The Life of Faith in Times of Trial and Affliction, Consideration 18
CONSIDERATION XVIII. The time of Affliction is but short.
IT is an ordinary thing for people, under Affliction, to be putting moe hours in their day, than twentie foure; to be multiplying their yeers, and accounting their moneths Yeers, their weeks Moneths, and their houres Dayes; and to be crying out, Oh will this life never have an end? How long, how long, will this Cup be holden to my head? When shall the day dawn, when God shall loose this Yoke from off my neck? The Harvest is past, and the Summer is ended, and we are not saved, Ier. 8: vers. 20. Will not this year put an end to our trouble? How long shall the rod of the wicked rest upon the lot of the righteous? How long will God lengthen-out this sad trial? These speaches, and the like, are but too frequent in their mouth; and their thoughts are too oft upon this Subject: and thus eternizing their sad lot, in their mindes, or foolishly imagining, it will not have an end, in hast, they multiply their own Sorrow; whereas did they calculat by the Scripture-account, they would see the time shorter, than they now imagine it to be. Now to help them, as to his, We shall 1. Shew what is the Scripture account of the time of Affliction. 2. Answere what can be objected to the contrary. 3. Show how this Consideration may and should be improven to advantage.
As to the First, The Scriptures give us this account of the matter.
1. That it will not be for ever 1 King. 11. v. 39. And I will for this afflict the Seed of David, but not for ever. Though for their iniquities He resolved to punish and afflict the Seed of David; yet it will not be for ever: And what is here spoken of David's Seed, will, in some respect, agree to the Church and People of God, in all ages. Ay, and there may be here a Meiosis, a Figure, whereby much more is imported, than the words signifie; and this not for ever, is as much as, for a short time. It must then be the language of unbeleef to say, that God will cast off for ever, and that He will be favourable no more; for His strokes upon the Godly are not of that nature: He may afflict for a time, but not for ever.
2. The Scripture telleth us, that these dayes will be shortened, Matth. 20: 22. And except those dayes should be shortened, no flesh should be saved; but for the Elects sake, those dayes shall be shortened. Christ is speaking there of sore and sharp Tribulation, that was to come upon the Land; and for the comfort of the Elect, He saith, that those dayes of Affliction and Tribulation should not long continue, but should be shortened for their sake: And this will hold good, in all Ages, the Lord being as careful of His Elect now, as then, and His Elect being as ready to fainte, through long Affliction now, as formerly: Therefore the ground of this promise continueing, we must not say, that the promise it self is out of date: To say then, that Affliction shall never have an end, is upon the matter, to annul this Promise.
3. We finde the Scripture saying, That Affliction, or the rod of the wicked, should not rest upon the Lot of the righteous, lest the righteous put forth their hands unto iniquity, Psal. 125: v. 3. This promise containeth likewise, in the bosome of it, a ground of assurance, that it is not expired; for as long, as the righteous are in hazard of putting forth their hands unto iniquity, because of the continuance of the trouble; we may eye this promise, that the rod of the wicked shall not rest upon their lot; & this ground will alwayes endure; and so the promise, bearing this Ground and Reason in its bosome, will continue likewise in force. We must not then say, that Afflictions on the Godly shall never have an end, unless we would withall destroy this promise. Therefore we may conclude, that the People of the Lord shall not be the rest of the burden of the Word of the Lord; as it is said of Damascus Zech. 9: 1.
4. We are also told in Scripture, That the Heaviness of Affliction is but for a Season, 1 Pet. 1: 6. wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a Season (if need be) ye are in heaviness, through manifold temptations. The word rendered for a Season, in the original, signifieth a little present now; to show that this Season is but short; a present now, without any considerable duration. If this were beleeved, we could not be crying-out, as we are too ready to do, Oh, will those dayes never be at an end? we would see that the little inconsiderable present now, or point of time, would quickly be over. See Revel. 6: 11.
5. The Scripture tels us of a little while, Heb. 10: 37. for yet a little while, and He that shall come will come &c. The expression is mostemphatick in the Original, & cannot well be rendered to the full; as if he had said, yet a little, how little, how little? As if it could not be expressed, how little the time was to be. This little while, or appointed time (as it is called Habb. 2: .3 will soon be over.
