The Balm of the Covenant, Application 2
VSE II.
Seeing then that the Covena… of God is the great relief and su…port of all the afflicted people, I… the afflicted soul go to this blesse… Covenant; study and apply it i… all distresses. It is in it self a s… veraign Cordial, able to revive … gracious Spirit at the lowest ebb… but then it must be studied an… applied, or it will never give fort… its consolations to our refreshment… Extream sorrows are apt to deafen… our Ears to all voices of comfort… The loud cries of Affliction too often drown the sweet still voice of spiritual Consolation; but either here or no-where our redress is to be found. Why seek we the living among the dead? comfort from things that cannot yield it? The Covenant can discover two things which are able to pacifie the most discomposed heart, viz.
1. The good of Affliction.
2. The end of Affliction.
1. It will discover to us the good of Affliction, and so rectifie our mistaken judgments about it. God is not undoing, but consulting our interest and happiness in all these dispensations. It will satisfie us, that in all these things he doth no more than what we our selves allow and approve in other cases. It is not meerly from his pleasure, but for our profit, that these breaches are made upon our Families, and Comforts, Heb. 12.10. Who blames the Marriner for casting the Goods over board to save Ship and life in a storm? or the Chirurgeon for lancing, yea, or cutting off a Leg or Arm to preserve the life of his Patient? or Souldiers for burning or beating down the Suburbs, to save the City in a siege? And why must God only be censured, for cutting off those things from us which he knows will hazard us in the … of temptation? he sees the less… have of entanglement, the m… promptness and fitness we … have to go through the tryals … are coming upon us; and that the comforts he cuts off from … Bodies, goes to the profit and … vantage of our Souls.
2. Here you gain a sight … only of the good of Affliction, … also of the comfortable end … issue of Affliction. This clou… and stormy morning will wind … in a serene and pleasant evenin… There's a vast difference betw… our meeting with Afflictions, … our parting from them.Jam. 5.11. You ha… heard of the patience of Iob, and … seen the end of the Lord. O get … Iob's Spirit under Affliction, an… you may see as happy an end … them as he did.
Had Naomy seen the end of … Lord in taking away her Husband and starving her out of Moab, … would not have changed her name or said the Lord had dealt bitter with her, in grafting her Daughte… by that Providence into the Noble Line, out of which the Saviour of the World was to rise; and could you but see that good in order to which all this train of troubles is …aid, you would not murmur or …espond as you do.
Object. 1. O but this is a grievous Stroke; God hath smitten …e in the apple of mine Eye, and written bitter things against me. No sorrow is like my sorrow; 'tis a mourning for an onelyonly Son; I have lost all in one.
Sol. 1. You can never lose all in one, except that one be Christ; and he being yours in Covenant, can never be lost. But your meaning is, you have lost all of that kind in one: no more Sons to build up your House, and continue your Name.
2. But yet Religion will not allow you to say, that your dead Children are a lost Generation. Praemittuntur, non amittuntur: They are sent before, but not lost. For they are a Covenant-seed, by you dedicated to the Lord: They were Children of many Prayers a great stock of Prayers was lai… up for them; in them also yo… and all that knew them, discerne… a teachable Spirit, pious inclina…tions, and Conscience of secret du…ties, some good things toward the Lord God of Israel, as was sai… of young Abijah, 1 King. 14.1… So that you parted from them u… on far easier terms than good D…vid parted from his Amnon, Abs…lom, or Adonijah, who died in the… sins and open rebellions. Ther… was a sting in his troubles whic… you feel not; and if he comforte himself notwithstanding in th… Covenant of his God, in this r…spect may you much more.
Object. 2. O but my Son w… cut off in the very Bud, just wh… the Fruits of Education were re…dy to disclose and open.
Sol. Let not that consideratio… so incense your sorrows: Go… knows the fittest time both to giv… and to take our comforts; an… seeing you have good grounds … hope your Child died interest… in the Covenant of God, you have the less reason to insist upon that afflicting circumstance of an immature death. He that dies in Christ, hath lived long enough both for himself and us. That Marriner hath sailed long enough, that hath gained his Port: and that Souldier fought long enough, that hath won the Victory: and that Child lived long enough, that hath won Heaven, how early soever he died.
Beside, the sooner he died, the less sin he hath committed, and the less misery he saw and felt in this wretched World, which we are left to behold and feel. And it is but a vanity to imagine that the parting pull with him would have been easier, if the enjoyment of him had been longer: for the long enjoyment of desirable Comforts, doth not use to weaken, but abundantly to strengthen and fasten the tyes of affection.
Submit your Reason therefore, as is meet, to the Wisdom of God, who certainly chose the fittest season for this Affliction.
O but, — No more Buts and Objections, I beseech you. Enough hath been offer'd from the Covenant of your God, to silence all your Objections, and to give you the ease and pleasure of a resigned Will. And what are all our Buts and Objections, but a spurning at Divine Soveraignty, and the thrusting in the Affliction deeper into your own hearts, which are wounded but too deep already?
I perswade you not to put off, but to regulate natural Affections: To be without them, would deservedly rank us among the worst of Heathens; but rightly to bound and manage them, would set you among the best of Christians.
I cannot imagine what ease or advantage holy Basil gained by such a particular and heart piercing account,Filius mihi erat Adolescens, solus vitae successor, solatium senectae, gloria generis, flos aequalium, sulcrum domus, aetatem gratiosissiman agebat, &c. as he gave of a like Affliction with this; nor to what purpose it can be to you, to recal and recount those things which only incense and aggravate your troubles: Doubtless your better way were to turn your thoughts from such subjects as these, to your God in Covenant, as David in the Text did, and to recount the many great and inestimable mercies that are secured to you therein; which death shall never smite, or cut off from you, as it doth your other enjoyments.
Quest. But yet unless we can in some measure clear our Covenant-interest, all these excellent Cordials prepared, will signifie no more to our relief, than water spilt upon the ground: help us therefore to do that, or else all that hath been said is in vain? How may a person discern his Covenant-right and interest?
Answ. This indeed is worthy of all consideration, and deserves a serious answer, forasmuch as it is fundamental to your comfort, and all actual refreshment in times of trouble; and will bring us to the next Use, which is for tryal of our Covenant-interest.