And Samuel said, What meaneth then this bleating of the sheep in mine ears, and the lowing of the oxen which I hear?
~ 1 Samuel 15:14
Then said Elkanah her husband to her, Hannah, why weepest thou? and why eatest thou not? and why is thy heart grieved? am not I better to thee than ten sons?
~ 1 Samuel 1:8
\Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body’s sake, which is the church:
~ Colossians 1:24
Demonstrating the Excellency of a Prepared Heart for the Worst of Sufferings, by John Flavel. The following contains an excerpt from Chapter Four of his work, “Preparations for Sufferings” or, “The Best Work in the Worst Times”.
Acts 21:13
Then Paul answered, What mean ye to weep, and to break my heart? For I am ready not to be bound only, but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.
Demonstrating the excellency of a prepared heart for the worst of sufferings; and what a blessed thing it is to be ready to be bound, or to die for Christ, as Paul here was.
I am ready. O blessed frame of spirit! how hard, but how happy is it to get a heart so tempered! Every Christian can say, I would be ready, and the Lord make me ready for sufferings; but few can say, I am ready, my heart is prepared and fitted for such a work: yet this example shews us it is attainable: and what a blessed thing it is to attain it, the following particulars will abundantly convince us.
First, Readiness for sufferings will bring the heart of a Christian to an holy rest and tranquillity, in a suffering hour, and prevent that anxiety, perturbation, and distraction of mind, which puts the sinking weight into afflictions. The more cares, fears, and troubles we have before our sufferings come, the more calm, quiet, and composed we are like to be when our sufferings are come indeed. It is admirable to consider with what peace and patience Job entertained his troubles, which, considering the kinds, degrees, and manner in which they befel him, one would think they should at least have startled and amazed him, and put his soul (as gracious and mortified as it was) into great disorder and confusion; but you find the contrary: never did the patience of a man triumph at that rate over adversity; he worships God, owns his hand, and resigns himself up to his pleasure, Job 1:20, 21. And whence was this? Surely had his troubles come by way of surprise, he could never have carried it at that rate; but in the days of his peace and prosperity he had prepared for such a day as this, Job 3:25, 26. “I was not in safety, neither had I rest; yet trouble came; the thing that I feared (saith he) is come upon me.” He laid it to heart before it came, and therefore it neither distracted, nor brake the heart when it came. In like manner the prophet Habakkuk stood upon his watch-tower, i.e. he made his observations by the word upon the probable events of providence, whereby he got a clear foresight of those troublesome days that were at hand; which though it made him tremble in himself, yet it gave him rest in the day of evil, Hab. 3:16, 17, 18. There is a twofold rest in the day of evil, viz.
1. A rest of deliverance.
2. A rest of contentation.
It is a singular mercy to find rest in a man’s own spirit; to enjoy inward peace, and tranquillity of mind, when there is no rest without; and the way to obtain this, is to foresee, count upon, and make due preparation for troublous times before-hand: evils that come by way of surprisal, are not only amazing, but very frequently destructive evils; it is a sad aggravation to feel a misery, before we fear it; those calamities that find men secure, do usually leave them desperate; the enemy that comes upon our backs hath a great advantage to ruin us, yet this is the common case of the world, “For man knoweth not his time, but as the fishes are taken in an evil net, and as the birds that are caught in the snare; so are the sons of men snared in an evil time, when it falleth on them suddenly,” Eccl. 9:12. Thus perished the old world; there was but one Noah provided for the flood, and he only, with his family, was preserved in it: all the rest were eating, drinking, marrying, and giving in marriage, until the flood came and swept them all away, Mat. 24:38. Men will not use their foreseeing faculties; but because it is all quiet to-day, they conclude it shall be so to-morrow. Those that are at rest in their habitation, and have got a safe pillow under their heads, are apt to fall asleep in security, and dream pleasantly of continued rest and peace; and loth they are to interrupt their sensual pleasure with melancholy thoughts of changes and sufferings.
Philosophers tell us, that immediately before an earthquake the air is very quiet and serene; and before the great rain falls, the wind is usually still: were the aspect of second causes much more favourable and encouraging than it is; yet there is cause enough, for all that are wise in heart, to fear and tremble, under the consideration of that national guilt which is treasured up, and will certainly produce distress and trouble.
O Christians! look out for days of visitation; prepare for a storm, and provide you an ark, an hiding-place in Christ, and the promises, as ever you expect rest, and peace in your own spirits, when the earth shall be full of tumults, uproars, and desolations.
