil</HI>-&s;hin'd the beautifull and healing hand of a <HI>mercifull God.</HI></P>
<P>Weak then was that &s;aying of <HI>Democritus, It is good to learn what to &s;uffer, but not to &s;uffer them. Evils</HI> indeed fore-&s;een lo&s;e much of their Edge. But of a more Heroick Temper &s;eemed that Speech of <HI>Bion, It is a great evil not to be able to bear Evils;</HI> a good man by his Conflicts being made a Spectacle to the world, to men, and to <HI>Angels,</HI> and by an en|during patience and over-comming &s;ufferance, not only receives the glorious <HI>Olive Branch,</HI> but wearies the hands of tho&s;e that beat him.</P>
<P>One of the <HI>Philo&s;ophers</HI> being highly provoked to impatience; <HI>Ah!</HI> (&s;aid he) <HI>vex me as much as thou can&s;t, thou &s;halt never make me to give thee an ill word.</HI> How whole&s;ome then is that pati|ence and innocent forbearance which prevents <HI>&s;in</HI> and &s;orrow [the con&s;equent of it] whereas it would prove but an ill cour&s;e, <HI>Clavum expellere clavo,</HI> to right one injury by offering another? Revenge ne|ver conquers malice, which you mu&s;t overcome with goodne&s;s.</P>
<P>The <HI>Heathen</HI> could &s;ay, that the Gods were well plea&s;ed to &s;ee good <HI>men</HI> contending with <HI>Adver&s;ity.</HI> Art thou then contemned, rejected, de&s;pi&s;ed of the world? art thou for&s;aken of thy friends, &amp; do thy kin|dred &s;tand gazing on thee afar off? yet comfort thy
<PB N="16" REF="14">&s;elf, go on merrily: as it was &s;aid of <HI>Agar</HI> in the wilderne&s;s, God &s;ees thee, he takes notice of thee; and as he can relieve, &s;o he will (in time) vindicate thee. If thou can&s;t but find faith to believe it, he will find means to effect it.</P>
<P>A <HI>Tyrant</HI> (as the Ancients held) was the be&s;t <HI>Sacrifice</HI> to <HI>Jupiter;</HI> and his be&s;t <HI>Object</HI> was a con|tented <HI>mind.</HI> Our Sufferings are but toies, (&s;aith <HI>Seneca</HI>) <HI>Behold</HI> (&s;aith he) <HI>a Spectacle worthy of God, a man patient, and contented with his E|&s;tate.</HI></P>
<P>The poor <HI>Sheep</HI> is patient as well when the <HI>Fleece</HI> is &s;horn, as when it groweth upon her back; and &s;hall not we be patient, when we meet with <HI>Cro&s;&s;es,</HI> as well as when we receive <HI>Ble&s;&s;ings?</HI> Shall we not lay our mouth in the du&s;t, and be &s;ilent, when we meet with <HI>evil</HI> from that hand, which makes us to abound with all good, when we injoy all, and when we are &s;tript of all. If thou can&s;t not now indure &s;o little, how wilt thou be able to &s;uffer <HI>Eternal</HI> Flames hereafter? If a little &s;uffering make thee impatient, what will hell fire do in ano|ther world?</P>
<P>A&s;&s;ure thy &s;elf, thou &s;halt not have two <HI>Paradi&s;es.</HI> It is impo&s;&s;ible to enjoy the delights and plea&s;ures of the world, and to <HI>Reign</HI> with thy Saviour in hea|ven. Now are thy pains profitable, thy tears ac|ceptable, and thy &s;ighs and groans audible; yea a thou&s;and years of the &s;harpe&s;t pennance here, far le&s;s then one hours grief hereafter.</P>
<P>If then the <HI>divine Providence</HI> think it fit, <HI>to write bitter things again&s;t thee;</HI> if he plea&s;e to keep thee
<PB N="17" REF="14">from putrefaction, by &s;teeping thee in brini&s;h <HI>Tears</HI> of the <HI>Sea</HI> of this world, be not di&s;mayed; for how &s;hould God wipe away thy Tears in <HI>Heaven,</HI> if on earth thou &s;hed them not? or how &s;hould heaven be the place of our Re&s;t, if that on earth we were not troubled?</P>
<P>He to whom in all our pre&s;&s;ures, dangers, and Af|flictions, we ought to have recour&s;e, and from who&s;e hand rewards are to be expected, can turn our <HI>chains</HI> of Iron into &s;ilver. When St. <HI>Paul</HI> wi&s;heth much hap|pine&s;s unto <HI>Felix,</HI> he re&s;erved his Bonds and Im|pri&s;onments to him&s;elf, <HI>Acts</HI> 26.28. Tho&s;e golden <HI>fetters</HI> he thought too worthy, or el&s;e a burthen too heavy for <HI>Felix</HI> to undergo.</P>
<P>What&s;oever falls upon us from the hand of the Almighty, is a <HI>Diamond. Content</HI> [which was Saint <HI>Pauls Elixir</HI>] turns the rude&s;t mettal into &s;mooth and ductible <HI>gold.</HI> Heaven doth not alwayes own and pro&s;per its own quarrel; but makes our enemies oftentimes to a&s;&s;ail us hardly; &s;eeking in our <HI>lo&s;&s;es</HI> the revenge of our <HI>&s;ins,</HI> or increa&s;e of our patience; &amp; many are the <HI>Ship-wracks</HI> where into the wind of fortunate <HI>Succe&s;s</HI> would other wayes carry us.</P>
