can perswade my selfe that many have closed with Christ who yet cannot say they have assurance nay who cry out thus they doubt they never closed with Christ Many soules say indeed they fear they never closed with Christ because they want assurance O say they could we doubt so much if we did beleeve had we closed with Christ aright we should have been assured of salvation long ere this c. But surely the soules mistake 1 themselves and 2 assurance First They mistake themselves in that they thinke assurance is an act of theirs It s a part of the spirits sealing not of their closing It s true he that beleeveth hath the witnesse in himselfe as t is 1 Iohn 5.10 But that witnesse is that God is true in what he saith of Christ as is clear by the context there but it s not this assurance that really I have closed with and am one with Jesus Christ Yea Secondly They mistake assurance in that they make it the formallity of faith which is rather a fruit Faith is this That the soule fully beleeving a free tender of Christ to sinners goes forth to close with and rely upon Christ It s not an assurance of an interest in Christ that is the evidence not the act of closing So that it s not ground enough for thee O soule to doubt thy aright closing with Christ because thou wantest assurance No nor Secondly It s not ground enough for thee to doubt thy closing with Christ because of his not smiling upon thee Verily say some poor dejected soules we never as yet did in a right way close with Christ for he never as yet smiled on us Ah! his smiles are our life but alas we see not them and therefore we cannot but question our closing with him But this is not a sufficient ground for the one may be without the other The child may truly hang about the mothers necke and yet she not kisse it Yea and the mother may sincerely love though she do not smilingly look upon the child Christ called the woman of Canaan a dog and yet he loved her as a lamb she beleeved and closed with him to such a height that he said she had great faith and yet notwithstanding Christ smiled not upon her at lest at first Thou mayst have closed with though as yet thou seest not a smile in the face of Christ towards thee Do not question thy closing with him for want of his smiling upon thee No neither Thirdly It s not your inabillity to trust Christ for other things that should make you question your closing with him I doe not doubt but that David did trust God for the life of his soule when yet he did not for the life of his body Albeit he said he should one day fall i.e. dye by the hand of Saul Yet certainly he had and did close with Christ for his soule The promise holding forth Christ is absolute and full the promise holding forth the creature is oft conditionall and short The soul may close with the one and not with the other A soule may not be able to close with a promise for life health safety wealth c. and yet he may close with a promise of Christ Hee hath not the same ground for the one that he hath for the other Nay Lastly Some kind of blasphemous thoughts of Christ are not a sufficient ground to question our closing with Christ Satan may indeavour to represent Christ ugly to the soule that closeth with him as beautifull Why should a soule think that Satan may not as well make it question whether Christ be the son of God as he did indeavour to make Christ himselfe to doubt it Many a precious heart Note this ye dejected hearts who hath high thoughts of Christ as precious may yet upon Satans injections be tempted to question his deity But why should they question their closing with Christ upon Satans suggestions Suppose a woman married to some man loving him as the handsomest and delâ—ghting in him as her Head and Husband Suppose that some person hating and maligning her Husband should still haunt her and be bawling in her eare that her Husband is deformed unlively 〈◊〉 c should she for this call her marriage in question Mind it O ye spirituall Spouses of the Lord Jesus you are married unto Christ your soules may close with Christ and yet Satan may dog you and haunt you and put in hard and blasphemous thoughts into you while yet notwithstanding you reject them mourn under them and are troubled at them and certainly 't were weaknesse in you to question your closing with Christ because of these blasphemous thoughts Quest But you will say Doth not closing with Christ deliver the soule from blasphemous thoughts of Christ Answ No It only secures the soule from closing with them It s one thing to have another thing to close with blasphemous thoughts The soule that is closed with Christ will not close with blasphemous thoughts no more dost thou O soul dost thou are they not as a dagger unto thy heart What though Satan speak ill of thy husband Christ to thee shall his blasphemy for it s not thine make thee question thy faith Why then art thou cast down upon that as if thou didst not hast not closed with him But to passe from this Thirdly I would intreate soules cast down and doubting their closing with Christ to consider What right closing with Christ is Summarily it s this For the soule upon the sight of a necessity of Christ to go out to close with or to cast its selfe upon Christ as freely tendred Saith the poor soule I see Christ tendred freely and I am sensible I need him fully hereupon I go and lye down at his feet This is summarily to close with him You must remember to distinguish between taking and tasting of Christ Taking is closing tasting is comfort The one is not the other It may be O soule thou hast not as yet tasted Christ yet thou mayst have taken Christ The woman that sat at Christs feet weeping had taken Christ for Christ speakes of her faith but she did not tast him till he said thy sins are forgiven thee Weeping soules you sit at Christs feet but it may be you have not as yet tasted his favour Learn to know that your closing with him for forgivenesse is distinct from his saying to you your sinnes are forgiven This consideration weighed would much satisfie such as being cast downe question their closing with Christ But to this I shall adde more Therefore Fourthly Pray mind this Our safety and welfare doth more and rather depend upon Christs closing with us then upon our closing with him And Christ knowes that when we do not know this Here is the surest seale of our salvation the Lord knoweth who are his 2 Tim. 2.19 Christ Oh soul closeth with thee and he doth know it though thou knowest not thy closing with him The
is nothing left when hope and meanes are gone then is his time to come Fifthly Tell your soules and Satan That Christ is comming while you are waiting His Ship is under saile while thou standest looking upon the shoare Hee is comming leaping and skipping over the Mountaines while thou lyest sighing in the vallies Lastly Tell thy soule and Satan Christ comes secretly When his Brethren were gone then went hee up also to the Feast not OPENLY but as it were in SECRET Joh. 7.10 Hee had told them his time was not yet come And now it is come hee goes up in secret Say O dejected soule I must want and waite and I am contented for Christs time is not yet come in sight and yet hee is and may be comming in secret So that now to wind up this know your worke is to waite and learne to bee content with your worke Though thou art cast downe Yet bee not discontented But bee patient and still waite in hope Onely remember that I do not by all this exclude either prayer or endeavour No you must waite patiently and want contentedly and yet you may pray and use meanes First You may pray Patience may well enough consist with prayer It s a temptation to cast off prayer in any dejection Habbakkuk knew the time of the vision was appointed and therefore he would tarry and waite But yet chap 3 hee prayes So may you you may pray and call as the soules under the Altar how long You may expostulate with God and intreate him to make hast Onely remember Two Cautions in your prayer First Remember though you be importunate yet be not impudent When thou hast prayed for hast lye at Gods feet if he tarry Though thou tell God thou canst not yet doe not say thou wilt not bear his hand Secondly Be submissive Say if it be possible come sooner But yet Lord not my will but thy will bee done Husband writes the wife if it be possible come quickly and before such a time yet you are wise I leave it to you I rest yours expecting c. So write to Christ O Lord if it bee possible come quickly if it may become before I dye However Lord thou art wise though I bee weake not my time but thy season I rest I remaine thy patient panting waiting Spouse Secondly As you may pray so you may indeavour in the use of meanes to raise your selves at least to quiet your soules It s desperate folly and faultinesse to cast off the use of meanes in any dejection Joshua must up and be doing And thou mayest work and yet waite Onely here