Meditation on Mans Mortality, Verse 15
VERS. 15. Make us glad according to the daies wherein thou hast afflicted us, and the yeares wherein wee hauehave seene evill.
AFter the generall suite for mercy, followeth a more speciall suite for the same:
Wherein,
1. In speciall the Church calleth upon God himselfe to make her to rejoyce; and that according to the degree and proportion of her former affliction.
2. Shee in her Prayers beggeth the speciall meanes thereof.
In the first we learne.
1. That the Church being humbled with the sense of Gods wrath, no bodie can comfort her and reioyce her but God onelyonly. For if the Fountaine be bitter, how can the streames bee sweete? If God the Fountaine of all Goodnesse afflict us with evill, what hope can wee hauehave of God from any other? If the Almightie wound vsus in his wrath, who can heale vsus? Or if any shall heale one wound, shall wee not hauehave cause to feare two for that one? To reioyce in any thing else, when God is angry with us and smites us, is as if whilst wee are in the pawes of a Lyon, and readie to bee deuoured, wee should then bee delighted with the Friskes and Gambols of Apes and Munkies. To seeke for comfort and delight in any thing else, whilst God is angry with us, is as vaine as if a man in his drought being kept from water, should thinke to quench his thirst by drinking of Brine.
The use hereof.
1. This should teach us in our miseries and afflictions in the first place to labour to see Gods hand in them; That it is God that chasteneth and afflicteth, and maketh vsus sorrowfull; And when wee see that, it should teach us to flie to him for comfort and ease; and never to expect it els-where. Yea, herein wee should in our afflictions approue our selues to be Gods children, if wee can seeke to him for ease and comfort that hath smitten vsus; And the contrary is a signe of a Gracelesse childe, who at that time that he knowes his Father is exceedingly wrath with him, and hath beene corrected by him, will never seeke to him, but sport and delight himselfe with the servants, or with Dogs.
2. In comforting others that are afflicted under the sence of Gods wrath, It should teach us to speake in that manner to them, that they may discerne that God speakes in and by us, and that that comfort that wee desire to possesse them with, is a divine comfort, and hath his ground from Gods owne word. Else all comfort will bee but vaine. Yea, wee shall shew our selues but lewd and prophane persons, if wee shall endeuour to comfort Gods childe by any other kind of comfort, then that which proceeds from God; this being to teach them to despise God, as it is a despising of ones Parents for a childe whilst his Father is wrath with him, and is smiting of him, to laugh at and be merry with others.
3. Gods childe in his sorrow should desire no other joy or gladnes, but what God maketh him: as indeed no other joy can make him truely glad againe, but that which proceedes from him that before made him sad.
In the second place we learne.
That in the midst of the signes and tokens of Gods wrath, Gods childe may hauehave hopes and encouragements of joy and comfort even in God: That God that humbles his childe will comfort him, if whilst hee is humbled hee shew himselfe to be the child of God, and doe not stubbornly carry himselfe under the rod, but submit himselfe and pray unto him for comfort. For Gods spirit would never hauehave taught his Church to hauehave asked this of God, if God herein would not be readie to yeeld to his child.
The measure of joy that the Church craues from God is according to the dayes and yeares of their afflictions, a joy answerable and proportionable to their affliction: that as God had a long time, for many daies and yeares afflicted them, so he would be pleased to send them answerable comfort.
Whence by the way we may note;
1. That the speciall affliction and calamity of Gods Church in the Wildernesse seemes to be an occasion that mooved the Prophet to pen this Psalme concerning the frailtie and mortalitie of Man in generall, teaching vsus upon the like speciall occasions to meditate of this Argument.
2. That it is no new thing, That God should humble and afflict his Church, not for an houre or a day, but for many dayes and yeares together sometimes: which should teach vsus the more patiently to beare shorter afflictions; and in our affliction from day to day and yeare to yeare waite the Lords leasure for deliverance.
But the speciall poynt wee are to note is this; That the Church in this doth imply an Argument to moue the Lord to make them glad, yea to make them glad for a long time, because they hauehave for a long time bin afflicted; as if he should say, Oh Lord thou knowest how many dayes wee hauehave beene afflicted, yea, how many yeares wee hauehave seene euill, therefore accordingly make vsus glad.
Whence wee learne.
That there is a proportion betweene the afflictions and miseries of Gods children, and their comforts.
Are they greatly afflicted? Surely they shall hauehave great gladnesse. Are they dayes, moneths, and yeares chastised? They shall accordingly rejoyce. Yea, the greatnesse of our afflictions are as it were a bond, and doe tie the Lord to make vsus glad. So that wee cannot use a more forcible reason then this to induce him therevnto. And why? Surely because the Lord is a most mercifull and kind Father: and therefore cannot but please and delight his childe the more, the more hee hath afflicted him; especially, if vnderunder his affliction hee shall shew himselfe a dutifull childe.
This should teach us to be of good comfort in our greatest and longest afflictions; yea, to be the more comforted for them, so we make true use of them. For these are tokens and sore-runners of great and lasting joy. If wee call vponupon the Lord, though it be long ere he heare vsus, yet at length he will heare vsus; and the longer it shall be before he heare, the more he will glad vsus when he heares vsus. So that when he comes to make vsus glad, hee will pay vsus usury, nay, use vponupon use And wee should rather feare then otherwise, when wee never saw any evill dayes, or saw it but for a few dayes. For how glad and merry soever wee hauehave beene; yet wee hauehave cause to feare that the Lord did never make vsus merry. And our sorrow to come shall bee according to the dayes and yeares of that mirth which is not of the Lords making.