A Complete Body of Divinity, Sermons · 64 (Question 19 cont.)
SERMON LXIV.
II. IT follows to conſider the Miſeries themſelves, which they are thus liable to; and they are ranked under three heads, the firſt whereof we are upon, viz.
1. THE miſeries of this life. There are two ages in which every one is concerned, Time, and Eternity; and by man's fall, death is become man's paſſage from the one to the other: now in each of theſe there are miſeries contained, which call for a ſeveral diſtinct obſervation. There are the inchoations of all miſeries in this world, after which death comes, and paſſeth ſinners over to the conſummation of them in another. And theſe are all contained in the curſe which is fallen upon man; and that one word, Death, engroſſeth them all, and there is ſomething of death in every miſery. Man begins to die as ſoon as he begins to live, and he goes on till he is ſwallowed up of death. His miſeries begin here, and are compleated hereafter. Hence we have that expreſſion of our Saviour, Mat. 24.8. All theſe are the beginning of ſorrows. And ſo ſome underſtand the import of that expreſſion. Gen 2.1…. Dying thou ſhalt die. q. d. Thou ſhalt be always dying, dying, till thou ar… perfectly dead. So that the miſeries of this life differ not from thoſe that follow, ſo much for kind, as degree.
THE miſeries then of this life, are All theſe evils which befall the man from his c…nceſ… to his death. Man hath a ſe…t life to run over in this world, but it is a troubleſome …. Joh 14.1. Man that is …er… of a women, is of … days, and full of trouble. It is true, mercy moderates theſe troubles, to ſome more, … others leſs; but as every one is liable to all, ſo there is none but hath a ſhare in them. And hitherto belongs every thing that is affective to the creature: and that we may take a more diſtinct view of theſe things, they may be ranked under two heads.
THE miſeries undergone in this life are either corporal or ſpiritual. Theſe are the two kinds of miſery that ſinful man is puniſhed withal. The ground of this diſtribution is, from the two effential or conſtituting parts of man, viz. Soul and Body, as both of theſe do part c…pate in fin, ſo are they both expoſed unto puniſhment: and as they are vaſtly different in nature, ſo are the penalties belonging to each diverſityed, their miſeries being ſuited to their capacities. Soul and Body make one perſon, and fin is perſonal, committed by the Soul as the principal, with the Body as its organ or inſtrument. The perſon therefore ſuffers in both. Theſe miſeries are uncountable. Hence that, Pſal. 40.12. Innumerable evils have compaſſed me about. But we may reduce them to ſome general heads.
Here then,
I. CORPORAL Miſeries are all th…ſe Miſeries which befall the Body in this Life. They are ſuch as nextly harm the outward man. Whatſoever he meets with which is moleſtful or uncomfortable to him, with reſpect to his temporary concerns, belongs to this head. Temporal Judgments are therefore called, Death, Exed. 10.17. Not only becauſe they help forward the death of the body, but alſo in that they abate of its comfort and delight, which is the life of its life.
THESE evils meet the man in the womb before he is born, and they follow him to his grave; and every affliction gives a chop at the tree of the life of the outward man, till at laſt it falls, and he dies.
THESE Miſeries are either privative, or poſitive. The one belongs to the puniſhment of loſs, the other to that of ſenſe: for in both of theſe ways the man is capable of being made miſerable. Man is a dependent creature, the withdrawing of that on which he depends makes him miſerable; and he is a ſenſible creature, and it muſt be a miſery to be under the feeling of things hurtful to him.
(1.) THE privative miſery is, in his being deprived of the Good things of this Life. There are a great many things go in to make the outward life comfortable. Man was at firſt priviledged with them all; but by ſin he hath forfeited them, and God pur…ſheth him by withholding them from him. And he… whatſoever he wants of what man in i… cency enjoyed, belongs hither: and this loſs either refers to the ſtate of the body itſelf or the ſupplies of comfort which it had from abroad.
1. IN reſped of the ſtate of the Body in ſe…. Here is a miſerable loſs that man hath ſi… t…ned, and that may be reduced to two paticulars.
1. THE loſs of his heath and …vocity. M… was made at firſt of a very hall conſtitution the croſs of his body was ſo curioully atte… pered, that there was not the leaſt indiſp… tion in it, and by reaſon of this, he was exceeding vigorous and lively; he was made ſu… to immercality: and hence there was nothing in him tending towards a diſſolation: … now his health is left, and from the very reception he is diſtempered and unhealthy, … ſo Fable to all diſeaſes; by which men… there is an heavineſs and dulneſs come upon him. Now this privation, both is a … in it ſelf, and a foundation for many more? … ſitive ones; by this loſs, the bond of likes weakened, 1 Cor. 11.30. Mary are weak are ſickly among you, and many ſleep.
