Afflictions Sanctified by the Word is the final poem in this short series on William Cowper's gospel-centred poetry. Like God Moves in a Mysterious Way, it speaks of suffering, but a different kind. It speaks of the suffering that God uses through His Word to bring correction and salvation. It's a heavy poem, but for the Christian, one of great encouragement!
Thy gracious covenant, O Lord!
It guides me in the peaceful way;
I think upon it all the day.
What are the mines of shining wealth,
The strength of youth, the bloom of health!
What are all joys compared with those
Thine everlasting Word bestows!
Cowper begins with a declaration of where he is now. He loves the goodness of the Word of God, the grace it gives him, and the peace it guides him in. The way that it consumes his mind echoes David's cry in Psalm 119:97, "Oh how I love your law! It is my meditation all the day." Then Cowper goes on to contrast the worldly joys that people put their hope in, material things like wealth, or the fast-fading "strength of youth, [or] the bloom of health!" None of those seemingly great things even come close to the everlasting joy the Word of God gives. It's here where Cowper moves from where he is now to where he once was ...
Long unafflicted, undismay'd,
In pleasure's path secure I stray'd;
Thou mad'st me feel thy chast'ning rod,
And straight I turned unto my God.
What though it pierced my fainting heart,
I bless'd Thine hand that caused the smart:
It taught my tears awhile to flow,
But saved me from eternal woe.
This could be argued about whether Cowper's referring to God's one-time saving conviction, or the multiple chastisements over the believer's life. I tend to lean toward the latter. This is written almost like a mini-testimony. Cowper was pursuing the pleasures of the world, and God "mad'st [him] feel thy chast'ning rod/and straight [he] turned unto [his] God." So Cowper rejoiced! For the pain that he felt at the punishment was nothing compared to the "eternal woe" or damnation that would have occurred if God had left him in sin. Cowper still had to make the decision, but when faced with a sovereign God, there was only one decision Cowper could make.
Oh! hadst Thou left me unchastised,
Thy precepts I had still despised;
And still the snare in secret laid
Had my unwary feet betray'd.
I love Thee, therefore, O my God,
And breathe towards Thy dear abode;
Where, in Thy presence fully blest,
Thy chosen saints for ever rest.
Oh! hadst Thou left me unchastised,
Thy precepts I had still despised;
And still the snare in secret laid
Had my unwary feet betray'd.
I love Thee, therefore, O my God,
And breathe towards Thy dear abode;
Where, in Thy presence fully blest,
Thy chosen saints for ever rest.
Again Cowper springs into praise to God for conviction of sin and changing his heart to love the Word. But it is how Cowper ends the poem that I really love. He's touched on topics of God's wrath and love, His punishment and peace, the Word of God and worldly pursuits, but now he says Wait. Stop and don't dwell on past sin anymore. Look to eternity. If you get blinded by the joys of the world, if you get tired and restless and careworn, "breathe towards [God's] dear abode" where one day all of His saints will "for ever rest." Don't live a life bent by the material and temporal. Live a life of joy found in the hope to come.
Revelation 21:3-4:
“Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”