Trouble of the Mind and the Disease of Melancholy, Discourse · Part 3 · Chapter 10
CHAP. X.
The Concluſion of the whole Treatiſe. With directions to ſuch who have been formerly in the darkneſs of a ſorrowful Night, and now enjoy the light of day.
2. LEt us, with whom it was once Night, improve that Morning-joy that now ſhines upon us, and that briefly in theſe particulars.
1. Let us be continual admirers of God's Grace and mercy to us: He has prevented us with his Goodneſs, when he ſaw nothing in us but impatience and unbelief; when we were like Jonas in the belly of Hell, his Bowels earned over us, and his Power brought us ſafe to Land. What did we to haſten his deliverance, or to obtain his mercy? If he had never come to our relief, till he ſaw ſomething in us to invite him, we had not yet been relieved. No more did we contribute to our Reſtoration, then we do to the riſing of the Sun, or the approach of day: We were like thoſe dry bones without motion, and without ſtrength, Ezek 37.1. And we alſo ſaid, That we were cut off for our parts, and our hope was gone, and he cauſed breath to enter into us, and we live. Who is a God like to our God, that pardoneth iniquity, tranſgreſſion, and ſin? that retains not his anger for ever? that is ſlow to wrath, and delights in mercy? That has been diſpleaſed with us for a moment, but gives us hope of his Everlaſting kindneſs? Oh! what love is due from us to Chriſt, that has pleaded for us when we our ſelves had nothing to ſay! that has brought us out of a den of Lions, and from the Iaws of the Roaring Lion! To ſay as Mrs. Sarah Wight *See her Life written by Mr. Jeſſe, pag 40., I have obtained mercy, that thought my time of mercy paſt for ever. I have hope of heaven, that thought I was already damned by unbelief. I ſaid many a time, there is no hope in thine end, and I thought I ſaw it. I was ſo deſperate, I cared not what became of me: Oft was I at the very brink of death and hell, even at the very Gates of both, and then Chriſt ſhut them. I was as Daniel in the Lions Den, and he ſtopt the mouth of thoſe Lions, and delivered me. The Goodneſs of God is unſearchable; how great is the excellency of his Majeſty, that yet he would look upon ſuch an one as I! that he has given me peace that was full of terror, and walked continually as amidſt fire and brimſtone!
2. Let us walk humbly, and be full of cautious fear, that we offend not a God that is ſo terrible, and that we grieve not a Benefactor that is ſo good. Let us walk ſoftly all our days, remembring there was but a ſtep between us and Hell. Oh! let us put our mouths in the duſt, let us lothe and abhor our ſelves for the manifold iniquities that we were guilty of during the darkneſs of the Night; and now the Morning is come, and ſuch a Morning as we never hoped to ſee, let us walk as children of the day; that ſo being come out of the Furnace, we may be as Gold that is refined.
3. Tho we do rejoice, yet we muſt rejoice with trembling; with trembling, leſt another Night ſo black, ſo frightful, and ſo diſmal come upon us. Let our obedience be more lively, and as the tender graſs ſpringing out of the Earth by clear ſhining after rain; but let us remember, that our joy is not yet perfect, tho it be as the light of the Morning when the Sun riſeth; It is not a Morning without clouds, 2. Sam. 23.4. The Sun will be Clouded with many Fogs and Miſts, for 'tis but yet a Morning-Sun, it will ſhine with greater glory in its height, when the Noon-day, and our compleat Salvation comes. The Devil that has tempted us will aſſault us again; Let us watch, that his deſigns may not take effect; for it may be he has but left us for a ſeaſon; alas! our unbelief and our other ſins, are not yet wholly dead. Let us rejoice that the Face of God now ſhines on us; but let us tremble to think what would become of us, ſhould it be hid again. Let us rejoice that we have good hope through grace; but let us tremble, leſt deſpair, and the pains of Hell ſhould again take hold upon us. The fear that we have of future ſuffering, does ſomewhat now diminiſh the brightneſs of our joy; tho we ought not to live under the perpetual bondage of ſuch fears, but truſt in God, and hope that he will be our guide even unto death. We are brought indeed out of the miry pit, and the deep clay; yet we cannot but tremble at our foregoing miſery. We are like a Perſon, that after a Shipwreck, has with great difficulty upon a Plank got ſafe to Land, he finds himſelf in a place aſſured, and rejoyces in it; nevertheleſs the noiſe of the Waves, and the great agitation that he was ſo lately in, makes him tremble: He remains a good while aſtoniſhed at his former danger, and his preſent ſafety. Let us not have a trembling of diſtruſt, but of vigilance, and of holy care; not to doubt of the Promiſes of God, but to keep down our own pride, and carnal ſecurity. Let us pray, that as he has ſet our feet upon a rock, ſo he would eſtabliſh our goings: remembring how low we have fallen, into what depths, and under what Calamities, we have conſtant cauſe to be afraid Pſ. 149.6. Let the high praiſes of God be in our mouths, and a two-edged Sword in our hands; Let us be as thoſe Soldiers, who tho they have newly gotten the victory over their Enemies, and rejoice for it; yet amidſt all their Acclamations ſtand upon their guard, leſt the remainder of thoſe that are unſubdued, ſhould rally their ſcattered Forces, and attacque them again to their diſadvantage.