6. The Scripture pointeth it out to be a very little while Esai. 10: 25. for yet a very little while, and the Indignation shall cease &c. In the Original there are two words, both of them signifying a little time, or a very little time; and so it is as much as if he had said. a very little little time. Sure that time cannot be long, which is so short, that the shortness of it cannot be expressed. Is it not then strange, that when the Spirit of the Lord cannot (to speak so) get words to express the shortness of the duration of their trouble, they on the contrary cannot get words sufficiently to express their sense of the length of the time?
7. We finde it called by a definite number Ten dayes, Revel. 2: 10.—And ye shall have tribulation ten dayes; Whereby the shortness of the duration of that tribulation is expressed; not that the trouble was to continue just ten dayes; but to signifie that it was not to continue long, but a short inconsiderable time, which the Lord had determined and limited punctually to a day. Tribulation will not last alwayes, Ten dayes will put a period to it.
8. If this be too long, we have it expressed as yet much shorter; even a night, which is no long time Psal. 30: 5.—Weeping may endure for a night, &c. The dark disconsolat weeping time will not endure long, the few houres of a night will put an end to it: It is but a night, and a night, that hath the dawning of a day following it. We should be ashamed then, to think, or say, that our Trouble and Affliction will alwayes last; we never saw a night yet, but it had a morning of a new day following it.
9. If this should yet seem too long, we have it denominated from a shorter time, as an hour Revel. 3: 10. there is mention made of an hour of temptation, that was to come on all the earth. Our Lord; sure, would hereby confute our errour of construeing the time to be too long, when He doth of purpose mention such short measures of time. An hour will soon be at an end, the few minuts thereof will swiftly post away.
10. Nay, if this should seem too long, we have it expressed by a shorter duration viz. of a moment, Ps. 30: 5. for his anger endureth but a moment. And what can be shorter, than a moment? Is there any measure of time shorter, than a moment? And yet by this is the duration of the Anger of God against His Children, in afflicting of them, expressed. Why then should we account that an age, which the Lord calleth but a moment? So Esai. 54: 8. In a little wrath I hid my face from thee, for a moment. The word rendered moment signifieth cutting or dividing, and so importeth the shortest cutting or division of time. The Apostle speaketh thus of it also 2 Cor. 4: 17. Our light Affliction, which is b…t for a moment. The Apostles expression is singular, there is a lightness of Affliction, and that lightness is but a momentany lightness; Now weightiness or lightness is not measured by time; yet the Apostle, in a most emphatick manner doth so here, to shew us, that all the weight of the Affliction (in comparison of the glory, that is coming) is meer lightness; or is so light, that it cannot be measured with the least of weights; and therefore he saith, it is but a momentany thing, like a feather falling on a mans hand and immediatly blown away againe. It can be nothing then, but shameless unbeleef, that saith the time is long.
11. Nay, which is yet more; as if this duration were yet too long, it is expressed by a little moment Esai. 26: vers. 20. As if it were a little part of the least division of time, if there be any moment less then another, that is the right name of the duration of the Troubles and Afflictions of His People. So Esai. 54 vers. 7. It is called a small moment. And can we imagine how it can be less? If the People of God had the measuring of the time of their trouble, in their own hand, could they give it any shorter duration, than this? Could they imagine a shorter? When the Spirit of the Lord expresseth it thus, We should be ashamed to think it too long.
But it will be objected (and this is the Second thing I am to speak to) That the Lords ordinary dispensation with His people in all ages seemeth to contradict this, for ordinarily, if not alwayes, we see, that the Afflictions of His People are of long continuance: did not Israel wander Fourty Yeers in the Wilderness? After they came into Canaan, did they not serve the King of Mesopotamia Eight yeers Iudg. 3: 8. and the King of Moab Eighteen vers. 14. and the King of Canaan Twenty Yeers Iudg. 4: 3. & the King of Midian Seven Yeers Iudg. 6: vers. 1? Were they not captives in Babylon Seventy Yeers? not to mention their being now Non-churched above sixteen hundreth Yeers? How then can this time be called and accounted so short?
