strength and yeares the neerer we draw still to the place from whence we came In so much that there be none of vs but are neerer to our end to day then yesterday and this houre then the houre that is past And though some walke backward more slowly somwhat then others doe yet all goe one way and no bodie knowes how swiftly or how soone he shall come to his end The use hereof 1. This should teach vs euery day to meditate and thinke seriously of our death and the graue It is the place that wee are continually trauailing unto All the dayes and yeares we liue goe backward as it were with us and carry us backward thither So that which way soever our faces are we moue and goe thitherward Since Adams fall all men are condemned and adjudged vnto one death at the least and our life here is nothing else but a going to the place of execution How then should we not thinke of our end Is it possible for condemned Malefactors whilst they are going to the place of death to forget wher-about they go And yet though all our life bee nought else but a leading to death yet ordinarily nothing lesse troubles our minds and we so liue as if death should neuer come neare vs or we it Nay though we see many both neare vs and farre off vs die before vs and wee know that our condition is the same yet we lay it little to heart as if wee alone were exempted from the common condition of all Adams issue 2. This should teach vs also whilst we do liue here to behaue our selues in that manner that wee may die with comfort And this should bee it that in this life should most trouble us and about which we should most beat our braines how wee should so die that wee might eternally liue But alas that which runs altogether in our minds whilst we liue here is about the meanes of our living here how we shall doe for this yeare and the next and the other yeare after that and how our children should do after us never taking thought for the maine which is as if parents and children being altogether drawne vpon a Sled or carryed in a Cart for diuers dayes to execution and the meanes of this life being left them onely for this end to bring them thither they should never trouble their mindes about that that they were drawne unto but should bee carking and caring how they should doe and their children for this thing and that thing concerning this life The second point is that our dayes goe thus backward in the wrath of God that is to say through the iust judgement of God vpon the sin of Man it comes to passe that our dayes thus returne and goe backward and passe away This then is our lesson That euery day whilst wee liue here is a day of wrath an euill day subiect to some judgement or other Few and euill sayeth old Iacob be the daies of my Pilgrimage All things vnder the Sunne are nothing but matter of vanitie and vexation of spirit The best of Gods Saints haue found nothing here that this life and world hath brought forth but matter of sorrow What day is it that passeth ouer our heads but wee might easily perceiue it if we were not besotted marked with Gods wrath bringing with it some judgement and Memorandum or other of Gods anger for sin There is not a day nor houre that passeth ouer our heads but that wee might if wee looked about us and considered the judgements that some way or other cleaue to vs See that it is in some respect or other passed away in wrath The use of this serues 1. To reproue those that haue no sence and fecling thereof but so passe away their time and dayes whilst they haue them as though they were vnder no wrath and judgement at all But all were well and sure betweene God and them That glory in their daies past how merrily they haue liued and how many comforts they haue had such as never felt any wrath of God past nor feare any to come but say ordinarily in their madd moods Away with sorrow let the world slide c. 2. It should teach vs to labour euery day that passeth to marke and obserue wherein God hath manifested unto us his wrath for sinne For there is no day but bringeth terrible remembrance thereof not in others onely but in our selues So that if we consider the Revolution of times wee shall be able to say that there is not a day nor an houre passed over our heads but it is mark'd with the wrath of God by some judgement or other for sinne yea and the very passing of it away it vseth to goe in such a manner is in wrath 3. The more our dayes that are gone are passed in wrath the more in those that are to come wee should labour to appease and pacifie that wrath and seeke after the meanes of our attonment with God It s a desperate madnesse when wee shall perceiue that God for the time past hath shewed himselfe angry with vs to haue no care for the time to come to prevent further indignation 4. This should make the children of God that haue any grounded hope for life to come to lessen their stay on and delight in this life and delight in their hope and meanes of that life wherin never a day shall passe away in wrath but all in loue fauour and glory and wherein the dayes of our life shall not be a returning to death but a going on from life to life and ioy to ioy when we shall liue to liue and the longer wee shall liue the longer we shall haue to liue and that in all happinesse and glory which daies and times shall never wast Whilst we liue here if we had hearts to consider of things