Secondly, Our preparation for sufferings is an excellent argument of the honesty and sincerity of our hearts, in the matters of religion: he that makes account of sufferings, and is daily at work with his own heart, mortifying his corruptions, weaning its worldly affections, exciting and making ready its suffering-graces, resolving in the strength of God, to take his lot with Christ, wherever, and howsoever it shall fall; this is the man that hath deliberately closed with Christ upon his own terms, and is like to be the durable and victorious Christian.
As for hypocrites, (Christ’s summer friends) they have either their exceptions against the severities of religion, and study to secure to themselves a retreat from danger, or else they rush inconsiderately into the profession of Christ, never debating the terms which he proposes to all that will follow him, Mark 8:34. The necessity of a rational and well-advised closure with Christ upon suffering and self- denying terms, is by himself fully set forth in that excellent parable, Luke 14:25, 26, 27, 28. There was a great multitude that followed him at that time; Christ began to grow in request among them; they flocked from all parts to see and hear him; but he foresaw, that if once a sharp trial should befal them, it would quickly thin, and diminish that great multitude, and reduce them like Gideon’s host, into a little handful: and therefore he resolves to deal candidly and plainly with them; he propounds his terms, and sets down his conditions, which every one of them must subscribe, that will follow him; the sum of which is this, “Let him deny himself, take up his cross and follow me.” And to evince the rationality of these terms, he argues, from the most common and obvious practices of men in their civil affairs: no man, that exerciseth reason, will begin to build an house, and lay a large foundation, when he is not provided with a stock to carry up the walls, and complete the work: no man, in his wits would engage with a handful of men, against a great and armed multitude; possibly they may intend to face, but no man would think they intend to fight the enemy, on such a disadvantage. Just so stands the case in our profession of Christ; if we really intend to go through with the business of religion, we must sit down, and compute the cost and charges of Christianity, think upon the worst, as well as the best, reckon upon reproaches, prisons, and death for his sake, as well as the easier and more pleasant parts of active obedience; and having so done, if then we can be content to run all hazards, and forego all the rest upon his account, and accordingly manage ourselves in a day of suffering, then we deal with Christ, and clear ourselves from the danger of hypocrisy. It is for want of this, that so many professors faint, and fall away, in times of temptation, furnishing the devil with so many triumphs over religion, and the more upright professors of it. It was for want of depth of earth, (i.e.) a deep consideration, and well-rooted resolution at first, that the stony-ground hypocrite so quickly withered away, when the sun of persecution began to shine fervently upon him, Mat. 13:5, 6. And doubtless it is to prevent this fatal issue of our profession, that God makes such deep wounds by conviction upon his people’s hearts at first; it is for our establishment in future trials, and sufferings, that he so distresses, and humbles them; that he makes sin so bitter and burdensome to them; as well knowing that all this is no more than needs, to prevent their returning again to sin, in the times of their temptation.
O professor! if thou be one that art come to Christ in this way, and hast thus deliberately closed with him; if thou hast as well bethought thyself of bearing his cross, as of wearing his crown; thou hast then a fair evidence of the uprightness of thy heart, than which, the world affords not a sweeter comfort.
Thirdly, The advantage of preparation for suffering lies in this, that it prevents, and cuts off the scandal and offence of the cross, with respect both to ourselves and others.
First, It prevents our own offence at sufferings; and by Christ’s own testimony, that soul is blessed, that is not offended in him, Mat. 11:6. Among the multitudes of professors, few are found that are no way offended at suffering for Christ; they expected much peace, honour, and prosperity in the ways of religion, but finding their expectations frustrated, and their carnal interest rather exposed, than secured by their profession of Christ, they go back like those John 6:66 and walk no more with him. And it is very remarkable, that Christ dates the offence that men shall take at him, from the first appearance of suffering, Mat. 24:8, 9. “All these are the beginnings of sorrows, and then shall many be offended.” Sorrows and apostasies commence together.
But, reader, if thou be one that makest it thy business to foresee, and prepare for an evil day, thou wilt have as good thoughts of Christ; and his ways at the lowest ebb, as ever thou hadst in the greatest, flourish, and time of prosperity. “Great peace (saith the Psalmist) have they that love thy law, and nothing shall offend them.” O happy soul! whom no troubles, reproaches or sufferings, are able to offend! thou mayest meet with prisons, death, banishments, yea, but none of these things shall offend, or stumble thee, but thou shalt peaceably and safely pass over them, because they are no more than thou expectedst, and providest for.