2. THE leſs of his beauty and majeſty. M… body in the Creation was a ſtately, comely majeſtick thing; the other creatates had … awe of it upon them; not was there any thing ſhameful in them. Gen. 2.25. But … no ſooner ſinned but he became a ſhame … himſelf, Chap. 3.7. Man's beauty is bla… his viſage is marred; and beſides that whom is befallen all without exception, there are great deformities which ſome are born w… al, diſproportion in the parts, making an a… merry in the whole, beſides many mon… deficiencies or redundancies, which either … fit the body for it's ſervice, or expoſe it … contempt.
2. RESPECTING theſe ſupplies of … that it hath from abroad. Here alſo man is … a miſerable loſs; and that many ways; the more principal are ſuch as theſe.
1. HE hath loſt that Government which … be had over the creatures. There was ſu… dominion given him, Gen. 1.28. And they paid him their homage, when they cannot him to be named by him: and though God continues in them generally a fear of … yet the natural reſpect they bear to him … gone; and they have drawn their necks … of the yoke, and they are not ſpontane… obedient to him; yea there is in many … them a rooted malignity, making them … hate him; and in all of them a reluctacy … gainſt ſerving him, and they are with di… ty broken, and brought to it; their ſer… being now a real bondage, Rom. 8.20, 21.
2. HE hath loſt thoſe pleaſures of his … which he was at the firſt poſſeſſed of. When God had made man, He placed him in a gander planted for him with His own hand, when all ſuitable delights were provided him: and it was an emblem of that delectable life which Man ſhould have led in that world. It was called …en, which fig…ines, pleaſure, jacu… …ity, delectableneſs, the …ivers of it, were rivers of pleaſures, for to t…em the Pſalmiſt alludes, Pſal. 36.8. Th… ſ… make them drink of the river of thy p…aſ…es. Hi… life ſhould have been every way eaſy and comfortable to E…m, but it is now become otherwiſe; he is ta…d out of paradiſe into the wide world, and this is a miſery: for life is truly life no t…er than it is delectable.
3. HE hath …st the pr…dge of the earth's …th…y. It was made for Man, and exceeding fruitful of all that was requiſite for the ſ…pp…t and comfort of his life; it readily brought forth its fruits for him; but now it is …der a curſe for his ſake, and is made barren of good fruits, and brings them forth ſc…ily, and not without a kind of force. Gen. 3.17, 18. Curſed is the ground for thy ſake: in ſorrow ſhall thou eat of it all the days of thy …e. Thorns alſo and thiſtles ſhall it bring f…r… to thee: and thou ſhall cat the both of the …. It readily brings f…rth things that are …ions and hurtful, but difficultly thoſe that are uſeful and beneficial.
4. HE hath l…ſt the vertue of theſe things for the preſervation of his health and vigour. It is …re than probable that the things themſelves are not of that vertue which they had at the firſt; but it is certain, that man hath not that benefit by them which he ſhould have had, they are the media of the continuation of that athletick conſtitution of his, … now there is but a fain… ſupport they af…d him, and norwithſtanding all, his life goes to decay when he bath made the beſt of them; the ſtay and ſtaff in them is greatly …p…ired, Iſai. 3. begin.
(2.) THE poſitive miſery is, in his being ſubjected to all thoſe evils which deſtroy the comfort of his life, and have a tendency to the taking of i… …y. They make it troubleſome whiles it l…ts, and cut it ſhort too of its continuance; and here is an iliad of miſeries to be taken notice of, which cannot be enumerated; a few may here be reflected on: and theſe alſo refer to the ſame heads with the former, viz.
1. TO the ſtate of the body … ſelf. And there are three things that more eminently refer hither.
1. HIS body is become a ſeat of all manner …f diſeaſes and maladies. His health is gone, and all manner of diſeaſes are ready to prey upon him theſe belong to the curſe, Deut. 28, 59, …0, 61. And, 26.31. There is a diſpoſition come into his body, that expoſeth him to take the infection of every diſeaſe that is Epidemical; all the ſores, and pains, all the chronick and acute diſtempers which any are viſ…ed withal, belong to this; theſe make the …as life to hang in doubt before him, take away the comfort of all his comforts from hi…, and preſent him with the terrors and fears of death it ſelf: and though the curſe in …ence other creatures in this reſpect, yet there is none that lies open to the one half of thoſe ma…dies which man doth: many of which are extr…mly tormenting, and all are pining and waſting unto him.
2. HE … exp…ſed to wearineſs in his labour. Man was made for buſineſs; he would have had an employment, if he had never finned, Gen. 2.15. But it would have been a recreation and delight, without any wearineſs at all, by reaſon of his great vivacity and agility: but now his work tires him, his ſpirits ſpend, and he grows faint, ſo that his buſineſs is a burden to him, and a little matter puts him out of breath, and his body to pain: and this attends all his affairs, Eccl. 1.8. All things are full of labour.
