Shlohavot, or, The burning of London in the year 1666 commemorated and improved in a CX discourses, meditations, and contemplations, divided into four parts treating of I. The sins, or spiritual causes procuring that judgment, II. The natural causes of fire, morally applied, III. The most remarkable passages and circumstances of that dreadful fire, IV. Counsels and comfort unto such as are sufferers by the said judgment / by Samuel Rolle ...

DISCOURSE XVII. Of the lightness of all temporal afflictions.

IT is well I have Scripture to back me, else I foresee I might possibly have been esteemed both hard-hearted and heretical, for saying that all temporal afflictions are but light: Whereas some would oppose their experience to such an assertion, I may comply with that, and yet do the Scripture right. All your experience can contend for, is only this, that some temporal afflictions (and this in particular) absolutely and in themselves considered, are not light, but heavie (as Job speaks) like the sands of the sea. That I can afford to grant I but yet those very afflictions relatively considered, and compared with miseries of another nature; namely, with internal and eternal torments, give me leave to say are but as so many flea-bitings. Say who

dare that utmost poverty is comparable either to the pains of hell, or pangs of conscience. Who is so desperate as to be willing to exchange meer beggery or famine its self, with either of those? Doth not Salomon say, and is it not most true, That the spirit (meaning the conscience) of a man (if that be sound and in peace) can bear his infirmities, but a wounded spirit who can bear? That is, none can bear. If Job sitting upon the dunghill, can then and there say, he knows that his redeemer liveth, and he shall one day see him with these eyes; he that thinks him half so miserable whilst he can so say, as one that sits upon a throne, and mean time seeth the hand-writing of God upon the wall, (as Belteshazzar did) telling him that he is weighed and found too light: or cries out with Spira and others in the like case, that he is damned, he is damned; or but as David sometimes did, that God hath forgotten to be gracious to him, and shut up his loving kindness towards him in displeasure; I say, he that thinks the latter of these, though upon a Throne, the less mise∣table of the two, knows not what he saith, not whereof he affirms. Should he be translated from a dunghill to a throne with such different circumstances as these, oh how would he long to be upon his dunghill again, with such lan∣guage in his mouth and heart, as was that of Job, I know my redeemer lives?

If thy affliction be but temporal and exter∣nal, fear to say, no sorrow like to thine, no not that of a wounded conscience; lest God hear it and be angry, and should either exchange thy other misery for a wounded conscience, or add

that to all the rest, that by woful experience thou maist learn, neither to overvalue the one, nor to undervalue the other. And do the pangs of a wounded conscience far exceed the mise∣ries of an impoverished condition, what then do the pains of hell, which far exceed the pangs of conscience? The worm that never dies (by which is meant a gnawing conscience) is but one part of the torments of hell. Besides that, there is the lake that burneth with fire and brimstone; the smoak whereof ascendeth con∣tinually. What is it to have fire consume our dwellings, in comparison of dwelling our selves with consuming fire, and with everstasting bur∣nings? who believes hell to be what it is, and doth not think one year or moneth in the tor∣ments of that place, to be more unsufferable than all the vexations of a long and afflicted life; were it not less misery to be as Lazarus, that beggar, full of sores, and craving of the crumbs that fell from the rich mans table, and glad of dogs to lick his fores, yea to be so for many years together, than for the space of one year to be as Dives in hell, carnestly begging for a little water to cool his tongue, tormented in flames, and could by no means obtain it? Add the circumstance of eternity to the greatness of hell torments, and see if all the troubles of this life do not even vanish before it, and appear as no∣thing. If then thou art convinced (as I hope thou art) there is a hell, and hast reason to be∣lieve that multitudes are there (for all are there that have lived and died in their sins) let me suppose thee the greatest susterer this fire hath made (if there be any one greater than any of

the rest) and when that is done, compare thy condition with that of the damned in hell, and then say, if thy affliction when laid in the bal∣lance, be not found altogether lighter than vanity. If God will assure thee that thou shalt flie from the wrath to come, all that hath yet be∣faln thee may be born.

It is not for want of pitty and commiseration towards you, that I write this (I hope my bow∣els yearn towards you) but I would justifie the Scripture, when it saith, that temporal afflicti∣ons are but light. 2 Cor. 4.17. Our light afflicti∣on (saith Paul) which is but for a moment, &c. Read but St. Pauls perils, 2 Cor. 11.26, 27. and his sufferings, v. 23. In stripes above measure, in prisons more frequent, in deaths oft, thrice stoned, &c. and then tell me, if his temporal afflictions were light, whose can be called heavie? Add to what I have said, that the pangs of conscience, and the pains of hell (which I have made ap∣pear, do so infinitely outweigh all the troubles of this life) are no other than what our sins have deserved, and therefore our outward af∣flictions may be said to be light, not only if compar'd with what is come upon others, but also with what might justly have been inflicted upon our selves. So that we may here take up those words of Ezra, chap. 9.13. Thou Lord hast punished us less than our iniquities deserve. If one that deserves to be put to a painful and shame∣less death, comes off with a burn in the hand, who saith not his punishment is light, compa∣red with his offence? I am deceived if by this time I have not plainly proved all temporal af∣flictions to be but light, though some are no∣thing like so light as others.

Now Lord, what I have proved by Scriptural arguments, let not me or others ever seem to disprove by anti-scriptural practices, whilst we affirm Temporal afflictions to be but light, let us not groan under them as if they were un∣supportable, or to be overwhelmed by them. Oh mix not Spiritual afflictions with temporal. If thou wilt rebuke me, seem not to do it in thy wrath, neither chasten me in thy sore displeasure. Let me ready thy love in and with my temporal afflictions, and I shall ever acknowledge that in comparison, not only of eternal torments, but e∣ven of inward and spiritual troubles, they are but light.