as they are there is never a day goes over our head but yeeldeth matter of sighing and groaning vnder some act or other of Gods wrath doe wee the best wee can Yea let a man haue the greatest causes of comfort both for this world and the world to come that the world can afford or that any man euer had yet when he shall sum vp his accounts he shall find the dayes hee liues here are but dayes of euill and he shall see more cause of sorrow and mourning then of joy Let this therefore win vs from this life and the dayes thereof And let the bitter of Gods wrath here make vs the more seeke after the daies of eternitie wherein there shall be no sence thereof in the least crosse or affliction Wee spend our yeares as a tale that is told THe Prophet here further amplifieth the aforesayd effect of Gods wrath shewing in what manner our dayes passe away even as a tale that is told a meditation or thought that is conceived and gone A tale is quickly told a word is soone spoken and a thought or meditation is soone conceiued
Father is wrath with him and is smiting of him to laugh at and be merry with others 3. Gods childe in his sorrow should desire no other joy or gladnes but what God maketh him as indeed no other joy can make him truely glad againe but that which proceedes from him that before made him sad In the second place we learne That in the midst of the signes and tokens of Gods wrath Gods childe may haue hopes and encouragements of joy and comfort even in God That God that humbles his childe will comfort him if whilst hee is humbled hee shew himselfe to be the child of God and doe not stubbornly carry himselfe under the rod but submit himselfe and pray unto him for comfort For Gods spirit would never haue taught his Church to haue asked this of God if God herein would not be readie to yeeld to his child The measure of joy that the Church craues from God is according to the dayes and yeares of their afflictions a joy answerable and proportionable to their affliction that as God had a long time for many daies and yeares afflicted them so he would be pleased to send them answerable comfort Whence by the way we may note 1. That the speciall affliction and calamity of Gods Church in the Wildernesse seemes to be an occasion that mooved the Prophet to pen this Psalme concerning the frailtie and mortalitie of Man in generall teaching vs upon the like speciall occasions to meditate of this Argument 2. That it is no new thing That God should humble and afflict his Church not for an houre or a day but for many dayes and yeares together sometimes which should teach vs the more patiently to beare shorter afflictions and in our affliction from day to day and yeare to yeare waite the Lords leasure for deliverance But the speciall poynt wee are to note is this That the Church in this doth imply an Argument to moue the Lord to make them glad yea to make them glad for a long time because they haue for a long time bin afflicted as if he should say Oh Lord thou knowest how many dayes wee haue beene afflicted yea how many yeares wee haue seene euill therefore accordingly make vs glad Whence wee learne That there is a proportion betweene the afflictions and miseries of Gods children and their comforts Are they greatly afflicted Surely they shall haue great gladnesse Are they dayes moneths and yeares chastised They shall accordingly rejoyce Yea the greatnesse of our afflictions are as it were a bond and doe tie the Lord to make vs glad So that wee cannot use a more forcible reason then this to induce him therevnto And why Surely because the Lord is a most mercifull and kind Father and therefore cannot but please and delight his childe the more the more hee hath afflicted him especially if vnder his affliction hee shall shew himselfe a dutifull childe This should teach us to be of good comfort in our greatest and longest afflictions yea to be the more comforted for them so we make true use of them For these are tokens and sore-runners of great and lasting joy If wee call vpon the Lord though it be long ere he heare vs yet at length he will heare vs and the longer it shall be before he heare the more he will glad vs when he heares vs. So that when he comes to make vs glad hee will pay vs usury nay use vpon use And wee should rather feare then otherwise when wee never saw any evill dayes or saw it but for a few dayes For how glad and merry soever wee haue beene yet wee haue cause to feare that the Lord did never make vs merry And our sorrow to come shall bee according to the dayes and yeares of that mirth which is not of the Lords making VERS 16. Let thy worke appeare upon thy servants and thy glory unto their Children HItherto of the measure of Gladnesse that the Church desires The meanes of Gladnesse followes which he craueth 1. In generall 2. In speciall In generall 1. That the worke of GOD may appeare upon his servants 2. That his glory may appeare unto their Children His worke in this place signifieth the issue and fruit of their afflictions So that the Church prayeth here that God would manifest vnto her that good worke that he hath aymed at all this while in afflicting her The very afflicting of his Church is a worke of God but that more especially is his worke which by afflicting her hee propounds to effect The Hewing Squaring and Sawing of Timber is the worke of the Carpenter