take Two Cautions likewise First Vse no unlawfull unappointed meanes Though Soul may use Davids Harpe yet he must not go to the Witch of Endâ—r to quiet his spirit Though thou mayst and shouldest Pray Read Heare Confer Communicate yea and Fast if with prudence Yet thou must not Drinke Drab Conjure c. to quiet thy selfe When Christ will not thou shouldest not go to Satan to comfort thee Secondly In thy use of meanes thou must not rest in them Thou must use all things as meanes not as medicines It s not the Word Sacraments c. but Christ in them which thou must looke out for as to cure Though thou offer sacrifice yet thou must trust in the Lord. Albeit you may indeavour by workes yet you must expect by faith Beware of relying upon meanes for cure or comfort But in all through all looke out and act faith upon Christ. Object But thou wilt say This I would if I might I would beleeve if I had ground Why Knew O soule in thy lowest condition there is ground for faith When thou sinkest deepest into the â—hine and hast no ground for thy feete yet thou hast ground for thy faith David did and thou mayest and must act thy faith and beleeve even then when thou art most cast downe and disquieted But of this I shall treate in the following Section SECT V. PSALM 42. ult For I shall yet praise him who is the health of my countenance and my God CHAP. 1. The fourth Doctrine drawn out of the words and spoken to SPirituall disquiets are sooner made then cured it s easier to cast down then raise up ones soule A weake heart may disturbe its selfe but even a strong heart cannot settle its selfe indeed it s a hard thing to keep up the spirit in a right religious frame Either upon the one hand we are apt to be puffed up too high and under pretence of high injoyments to forget our selves or on the other hand we are apt to be cast downe too low and under pretence of deep dejections to forget our Saviour now it s our wisdome to avoyd both extreames if the Lord lift us up we should not presume and if he cast us downe we must not despaire if Christ smile we should not grow wanton and if he frowne we should not wax weake It s an argument of much flesh to abuse comforts unto loosenesse and it s an argument of little faith to sinke under dejections into despaire Holy David was now low much disquieted and mightily cast down yet even in his dejection he raises up his spirit and beleeves though God were with-drawne and David was faint in panting after him yet he beleeves he would come againe and that he should rejoyce in praising him The last point which I raised from this place was this viz. It s the duty and the glory of Saints to act faith and to beleeve even then when they are cast down lowest and see God least I suppose you see it cleare in the words holy David was very much disquieted his soule did cast downe its selfe he went mourning because of the oppression of the enemy His God was in the darke and his heart hereupon was downe yet notwithstanding this he acts his faith and beleeves he should yet praise God as his health and as HIS I shall yet praise him as the health of my countenance and as MY God CHAP. 2. The point opened and proved THe point is precious as you wil see when its plaine and it wil be powerfull I hope if proved viz. explaine and confirme it First for the explication there are two things to be touched upon Viz. 1 The Subject and 2 The predicate of the proposition For the Subject It s a soule cast down lowest and seeing God least of such I have been speaking all this Treatise and of such I especially speake here now such are so Either 1 Certainly or 2 Conceitedly First there are some really i. e. rationally dejected some soules are deeply dejected and their grounds are weighty Now this reall and certaine case of dejections is chiefly at foure times or upon foure occasions as namely First When a soule is deprived of all means of injoyment of God as formerly Time was it may be that the soule lay in Jerusalem the place where the Lord delighteth to dwell and that
hard by the Poole of Bethesda wherein the Lord was wont to come downe Time was when it sate by the rivers head even that faire river that doth make glad the City of God and where it could drink when ere it was dry Time was when the soule sate at the Lords Table even the mount where the feast of sai things is and it could eate when ere it was hungry but now it may be it is otherwise with it now happily it s in the Wildernesse in the barren land where no water is now it s in the Desert where it hath neither Fountaine nor Table and a soule in such a case is and indeed cannot chuse but be sad indeed Secondly Suppose the soule have its Wonted meanes yet in case it wants his usuall income in that meanes in this case it is and will be much cast downe Happily the soule lyes by the Poole but the Angel moves not it sits at the Table but it eates nothing it hath the Pipe but though it suck hard it cannot draw a drop it s in the Galleries but sees not Christ there The soule findes the breasts dry which were wont to suckle it and though it have its former meanes yet it misseth its former meales it doth not see the glory as it was wont of old in the Temple Now in this case it cannot but be cast downe But Thirdly The soule is sometimes in the darke and sees no light it hath something but it is not satisfied it hath lost all its peace and evidence Sometimes the soule is as Paul was in a tempest of temptation and sees no light neither Sunne nor Moone nor Starres and that for many dayes together Time was it may be when Christs candle shined upon his head and when by his light it walked through darknes but alas now now it may be Christ is gone and candle too Now assurance is lost and evidence too and the soul walks in the valley of darknesse and doubtings And in this case it s no wonder if it be dejected and much cast downe Fourthly When the soule not only wants evidence of love but lyes under the appearance of wrath then it must needs be cast downe Peradventure there was a time in which the soule was familiar with God as a man is with his friend and could see God smiling as its Father but alas now it s not so the soule cryes out God hides his face and holds it as his enemy Surely now the soule wil be and may be cast downe These are soules certainly dejected who have certaine ground for their cryes in their castings down But now there are others Secondly Who are but conceited in their dejections that pretend and say they have ground but indeed have none Sion said God hath forsaken me she said so but God said the contrary Meere melancholly doth deject some conceit is all the cause of their casting downe they deeme or imagine causes and thereupon are dejected But now Reader if thy dejection be reall or appearing if thy casting downe be certaine or in conceit Be thy case what it wil be or what thou thinkest it is let it be as thou sayest that thou art cast downe deeply yet this I say of thee or of any in thy case that thou and they ought to act faith and beleeve For this is the predicate of this subject Now for this predicate or the thing that I do affirme of a soule thus cast downe take it in particulars thus First It s their duty to beleeve Dejected soules in case of failing to act faith you sinne Some things in dejection are rather wel if don then faults if not done It s rather good if done then bad if not done As joy I cannot as yet see sinne in case of not rejoycing in dejections for no affliction is joyous for the present as it is Heb 12.11 nay t is grievous Besides it contradicts dejection to rejoyce But yet its sinne if we doe not beleeve I am not called to rejoycing in all cases for I must be sensible of and so cannot but be sorrowfull under the mighty hand of God But I am called upon to beleeve at all times Faith is a standing worke and its duty to beleeve when I am dejected Though I am not bound to rejoyce for the present yet I am bound to beleeve as David that yet I shall hereafter Secondly It s a Christians glory to beleeve when it s cast down i.e. 1 'T is a glory of theirs they may All have not this priviledge but some Christians it s your glory that you have a good ground for faith alwayes you may beleeve in every case of affliction desertion dejection casting down c. Yea and 2 'T is your glory if you can and doe To beleeve when all things faile this is praise worthy It s not so much glory to swimme with Bladders in a Calme Pond But to swimme without Bladders in a Rough Sea this is glory And to act faith when God lifts up is not much a child swimmes when held up by the chinne But to beleeve when God casts downe This is a David-like faith this argues a soule of the house of David i. e. strong as is hinted Zach 12.8 So that now you see the point explained I shal now adde the second thing viz. The Proofe And I thinke as I said if you weigh Davids case here you wil see Demonstration Davids case was