1.04 Motives to Convince Us
Motives to persuade us to this duty of Resignation.
I shall therefore superadd to the former arguments wherein the necesssty, the equity, and the policy of our dutiful resignation to God’s providence is clearly set forth, some other motives and directions, that may be useful and effectual for this end.
1st. Look frequently to Jesus Christ, the author and finisher of our faith.: the divine wisdom, to reform the world, assumed the human nature, and expressed in a holy conversation upon earth, a living copy of his precepts, to direct us in the various parts of our duty; and because the exercise of humility, self-denial, and the rest of the suffering graces, is so difficult to our frail and tender nature; he ascended the cross, and instructs us by suffering, to suffer with his affections, leaving us his example, as the best lecture of our duty; his sufferings concern us not only in point of merit, but conformity.
We can never enjoy the benefit of his passion, without following his pattern. His example is the rule of the highest perfection, and we are under the greatest. obligation to imitate and honour him who is our sovereign and Saviour, to whom we owe our redemption from everlasting misery, and the inheritance of glory. It is the apostle’s advice to the afflicted, ’to consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, that ye be not wearied, and faint in your minds.’ Heb 12:3. The deduction is with greater force to make us humble and patient; if we consider, (1.) The infinite dignity of his person.
He was the eternal and only Son of God, and descended from the throne of his majesty, divested himself of his robes of insupportable light, that concealed and manifested his glory to the angels, Psa 104:1-35. and was obedient to the death of the cross. What are the highest and best of men to him? Were it not extremely unbecoming and undutiful for a subject to refuse obedience to a just law, if the king that made the law should voluntarily observe it, and reserve no other advantage to himself, but the honour of enacting it? Our Saviour did not stand upon the dignity and liberty of his person, being equal with God, and our king, but entirely complied with the law, and shall we complain of its rigour?
(2.) The greatness of his sufferings.
They were incomparable as to their value, so in their degrees. He endured the equal extremities of infamy and torment, that are so contrary to the inclinations of mankind. He was crowned with a cruel diadem of thorns, scourged, spit upon, derided, crucified: insensible nature, as if capable of understanding and affection, was disordered in its whole frame at his death. The heavens sympathized in eclipses of the sun, in the darkness of the air at mid-day, as midnight, the earth quaked with deep tremblings, and the rocks were rent asunder. And the sufferings of his soul from the incensed justice of God were inconceivably great. What is the worst we suffer, either immediately from God, or instrumentally from men to his bitter passion? Our sufferings are but superficial shadows of misery, compared to his deep sorrows.
(3.) His sufferings were most undeserved: for he was the holy one of God, his conception without the least taint of sin, his life of strictest purity; and complete obedience to the divine law. We may read the process of our sins, and understand their guilt in his passion. ’He was made sin for us,’ (a sacrifice to atone the divine displeasure) ’who knew no sin.’ As David when guilty of adultery and murder, was fired with disdain at the relation of an incompassionate rich man, killing the single lamb of his poor neighbour, and sparing his own numerous flock; and when the prophet unveiled the parable, and surprised him with that piercing reproach, ’Thou art the man !’ he presently by that fiction in another, was convinced of his own true guilt, and was extremely afflicted in the sense of it: thus we are apt to conceive indignation against the murderers of our Saviour, the apostate apostle, the malicious priests, the unrighteous judge, the bloody soldiers: but conscience (as a true Nathan) may charge us to have been in that wicked conspiracy against the Lord of glory, for our sins condemned and crucified him. And as our sins were the impulsive cause of his sufferings, so our good is the effect of them. He suffered the death of the cross, that his blood might be our ransom, his ignominy the purchase of our glory, his torments the merit of our blessedness, his death the seed of immortal life to us; but we suffer the just punishment of our own sins.
(4.) His willing obedience, divine patience, and invincible constancy in suffering for us. In his distress, the whole army of heaven were in readiness for his protection and rescue, upon the least signification of his will: ’If I prayed to my father, he would send me twelve legions of angels.’ Nay, he had the springs and keys of the divine power in his hands, and could by a word have destroyed his enemies; but he ’freely gave himself for us ;’ and without resistance, without complaint took up his cross. Now our Saviour, who had the fulness of the spirit, communicates to us the first fruits of it, faith and love, humility and patience, peace and joy, to support us under affliction.
