A mission of consolation. Usefull for all afflicted persons. / By W.S.

Of the covenant of suf∣fering as Christians, the Sons of Christ.

WHat we have said of our first obligation may well extenuate all, we are bound to suffer by the second, for when we behold the infelicity of of our condition as we are men, we may well wonder more that we are preferred to be Christians, than that we are continued to

be sufferers: for sure if God had consulted with Adam after he saw his own naked∣ness, and the anexture of all the miseries thereunto whither he would have bowed the heavens & have come down, to repair this his ruinous condition, by his investing his miserable human na∣ture, he would have an∣swered with the hum∣ble Centurion, Matth. 8. 8. Lord I am not

worthy that thou should∣est come under my roof, but onely say the word and I shall be healed. Seeing he who made all by one word, could have redintegrated A∣dam with a word, re∣maining in the simpli∣city of his divine na∣ture, without the Word being made flesh, and being as it were un∣made himself (as the Apostle warrants us to say) by taking that flesh upon him, which

was become as it were mans prison, so far was it from being worthy to be the receptacle of God.

When we consider then how God chose this way of commise∣rating our nature, not to purg it by his pow∣er but by the very in∣firmity thereof, by taking the passibleness of it upon him, we can∣not deny the suffering part to be the most be∣neficial property of it,

since God made use of that onely for the restauration of it, wherefore the feeling that portion of human nature upon us, which is the most ennobled by Gods election, and preference, cannot rightly be accounted a prejudiced condition, whereupon we may conclude that the bles∣sing of being Christi∣ans may easily recon∣cile us to the Obliga∣tion of being sufferers,

for what can be the reason why Christ when by his pains he took away the sting of sin, could not also take off the points of suffering in this life; which are but thorns of that plant, but because his passions had infused such a quality into our pains, as might pro∣duce this strange effect in our nature, to make our root the less ca∣pable of bearing fruit by the excrescense, and

growth of these sprigs out of it, for temporal afflictions spring out of sin; as out of the root thereof, and no∣thing drieth up, and infecundateth so much the radicall fructify∣ing vigor of this root, as the springing up of temporal miseries, and distresses; so as the fruit of sin, which is death is killed the soonest by the fertility of suffer∣ings in this life.

Since Christ hath

then by the virtue of his Crown of thorns imparted this faculty of the asperities of our life, of taking off the growth as his did the guilt of sin, we need not wonder why he hath left all these tem∣poral bitternesses up∣on our nature which he himself took ex∣presly to taste in our nature: so as we may be said to become the more Christians, the more we are called to

be patients. Which position we shall finde the more clearly de∣monstrated to us, the farther we advance in∣to the principles of Christianity.

Saint Paul when he wrot to the Romans in those times, when in a paralel of our cases the Christians were part∣ly immured up in pri∣sons, and partly expel∣led to the adjoyning fields thought (it seem∣eth) to sweeten their

condition to them by representing that mor∣tification, and suffer∣ance was their calling and profession; for he asketh them as of a notorious thing, whi∣ther they know not this to be the constitu∣tion of christianity, say∣ing Rom 6. 3. Are you ignorant that all we who are baptised in Christ Jesus, in his death we are baptised? Intimating that our first incorporation into

the bodie of Christ, is in effect an expiration of this world, and a translation by the vir∣tue of the death of Christ into such a sort of life as he hath pat∣terned to us by the in∣ception, progress, and consummation of his life. And the Apostle presseth thus the proof of this assertion Rom. 6. 4. For we are buri∣••d together with him in baptism into death: to evince this position

that our mundanity is drowned, and buried in our Christning, and that the life of Christ which was a continued part of mortification is to be (as it were) our breath, and animation. And while we are in this spiritual manner buried in the life of Christ, that is covered, and inclosed with in∣dignities and oppressi∣ons, we are acting that part we took upon us in baptism, where we

isted our selves into that militia which was erected by him, who killed death by dying, and hath left the same discipline to all his souldiers to destroy death by dying to the world: mortifications therefore must needs be the proper duties of that service a christian is upon, and his pay is conditioned rather up∣on his suffering, than his acting as the Apo∣stle proceedeth to te∣stifie.