but his speciall worke indeed is the House that by meanes thereof hee worketh So the melting refining and polishing of Siluer or Gold is the worke of the Gold-smith but more especially the Cup or Boule that by that meanes he frameth Hence we may learne 1. That God many times hideth the speciall end why he doth afflict vs. He beats his Church sometimes for a long time together and the Church neither can tell the speciall cause why nor what will bee the issue or consequent of it Ordinarily Parents never correct their Children but before-hand they acquaint them with the particular fault and the child can gesse at the end that his Father aymes at So doth God many times and his children also can see in the very rod of God their fault and what God aymes at in the same But sometimes they cannot for their liues for a long time though at length they shall see it God puts them oft into the fire he hammers them oft ouer and ouer againe but what peece of worke the Lord will make of them they no more know somtimes then the iron vpon the Anveile knowes what the Smith will make of it whether a Locke or a Key 2. Though the Church or Gods child do not yet see what the worke of God will bee yet how hardly soever God doth deale with them though he cast them never so oft into the fire hammer and beat them never so much yea though they haue an apprehension of his wrath therein which is not in the Smith when hee beateth his iron yet the child of God presumeth that that worke 〈◊〉 God is good and that there will a good issue and blessed effect spring there-from Hence they pray and desire earnestly to see the same and prayer is a meanes to obtaine the sight of it 3. This is a speciall meanes to make them glad when the Lord shall manifest vnto them the blessed fruits and effects of his affliction Yea till then they cannot be soundly made glad though the Lord should surcease to afflict them But when that worke appeares then they cannot but bee glad yea so glad that they shall blesse the day that God did chastise them when they shall see the evill that God kept them from and the good he hath effected by the same As Dauid Psal. 119. 71. It is good for mee that I haue beene
Gods 4. The more experience we shall haue of this good Prouidence of God the more let vs be readie to giue the prayse and glory thereof to God And shew our selues in our deepest thoughts of Mortalitie to be such as yet do acknowledge God to haue beene in all ages an habitation vnto his and at all times vnto vs. 5. Let vs delight onely in this Mansion which we cannot let nor loose which will not leaue vs when we leaue this world but will abide by vs for euer VERS 2. Before the Mountaines were brought forth or euer thou hadst formed the earth euen from euerlasting to euerlasting thou art God THE second Argument of Gods prayse is from his worthinesse and excellencie of himselfe That he is a God eternall and immutable one that euer hath beene and euer shall be the same in whom there is no alteration nor shadow of change He was God before the Mountaines were brought forth yea before the earth was made and he will be God for euer and euer And those properties and qualities that are in him were euer in him and will be in him for euer and euer This prayse of God doth fit that present Argument which the Prophet hath in hand And tends to moderate and keepe in compasse immoderate sorrow that may arise either from the consideration of our owne Mortalitie or the Mortalitie of any other For that notwithstanding the changes and alterations that we see in the world that may discourage vs and breede distrust and diffidence in vs yet if we be the true Children of God we haue had a true feeling and sence of his loue and speciall Prouidence ouer vs. And if we haue once felt it indeed there is no cause but to hope for the continuance thereof For as he is an eternall God so his loue is an eternall loue it was before all Worlds and shall be for euer and euer Is therefore the hand of God vpon thee Dost thou see and feele thy selfe to be mortall Dost thou see those thou dependest vpon to be such What Dost thou thinke therefore that God that did loue thee and that in his loue raised vp these and these meanes for thee is mortall also and mutable No Though he change and alter the meanes and therby would haue thee to feare and tremble before him yet doe not thou for all that despaire Be thou still the Child of God Let no changes either threatned or effected change thy minde and affection to God and though God shall for a time humble thee and seeme for a time to thrust thee from thine house and all comforts of thy life to make thee to know thy selfe yet his affection is the same to thee that euer it was it can no more change then he doth change And therfore as God out of his eternall loue hath heretofore beene good vnto thee so be thou assured that out of the same loue he will continue so to be in the midst of all changes and alterations whatsoeuer The particular description of Gods eternitie and immutabilitie fitteth this place and Argument What more firme then rockes and mountaines What more stable then the earth that neuer remooues out of his place nor moues in his place Yet that God which is eternall which was before they were made is more immouable then they The greatest Mountaines vpon the earth yea the earth it selfe shall sooner be mooued and remoued then he not onely in his nature but in his affection and disposition And though wee had neuer such certaine dwelling places in this World though our houses were built vppon the firmest Rockes and highest Mountaines yet wee should not be sure except the Lord himselfe bee our dwelling place Our confidence in such places is nothing without him What sayth the Lord by his Prophet to the Edomites Obadiah 3. 