For clearing of this, we shall propose these few things following to Consideration,
1. The time of the Affliction of His people may be accounted short, in regaird of the great and manifold effects, which God is to bring about by the same, a through Consideration of which would make us say, (if we judged according to our usual manner) that the Afflictions must of necessity continue a long time, to the end those great and noble effects may be produced thereby. Would we consider, how much Dross and Corruption in His own people remaineth to be purged away, as Pride, Carnality, Inordinat Self-love, and Love of Pleasures, Riches, Honours, Ease &c. Carnal-Security, Passion, Self-conceite, Formality, Hypocrisie &c. we would see a necessity for the Crosses lying-on for a long time, in order to the purging of these away; As also would we consider how much Hypocrisie, Hollow-heartedness there is to discover; how many false Friends to Christ and His Interest, there are to be made known, we could not but think, that of necessity, in order to the effectuating of this discovery, a long time of trouble and trials were requisite. As likewise, if we called to minde, how many things His people are to learne thereby. Considering I say, those and such like noble Effects, which the great Master of Work is to effectuate and produce by the Affliction; And how they would seem to call for the continuance of the same for a considerable time, And withall how notwithstanding the Lord prevents the thoughts of many, and maketh a short work; and doth that in a few Moneths or Dayes, which we could have thought should have called for many Yeers. When then the Lord maketh such a quick dispatch of such a great Business, we may well say, that the time is short, and that many Years are but a very short time.
2 The time of Afflictions may be accounted short, considering what our Sins and Provocations call for at His hand. When in righteousness the Lord might keep us under the rod all our dayes, and multiply Afflictions upon us, to our very dying day, Ten or Twenty Years Captivity should seem a very short time, a few Years Imprisonment would seem nothing to a man, who had been condemned to perpetual Imprisonment: To another possibly, who got no such Sentence, a few Moneths Imprisonment would seem longer, than many Years to him, because he expected no less, than perpetual Imprisonment. So, were we considering, that in regaird of our deservings, the time of Afflictions might justly be continued to the end of our dayes, a few Years or Moneths would appear to be no considerable time. Wherefore in respect of our deservings, a long time of Affliction is but a short time; because the longest is nothing to what we have deserved.
3. They may be accounted short, in respect of the dayes of Prosperity, which they have had sometimes in the world The Lord doth not alwayes chide, He will not cast off for ever, but though he cause griefe, yet will He have compassion, according to the multitude of His tender Mercies Lam. 3: vers. 32. and so He sendeth Prosperity, which lasteth longer, than their Adversitie did; as we see Iudg. 3: vers. 11. after Eight Years bondage, they had rest Fourtie Years: And vers. 30. after Eighteen Years trouble, they had rest Fourscore Years So Chap. 5: vers. last. after twenty Years bondage, they had rest Fourty Years. Thus the Lord sometimes sendeth such a length of Prosperity, that the dayes of Adversity are forgotten, as if they had been few and inconsiderable.
4. The time of Affliction may be accounted short, considering how that oftentimes, for as long as the delivery seemeth to be a coming, yet, when it cometh, His People are surprized therewith, their expectation is prevented; they imagined, in their own apprehensions, a longer duration of the trouble, so that mercy preventeth them, when it cometh; and this maketh the bypast time of their Affliction seem short. Though the People of God had been a conderable time in bondage, and under the feet of Adversaries; yet it appeared unto them, but (as it were) as the time betwixt seed time and harvest Psal. 126: vers. 5, 6. after God had wonderfully delivered them out of Captivity and Bondage, they draw this Conclusion from this rare Act of Gods Providence about them. They that sow in tears shall reap in Ioy, and he that goeth forth and weepeth having precious seed, shall doubtless come againe with rejoiceing, bringing His sheaves with him. Whereby is imported that Gods People, abiding by the Lord, though they should meet with Affliction, in their Duty, and be made to weep sore, be reason thereof; yet the time of delivery should come, like an Harvest with fruit, recompensing all their toile and tears: and so, they summed up all their Seventy Years into less than Seven Moneths. And how came it to passe, that the time seemed so short? That Psalm pointeth this forth, as one Reason hereof, Vers. 1: When the Lord turned againe the Captivity of Zion, we were like men that dream. They were surprized with the mercy, for they did not look for it; but thought their exiled Condition should have continued longer, because they saw no appearance or probability of a returne. So that in regaird of what the People of God themselves may imagine, the time of the Affliction may be short.