3. We muſt be very active in the ſervice of our good God. We muſt begin to travel whilſt the morning laſts, and whilſt we have day before us.
4. Our mouths muſt be full of praiſe to him that has delivered us. Shall we not praiſe him, to whom we vowed praiſes when we were in trouble? Shall we not praiſe him, who alone has wrought ſalvation for us? none but he could help us, and he has done it. Magnificently has he delivered us, far above all our hopes. Oh, how much more pleaſant is it to you, and me, to call him Father, than to fear him as a Judge! How much more pleaſant to celebrate his praiſes, than to mourn for his departure; to tune our Harps after our Captivity, than to have them hanging on the Willows! Oh, Let us praiſe him, for he deſerves our praiſe; Let us praiſe him, for he hath remembred us in our low eſtate: Let us praiſe him, for his Terrors, his Rebukes, and his Frowns are gone; Pſal. 116.1, 2.&c. Pſal. 37.6. The Lightning and Thunder, the horror and the darkneſs of the tempeſtuous night is over, and a chearful and a calm day now revives us. Let us praiſe him, for he is infinitely excellent; Let us praiſe him, for he expects our praiſe. So David, Pſal. 116 1, 2, 3, 5. I love the Lord, becauſe he hath heard my voice, and my ſupplications, becauſe he hath inclined his ear to me, therefore will I call upon him as long as I live; the ſorrows of death compaſſed me, and the pains of hell gat hold upon me, I found trouble and ſorrow. Gracious is the Lord, and righteous, yea our God is merciful. And Pſ. 27.6. Now ſhall mine head be lifted up above mine enemines round about me: Therefore will I offer in his Tabernacle ſacrifices of joy; I will ſing, yea, I will ſing praiſes unto the Lord. Did we ever hope to ſee the Light of God again? Did we ever hope to think of Heaven as our own portion, and of Chriſt as our own Saviour? Did we ever hope that we ſhould be thus at eaſe, and thus joyful as we now are? God is our helper, God is our refuge, and our ſtrong hold; and bleſſed be the name of the Lord.
5. Let us call upon our Brethren, and our Friends, to help us to praiſe the Lord; Pſal. 145.2, 3, 8, 9, 14. as to my ſelf I make theſe requeſts; Bleſs the Lord, O houſe of Aaron and Levi: Bleſs him ye Miniſters of the Goſpel that prayed for me in my trouble, and have had your prayers granted: Bleſs the Lord, O Houſe of Iſrael, and all ye people every-where that ſympathized, and alſo kindly remembred me in my deſolate condition: Bleſs him ye Old men, that you have got ſo far towards the haven, without being thrown into the waves, and ſo much endangered by the Rocks as I have been. Bleſs him, that you have not met with ſuch violent tentations, and great ſorrows as I have met withal, though I ſet out long after you. Bleſs the Lord ye Young men, that you have not been weakned in the way with ſore affliction, and with the terrors of the Lord, which I long groaned under. Bleſs him every one both ſmall and great, againſt whom he does not proceed in ſuch ſmart and ſevere Providences, and in ſuch long and ſharp Afflictions. Bleſs him, that you ſee before your eyes, and to help your faith, a perſon lately brought from the borders of the Grave, and Hell; one for whom you were concerned, and for whom you prayed, and one that ſtill needs, and beg your prayers, that he may never come to ſuch a ſad and doleful night again. It is a common Cuſtom to congratulate our Friends recovery from ſickneſs, or when they return from ſome Foreign Land; but nothing does more deſerve our common thanks, than when a Perſon is come from under the ſenſe of God's diſpleaſure, to a ſenſe of his favour and love again. Thus it was with Job, ch. 42.11. Then came there to him all his brethren, and all his ſiſters, and all they that had been of his acquaintance before, and did eat bread with him in his houſe; and they bemoaned him, and comforted him over all the evil that the Lord had brought upon him: And with a deſign of exciting others to praiſe God with him, is that, Pſal. 66.16. Come and hear all ye that fear God, and I will declare what he hath done for my ſoul. Or as the Father of the Prodigal to his obedient Son, that repined at the kind uſage that he gave to him that was leſs dutiful, upon his returning home; Luke 15.32. It was meet that we ſhould make merry, and be glad, for this thy brother was dead, and is alive again; and was loſt, and is found. It is the deſign of God that the great and eminent Deliverances which he gives to ſome of his Servants, ſhould be taken notice of by all the reſt; that as they uſually bring along with them a common Benefit, ſo he ſhould have a common return of praiſe; Pſ. 66.8. O bleſs our God, ye people, and make the voice of his praiſe to be heard, which holdeth our ſoul in life, and ſuffereth not our feet to be moved. And the joining with others that have been in great diſtreſs, and are eſcaped, is to anſwer the Obligation we are under to that Precept, To rejoice with them that do rejoice. And an encouragement to thoſe who are yet in trouble, Pſ. 130.7. Let Iſrael hope in the Lord, for with the Lord there is mercy, and with him there is plenteous redemption. And to thoſe that yet are at eaſe, we may ſay as Paul to Foelix, that we wiſh they were ſuch as we, in ſome reſpects, that is, excepting our bonds, our anguiſh and tribulation; that they alſo had ſuch experiences of the goodneſs, and the mercy of God.