For if we become complanted to the si∣militude of his death, we shall be also of his resurrection. So in a Christians case the wa∣ges of death is life, for if he die here by a pri∣vatiō of the carnal life of this world, he per∣formeth the condition of life everlasting. For which reason S. Paul who was the great com∣mander of the Gentiles in this militancy (wher∣by this kinde of dying

death is swallowed up in Victory) hath left us his discipline in 1 Cor. 15. I die dayly; and he giveth us those orders. To be the followers of him as he was of Christ whom he began not to follow untill he was o∣verthrown in the com∣mand he had in this world, and was (as it were) resuscitated by the same hand that had killed him. We may remember he was re∣vived by what is de∣structive

to this life, by being almost famish∣ed, and illuminated by this worlds darkness, and restored to corpo∣ral light, onely to see how much he vvas to suffer for that Name for which all the suf∣ferings he had in his head were to be im∣ployed, but in a man∣ner far differing from this design; for they were assigned to be en∣joyed by himself not to be dispensed to o∣thers

by his hand so as this seemeth the gra∣tification of his Chri∣stianity, the having of all that treasure of crosses he had prepa∣red for other Christi∣ans, appropriated to his own use; whereof he grew so sensible, as in gratitude to this his preference, he returned his. I do exceedingly abound in joy in all our tribulation.

But let us look up∣on his master and ours

Christ Jesus in his own time of tribulation, and we may represent him to our selves, in the first instant of his con∣ception accepting this Order from his father, which he gave to his follower S. Paul, of Acts 9. 15. I will shew him how great things he must suffer for my Name before the Gentiles, and Kings, and the children of Israel. In which commission he labour∣ed three and thirty

years, wherein, all we are acquainted with of his life is either labori∣ous or incommodious, or in extremity dolo∣rous, and painfull. It seems the holy Ghost did not think any thing worthy to stand upon record for Christ that was not eminently suffering, and therefore passed over in silence, those parts of his life which we may suppose to have been the least distressfull. If we look

upon his way that is drawn out to us from his cradle to his Cross, we shall finde that he fore-saw in all ages, more than the persons themselves who are under them can do. He truly bore all our la∣bours, and our griefs. All the anxieties, and contristations that now oppress you were in a sharper degree pressing upon his heart and since he was con∣tent to aggravat all his

sufferings by taking on him the sense of your grievances, may not you very easily alleviate all your hea∣vinesses, by taking in∣to your minde the re∣sentment of sufferings, which were designed for your succor in your temptations, by the reflection upon his precedent? so that his example is not a sim∣ple injunction on you to suffer, but a confer∣ment of an abilitie to

sustain it, and a means to improve, and ame∣liorate your estate in your coinheritance with him: for the A∣postle inforceth this Doctrine with this E∣nergy of A fathfull saying 2 Tim. 2. 12. For if we be dead with him, we shall live also together, if we sustain we shall also reign to∣gether.

This deserves well our contēplation, that the fulness of the divi∣nity

did inhabit in Christ, and the clear vision of God did al∣ways illuminate him, notwithstanding this, it was miraculously disposed by God, that the affluence of joy springing from the dei∣ty, should not over∣flow his body, and pos∣sess the inferior porti∣ons of his soul, that there might be left room for pain and an∣guish; the which was manifest in his passion,

in so much as stupen∣dious miracles were re∣quisite for an admit∣tance of so much sor∣row into his most sa∣cred minde: If God were pleased thus to multiply miracles, that affliction might have access to his beloved Son, in whom he was so well pleased; shall we with whom he hath so much cause to be displeased wonder at any calamity, or tribu∣lation whereby he is

pleased to correct us, especially when it is a mark of our filiation, and fraternity with Christ? We who can∣not be exempt from sufferings without a miracle, as we are Sons of Adam, shall we be astonished at any im∣position, under this notion of brothers, nay even Members of Christ? in which re∣spect S. Bernard saith excellently, that Deli∣cate and tender Mem∣bers

are not decent, and becoming a head stuck full of thorns. Therefore the pres∣sures, and pungencies of this life make the Symmetry, and pro∣portion of the body of Christianity, to the head Christ Jesus: who since he did not so much as speak one idle vvord, all his praises, and Beautifications of the poor, and the af∣flicted must needs ve∣rifie the good of ad∣versity.

