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

CHAP. III. The description and distribution of Afflictions.

TRue it is, that Affliction is of it selfe the very Spring of bitternesse, worldly sor∣row, and death: The naturall fruit of it is no other but mur∣muring, cursing, and desperate blaspheming; but is wholly changed through the grace of God, powerfully working in it. Looke as the waters of Marah were very bitter, yet wh••n the Tree, pointed out by God, was cast into them, they became sweet: And as those Springs of Iericho flowed with death and barrennes, yet were healed by Elisha with salt: so when God seasoneth Afflicti∣ons

with that Tree of Life, (who was himselfe consecrate through Afflictions,) and with that Salt of his Spirit, he ma∣keth them wholesome and pleasant.

The Crosse, therefore, is as some wine, which though of it selfe it be tart & unpleasant, yet seasoned with a little Su∣gar, it will not only goe down with delight, but warme the stomacke, and make the heart merry.

Now Affliction is nothing else (as wee know) but some evill and grievance pressing us either in body or soule, drawn in by sinne, and sent in by our just God; in generall, (as an Herald of Armes) to summon all men to lay downe their re∣bellion, and come in by Re∣pentance:

in particular, a Mes∣senger of wrath, and begin∣ning of hell to the reprobate and disobedient, but an Em∣bassadour for peace, and the narrow gate to heaven to the Elect and faithfull. Briefly to runne over this discription:

That Affliction is a grievous evill, shall need no other wit∣nesse but our sense; yet fur∣ther testified by that infallible Truth: No chastisement for the present seemeth to bee ioyous, but grievous. That it is the atten∣dant of sinne, is evident: Death entred by sinne, and the wages of sinne is death temporall and eter∣nall. Wherefore is the living man sorrowfull? Man suffereth for his sinne. Your iniquities have hindered good things from you, and your sinnes have turned away

these things. In a word, reade Deutr. 28. from the 15. ver. to the end, and, wee shall there finde, that the disobedience & breach of Gods law (which is sinne, 1 Ioh. 3.4.) is that nee∣dle, which draweth after it the whole file, and long thred of misery and evill.

Againe, that God is the so∣veraigne disposer, who orde∣reth it according to his owne pleasure, is most evident: Out of the mouth of God proceedeth not evill, and good? yes answe∣reth the same Prophet, & Spi∣rit: We have transgressed and re∣belled, and thou hast not pardoned. Thou hast covered with anger; and persecuted us; thou hast slain, and hast not pittied; thou hast co∣vered thy selfe with a cloud, that our prayer shold not passe through;

thou hast made us the of-scouring and refuse in the midst of the peo∣ple. Shall there be any evill in a Citie, and the Lord hath not done it. I make peace, and create evill?

Moreover, that the generall end, and office of affliction is as a trumpet, to summon and call us into the Courts of God, to lay downe our rebellion, and acknowledge our fealty, is every where manifest in Scrip∣ture: I prepare a plague, and pur∣pose a thing against you, returne therefore every one. I have given you cleannesse of teeth, yet have you not turned unto me. I have with-holden the raine, yet have you not returned unto me. Pesti∣lence have I sent among you, yet have you not returned to mee•• I have over-throwne you as Sodome and Gomorra, yet have you not re∣turned

to me: where the Lord most plainly discovereth his end of sending in so many grie∣vances among them, namely, that they might returne by re∣pentance. I have smitten your children in vaine, they have re∣ceived no correction. Affliction is no good end, when correcti∣on, or amendment followeth not. Wherfore should you be smit∣ten any more? you fall away more and more. The speciall end why God smiteth ceaseth whē men reject repentance.