<P>Neither (&s;ince pro&s;perous <HI>Victories</HI> (if ill manag|ed) bring forth more damage with them, then <HI>defeat|ments</HI> do) &s;hould we unavi&s;edly que&s;tion that <HI>Provi|dence,</HI> which watcheth over all our <HI>De&s;igns:</HI> there be|ing not more <HI>&s;tars</HI> in the firmament, then their are <HI>eyes</HI> over all our <HI>Actions.</HI> And if God &s;eem &s;ometimes to &s;leep in the mid&s;t of our mi&s;e|ries, it is to the end to &s;ave us with more wonder, &amp; make more evident Ta&s;timonies of his love, &s;nrely
<PB N="18" REF="15"><HI>Innocence</HI> is not alwayes a &s;helter; the vertuous of|ten die with <HI>thir&s;t,</HI> while&s;t others more unde&s;er|ving, &s;urfeit with earthly ble&s;&s;ings, and as well abu|&s;ing the benefits, as provoking the Ju&s;tice of their Creator.</P>
<P>A day will come, which will put our condition in|to a better fortune: God only for a time &s;hewing him&s;elf with the malice of the wicked, as we u&s;e to deal with <HI>Serpents,</HI> from whom we take their <HI>venome,</HI> and cru&s;h their heads. He can make the fle&s;h of <HI>Vipers</HI> to a&s;&s;i&s;t in <HI>Cordials;</HI> he can make our <HI>weak|ne&s;&s;es</HI> al&s;o to be &s;trength only for a time: he puts his marks upon us, le&s;t we &s;hould &s;traggle from him.</P>
<P>The <HI>heats</HI> of Affliction are but the chafing of the <HI>Wax,</HI> to &s;eal us to him. The&s;e <HI>Spots</HI> are but the <HI>Letters</HI> wherein he writes his own <HI>Name,</HI> and con|veyes him&s;elf unto us. If he plea&s;e to &s;end us <HI>Sickne&s;s,</HI> let us e&s;teem our &s;piritual health before that of the body. It was St. <HI>Johns</HI> wi&s;h, <HI>That</HI> Gaius <HI>might pro&s;per in health, even as his &s;oul pro&s;pers.</HI> For if the &s;oul be lean, the body is ami&s;s, and if the <HI>Soul</HI> wither, the verdure of the body is but an <HI>Illu&s;ion,</HI> and the godlie&s;t man but a fearfull <HI>Gho&s;t.</HI></P>
<P>Is this thy body then wearied with <HI>Afflictions?</HI> No matter, &s;o thy &s;oul be at peacefull <HI>Re&s;t.</HI> The <HI>Spou&s;e</HI> &s;aid, <HI>I &s;leep, but my &s;oul waketh.</HI> The <HI>Inno|cent is no way able</HI> to lo&s;e his joy, neither the guilty able to receive any Comfort. If thy cour&s;e <HI>Robes</HI> trouble thee, remember the &s;wadling <HI>Cloths</HI> of thy <HI>Saviour.</HI> If thy <HI>Bed</HI> uneafie, yet it is not wor&s;e
<PB N="19" REF="15">then his <HI>Manger.</HI> And yet [be&s;ides all this] he &s;uffered all the pains and forrows which we de|&s;erved.</P>
<P>Expect not then to be more gently treated, then the be&s;t and wi&s;e&s;t of men, then the Apo&s;tles and Saints, nay, then the Son of the Eternal God, the <HI>Heir</HI> of both the worlds, and the Lord of men and Angels, who was al&s;o the King of <HI>Sufferings.</HI> But all this being well con&s;idered, thou ha&s;t great rea&s;on to &s;it down, and warm thy &s;elf by thy own fire; and feed upon content at home, when thy little misfortune troubles thee.</P>
<P>And this thou &s;halt the more ea&s;ily do: if thou &s;urvey all the <HI>States</HI> and Families of the world, and if thou enlarge thy thoughts, by thinking, how that in the mo&s;t beauteous and &s;plendid <HI>Fortune,</HI> &s;o ma|ny cares and interruptions are to be found: and that however Poverty and hard&s;hips fa&s;ten not on the <HI>Favourites</HI> thereof, yet <HI>Sickne&s;s</HI> and innume|rable <HI>Cares</HI> are &s;till at their heels: yea, the chief Prince or Protector of a Nation, &s;its often times upon a <HI>Tribunal</HI> with great <HI>Ceremony</HI> and o&s;tentati|on, and yet &s;omething in his <HI>Brea&s;t</HI> cau&s;eth him to &s;igh deeply.</P>
<P>But methinks, I hear thee &s;ay, is the <HI>Glory</HI> of heaven no perfecter in it &s;elf, but that it needs a foil of <HI>Depre&s;&s;ion</HI> and Ingloriou&s;ne&s;s to &s;et it forth in this world? Is the joy of heaven no perfecter in it &s;elf, but that it needs the &s;owerne&s;s of this life to give it a ta&s;t? No &s;urely, this is the cour&s;e which tho&s;e glorious &s;ouls which now inhabit <HI>Eternity,</HI> have taken. <HI>Tum maxime cum novitas excitat pala