certaine and reall He was now deprived of the meanes Hee was now a stranger to his former holy-dayes Hee now wants his income he could not see that glory that he was wont He now wants his peace and evidence Alas his God was gone and he cryes out God had forgotten him ver 9. Yea hee now seemes to lye under wrath he speakes of the noyse of the Almighties water-spouts and cryes out all his waves and billowes went over him ver 7. Now hee is dejected and cast downe for this And yet now even now hee acts his faith and beleeves he shall praise God for all this Obj You will say what is this to us Answ 'T is much his case was bad as thine O soule And his example ought to bee thy rule Quest Nay but who can doe thus as David did can others imitate him Answ Job went before him Hee protested in his deepe dejection that if God added killing to all yet he would trust Though he slay me yet will I trust in him Job 13.15 Adde to this of Job that of the Church Our bones are scattered at the graves mouth as when one cutteth and cleaveth wood upon the earth Sure soul now they are low their bones fly about as chips they lye by the mouth of the grave want nothing but tumbling in And yet now marke it now mine eyes are unto thee O God my Lord In thee doe I trust Psal 141.7 8. Will you have a command for all this See then that knowne Scripture Esa 50. ult Who is there among
the way to glory and life and immortality and peace and joy and healing c. I say if I am in the way to these things why should I not beleeve them Why soul the way of lifting up is casting downe and now you are in the way you ought to beleeve Josephs Dungeon was Gods way to his setting him second in Aegypt Davids flight and feare before Saul was Gods way to bring him to the Throne When David was in his greatest feare that he said he should dye by the hands of Saul then was he within few steps of the Throne and when thou art most cast downe ready to dye in the pit then is Christ nearest to pull thee out and surely O soule the nearer Christ is to deliver thee out of the stronger should thy faith be in dejections You now see reasons for the point it s not so irrationall as unbeleef makes it to act faith when we are most dejected CHAP. 5. One improvement of this Doctrine to informe the judgement YOu heare now that times of dejection are to be times of faith when the soule is lowest it is to beleeve Pray be informed hereby to know when faith is seasonable you may mistake much if you thinke that dejection is or may be a time for doubting No it is the season of faith Some soules thinke that if the promise be cleare if experience be rich if hints are many and taste is sweet O now surely they are to beleeve now is a time of faith It is true now is a time for faith to lay in and store up But suppose the Promise is darke experience poore hints none taste dry c. suppose all is darke and there appeares nothing know that this is a time for faith to come and lay forth it selfe for the soules settlement you mistake the matter O soule if you thinke times of dejection to be times only for patience no they are times also for faith Yea and in case you beleeve not you wil not indeed cannot be patient Suppose thou art very low and cryest loud and God answereth not suppose Conscience accuseth Sathan triumphs and Christ appeare not suppose it darke that the Sunne shine not and there be no Starre Suppose thou looke on the left hand where Christ workes for casting downe is a left-hand work but thou canst not behold him yea and suppose O soule he hideth himselfe on the right hand that thou canst not see him Is thy case thus as Jobs was chap. 23.9 know now it is a time not only to exercise Jobs patience in bearing but to act Jobs faith in beleeving Every Grace O soule hath its season and Faith is in its season in a dejected state yea Christ expects it from us that we beleeve in him then when our hearts are most disquieted The hearts of his Disciples were troubled cast downe and dejected and yet he bids them beleeve Job 14.1 Whom having not seen ye love though now you see him not yet ye beleeve saith Peter 1 Epist chap. 1. vers 8. It is Christs time to be not only loved by you but trusted upon and beleeved in when you see him not And in order unto the triall of this it is that sometime Christ sees it needfull as it is there ver 6. to let you be in heavinesse through manifold temptations I beseech you now improve this Doctrine to informe your judgements in the time of faith Christ O soule wil bring thee low ere he doe raise thee up and while thou art low he expects to see thee raising thy selfe by faith Quest But why doth Christ thus why doth he cast downe his poore creature ere he lift it up why takes he this course to exercise my faith Ans I. It s thy duty O soule rather to doe then dispute rather strive to beleeve then to question his dealing But yet 2 Know O soule Christ hath more ends then one in casting thee downe and making that his way for his comfort and thy faith he hath more then one ground for this First Hereby Christ cleares his grace to thy soule he brings thee low and shuts thee up under unbeleefe that he might make thee see his raising is meere mercy as it is Rom. 11.32 If Christ let thee be ready to doubt and dye ere he raise thee thou wilt see it was free grace only which moved him to helpe thee now that thou maist see this he lets thee be most cast downe ere he come to exalt thee Secondly By this Christ helps thy taste to relish mercy in its full sweetnesse To be ready to starve with hunger and dye of thirst and then to have bread and drinke this makes it relish the sweetnesse of both That Christ may cause thee to tast his love in thy raising the sweeter he uses to let thee lye low and be much cast downe ere he come c. Thirdly Christ hath a designe upon his owne glory in thy deep dejection He not only lookes to evidence the strength of thy faith but the brightnesse of his owne glory by making thee almost sinke in dejections ere he raise thee it wil argue glorious power and deep wisdome to raise a soule lost in its selfe So that now O soule if thou canst but beleeve thou shalt see the glory of Christ as it is Joh. 11.40 wherefore then doe not stand questioning why doth Christ bring thee low and make that a time of faith But up and act say Indeed I am cast downe and disquieted I am in the darke and see no light I am low and know not how to raise my selfe yet now I le beleeve for this my dejection is to be a time of beleeving Verily thou art a God that hidest thy selfe O God of Israel the Saviour Isa 45.15 God was hid yea he hid himselfe yet marke it now the Church acteth her faith Israel shall be saved with an everlasting salvation ver 17. See O soule God hid himselfe Israel could not see his Saviour nor the way of his salvation for both were hid yet even now faith saith Israel shall be saved Well here is the first improvement of this Doctrine let it reforme a mistake and informe the judgement in this truth that times of low dejections are not only times of patience but they are times of faith CHAP. 6. The maine use perswading and directing soules to beleeve in their deepest dejections DEjected hearts you heare your worke and duty pray fall about it you are cast downe you lye low and see little wel beleive say I shall yet praise God for all this I shall see him as the health of my countenance and my God I beseech you know your duty in all its parts as I formerly opened First Hold fast your first faith doe not call all into question because of dejection whatever thou didst beleeve before beleeve it now Secondly Doe not question the power of Christ say not thy case is incurable beleeve it there is Balme yet in Gilead Act