4. The pride of thy heart hath deceiued thee thou that dwellest in the Clefts of the Rocke whose habitation is on high that sayth in his heart Who shall bring mee downe Whereas if the Lord bee our dwelling house we are sure and safe For hee is a Rocke a Castle a Fort a Secret place to all his VERS 3. Thou turnest man to destruction saying Returne ye Children of Adam HIs complaint is to God as to the Author of our mortalitie and that mortalitie which is from God he setteth forth 1. By diuerse Comparisons 2. By the cause that moueth God to make man see such mortalitie In the first place the Prophet conceiueth of God as of a Potter that hauing of dust tempered a masse and framed it into a vessell and dried it doth presently within a minute of an houre after dash it againe in peeces and beat it to dust in passion as it were speaking vnto it Get thee to the dust againe The word here translated Destruction signifies a Beating or Grinding or Pounding of a thing to Powder And the Prophet seemes to allude to the third of Genesis where God speaks of Adam Dust thou art and to dust thou shalt returne as if he should say O Lord thou that hast made and framed man of the dust of the earth thou beatest him to dust againe And as thou madest him by thy Word alone So with thy Word thou suddainly turnest and beatest him againe to dust as a man that makes a thing and presently marres it againe Hence we learne 1. That as it is God by whom we liue So it is he by whom and whose meanes we die By what meanes soeuer men come to their ends whether by a timely or vntimely death God hath the maine stroke The sword that takes away our life must goe out of his mouth before we can die It s hee that sayth Returne Oh sonne of man before a man can returne to dust So then let vs not so much regard the threats and brags of men but let vs that feare death feare the Lord that gaue life For he onely quickneth he onely killeth 2. He doth it with a word against which is no resistance when that word is once come out of his mouth it is not all the dyet Physicke helpe and prayers in the world that can saue the life And this he can doe suddainly in the twinckling of an eye And therefore we should as wee loue our liues feare him and take heed how we offend and displease him that can with a word turne the strongest man into dust 3. The style that God giueth to man when he calleth him out of this world is the Child of Adam and of Dust as if he said Thou art but the Child of dust of dust thou art made thou art sprung from them that were but dust and which are all turned vnto dust goe thou also to dust So that we should thinke seriously of the matter that we are made of and be humbled with the consideration thereof And herein iustifie the Lord in his dealing For why may not he that hath made vs of dust
them Let vs therefore learne to set our hearts vpon another life and the things thereof and then we shall be sure neuer to loose that we loue And let vs striue to be Plants in Gods house liuing Plants trees of righteousnesse Planted by the rivers of his Sanctuary And then wee shall neuer be cut downe Our leaues shall neuer fall our branches neuer wither 2. Let vs learne so to loue this life and all things of this life as matter that we must part with that we haue no Lease or Assurance of for one day And where God makes them instruments of comfort and helpe vnto vs if we enioy them day after day let vs blesse God for it and count euery day that he lends vs euery blessing that he bestowes vpon vs day after day an aduantage vnto vs more then we deserue 3. Let vs euery morning fit and prepare our selues for cutting downe Though we be neuer so lustie and flourish neuer so much yet let vs consider that wee are but as grasse and though this morning we flourish yet before night we may be cut downe and withered and all our glorie and comforts lie in the dust It were well with vs if we so liued that when death shall come to cut vs downe we could not say I little thought that I should die so soone And for others whose liues are deare vnto vs and whose deaths may bee a judgement vnto vs let vs so set our sinnes before our eyes that they may be a meanes to worke in vs an holy and religious feare of their death in the midst of these comforts and contents wee receiue from them And how strong and flourishing so euer wee shall see them in the morning yet let vs thinke with feare that before euening they may be cut down and we may loose them and all the comforts that depend vpon them VERS 7. For we are consumed in thine anger and by thy wrath are we troubled HItherto the Prophet in his complaint hath set forth by Comparison what great mortalitie God hath brought vpon the Children of Adam Now here in this verse he sheweth the cause thereof The anger of God Adam and all the sonnes of Adam haue offended him and therfore he hath brought this universall mortality and deluge upon man And this Anger of GOD hee sets forth 