<PB N="20" REF="16">Tho&s;e things ta&s;t &s;weete&s;t which are &s;tained with mo&s;t co&s;t and difficulty.</HI> Never is the corn more clean, then when it hath pa&s;t the <HI>Flail;</HI> never is gold more approved, then when it comes from the Touch-&s;tone.</P>
<P>It is reported of <HI>Alexander</HI> the <HI>Phy&s;ician,</HI> that he would have <HI>Lapis Lazuli</HI> fifty times wa&s;hed, before it were u&s;ed; and it is the Will of the great <HI>Phy&s;ician</HI> of our &s;ouls, to have us often tried in the <HI>fire</HI> of <HI>Affliction;</HI> and to ta&s;t that honey, which proceeds only from bitter hearbs. That <HI>Cor|dial</HI> which &s;ucceeds an unplea&s;ant <HI>Potion,</HI> mu&s;t needs be welcome to fainting a &s;oul.</P>
<P>And as a help hereunto, we have the <HI>Example</HI> of <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> and his <HI>Apostles;</HI> of <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> and all the wi&s;e men of all Ages of the world; who (well under&s;tanding how to di&s;tingui&s;h <HI>good</HI> from <HI>evil</HI>) did for a &s;hort time here, chu&s;e a &s;ad and melancho|ly way to <HI>Felicity,</HI> rather then the broad, plea&s;ant, and ea&s;ie way to <HI>mi&s;ery.</HI></P>
<P>Neither may we expect all fair dayes here, with|out &s;ome clouds, and the ta&s;t of the bitter waters of this world. Thou mu&s;t &s;ometimes &s;it mourning with the <HI>Pelican;</HI> thy beauty mu&s;t be &s;trewed with <HI>A&s;hes,</HI> and &s;pend &s;ome time in &s;olitude and darkne&s;s, in putting off all our <HI>gorgious Ornaments,</HI> and putting on <HI>Sack-cloth;</HI> in eating the bread of &s;orrow; in lying in the du&s;t, in weeping, in fa&s;ting, in kneeling and praying, in &s;miting the <HI>Brea&s;t,</HI> and in pro&s;trating our &s;elves to the ground, to wel|come tho&s;e who have undertaken the profe&s;&s;ion of <HI>Je&s;us Chri&s;t.</HI></P>
<P><PB N="21" REF="16">
Where &s;hould&s;t thou expect to find thy Savi|our, but on the <HI>Cro&s;s;</HI> and in what po&s;ture would&s;t thou rather have him to find thee then in &s;ighing and groaning; in lifting up of eyes and hands to heaven; in fervency of prayer [the devoute&s;t temper of the &s;oul] and in an humble, penitent, contrite and broken heart|edne&s;s?</P>
<P>After which gloomy <HI>Night</HI> of &s;orrow, the chearfull and refre&s;hing <HI>day-light,</HI> will be the more welcome. If <HI>Ie&s;us</HI> be thy Phy&s;ician, its no matter how long thou art &s;ick: no matter if thou can&s;t &s;ay (with <HI>Jacob</HI>) he is in thy <HI>Affti|ction,</HI> though thou &s;ee him not. What though our <HI>Bones</HI> are parched, and our moi&s;ture con|&s;umed <HI>through our daily complaining,</HI> &s;hall we (with <HI>Hagar</HI>) cry out for water, when we are neare&s;t the <HI>Fountain?</HI> or &s;hall we fear drowning whil&s;t Chri&s;t is in the Ship, though he &s;eem a &s;leep?</P>
<P>For though God be plea&s;ed thus to bring his <HI>Children</HI> on their knees, and to wring from them the penitent <HI>Tears</HI> of confe&s;&s;ion, yet doth he well know how to withdraw his heavy yoak, and after the lowe&s;t <HI>Ebb</HI> of &s;orrow, to &s;end us the highe&s;t <HI>Spring</HI> of comfort.</P>
<P>The <HI>&s;oul</HI> of every Saint con&s;i&s;ts of <HI>&s;acred Riddles</HI> and <HI>holy Contradictions;</HI> &s;ometimes rea|dy to &s;ink with grief; then again, lifted up with <HI>joy.</HI> Sometimes (with <HI>Job</HI>) &s;itting in the du&s;t, and complaining, <HI>Why he was made a mark to &s;hoot at,</HI> but pre&s;ently is a&s;&s;ured, <HI>That his Re|deemer
<PB N="22" REF="17">lives, and that he &s;hall again &s;ee God.</HI> Sometimes (with <HI>David</HI>) he &s;its on the hou&s;e|top, like a &s;parrow, <HI>mourning like a Dove, and chattering like a Crane.</HI> Then again, <HI>Singing and making melody in his heart.</HI></P>
<P>Oh happy <HI>Storm,</HI> which can thus bring us from the <HI>waters</HI> of <HI>Babylon</HI> into &s;o joyfull a <HI>Calm!</HI> who would not for a time endure <HI>Hell</HI> to injoy <HI>Heaven?</HI> Had&s;t thou <HI>not been afflicted, thou had&s;t gone a &s;tray.</HI> Ah how plea&s;antly would&s;t thou have &s;ung a <HI>Requiem</HI> to thy &s;ick <HI>Soul?</HI> How &s;ecurely mi&s;carried with a fair wind? and how &s;weetly have peri&s;hed in thy &s;ins, had not the breath of Gods anger a little &s;topt thee? who cro&s;&s;eth thee in thy <HI>expectation,</HI> whereby to bind thee fa&s;ter to him&s;elf, and re&s;pects thy good more then thy appetite.</P>
