Trouble of the Mind and the Disease of Melancholy, Discourse · Part 3 · Chapter 9
CHAP. IX.
Of the different ends that God hath in the Afflictions of the Good and the Wicked; and what Reaſon we have to be reconciled to his Providence: And that we muſt be ſatisfied that God carries us to Heaven in his own Way and Method.
Inf. 2. THis ſhews us the different ends that God has in the afflictions of the Good and of the Wicked: To the one they are Medicinal, to the other Penal; to the one in Love, to the other in Wrath; to the one, the ſhadows of an Eternal night; and to the other the forerunners of the morning. Often his people are thrown down by their Fears, by Satan, and the World; but as often may they ſay, Rejoyce not againſt me, O my enemy &c. They may be dejected, but they may ſay with David, O my ſoul, hope ſtill on God, &c. Afflictions (as one ſays) are common to the good and bad, as the entrance into the bottom of the Sea was to the Iſraelites and to the Egyptians; but the Iſraelites conducted by a Cloud and a Pillar of Fire, were inlightned, and aſſured, and paſſed in ſafety, and came out praiſing God; but to the Egyptians, this Cloud that ſeparated them was full of darkneſs, and they were drowned in the Waves, whileſt the others ſtood upon the dry Land; ſo God comforts his people by the light of his Word, and the ſupport of hope from his holy Promiſes; whereas the wicked are finally ſwallowed up of ſadneſs and deſpair. The Righteous fall, and they riſe again; but the feet of the Wicked ſtumble on the dark Mountains, and never riſe again: Tho, indeed, as the ſame perſon obſerves*Fautheur Sermons, firſt part, p. 132. Even as the Chaldeans formerly meaſured their natural day differently from the Iſraelites, they put the day firſt, and the night after; but the Iſraelites on the contrary, according to the order that was obſerved in the Creation; for in the beginning darkneſs was upon the face of the deep, and of every one of the ſix days it is ſaid, The evening and the morning made the firſt day. So the times of the World, and of the Church, are differently diſpoſed for the World begins hers by the day of temporal proſperity, and finiſhes it by a night of darkneſs and anguiſh that is Eternal; but the Church, on the contrary, begins hers by the night of Adverſity, which ſhe ſuffers for a while, and ends them by a day of Conſolation which ſhe ſhall have for ever. The Prophet in this, Pſalm, begins with the Anger of God, but ends with his Favour; as of old, when they entred into the Tabernacle, they did at firſt ſee unpleaſant things, as the Knives of the Sacrificers, the Blood of Victims, the Fire that burn'd upon the Altar, which conſumed the Offerings; but when they paſſed a little further, there was the Holy Place, the Candleſtick of Gold, the Shewbread, bread, and the Altar of Gold, on which they offered Perfumes; and in fine, there was the Holy of Holies, and the Ark of the Covenant, and the Mercy-Seat, and the Cherubims, which was called the Face of God*Muſſard. Sermons ſur divers Texes, p. 30..
Inf. 3. This may then reconcile you to his Providence. The night of trouble makes you not to ſee the Beauty of the Church; but tho ſhe is black, ſhe is comely ſtill; he that makes his Sun to ſhine upon the unthankful and the Evil, will not always cover himſelf with Clouds from his own People: His common care has provided for the pleaſure of his Creatures, fruit to delight their Taſts, and Flowers, and various Colours, their Eyes, and their ſmell; Rivers, and Trees, and Meadows, and Groves, and all the variety of Nature, to recreate and entertain them, and if all this Accommodation be made for Rebels, he will not fail to entertain his Subjects with joys of a better kind. Joy is ſown for the Righteous, and it will ariſe in the time of Harveſt, and that time will ſhortly come. If God have done ſo much to gratify the ſenſes of his Creatures with ſuitable ſatisfactions, the Souls of his People that are more Noble, ſhall not be diſappointed of ſuch as are Coeleſtial and Divine; for joy is that which with a ſweet violence does attract the heart of Man; God regards the diſtreſſed, and has a peculiar pity for thoſe that are in the greateſt trouble* as Mothers tend, with a peculiar care, the weakeſt Child. The World, indeed, admires, flatters, waits upon thoſe on whom the Sun ſhines, and who are in a proſperous condition; as Rivers run into the Sea where there is no need of Water, ſo it heaps its friendſhips and kindneſſes on thoſe that leaſt need them, and forſakes the diſgraced,†Manton Serm. on 2 Theſ. 2.17. p. 432. the poor, and thoſe that are in want; but God, when his Servants are in the greateſt troubles, encourag…s them by his Name which is The Father of Mercies, and the God of all Conſolations; he is moſt mindful of them, and viſits them moſt, and gives them moſt of his comfortable preſence▪ when they are moſt afflicted, 2 Cor. 1.4. He comforteth us in all our tribulations. He will not give them a conſtant eaſe, they ſhall not be excuſed from the common inconveniencies of the Fall from ſickneſs, or from death, but himſelf is willing to be their own portion; he is, in all, their own God: They ſhall labour, but they ſhall have reſt; they ſhall fight, but he will Crown their heads with Victory; they ſhall ſow in tears, but reap in joy. The Waves and the Floods that now overwhelm them, ſhall be turned into Rivers of pleaſure for evermore.