thy faith upon a possibility in the hand of Christ yea and upon a probability in his heart to help thee but rest not here remember your faith must ascend higher for you must more especially beleeve 1 That Christ will raise thee See chap. 3 2 That he is still with thee though thou see him not 3 That you shall confesse all your doubtings to be failings 4 That yet Christ wil appeare as yours 5 That the time shall come that you shall sing all this in a Song of praise yea and 6 That Satan shall see this and be ashamed yea and thy owne heart too Here is your duty now up ascend this Ladder remember to begin at the lowest staffe first ascend thy soule by degrees breath over every step or staire and then strive to goe higher Doe not make thy worke harder then it would be Conquer thy unbeleefe by holy craft First beleeve one particular then another Doe not strive for the highest act first Beleeve first a possibility then a probability then a certainty Many soules cry out they cannot beleeve certainly they shall be raised I would have these beleeve it probable first Remember to beleeve that Christ thinketh on thee come up by degrees to the height of faith so wilt thou come by degrees to the fulnesse of assurance I shall presse this practicall Doctrine By 1 Motives 2 Meanes First Consider that this faith is that which Christ eminently pronounceth blessed To beleeve then when the soule is dejected and in the darke and sees not is a blessed thing and argues a very blessed frame of Spirit Jesus said unto Thomas Because thou hast seen me thou hast beleeved blessed are they who have not seen and YET beleeved Joh. 20.29 I doe not doubt but that Thomas was truly blessed though he said he would not and as it seems he did not beleeve before he saw but yet Christ declares him or she to be eminently blessed that beleeve and see not Minde it ye sad soules who cry out you are dejected low and see nothing if now you can beleeve you are in a blessed state yea you are eminently blessed how ever deeply dejected if you can but now act your faith Thy low state is not sad but blessed O beleeving soule He that beleeves hath a witnesse in himself by the authority of Christ inabled to conclude that he is blessed Wouldest thou O soule be blessed yea even in thy dejected state wouldest have a ground of Christs allowance and declaration to say thou art not miserable though cast downe why then beleeve Secondly Beleeving in a state of darknesse and dejection gives glory to God God is not glorified by the faith of any so much as by the faith of the dejected When Abraham was as it were dead and so past children then his beleeving was a glorious faith He was strong in faith giving glory to God Rom. 4.20 Thou sayest O dejected soule let God have glory what ere become of thee Why here is the way to give God glory act thy faith upon his glorious power his gracious promise his good performance c. even now in thy low state so shalt thou glorifie him indeed Though thou be weake yet beleeve his strength though thou be unworthy yet beleeve his grace though thou art very low and see very little yet now beleeve and account him faithfull able ready willing to raise help releeve and comfort thus thou shalt give him glory indeed Thirdly Beleeving now will ingage God to help God and Christ account it an engagement to help in case the soule beleeve and relye when at lowest Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose minde is stayed on thee because he trusteth in thee Isa 26.3 Mark it because the Lord trusteth therefore Christ wil keep It s true there is no merit in faith but yet the Divine mercy counts it an ingagement to helpe Some have urged this why they must goe and needs doe such or such a thing because a poore man relyes upon them and trusts to them and must and will be undone if they faile him Why will a man upon that account help and will not Christ much more O! will Christ say of a soule that is ready to sinke and yet relyes on him and trusts to him Here is a poore soule that depends on me and I see must perish if I faile him O surely I le not suffer him to faile They that trust in the Lord shall never be confounded the Lord will not be as waters that doe faile as it is Jerem. 15.18 My flesh faileth saith David but God is the rock of my health Psal 73. Dejected soules would you ingage Christ to raise you then beleeve though you are cast downe never so low Lastly Even very beleeving is our rising when we are cast down The soule that beleeves doth rise and when Christ drawes up our faith he doth raise us up from our dejected state It is with the beleeving soule in his pit of dejection as with Peter in his Prison it is said the Angel of the Lord smote Peter on the side saying Arise why you know Peter was bound with two chaines and Peter might have said thus I am bound how can I rise and goe out no Peter doth not object but beleeves He ariseth and his chains fall off from his hands marke it his beleeving doth unbinde him Come saith the Angel follow me Peter might have said The doore is shut there is a first and second ward besides that there is an Iron Gate fast bard and there are Keepers that keepe the doore No Peter reasons not thus But he beleeves and goes and the doores open of themselves the very Iron Gate of its owne accord gives way and the Keepers are kept under sleep from opposing See Peters faith doth all it opens the doores and brings him forth Acts 12. So O soule doe thou beleeve Arise O dejected soule doe not say I am bound with chaines of difficulties and bolted up under doores of doubtings but up beleeve thy very beleeving is at least thy rising posture and thy doore-opening hand O doe not stand objecting reasoning or questioning but beleeve as hath been opened Peradventure by this thy soule is made willing to stirre and now thou only desirest advice to help thee and for that take these directions 1 Beware of that which will hinder thy faith and rather keep thee down then raise thee up 2 Consider that which may strengthen thy soule in thy beleeving notwithstanding thy low condition First Take heed of that which will rather hinder then help your faith Viz. Of concluding any thing from 1 Sence 2 Selfe 3 Sathan 4 Seeming rejection These things eyed too much are dangerous and conclusions drawne from them are destructive unto faith therefore take heed of them all As First Beware of concluding any thing from present sence Sence is an opposite to reason sometimes but to faith it is an enemy alwaies hence it is that Paul
and Timothy did and we should walk not by sence but by faith 2 Cor. 5 At present O soule thou sayest Thou seest nothing but wrath thou feelest nothing but sorrow thou hearest nothing but threatning c. take heed thou conclude not thy state by thy sence A state sensibly bad may be really good as a state seemingly good may be substantially bad As the seared Consciences of Reprobates so the scrupulous Consciences of Saints are not fit nor able to make right conclusions What though at present Sence present nothing so much as in order to a cure yet cured thou shalt be God creates light out of darknesse and shines into our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of himselfe in the face of Christ as it is 2 Cor. 4.6 Though at present thou art sensible of nothing but darknesse yet God may create a light out of that Beware of concluding any thing from present sence or feeling Yea Beware of eying it tso much looke off from what thou seest and art sensible of unto that thou seest not We faint not said the Apostle Why marke it We looke not at the things Which we see but at the things which we see not 2 Cor. 4.16.18 Secondly Consider not selfe Selfe is alwaies insufficient as to holy worke or joy If thou conclude from the consideration of selfe thy conclusion wil be false Thou art cast downe and Childe-like art nor able to rise againe Selfe cannot raise thy soule what then wilt thou conclude thy soule cannot be raised O take heed of this Where selfe is insufficient Christ is sufficient and when we are weake his power is magnified in our weaknesse Abraham considered not his owne body now dead Rom. 4.19 had Abraham considered himself he had never beleeved for a Sonne it was Sarahs fault and the ground of her laughing unbeleefe she considered her selfe as old c. you must not therefore consider selfe as weake no let me adde this you must not consider selfe as sinfull This may hinder faith As weaknesse to helpe our selves so unworthinesse to be helped by Christ is generally the cause of doubting and unbeleefe but take heed of both Abraham beleeved though himselfe was old yea and though Sarah laughed neither his weaknesse nor her sinne could hinder his faith Take heed therefore of eying selfe either as unable or unworthy Christ is able to raise the weak yea and willing to lift up the worthlesse soules of cast-down ones 3. Conclude nothing by Satan Hee 'l tell you of difficulties and impossibilities but consider him not As Satan makes the proud heart of exalted Babilon think it shal never fal so he would make the grieved heart of dejected Sion think it shall never rise but know Satan is a Lyar and who would beleeve an old constant Lyar Hee 'l say despaire when Christ saith hope But beleeve thou the Lord Jesus and slight Satan be sure to conclude nothing from his suggestions Obj. But what if Conscience joyne with Satan what if that witnesse to Satans words c Answ Beleeve not nor conclude from thy owne Conscience it is possible that may erre and looke as the seared Conscience of the wicked erre and speake peace when there is no ground so the seduced Conscience of the godly may create trouble when there is no cause Besides Christ sometimes doth permit Conscience to condemne to heighten his owne grace in acquitting It is sometimes in Spirituals as it is in Temporals we receive the sentence of death in our selves that we may not trust in our selves Doe not therefore O dejected soule conclude of thy cast-down condition from Satans suggestions no not when backt with thy owne Conscience care not for Satans condemnation nay judge not thine owne