<P>Alas! This world is not &s;trew'd with <HI>Ro&s;es,</HI> neither have we any &s;urer way to reach to <HI>hea|ven,</HI> then by a crown of <HI>Thorns;</HI> or to receive the honour of the day, then by enduring the heat thereof. It is a &s;aying that <HI>Iamblichus</HI> cites out of <HI>Pythagoras, That every good thing con&s;i&s;ts of &s;ub&s;tance and u&s;e, and not of meer knowledge.</HI> Learned <HI>Aphori&s;ms</HI> heal not the di&s;ea&s;ed, but bitter <HI>medicines.</HI> A skilfull Phy&s;ician profits not the &s;ick, unle&s;s he falls to practi&s;e; nor is that &s;oul &s;aved, which can rea&s;on <HI>&s;ubtily,</HI> and di&s;|cour&s;e <HI>elegantly,</HI> but doth no good <HI>works.</HI> Tho&s;e only that bring their Talents home with in|crea&s;e, &s;hall be made <HI>Rulers</HI> over <HI>Cities.</HI> And who more fit to receive a <HI>Reward,</HI> then he that hath run harde&s;t for it?</P>
<P><PB N="23" REF="17">
Had we not been told by the words of <HI>Truth,</HI> that all things have the like event here on earth, <HI>Eccles.</HI> 2.15. and that the be&s;t may &s;uffer as well as the wor&s;t [thoug <HI>Afflictions</HI> to the one, are <HI>tryals,</HI> to the other puni&s;hments] we had &s;ome cau&s;e to droop and hang down our heads: But &s;ince true piety [though the be&s;t policy] is not alwayes attended with <HI>Pro&s;perity,</HI> we may &s;afely conclude, that no Magician or Sooth-&s;ayer, no A&s;trologer or Enchanter, &s;hall be able to &s;pell any &s;uch meaning [as to Gods di&s;plea&s;ure] out of that hand-writing which &s;eems to be directed again&s;t tho&s;e, who (through the heavy loads of <HI>Afflictions</HI> &s;eem to be for&s;aken of God, as well as of man) Why are we troubled? why are we ca&s;t down?</P>
<P>Did we not know that all the felicity of <HI>man</HI> in this world is a dream, (it comes on we know not how; and when it vani&s;heth, we cannot &s;o much as di&s;cern, whether it is gone; that what|&s;oever in this world we call <HI>fruition,</HI> is but <HI>Face-acquaintance,</HI> and all temporal po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ions, but a looking on) we might in &s;ome ca&s;e, have cau&s;e of &s;orrow: But &s;ince all things pa&s;s away in an unperceived motion; and when we &s;up|po&s;e our be&s;t enjoyments to be fa&s;t lockt in our <HI>Armes,</HI> they creep from us in a mi&s;t or &s;moak, (which &s;teals out at the Chimney-top, after it hath fouled it within) why do we &s;igh, and groan, and moan, and &s;ink under the burthen of what will one day lead us to an incomparable weight of Glory? 2 <HI>Cor.</HI> 4.17, 18.</P>
<P><PB N="24" REF="18">
Were not <HI>Suffering</HI> of the fir&s;t <HI>Statutes</HI> of the great <HI>Magna Charta</HI> in Heaven, and will &s;urely find us out, whether we be born in <HI>Pur|ple,</HI> or under the Spiders Web; inhabit we Pa|laces, or live in Cottages, we might (like that poor <HI>flower</HI> (which &s;huts it &s;elf at the Suns ab|&s;ence) &s;it down, and weep under a cloud of &s;orrow. But &s;eeing the &s;upream and eternal <HI>Wi&s;dom</HI> [which is the Ma&s;ter and Devi&s;er of this worldly <HI>Drama</HI>] a&s;&s;igns us our parts as well of &s;uffering as plea&s;ure; Why &s;hould we mur|mure? Why do we repine?</P>
<P>May we con&s;ider further, that the life of man is a mavrelous <HI>Comody,</HI> wherein the greate&s;t part of our <HI>Actions</HI> are plaid under a <HI>Curtain.</HI> The <HI>rich</HI> man and the <HI>poor</HI> meet in this world; the one abounding in Trea&s;ure; the other lo|den with mi&s;eries and <HI>Ulcers;</HI> though their <HI>Ends</HI> are often as different, as their lives are contra|ry, the one falling into a Gulf of fire, the o|ther into an <HI>Aby&s;s</HI> of delights; which &s;hould keep us as from repining at the hand of a merci|full God, &s;o from ra&s;h cen&s;uring of &s;uch as are in extremity: as if God had forgotten them in a time, which he choo&s;eth purpo&s;ely for the &s;hewing of his &s;pecial Mercy.</P>
<P>But here may&s;t thou ask me, Why then is man [the only Creature intended to happine&s;s] thus <HI>born to trouble, as the &s;parks flie upwards?</HI> Why through the hou&s;e of Tears he thus travels to the Man&s;ion of joy? or why he alone [being capa|ble of <HI>Beatitude</HI>] is thus made &s;ubject to mi&s;ery?