3. HIS bodily wants, and therewith his labour, are greetly increaſed. Man needs more f…r his life's ſupport and comfort now, than h… did in the ſtate of innocency; and there needs more labour to obtain it; man now needs not only for food but for cloathing too, as to defend him from the injuries of the ſeaſons, ſo to cover his nakedneſs, and hide his ſhame; and man is now in need not only of food, but phyſick too, to remedy the maladies which are often ſe…zing of him, that ſo a dying life may be a while ſhored up: the curſe alſo that is on the earth makes it harder to obtain this ſupply, and coſts him the more pains, ſo that there is no end of his toil and travel. Eccl. 2.23. For all his days are ſorrows, and his travel grief: yea, his heart taketh not rest in the night. This is alſo vanity.
2. TO things abroad, or without him. And here miſeries come crowding in upon him from every quarter. I ſhall endeavour to ſum up the principal of theſe under a few heads.
1. THE elements; and the elementary bodies are noxious to him, and do him h…r…. The whole creation indeed is armed againſt him, in the quarrel of their Creator; the ſun, moon and ſtars in their conſtellations, which were made to give him light an… …mfortable ſeaſons, do now ſmite him wi… …ir malignant influences, which produce many afflictions for him. We read, Judg. 5.20: They fought from heaven, the ſtars in their courſes ſought against Siſer…. That therefore is one bleſſing promiſed in the new covenant, Pſal. 121.6. The ſun ſhall not ſmite thee by day; nor the moon by night. Intimating, that finful man is expoſed to theſe. The air is filled with peſtilential vapours, by which it infects and poiſons them, with contagious diſeaſes, which they ſuck in with their breath. The waters many times break in upon them, and ſweep them away with violence, and deſtroy their ſubſtance. The earth alſo where they tread ſometimes gives way under them, and by amazing ruptures opens its mouth and devours them; and carries, Men, Towns, Cities into its bowels, and cloſeth upon them.
2. THE brute creatures riſe up in rebellion against him, and do him miſchief. How often doth God threaten ſinners in the Scripture, with turning beaſts of prey upon them, and that not only metaphorically, but litterally; God ſent Lions among them, 2 King. 17.25. bears on the mocking children, Chap. 2.24. And there is a particular enmity in all Snakes, and venemous Serpents againſt man; which ly lurking in a readineſs to do him a miſchief; yea the very beaſts which man keeps for his own uſe, oftentimes do him harm.
3. THERE are croſſes and diſappointments upon all men's labours. Not only do they get their livelihood with a world of toil; but when they have done all, it comes to nothing, but is blaſted, and ends in fruſtration; which joins vanity and vexation together. We lead, Hab. 2.13. Behold, is it not of the Lord of hosts, that the people ſhall labour in the very fire, and the people ſhall weary themſelves for very vanity. Sometimes there is a ſecret curſe upon men's labours, they are croft in all their deſigns, and they know not how it comes to paſs; there is a moth that eats out all, without any noiſe; at other times there are more open and obſervable croſſes that befall men, and there is an hand out againſt them in every thing they undertake, and there are many ways in which God wafteth their ſubſtance; by inſects, unſeaſonable rain or drought, tempeſts, fires, &c. and by theſe means they are reduced to poverty and diſtreſs, yea, pined away with famine and ſcarcity. This therefore is one of God's great plagues which he puniſheth them with in this world.
4. HE is expoſed to reproach and contempt. Credit and eſteem among men is an outward bleſſing, and man ſhould have always enjoyed it in his integrity; but ſin having put him out of God's favour, hath alſo laid him open to men's ſcorn, to he deſpiſed of every one. Hence that threatning. 1 Sam. 2.30. They that deſpiſe me, ſhall be lightly eſteemed. And by this means they ly open to all manner of abuſes, both of tongue and hand, yea, the very abjects make a may-game of them, and they ſerve for ſport to the vileſt of men.
5. MANKIND are alſo ſet at variance one with another. Man was made a ſociable creature; love and friendſhip were the bond of this ſociety, and had he kept his innocency, there had never been animoſities or contentions between them: but now men are turned into Wolves and Bears one to another. God hath ſown a perverſe ſpirit among them, and they are always ready to quarrel, and take one another by the throat; and theſe contentions are either private between neighbours, alway vexing each other, with wranglings, ſecret underminings, injurious dealings, lawſuits, which makes their life a continual vexation or publick between Province and Province, between Kingdom and Kingdom, one Nation and another; and hence, wars, tumults, depredations, depopulations, waſting by fire and ſword, miſerable oppreſſion, captivity and ſlavery; yea, all manner of diſtraction and diſtreſs. 2 Chron. 15.5, 6. Now all theſe things are the moral effects of ſin; God ſaith of them, as he did to Judah, Jer. 2.17. Haſt thou not procured this unto thy ſelf, in that thou bast forſaken the Lord thy God. They are contained in the threatning; and whenever we meet with them, they point as hither, and are to bring fin to remembrance; they derive from the curſe, and are the genuine fruits of it.