5. It may likewise be accounted short and inconsiderable, in regaird of the wonderful and extraordinary goodness of God, that appeareth in the delivery; when it cometh, it may be attended with such signal and notable Mercies, which so fill their souls with amazement and satisfaction, that the length of the time of their Affliction disappeareth and evanisheth; and, as if it had been nothing, it is presently forgotten. So in that forecited Psal. 126: vers. 2. The delivery is accounted signal and wonderfully remarkable, such as filled their mouth with laughter, and their tongue with singing. It was such a notable delivery, accompanied with so many rare Passages, and carrying in the bosome of it so many rare demonstrations of Gods Power, Tenderness, Faithfulness, Constancy and loving Kindness, that they could not but be filled with admiration thereat, and have their tongues loosed to sing his praises: Yea they took notice of this circumstance, which increased the admirablness of the delivery, that even Strangers and Heathens were made to say, that God had done great things or the poor Jewes; and they themselves, being no less convinced hereof, could not but subscribe to the truth thereof, and (as it were) take the word out of their mouth, and say v. 3. The Lord had done great things for us, whereof we are glade. Now this being so remarkable a delivery, the first sight and apprehension of it did so fill their soul with Joy and Admiration, that the long Seventy Years Bondage seemed to them, but as the paines and labour of a few Moneths, in expectation of a good harvest, after the seed was sowen: as the long paines of a women travelling in Child-birth are forgotten, when she hath brought forth a Man-Child. In respect therefore of the delivery, so signal as to its Ingredients, Attendants and Circumstances, the time of Affliction may appear as nothing.
6. This time of Affliction may appear to be short, in respect of the Comfort and Support, which the Lord may bestow upon them in the Affliction: His Presence and Company may so sweeten the Lot, that the time may (as it were) steal away, and scarce be observed: what is a whole Years Affliction, when God is pleased to shine in love upon the soul dureing that time? Good Company will make the Journay seem short, and the way good, which otherwayes would be tedious. Now the Lord is pleased sometimes so to manifest Himself, as to fill His People with Joy, and this so sweetneth the trouble, and cutteth the time short, that many Years seem but a few dayes.
7. The time may be accounted short, in respect of the rich recompence of reward, that is coming. If we should lay this in the ballance with an hundred Years Bondage and Affliction, what would all these Years of trouble seem to be, but as the trouble of a moment, when it is past? Therefore, when Paul taketh a view of the exceeding and eternal weight of Glory, which was coming, all the Afflictions in this earth appeared as nothing in his eyes; the transcendent Glory & incomprehensible Excellency of the one, eateth away the duration of the other to a thing of nothing 2 Cor. 4: ver. 17. It is with the Beleever, in this case, as it was with Iaeob, when he was serving for Rachel, Seven Years enduring of the cold frost by night, and the heat by day, seemed unto him but as a few dayes, For the love he had to her Gen. 29: vers. 20. The thoughts of the rich and upmaking reward, that faithful Sufferers have to look-for, will cause a long time of sad Affliction seem short.
8. The time of Affliction is so short, that it is as nothing, in comparison of Eternity: the exceeding and eternal weight of Glory will make the Afflictions light & momentany. What is the whole of time unto Eternity? Is there any comparison betwixt what is finite, & what is Infinite? Seing then the whole of time is not as a moment of time to all eternity; what can the longest duration of Affliction be, but as an inconsiderable part of that inconsiderable whole? VVhat do those, who are up before the Throne, think of the many Years of their Trouble and Persecution here below? Are they, think we, calculating it by Years or by Dayes, or by Houres? Oh no, all of it is, with them, comprized within the Circle of a small inconsiderable point.
These and the like particulars being duely pondered and considered, it will appear, how the longest time of Affliction, that we can have here, is but short & inconsiderable: And it is our not weighing and laying of these things to heart, which maketh our trouble seem so long.