<PB N="25" REF="18">I an&s;wer, Becau&s;e he is born for <HI>vertue,</HI> the rea|die&s;t way to attain <HI>Eternity.</HI> He attributeth no|thing that is good to any thing here below, but wholly referreth it to God, from whom (as from the <HI>fountain</HI>) all things proceed.</P>
<P>And though it may &s;eem a <HI>Paradox</HI> (though true in <HI>Phylo&s;ophy</HI>) <HI>That no man is rich, but he that is poor, according to the common account;</HI> yet no wi&s;e man did ever de&s;cribe felicity without <HI>vertue;</HI> or true happine&s;s, without being at|tended with &s;uch Afflictions, as direct us in the wayes of <HI>holine&s;s;</HI> it being no evil to be wretched, but to be vicious and impatient; nei|ther may we think, that <HI>vertue</HI> depends wholly on <HI>Pro&s;perity</HI> and a god fortune.</P>
<P>Indeed to tho&s;e who know not their Saviour, nor meditate how far he hath got the victory, and taken away the &s;ting of &s;uffering (yea of death it &s;elf) as their life cannot be plea&s;ant, &s;o their &s;ufferings can no way be comfortable; they are the mo&s;t unwelcom Me&s;&s;engers that ever knockt at their doores: and not only make a <HI>Bel&s;hazar</HI> to tremble, but a <HI>Saul</HI> to fall pro&s;trate on the Earth, 1 <HI>Sam.</HI> 28.28. Yea, &s;uch black clouds of <HI>&s;orrow</HI> many times overtake us, as that (with <HI>Jacob</HI>) we often rend our cloths, <HI>and will needs (with grief) go down into our Graves.</HI></P>
<P>But our only wi&s;e <HI>Phy&s;ician</HI> well knows, that to find out either our <HI>Di&s;tempers,</HI> or our <HI>Cures,</HI> and to di&s;cern al the &s;ad <HI>omens</HI> of our <HI>Afflictions,</HI> and all the prodigious <HI>cau&s;es</HI> of our <HI>troubles</HI> and
<PB N="26" REF="19">mi&s;eries, we mu&s;t &s;earch deeper then the skin, and &s;uperficies of our maladies; the poi&s;ons of malignity of our Nature, being not only deeply diffu&s;ed, but reaching to the very heart, and hidden in the mo&s;t retired <HI>Cells</HI> of our <HI>Souls.</HI></P>
<P>Alas! We have but one life, and we &s;ee a thou&s;and in&s;truments of <HI>death,</HI> ready to take it away, and to let out our innocent &s;ouls; We have but a little breath, and how quickly is it gone? O God, thy fir&s;t breath breath'd a &s;oul into me, and &s;hall thy breath &s;o &s;oon blow it out a|gain, through lodes of troubles? I &s;ee thy <HI>hand</HI> upon me, but I dare not ask thee why it comes, or what it intends? whether thou wilt bid me &s;tay longer in this body, or bid me meet thee this day in <HI>paradice:</HI> only makeme willing at all times [Je&s;us him&s;elf having made the way, and gone before] to pay my homage, and drive on with comfort (no way daunted with the &s;torms of a weari&s;om life) towards tho&s;e joyes which will at la&s;t lead me into un&s;peakable liber|ty.</P>
<P>Let me &s;till ble&s;s thee for that <HI>Affliction</HI> which thus &s;peaks nothing but <HI>mercy.</HI> Let me hear thy voice thus calling unto me: I mu&s;t correct thee, but I will not hurt thee; my hand &s;hall lie gent|ly upon thee: with gracious re&s;pites will I vi&s;it thee. If I &s;end thee <HI>Cro&s;&s;es,</HI> I will give thee patience; if I vi&s;it thee with Afflictions, I will give thee a willing &s;ubmi&s;&s;ion, and a readine&s;s to ki&s;s the <HI>Rod,</HI> and the hand that holds it, yea,
<PB N="27" REF="19">a con&s;tant dependance on that <HI>Arm,</HI> which makes thee &s;mart.</P>
<P>O God! Let me ever thus feel thy <HI>Rod,</HI> ra|ther then lo&s;e thy <HI>Affliction!</HI> the plain &s;en&s;e of our &s;uffering is, that thou mai&s;t bring us to Repentance. It is not to con&s;ume our pure <HI>gold,</HI> but to refine us from that dro&s;s, we have [as men] contracted. It is but to open our eyes that we may the better return to him who &s;eems &s;ometimes to withdraw his comforts. Though the Nur&s;e be often withdrawn, the bet|ter to win the <HI>Childs affection:</HI> and the Sun of <HI>Righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e</HI> not &s;een of us, though bright (be|hynd the clouds of Tryals and Temptations) yet at la&s;t how doth our barrenne&s;s yield a plen|tifull Harve&s;t? And as the Sun-&s;hine of Gods countenance, doth ripen our <HI>Graces,</HI> &s;o doth cloudy weather advantage their growth in <HI>humi|lity, mourning and &s;elf-denial.</HI></P>
<P>And it is no &s;mall mercy from God, that in our journey to <HI>Canaan,</HI> we pa&s;s through the wilderne&s;s of this worlds temptations, and in the way to <HI>Zion,</HI> we pa&s;s through the valley of <HI>Baca:</HI> whil&s;t we have Chri&s;t as a cloud and pil|lar to direct us: God is not tied alwayes to bring is to heaven by one and the &s;ame <HI>road;</HI> neither is it any matter, if in &s;tead of <HI>Jacobs</HI> Ladder, ye are tran&s;ported thither in <HI>Eliahs</HI> fiery Cha|iot, it being the goodne&s;s of God to give us patience, courage and con&s;tancy [which are our highe&s;t conformity to Chri&s;t our Saviour] to attend his help, though in the la&s;t and darke&s;t