Secondly, And by this means thou wilt also prevent the offence and scandals of others at the ways of religion. It is a sad, and dangerous thing to be an occasion of stumbling, either to the weak or to the wicked. “Woe to the world because of offences, for it must needs be that offences come; but woe to that man by whom the offence cometh,” Mat. 18:7. The apostasies and sinful compliances of ungrounded professors and weak Christians in times of temptation, are the woeful occasions of prejudicing others against religion, and shedding the blood of souls. Ah! it were much better never to be in the ways of profession, than to be there only as a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence to others: but all this mischief will be prevented by thy serious expectation of, and provision for the evil day.
Fourthly, A fourth excellency of preparation for sufferings lies in this, that it hath a tendency to convince and awaken the drowsy world. O! if the Lord’s people would but engage in this work in earnest, and live as people that are providing for a storm, and resolve, in the strength of God, to run all hazards and hardships for Christ, I am persuaded it would be of more use to startle, and convince the world, than all the sermons that ever they heard: for here is that which dashes and cuts the throat of all our labours. We preach up self- denial, and contempt of life, and liberty for Christ: now though they hear us preach the necessity, and excellency of these things, and hear you profess them as your principles; yet when they look upon the lives of professors in times of danger, and find no proportion betwixt profession and practice; when they see us cling to the world, and are as loth to give it up as others; when they observe prisons and sufferings affright and terrify us as much as those that make no profession; when they see us start like hares, at every sound, and that we live not loose from the world, as men prepared to let it go and give it up for Christ: why then they conclude that we dare not trust our own principles, when it comes to the push. And how can they be persuaded to believe that which they think we ourselves do not really believe, although we persuade them to believe it?
My friends, the world hath eyes to see what you can do, as well as ears to hear what you can say; and as long as they see you do no more than others, you may talk your hearts out ere they will believe your way is better than others.
But now when persecution ariseth, did they see you providing yourselves for it, and putting on your harness to enter the lists, carry your dearest enjoyments in your hands, and put on the shoe of preparation, to follow the Lord through the roughest ways of sufferings; this would convince to purpose, and preach the excellency of Christ, the vanity of the creature, the rationality and certainty of Christian principles, in a more intelligible and rousing dialect to them, than all our cheap and easy commendations of them did. And hence it is that Noah was said to condemn the world, Heb. 11:7. “By faith Noah being warned of God of things not seen as yet,” i.e. of the deluge that was coming, though no appearance of it yet, the heavens being as clear as ever; yet believing the threatening, “He was moved with fear.” The fear of God, an effect of his faith in the word of God, moved (i.e.) impelled him to his duty; set him about his preparation work to provide an ark, and this was it by which he condemned the world, left them excuseless. For they not only heard of an approaching flood by his ministry, but now saw he himself believed what he preached, by his daily preparations against it came. O consider this, how much it would tend to the world’s conviction; now they will see that you are in good earnest, and that there is a reality in godliness: this will induce them to search into the matter more than ever, and remove those prejudices they have taken up against the good ways of God, as if they were but phantasms and conceits.
5. In the next place, this foresight and prepartion must needs be an excellent thing, because the Spirit of God every where sets an honourable character upon it, and always mentions such persons with some singular commendation and respect. These only were wise men in the judgment of God, and all the rest (what great politicians soever they are famed to be among men) are accounted fools, Prov. 22:3. Eccl. 2:14. “The wise man’s eyes are in his head;” that is, he is a fore-seeing man; “but the fool goes on, and is punished:” Rushes on without consideration, suspecting no danger that he at present sees not, and so smarts for his folly. Beloved, there are signs of the times, as well as of the weather, Mat. 16:3. You may see the clouds of judgment gathering before the storm falls upon you. And this is the meaning of Zeph. 2:1, 2. “Gather yourselves together, before the decree bring forth, and the day pass as the chaff.” Where there is a conception of judgment there will be a birth, unless the reformations and prayers of the saints cause it to miscarry. But it requires wisdom to discern this; they must be men of much observation that can descry it at a great distance; yet this may be done by considering what God hath done in like cases in former ages, when nations have been guilty of the same sins as now they are: For God is as just now as then, and hates sin as much as ever he did; and partly by attending to things present, to what fulness and maturity the sins of a nation are grown, Joel 3:16. or what beginnings of judgment are already upon a people, as harbingers and forerunners of more at hand. Luke 3:30, 31. 1 Sam. 2:12. Or what is the universal note and cry of God’s ministers, who are his watchmen to foresee danger, Ezek. 3:17 and his trumpeters to discover it, Num. 10:8. And when these have one mouth given them, certainly there is much in it, Luke 1:70. Or, lastly, by pondering those scripture-prophecies that yet remain to be fulfilled. They must all go out their times, and accomplish their full number of years and months; but certainly they shall be fulfilled in their seasons.