6. Let us always wait and hope for that eternal Felicity, which will at length dawn upon all his people, in the great morning of the Reſurrection; and at their entrance into Heaven there will be joy indeed. There is no night there; 'tis a place that is continually bleſt with a bright and ſhining day. It is true (as one ſays) that as in nature the nights are not equal, thoſe of the Winter are much longer than thoſe of the Summer; but how long ſoever they be, they are always followed with the light of day; ſo whatſoever diverſity there is among the Afflictions of the faithful, to one they are much longer than to another; yet they ſhall have an end; as Jacob wraſtled all night, but in the morning got the victory. I confeſs that Sinners in this World have their pleaſures, but ſo beſet with thorns, ſo attended with fears and pains, ſo ſhort, and ſo vaniſhing, that they deſerve not the name. But in Heaven the Sun that riſes in the morning of our new Glory, will never ſet again; thoſe pleaſures are not like thoſe of Sin, for a ſeaſon, but for evermore. There our now imperfect Joy will be compleat and full. It will be ſatisfying and eternal too. We ſhall feel the love of God in ſo ſweet and tranſporting a manner, that we ſhall never doubt whether he loves us or not. We ſhall always behold our Father's face, he will look on us with delight, and we ſhall look on him with praiſe and joy. This world, becauſe of its lowneſs, is ſubject to Inundations and Miſeries, and innumerable Viciſſitudes of Pain and Grief; but that high and glorious World is the place of Triumph, and of Victory; then we ſhall ſee our Sin that made us weep, to be it ſelf totally defeated; then we ſhall ſee that Devil that tempted us, to be trod under our feet, and never to be able to tempt us any more. Let us often remember that ſaying of our Lord, John 16.21, 22. A woman, when ſhe is in travel, hath ſorrow, becauſe her hour is come: but as ſoon as ſhe is delivered of the Child, ſhe remembreth no more the anguiſh, for joy that a man is born into the world. And ye now therefore have ſorrow: but I will ſee you again, and your heart ſhall rejoyce, and your joy ſhall no man take from you. Oh! what a glorious morning will that be, that ſhall have no cloud to obſcure its light, and never be followed with a ſad or gloomy night? As our ſufferings here did abound, our Conſolations then will much more abound. We ſhall forget all our Labour, and all our trouble, when we ſee to what a glorious Kingdom we are born, tho it was by pangs and torment; our joy' will be like the joy of Harveſt, of an Harveſt that will requite us well for all our care and toil. Our hopes here are like the firſt ſtreaks of light in the Sky, that ſhew the coming of the day; but our poſſeſſion of bleſſedneſs will be as the Sun in the fulneſs of his Glory. That delight will indeed be the Sabbath of our thoughts, and the ſweet, and perpetual calmneſs of our minds, that will never be in horror and anguiſh any more. Precious and admirable are thoſe Tears that end ſo well, and which prepare us for ſo good a ſtate; who would not chuſe thus to weep, that he may rejoyce for ever? Lift up your eyes to the Jeruſalem above, the City of the Living God, ye Mourners and Priſoners of hope, for it is the City of Peace, Rev. 21.3, 4. Behold the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they ſhall be his People, and God himſelf ſhall be with them, and be their God, and God ſhall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there ſhall be no more death, neither ſorrow nor crying, neither ſhall there be any more pain, for the former things are paſſed away.
THE END.
End of the text · Timothy Rogers, Trouble of the Mind and the Disease of Melancholy (1691)