selfe as it is 1 Cor. 4.3 Lastly Beware of concluding any thing form present seeming rejections of Christ Many a cast downe soule cryes O Christ seemes to reject mee and therefore I am lost and ther 's no hope c. But mind it O soule as a Caution Though Christ at present seem to reject thee yet conclude nothing Thou knowest and oh that thou wouldest for this purpose consider well the woman of Canaan Christ at first did seeme to reject her I am not sent said he but to the lost sheep of the house of Israel Nay he calls her dog and upon that account denyes her childrens bread yet you know the issue Beware therefore of concluding from the present dealings of Christ though he seem to reject thee and let thee lie Though he speak as if he meant not to cure thee and call thee dog as if he would not have to doe with thee yet beleeve for all this may be but a shew to try thee and thy faith It s said in the story of the journey of Christs Disciples from Jerusalem to Emaus that Christ made as though he would have gone further yet upon entreaty he went in to tarry with them Luk. 24.28 29. Christ O soul may seem to goe away when he intends to tarry Only he lookes for intreaty O therefore do not conclude any thing from the present visible seeming rejections of Christ He may frowne and smite cast off and reject cal thee dog and deny thee a crum and yet he may intend and if thou beleeve and waite will to imbrace thee and raise thee up and to fill thy soule with healing and rejoycing Having premised these things by way of caution to be taken heed of I shall now adde one or two positive considerations for the inabling of the soule to act his faith even then when it lyeth lowest and seeth least First Consider there can be no just ground why thou shouldest not beleeve As formerly I said there can be no just ground for our great dispairing casting downe so now I say there can be no just ground why we should not beleeve that yet we shall praise God T is true the soule is apt to conceive grounds of dispaire at least to conclude there are grounds why it should not beleeve But mind it wel and you shal see there is no reason can be given why the soule though never so low and cast downe should not beleeve its raising up by Christ and its rejoycing in Christ For First There is no command or inhibition to the contrary 'T is true Satan sayes there is an inhibition but he is a false Prophet and God never sent him The dejected soule cryes out O I may not I must not I dare not beleeve Why O soule why must not you beleeve who said so when did Christ forbid thee where is the word that faith you may not beleeve Nay is not the Scripture expresse in commanding you to beleeve at all times Is not this his commandement that we should beleeve on the name of Jesus Christ 1 Joh. 3.23 See the Text is positive why shouldest thou say then that thou mayest not beleeve Secondly The depth of your dejection neither is nor ought to be a
your selves as David did Why art thou cast downe O my soule and why art thou so disquieted within me This wil be a good way to keepe downe sorrow from rising too high yea and a good way to raise up your soule from sitting too low Indeed this is the other branch of the point and I shall now come unto it CHAP. 5. I Have dispatched the first branch of the Doctrine viz. That its the wisdome and should be the care of dejected soules not to give way unto dejection and casting downe I shall now proceed to the second branch which is to shew That it is their wisdome and should be their care to argue the case with themselves You see David doth so he calls upon his soule and expostulates the businesse with it Here is not a word in his expostulation but is very considerable As 1 Why that is as I opened in the explication What as if he should say What is it so indeed art cast downe in earnest O my soule I thought it but fained or at least not so reall But what is it so indeed he cunningly insinuates into his soule Or How i. e. O how art thou cast downe O my soule I wonder at it and its an astonishment to me to consider it how sad how exceeding sad art thou O my poore dejected soule Or else After what manner i. e. what kinde of sorrow is this that fils thee Is it the sorrow of faith or of despaire Is it the griefe of a godly soule or is it a worldly sorrow What manner of sorrow is it Or else wherefore i.e. What end dost ayme at in this sorrow What is it that thou drivest at by this dejection Or else why i. e. For what cause is it As if he should say Tell me the reason for I see it not of this thy trouble and dejection Mark how home he argues in that first word but then marke againe the next word which is Soule It s as if he should say Why am I thus troubled in all my inward man in my soule Why doe the waters come in unto my soule i. e. to my best and chiefest part or to my all as if he had said Why is it not a little trouble in my minde but a great one in my soule Yet further marke him in the particle my O my soule It s as if he should have said Why is my soule even mine which hath so many Promises and which had some experiences why is my soule that hath a God to goe unto why is my soule cast downe If Saul or Doeg were cast downe it were not strange but that thou O my soule art cast down this is indeed strange See him yet againe cast downe and troubled as if he should say What troubled unto casting down what so much disquieted as to be in a storm as I opened the word yea and to be in such a tempest O my soule why is it thus If thou wilt be troubled why so What troubled to a lying upon the ground O arise arise soule for what is the matter that thou art thus cast downe You see how full it lyes in Davids practise that dejected soules should argue the case with themselves it is needlesse to adde the candle of any other example seeing we see the truth so clearly in the Sun-shine of this CHAP. 6. The summe of the expostulation and the reasons of it I Wil a little touch upon these two heads for the clearly understanding of this branch 1 Wherein doth this expostulation or arguing with our soules consist 2 Why Christians cast downe should use it For the first you wil say If it be our wisdome and should be our care when cast downe to argue the case with our selves wherein doth this arguing consist Now for this know that this expostulation doth principally consist in three particulars First In a solemne summoning of the soule to give an account of its dejection Wee should Judge-like call our soules before us and demand what is the reason that it breakes the royall law of love which commands us to rejoyce alway And it sleights Christs command of not being troubled I know the sad heart is backward unto this but we must summon it solemnly in the name of Christ to give an account and that a faithfull one why it s so sad and cast downe we should say Come forth O my soule out of thy sad and solitary retirements and tell me plainly the reason why thou art cast downe and also the end that thou aymest at c. This is the first part or introduction to this arguing The Second is A due consideration of the cause or reason which the soule gives for its dejection Peradventure the cause may not be a cause the reason may not be rationall or if it be a cause it may not be so great therefore we should weigh what and how weighty it is As to instance sometimes the soule saith its dejected for this crosse or for that affliction for this feare and that fall for this corruption and that temptation c. now then the maine part of this expostulation lyes in our weighing and right stating of the cause which the soule either hath or thinkes it hath for its dejection Then Thirdly this arguing lyeth in doing of what we are able to doe to satisfie our selves It s said of David that he comforted himselfe in his God 1 Sam. 30.6 That is he strengthened himselfe as well as he could It s certaine that in a naturall way we may doe something and in a supernaturall way we may doe more now we should stir up our gifts both naturall and supernaturall Incourage your selves as I read it and he shall strengthen your hearts Psal 31. last 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 certainly we should frame what answers we can draw from reasons and promises experiences Durate â—osmet rebus servate secundis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to satisfie our selves in the pretended causes of our dejections Besides we should charge our souls to be patient and stirre up our selves to beleeve we should doe what we can Logically to resolve doubts Significat obourare fortem esse i. e. fully to satisfie troubles and Rhetorically to perswade as it were our selves to rejoyce There is enough in the Scriptures to silence all sorrowes and to satisfie all cases and we should argue from the Scriptures for this purpose as much and as wel as we can We should not plead for but against our dejections we should strengthen the hands of our faith against unbeleefe and the grounds of joy against sorrow It s true its Christ alone that can raise us but yet we must strive in our expostulation to raise our selves Shake thy selfe from the dust O Jerusalem as it is Isay 52.2 The children of Sion must shake themselves i. e. doe themselves what in them lyes towards their owne satisfaction and raising from dejections This is the first thing you may now guesse
