2. The Dangers of Duty

BY preſenting to them the danger,³³⁵ the loſſes, and the ſufferings that do attend the performance of ſuch and p. 142 ſuch religious ſervices; by this device Satan kept cloſe thoſe that beleeved on Chriſt, from confeſſing of Chriſt, in that 12. John 42. Nevertheleſſe, among the chief Rulers alſo, many believed on him; but becauſe of the Phariſees, they did not confeſſe him, leſt they ſhould be put out of the Synagogue. I would walke in all the wayes of God, I would give up my ſelfe to the ſtricteſt wayes of holineſſe; but I am afraid dangers will attend me on the one hand; and loſſes, and happily ſuch, and ſuch ſufferings on the other hand, ſaith many a man. Oh! how ſhould we helpe our ſelves againſt this temptation, and device of Satan.

1. 335. 2 Device. [dropped from the edition]

THe firſt Remedy againſt this Device³³⁶ of Satan, is, to conſider, that all the troubles and afflictions that you meet with in a way of righteouſneſſe, ſhall never hurt you; they ſhall never harm you. And who is he that ſhall harme³³⁷ you, if you be followers of that which is good, ſaith the Apoſtle, i. e. none ſhall harme you; naturall conſcience cannot but p. 143 doe homage to the image of God, ſtamped upon the natures, words, workes, and lives of the godly; as we may ſee in the carriage of Nebuchadnezzar, and³³⁸ Darius towards Daniel. All the afflictions and troubles that do attend men in a way of righteouſneſſe, can never rob them of their treaſure, of their jewels; they may rob them of ſome light, ſlight things; as the ſword that is by their ſide, or the ſtick that is in their hand, or of the flowers, or ribbons that be in their hats; The treaſures of a Saint is the preſence of God, the favour of God, union and communion with God; the pardon of ſin, the joy of the ſpirit, the peace of Conſcience, which are Jewels that none can give, but Chriſt, nor none can take away, but Chriſt. Now, why ſhould a gracious ſoule keep off from a way of holineſſe? becauſe of afflictions, &c. when no afflictions can ſtrip a man of his heavenly jewels, which are his ornaments, and his ſafety here, and will be his happineſſe and glory hereafter. Why ſhould that man be afraid, or troubled for³³⁹ ſtormes at Sea, whoſe treaſures are ſure in a friends hand upon land? why, a believers treaſure is always ſafe in the hands of Chriſt; his life is ſafe, his ſoule is ſafe, his grace is ſafe, his p. 144 comfort is ſafe, and his Crown is ſafe in the hand of Chriſt. I know him in³⁴⁰ whom I have beleeved, and that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him, untill that day, ſaith the Apoſtle. The childes moſt precious things are moſt ſecure in his Fathers hands; ſo are our ſoules, our graces, and our comforts, in the hand of Chriſt.

1. 336. 1 Remedie. [dropped from the edition]
2. 337. Nemo proprie læditur niſi a ſeipſo. No body is properly hurt, but by himſelfe, and his own fault.
3. 338. Gordius that bleſſed Martyr accounted it a loſſe to him, not to ſuffer many kinds of tortures; he ſaith, tortures are but tradings with God for glory. The greater the combate is, the greater is the following reward.
4. 339. That was a notable ſpeech of Luther, let him that dyed for my ſoule, ſee to the ſalvation of it.
5. 340. 2 Tim. 1. 12.

The ſecond Remedie againſt this device³⁴¹ of Satan, is, to conſider, that other precious Saints, that were ſhining³⁴² lights on earth, and are now triumphing in Heaven, have held on in religious ſervices, notwithſtanding all the troubles and dangers that have ſurrounded them; Nehemiah, and Ezra were ſurrounded with dangers on the left hand, and on the right; and yet in the face of all, they hold on building the Temple, and the wall of Jeruſalem: ſo Daniel, and thoſe precious worthies, in the 44 Pſal. under want of outward incouragements, and in the face of a world of very great diſcouragements, their ſouls clave to God, and his wayes; Though they were ſore broken in the place of dragons, and covered with the ſhadow of death; yea, though they were all the day long counted as ſheep for the ſlaughter, yet their hearts were not turned back, neither did their ſteps decline from his wayes. Though bonds and p. 145 impriſonment did attend Paul, and the reſt of the Apoſtles in every place; yet they held on in the work, and ſervice of the Lord; and why then ſhould you degenerate from their worthy examples, which is your duty, and your glory to follow.