1. By the cause 2. By the greatnesse Concerning the anger of God wee must not thinke that it is a perturbation of minde in him whereby he indeed fretteth and is vexed within himselfe as men use to bee whose wrath and anger doth ordinarily more hurt torment themselues then those they are angry withall But it is in God an holy and just disposition to inflict deserued punishment upon his creature Though God therefore haue absolute power of his owne free will to destroy the creature which hee hath made without any cause yet he doth not destroy man without some speciall cause and motiue therevnto And this cause is not a pleasure and delight as though it should be a sport and pastime of God to make and marre so excellent a workmanship of his owne as it is with Children to kill Flies or Huntsmen to kill wild Beasts Neither is any speciall profit or use any cause thereof As it is the cause why Husbandmen cut downe grasse not that they are angry with it or that they place any delight in so doing but for necessary use and benefit But the true and immediate cause is Anger that which is the cause of mortalitie in war God hath beene prouoked by vs. And as a mightie King being prouoked by his subiects nothing followeth but death so is it with God 1. Hence then we learne to labour to see and behold the wrath and anger of God in sicknesse distresses old age death and in that mortalitie that we see in this world and vpon speciall occasion to acknowledge it And it should teach vs to feare and tremble before him and to take heed how we farther prouoke him to wrath 2. We should admire the goodnesse and grace of God that his wrath being so universall vpon all the sonnes of Adam yet in this wrath he should remember mercy and raise those againe to life even to eternall life that in anger he hath wounded to death 3. We should labour more to see the wrath of God in our accursed estate after this life God doth but play with vs as it were in taking away our liues here And if the first death be such a signe thereof what a signe therof is it in them in whom there appeare fearefull and prodigious fignes of the second death which is eternall wherein a man shall for ever die and yet neuer be dead VERS 8. Thou hast set our iniquities before thee our secret sinnes in the light of thy countenance THat wrath of God from which proceeds mortalitie and all the troubles and calamities and alterations of this life that attend vpon the same is set forth here 1. By the cause 2. By the greatnesse of it The cause is the remembrance of our sinnes not knowne onely but secret Whence we learne that 1. It is sin that first kindled that fire of GODS wrath whereby we are consumed on this wise God is not angry with his creatures for nothing But there is a just cause of that wrath of God from whence proceedes the mortalitie of mankinde Yea the greater and more infinitely wise the Maiestie of God is the greater must that cause bee that prouoketh him to wrath It s weaknesse to be prouoked with a small matter Weaknesse nor no propertie of weaknesse can befall the Almightie God Sinne therefore whatsoeuer it is can be no small matter no trifle that prouokes the infinite Maiestie of God to wrath and to such a wrath as hath such deadly effects The use of this then is When we see any signes of Gods displeasure in the world as which way almost can wee turne our eyes but we see it even the very prints of death how his footing is in euery Towne yea in euery House presently to thinke of sinne and the greatnesse thereof and to make it a meanes to make vs haue it in great detestation in whom soever it is 2. It is our sinnes that haue prouoked God to this wrath It was not the sinne of Angells that made God thus angry with mankinde Nor the sinne of any particular persons that made him angry with them all But it is our owne sins that haue done this All of us euery mothers sonne haue our parts and haue joyned hands in prouoking the Lord to bring this universall mortalitie vpon the world The true use therefore that we are to make of this Is not so much to thinke of sin in generall or of this or that bodies sinne when wee see the generall judgements of God but to see and looke after our owne sinnes wherein we haue trespassed against God and broken his Law and not rest till we haue found
them out Especially when the Lord by any speciall judgment shall come neerest vnto vs As the Lord hath lately to this family If we hereupon doe not make a speciall inquisition after our sinnes and so by Repentance make our peace with God wee haue cause even euery one of vs to feare a greater stroke though this hath made many of our hearts to ake 3. They are not onely our greater sinnes that haue prouoked God but all our sinnes great and small not our publicke onely and knowne sins but our speciall and hidden ones euery one of them hath his part herein And if wee will not haue this wrath of God to pursue vs eternally we must learne hence not onely to hate and forsake our greater sinnes and to repent of those that are great and notorious but even of our smaller sins of our lighter vanities also Yea herein we should not content our selues with leauing those sinnes which other and our selues knowe to bee sinnes but we should seeke after our secret and hidden sins whither there be not some sinnes in vs that we nourish in our selues and know not to be