The Practice of Piety—a Puritan
devotional manual, directing a Christian how to live, that he may please God
by Lewis Bayly (1611)
Consolations against impatience in sickness
If in your sickness by extremity of pain you be driven to
impatience, meditate—
1. That your sins have deserved the pains of hell;
therefore you may with greater patience endure these fatherly corrections.
2. That these are the scourges of your heavenly Father,
and the rod is in his hand. If you did suffer with reverence, being a child,
the corrections of your earthly parents, how much rather should you now
subject yourself, being the child of God, to the chastisement of your
heavenly Father, seeing it is for your eternal good?
3. That Christ suffered in his soul and body far more
grievous pains for you, therefore you must more willingly suffer his blessed
pleasure for your own good (Isa 53:3.) Therefore, says Peter, "Christ
suffered for you, leaving you an example that you should follow his steps"
(1 Pet 2:21.) And "Let us," says Paul, "run with joy the race that is set
before us, looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith, who for
the joy that was set before him, endured the cross," etc. (Heb 12:1-2.)
4. That these afflictions which now you suffer are none
other but such as "are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world,"
as witnesses Peter (1 Pet 5:9;) yes, Job's afflictions were far more
grievous. There is not one of the saints which now are at rest in heavenly
joys, but endured as much as you do before they went there; yes, many of
them willingly suffered all the torments that tyrants could inflict upon
them, that they might come unto those heavenly joys to which you are now
called. And you have a promise, that "the God of all grace, after you have
suffered a while, will make you perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle
you" (1 Pet 5:10.)
5. That God has determined the time when your affliction
shall end, as well as the time when it began. Thirty-eight years were
appointed the sick man at the pool of Bethesda (John 5:5.) Twelve years to
the woman who was suffering from bleeding (Matt 9:20.) Three months to Moses
(Exod 2:2.) Ten days' tribulation to the angel of the Church at Smyrna (Rev
2:10.) Three days plague to David (2 Sam 24:13.) Yes, the number of the
godly man's tears are registered in God's book--and the quantity kept in his
bottle (Psalm 56:8.)
The time of our trouble, says Christ, is but a little
while (John 16:16.) God's anger lasts but a moment, says David (Psalm 30.) A
little season, says the Lord (Rev 6:11;) and therefore calls all the time of
our pain but the hour of sorrow (John 16:21.) David, for the
swiftness of it, compares our present trouble to a brook (Psalm 110:7), and
Athanasius to a shower. Compare the longest misery that man endures in
this life--to the eternity of heavenly joys; and they will appear to be
nothing! "For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are
not worth comparing with the glory that is going to be revealed to us."
(Romans 8:18) And as the sight of a son safely born, makes the mother forget
all her former deadly pain (John 16:21), so the sight of Christ in heaven,
who was born for you, will make all these pangs of death to be quite
forgotten, as if they had never been. Like Stephen, who, as soon as he saw
Christ, forgot his own wounds, with the horror of the grave, and terror of
the stones, and sweetly yielded his soul into the hands of his Savior (Acts
7.) Forget your own pain, think of Christ's wounds. Be faithful unto the
death, and he will give you the crown of eternal life (Rev 2:10.)
6. That you are now called to repetitions in Christ's
school of affliction, to see how much faith, patience, and godliness, you
have learned all this while; and whether you can, like Job, receive at the
hand of God some evil, as well as you have hitherto received a great deal of
good (Job 2:10.) As therefore you have always prayed, "Your will be done,"
so be not now offended at this which is done by his holy will.
7. That "all things shall work together for the best, to
those who love God;" insomuch that "neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor
principalities, nor powers, etc., shall be able to separate us from the love
of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Rom 8:28,38-39.) Assure yourself
that every pang is a prevention of the pains of hell, every respite a pledge
of heaven's rest; and how many stripes do you esteem heaven worth? As your
life has been a comfort to others, so give your friends a Christian example
to die. Death is but the cross of Christ sent before to crucify the love of
the world in you, that you may go eternally to live with Christ who was
crucified for you. As you are therefore a true Christian, take up, like
Simeon of Cyrene, with both your arms, his holy cross, carry it after him
unto him. Your pains will shortly pass, your joys shall never pass away.