Comfort and Counsel for Dejected Souls, Section 2 · Chapter 21
CHAP. 21.
Cure for Soules, caſt downe upon corporall Afflictions.
SPirituall dejection is ſometimes cauſed by corporall affliction: A ſick body doth in ſome perſons make a ſad ſoul.Cauſe. When Hezekiah was ſick, and had received the ſentence and meſſage of death, he turned to the wall and wept; And the thoughts of the dying of his body, produced dejection in his ſoul. Thus indeed it is oft with others. Now to cure this cauſe of dejection, I ſhall not need to be large. Only take a few ingredients, which mixed together, and applyed, may ſerve in this caſe to raiſe the dejected Spirit.
Firſt, Conſider the great ground of this dejection is a deceit. Cure.Afflicted ſoules interpret affliction amiſſe, and therefore are caſt downe. They take every whipping to be an effect of anger, whereas its a ſigne of love. Your Father (O dejected ſoul) in your ſickneſſe is ſweet. He makes thee ſick in thy body, to cure ſome diſeaſe in thy ſoul. He doth not afflict thee willingly. Tis only that thy ſpirit may be well, that he makes thy body ill. You have had fathers of your fleſh who corrected you, and yee gave them reverence: ſhould you not much rather be in ſubjection to the Father of ſpirits & live? Heb. 12.9. This is ſpoke in reference to affliction. By this chaſtiſement, God ſeales up child-ſhip. Do not deſpiſe therefore the chaſtenings of the Lord, nor be not dejected (for the word will beare this tranſlation) when thou art (by ſickneſſe) rebuked of the Lord, foreign. i.e. they …eject their own ſpirits. Philo.Heb, 12.5. Its a fault in the chaſtiſed child to be dogged; and its a failing in thee (O ſoule) by reaſon of corporall affliction, (which is but a fatherly chaſtiſement) to be dejected. Beſides,
Secondly, Your father knows your frame: He knowes what you can beare, and hee'le lay no more upon you, then your ſtrength can maſter; The Lord will not alwayes chide, neither will he keep his anger for ever ('tis ſpoken of affliction, by diſeaſes as ſeemes to be hinted verſ. 3.) But as a father pittyeth His children, ſo the Lord pittieth them who feare him: for hee knoweth our frame, he remembreth wee are but duſt. As for man his dayes are but as graſſe, as a flower in the field ſo he flouriſheth, Pſalm. 103.9, 13, 14, 15.
Mind this (O thou ſick and ſad ſoule!) thy father knowes thy frame, he minds thou art but duſt, and he pittyes thee in all thy affliction, which he layes upon thee: Yea, he ſits by, and makes all thy bed in thy ſicknes, as tis Pſa. 41. And he maketh ſore, and bindeth up; be woundeth; and his hand maketh whole, as it is in Job 4 18. that is ſpoken of ſickneſſe too. Chriſt (if hee will) can make thee whole: And certainly, if thou couldeſt beleeve, thou ſhouldeſt ſee his glory, as tis Joh. 11.40. Hath he not ſaid enough to make thee ſay (as David ſaid) I ſhall not dye, but live, to declare the workes of God, The Lord hath chaſtened me ſore, but hath not given me over unto death, ſee that place, Pſalm: 118.17, 18. O bear up dejected heart, though thou be ſick, yet thou mayſt recover; and goe up to the houſe of God, where thou mayeſt praiſe him for health reſtored to thee; and ſay, Bleſſe the Lord O my ſoule, and all that is within me bleſſe his holy name, who forgiveth all thine iniquities, and healeth all thy diſeaſes.
Queſt: Prethee mind this, and ſay, doth it not ſpeake to thy dejection?
Anſw. No wilt thou ſay, I would beare ſickneſſe, but that I feare death. This thought, I ſhall dye, is that which caſts me down.
Reply, 'Tis true, I thinke (and I know) here is the bottome of the doubt, and dejection, to ſpeake therefore to it directly.
Ile grant it, thou ſhalt dye (though it may be not now) but ſuppoſe I ſay now,Caſe. even now, thou ſhalt die, yet conſider theſe things, and thou needeſt not be dejected.