And Surely Christ did much less do any idle deed, and if the exemplarie life of his labours, and one-rations had not been directed to our con∣formity therein, there might seem some su∣pervacuousness and re∣dundancy in his conti∣nual hardness, and as∣peritie of life. Would God have afflicted his onely Son so, if it were indifferent to do, or not to do as he did? or

that it did not concern those vvhom he had fore-knovvn, and pre∣destinated to be con∣formable to the image of his Son in this point that he might be the first born of many bre∣thren? Our fraternity therefore is derived to us by this similitude. Our sins might have been effaced not onely by a drop of Christs bloud, but even by a drop of his svveat; vvherefore this seem∣eth

one of the chief reasons that did induce the atrocity of his pas∣sion, and the austeritie of his life, the necessi∣ty of such a patern for our imitation, since our nature vvas grown so degenerous, and ef∣feminate, as no less than gods participa∣tion of all the sorts of grievances, and in∣juries thereof, would serve to form in us a chearfull disposition to the sufferings, and

infelicities of this life God did not therefore intend to vex us, when he placed our salva∣tion in difficulties, and in our natures aversi∣ons, for to sweeten the bitterness of this strong necessity, which was to work upon our nature, to purg us from the love of this world he was so gratious, as to infuse the company of Christ into this re∣ceipt, that the taste of his society might make

more pleasant to us the ill savour, and a∣cerbity of the remedy. Well therefore may we say. A greater than Elisha is here, who hath amended these waters by but tasting of them, and hath left neither death nor bit∣terness in them; for they are become ra∣ther waters springing up to life everlasting.

And we may ob∣serve that in confor∣mity to Gods method

with his Son Christ continued the same stile to his Mother; for she whom all Ge∣nerations were to call blessed was not allow∣ed any of what this world calls Blessings; for she who had born the Redeemer of the whole world, was not able to go to the high∣est rate of the Temple, for his Redemption; her poor estate did not reach to pay so much as a Lambe for the Son

of God, and the Lamb who was to take away the sins of the world, had not so much as a Lamb for his Ransom. The lowest price that was set for any of the children of Israel was the rate her low con∣dition was taxed at, none was set at less than a pair of Pidge∣ons, or a pair of Tur∣tles, and the Mother of God was in this in∣feriour form of the Daughters of Men.

This may serve to sweeten the bitterest water of poverty when we ponder this, that Christ would not allow his Mother to taste of any other spring; and though he would not let her taste of the sowreness of the forbidden fruit: yet he fed her more than any other with these bitter Leaves, which grew out of the same root, that is, though he was pleased

to exempt her from sin, yet he would not dispense with her in sufferings, which we know are but the pro∣ductions of sin; and so she whom we may suppose to have been excepted out of the rule of sinners, was exalted above any in the state of sufferers. And this seems to be very consonant, that as she was Mother to the man of sorrow, and of no sin, so she should

be a bearer of all griefs without any guiltiness: but how∣soever this point is ac∣corded by all parties that being the purest of all creatures, Luke 2. 29, 35. she was ne∣ver the less the great∣est of all Patients: when she came to re∣deem her own Re∣deemer by the legal ransom, and was to enter into possession of her Son, we may note that the joys that we re∣presaged

her by Sime∣on in him were very dark, and mystical, but her own sorrows very clear and mani∣fest. For this mystery of her having a light to the revelation of the Gentiles in her arms, and the glory of thy people Israel was hard to be understood of one that was in the lowest rank of the people: but this part was easie to be con∣ceived of his being a

mark of contradicti∣on, and that a sword should pierce through her own soul.