Fur••hermore, that Afflicti∣on is a messenger of wrath, and indeede the gate of hell to the Reprobate, will easily ap∣peare by many plaine testimo∣nies. Fire is kindled in my wrath, and shall burne to the bottome of hell. I will send plagues among

them, I will bestow mine arrowes upon them. Such were those af∣flictions laid upon Caine, Saul, Iudas, &c. Especially this truth wil be cleared in those plagus spent on Pharaoh and Egypt; which were not appointed by God, or ever intended as means to reclaime him (else God would have rebuked Satan, and not suffered him to harden the heart of that heathen King by them to further obstinacy) but, 1. to make his resistance more unexcusable; 2. to be fore-runners to his destruction of body and soule. For, to this end God appointed him, to shew his power in him: even that power of the Potter over the clay, to mak one vessell to honour another to di∣shonour: that power, whereby hee hath mercy on whom hee will

have mercie, and whom be will he hardeneth. Compare Exod. 9. 16. with Rom. 9.17.18.21.

But that Afflictions are Embassadours of peace to the faithfull, and indeede a narrow gate, (yet a gate) lea∣ding to their happinesse shall most clearely bee shewed by that which followeth, and in the meane time may be suf∣ficiently manifested by the te∣stimony of the Apostle, Wee must through many afflictions enter into the kingdome of God.

Now all afflictions may be differenced eyther from the subject, in which they exist, or the end for which they are sent. The subject in which they exist is either soule or body (where I so farre extend the words, as to include in

them al necessaries belonging to both.) Thus blindnes, hard∣nesse, deadnesse of heart, ter∣rors, griefe, desertions of the Spirit, sinful infirmity, & ma∣ny other may be reckoned a∣mong the evils and afflictions of soule: so sicknesse, payne, losse of friends, poverty, dis∣grace, and infinite other hang∣ing upon the body and bodily estate. Againe, they may be considered from their end, why they are sent by God; namely, for correctiō to some, to others for confusion; & thus they are chastisements to his children, to rebels punishmēts It will therfore m••ch further our proceeding, if wee briefly lay downe the difference be∣tween chastismēt & punishmēt

First then it is more appa∣rent

then can be denied, that in the matter of them there is none or little difference: For in outward evils, All things come alike to all, the same cond••tion to the just & unjust, to him that swea∣reth, and to him that feareth an oath. So likewise many spi∣rituall evils are common to al; which is evidently cleared in the testimonies of many affli∣cted Saints; The arrowes of the Almighty are within me, the poy∣son whereof drinketh up my spirit: the terrours of God doe set them∣selues in array against me. Thou writest bitter things against mee, and makest me possesse the iniqui∣ties of my youth. Thus David complaineth that hee had lost the joy of Gods salvation: see also Psal. 38.2. and 2 Cor. 7.5. So then, both the faithfull and

unfaithfull suffer many evils; and the same afflictions in the matter of them befall both.

Secondly, it must bee re∣membred, that by reason of this neerenesse in their matter, they are sometimes used one for another: and punishment called chastisement, and cha∣stisement used for punishment, & though not of••en, yet some∣time even the Scripture useth these termes promiscuously, affirming the godly to be pu∣nished, and the heathen chaste∣ned. But in propriety of spee••h there is very much, and palpa∣ble difference: For, Divine chastisement is such affliction which God of his fatherly wisedome and love layes upon his children, for the triall and increase of his grace in them

here, and their glory in him hereafter, sustayning them in the meane time by his Spirit, and so bringing forth in them the fruit of holinesse and righ∣teousnesse.

Contrary, Divine punish∣ment is that affliction which God in wrath and hatred lay∣eth upon the wicked, as an e∣nemy to their confusion, and further damnation, with-hol∣ding the comfort, and saving worke of his holy Spirit, which therefore produceth in them murmuring, despayre, and blaspheming.

Notes

• Exod. 15. 23.25.
• 2 Kin. 2.19 20,21,2••.
• Heb. 2.10
• Heb. 12.••1
• Rom. 5.12, & 6.23.
• Lam. 3.39.
• Ier. 5.25••
• Lam. 3.38, 42,43,44, 45.
• Amos 3.6.
• Esa. 45.7.
• Ier. 18.11.
• Amos 4•• 6, 7,8,9,10, 11.
• Ier. 2.30.
• Esay 15.
• Deut ••2. 22, 23.
• Act. 14.22.
• Eccl. 9.2.
• Iob•• 6, 4.
• Iob. 13.26
• Psal•• 51.12