<PB N="28" REF="20"><HI>watch</HI> of the night; his relief coming in the be&s;t time.</P>
<P>As <HI>Stars</HI> appear brighe&s;t at <HI>Noon-day</HI> to tho&s;e who (with <HI>Jo&s;eph</HI>) are in deep pits: &s;o divine <HI>Providence</HI> appears <HI>lighte&s;t</HI> to tho&s;e who are ne|ce&s;&s;itated to make a cordial of the poi&s;on of the worlds contempts and reproaches. The Royal Title over our Saviours head, was never more glorious, and de&s;erved, then when he was hanging upon the <HI>Cro&s;s;</HI> &s;eeing on that [as a King on his Throne] he mo&s;t conquered both over his, and his Churches enemies. Nei|ther were his &s;ufferings the lea&s;t of his <HI>&s;olemnities</HI> and glories; his Father being never better plea&s;ed with him, then when he cryed out, <HI>my God, my God, why ha&s;t thou for&s;aken me?</HI></P>
<P>Neither is it any Argument, that becau&s;e God puni&s;heth out faults, he hates our per&s;ons; who&s;e Rod and &s;taffe lifted up again&s;t us, is not to drive us from him, but as a <HI>Shepherds</HI> Crook, to draw us nearer to him, <HI>P&s;alm</HI> 23. Though tho&s;e (indeed) that are &s;trangers to the Cro&s;s of Chri&s;t, and under&s;tand not the Afflictions of Chri&s;tians to be as my&s;terious as their faith, &s;uppo&s;e they mu&s;t needs be <HI>Murtherers,</HI> on who&s;e hands they &s;ee &s;uch <HI>Vipers</HI> hanging, <HI>Acts</HI> 28.4. and no way con&s;idering, that God ma|ny times loves mo&s;t, where he mo&s;t rebukes; and that they have often times mo&s;t of his heart, from whom he mo&s;t hides his face [as to tem|poral pro&s;perity and on whom his hand lies heavie&s;t, as to vi&s;ible cha&s;ti&s;ements, <HI>Heb.</HI> 12.5.</P>
<P><PB N="29" REF="20">
He takes the &s;afe&s;t cour&s;e with his Children; that they may not be condemned with the world, he makes the world to condemn them; that they may not love the world, he makes the world to hate them; and that they may be crucified to the world, he makes the world to be crucified to them.</P>
<P>And hence it is that they meet with cro&s;&s;es, and abu&s;es, and wrongs in the world, becau&s;e God will not have them peri&s;h with the world.</P>
<P>In this way of Affliction it is, that God doth chiefly manife&s;t him&s;elf to our &s;oul; hereby the &s;oul unites it &s;elf mo&s;t to Chri&s;t; whereas in times of <HI>Pro&s;perity</HI> it &s;catters and loo&s;eth it &s;elf in the Creature, there being an uniting power in Afflictions to make the &s;oul gather it &s;elf to God.</P>
<P>The bittere&s;t things in <HI>religion</HI> are &s;weet. And as Gods children are &s;trengthned, and learn to &s;tand by their falls; &s;o (like tall <HI>Cedars</HI>) the more they are blown, the deeper they are root|ed; and after all outward &s;torms and inward de|clinings, this is the i&s;&s;ue, <HI>They take root down|ward, and bring footh fruit upwards.</HI></P>
<P>And &s;ince there is nothing of God which can plea&s;e the world, this &s;hould make us to quiet our hearts in the mid&s;t of its unwelcome and tempe&s;tuous &s;torms, &amp; to account it a greater fa|vour from God, when the <HI>Michals</HI> of the world &s;coff at us; for when they are offended at us, God is delighted with us; yea, happy are tho&s;e, who find them&s;elves amended by tho&s;e bitter
<PB N="30" REF="21"><HI>potions</HI> which [in bad times and by evil men] a good God admini&s;ters to us for our health; and whereby he intends better to improve us to his &s;ervice; when (coming out of this fiery Fur|nance) we &s;hall &s;hine more bright, then ever we did with the love of <HI>Chri&s;t.</HI></P>
<P>What if &s;ome men fancy to them&s;elves a li|berty, fir&s;t to mock us, and after to nail us to the Cro&s;s? What though they &s;tick not (amid&s;t our many <HI>Agonies</HI>) to give us gall and vinegar to drink, to load us with cruel contempts, and virulent &s;peeches, and &s;candalous reproaches? What if our <HI>Enemies</HI> walk with haughty looks, triumphant &s;pirits, and threatning eyes, whil&s;t we are full of tears, &s;ighs and &s;orrows? What if fal&s;e witne&s;&s;es ari&s;e, and <HI>lay to our charge things that we never knew, rewarding us evil for good, and hatred for our good will?</HI> What though we are put to pains in our profe&s;&s;ion, to troubles for a good con&s;cience, and to many hard&s;hips in the world? Yet, O let us labour for contentment, becau&s;e otherwi&s;e we can no way be made con|formable unto Chri&s;t our Saviour.</P>
<P>Neither is it any matter if proud and merci|le&s;s men mingle their &s;cornfull <HI>&s;miles</HI> with our Tears. It is no matter if <HI>Davids</HI> Abjects make mouths, and wag their heads upon us; If the great Favourites of the world cur&s;e us, &s;o long as God pities us in all our troubles; who will not &s;tay too long, le&s;t we put forth our hand unto wickedne&s;s. Neither <HI>&s;uffer the rod of the wicked to remain alwayes on the lot of the righte|ous,</HI> P&s;al. 125.3.</P>
