Meditation on Mans Mortality, Verse 16 – Verse 17
VERS. 16. Let thy worke appeare upon thy servants: and thy glory unto their Children.
HItherto of the measure of Gladnesse that the Church desires.
The meanes of Gladnesse followes, which he craueth
1. In generall.
2. In speciall.
In generall.
1. That the worke of GOD may appeare upon his servants.
2. That his glory may appeare unto their Children.
His worke in this place signifieth the issue and fruit of their afflictions. So that the Church prayeth here that God would manifest vntounto her, that good worke that he hath aymed at all this while in afflicting her.
The very afflicting of his Church is a worke of God: but that more especially is his worke, which by afflicting her hee propounds to effect. The Hewing, Squaring, and Sawing of Timber is the worke of the Carpenter: but his speciall worke indeed is the House, that by meanes thereof hee worketh: So the melting, refining, and polishing of Siluer or Gold is the worke of the Gold-smith, but more especially the Cup or Boule that by that meanes he frameth.
Hence we may learne.
1. That God many times hideth the speciall end, why he doth afflict vsus. He beats his Church sometimes for a long time together; and the Church neither can tell the speciall cause why, nor what will bee the issue or consequent of it. Ordinarily Parents never correct their Children but before-hand they acquaint them with the particular fault, and the child can gesse at the end that his Father aymes at: So doth God many times, and his children also can see in the very rod of God, their fault, and what God aymes at in the same; But sometimes they cannot for their liues for a long time, though at length they shall see it. God puts them oft into the fire, he hammers them oft ouer and ouer againe: but what peece of worke the Lord will make of them, they no more know somtimes then the iron vponupon the Anveile knowes what the Smith will make of it, whether a Locke or a Key.
2. Though the Church or Gods child do not yet see what the worke of God will bee, yet how hardly soever God doth deale with them, though he cast them never so oft into the fire, & hammer and beat them never so much, yea, though they hauehave an apprehension of his wrath therein, which is not in the Smith when hee beateth his iron; yet the child of God presumeth that that worke … God is good, and that there will a good issue and blessed effect spring there-from. Hence they pray Iob 1…. …and desire earnestly to see the same: and prayer is a meanes to obtaine the sight of it.
3. This is a speciall meanes to make them glad, when the Lord shall manifest vntounto them the blessed fruits and effects of his affliction. Yea, till then they cannot be soundly made glad; though the Lord should surcease to afflict them. But when that worke appeares, then they cannot but bee glad, yea, so glad that they shall blesse the day that God did chastise them, when they shall see the evill that God kept them from, and the good he hath effected by the same. As Dauid Psal. 119. 71. It is good for mee that I hauehave beene afflicted. So that how bitter and sharpe soever thine affliction bee, yet comfort thy selfe in this; thou art vnderunder the Lords hammer, and when the worke he aimes at is finished, and appeares, thou shalt be glad and rejoyce in God. When therefore wee lie vnderunder any crosse, let vsus possesse our soules with patience, till the worke of the Lord appeare; and then wee shall be glad.
The Church in this Petition giues her selfe againe the title of Servants, that is to say, persons both bound and readie to yeeld all obedience, and to performe any seruice to God that hee shall put them vntounto. So that this is an argument to moue the Lord to grant this request, and a meanes to obtaine it, for one to be Gods servant even vnderunder affliction: for to none else shall ever this worke appeare to make them glad, but rather to adde vntounto them crosse vponupon crosse. So that the more seruiceable and dutifull we bee vntounto God in our afflictions, the more wee shall discerne the worke of the Lord in them, and such a worke as shall make vsus rejoyce according to the proportion of our afflictions.
The second meanes in generall followeth. And thy glory vntounto their Children, that is to say, that our children may see the glorious fruit of this affliction in vsus, that so they may not bee discouraged thereby to serue thee, but rather the more hartned, when they shall see what a glorious worke thou hast wrought in and vponupon vsus by afflicting vsus.
So that by making good use of our affliction, not onelyonly our selues, but our posteritie also shall fare the better for it, the Lord will worke such a worke thereby as shall not onelyonly make vsus glad, but make his glory shine in the eyes of our Children, and them that shall follow after vsus; so that they shall hauehave occasion to blesse God for vsus. Hence it is, that the bloud of Martyrs is the seed of Sanguis Martyrum semen Ecclesiae.Gods Church: and that wicked persecutors are so crossed in their maine ends, that in the end the contrary to their hopes falleth out.
VERS. 17. And let the beautie of the Lord our God bee upon us; and establish thou the worke of our hands vponupon us; yea, the worke of our hand establish thou it.
THE more speciall meanes of Gladnesse followes.
1. That the beautie of the Lord her God bee upon her, as if he should say, That by this meanes shee may be purged from that corruption which was the cause of prouoking the Lord vntounto wrath; and that the image of God thereby may bee renued more and more in her, and may appeare so to bee to others. For then the beauty of the Lord is upon vsus, when wee are like to him and resemble him in holinesse and righteousnesse; when wee shine by his beames; when our wills are conformable to his will, and when we giuegive entertainment to all his Ordinances; and when to this end he vouch safeth his Church all the ordinary meanes of saluation. Where this is wanting, all other beautie and glory is but as a gold Ring in a swines snout, and as a painted Sepulcher, having nothing but filthy and loth some matter within it.
Whence we note; that
Gods children afflicted, count pietie, religion, and the feare of God their greatest beauty and ornament; yea, by afflictions God is wont to bring them to an higher estimation of these graces, and a purer use of his ordinances then formerly they had. And then may we well deeme that our afflictions hauehave done good on vsus, when they hauehave brought us into a further measure of liking, and high esteeme of spirituall graces, and a greater conformitie unto God in them.
2. That the Lord would establish upon them the worke of their hands. By vouch safing a prosperous successe, and good issue to their attempts and endeuours.
Whence we obserue; that
Gods children can never hope to thriue or prosper in ought, so long as God is offended with them, or hath for their sins estranged himselfe from them. All that while they saile but against the wind, & striue against the streame, in whatsoever they attempt and put their hand unto: all is sure to goe crosse with them, and nothing to bee established or brought to any good issue. They shall but doe and undoe, and be as far; when they hauehave wearied and tired out themselues, though they should labour like Horses, and even worke their hearts out, from effecting of ought, as they were when they first set hand to their worke, till God vouch safe to turne unto them, and with his favour and assistance graciously to strengthen them, and to establish their endevours upon them. Yea, by afflictions God oft fitteth men for a blessing in this kinde, which when we hauehave made that holy use of that we ought, wee may well hope that God returning againe in mercy unto us, will giuegive better successe then ever before to all our affaires.
FINIS.
End of the text · William Bradshaw, Meditation on Mans Mortality (1621)