(5.) Consider the excellent reward of his sufferings.
He was abased below men, and is advanced above all the angelical orders, and is the eternal argument of their praises: never were suffering so grievous, never was issue so glorious. ’For the joy that was set before him, he endured the cross, despised the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the majesty on high.’ Heb 12:2. Now our blessed Saviour hath promised, ’To him that overcomes, will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.’ Rev 3:21.
Unfainting perseverance in our duty, shall be rewarded with the glory of our Redeemer. And is not the prospect and expectation of this sufficient to confirm our minds, and make us patiently bear the greatest afflictions?
Secondly; The consideration of the suffering saints in all ages, is a powerful persuasive to patience.
Thus the apostle James directs christians, ’Take, my brethren, the prophets, who have spoken in the name of the Lord, for an example of suffering affliction and of patience.’ Jas 5:10. And we have great encouragement from hence, if we consider;
(1.) That those who are of most precious account with God, and highly favoured by him, are usually exercised with sharp afflictions. The singularity and greatness of a calamity exasperate the sorrow, when it is apprehended as a sign of extraordinary guilt in the afflicted, and of severe displeasure in God that sends it; but prevent trouble that ariseth from that apprehension, the scripture records the heavy afflictions that happened to God’s chosen servants and favourites.
Moses, whom God honoured with the most condescending and familiar discoveries of himself, was tried by long afflictions.
David, a man after God’s own heart, was a long time hurled to and fro by tempestuous persecutions from his unjust and implacable enemies.
Isaiah, who was dignified with such heavenly revelations, that his describing the sufferings of Christ seems rather the history of an evangelist, than the vision of a prophet, was sawn asunder.
(2.) Their nature was as frail as ours, their afflictions as cutting and sensible, yet how patiently and courageously did they endure the most cruel sufferings ?
(3.) We have the same blessed comforter to assist us as they had, the Holy Spirit.
He that is styled the spirit of power, infuseth a holy magnanimity to bear the heaviest sufferings. Now it is the apostle’s inference from the history of the saints under the Old Testament, some of whom died martyrs, and others lived martyrs, by their constant and generous suffering various evils for divine truth: ’Wherefore seeing we are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin that doth so easily beset us; and let us run with patience the race that is set before us.’ Heb. 17. 1. The metaphorical expression, ’a cloud of witnesses,’ imports a numerous company, and is by some of the ancients interpreted as an allusion to the benefit we receive from the natural clouds, that refresh the air, and screen us from the scorching heat of the sun. The allusion is too subtile and strained, but the benefit is real; for the admirable examples of their patience and courage are powerful to refresh sorrowful spirits, ’We are encompassed with them as a theatre.’
There is no kind of affliction, and no part of our duty, whereof there is not presented to us some example for our encouragement and imitation. It is also worthy of observation, that christians have a special obligation, encouragement, and assistance to bear afflictions with cheerful spirits, above the believers of the Old Testament. For under the Mosaic dispensation, outward prosperity, riches, honour, victory, long life, were the open expressions of God’s favour, promised by the terms of that covenant, as rewards to obedience. Yet even then, some of the most excellent saints were illustrious examples of patient suffering afflictions. But in the gospel God hath declared, that his design is to train up his children by sufferings, for their future happiness; that ’through many tribulations they must enter into the kingdom of God.’ And we find the truth of this by manifold experience, from the first ages of the christian church. St. John, by revelation, ’beheld a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, that stood before the throne, and before the lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands: and they all came out of great tribulation, and had washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.’ Rev 7:9.
Now since the cross is an appendix to the gospel, we should with more prepared minds submit to it. Besides, if believers then, who enjoyed only star-light, less clear discoveries of the glorious world to come, were so patient and constant in suffering for the truth; how much more should we be animated in our troubles, to whom the ’Sun of Righteousness’ appears, revealing life and immortality by the gospel? If they who were partakers of the Holy Spirit in lesser degrees, were supported; should not christians that receive the graces of the Spirit in richer abundance, be more comforted?