<P><PB N="31" REF="21">
<HI>Jobs</HI> mi&s;ery did not le&s;&s;en his <HI>innocency:</HI> nei|ther are the &s;ervants of the mo&s;t high God troubled, though they are judged here, &s;o as they may not be condemed with the world; they triumph in their <HI>&s;ufferings,</HI> they dance in their <HI>du&s;t;</HI> yea, they account their <HI>a&s;hes</HI> their <HI>beauty,</HI> and the waters of <HI>Marah</HI> to be their wine and refre&s;hing.</P>
<P><HI>Affliction</HI> is part of Cods <HI>husbandry,</HI> and tends no le&s;s to the amendment of our &s;ouls, then manuring doth to the advantage of the earth? And may we &s;till humble our &s;elves as well in &s;ubmi&s;&s;ion to, as the acknowledgement of his divine and afflicting hand. And, Oh, that we could hide and abhor our &s;elves in du&s;t and a&s;hes before his pre&s;ence, who only can pity and repair us!</P>
<P>But mi&s;erable and unhappy are tho&s;e who (af|ter &s;o much &s;harp eye-&s;alve) &s;ee not their need of a <HI>Phy&s;ician!</HI> for after the long applications of &s;uch rough medicines which the world af|fords, not to own their di&s;tempers, were (in|deed) a contempt to the wi&s;e&s;t and gentle&s;t <HI>Phy&s;ician;</HI> who&s;e Judgements are mercifull, and who&s;e &s;everities only the fruits of his lo|ving kindne&s;s, that he chu&s;eth rather to puni&s;h us, then to de&s;troy and for&s;ake us.</P>
<P>A Chri&s;tian is here in his <HI>Nonage,</HI> and no way fit to have all he hath a <HI>title</HI> to; yet why &s;hould he murmure, &s;eeing &s;o much is alotted him, as will give him pa&s;&s;age to heaven? if Po|verty be good, he &s;hall have it; if di&s;grace be
<PB N="32" REF="22">good, he &s;hall meet with it; if <HI>Cro&s;&s;es</HI> be good, he &s;hall have them; if mi&s;ery be good, it &s;hall follow him; yet all tending towards his good. If he be in want, he hath contentment; if un|der <HI>&s;uffering,</HI> he hath <HI>patience;</HI> all things are his, as well what he wants, as what he hath.</P>
<P>It is the de&s;ire (indeed) of many men, to be in <HI>Canaan</HI> as &s;oon as they are out of <HI>Aegypt:</HI> but God will lead us through the wilderne&s;s of Temptations and Afflictions, untill we come to Heaven. As the Spring follows the winter, &s;o will glory follow our Affliction, which is <HI>hid with Chri&s;t;</HI> and though now clouded with the <HI>malice</HI> of wicked men, and our own infirmities, we &s;hall (at la&s;t) appear glorious in the eyes of God, and his Angels, if in a Chri&s;tian meekne&s;s, we &s;ubmit to his Will.</P>
<P>The which &s;hould &s;erve to comfort us while&s;t we remain in this unfortunate <HI>region</HI> [this land of blackne&s;s] wherein the Inhabitants &s;it in the &s;hadow of death, and a thick darkne&s;s [for a time] ob&s;cures the glorious <HI>Sun-&s;hine</HI> of all our comforts; and &s;uch calamities accompany &s;ome, as that [between fear of death and tor|ments of life] <HI>Vivere noluerit, mori ne&s;cierit; To live he would not, to die he cannot.</HI> And &s;urely he cannot be of fle&s;h, who is un&s;en&s;ible of what wrings &s;o many true Tears from our eyes, and &s;o many Icie &s;ighs of grief and &s;orrow from our heart.</P>
<P>The nece&s;&s;ity al&s;o thereof &s;hould invite us to patience; all the Saints of God having pa&s;&s;ed
<PB N="33" REF="22">and profited thereby; and &s;eeing by tho&s;e Affli|ctions [which are no le&s;s profitable then grie|vous and trouble&s;ome] we are humbled, purged and in&s;tructed; and there is no life &s;o holy, nor place &s;o &s;ecret, wherein they may be avoided, Oh grudge not then to <HI>&s;ow in Tears, &s;ince thou &s;halt reap in joy!</HI> By flight thou can&s;t not over|come, but by patience thou wilt be &s;tronger then all thy enemies.</P>
<P>It is no great matter for a man to be devout and fervent, when he feeleth no heavine&s;s, but by <HI>Cha&s;ti&s;ements</HI> he is tryed how much he hath profited in Gods School; whereas our Reward will be the greater, &s;o our vertues will more o|penly appear to the world, and by the &s;harpne&s;s of our Tryal, our good deeds will be the more e&s;teemed.</P>
<P><HI>Adver&s;ity</HI> di&s;covereth how much vertue each one hath: It maketh us not frail, but &s;hews us what we are. And God takes away the <HI>bladders</HI> of this world that we may learn to &s;wim without them. Such as he mo&s;t loves, he u&s;eth to re|buke and cha&s;ten, <HI>Rev.</HI> 3.19. Our comfort is, that all our Troubles are determined by the wi&s;e Coun&s;el and providence of God for our good, yea as ble&s;&s;ings to us, and &s;hal increa&s;e our Crown of Glory. The deeper our die is in <HI>Affliction,</HI> the better &s;hall we wear our &s;carlet <HI>Robes</HI> in Heaven.</P>
