Meditation on Mans Mortality, Verse 2 – Verse 4
VERS. 2. Before the Mountaines were brought forth, or euer thou hadst formed the earth; euen from euerlasting to euerlasting thou art God.
THE second Argument of Gods prayse is from his worthinesse and excellencie of himselfe; That he is a God eternall and immutable; one that euer hath beene, and euer shall be the same; in whom there is no alteration, nor shadow Iam. 1. 17.of change. He was God before the Mountaines were brought forth, yea, before the earth was made, and he will be God for euer and euer: And those properties and qualities that are in him; were euer in him, and will be in him for euer and euer. This prayse of God doth fit that present Argument which the Prophet hath in hand: And tends to moderate and keepe in compasse immoderate sorrow that may arise either from the consideration of our owne Mortalitie, or the Mortalitie of any other. For that, notwithstanding the changes and alterations that we see in the world, that may discourage vsus, and breede distrust and diffidence in vsus, yet, if we be the true Children of God, we hauehave had a true feeling and sence of his louelove and speciall Prouidence ouer vsus. And if we hauehave once felt it indeed, there is no cause but to hope for the continuance thereof. For as he is an eternall God, so his louelove is an eternall louelove; it was before all Worlds, and shall be for euer and euer.
Is therefore the hand of God vponupon thee? Dost thou see and feele thy selfe to be mortall? Dost thou see those thou dependest vponupon to be such? What? Dost thou thinke therefore that God that did louelove thee, and that in his louelove raised vp these and these meanes for thee, is mortall also and mutable? No: Though he change and alter the meanes, and therby would hauehave thee to feare and tremble before him; yet doe not thou for all that despaire? Be thou still the Child of God: Let no changes either threatned or effected change thy minde and affection to God: and though God shall for a time humble thee, and seeme for a time to thrust thee from thine house, and all comforts of thy life, to make thee to know thy selfe; yet his affection is the same to thee that euer it was; it can no more change then he doth change. And therfore as God out of his eternall louelove hath heretofore beene good vntounto thee, so be thou assured, that out of the same louelove he will continue so to be in the midst of all changes and alterations whatsoeuer.
The particular description of Gods eternitie and immutabilitie fitteth this place and Argument. What more firme then rockes and mountaines! What more stable then the earth that neuer Psal. 93. 2. And 78. 69. Eccles. 1. 4.remooues out of his place, nor moues in his place? Yet that God, which is eternall, which was before they were made, is more immouable then they. The greatest Mountaines vponupon the earth, yea, the earth it selfe shall sooner be mooued and remoued, then he, not onelyonly in his nature, but in his affection and disposition. And though wee had neuer such certaine dwelling places in this World, though our houses were built vppon the firmest Rockes and highest Mountaines; yet wee should not be sure, except the Lord himselfe bee our dwelling place. Our confidence in such places is nothing without him. What sayth the Lord by his Prophet to the Edomites, Obadiah 3. 4. The pride of thy heart hath deceiued thee thou that dwellest in the Clefts of the Rocke, whose habitation is on high; that sayth in his heart, Who shall bring mee downe? Whereas if the Lord bee our dwelling house, we Psal. 18. 2.are sure and safe. For hee is a Rocke, a Castle, a Fort, a Secret place to all his.
VERS. 3. Thou turnest man to destruction, saying, Returne, ye Children of Adam.
HIs complaint is to God, as to the Author of our mortalitie: and that mortalitie which is from God he setteth forth. 1. By diuerse Comparisons, 2. By the cause that moueth God to make man see such mortalitie.
In the first place the Prophet conceiueth of God as of a Potter, that hauing of dust tempered a masse and framed it into a vessell and dried it, doth presently, within a minute of an houre after, dash it againe in peeces, and beat it to dust, in passion as it were speaking vntounto it, Get thee to the dust againe.
