The consideration of Mercies formerly enjoyed, an excellent means to bear up our spirits under present Afflictions. [ 1282]
THere is a story of a Man, aged fifty years,* 1.1 or there abouts, who lived forty eight of that time, and never knew what sicknesse was▪ but so it was, that all the two last years of his life, he was sickly, and impatient under it; yet at last he reasoned the case thus with himself: The Lord might have given me forty eight years of sicknesse, and but two years of health, yet he hath done the contrary, I will therefore rather admire the mercy of God in giving me so long a time of health,* 1.2 than repine and murmure at him for giving me so short a time of sicknesse: And thus must all of us con∣sider, that we have had more Mercies in our life to chear us up, than we have had crosses to discomfort us; What though the Lord doth now visit us with sicknesse, we have had more years of health then we have had of sicknesse: What though this or that comfort be taken from us, yet we have a great many more left us still: Hence is that advice of the Wiseman,* 1.3 In the day of Adversity, consider: What must we consider? That God hath set the one against the other, (that is) Though we are in Afflictions now,* 1.4 yet he hath given us Mercies heretofore; and, it may be, will give us Prosperity again; he hath ballanced our present Afflictions with former Mercies; so that if we should set the Mercies we have enjoyed, against the present Afflicti∣ons