Meat out of the eater: or, Meditations concerning the necessity, end, and usefulness of afflictions unto Gods children. All tending to prepare them, for, and comfort them under the cross. / By Michael Wigglesworth.Meat out of the eater: or, Meditations concerning the necessity, end, and usefulness of afflictions unto Gods children. All tending to prepare them, for, and comfort them under the crosse. / By Michael Wigglesworth.
Michael Wigglesworth 1631–1705printed by S.G. Samuel Green for John Usher of Boston, 1670
208 p. ; (8vo) · 23k words · Evans 158 · Wing W2104
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
Flesh.
[1
OH but I greatly fear,
My sufferings are not such
As Children's Nurture use to be,
But that they differ much.
They are too great and long
(I fear) to stand with love:
Such overwhelming strokes, me-thinks,
Do rather hatred prove.
[2]
Were I a Child of God
He would more gently deal:
Nor would he always use the Rod,
But sometimes help and heal.
But I am day by day
Afflicted very sore:
My sufferings have been many years,
And still are growing more.
Flesh.
[1
OH but I greatly fear,
My sufferings are not such
As Childrens Nurture use to be,
But that they differ much.
They are too great and long
(I fear) to stand with love:
Such overwhelming strokes, me-thinks,
Do rather hatred prove.
[2]
Were I a Childe of God
He would more gently deal:
Nor would he alwayes use the Rod,
But sometimes help and heal.
But I am day by day
Afflicted very sore:
My sufferings have been many years,
And still are growing more.
For had he used extremities
Thou hadst been now in Hell.
He is not so severe
As thou imaginest;
For some, that were to him most dear,
Have been much more distressed.
[4]
Jacob from Esau's rage
To Padan-Aram sent,
The toil and pain of twenty years
Hard service under-went;
Oft being circumvented
By Laban's subtle feats:
But he was fain to be contented
For he knew no deceits.
[5]
Thou knowest what sorrows great
He after passed through,
One trouble hardly over-blown
Before he met a new▪
Moses brought up a Prince,
From Egypt Banished
Lived in Exile forty years,
And laboured for his bread.
Through Brethren's cruel hate,
Was sold to strangers, and so brought
Into a servile state.
No sooner gains he favour
In the' eyes of Potiphar:
But is accused of that Crime,
The innocent is shut
Into a Dungeon dark, his hands
And feet in fetters put.
And though the Lord was pleased
This rigour to abate
After some time; yet dwelt he long
In this imprisoned state.
[8]
The Church was sore oppressed
What thinkest thou of Job
And his great Sufferings?
Do not thy griefs, compared with his,
Seem light and little things?
So dismal was his case,
So strange his sorrows all,
But God befools them for it,
And lets them understand
That Job was such an upright man,
As none was in the Land:
That notwithstanding all
That he had undergone
For a long time, yet was he still
His most beloved one.
[11]
David a man of God,
One after God's own heart,
In his long lasting Banishment
Of sorrows had his part;
Deprived of God's House,
He found some safe abiding.
Ere long his Town is burnt,
His Wives are Captive taken,
His Soldiers speak of stoning him,
He seems of all forsaken.
[13]
Had David said, God hates me,
In this his greatest need
When as all other Comforts failed,
He had been poor indeed.
Spirit.
[3]
God doth more gently deal
Then thou considerest well:
1For had he us'd extremities
Thou hadst been now in Hell.
He is not so severe
As thou imaginest;
For some, that were to him most dear,
Have been much more distrest.
[4]
2Jacob from Esau's rage
To Padan-Aram sent,
The toyl and pain of twenty years
Hard service under-went;
Oft being circumvented
By Laban's subtile feats:
But he was fain to be contented
For he knew no deceits.
[5]
3Thou know'st what sorrows great
He after passed through,
One trouble hardly over-blown
Before he met a new▪
Moses brought up a Prince,
From Egypt Banished
Lived in Exile forty years,
And laboured for his bread.
⟨p. 61⟩[6]
Joseph an innocent,4
Through Bretherens cruel hate,
Was sold to strangers, and so brought
Into a servile state.
No sooner gains he favour
I'th' eyes of Potiphar:
But is accused of that Crime,5
Which he did most abhor.
[7]
His Master is incens'd,6
The innocent is shut
Into a Dungeon dark, his hands
And feet in fetters put.
And though the Lord was pleas'd
This rigour to abate
After some time; yet dwelt he long
In this imprisoned state.
[8]
The Church was sore opprest7
In Egypt many a day,
And made like Slaves, with rigour too,
To serve in brick and clay.
And though they cry'd to God8
With groans and many tears:
Yet were they in this Bondage held
Above an hundred years.
⟨p. 62⟩[9]
9What thinkest thou of Job
And his great Sufferings?
Do not thy griefs, compar'd with his,
Seem light and little things?