By attending to these things, a Christian may give a near guess at the judgments that are approaching a nation, and so order himself accordingly. Eccl. 8:5. “A wise man’s heart discerns both time and judgment.” And this is (even in the judgment of God) a choice point of wisdom; whereas, on the contrary, heedless and careless ones, that regard not these things are branded for fools, and upbraided with more brutishness than the beasts of the field, or fowls of the air. Mat. 16:3. Jer. 8:7. “The stork in the heavens, the swallow, turtle, and crane,” observe their seasons of departing, and returning upon the approach of the winter and spring, and that by a natural instinct, whereby they prolong their lives, which else must perish. But though God hath made man wiser than the fowls of the air, and beasts of the earth, which by instinct will quit colder climates, or run to the hedges when winter, or storms approach; yet the heavens may be astonished at this, to see nature cast by sin so far below itself; and that in reasonable creatures.
But now, if this be foreseen, then there is a singular advantage in a man’s hand, either to use the means of preventing those approaching calamities, Zeph. 2:3. or if it cannot be prevented, yet to take sanctuary in Christ, Mic. 5:5 to run to the promises and attributes, Isa. 24:21 and so have a good roof over his head while the storm falls and the weather is tempestuous abroad. And therefore certainly this preparation is an excellent thing. Whatever the Spirit of God speaks in the commendation of foreseeing evils, is with respect to this duty of preparing for them; for foresights of evils without preparation, rather increases than diminishes the misery.
6. A sixth excellency of preparation lies in the influence that it hath into a Christian’s stability in the evil day. You cannot but know that your stability in that critical hour of temptation, is a choice and singular mercy, inasmuch as all you are worth in the other world depends upon your standing then, Rev. 21:7, 8. Rom. 2:6, 7. Luke 22:27. neither can you be ignorant how much you are like to be tried, and put to it then, whether you respect the enemy that engages you, Eph. 6:12. or your own weakness, who have been so often foiled in lesser trials, Jer. 12:5. All the grace you have will be little enough to keep the field and bear you up from sinking; and therefore it cannot but be a blessed thing, to be able to stand and cope with the greatest difficulties in such a time of trial as that will be. “Now he that expects to do this must put on the whole armour of God.” See Ephes. 6:12, 13, 14. There is no expectation of standing in the evil day, except your foot be shod, that is, your wills prepared with the preparation of the gospel of peace.
It is true, that our ability to stand is not from our own inherent grace; “For by his strength shall no man prevail,” 1 Sam. 2:9. And yet it is as true, that without grace, both inherent in us, and excited and prepared for a storm, we cannot expect to stand; For these two, grace inherent in us, and grace exciting and assisting without are not opposed, but co-ordinated. Grace in us, is the weapon by which our enemy falls: but then that weapon must be managed by the hand of the Spirit. —— Well then, look upon this as a choice mercy, which tends so much to your stability.
7. A seventh excellency of a prepared heart, is that it is a very high testification of our love to Jesus Christ, when we thus shew our willingness to take our lot with him, and follow him wherever he goes. What an high expression of love was that of Ruth to her mother Naomi? “I will not go back, but where thou lodgest I will lodge, and where thou goest I will go.” It is excellent when a soul can say to Christ, as Ittai to David, 2 Sam. 15:21. “Surely in what place my lord the king shall be, whether in death or in life, even there also will thy servant be.” This is love indeed, to cleave to him in a time of such distresses and dangers. This is “love which the waters cannot quench, nor the floods drown,” Cant. 8:7. Probatio amoris, est exhibitiooperis: If you love Christ indeed, shew your love by some fruits of it; and surely this is a very choice fruit, and proof of it. There are many that profess a great deal of love to Christ, but when it comes to this touch-stone, it appears false and counterfeit; but a mere flourish when no danger is near. But that soul which buckles on the shoe of preparation, to follow him through thorns and briers, and over the rocks and mountains of difficulties and troubles, loves him indeed, Jer. 2:2, 3. Beloved, it is one of the choicest discoveries of your love to your master Christ, yea, it is such a testification of love to him, as angels are not capable of. They shew their love by their readiness to do his will, in the execution of which they fly as with wings, Ezek. 1:24 but you only have the happiness of testifying your love by your readiness to suffer for him, and is not this excellent?