1. 341. 2. Remedy. [dropped from the edition]
2. 342. Will: Flower (Martyr) ſaid, that heaven ſhould aſſoon fall, as I will forſake my profeſſion, or budge in the leaſt degree from it. So Santus being under as great torment as you have read of, cries out (Chriſtianus ſum) I am a Chriſtian; no torment could worke him to decline the ſervice of his God. I might produce a cloud of witneſſes; but if theſe do not work you to be noble and brave, I am afraid more will not.

The third Remedie againſt this device³⁴³ of Satan, is, ſolemnly to conſider, that all the troubles, and dangers that doe attend the performance of holy duties, and heavenly ſervices, are but temporall, and momentary; but the neglect of them may lay thee open, to all temporall, ſpirituall, and eternall dangers. How ſhall we eſcape, if we neglect ſo great ſalvation? He ſaith not, if we reject, or renounce ſo great ſalvation; but if wee neglect, or ſhift off (as the word is) ſo³⁴⁴ great ſalvation; he doth not ſay, how ſhall we eſcape, if we oppoſe, or perſecute ſo great ſalvation? no, but if we let ſlip, or neglect ſo great ſalvation, how ſhall we eſcape? that is, we cannot by any way, or meanes, or device in the world, eſcape; divine Juſtice will be above us, in ſpight of our very ſouls. The doing of ſuch, and ſuch heavenly ſervices may lay you open to the frowns of men; but the neglect of them will lay you open to the frowns of God; the doing of them may render p. 148 you contemptible in the eyes of men;³⁴⁵ but the neglect of them may render you contemptible in the eyes of God; the doing of them may be the loſſe of thy eſtate; but the neglect of them may be the loſſe of God, Chriſt, Heaven, and thy ſoule for ever; the doing of them may ſhut thee out from ſome outward, temporal contents; the neglect of them may ſhut thee out from that excellent, matchleſſe glory, that eye hath not ſeene, nor eare heard, neither hath it entred into the heart of man to conceive. Remember this, there is no man that breaths, but ſhall ſuffer more, by neglecting thoſe holy, and heavenly ſervices that God commands, commends, and rewards, then poſſibly he can ſuffer by doing of them, &c.

1. 343. 3. Remedie. [dropped from the edition]
2. 344. ἀμελήσαντες. Diſ-regard, not care for it.
3. 345. Francis Xaverius counſelled John the third, King of Portugal, to meditate every day a quarter of an hour upon that Text, What ſhall it profit a man to gain the whole world, & looſe his ſoule.

The fourth Remedie againſt this device³⁴⁶ of Satan, is, to conſider this, that God knows how to deliver from troubles, by troubles; from afflictions, by afflictions; from dangers, by dangers; God by leſſer troubles and afflictions doth oftentimes deliver his people from greater: So that they ſhall ſay, we had periſhed, if wee had not periſhed; we had been undone, if we had not been³⁴⁷ undone; we had been in danger, if wee had not been in danger; God will ſo order all the afflictions that befall you p. 149 in the way of righteouſneſſe, that your³⁴⁸ ſoules ſhall ſay, we would not for all the world, but that wee had met with ſuch, and ſuch troubles, and afflictions; for ſurely, had not theſe befallen us, it would have been worſe, and worſe with us; Oh! the carnal ſecurity, pride, formality, dead-heartedneſſe, lukewarmneſſe, cenſoriouſneſſe, and earthlineſſe, that God hath cured us of, by the troubles and dangers that we have met with, in the wayes and ſervices of the Lord. I remember a ſtory of a godly man, that as hee was going to take ſhipping for France, he broke his leg, and it pleaſed Providence ſo to order it, that the ſhip that he ſhould have gone in, at that very time, was caſt away, and not a man ſaved; ſo by breaking a bone, his life was ſaved. So the Lord many times breaks our bones, but ‘tis in order to the ſaving of our lives, and our ſoules for ever; he gives us a potion that makes us heart-ſick, but ‘tis in order to the making us perfectly well, and to the purging of us from thoſe ill humours, that have made our heads ake, and Gods heart ake, and our ſouls ſick, and heavy to the death, &c. Oh! therefore, let no danger, or miſery hinder thee from thy duty.