Thirdly. All creatures obey the will of the Creator; all the lower rank; ’fire and hail, snow and vapours, and stormy winds fulfil his word.’ Psa 148:8. The sun stood still till Joshua had completed his victory; it started back to confirm the faith of Hezekiah. Nay, sensible creatures will contradict their own natures at God’s command. The ravens fed Elijah, and the lions spared Daniel. And creatures of the superior order exactly fulfil his will. ’The angels that excel in strength, do his commandments: hearkening to the voice of his word.’ Psa 103:1-22. They do not usurp upon his royalty, nor make use of their power to deny subjection to his pleasure. Now if the inferior creatures, who are under less obligations, and cannot understand their duty; if superior creatures that excel us in nobility of nature, and dignity of state, perfectly obey God; should not their example strongly incite us to submit to his will?
Fourthly. It is our most glorious perfection, to have our wills united to the divine will. In heaven grace is in its exaltation, the spirits of just men are made perfect by their compliance with the divine will that absolutely governs there. A private will that compounds with God upon sordid capitulations, that excepts against doing or suffering what is distasteful and harsh to the carnal part; how unreasonable, how degenerous and base is it? But when the will is obedient, enlarged, and uniform with God, it is ennobled. If our slow-paced thoughts could conceive things as easily, suddenly, and clearly as the angels do, our minds would be in the highest elevation: and is it not a more valuable and desirable perfection to will as God does, than to understand as the angels?
Besides, patience has a special eminence above other graces, and advances a christian to the highest honour and perfection that is attainable here. All graces are of the same divine extraction, and have the same general effect upon the soul: they come from God, and produce a godlike temper and disposition: but they are distinguished by their objects and operations: some are heroic, exercised about great things, and produce more noble actions: others are humble, and conversant in meaner things, and their operations are less eminent. As amongst the birds, the eagles fly aloft, and only stoop for a great prey: the bees fly from flower to flower, and extract a little dew, but it is all honey. It is the counsel of St. James to the afflicted, ’let patience have her perfect work,’ in bearing afflictions, though heavy and continued, ’that you may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.’ A singular perfection and encomium is attributed to patience, in that the trial and exercise of it is the most difficult part of our duty, and without it we can neither obey the commands, nor obtain the promises of the gospel. Patience is the truest fortitude, and draws forth other divine graces in their excellent activity. What the temper is to material weapons that are blunted or broken in the combat without it, patience is to other graces, their strength is derived from it. This was the most glorious perfection of Christ’s obedience; ’for it became him for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings.’ Heb 2:1-18. Patience is not only defensive armour, but has noble operations. When our Saviour was nailed to the cross, and was the mark wherein all the poisoned arrows of rage and malice were received, he seemed only to suffer, yet even then performed the most divine exploits, and obtained the most glorious victory; he reconciled God, disarmed the law, subdued satan, broke the gates of hell, destroyed death, and rescued us miserable forlorn captives. Upon this account Chrysostom breaks forth in rapturous expressions, that our Saviour suffering on the cross, was more glorious than in his creating the world. Thus the patience of a christian, which in appearance is only a quiet bearing affliction from God, yet produceth many blessed effects: a believer, while he feels the weight of God’s hand, incessantly seeks his face with the most ardent affections. He doth not murmur against the displeasure of God, but mourns bitterly that he hath deserved it. He surrenders himself to the divine displeasure, which is the purest act of obedience. He subdues his unruly passions, which is a more noble victory than the achievements of the most celebrated conquerors. It is true, the power of grace is very conspicuous in resisting pleasant temptations, the pernicious attractives of the senses and carnal appetites; but more in the battles of patience, by how much it is more easy to nature to be content without unnecessary and superficial pleasures, than to endure oppressing and painful evils.
