Through this series of blog entries I came across a particular puritian writer of the 17th century, Lewis Bayly. As I read the puritians I am forever humbled by how they sought to use every situation as an opportunity to pursue, long for and love Christ. They, like Mr. Bayly were spiritual giants. I trust that this entry will provoke you in the midst of trial, sickness or affliction to pursue Christ and to grow in your savoring of our Glorious Savior as we grow in the school of affliction.
Below is an excerpt from his book, "The Practice of Piety." In some places, I have changed some of the wording to make it more readable. For a full original copy of this you can contact, "Soli Deo Gloria Publications."
Meditations for the Sick - By Lewis Bayly
Whilst thy sickness remain, use often, for thy comfort, these few meditations:
1. (If your afflictions are due to your sin) By afflictions God may not only correct our sins past, but also work in us a deeper loathing of our natural corruptions, and so prevent us from falling into many other sins, which otherwise we would commit. Like a good father, who suffers his children to allow them to be scorched by the smallest of candles, that the child may rather learn to beware of falling into a greater fire: so that the child of God may say with David, "It is good for me that I have been afflicted, that I may learn thy statues; for before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I keep thy word." ...For God, like a skillful physician, seeing the soul to be poisoned with the settling of sin, and knowing that the reigning of the flesh will prove the ruin of the spirit, ministereth the bitter pill of affliction, whereby the relics of sin are purged, and the soul more soundly cured; the flesh is subdued, and the spirit is sanctified. O' the odiousness of sin, which causeth God to chasen so severly his children, whom otherwise he loveth so dearly!
2. God sends afflictions to wean our hearts from too much loving this world and worldly vanities; and to cause us the more earnestly to desire and long for eternal life [with Him.] As the children of Israel, had they not been ill-entreated in Egypt, would never have been so willing to go towards Canaan; so, were it not for the crosses and afflictions of this life, God's children would not so heartily long for and willingly desire the kingdom of heaven. For we see many [people] that would be content to forego heaven, on condition that they might still enjoy their earthly pleasures; and having never tasted the joys of a better, how loath are they to depart this life? Whereas the Apostle that saw heaven's glory tells us, that there is no more comparison between the joys of eternal life, and the pleasures of this world, then there is between the filthiest dung and the pleasantest meat...so God mixes sometimes affliction with the pleasures and prosperity of this life, lest, like the children of this generation, they should forget God, and fall in too much love of this present evil world; and so by riches grow proud; by fame insolent; by liberty, wanton; and spurn with their heel against the Lord.
3. Affliction works in us pity and compassion toward our fellow-brethern that be in distress and misery; whereby we learn to have a fellow-feeling of their calamities, and to walk with them. And for this cause Christ himself would suffer and be tempted in all things like unto us, yet without sin that we might not have a High Priest who is unable to sympathize with our weakness.
4. By afflictions God makes us conformable to the image of Christ his Son, who being the captain of our salvation, was made perfect through sufferings. Therefore he first bare the cross in shame, before he was crowned with glory; he did first take gall; before he did eat the honeycomb; and was the derided King of the Jews, by the soldiers in the High Priest's hall, before he was saluted King of glory, by the angels in his Father's court. [We press on having this hope] that when we have for a time borne his likeness in his sufferings, and fought and overcome, we shall be crowned by Christ; and with Christ, sit on his throne...and shall make us shine like Christ forever in his glory."
Below is an excerpt from his book, "The Practice of Piety." In some places, I have changed some of the wording to make it more readable. For a full original copy of this you can contact, "Soli Deo Gloria Publications."
Meditations for the Sick - By Lewis Bayly
Whilst thy sickness remain, use often, for thy comfort, these few meditations:
1. (If your afflictions are due to your sin) By afflictions God may not only correct our sins past, but also work in us a deeper loathing of our natural corruptions, and so prevent us from falling into many other sins, which otherwise we would commit. Like a good father, who suffers his children to allow them to be scorched by the smallest of candles, that the child may rather learn to beware of falling into a greater fire: so that the child of God may say with David, "It is good for me that I have been afflicted, that I may learn thy statues; for before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I keep thy word." ...For God, like a skillful physician, seeing the soul to be poisoned with the settling of sin, and knowing that the reigning of the flesh will prove the ruin of the spirit, ministereth the bitter pill of affliction, whereby the relics of sin are purged, and the soul more soundly cured; the flesh is subdued, and the spirit is sanctified. O' the odiousness of sin, which causeth God to chasen so severly his children, whom otherwise he loveth so dearly!
2. God sends afflictions to wean our hearts from too much loving this world and worldly vanities; and to cause us the more earnestly to desire and long for eternal life [with Him.] As the children of Israel, had they not been ill-entreated in Egypt, would never have been so willing to go towards Canaan; so, were it not for the crosses and afflictions of this life, God's children would not so heartily long for and willingly desire the kingdom of heaven. For we see many [people] that would be content to forego heaven, on condition that they might still enjoy their earthly pleasures; and having never tasted the joys of a better, how loath are they to depart this life? Whereas the Apostle that saw heaven's glory tells us, that there is no more comparison between the joys of eternal life, and the pleasures of this world, then there is between the filthiest dung and the pleasantest meat...so God mixes sometimes affliction with the pleasures and prosperity of this life, lest, like the children of this generation, they should forget God, and fall in too much love of this present evil world; and so by riches grow proud; by fame insolent; by liberty, wanton; and spurn with their heel against the Lord.
3. Affliction works in us pity and compassion toward our fellow-brethern that be in distress and misery; whereby we learn to have a fellow-feeling of their calamities, and to walk with them. And for this cause Christ himself would suffer and be tempted in all things like unto us, yet without sin that we might not have a High Priest who is unable to sympathize with our weakness.
4. By afflictions God makes us conformable to the image of Christ his Son, who being the captain of our salvation, was made perfect through sufferings. Therefore he first bare the cross in shame, before he was crowned with glory; he did first take gall; before he did eat the honeycomb; and was the derided King of the Jews, by the soldiers in the High Priest's hall, before he was saluted King of glory, by the angels in his Father's court. [We press on having this hope] that when we have for a time borne his likeness in his sufferings, and fought and overcome, we shall be crowned by Christ; and with Christ, sit on his throne...and shall make us shine like Christ forever in his glory."
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