1. 346. 4 Remedie. [dropped from the edition]
2. 347. Periiſſem niſi periiſſem.
3. 348. Non eſſem ego ſalvus niſi iſtae periiſſent. Anaxagoras, had not theſe things periſhed, I could not have been ſafe, ſaid this Philoſopher, when he ſaw great poſſesſions that he had loſt.

The fifth Remedie againſt this device p. 148 of Satan, is, ſolemnly to conſider, that you ſhall gaine more in the ſervice of God, and by walking in righteous, and holy wayes, though troubles and afflictions ſhould attend you, then you can poſſibly ſuffer, or looſe, by your being found in the ſervice of God. Godlineſſe is great gaine; Oh the joy, the peace,³⁴⁹ the comfort, the reſt, that Saints meet with in the wayes and ſervice of God; they find that Religious ſervices are not empty things, but things, in which God is pleaſed to diſcover his beautie and glory to their ſoules. My ſoul thirſts for God (ſaith David) that I might ſee thy beauty, and thy glory, as I have ſeen thee in thy Sanctuary. Oh! the ſweet looks, the ſweet words, the ſweet hints, the ſweet joggings, the ſweet influences, the ſweet love-letters, that gracious ſoules have from Heaven, when they waite upon God, in holy and heavenly ſervices, the leaſt of which will darken, and outweigh all the bravery and glory of this world, and richly recompence the ſoul for all the troubles, afflictions, and dangers, that have attended it in the ſervice of God; oh! the Saints can ſay under all their troubles, and afflictions, that they have meate to eate, and drinke to³⁵⁰ drinke, that the world knows not of; that they have ſuch incomes, ſuch refreſhments, p. 149 ſuch warmings, &c. that they would not exchange for all the honours, riches, and dainties of this world: Ah! let but a Chriſtian compare his externall loſſes with his ſpirituall, internall, and eternall gain, and he ſhall find, that for every penny that he loſes in the ſervice of God, he gaines a pound; and for every pound that he looſes, hee gains a hundred; for every hundred loſt, he gains a thouſand; wee looſe pins in his ſervice, and find pearls; we looſe the favour of the creature, and peace with the creature, and happily the comforts and contents of the creature; and we gain the favour of God, peace with conſcience, and the comforts and contents of a better life; Ah! did the men of this world know the ſweet that Saints injoy in afflictions, they would rather chuſe Manaſſes iron chaine, then his golden Crown; They would rather be Paul a priſoner, then Paul rap’t up in the third Heaven; for light afflictions, they ſhall have a³⁵¹ weight of glory; for a few afflictions, they ſhall have thoſe joyes, pleaſures, and contents, that are as the ſtars of heaven, or as the ſands of the ſea, that cannot be numbred; for momentany afflictions, they ſhall have an eternall Crown of glory; ‘tis but winking, and p. 152 thou ſhalt be in heaven preſently, ſaid the Martyr; oh! therefore, let no afflictions, nor troubles work thee to ſhun the wayes of God, or to quit that ſervice, that ſhould be dearer to thee then a world, yea then thy very life, &c.

1. 349. Tertullian in in his book to the Martyrs, hath an apt ſaying (Negotiatio eſt aliquid amittere ut majora lucreris) i. e. thats right, & good merchandize when ſomething is parted with to gain more, he applyeth it to their ſufferings, wherin, though the fleſh loſt ſomething, yet the ſpirit got much more.
2. 350. When the Moble Generall Zeliſlaus had loſt his hand in the Wars of the K. of Poland, the King ſent him a golden hand for it; what we loſe in Chriſts ſervice, he will make up, by giving in ſome golden mercies.
3. 351. Though the Croſſe be bitter, yet ‘tis but ſhort, a little ſtorm, as one ſaid of Julians perſecution, and an eternall calm follows.