I will produce an instance in both kinds, recorded in scripture, for the veneraton and imitation of all. The first is that of Joseph, whose unspotted chastity was discovered by rejecting the impure desires of his master’s wife. Three powerful tempters joined to draw his consent, solitude, youth, and solicitation; solitude with its silence, is often more persuasive to the commission of sin than the strongest eloquence; because there being none that sees, takes away the shame of being seen in guilty and foul actions. Youth is violent in its appetites, and needs no entreaties to induce it to gratify them: the sensual fancy reigns, and has such a ravishing power upon the will, that to corrupt nature the temptation is irresistible, and without divine strength, an instance of overcoming it, would be as rare as a phoenix in the world. Besides, Joseph was her slave, and was tempted by entreaties mixed with inticements from a superior, that (like a bow that draws strength from its bending) by making a show of subjection acquires a double empire. But he had a reverence of his invisible observer and judge: ’how shall I do this great wickedness, and sin against God ?’ Now that Joseph in the flower of his age, was not imboldened by solitude, nor excited by concupiscence, nor poisoned by the breath of the basilisk, was an admirable effect of divine grace. He preserved his sincere and constant innocence, as the sun its undeflled lustre in the midst of all the feculent exhalations that ascend from the earth. The other instance is Job, whose victorious grace in the comparison, is more glorious than that of Joseph; for as the lapses of those who by terrors and torments violate the law, are less culpable, and more excusable, than of those who by sensual allurements transgress the divine commands, the human nature being capable of such dolorous impressions as infinitely exceed all the pleasures of sense; and consequently the yielding for fear of vehement pains and extreme evils, is less voluntary than what proceeds from the love of delights; so proportionably that virtue is more eminent that remains firm, and preserves us in our duty, notwithstanding the batteries of extreme evils, than that which preserves us by flight from the deceitful sensitive good. The Holy Ghost has given us a particular narrative of Job’s troubles, and his behaviour under them: the loss of a great estate was but a preparative for worse calamities; his ten children were all destroyed in a day; his body was covered with ulcers; his wife, that in this desolate condition was only left to alleviate his sorrows, unspeakably increased them; yet under this heavy weight of miseries, he did not express one unbecoming complaint. His patience exceeded all the pains of his body, and griefs of his mind. Who loves God so ardently in his prosperity as he did in his afflictions? Like flaming torches, that reversed, the flame ascends with more force to heaven. St. Austin admiring his invincible temper, says, that Job half dead on the dunghill, was stronger than Adam, when immortal in paradise; for with indignation he repulsed his wife, who was satan’s instrument to tempt him to despair and blasphemy.
How graceful and amiable a spectacle is a patient saint? He attracts the eye and heart of God himself. What an honourable testimony proceeded from his mouth, concerning Job, to vindicate his sincerity from the malice of the accuser? ’Hast thou seen my servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth?’ Job 2:3. Unparalleled saint ! who endured such a succession of tragical events with humility and submission! The active holiness of his prosperous life is not recorded with that note of eminency and admiration, as his patient sufferings, for which he is universally crowned with the praises of the saints in all ages. ’Ye have heard of the patience of Job !’ He is a spectacle that draws the regards of all, more famous for his patience than his misery.
It is the saying of the Platonic philosopher, take away from the life of Hercules, the tyrants he suppressed, and the fierce beasts he slew, his travels and combats wherein his courage was exercised and appeared, and you lessen his virtue, the hero is lost: he that in the opinion of the heathen werld deserved a deity; and is crowned with stars in heaven, will not have a spark of glory on earth to preserve his fame alive in memory.
Thus, take away from Job the Chaldean and Sabean robbers, the shower of fire that consumed his estate, the whirlwind raised by infernal spirits, that destroyed his children, his diseases, and his cruel wife, the exercises of his insuperable patience, and the honourable remembrance of Job is lost. If the prince of darkness had not tried all his arts and strength to overcome him, and had not been foiled in his attempts, his graces had not been so illustrious. The apostle Peter declares, ’that the spirit of glory, and of God, rests upon suffering christians.’ They are the temples of the Holy Spirit, the eternal Deity, wherein he displays his divine virtue and glorious power. In short, God usually conducts his people to the sublimest degrees of grace and glory by suffering; the more they are tried and refined, the brighter their crown will be.
Fifthly. It is our felicity quietly to resign our wills to the blessed will of God.
Patience, considered as a moral virtue frees us from many sorrows and vexations that are supervenient to an affliction, and are caused merely from the distemper, and unquiet disorderly agitations of our own passions.