The word here translated Destruction, signifies a Beating, or Grinding, or Pounding of a thing to Powder. And the Prophet seemes to allude to the third of Genesis, where God speaks of Adam, Dust thou art and to dust thou shalt returne, as if he should Gen. 3. 19.say: O Lord, thou that hast made and framed man of the dust of the earth, thou beatest him to dust againe: And as thou madest him by thy Word alone, So with thy Word thou suddainly turnest, and beatest him againe to dust; as a man that makes a thing, and presently marres it againe.
Hence we learne:
1. That as it is God by whom we liue; So it is he by whom and whose meanes we die: By what meanes soeuer men come to their ends, whether by a timely or vntimely death, God hath the maine stroke. The sword that takes away our life, must goe out of his mouth, before we can die. Its hee that sayth, Returne, Oh sonne of man ! before a man can returne to dust. So then let vsus not so much regard the threats and brags of men: but let vsus that feare death, feare the Lord that gaue life. For he onelyonly quickneth, he onelyonly killeth.Deut. 32. 39. 1 Sam. 2. 6.
2. He doth it with a word, against which is no resistance, when that word is once come out of his mouth, it is not all the dyet Physicke, & helpe, and prayers in the world that can saue the life, And this he can doe suddainly, in the twinckling of an eye. And therefore we should, as wee louelove our liues, feare him, and take heed how we offend and displease him, that can with a word turne the strongest man into dust.
3. The style that God giueth to man, when he calleth him out of this world, is the Child of Adam, and of Dust: as if he said; Thou art but the Child of dust; of dust thou art made; thou art sprung from them that were but dust, and which are all turned vntounto dust; goe thou also to dust.
So that we should thinke seriously of the matter that we are made of, and be humbled with the consideration thereof; And herein iustifie the Lord in his dealing. For why may not he that hath made vsus of dust, turne vsus againe vntounto dust?
And this should teach vsus to take heed how wee place our maine and principall hope in Man, who is but the child of dust, who must returne to dust Psal. 146. 3, 4.as soone as God calls him, and bids him returne.
4 This sheweth the absolute power which the Lord hath ouer these bodies of ours. A Potter hath not more power ouer the vessell of clay that he maketh. Which as it should teach vsus to take heede how we murmur and repine against GOD for ought he doth in this kind: so it should likewise admonish vsus, to use our bodies whilest wee hauehave them, and before wee and they returne to dust againe, to his glory; That so from dust they may be raised againe by him to immortalitie.
VERS. 4. For a thousand yeares in thy sight are but as yesterday that is past, and as a Watch in the night.
THe Prophet sheweth further in this part of his complaint, that God doth as it were suddainly raise vp a man and breake him againe, because that in his eyes a thousand yeares are but as yesterday that is passed; and as a watch in the night. Now if it be so with God in regard of his eternity, that a thousand yeares are but as yesterday, and the fourth part of a night; then surely in his eyes the life of man, though he should liue to threescore and ten, is but short; as short as if a man should make a thing, and marre it within a quarter of an houre, yea, in the very same minute or moment almost.
Hence we learne.
1. Not to measure length of time by the time we spend here, though wee were sure to liue till eightie or a hundred yeares, but to measure it by Gods eternitie; to consider what it is in respect of God, and of theirs that liue with God, and are in grace and fauour with him. For surely when they hauehave enioyed his presence a thousand yeares in all blisse, they are no whit then weary thereof, nor is it but as if they had beene with him but an houre.
2. This is a terror to the wicked, for though they be a thousand yeares in hell, yet with God it is but as yesterday. Which shewes the extreame folly of them, that for a little pleasure in this life, which is so vncertaine, and so momentary, do so little regard eternall woe.
3. The consideration of this should perswade that God hath made vsus for another end then to liue here. For we may not thinke he would with such endeuour make Man in his owne Image, to destroy it suddainly againe, and to no other purpose; But he destroys man, and makes him returne to dust againe, that he may translate him to another condition of life. And therefore our life here is but a way to another.