Firſt, Chriſt came to deliver thee from this feare. Cure.Its the feare of death, that doth more deject, then death it ſelf. Now remember, Chriſt came to free thee from this feare: For as much as the children are partakers of fleſh and blood, he alſo himſelfe likewiſe tooke part of the ſame; that through death he might deſtroy him that had the power of death, that is the Devill, And (marke it) deliver them, who through the feare of death, were all their life time ſubject unto bondage, Heb. 2.14, 15. Conſider, Chriſt hath deſtroyed him that had the power of death, the Devill, and hath delivered thee, Couldeſt thou beleeve this (and why ſhouldeſt thou not?) thou mighteſt triumph. But
Secondly, Chriſt hath tooke away the ſting of death. Death is a Bee (having the hony of deliverance from this vile body, &c.) but it hath no ſting. For what ſaith the Scripture: The ſting of death is ſin, the ſtrength of ſin is the law, but thankes bee to God, who giveth us the victory through our Lord Jeſus Chriſt, goe thou to that glorious chapter 1 Corinth. 15. and read it. O thou! that art dejected with feares of death.
Thirdly, Chriſt will be with thee in that hour thou feareſt. Thou ſhalt not dye alone, for though all thy friends ſhall leave thee, yet wil not Chriſt. This David knew, for ſpeaking of his ſhepherd (and who is the ſhepheard but our Lord Jeſus, as tis Hel: 13.20.) He ſaith, although I walke through the valley of the ſhadow of death, I will fear no evill (he needed not) for obſerve what he ſaith, THOU ART WITH MEE, thy rod and thy ſtaffe they comfort me, Pſal. 23.4 Albeit thy relations bid thee farewell, and ſhake hands, as not being willing, nor able to keep thee longer company, yet Chriſt wil not leave thee, nor forſake thee. In truth, in life, nor death, hee'le never doe that, as tis Heb. 13.5.
Fourthly, Death ſhall be no death to thee. A change it wil be, and that from worſe to the better, but its not a death. Did not Chriſt ſay it? Whoſoever liveth and beleeveth in me, ſhall never dye, yea though he were dead, yet ſhal he live, John 11.26. Thou muſt not call that death, which the Scripture cals but ſleep. The Scripture ſpeakes of the dead in Chriſt, that they ſleep in Jeſus, 1 Theſſ: 4.14. And ſhe is not dead but ſleepeth; and our friend Lazarus ſleepeth. Now why ſhouldeſt thou (O ſoule) who art weary, be caſt down with the thoughts of ſleep.
Fiftly, Chriſt hath ſweetned death for thee. He hath layne in the grave, and ſo honoured, and ſoftned that bed unto beleevers. Would any child be afraid to lye in its mothers bed? Is it not an Honour, to lye down in the ſame bed in which the King of glory lay? Art dejected (O ſoule) to go into thy Saviours Sepulchre? what art thou caſt downe with the feares of gain? to dye is gaine, ſaid Paul: Philip. 1.21.
Sixtly, Chriſt will raiſe you up againe: Hee hath ſaid ſo, and if he ſhould not, he would not only breake his own word, but diſobey his fathers will; neither of which hee'l doe. This is the fathers will, who hath ſent me, that of all which he hath given me, I ſhould looſe nothing, but ſhould raiſe it up at the laſt day. This Chriſt ſpake once, yea twice (and pray marke it wel) John 6 39, 41. Chriſt (O ſoul) wil raiſe thee up againe. Should the child be afraid to goe to ſleep at night, when his Father promiſeth to raiſe him up in the morning? Chriſt hath promiſed to raiſe up your bodies again: yea, and he hath promiſed to give you a new ſpirit into the bargaine, for tis ſowne a Naturall, but raiſed a Spirituall body.
Put all this together (O thou dejected ſoul) and tell me now, What cauſe haſt thou to be caſt downe with the thoughts of death? May not theſe conſiderations cure that cauſe of thy dejection? Thou art now troubled with ſickneſſe, weakneſſe, paines, &c. but let death come (doe not feare it) and thou ſhalt be cured of all Diſeaſes, yea and which is better, freed from all defilements. Methinkes therefore you ſhould rather deſire to be deſolved, then feare death, and imitate thoſe who groaned to be uncloathed of this earthly houſe, as knowing they have a better, even a building with God, an houſe not made with hands, eternall in the Heavens, 2 Cor. 5.1. Goe (O caſt down ſoule!) to that Scripture, and thou wilt in it finde a Cordiall to cheere, and cure thy ſpirit in this feare.