sins And to this end we should diligently search into the Law of God and not be at rest till wee haue taken notice of them and giue no leaue of continuance to any the least sinne but hate and forsake all 4. That all our sins are present before GOD. Our great our small our knowne our secret sins they are all in his presence they are before his eyes he knowes them he sees and beholds them This should make vs the more afraid ashamed to sinne because there is no sinne how secret soever but we doe it in the face of God he looking on A seruant that hath any grace or loue in him whatsoeuer he may do behind his masters backe yet he will not doe that before his Masters face which may prouoke and displease him many things he doth priuately that if he thought they would come to his Masters knowledge he would not doe them But there is no sinne ever so secret though committed in our Closet yea though in our owne breasts onely but he knows it and sees it and beholds the committing of it Further this noteth the hay nousnesse of all sin For those trespasses that are committed before the face of a Gouernour are accounted contempts So is euery sinne committed it is committed in the eare and eye of God and is therefore the more grieuous and odious 5. God needs no other light to discerne our sinnes by but the light of his owne face It peirceth through the darkest places the brightnesse thereof enlightneth all things discouers all things So that the sins that are committed in deepest darknes are all one to him as if they were done in the face of the Sunne For they are done in his face that shines more and from which proceeds more light then from the face of the Sunne So that this it ought to make vs the more feareful to offend Hee sees vs when we see not him and the light of his countenance shines about vs when we thinke our selues hidden in darkenesse 6. They are not onely then in his sight when they are a committing and whilst the deed is doing but euer after when the act is past and gone and forgotten yet then is it before the face of God even as if it were in committing And how should this make vs afraid to sinne When our sinnes are not onely in his sight while they are a committing but so continue still for euer after they are past and done 7. Gods sets our sins before him this shewes he is so affected with them hee takes them so to heart that he doth in a speciall manner continue the remembrance of them As those that hauing had great wrong will store it vp or register it or keepe some remembrance of it or other least they should forget when time shall serue to bee quit with those that haue wronged them so doth God and his so-doing is a signe that he takes our sins deeply to heart which should teach vs to feare the more how we offend him When God in any judgement of death or sicknesse or losse of friends shewes his wrath wee should thinke and meditate of this especially when he comes neerest vs Now the Lord lookes vpon my sinnes they are now before him and wee should neuer rest till wee had by repentance moued him to blot them out Yea to this end we should our selues call them to remembrance For the more we remember them the more God forgets them the more wee forget them the more God remembers them the more we looke vpon our selues the more he turneth his eyes from them And this also we are to manifest and acknowledge as here Moses doth vnto God himselfe by Prayer VERS 9. For all our dayes goe backe againe in thy wrath HItherto of the cause of that wrath of GOD which moueth him to smite the world with such mortalitie Now here he further sets forth the same by the effects and degrees thereof in respect of that present Argument he hath in hand 1. That our dayes doe as it were goe backward in his wrath That whereas God gaue vs being to liue our life and our being is nothing els but a going backward as it were to death and to nothing Euen as if a stranger being suddainly rapt and carryed the mid way to his home where are all his comforts he should spend all the time that is behind not in going forward to his home but in going backward to the place from which he was suddenly brought All the sonnes of Adam as soone as they haue being and liue are brought suddenly a great part of their way And whereas they should goe forward and liue longer and longer they from their first beginning to liue goe backward againe to death and to nothing This is the summe in effect with that which the Lord sayth in the beginning of the Psalme Thou bringesi man to destruction saying Returne againe ye sons of Adam As if he should say Thou makest a man and when he is made hee in thy wrath doth hast to nothing else but destruction and to bee marred againe Thus doe our dayes as it were goe backward and wee in them returne from whence we came Our lesson then hence is this That our life in this life is nothing els but a returning backe againe vnto death Euery man whilst he is here walkes to the house of his graue and though he bee a little longer in going backe vnto the earth then he was comming from it yet he doth nothing while he is here but goe backe to it Yea our dayes passe away in such a manner as if a man being a childe should suddainly bee made a man and after that should presently goe backe againe and bee a child So that though we haue here some time of growth and strength yet the more wee grow in