deepest dejections Further Thirdly You must beleive that you shall confesse all your doubtings to the contrary as your failing Thou art apt to question Power and to doubt Will Thou art ready to say I am cut off and cast out and I shall go all my dayes in bitternesse c. well when thy sorrow hath thus vented it selfe thou must beleeve its thy sinne and that one day thou shalt with shame confesse it I said in mine hast I am cut off from before thine eyes David said so but he confesseth it was in his hast Psalm 31.22 Hâ—man did the like after he had vented himselfe sadly will the Lord cast off for ever hath he forgotten to be gracious c. And I said pray mind it this is my infirmity Ps 77.10 He said this and that but he confessed what he said was in his weaknesse I told you in the opening of the Text the word translated I shal praise 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 might be translated I shal confesse as Dan. 9.1 Ezra 9 2. c. And certainely whatever your sadnesse bee now in your dejection Significat tam confiteri culpam qui celebrare laudem you must beleeve that one day you shall confesse much of it at least to be your weaknesse It may be O soule thou sayest this is high True Yet your faith must ascend higher For Fourthly You should act your faith and beleeve you shall yet see God as your God The precept is in Isai 51. to trust upon God as ours let him trust upon his God This is more it s more to beleeve an interest in God then helpe from God yet this thou must beleeve O sad soule David saith here that he shal yet praise him marke his phrase and saith I my God not only as the health of my countenance i. e. as my healer and raiser c. but as my God You must beleeve in your lowest dejection God is still yours though thy condition be low yet thy interest is not lost Fifthly You must beleeve that a singing time is comming notwithstanding present casting downe You must remember your Songs of old and beleeve you shall yet sing them againe I shall yet praise him saith our text though now thou sigh yet thou shalt sing your sorrow shall be turned into joy you now sit disconsolate and your Harp is now hung by the Willowes your strings are now broke and your spirit is now heavy but yet you must beleeve joy shall returne and that one day you shall take your Harp and tune it againe and sing your old yea and a new song upon your chiefest Instruments Lastly You must beleeve that this shall be so eminent that Sathan shall see it and be ashamed now Sathan triumphs in thy sadnesse and saith Where is thy God You must beleeve that your God is still present and that ere long he wil so appeare as that Sathan shall be ashamed of what he hath said against thy God and thee thus the Church saith Micha 7.10 Then she that is mine enemy shall see it and shame shall cover her which said unto me Where is the Lord thy God There is a day a comming in which thou shalt say Loe this is my God I have waited for him Put all these things together and they make up such a crede as this which thou O soule mayest say in thy deepest dejections I beleeve still all that I did of my God and Christ of the Scriptures and holinesse and I yet beleeve that there is a power in God that he can help and that not only in others cases but in my owne yea and I beleeve that he is inclinable and willing Nay I beleeve certainly the resurrection of my dejected heart and Christs presence even in this dejection yea I beleeve I shall one day confesse my present feares to be my failings when I shall see God and Christ againe as mine and when I shall sing a new song of praise and salvation even in the sight of and to the shame of Sathan Thus O soule thou must beleeve even in thy deepest dejection when thou art cast downe lowest and seest God least CHAP. 4. The grounds and reasons of this Doctrine and duty of thus beleeving in dejections YOu have now seene the explication of the duty wherein it lyes you shall now see the reasons thereof viz. why a dejected soule should act his faith even at the lowest c. First Because its the nature of faith thus to doe Faith doth suppose straights and difficulties and yet over-comes them all The Apostle tells us that hope that is seene is not hope Rom. 8 24. i. e. It s in the very nature of hope to suppose an invisibility of its object for what a man seeth why doth he yet hope for as t is there In like manner faith in that which is visible is not faith You finde in Scripture this definition of faith That it is the substance of things hoped for the evidence of things not seen Heb. 11.1 observe it faith as hope supposeth its object not seene or not in sight and yet when the thing is not seene then it substantiates and realizeth the things as if they were Dejected soules you say you are cast low your pit is very darke and you see nothing now you must beleeve for its the nature of faith to evidence and cleare up and cleave to things in the darke Now thou seest nothing now thou shouldest beleeve and in thy faith see all things and conclude of them as certaine Though thou be cast downe yet thou must see raising up and beleeve it Secondly To beleeve in your deep dejections cleares the strength of faith Thomas his faith was weake when he would not beleeve except he saw Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nailes c. I will not beleeve Joh 20.25 Soule thy faith is weake if thou say I le not beleeve because I see nothing Blessed are they which have not seene saith Christ and yet have beleeved It were a blessed signe that thy faith is strong couldest thou beleeve now thou art lowest and seest God least it is an easie thing to swim with Bladders but it argues skil and strength to swim without It argued the Disciples faith to be but small that in the great storme they could not beleeve and now thou art dejected it wil argue but weake faith if now thou wilt not beleeve As he who fainteth in the day of adversity gives notice his strength is but weake so he who doubteth in the day of dejection declares his faith is not strong Now it should be your wisdome to witnesse the strength of your faith by your beleeving when you are lowest Thirdly Christ is pleased to take this way of bringing the soule low when he intends to lift it high Your dejection is Christs way to bring you to exaltation Why should not I beleeve a thing when I am in the way to it If I am in
ground why you should not beleeve Others have been as low as you and yet God hath raised them Joh Asaph Heman Hezekiah c. were much cast down yet they were raised One of them cryes out I am afflicted and ready to dye Psal 88.15 Another cryes out his spirit was overwhelmed Psal 77.3 A third cryes out I shall never more see the Lord in the land of the living Esai 38.11 Thus these soules cryed out of their depths and yet were raised Be as low as thou doest or canst imagine yet thy deepest dejection can be no ground why thou shouldest not beleeve Nay hath not the Lord said that he regards the low estate of his servants And did not David say out of the deep I cryed and he heard me And he brought me up also out of the horrible pit as it is Psal 40.2 Suppose thy pit be very horrible yet out of that thou mayest bee brought up Thirdly Thy defilement can be no ground why thou shouldest not beleeve It s not thy dirtinesse O dejected soule that should increase thy doubt or hinder thy faith Christ raises the soul from the dunghill Yea he takes it up when it lyes in the Kennel Israel hath not been forsaken not Judah of his God THOUGH their land were FILLED with sin against the Holy one of Israel Jer 51 5. Marke it though they were filled with sin yet they were not really whatever they thought forsaken of their God That Jesus who dyed for you when you were dead in sin wil raise thee though thou be defiled with sin Suppose your soule as vile a sinner as Satan represents you yet remember Christ dyed for sinners for ungodly for enemies Rom. 5.6 8 10. So that thy defilement is no just ground why thou shouldest not beleeve Lastly Thy former and present doubtings and unbeleefe can be no just ground why you may not beleeve Admit thou hast doubted long yet thou mayest beleeve at last Quest But What will not doth not my unbeleefe cut me off from the Promise Answ No past unbeleefe is no just hinderance to faith now Davids former doubting did not hinder his injoyment of the Promise It is true he said in his hast as you doe He was quite cast out And that all men were Lyars he meant the Prophets