So dismal was his case,
So strange his sorrows all,
10As Wise ones thought could unto none
But wicked men befall.
[10]
11But God befools them for it,
And lets them understand
That Job was such an upright man,
As none was in the Land:
That notwithstanding all
That he had undergone
For a long time, yet was he still
His most beloved one.
[11]
David a man of God,
One after God's own heart,
In his long lasting Banishment
Of sorrows had his part;
Deprived of God's House,
12Hunted from place to place,
With restless feet and weary steps
Forc'd up and down to trace:
⟨p. 63⟩[12]
Flying to save his life,
In Caves and Forrests hiding▪
Untill at length in Ziklag-Town13
He found some safe abiding.
E're long his Town is burnt,
His Wives are Captive taken,
His Souldiers speak of stoning him,
He seems of all forsaken.
[13]
Had David said, God hates me,
In this his greatest need
When as all other Comforts fail'd,
He had been poor indeed.
But in his deep distress,
And over-bearing grief,
He comforted himself in God,
And from him found relief.
[14]
Heman from youthful years1
Was ready for to die,
Distracted with amazing fears
He cries continually;
Complaining that the Lord
His face away did hide,
Had made his wrath pass over him,
And cast his Soul aside.
⟨p. 64⟩[15]
Yet Heman was a Saint,
And calls the Lord his God,
2God of his Health, 'midst all complaints
And lashes of the Rod.
Take courage then my Soul,
And put away thy fear:
Thy sufferings well may stand with love,
Although they greater were.
[16]
And as for length of Time;
Examples do thee show,
That divers Saints have Sufferers been
A longer time then thou:
So that it well appears,
That altereth not the case,
(Of man's short life the longest Time
Is but a little space)
[17]
For what are twenty years
Unto Eternity?
Eternal Rest will make amends
For all this Misery.
When Time shall pass away
Like an untimely Birth,
These transient Griefs shall be forgot,
Or thought upon with mirth.
But in his deep distress,
And over-bearing grief,
He comforted himself in God,
And from him found relief.
[14]
Heman from youthful years1
Was ready for to die,
Distracted with amazing fears
He cries continuallie;
Complaining that the Lord
His face away did hide,
Had made his wrath pass over him,
And cast his Soul aside.
⟨p. 64⟩[15]
Yet Heman was a Saint,
And calls the Lord his God,
2God of his Health, 'midst all complaints
And lashes of the Rod.
Take courage then my Soul,
And put away thy fear:
Thy sufferings well may stand with love,
Although they greater were.
[16]
And as for length of Time;
Examples do thee show,
That divers Saints have Sufferers been
A longer time then thou:
So that it well appears,
That altereth not the case,
(Of man's short life the longest Time
Is but a little space)
[17]
For what are twenty years
Unto E•ernity?
Eternal Rest will make amends
For all this Misery.
When Time shall pass away
Like an untimely Birth,
These transient Griefs shall be forgot,
Or thought upon with mirth.
Consc.
[1]
'Tis not Affliction barely
That doth my Soul distress:
But rather multitude of sins1
And mine own wickedness.
Nor is it former faults
That now are brought to mind,
So much, as swarms of present sins
And hateful Lusts I find.
[2]
Had ever any one
So vile a heart as mine?
So barren under all God's pains
Nurture and discipline?
The Saints of God have found
Affliction to sever
Their Souls from sin; but I find mine
More boisterous now then ever.
⟨p. 66⟩[3]
2This makes me greatly fear
And question mine estate;
Lest I be nothing else but dross
3And silver reprobate,
That is not purified
By passing through the fire,
Fit to be trampled under foot
And trodden in the mire.
Consc.
[1]
'TIs not Affliction barely
That doth my Soul distress:
But rather multitude of sins1
And mine own wickedness.
Nor is it former faults
That now are brought to minde,
So much, as swarms of present sins
And hateful Lusts I finde.
[2]
Had ever any one
So vile a heart as mine?
So barren under all God's pains
Nurture and discipline?
The Saints of God have found
Affliction to sever
Their Souls from sin; but I finde mine
More boisterous now then ever.
⟨p. 66⟩[3]
2This makes me greatly fear
And question mine estate;
Lest I be nothing else but dross
3And silver reprobate,
That is not purify'd
By passing through the fire,
Fit to be trampled under foot
And troden in the mire.
Judgment.
[4]
Conscience, this is a Time
Wherein thou art benighted,
And seest not things as formerly,
Because thou art dim-sighted.
1Now therefore haste to some
Thy doubts that answer may:
Or for the present hark to me,
And hear what I shall say.
[5]
While Physic is at work,
Ill Humours are disturbed:
So while Chastisements are at work,
Corruptions may be stirred.
They do but show what was
Within the heart before:
They may discover hidden Lusts,
They do not make them more.