Q. IF it ſhould here be inquired, whence … it then that the children of God meet with theſt evils as well as others, as we have holy … often complaining in Scripture? and yet they are delivered from the curſe of the law, and are under the bleſſing of the new Covenant.
A. IT may be anſwered, that though the curſe it ſelf be taken out, yet God ſees meet to exerciſe his children with ſuch things … a threefold account.
1. TO put them in mind what once they were. God would have them to remember it, that ſo they may the more admire at His free grace which hath delivered them. P… would have his Epheſians look back, Eph. 2.2, 3. And that they may have a remembrance of it, they feel ſome of thoſe things which they had deſerved for ſin; and this is part of the meaning of that in, Rom. 8.10. The body is dead becauſe of ſin.
2. THERE is a great deal of ſin yet in God's children; and God uſeth theſe to help is purge it away. The curſe had made poiſon of all theſe afflictions; but that being removed from them, and a bleſſing put into them, they now become medicinal, and though they art grievous, yet profitable; this therefore is the encouragement which God gives his people under them, Iſai. 27.9. By this therefore … the iniquity of Jacob be purged, and this is … the fruit to take away his ſin. Deut. 8.15. H…b 12.11. Now no chaſtning for the preſent ſt… eth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheleſs, afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteouſneſs, unto them which are exerciſed thereby. And therefore the Pſalmiſt could d… up that plump concluſion, Pſal. 94.12. Bleſſ… is the man whom thou chaſtenest, O Lord, … te…chest him out of thy law. The remains of concupiſcence in us are to be mortified, and God makes theſe ſerviceable to the morr… cation of them; he thus makes fin an evil and bitter thing to them.
3. THEY ſometimes fall into ſcandalous ſins, and God uſeth theſe as rods to correct them withal. It is therefore an article in the new Covenant on the ſuppoſal of ſuch a thing. Pſal. 89.30, 31, 32. If his children forſake my l…, and walk not in my judgments, If they break my ſtatutes, and keep not my commandments: Th…will I viſit their tranſgreſſion with the rod, and their iniquity with stripes. And this is a fruit of His love, and not of His wrath, Heb. 12.6. For whom the Lord loveth he chaſtneth, … ſcourgeth every ſon whom he receiveth. Hence the children of God may have other reſ…entments of theſe things than ungodly men, and though the things are for the matter the ſame, yet both the deſign and operation o… them is contrary: nor are they leſs curſes to natural men, becauſe they are turned into bleſſings to the regenerate.
USE I. LEARN we hence to Juſtify God and Condemn our ſelves, in all the ſorrows and miſeries of this life. This is enough to ſilence us for ever, from grumbling and complaining againſt God, under the worſt of evils that aſſault us. Lam. 3.39. Wherefore doth a living man complain, a man for the puniſhment of his ſias? Remember then always, that God is the author of all theſe afflictions, and fin is the procuring cauſe of them, who or whatſoever the inſtrument may be: they are therefore righteous Judgments, and let us ever confeſs them to be ſo. Remember, theſe are but part of that death which is the wages of ſin. Rom. 6.23. And ſhall God be charged for unjuſt in paying you your wages? when you feel the ſmart of theſe ſorrows, look upon fin, ponder on the deſerts of it, ſee what an horrid thing it is, how infinitely injurious to the great God, and then ſay, that God hath wronged you, if you can: when you fall into any miſchiefs, remember it is by your iniquity. Hoſ. 14.1. It is the ſin you are guilty of that thus purſues you.
USE II. LET us hence ſee and acknowledge God, in all the moderation which its uſeth, in inflicting of theſe miſeries upon in. Remember, they are all of them contained in the curſe, and due to be executed on us, from the firſt moment that we began to be finners; how much mercy then do finners enjoy in the midſt of all the ſorrows they encounter? Sinners, it is a wonder of mercy, that you enjoy any comfort of life: that you have any meaſures of health and ſtrength, and are not conſumed by conſtant pining ſickneſſes, or inceſſant torturing pains; that you have any of the good things of God to ſupport you, food and raiment; that you enjoy any credit, liberty, proſperity in your affairs, that you are not made a terror to your ſelves, and all that are about you: that you have any friends, &c. God owes you none of theſe favours, but the contrary miſeries. Let this thought humble us, and make us vile in our own eyes for our ſin; and encourage ſinners to adventure to ſeek peace and pardon of God through Chriſt.
[SEPTEMBER 5. 1693.]