who told him of the promises and yet God setled him notwithstanding his unbeleefe Thy unbeleefe shall not make voyd Gods faithfulnesse doe not say I have doubted so long that it is in vaine to beleeve now But remember O soule former doubtings shall be remembred no more if thou beleeve now So that you see there is no ground to hinder faith there is neither inhibition by God nor is there any warrant in thee why thou shouldest not beleeve neither the depth of thy dejection nor the degree of thy defilement nor all thy former doubtings shall hinder Christ from helping why should they then hinder thee from beleeving Secondly Consider the Promises are made to the lowest state soules in the deepest dejection are directly under the Promise now if the Promises are thine made to thee and to such as thee why shouldest thou not beleeve Is thy power quite gone and is there none left to help thee Why that Promise is thine Deut. 33.36 Art poore and needy and dost seeke water and there is none found yea doth thy tongue faile for thirst Then that Promise is thine Esa 41.17 Art in the darke and seest no light why to thee is that word Trust on thy God Isa 50. last And though thou sit in the darke yet thou shalt see light as Micha 7.9 yea and light is sowen for thee Psal 96. It may be thou seest it not yet it lyes sowne as seed and wil spring up again The Lord wil create peace for thee that art farre off from it Esa 57.17 Search the rich store-house of the Promises and thou wilt see most of them pointing out their finger to thee Why sayest thou God hath forgotten thee Can a Mother forget her children yea though she can God will not forget thee Esa 49.15 Say not Thy way is hid from thy God for he giveth power to the FAINT and to them that have NO MIGHT he increaseth strength Isa 40.29 Thus all the Promises speake to thee O beleeve beleeve saith every Promise for my sake and for my sake c. Hadst thou but a peradventure it were ground to hang upon and it were enough to keep thee from sinking There is a peradventure for the vilest 2 Tim. 2.25 But thou hast more then a peradventure of healing for it is expresly said I will heale back-slidings marke it BACK-SLIDINGS and I will love freely Hos 14.4 up therefore O cast downe soule act thy faith beleeve Christ can yea and wil help thee raise thee and thou shalt praise him as the health of thy countenance and as thy God Obj. But I am afraid to beleeve what I that am thus low and so vile that have no might and see no means It is meer presumption in me to beleeve I should presume if I beleeved c. Answ Say not so O soule Presumption is not simply in case of Salvation but in case of sinning Indeed if thou shouldest say I shall be saved and therefore I may sinne this were presumption but to say I have sinned yet I shall be saved this is FAITH Thou art wrath though we have sinned in them is continuance and we shall be saved as it is Isa 64.5 This Scripture is a very precious place in which comfort is held forth and laid hold upon by faith notwithstanding the Sinners wickednesse or Gods wrath De Dieu translates the whole verse thus Thou meetest him that rejoyceth and doth i.e. who with joy doth righteousnesse by thy wayes they remember thee If thou wert angry when we sinned or by way of question Behold thou wert angry when we sinned yet in them i. e. in thy wayes is eternity that we might be saved The whole place indeed is a sweet and strong support to faith notwithstanding sins the meaning of which according to that Commentator is The wayes of God are not changed but are fo ever the same and therefore what grace and bounty he hath used to shew the same he still will use to miserable sinners that we might be saved Indeed this is a good and sweet interpretation of this place but I think there is another interpretation as cleare if not more comfortable that is if by in them we understand our sins Thus wee have sinned and in them i. e. our sins is continuance for alas we continue still sinfull after Gods wrath for them and yet notwithstanding this we shall be saved and thus Calvin sweetly glosseth it Although we have been obstinate in our sins for sin after wrath or chastisement is obstinacy and so deserved to be destroyed a hundred times yet through thy mercy we are still saved See Soule here is mercy for obstinate sinners and consider did not Christ
come into the world to save sinners and did not Paul say of which I am chiefe This O soule is Gospel Christ came indeed to save sinners and for thee to say I am chiefe or principall sinner yet I le goe too and rely upon Christ for salvation it is not presumption but faith O therefore doe not thinke and say it is presumption for thee to beleeve Further It is presumption to expect cure or comfort in the use of unlawfull meanes or in the neglect of appointed meanes But faith is so farre from being an unlawfull meanes that it is the only appointed meanes Thou readest and prayest and hearest c. And now thou art called upon to beleeve and callest thou this presumption Thou art very much mistaken O soule Besides it cannot be presumption to obey a command Christ commands us to beleeve as was shewed he forbids our disquieting and castings down and he requires us to beleeve in his Father and in him Now callest thou obedience presumption beware of that O soule Doth the child that is sad and heavy and abstaines from meate and lyes upon the ground doth this childe presume when upon his fathers command hee ariseth and eates and is merry Did the Prodigall presume when his father said let us eate and be merry Admit thy selfe to be the Prodigall O soule yet sith Christ bids thee arise and eate and be merry why shouldest thou thinke this presumption Obj. But Christ commands not me he speaks not so to me Answ Why not to thee O soule I say why not to thee Is thy soule excluded when none is Doth not Christ call any every thirsting soule saith he not if ANY thirst let him come Called he not Publicans Harlots Sinners Persecutours yea did he not ascend to receive gifts for Rebels Psalm 68.18 why therefore O soule dost say Christ calleth not thee I witnesse in Christs name and let this stand in Print as a proofe that I as an Embassadour of Christ speak to you and in his name I beseech you to accept of grace and reconciliation freely Thou even thou O dejected soule art the man and woman that Christ cals upon to beleeve Thou who art dejected and in the dark and seest no light Christ saith to thee beleeve so shalt thou be established Now doe not say that this is presumption Once againe because I find soules harping upon this string Thou sayest I shall presume if I beleeve let me grant it yet t is but perishing by presumption and so thou must certainly except thou beleeve I remember how the leprous men spake one to another Why sit we here untill we dye if we say we will enter into the City we shall dye there and if we sit still here wee dye also Come let us go to the Hoast if they save us alive we shall live and if they kill us we shall but dye 2 Kings 7.3 4. Reason thou so O soul If I sit still in my dejected state and dispaire I shall dye and if I do act faith and beleeve I can but dye Therefore I le up and beleeve yea though Christ should kill mee I le beleeve If I must perish I le perish in a way of beleeving Say therefore to thy soule as David did why art cast down O my soul and why art thou disquieted Waite on God beleeve in Christ If I must perish I le perish trusting in him that I shall praise him But know O soule If thou doe beleeve thou shalt see Christs glory Thou shalt see the glory of his power in helping the weakest and the glory of his grace in doing for the worst And when thou seest this thou shalt praise him as thy God Wherefore then to wind up all remember though thou be low and see little yet doe not dispaire Although thy eyes have failed with looking and thy heart with longing Although thy strength bee gone and thou be now ready to dye yet do not dispaire But in thy lowest ebbe of dejection when thou art disquieted and cast down most act thy faith and say Though I bee low I may rise Yea though I bee cast downe I shall bee raised When I am in the deepest dejection and cannot mount up my selfe Then shall Christs power be manifested and magnified in my weaknesse And I shall after all my sighs and groanes yet sing prayse unto God as the health of my countenance and my God Surely this is thy duty to endeavour and 't will be thy glory to performe Blesse the Lord O my soule and all that is within mee blesse his Holy Name The Printer to the Reader BY reason of the Authors absence from the Presse some faults have escaped which might have been otherwise avoyded but I hope they are such as a little care of thine Reader will correct and a little charity pardon In hope of which I have omitted the ordinary observation of Errata's and corrections FINIS A TABLE Shewing the Principal things in this