Nature it self evi∣denceth the miseries which mothers are lia∣ble to from children, and thus she had here her sorrows and her sufferings writ to her in the common Al∣phabet of nature, and her joys and consola∣tions cyphered out onely to her in the fi∣gures and characters

of grace, which are so hard to be decypher∣ed, though it may be she had the key of them: but howsoever her faith was to be exercised by a tedious and very sudden triall in affliction. She quickly found the sword in her soul, for we may easily con∣ceive what a wound her sudden flight into Egypt was, how many fears, distresses and anxieties, pierced her

tender heart in that la∣borious flight. And sure the sword of He∣rod, that parted so ma∣ny mothers and chil∣dren, pierced her soul even while she posses∣sed her childe: she may well be judged to have out-suffered any of them in their own losses, for she had the grief of being the oc∣casion of all them up∣on her heart, so as the sword that was drawn directly against her

soul though the stroke did not light upon it, as it was aimed, yet it may be thought to have wounded her in a sharper manner than it did any it fell bloudily upon, for her exquisite charity must needs feel all their anguishes and passions who were thus afflicted as perso∣nating her.

Thus we see how she began her possessi∣on of her Son with the sorrows of a mul∣titude

of mothers in∣flicted on her, and if we look upon her be∣ing dispossest of her Son, there we shall see the sword piercing her soul in so horrid a manner, as the pains which all the daugh∣ters of Jerusalem ever had in the birth, or death of their chil∣dren were but shadows of her torture: where∣upon S. Bernard saith, Neither tongue can express, nor heart can

conceive the dolours wherewith the holy bowels of this Mother were excruciated.

Now blessed Virgin you pay with rigorous interest that pain which nature was not allowed to exact of you in your delivery: the pangs which you felt not in the birth of your Son, are infinite∣ly replicated upon you at his death, when we consider the Mother of Christ standing by

the Cross, and seeing her Son under those Nails, Thorns, and Scourges, and all the other Tortures.

With what hand can we hope to touch this dolefull figure of the blessed Virgin, to give it a lively resem∣blance? I will there∣fore leave it veiled with this reason upon it, No figure is like to sorrow, the not being pourtraictable being the nearest simi∣litude

can be made of this figure of disconso∣lation. That which purporteth most to our purpose is, that by the not being able to comprehend the im∣mensity of the suffer∣ings of the Mother of God, we may be the less apt to apprehend any extremity in our own: when she who had at least no actual sin to expiate, had so much sorrow to exer∣cise her virtue. How

shall we (who have so much sin to satisfie for) wonder at any suf∣ferings, whereof we have so much need to sanctifie us?

There is then no reason why we should fear to be mistaken, in taking crosses for com∣modities, indignities for honours, poverty for treasures, since the eternal wisdom, and divine understanding hath counselled this acceptation of them,

not onely by his advise but by his Mothers president, and his own personal investure of them. He who is both the supreme goodness, and the supreme pow∣er, chose by those low humbled means to re∣deem us, and by the same we must perfect our salvation; the work must be finished by the same instruments by which it was begun.

Christ told his Dis∣ciples, there were ma∣ny

mansions in his Fa∣thers house, but never gave them notice of any other way to any of them but this of the crosses, and miseries of this world; & surely as he said of the man∣sions, so may we say of the marches to them, if there had been another passage he would have told it them. This nar∣row way and straight∣gate is all the directi∣on we finde either by his life, his doctrine or

his death. Mat. 11. 12. The kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent bear it away. Is the word, or motto belonging to the Arms of the Gospel: and as Christ said, no body ascendeth into heaven but he that descended out of heaven; there∣fore he vouchsafed to come down to live out this way, which he im∣printed upon his sacred humanitie: So that now this way lyeth so

fairly marked out by the prints of his steps, in his return to his eter∣nal mansion, as no bo∣die that looketh up to heaven can miss the seeing of it, though it be not the milkie way of the Poets, but the bloudy way of the Prophets, and Apo∣stles. It is traced out more fairly in the fir∣mament of a Christi∣an, which is the Gos∣pel, than the other in the material skie. The

life of Christ is such a sequence, and connexi∣on of bright, and shine∣ing sufferings, as shew∣eth our souls as intel∣ligably the way to hea∣ven, as those stars do our eys that sensible trace in the firmament. We may cast our eye upon this Galaxie or constellation of humi∣lity, and depression in Christs life, we shall see it illustrious, and shinning in an humili∣ation under all sorts of