⟨p. 67⟩[6]
God hath ordained the Rod2
To do his Children good;
And this the Saints in God's due time
Have felt, and understood:
Not always presently,
And while the smart is on:3
For some of them have then cried out,
As if they were undone.
[7]
No chastening joyous is,4
But seems at present hard:
Yet brings forth fruits of Righteousness,
And sweet Peace afterward.
Therefore my sinful Soul,
And doubting Conscience,
Hope well for after-fruit; and don't
Judge all by present sense.
[8]
Gods Physic is at work
To purge Corruption out:
And this in time he will effect,
Believe and do not doubt,
He first discovereth sin,
Shows thee what wanting is,
Makes thee to feel thy need of help,
And mourn for what's amiss.
⟨p. 68⟩[9]
This is some hopeful fruit,
And do not this despise:
5For God is making thee more vile
And base in thine own eyes.
Builders may be at work
Before thou see a Stone:
God may be working good for thee,
Though thou discernest none.
Judgment.
[4]
Conscience, this is a Time
Wherein thou art benighted,
And seest not things as formerly,
Because thou art dim-sighted.
1Now therefore haste to some
Thy doubts that answer may:
Or for the present hark to me,
And hear what I shall say.
[5]
While Physick is at work,
Ill Humours are disturb'd:
So while Chastisements are at work,
Corruptions may be stirr'd.
They do but shew what was
Within the heart before:
They may discover hidden Lusts,
They do not make them more.
⟨p. 67⟩[6]
God hath ordain'd the Rod2
To do his Children good;
And this the Saints in God's due time
Have felt, and understood:
Not alwayes presently,
And while the smart is on:3
For some of them have then cry'd out,
As if they were undone.
[7]
No chast'ning joyous is,4
But seems at present hard:
Yet brings forth fruits of Righteousness,
And sweet Peace afterward.
Therefore my sinful Soul,
And doubting Conscience,
Hope well for after-fruit; and do'nt
Judge all by present sense.
[8]
Gods Physick is at work
To purge Corruption out:
And this in time he will effect,
Believe and do not doubt,
He first discovereth sin,
Shews thee what wanting is,
Makes thee to feel thy need of help,
And mourn for what's amiss.
⟨p. 68⟩[9]
This is some hopeful fruit,
And do not this despise:
5For God is making thee more vile
And base in thine own eyes.
Builders may be at work
Before thou see a Stone:
God may be working good for thee,
Though thou discernest none.
Consc.
[10]
Oh but my heart is hard,
1Much like the Adamant:
It cannot weep, nor mourn for sin,
Nor pour out its complaint.
It cannot kindly melt,
Though daily sins abound
In thought, affection, word, and deed,
Which Conscience prick and wound.
Judgm.
[11]
There may be tenderness
1Where hardness most is felt:
And notwithstanding want of Tears
The heart may truly melt.
All are not broken-hearted
That store of Tears can weep:
And some that have them not, may have
Humiliation deep.
⟨p. 69⟩[12]
He that bewails his sins2
Because they God offend,
That tr••ly hates them, Pardon begs,
Endeavours to amend:
That flies to Christ for grace
To mortify his Lust,3
That mourns because he mourns no more;
This man repents I trust.
[13]
Doth not my Soul do thus
(Speak Conscience) day by day?
I know that thou wilt speak the truth:
Thou canst not this gainsay.
Well then be comforted,
And doubt not of thy state▪
But still endeavour every sin
More thoroughly to hate.
[14]
And labour for to taste4
The sweetness of Christ's love▪
Nothing can m•lt the heart like •h•s5
Sweet Sun-shine from abo•e▪
This can the Rock dissolve,
And make the waters flow
Out of the hardest flinty Heart,6
Where never good did grow.
Judgm.
[11]
There may be tenderness
1Where hardness most is felt:
And notwithstanding want of Tears
The heart may truely melt.
All are not broken-hearted
That store of Tears can weep:
And some that have them not, may have
Humiliation deep.
⟨p. 69⟩[12]
He that bewails his sins2
Because they God offend,
That tr••ly hates them, Pardon begs,
Endeavours to amend:
That flies to Christ for grace
To mortifie his Lust,3
That mourns because he mourns no more;
This man repents I trust.
[13]
Doth not my Soul do thus
(Speak Conscience) day by day?
I know that thou wilt speak the truth:
Thou canst not this gainsay.
Well then be comforted,
And doubt not of thy state▪
But still endeavour every sin
More thorowly to hate.
[14]
And labour for to taste4
The sweetness of Christ's love▪
Nothing can m•lt the heart lik••h•s5
Sweet Sun-shine from abo•e▪
This can the Rock dissolve,
And make the waters flow
Out of the hardest flinty Heart,6
Where never good did grow.