8. When the heart is prepared for the worst sufferings, it is an argument that your will is subdued to the will of God; for till this be done, in a good measure, you cannot stand ready to suffer for him. But now, to have the will subdued by grace to the will of God, is a very choice and excellent frame indeed; for in this the main power of grace lieth: Look in what faculty the chief residence and strength of sin was, in the same chief residence the power of grace, after conversion, is also: Now it is in the will that the strength and power of sin (before conversion) lay. See John 5:40. Psalm 81:11. Jer. 44:16, 17. And indeed it was the devil’s strong hold, which, in the day of Christ’s power, he storms and reduces to his obedience, Psal 110:3. O what a blessed thing is this! The will rules the man, it hath the empire of the whole man; it commands the faculties of the soul, imperio politico; and it commands the members of the body, imperio despotico. Now to have Christ and grace rule that which rules and commands your inner and outer man too, is no small mercy; and a better evidence that it is so cannot be given than this, that you stand ready, or do seriously prepare yourselves to suffer the hardest things for Christ: If your will can like that work, it is an argument grace hath conquered and subdued your wills indeed.
9. This preparation of heart to sufferings, is an excellent thing, because God is so abundantly pleased with it, that he often excuses them from sufferings in whom he finds it, and accepts it, as if the service had been actually done. So Abraham, Gen. 22:12 he was ready to offer up his Isaac’s life to God; but God seeing his servant’s heart really prepared, and ready for that difficult service, and high point of self-denial, provided himself another sacrifice instead of Isaac. Abraham shall have his son Isaac back again, and that with advantage; for he hath with him not only a choice experiment of his love to God, but God’s high approbation of him, and acceptation of his offering. It was all one in respect of divine acceptance, as if he had been slain; and so the scripture represents it, Jam. 2:21. And in this sense that promise is often made good to God’s people who stand ready to give up their Isaacs, their lives, liberties, and dearest enjoyments to the Lord: “He that will lose his life for my name’s sake, shall save it,” Luke 9:24
Now what a blessed thing is this! you may this way have the crown of martyrdom, and yet not shed one drop of blood for Christ actually. Ah! how kindly doth God accept it at his poor creatures hands, when he sees how willing they are to serve him with their best enjoyments! “It is well (saith he to David) that it was in thy heart,” 1 Kings 8:18.
10. And then, lastly, to add no more, it is beyond controversy an excellent and blessed thing; because should such a Christian, after all his pains and preparations, be overborne, and fall by temptation: yet this preparation of his heart excuses his fall, from those aggravations that are upon the falls of others, and will give him both support under such a condition, and encouragement to hope for a speedy recovery out of it. Ah! it is no small comfort when a poor soul that hath been over-borne by temptation, can come to God and say, ‘Lord, thou knowest that this was not a wilful departure from my duty but contrary to the bent and resolutions of my heart; thou sawest my diligence before-hand to prepare for it; thou sawest my fears and tremblings of heart about it: O Lord, forgive, O Lord, recover thy servant, wash away this spot, it is one of the spots of thy children, an infirmity, not a rebellion:’ This may much stay the soul.
Surely, in this case, thou hast many grounds of comfort that another wants; for thy sin being but an infirmity, (1.) It is that which is common to all saints, Psal. 103:11, 12, 13, 14. (2.) God hath mercy and pardons for such sins as these, else woe to the holiest soul, Psal. 130:3, 4. Solomon, upon this ground, pleads for mercy for them that prepared their hearts, 2 Chron. 30:18, 19. And God hath laid in sweet grounds of encouragement for such souls, Numb. 15:27, 28. Heb. 5:2. How tenderly doth Christ deal with his disciples under this kind of sin, Matth. 26:41 and though they forsook him for a time, yet he received them again; though they fled from him, yet they all returned again and appeared boldly for Christ afterwards, and sealed their confession of him with their blood. And that which recovered them again was this, that their fall and departure was contrary to the resolution, and standing frame, and bent of their hearts; for they resolved all to cleave to him to the death, Mat. 26:35 whereas those that engaged in a profession of him inconsiderately, and never resolved, nor prepared for the worst, fell off from him, and never returned any more, John 6:66. So then, upon the whole, you cannot but grant, that it is a very blessed and excellent thing, to prepare thus for the greatest suffering that can befal us for Christ. We come next to shew wherein it lies.
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