Ioy in tribulation. Or, Consolations for the afflicted spirits. By Phinees Fletcher, B.D. and minister of Gods Word at Hilgay in Norfolke

CHAP. XVII. The more speciall comforts which are in God: And first in the Father.

NOw as that glorious one God is distinguished into three persons, so may we dis∣cerne in Scripture a threefold relation betweene us, and eve∣ry person; full of unspeakable joy and sweetnesse: God the Father vouchsafeth to bee our father; God the Sonne hath undertaken to be our Saviour; The blessed Spirit giveth him∣selfe unto us to be peculiarly, and in more specialty, our Comforter.

First, then God the Father maybe considered in this rela∣tion

either to God, or the crea∣ture: In the first kinde he is a Father onely to the Sonne, by an essential communication of his substance. In the second, he is a Father either generally to all reasonable creatures, by creation; to Angels (Iob 1.6.) who are there called the chil∣dren of God: to men, Thou art our Father, and wee the worke of thy hands: and hence Adam sti∣led the Sonne of God: or else more particularly he is a Fa∣ther to the faithfull by grace, and that as well by adoption as by regeneration. For the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ culleth out from amōg the families of worldly men those whom before hee hath predestinated, and bringeth them into his owne family,

setteth out for them, and insta∣teth them into a portion of grace, and inheritance of glo∣ry:) Read Gal. 4. 4,5,6. and Ephes. 1.4,5.) and then by that immortall seed of his Word begetteth them to that divine nature; Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Iesus Christ, who according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us. Of his own will the Father of lights hath begotten us.

It is altogether impossible in this land of darknesse to be∣hold the infinite light of hea∣venly comfort which floweth from this relation. For what comparison betweene any earthly estate, and our adopti∣on into heaven? The children of Nobles, and of the greatest Princes in revolution of no

long time fall backe into as meane a condition as the low∣est: Ioseph and Marie lineal∣ly descended from David (a great and potent Monarch) how soone could they slide downe in the current of this world into a very low estate? Hee a poore Carpenter, Shee his Spouse: Thus is it in all earthly creatures: Looke as in plants many little threeds grow up into a bigge roote, and that shoots forth into a strong and mighty body, which yet being divided into many armes and branches, at length endeth in small twigs: So is it with all the glory of this world; glori∣ously it seemeth to glister for a short time in a fleshly eye, and to flame and glitter

to the admiration of silly men, but as it is blowne up from a poore sparke, so it quickly sinketh into a little dust and ashes. But in this spi∣rituall estate there is no mea∣sure in the glory, or time: but as their Father, and elder Bro∣ther, so are they Kings: for glory, unspeakeable; for du∣rance, eternall.

For when the Almighty, All-wise God, accepteth, and adopteth us for children unto himselfe, he entreth into an e∣verlasting Covenant with us of grace and love, and bindeth up our unstable, starting, and warping soules in the bundle of life with a double tye; first, of his love to us; second∣ly, of our love to him; I will never turne away from

them to doe them good: yea, I wil delight in them to doe them good: and I will put my feare into their hearts, that they shall never depart from me.

Doe but consider what Spring-tides of infinite conso∣lations flow into our empty soules from this Sea of com∣fort. Certainly, children re∣cejve some comfort from bad parents, much more from good. But what earthly com∣fort can that child wāt (which is in the power of mā to give) whose Parent aboundeth in love, wisedome and riches. Were a Father onely loving, or onely rich, or wise onely, yet even from any of these ••in∣gle in a parent some benefit would be reaped by the chil∣dren; but when they all meet 〈4 pages missing〉〈4 pages missing〉

sed with much evill in this world? nay, are any men so full of wants and griefes? Surely they neither want any true good, or are oppressed with any thing which indeed is evill, whose wants on earth are richly supplied with ex∣cellent treasures of grace and glory, and evils of sense made fruitfull in all spirituall bles∣••ings. For this is an especiall privilege of Gods children, that as the wicked are ever cursed, even in their blessings, Mal. 2.2. so the faithfull are e∣ver blessed, even in earthly curses; all things working toge∣ther for their good; and that they know, Phil. 1.19.

Doe but observe what a strong foundation is here laid for every faithfull Christian

to build up his soule in un∣speakeable comfort, and to solace himselfe even in his worst estate. Can any reaso∣nable man deny, but that such a condition is good, comfortable, nay, best, and most happy for a man, which commeth to him from infi∣nite love, assisted with infinite power and wisedome: Now then thus will a faithful Chri∣stian conclude in his most grievous aff••ictions & crosses. Have not I a sure word, and infallible, that all these things come unto me, not only from Gods power aud wisedome, but from his love? He maketh the heavens by his wisedome: In wisedome hath hee done all his workes. Come not all his cha∣stisements from love, from his

fatherly love?

So againe, an afflicted soule will hence cheere up it selfe in the midst of all troubles. Howsoever these grievances are bitter in the mouth, and seeme (when they are tasted by sense and carnall reason) very unpleasant and evill; yet indeede, if I better consider them, & their nature, looking on them with a spirituall eye, I shall discerne nothing but an outside, and shew of e∣vill, but full within of much sweetnesse, and precious trea∣sure. As that Heathens staffe which hee dedicated to his Idoll, made of horne with∣out, but within filled with gold; or as some fruites bitter in the rine, but plea∣sant in the pulpe of them:

So is there here an appearance of evill covering a world of good; when I have taken a∣way the paring, I shall taste the fruit very delightfull and wholesome: they seeme mes∣sengers of death, but they bring life; they seeme full of sorrow, yet cause much rejoy∣cing; they threaten poverty, but fill with riches. The evill is in seeming onely, but the good and profit reall. It was a prerogative not proper to the Apostle, but common to all the members of Christ, that they are as dying, but (certainly, nay, eternally) living; as sor∣rowfull, yet alwaies rejoicing, as having nothing, but indeede pos∣sessing all things. Read 2 Cor. 6. 9,10••

Notes

• Esa. 64.8.
• Luk. 3. 38.
• 1 Pet. 1.3.
• Iam. 1. 17, 1••.
• I••r. 32.40, 41.
• Rom•• 8.28.
• P••a. ••36.5.
• Ps. 104.24.
• Heb. 12.6, 7.