Creatures. He hum∣bled himself to the Angels, he vouchsafed to receive comfort of an Angel; as if his ne∣cessity, not humility, had required it. When he was hungry he was pleased to take food, as alms from the An∣gels; when he could have turned stones into bread. He humbled himself to man, and woman, remaining o∣bedient to his Mother, and Joseph. He sub∣jected

himself to im∣pious Princes, to He∣rod, Cesar, Caiphas, and Pilate, by understand∣ing their burthens, and their judgments he submitted himself to vile, and infamous ser∣vants, as to Malchus, and to his torturers, deriders, and others. He yielded himself e∣ven to inanimate crea∣tures, suffering heat, and cold, to strike up∣on him, and by Iron, Wood, Thorns, and

Reeds he indured to be violated, and offend∣ed, nay he subjected himself to his greatest enemy the Devil him∣self, when he suffered him to carry him up to the pinnacle of the Temple; So there is no creature from the sublimest to the mean∣est, from the best to the worst to whom Christ did not humi∣liate himself.

And thus you see this arch of humilia∣tion

set as it were on another bowe, in the clouds of his humani∣ty for a sign of this co∣venant of sufferances, wherein I have sug∣gested to you your in∣gagement, and this bowe of his covenant is so extended, as it makes a perfect circle, it reacheth from the sphere of angelical, to that of inanimate sub∣stances, to both which we see Christ did sub∣mit himself, and so his

subjection toucheth the highest, and the lowest point of his own creatures, which consideration of his in∣effable humility must needs assure us of the admirable effect it hath produced of convert∣ing crosses into the nou∣rishment of his body left upon earth, and so to bring that which seperated his soul, and his body, now to be the means of reunite∣ing the body to the

head, for the cross is left in his Church, to conjoyn, and consoci∣ate the Members into their suffering head, Christ Jesus, and we may well add, that this divine sign of the cross set in the heaven of his person, so con∣spicuously remains as a sensible mark of his promise to the Church of never being drown∣ed in any inundation of crosses failing on her.

Looking up therefore

to the heavenly object of Christs sufferings we may be comforted by our similitude, and we may rejoyce at our securitie, which this co∣venant recapitulateth to us, as often as we contemplate it; in so much as there is none of you who groan un∣der any pressure or tremble under any op∣pression, Heb. 12. 2. But Looking up upon the author and finisher of out faith Christ Jesus,

may not see him bear∣ing the same cross with joy, despising the con∣fusion of it. Whither you sweat under your burthens, or whither you bleed under the edg of these times, you shall finde your perse∣cution both civil and sanguinary, patternd to you in the person even of God, & man, Christ Jesus, who hath not left so much as your fears, and terrours out of the exemplar of his

passions, his Mark 14. 33. He began to be hea∣vy and to fear. Was de∣signed purposely as a cordial in your fits of fainting, and if there were any point in your afflictions which were not exemplified to you in Christs passions, that circumstance ought to prove to you a suffi∣cient consolation, in that you had some suf∣fering to offer to Christ of your own, be∣sides the coppy and

portraicture of his. But alas all that we can imagine in our own pains wherein there is no imitation of his, is that which we may better blush at, than boast of; for it is onely the guilt of deserving more than we can en∣dure in this life, this is simply ours in our afflictions, wherein we finde no resemblance in the figure of Christs sufferings, which part of our cases may make

us offer up to Christ a thankfull alacrity in all temporal penalties infflicted on us, for having taken off from us the burthen we could not remove by any sufferings, and ha∣ving left us onely such pressures as may alevi∣ate the weight of that intolerable gravation which is the guilt of sin: for our crosses in this life by the virtue of the cross of Christ (whereof our heaviest

are but chips or shave∣ings) do not onely keep our sins lower, but also weigh against the tem∣poral penalty of those which are in the scale.