Treatise SECT I. THe Text is spoken unto 1 In its context where is set forth 1 The occasion the Psalme page 1 2 3 2 The division of the Psalme page 1 2 3 2 In its self and here is 1 The explication of the words p. 4 5 6 7 8 2 The devision of them into parts p. 9 3 The Doctrines deduced from them p. 10 3 In its first and principall doctrine which is 1 Proposed p. 11 2 Proved p. 12 3 Amplified 1 Shewing the nature of spirituall dejections p. 13 14 2 Shewing the workings which are 1 Fears and doubts as p. 15 1 Whether God ever wrought upon the soul p. 16 2 Whether grace be true p. 17 3 Whether Cal Conviction Comfort be of the spirit p. 18 4 Whether actings be from love or light ibid. 5 Whether the heart be sincere p. 19 6 Whether it shall conquer corruption p. 20 7 Whither the soule have closed with Christ savingly p. 21 8 Whether the soul shal persevere or fall off from Christ ib. 9 Whither or no the soule ever prayed as it ought or God ever heard it p. 22 10 Whether the soule heard the word as it ought p. 23 11 Whether the soule have a right unto or ever closed with the promises p. 24 12 Whether abstinence from sin have been upon religious or moral principles p. 25 13 Whether one hath not sinned against the Holy Ghost ibid. 14 Whether the soul shall not fall from grace p. 26 2 Griefes and Sorrowes p. 27 3 Shewing the causes of dejection as 1 Remainders of corruption p. 28 2 Falls into sin p. 29 3 Ignorance of the Covenant of grace ibid. 4 Spiritual indisposition to dutys p. 31 5 Want of former incomes p. 32 6 Insultation of Satan enemys p. 33 7 Corporall affliction as sicknesse c. p. 34 8 Sence of divine wrath p. 35 4 Applyed 1 To informe us of our imperfect state as to rest and peace while we are here p. 36 2 To be thankefull in case of
freedome from these dejections p. 37 3 To prepare for dejections p. 38 1 By remembring there is such a state and we are lyable to it ibid. 2 By acquaintance with the Covenant of grace in its freenesse fullnesse and firmnesse p. 39 3 By treasuring up experience ib. SECT II. I. HEre is Satisfaction held forth unto the particular feares and doubts of dejected soules viz. 1 To souls fearing that God never wrought upon them p 42 to p. 48 2 To soules fearing their grace is not true p 48 to 52 3 To soules questioning whether their calling conviction and comfort be of the holy ghost p. 50 to 64 4 To soules doubting whether their holy actings be from light or love p. 64 to 70 5 To soules fearing their hypocrisie p. 70 to 76 6 To soules doubting they shall never conquer corruption p. 76 to 82 7 To soules fearing they never savingly closed with Christ p. 82 to 91 8 To soules fearing their fall from Christ doubting they shall deny him p. 91 92 93 9 To soules questioning whether ever they prayed as they ought or whether ever God heard p. 93. to 105 10 To soules dejected about their hearing of the Word p. 105. to 111 11 To soules questioning their interest in and their closing with the Promises p. 111. to 115 12 To soules troubled about abstinence from sinne p. 115. to 120 13 To soules fearing their sin against the Holy Ghost p. 120. to 125 14 To soules fearing their fall from grace and not beleeving their perseverance p. 125. to 132 II. Here is held forth particular cure for the particular causes of soule-dejection and the eight generall grounds of soules being cast down are stated and spoken to as 1 Satisfaction is given to soules cast down by reason of the remainders of corruption 2 Satisfaction is given to souls cast down by relapses into sin 3 Satisfaction is tendred to soules dejected about the Covenant of Grace 4 Satisfaction is held forth to soules cast down by reason of indisposition to duties 5 Satisfaction for soules dejected for want of former incomes 6 Satisfaection to soules troubled by reason of Satans and enemies insultation 7 Satisfaction to soules cast down by reason of sicknesse and feare of death 8 Satisfaction to soules dejected under the sence of Divine wrath These are spoken unto in the Pages between 132. 133 SECT III. ANother Doctrine raised from the Text which is 1 Delivered in its generall body p. 133 2 Devided into two branches viz. 1 That Christians dejected should not give way to dejection p. 133 2 That they should argue the case with their owne soules 3 Pursued and followed in I. Branch under three heads viz. 1 A premise that dejected soules are apt to give way unto dejections shewing six grounds of it p. 133 to 138 2 Aproofe of the first branch 1 From Scripture 2 From Reason which 1 There is no reason to give way p. 139 140 2 There is much reason against it 1 Because t is a passion p. 141 2 Because t is perillons 1 In its selfe ib. 2 By reason of Satan p. 142 3Vnto the soule 1 Taking away our strength to work p. 143 2 Taking away our stomacke to eate p. 144 3 An application 1 To chide such as give way to dejection as 1 Who conceale their trouble p. 145 2 Who look not after comfort p. 146 3 Who dispute against comfort p. 147 4 Who avoyd company p. 148 5 Who cast of duty p. 149 2 Two cautions against giving way by 1 Answering the objection of sorrow for sin and shewing when that is too much p. 149. to 151 2 Advising how to stop sorrow that it goe not too farre p. 153 II. Branch is 1 Propounded p. 154 155 2 Proved p. 154 155 3 Amplified shewing 1 Wherein the expostulation of the soule with its selfe consists as 1 In a solemne summoning of the soule to give an account of its dejection p. 156 2 In a serious consideration of what the soul saith for its dejection p. 157 3 In an endeavour what the soule can to satisfie its selfe ib. 2 Why this soule expostulation should be as 1 Because the soule hath a faculty thus to expostulate p. 158 2 Because hereby the soule often sees its cast down causlesse p. 159 3 Because hereby sorrow is stopped ib. 4 Because this will plead some excuse for dejection p. 160 5 Because hereby the soule is fitted for a cure p. 161 4 Applyed 1 To reprove those that argue not the case with themselves p. 161 2 To direct soules how to argue by giving the soule 1 Some rules p. 161. to 165 2 Some questions p. 165. to 166 3 Some informations p. 166. to 169 SECT IV. THE Doctrine of waiting in dejections is 1 Raised and proved from the text p. 169. 170 2 Explicated by shewing what is waiting upon God in dejection is in four particulars p. 171 to 174 3 Confirmed by six grounds p 175 to 177 4 Applyed for 1 Humiliation p. 178 179 180 2 Caution p. 181 182 3 Exhortation in this use some cases of conscience are satisfied as 1 The case of being contented to want Christ resolved 1 That it must be p. 184 2 How it may be p. 185 2 The case of answering to or dealing with Satan in the time of our dejection p. 186 187 188 5 Concluded 1 By granting that though the soul must be content to wait yet it may pray but shewing how p. 189 2 By granting though the soule should be content to wait yet it may indeavor to be cured but shewing also how p. 190 SECT V. THe Doctrine of beleeving in the deepest dejections is 1 Raised out of the words p. 193 2 Opened in shewing 1 When the soule is deepest dejected p. 194 195 196 2 That then its duty and glory is to beleeve p. 198 3 Confirmed from the example of David c. p. 199 4 Amplified 1 By shewing what it is to beleeve in dejections Set forth 1 In a generall description p. 200 2 In particular points to bee beleeved then as 1 Gods Power 2 Possibility of the souls cure 3 inclinablenesse in God to do is p. 201 202 3 In six speciall things to be beleeved by the soul when it is in lowest p. 203 206 2 By shewing three Reasons for all this p. 207 208 5 Amplified 1 For information that times of dejection ought to be times of beleiving yea that they are the proper season of faith here are three reasons given why in a special maner Christ looks for faith now p. 210 to 214 2 For perswasion of the soule to act its faith when it s cast downe lowest and here 1 The duty is opend p. 214 2 Motives are binted to stir up as 1 That now faith is blessed p. 215 2 That now faith glorifies God p. 216 3 That now beleeving ingages God p. 217 4 That now beleeving raiseth p. 218 3 Meanes to help are propounded as 1 Cautions in which the soule is advised to take heed and beware 1 Of concluding any thing by sence p 219 2 Of considering selfe ib. 3 Of beleeving Satan although backed with ones own conscience p. 220 4 Of concluding any thing upon the present visible rejection of Christ p. 221 2 Considerations as 1 There is no ground why the soul should not beleeve for p. 222 1 There is no command to the contrary p. 223 2 The death of dejection is not c. ib. 3 The souls defilement is not p. 224 4 Former unbeleif or present doubtings are not p. 225 2 The promises are made to the lowest estate as is instanced p. 225 226 3 The soule shall not need to fear its presumption to beleeve which being the last object that is put in against beleeving t is answered and cleared p. 227 228 229 FINIS