ON AFFLICTION AND DESERTION. I. AFFLICTION and misery are the common burden of the sons of Adam. In the present life all are subject to misery, some more, some less. We walk through a valley of tears, live in a groaning world; none have such an uninterrupted current of worldly happiness, but that they have their crosses and afflictions. These things are common to man. We are told in the book of Job, v. 7, "Man is born to trouble, as the sparks fly upward" and xiv. 1, "Man that is born of a woman, is of few days, and full of trouble." None can reasonably expect to be absolutely exempted from the common lot of human fallen nature. Though life be short, yet is it long enough to be vexed with many sorrows. "Few and evil have the days of the years of my life been," saith old Jacob, Gen. xlvii. 9. Since they are evil, it is well they are but few. Few men consider this, that they come into the world to bear crosses, but rather imagine they come hither to spend A their days in pleasure; at least they do not observe the true cause of their troubles, nor the remedy. The true cause is sin. Man's transgressions are the door by which it entered. And the proper remedy is the grace of God in Jesus Christ. Whatever, then, may be the particular and various dispensations of God towards men, yet to be miserable in some sort or degree is common to all Adam's posterity, which should make us look higher than the present life. Christ hath promised an happiness, that will countervail all these afflictions. There is a fourfold comparison, which believers usually make, or in scripture are taught to make between this life, and that which is to come. 1. Sometimes they compare temporal good things, with eternal good things; or the portion of the carnal man, with the happiness of the child of God. "From men which are thy hand, O Lord; from men of the world, which have their portion in this life, and whose belly thou fillest with thy hid treasure: they are full of children, and leave the rest of their substance to their babes. As for me, I will behold thy face in righteousness: 1 shall be satisfied, when I awake, with thy likeness," Psalm xvii. 14, 15. 2. Sometimes they compare temporal evil things, with eternal evil things; as a prison with hell, or the killing of the body, with the casting the body and soul into hell-fire. "Be not afraid of them that kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear; fear him, which after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, fear him," Luke xii. 4, 5. Certainly it is more important to fear displeasing God, than displeasing men: the utmost they can do is to kill the body, and then their malice is at an end: but God can cast both Every one body and soul into everlasting torments. would submit to a lesser evil, to avoid a greater. When you sin to escape trouble in the world, you run into eternal sufferings to avoid temporal ones: no wrath like the wrath of God: no torments like hell-fire. 3. Sometimes they compare temporal good with eternal evil; as Matt. xvi. 26, "What is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?" The plentiful life of worldlings, with the forfeiting of the soul; the pleasures of sin for a season, with the pains of hell for ever. : 4. The fourth sort of comparison, which the scriptures direct us to, is temporal evil things, with eternal good things. "For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time, are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us," Rom. viii. 18. Sufferings for the present may be very great, but the glory that is revealed to us, and shall one day be revealed in us, is much greater as there is no comparison between our suffering here, and eternal ease and rest. "For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, 2 Cor. iv. 17. The sufferings of the present world are light and short, not in themselves, but in comparison with eternal life. In themselves they may be, some of them are very sharp and grievous, and some also very long and tedious; but, what a point is to a circumference, that is time to eternity. And what a feather is to a talent of lead, that are present evils to future glory and blessedAll this is spoken to show, that it is better to be miserable with the people of God, than happy with his enemies, and that we should not be drawn away from Christ, either by the comfortable, or the troublesome things we meet with in this world. ness. II. Not from the dust, affliction grows, But we are born to cares and woes,- As sparks break out from burning coals, So grief is rooted in our souls, Yet with my God I leave my cause, Not all the ills, that e'er I bore, Shall spoil my future peace; For death and hell can do no more III. When thou art in a desperate state, and there seems no way of escape, remember, that God is the same still; He is as able to help now as ever, and can create comforts for thee in thy greatest troubles; as in the first creation he made light out of darkness, order out of confusion; so still he is able out of thy confused and perplexed state, to create peace and comfort. Thou knowest not what to do perhaps, thy mind is so distracted and troubled; why, commit thy soul to God, he can raise an excellent frame out of the chaos of thy thoughts, therefore be not dismayed, consider thou hast God in covenant with thee, and hast to deal with an Almighty Creator, who can send present help in time of need. Therefore never despair, but frequent the means of grace, and still think of God, reconciled to thee in Christ Jesus, who hath paid thy debt of ten thousand talents, and who, having begun a work of grace in thee, will perform it unto the end. Commit thy soul unto Him as a faithful Creator, for guidance and direction in all thy perplexities, until he bring thee to perfect happiness. IV. God doth not govern the world only by his will, as an absolute monarch, but by his wisdom and goodness as a tender Father. It is not His greatest pleasure to show his sovereign power, or his inconceivable wisdom, but his immense goodness, to which he makes his other attributes subservient. What was God's end in creating, is his end in governing, which was the communication and diffusion of his goodness; we may be sure from hence, that God will do nothing but for the best, his wisdom appointing it with the highest reason, and his goodness ordering it to the most gracious end; and because he is the highest good, he doth not only will good, but the best good in every thing he acts. Now what greater comfort is there than this? That there is One who presides over the world, who is so wise he cannot be mistaken-so faithful he cannot deceive-so pitiful he cannot neglect his people, and so powerful, that he can make even stones to be turned into bread, if he please. V. It should be our great care, not to despise the chastening of the Lord, nor to be too much dejected under it. The smart would keep us from despising an affliction in itself, but we make light of it, when we are careless of improving it for the ends for which God inflicts it; we may be sensible of the pain, when we are not sensible of the profit which may accrue to us by it. God forbids here two extremities, the one an excess, the other a want of courage. Both dishonor God; the one in his sovereignty, the other in his good |