It may admit a que∣stion whither it be a more precious Chri∣stian exercise to do good, or to endure evils: that state is certainly the best in which both are conjoyned, when suf∣fering many grie∣vances, we act as much

good as we are able.

Let them then who have nothing left to give to God by way of actions, rejoyce in the facultie of sor∣rows: When King Da∣vid extols the dignity of man he raiseth it upon this ground that God had made him a little lower Psal. 8. Then Angels, but in this respect we may say that God hath ad∣vantaged him above them by furnishing

him with more instru∣ments of attaining heaven than they have by having coupled a body to this spirit in which he may suffer for Christ, when many other capacities of ex∣pressing his gratitude are suspended; for man hath not onely all the several powers of his minde but also the sen∣ses of his body given him as Organs of working out salvation by carrying the Cross

upon them, with this corporeal furniture man is enriched above Angels; so as man may even out of the great∣est infirmities of his constitution extract matter of glorificati∣on. This virtue hath been imparted to the vility of flesh, & bloud, since God vouchsafed to be invested in it; Our flesh received this priviledg not onely of being admitted into heaven, but of contribu∣ting

to the souls de∣grees of glory by the proportions of the bo∣dies suffering; Rom 8. 13. S. Paul saith, It is no wonder that God having giving his own Son to humane nature, should have given all these other preroga∣tives with him.

Out of this state of our mortality the Saints shall rise as high as they should have done from the state of innocence, and immor∣tality,

which shews that they are equally sanctified in the brevi∣ty, and shortness of their life now, to what they should have at∣tained in many ages, if they had remained immortal. The simili∣tude of sorrows, and crosses by the grace of Christ, countervaileth, and compensateth the numerousness of the years of our service. Our redeemer hath left us this compendious

way of approaching heaven by the necessi∣ties and molestations of our flesh, the which he would not expunge in it that he might pre∣sent his Father the children of his most pretious passions, as much purified in a lit∣tle time, as they should have been in the ef∣flux of many ages. He who raised above the highest heaven the heaviest of our earth upon this engine of the

Cross, hath left it us, to winde up the easi∣lyer our terrestrial qualities upon the same Machine. This was the means which S. Paul made use of in all his elevations up to the third heaven. Gal 2. 20. With Christ I am nailed to the Cross: carried him up to that sublimity; and he kept himself so close nailed to the Cross all his life, as when he was weak

he was strongest and never esteemed his raptures so much as his revilings, and ig∣nominies. He profes∣seth to glory willingly in nothing but in his humiliations.

2 Cor. 12. Gladly will I glory in my in∣firmities, in contume∣lies, in necessities, in di∣stresses for Christ, &c. because he found pow∣er was perfected in infirmity, whereby we are convinced that

those who are called to Christianity are assigned to all sorts of crucifyings.

All the iniquity of a Christian consists either in doing what Christ did not, or in refusing to do what he did, and none can excuse themselves by an in capacity of imi∣tating Christ, in that wherein he hath been pleased to state Christi∣an profession; for every one may be poor, and

patient, and mortified, but every one is not qualified to attain to Riches, Honour, or Learning. This is the wisdom, and love of God, to have those things made the best contributions to our eternal felicity, which may not onely be reached by every one, but can even scarce be missed by any, which are the afflictions, and adversities, of this life, wherefore those who

it may be would not have had the Zeal to affect a similitude to Christ in these hard touches of Gods hand, must not be so un∣gratefull as to repugne this operation of God upon them, or be a∣shamed and confused to see this figure of deformity in the worlds eye impressed upon them, in pover∣ty, infamy, destitutinos of friends, reproach∣es of enemies and

all other assimillations to Christ; but rather acknowledg a mercy of God, who having cal∣led them to these tri∣alls as Christians, whereunto they have answered but ill in o∣ther times, that now he vouchsafeth him∣self to place them in the society of the pas∣sions of Christ, re∣membring what the great Doctor in this worlds miseries, and the others felicities,

remonstrates to us, 2 Cor. 1. 7. That in the same measure you are partakers of the passions you shall be of the con∣solation of Christ.