The Husbandmans Companion, Meditation 73
Upon mens miſery, labour, and pains.
73. Med.
WHen I conſidered that man that was the chief of Gods workmanſhip, and next to the angels the moſt glorious creature of the whole creation, yea, in his creation was made little lower then the angels, and cloathed with honour and dignity, Pſal. 8.5. and was made Lord over the works of Gods hands, Gen. 1.26. yea, God created him in his own image, all theſe inferiour creatures were made for his ſake, and for his uſe and ſervice; he was their little Lord, yea, the angels themſelves are miniſtring ſpirits, ſent out for the good of thoſe that love God, Heb. 1.14. the ſaints are the Church, the ſpouſe, the bride the members of Chriſt, and ſo ſeem to be in nearer union to him then the angels themſelves; ſome think the devils envied this, and ſo fell from their own ſtation: thus you ſee, how man in the creation was exalted to honour: but on the other ſide, I conſidered, how man above all the reſt of the creatures was more ſubjected to miſery, labour, and ſlavery, yea, vexation of ſpirit, then any other, and many of them even worn out with carking cares, and fretting fears, with moiling, toyling, ſpending labour, which tires their bodies, breaks their ſleep in the night, when other creatures which were made for their uſe, and are their ſervants, reſt ſecure and free from daily cares and nightly troubles, many kindes of them are preſerved without their pain, all without their care, or fore-caſt; the maſters care for ſome, and maintain them, and God maintains the reſt; but it is not ſo with man; he muſt eat his bread in the ſweat of his brows, how true is that of Joh, chap. 5.7. man is born to labour as the ſparks fly upwards, all things are full of labour (ſaith Solomon) Eccl. 1.8. moleſtation and miſery meet us at every turn, the world (ſaith one) is a ſea of glaſs, for it is vanity, mingled with fire, (for it is vexation), Rev. 4.6. man is in a reſtleſs condition, toſſed to and fro like a football, and here he hath no reſting place; when I ſought out the cauſe of this, why this noble creature ſhould be thus ſubjected to trouble, and ſorrow, more then any others; I quickly found out, it was Gods will and mans deſert, for had man continued in his primitive purity, he had never had an aking head or aking heart, or loſs or croſs, or any thing to moleſt him; but when he had ſin'd, God pronounced this ſentence upon him, in the ſweat of thy brows thou ſhalt eat thy bread; which law never yet was reverſed: The beaſts of the field never tranſgreſt their makers law, as man hath done, and therefore never had ſuch puniſhment threatned as man had, though it is conceived they are ſufferers for mans ſin, Rom. 8.20. had not ſin gone before, trouble and miſery had never followed; the wages of ſin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life; and as ſin, brought death, ſo alſo ſorrow into the world, what cauſe then hath poor man to hugg ſuch a viper in his boſome, that feels ſo much the ſad effects of it, which is the cauſe of all temporal, ſpiritual and eternal miſeries, which without repentance will cauſe not only a ſeperation of the ſoul from the body, but alſo of the body and ſoul from God: I conſidered alſo, that though man were ſubjected to more care and trouble then other creatures were, yet if he did his work well, he was promiſed a greater reward, and better wages then any other, he ſhall be well paid for his pains, and who will not take pains for profit? it is fit that man that is promiſed a kingdome for one days work, ſhould work harder then he that hath but ordinary wages, yea, God hath gracious ends in theſe afflictions to his people, by this means he lets them know, their reſt is not here, and weans them from the love of the world which would undo them, who otherwiſe would with Peter ſay, it is good being here: we are travellers, and cannot expect reſt in a journey or ſecurity in an enemies countrey; the Samaritans would not entertain Chriſt, becauſe his face was as though he would go to Jeruſalem, Luk. 9.53. and the world will not entertain Gods people, becauſe they have their faces he…enward: Chriſt tells us, in the world we ſhall have tribulation, John. 16.33. this is not a paradice, but a purgatory to the ſaints; we may ſay of this, as one doth of the Straits of Megellan, when a man is there, which way ſoever he bends his courſe the winde will be againſt him; but Chriſt hath overcome the world, and will ſubject this enemy to us: It is a great miſtake to take this for our reſt, yet many do, and reſt here, and it is all the reſt they are like to have, and a miſerable portion it is to thoſe that have the moſt of it; there are none here live free from miſery, though ſome ſinfully paſs away their time idly; ſorrow will follow ſin, as the ſhadow doth the ſubſtance; and if any can patch up a miſerable happineſs here, yet it is ſhort-lived, and they know not whether it will be a day older; when death comes eternal miſeries will take date: oh my ſoul, art thou under ſuffering, and haſt no free-day, do they come like waves of the ſea, one in the neck of another, thank thy ſelf and thy ſin for it; theſe are the fruits of thy beloved luſts; when luſt hath conceived it bringeth forth ſin, and ſin when it is finiſhed bringeth forth death, Jam. 1.15. never expect to be free from ſuffering, till thou be free from ſin; when thou ſmarteſt by affliction avenge thy ſelf on thy ſins, and make thy heart ſmart for ſin, if ſin be not forſaken, thy ſufferings will be more; God will make thee bend or break under his hand, but if thy ſins be hated and repented, deſpair not at thy troubles; it is but the portion of Gods own people: Abel began a health, and all the ſaints that ever were, are, or ſhall be, have pledg'd it round, and ſome have drunk very deep, and Chriſt himſelf drunk up the very dregs of it; but if thou ſuffer for righteouſneſs ſake, thou ſhalt be ſufficiently rewarded, yea, thou maiſt rejoice and be exceeding glad, for great will be thy reward in heaven, Mat. 5.11.12. Oh my God, thou haſt afflicted me leſs then I deſerve, help me to patience under thy hand, with correction give inſtruction, and let no twig of thy rod be in vain, fit my back for the burthen, and then lay on what thou pleaſeſt.