Thirdly, VVe come now to speak of the Christian and Edifying Improvement of this Consideration: which is by fixing it in our heart, as a sure truth, that the time of Affliction is indeed but short. And had we the faith hereof rooted in our souls, we would be in case to carry Christianly under Afflictions: For the faith hereof would produce several sweet and useful Effects, in our hearts, seasonable and profitable for such a time: Such as these following.
2. The fixed apprehension of this, that the time of trouble is but short, would fortifie the Soul of a Beleever against the false suggestions of the Devil, which he maketh much use of at that time, to disquiet their hearts, and make their lives bitter. He will laboure to perswade them, that God looketh on them as Enemies, otherwise He would not continue their heavy Affliction so long; and thus tempt them to question their Interest in God. But the faith of this truth would enable the Beleever to answere this Objection, and to repel this Temptation, by saying, His anger is but for a moment, His face will not alwayes be hid; this blast will go over; and therefore I have no cause to call my Interest in question, upon this account.
2. The fixed faith of this would keep the Beleever from questioning the promises, upon the account, that the Lords Dispensations did seem to threaten a long lasting trouble; and a sad life of Affliction for a long time. Temptation, it is true, will then say, God hath forgotten to be gracious, He will be favourable no more, His faithfulness faileth for ever. But the Soul, beleeving this Conclusion, will say, what a poor insignificant ground is that for me, whereupon to call the faithfulness of God in question? If the trouble were lengthened out …et longer, all the time is but short, it will soon have an end.
3. The faith of this will contribute much to hold up Hop's Head. When the afflicted Person, through the Power of Temptation, is made to cry-out, O! This Trouble will never have an end, this perplexity and exercise is but growing; and what shall I do? Then hope beginneth to fail, and when hop faileth, the soul sincketh: But now, when this Consideration is seriously thought upon, and the soul is made to say, all the time of Affliction, which his Children meet with here, is but short, it will not alwayes last, it is but for a moment, yea and for a very short moment; then hop is made to lift up its head; for the man will be ashamed to quite his hop, and despond, who knoweth that the storme will quickly be over, and be but like a may-shoure.
4. The Faith of this will help unto the exercise of Patience: when we look upon the trouble, as that which will not end, or must be of long continuance, our courage departeth, our spirits fail, and we storme and grow Impatient. But when we by faith look thorow the thick and black side of the dispensation, and see the end of the calamity nigh at hand, the moment posting away, how sweetly will we lay our necks under the yoke, and set our faces against the storme, and hold on our Journay? How patiently will we bear the Indignation of the Lord, when we know, that it will be over within a moment? We will be ashamed to quarrel, or complaine, when we know, that a period shall quickly be put thereunto. The Apostle told the Hebrewes Heb. 10: 36. that they had need of patience: And to encourage them unto Patience, he tels them, that within a little while, yea a very little while. He that should come, would come, and would not tarry vers. 37.
5 The faith of this will help unto Constancy and Stedfastness. When we once conceive and apprehend, that our trouble shall be of long endurance, we grow weak, and unable to stand out against temptations; and are ready to say, because this storme will not soon blow over, it is best to row to a lee shore, and comply with the sinful courses of the time: Whereas did we see and beleeve, that the storme would not endure long, but be quickly gone, we would be encouraged to ride it out, and enabled to withstand temptations unto a sideing with the workers of Iniquity.
6. It would help also unto Christian cheerfulness under the Crosse; when we know that it will be but a blast, soon over and gone, our Countenance will not fall, nor our courage fail: but when we represent the trouble to ourselves, as of long continuance, and we beginne to doubt if ever it shall have an end, then we become discouraged, and our countenances are cast down, and we appear no more couragious and cheerful: How do our hearts faint, and our hands fail us? The Consideration of the short and momentany Affliction keeped-up Pauls heart, and made him say, For this cause we fainte not 2 Cor. 4: 16, 17.
7. The faith of this would free us from many feares, that ordinarily attend such a Condition; we are, while under Affliction, saying, what if this or that fall out? But the faith of this would hush these troublesome feares and questions to the door. The Tribulation being but to continue ten dayes, we would fear none of these things Revelat. 2: v. 10.