<P><HI>Lazarus</HI> was not bad enough for Chri&s;t to cure, while&s;t he was &s;ick, who intended to revive him from death, to make the glory of the Miracle the greater. Neither are we fit <HI>Objects</HI> for our
<PB N="34" REF="23">Saviour to delight in, while we are &s;ick with the vanities of the world, untill we are mortified with <HI>Afflictions</HI> from above. Surely had there been any better, or more profitable way for the health of man then &s;uffering, Chri&s;t would have &s;hewed it by <HI>Word</HI> or <HI>Example:</HI> who plain|ly exhorteth all tho&s;e that follow him, to the bearing of his Cro&s;s.</P>
<P>Oh happy Burthen! which we &s;hall [at la&s;t] put off with Eternal comfort! &s;trike on then thy mercifull rod, O God! which thou &s;ende&s;t [not to procure our &s;ports, yet the&s;e thou pro&s;|pered&s;t to thy &s;ervant <HI>Jacob,</HI> but] to work the dicovery of our wounds, by the humble mani|fe&s;tation of our &s;ins unto thee.</P>
<P>And Oh, that we could but mak a wi&s;e im|provement of our Cro&s;&s;es, whereby to have recour&s;e to vertue, to God, and our &s;elves! In all worldly mutations, let us acknowledge and ki&s;s the <HI>divine hand;</HI> let us not fear to walk in that way which lead to a Kingdom. If thou bear thy <HI>Cro&s;s</HI> unwillingly, thou increa&s;e&s;t thy load, and make&s;t for thy &s;elf a new burthen. But if thou bear it willingly, it will bear thee, and lead thee to thy de&s;ired end, to wit, where there &s;hall be an end of &s;uffering [which here there &s;hall not] and where there &s;hall be an e|verla&s;ting reward laid up for tho&s;e that <HI>fight the good fight of faith.</HI> If that <HI>Farmer</HI> who gave <HI>Ataxerexes</HI> a di&s;h of cold water, was rewarded with a golden <HI>Goblet,</HI> how much more likely are they to receive a <HI>Crown, who have denied
<PB N="35" REF="23">them&s;elves, taken up their Cro&s;s, and followed their Ma&s;ter?</HI> Be &s;ure as the glory is his, &s;o &s;hall the Reward be eternally thine.</P>
<P>Oh here, here will be a certain Harbor and rece&s;s from all the temptations of the world, and from all the clamours and reproaches of our enemies! In this <HI>Ark</HI> &s;hall we cut through all the waves of this trouble&s;ome life, without detriment or putrefaction; in this withdrawing Room (though too &s;eldom frequented) &s;hines that happy &s;tar which will lead us to the King of life.</P>
<P>Here (by having recour&s;e to the &s;pring of life) may we &s;weetly bath and refre&s;h our wearied <HI>&s;ouls.</HI> Near this white, may we &s;tand &s;ecure; and having pa&s;&s;ed the rough and unplea&s;ant Mountains of this world; having &s;at down un|der its troubles, and &s;pent our breath with much ga&s;ping and wearine&s;s, on this Hill may we feed our eyes with the beautifull <HI>Pro&s;pect</HI> and fre&s;h|ne&s;s of the&s;e eternally green and flowery <HI>Plains.</HI></P>
<TRAILER>FINIS.</TRAILER>
</DIV1>
</BODY>
<BACK>
<DIV1 TYPE="poem">
<PB REF="24">
<HEAD>The meaning of the <HI>FRONTISPIECE.</HI></HEAD>
<LG>
<L>SIck <HI>with a</HI> holy Love, <HI>the</HI> Soul Divine,</L>
<L><HI>Spurning at</HI> Earth, Heaven <HI>onely &s;eeks to clime,</HI></L>
<L><HI>Whil&s;t</HI> Mary [<HI>full of</HI> Sighs <HI>and</HI> Tears] <HI>doth weep</HI></L>
<L><HI>Large</HI> Streams, <HI>to wa&s;h her ble&s;&s;ed</HI> Saviours <HI>feet:</HI></L>
<L><HI>And &s;corning</HI> her <HI>fond</HI> Lovers, <HI>leaves to</HI> &s;in,</L>
<L><HI>Returns her</HI> Love-Tokens, <HI>and follows</HI> him.</L>
<L><HI>Behold</HI> one <HI>in a</HI> Wood, <HI>who&s;e</HI> life <HI>is &s;pent</HI></L>
<L><HI>In true</HI> Devotion <HI>and</HI> retirement.</L>
<L><HI>Cha&s;t</HI> Jo&s;eph <HI>&s;huns his</HI> Mi&s;tri&s;s's Lures <HI>to</HI> &s;in,</L>
<L><HI>Nor will betray the</HI> Tru&s;t <HI>repos'd in</HI> him.</L>
<L>Beauty <HI>in one hand, &s;hews</HI> Enticements <HI>fair,</HI></L>
<L><HI>The</HI> other <HI>points at</HI> Darts, Chains, Swords, <HI>De&s;pair:</HI></L>
<L><HI>When</HI> treacherous Delilah <HI>had</HI> Samp&s;on <HI>bound,</HI></L>
<L><HI>The</HI> Hou&s;e <HI>he forthwith level'd with the ground,</HI></L>
<L>Laughing <HI>her friends to</HI> death; <HI>Ah life mi&s;pent!</HI></L>
<L>Murthered <HI>with that, which &s;eems our</HI> Merriment;</L>
<L><HI>Next on a wretched</HI> Object, <HI>ca&s;t thine</HI> eyes,</L>
<L><HI>Who with deep</HI> &s;ighs, <HI>wring'd</HI> hands <HI>&amp; mournful</HI> cryes,</L>
<L><HI>Bewailes</HI> Loves <HI>treacherous</HI> Engines. <HI>All which prove</HI></L>
<L><HI>The</HI> mi&s;ery <HI>of</HI> him, <HI>that's tied to</HI> Love:</L>
<L><HI>Tho&s;e that reach</HI> Heaven, <HI>onely being</HI> ble&s;t,</L>
<L><HI>Though of the worlds</HI> Enjoyments <HI>di&s;po&s;&s;e&s;t.</HI></L>
</LG>
</DIV1>
</BACK>
</TEXT>
</EEBO>
</ETS>
