Classic Poem

Meditation IX

The Carriage of a Child of God Under his Fathers smarting Rod.

1

He sees a hand of God
In his Afflictions all,
And owns it for to be his Rod,
Whatever Cross befall.
For whosoever be
Th' immediate Instrument,
He knows right well that God himself
Was the Efficient.

2

And that Afflictions
Rise not out of the Dust:
Nor are they order'd by the will
Of Man, or Devils lust
If that the Grief be small
Or the Chastisment light:
Yet since God sends it not in vain,
Light strokes he dare not slight.

3

If greater be the Blow,
It doth not him dismay:
Because he knows a Fathers hand
Such stripes may on him lay
But he prepares himself
Betimes to meet the Lord
By true Repentance, as he hath
Commanded in his Word.

4

To search and try his wayes,
To find out what's amiss,
To leave his sins, to loath himself
His first great Business is
And having once found out
What sin hath God offended;
He seriously bewails it, and
Endeavours to amend it.

5

Unto the cleansing Blood
Of Jesus Christ he flies;
And to his wounded Conscience
That Soveraign Balm applies:
Which can both cleanse and heal;
Both pacifie God's wrath,
And cure a guilty sin-sick Soul,
When 'tis improv'd by Faith.

6

And though he be unworthy
To look God in the face;
Yet through the Merits of his Son
He begs and hopes for Grace:
Being right well assur'd,
That though the Lord chastise him,
Yet will he not cast off his Soul,
Nor utterly despise him.

7

But if by all his search
He cannot find the cause
For which the Lord afflicteth him
Or from his Soul withdraws:
Yet he believeth, that
For just and holy ends,
To humble, purge, and better him
The Lord Affliction sends.

8

And though he cannot say,
I have at random run,
Or wickedly by some known sin
Away from God have gon:
Yet so much sin he sees
Both in his heart and wayes,
As God may judge it meet therefore
To scourge him all his dayes.

9

Himself he humbleth under
The mighty hand of God:
And for the sake of that sweet hand
Doth kiss the sharpest Rod.
He taketh up his Cross,
Denieth his own will,
Advanceth God's above his own,
And yieldeth to him still.

10

Unto the yoke of Christ
He doth his neck submit:
He turns his cheek to him that smites,
And meekly taketh it.
Yea when his grief is most,
And sorest is his pain:
He still endeavoureth good thoughts
Of God for to retain.

11

His earnest care and prayer
When greatest is his smart,
Is that he never may blaspheme
God with his mouth or heart
He beggeth Patience
In his extremities
To bear Gods hand, that so his heart
May not against him rise.

12

If murmuring thoughts do rise
(Or hearts begin to swell)
He strives to beat them down again;
He hates such thoughts like Hell
God he resolves to love,
Deal with him as he will:
And in his mercy to confide
Although he should him kill.

13

To God that smiteth him
He strives to get more near
He will not cease to pray, although
God seem to stop his ear.
Though God hath long delay'd
To answer his request,
Yet will he seek, and never cease,
Whilst life is in his brest.

14

He waiteth patiently
Untill deliverance come,
And will not use dishonest means
To shun what's troublesome
He hates all sinful sleights
To get his Cross from under:
And will not break his Bonds, but stay
Till God them cut asunder.

15

Noah would not leave his Ark,
Nor out of Prison break
Although he saw the Ground was dry,
Till God did to him speak
David refus'd to kill,
King Saul his mortal Foe,
That persecuted him to Death,
And wrought him so much woe.

16

He rather chose to wait,
Till God should plead his Cause,
And of his Enemy him avenge,
Then for to break God's Laws.
Thus every Saint will rather,
Chuse Suffering, then to Sin;
He will not God offend, Self-ease
Or Safety for to win.

17

But if through Humane frailty,
And over-bearing power,
Of Strong Temptation, he do swerve,
And fall i'th' evil hour;
(As sometimes Peter did,)
It grieveth him full sure,
He weeps and mourns, repents, returns,
Grows stronger then before.

18

The longer God afflicts him,
The better he is for it,
Love's Holiness the more, loath's sin
And learneth to abhor it
The more he is bereft,
And stript of outward things:
The less he dotes on these wild Fowl,
That take them to their wings.

19

When creature comforts fail,
When sorrows him surround,
He takes the faster hold of God,
In whom true Comfort's found
When Conduit-pipes are stopt,
When Streams are vanished,
The more he to the Fountain hastes,
And lives at the well-head.

20

Thus David comforted
And cheer'd himself in God,
When all was gone, although he felt
The anguish of the Rod.
Thus Jacob took fast hold,
And wrestled with the Lord,
When as he was distrest for fear
Of cruel Esau's sword.

21

Prince-like he wrestled
And would not let him go,
Until he had a Blessing got
To shield him from his Foe.
Thus every suffering Saint
By wrestling shall prevail,
And having overcome at last
Be styled Israel .