The Ʋſe of Exhortation is in theſe following Particulars.
1. Be very well ſatisfied that God carry you to Heaven in the way that he thinks moſt proper; It were indeed a thing very deſirable to be at eaſe, to travel with his light about us; but if we muſt go through darkneſs, and danger, and calamity, to Heaven, let us be ſatisfied that his will is done, tho we go weeping and groaning thither, You'l think, perhaps, that he deſerves not the name of a Chriſtian, that will not ſuffer God to guide him any way, ſo it be to Salvation; but alas, how few are there, that are ſatisfied with his methods! when his Candle ſhines upon our Tabernacle, we are well enough pleaſed; but when he begins to correct and chaſten us for a long ſeaſon, then we murmur and repine; and when we meet with difficulties and tears, and troubles one upon another, then we think he is an hard Maſter: this is our common caſe, and our common folly. We can all make the Prayer of Jabez, 1 Chron. 4.10. Oh that thou wouldſt bleſs me indeed, and inlarge my coaſt, and that thine hand might be with me, and that thou wouldſt keep me from evil, that it may not grieve me: But how few can ſay heartily with our Bleſſed Lord, If the Cup muſt not paſs, thy will be done? He could bring you to Heaven without a tear or a ſigh; but if not, who can reſiſt his order, or blame his Providence? He led the Children of Iſrael forty years wandring to and fro in a great and a terrible Wilderneſs, wherein were fiery Serpents, and Scorpions, and drought, and no water, Deut. 8.15. when he could have led them quickly to the Land of Canaan. You muſt not think to come to Heaven without many a ſad heart, and many weeping eyes; through the vally of Bacha muſt you travel to the Mount of God. The Ark that had a Noah in it, did not immediately reſt; it was not in one day that the great waters did abate, or fall into their old Channels; your paſſage to glory may be ſafe, tho it be very troubleſome; and the rods that ſeem to be the moſt painful, may be moſt neceſſary to you; for tho the Iſraelites met with various troubles, yet Pſal. 107.7. He led them forth by the right way, that they might go to a City of habitation. It may be you ſhall be ſhipwrackt into the Haven; and tho you be ſaved, yet it ſhall be ſo as by fire. Through many a ſharp Croſs, and many a bitter Tribulation, and in the fire, your Comforts and your Eaſe may ſuffer loſs for a time, but it ſhall be made up again: Afflictions ruin none that belong to God; and many a Chriſtian ſhall ſay at laſt, I had periſhed, if I had not periſhed. I had been undone for ever, if I had not been afflicted. Out of the ruins of the fleſh, God raiſes the glorious ſtructure of the new Creature; and from the deſtruction of our Earthly comforts, he cauſes Heavenly joys to ſpring; let us not find fault with God's Providence, for it will turn our water into wine; our tears of grief, into the moſt pleaſant joys: And as at the Marriage of Cana, we ſhall have the beſt at laſt. Our Afflictions will encreaſe our Grace, and we ſhall ere long mount up from the Wilderneſs of this world, fraught with Myrrh and Frankincenſe, and all the ſpices of the Merchants. Let us not find fault if we meet with the waters of Marah in our Journey to the Land of Promiſe*Hall on the Marriage in Cana, p. 162.. Thirſt and bitterneſs is the portion of Pilgrims, 'Tis enough for us that we ſhall have reſt at laſt, tho we muſt not expect that the Providence of God ſhould go out of its ordinary courſe for us. Let us confide in his Goodneſs, his Faithfulneſs, and Loving-kindneſs, his Word and Promiſe, this is the quiet harbour into which we muſt put our trembling ſouls; theſe are the Conſolations that will make our bitter waters ſweet. Submit therefore to God, to him pour out your hearts, tho you be long afflicted, and with one wave upon another.