2. When God's ends are accomplished there is hope : Isa. x. 12, ' When the Lord hath performed his whole work upon Mount Ziou ; ' when he hath chastised his people, and brought them to his purpose, then he will reckon with his enemies ; when heaven is minded more, and earth less. We naturally mind earthly things, and please our- selves with the dreaming of a happy estate in the world ; the appetite of temporal dominion, and wealth, and honour, and peace is natui'al to us, and very hardly subdued ; and therefore we would fain flourish here, and do not comfort ourselves in our crosses with the meditation of the glory of the world to come, but are always feeding ourselves with desires and liopes of earthly happiness, and of turning the tide ^md current of affairs, that things may again smile upon us ; and when frustrated and disappointed of this hope, our soul fainteth. Your worldly happiness will be a snare to you while you are thus affected, Mat. vi. 33. Prepare for heaven, and God will give you so much happiness by the way as will be needful and fit for you. Again, when we are mortified, and the cross hath purged out sin, Isa. xxvii. 9, the cross hath done its work. So when we are humble : Lev, xxvi. 41, 'If then their uncircumcised hearts be humble, and they accept of the punishment of their iniquity.' To be meek in spirit and to trust in the Lord is a forerunner of mercy : Zeph, iii. 12, ' I will also leave in the midst of thee an afflicted and poor people, and they shall trust in the name of the Lord.' When you bring honour to God by your sufferings : James i. 4, ' But let patience have its perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.' When it is most for God's glory to do it : Deut. xxxii, 36, ' For the Lord shall judge his people, and repent himself for his servants, when he seeth that their power is gone, and there is none shut up or left.'
Doct. God's people, when they are brought low, are usually a very despised people, the most despised people under heaven.
Here I shall show —
1. That this is the usual lot of an afflicted people,
2. But especially of the people of God.
3. The trial is very grievous to them.
1. An afflicted people are usually a despised people: Ps. cxxiii. 4, ^ Our soul is exceedingly filled with the scorning of those that are at ease, and with the contempt of the proud.' They that are proud, and have all things flow in upon them according to their own will, con- temn and slight others, and take no notice of their burdens, unless it be to increase them ; they pour vinegar on the wound. The heathens had a reverence for places stricken with thunder, because the hand of God had touched them ; but here it is not so : Job xii. 5, ' He that is
494 SERMONS UPON PSALM cxix. [Ser. CLVIII,
ready to slip with his feet is as a lamp despised in tlic thoughts of him that is at ease.' While we are hiirning lamps, shining in riches and greatness, we shall have enough to look after us ; but a poor, broken, dying lamp, a sinifF, that is ready to go out, everybody holdeth their nose at it. Whilst the enemies are honourable, great, tumble in wealth and the excess of carnal delights, they despise those that are mean and low, and fallen under God's hand.
2. The people of God, much more common sulTerers, may meet with some pity in tlieir calamity, but the godly are subject to reproaches and mockings in their troubles ; and this many times proveth the heaviest part of the cross, and maketh it most grievous to be borne. It is so partly because they are fallen from tlieir great hopes, carried on in a way of religion. Where is their God, their fasting, prayer ? As if all were now delusions and fantastical impressions. And partly because the presence of God is sensibly gone from them. The presence of God among his people maketh them wise, courageous, prosperous. How should one chase a hundred, and a hundred put a thousand to flight ? But when God leaveth them, they grow despicable and ridi- culous above all others : Hosea xiv. 1, ' Eeturn to the Lord thy God, for thou hast fallen by thine iniquity.' ' All that honoured her shall despise her, because her nakedness is seen,' Lam. i. 8. A dispirited, judgment-blasted people shall be contemned. And partly because the cause for which they suffer may be strangely disguised and ill-repre- sented to the world. Satan was first a liar and then a murderer, John viii. 44. Elijah was thought the troubler of Israel. They may not only persecute, but say all manner of evil against us falsely for Christ's sake, Mat. xi. 19. Christ is called a glutton, a wine-bibber ; and Stephen a blasphemer. And partly by Satan's instigation ; by this means he maketh the despisers increase tlieir sin and hasten their judgment, and so he dissuades and discourages many weak Christians from own- ing the despised ways of Christ ; yea, it taketh off much of the cheer- fulness and courage of the strong in the profession of godliness.