Remains, Meditation 3
A Meditation for the raiſing of mine heart above diſcouragements under ſlightings in my Miniſtry.
WHAT mean theſe drooping groans, and this languor of thy ſpirits, as if thou hadſt neither life nor heat! What's become of thy wonted joy, and magnanimity in the courſe of thy Miniſtry? Thou lookeſt and ſeemeſt as if a weary of thy work! what is the cauſe? Is it that Gods glory is leſs, that thou car'ſt not whether he is honoured or diſhonoured by men? or what is it? That he is not ſo good to theee as formerly? Haſt thou not meat, drink and cloaths as freely and fully as ever? Is thine health or ſtrength abated? Or is the Throne of Grace, or the way to it ſhut up? Is God angry with thee? This were cauſe indeed, but nothing elſe, if thou enjoyeſt this. Or what is it? that thou canſt not ſee theſe ſo well, his honour, and theſe mercies are ſo much prized? Oh! none of theſe are the cauſe; Gods glory is the ſame, and his mercies they are continued, and conſtant to me as ever. And it's not becauſe I want a relliſh of them. I do not ſerve an hard Maſter, that makes me weary of ſerving him. Why, what then is the matter? Hath he recalled his promiſe, or denied himſelf, and abated thy wages? Oh! no, Heaven and earth ſhall paſs away, but not a tittle of his word; and let God be true though all elſe be lyars. What is it? are the ſouls of men leſs precious, or their eternal life and ſafety now leſs dangerous? Is fire leſs hot, and Hell leſs tormenting? Are not the joys of Heaven ſo much to be deſired? and ſo is the work of the Miniſtry leſs needful? Is not the caſe the ſame to deliver men from ſo many burning coals, as when Chriſt, his Prophets and Apoſtles preached? Art thou then weary? Oh! no, my ſtrength's the ſame. But Oh! I am unprofitable to my God, I am ſlighted, they wonder I can come into a Pulpit, and have no more to ſay! How! and is that me a poor worm! and wilt thou be thus cruſht with ſuch a ſtraw, and loſe thy ſpirits under ſuch a contemptible weight!
(1) And didſt thou not expect to meet with ſuch things before? who bid thee go, and ſet thee on this work, and promis'd thee every hour a word? waſt not told, thou ſhouldſt be perſecuted, ſlighted, ſcoffed at? And was it not predicted, there ſhould be ſcoffers in the laſt times, as in the firſt? Why didſt not think of this before? a wiſe man would have done it.
(2) And was not God himſelf ſlighted by thoſe that were invited to the feaſt? Was not Chriſt worſe than ſlighted? and was not Paul called a Babler? and the Goſpel fooliſhneſs?
(3) But conſider further, Is not the Goſpel, and the God of it ſlighted in thee? the meſſage thou knoweſt is not thine, but his that ſent thee.
(4) And think, is it not natural for the carnal mind to have unſavoury, dark, fooliſh thoughts of the Goſpel? was it not always ſo? did not Chriſt wonder, ſeeing their unbelief?
(5) But think, it's God in Chriſt, or the ſtrictneſs and ſpiritualneſs of the Goſpel that they undervalue, and think nothing of the excellency of. They ſay, it's thou ſpeakeſt nothing; they would ſay the other, but they dare not ſpeak out; and ſo they caſt it on thee; and art thou not willing rather to ſuffer, than it? wouldſt not thou have interpoſed thy face to Chriſt, to have received the ſpittle, and kept it from him? and thine head to have been crowned with thorns? and what doſt thou ſhrink in taking of this!
(6) But think, what reaſon have they to charge thee with a nothingneſs and impertinency in preaching? what mean ſo many to follow thee! they may hear nothings and impertinencies nearer home. Wherefore go on chearfully and boldly in thy work, and regard not what ſome few ſcoffers ſay, when thou art carrying on that work for the good of ſouls which the Lord will own and bleſs.