Nature instructs a dog by licking his wound to heal it, a lively emblem of the healing operation of discreet patience to the afflicted spirit. Patience lines the yoke, and makes it softer and more easy to us. Besides, an humble and full submission to the will of God, as the rule of goodness, brings down the peace and joy of paradise into our souls. The glorified saints are raised above all disasters and troubles; nothing can disturb the serenity, or stain the purity of their state: from this principle of perfection and felicity, that God’s will is always accomplished, to which their wills are entirely subordinate, in obedience to his authority, and by their proper inclination. As the waters which in the creation God transported above the heavens, are not moved as those here below by the furious agitation of the winds, but as if they were of a celestial nature, have the same regular motion with the heavens. The angels, whose zeal for the honour of God, and love to the souls of men is incomparable, yet they see the rebellion of his subjects, whereby his glory is obscured, and the final destruction of rebellious sinners, without the least diminution of their felicity, because they always acquiesce in the divine will, that orders all things for the best end. And so far as our wills are complying with the divine will, we enjoy a tranquillity of mind, which afflictive accidents cannot disquiet. St.Austin describes blessedness to consist in the accomplishment of our desires, and in having only regular desires: now a saint whose will is absolutely reigned to God’s will, has a foretaste of blessedness here; for whatsoever happens to him here, is from God’s will that approves or permits it, and herein he finds satisfaction. What a pure undisturbed pleasure springs from this consideration, that the wisdom and love of God chooseth always what is best for us? This will make us contented in every state; even when our condition is not correspondent with our natural desires, our desires are graciously accorded with our condition. What expensive industry has been used to procure the fancied philosopher’s stone, that changes all metals into gold, which if obtained cannot make us happy? For as the natural heat of the body does not proceed from the clothes, but from the body that warms them: we see persons in the fit of an ague shake with cold, though covered with furs: so true felicity doth not proceed from the outward condition, but from the temper of the mind. The rich often want content in the confluence of all things, and are often disquieted with the fears of losing their possessions: but acquiescence in the divine disposal always brings satisfaction to the soul. It is an inviolable treasure that cannot by the most violent evils be taken from us.
I shall annex two considerations more, to show how our felicity is promoted by our patient sufferings.
1. It is a blessed assurance of our election by the most free and unchangeable love of God. The apostle tells afflicted christians, ’that whom he did foreknow, he did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.’ Rom 8:29. If we suffer with his divine patience, with his humble and holy affections, it is a clear and certain evidence that we are appointed to reign with him.
If we bear the image of our suffering Saviour in our earthly state, we shall bear his glorious image in the heavenly. The well grounded hope of this is very comfortable in the greatest afflictions, and will encourage us to persevere in humble sufferings. For if his sovereign pleasure has ordained us to eternal life, how just is it that we should with an entire and resigned submission yield up ourselves to the conduct of his wisdom, as to the ways by which we shall obtain it?
2. By a filial submission to God’s chastisements, we have a blessed testimony of our adoption.
It is the apostle’s comfortable inference, ’if ye endure chastisements, God dealeth with you as with sons ;’ that is, if without murmuring or fainting, if with that respect and subjection that is due to the high and holy providence of God, then we may be assured of his paternal relation to us, and ’his rod comforts us,’ as the strokes of it are an argument of his care and love to us. From hence proceeds inexpressible and peculiar consolation to afflicted christians: the same affliction as to the matter and circumstances, may be upon humble meek sufferers, and refractory stubborn sinners, ’that kick against the pricks,’ but are distinguished by the intention of God. They are sent to the humble, as corrections from the wise love of a father, who dearly regards their souls; to the obdurate, as vengeance from the righteous severity of a judge. Upon the humble they fall as soft as a shower of snow; upon the other as the storm of fiery hail upon the Egyptians; and the issue of them is as different as heaven and hell.
Lastly, This sharp discipline continues but during our minority here; when we arrive at the state of perfection we shall not need it: and this life is but a short transition to the next world.
What comparison is there between a few years, and the volume of eternal ages? It is the consolatory of the apostle, ’the time is short, let those that weep be as if they wept not.’ Within a little while afflicted saints shall ascend to the region of blessedness; and no cloud of sorrow, no shadow of fear, no darkness of anxiety, can reach so high to darken and disturb their felicity: ’weeping can endure but for a night, and joy comes in the morning’ of the everlasting day. ’For a moment have I hid my face from thee, but with everlasting kindness will I receive thee, saith the Lord.’ Isa 5:1-30. Death is the last step out of mortality and misery. ’Be ye also patient, stablish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord draws nigh.’ Jas 5:1-20.