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
Lord take pleasure in such a soule as I am and bestow paines to worke on me Ans In Answer to this know O soul free grace shall move God For of grace we are saved and not of our selves it s the gift of God we are his worke-man-ship Ephes 2.8 10. And know O soule as God doth worke in thee the will so also he will worke in thee the deed and that of his good pleasure as t is Phil. 2.13 though he cannot take pleasure in thee yet he can and will in his worke Wherefore bear up O thou dejected soule Be not so cast down Suppose the work of grace be not yet wrought the Lord can and doe thou beleeve it hee will worke it now Ere long thou shalt see Christ formed in thee and though now thou art in paine and feare as a soule in travell yet then thou shalt rejoyce for joy that grace is come into thy heart CHAP. 2. Satisfaction to dejected soules labouring under the feare of the truth of grace BUt alas say some who are cast downe our doubts are not so much about a worke of grace As about the truth of grace I doubt saith a soul whether my grace be true Case some worke I have had and something is brought forth but I question whether it be not counterfeit Albeit this fear bee almost the same with the former Satisfaction yet because I find some dejected soules making it a distinct doubt I shal therefore speak distinctly to it And in order to the satisfaction of a soule cast down and discovering its selfe in this feare I shall offer two things viz. Something 1 More generally 2 More particularly First More generally I desire such dejected soules as are troubled about this fear to consider 3 things First Consider counterfeit grace doth not use to suspect it selfe neither is it willing to be tryed He that doth evill commeth not to the light nay he hateth the light as t is John 3.20 But he that doth truth commeth to the light c. Surely it may secretly hint that thy grace is currant sith thou desirest its tryall were thy grace counterfeit as thou suspectest it would desire concealement at lest it would not put thee on to suspect it Secondly Consider it s a mercy to have a suspecting spirit Many soules are deceived and damned for want of this Satan lyes secure under an imperfect and pretended worke of grace You read of a spirit of slumber in the Scripture God hath given some up to the spirit of slumber Rom. 11.8 There are foolish Virgins who presume and sleep and sleeping perish Christs spirit where it is is a spirit of fire and burning Now fire that tryes Christs spirit is like a refiners fire It s a mercy to have the spirit of refining and trying whereas its a judgement to be selfe-confident not at all suspicious It argues the spirit of slumber But Thirdly Consider t is possible for one truly gracious to conceit that his grace is but counterfeit As children conceive brasse is gold so sometimes they conceit gold to be brasse It s strange to observe the strength of conceit especially in depth of Melancholly Peradventure oh soule thy fear is but conceit Surely we see sometimes Hypocrites conceiting in their joyallity that their counterfeit grace is true And why may wee not thinke nay by experience we find sometimes truely gracious hearts conceiting their grace is counterfeit But these considerations are onely general Therefore More particularly that I may satifie such dejected fouls as doubt the truth of their grace I shall lay down these conclusions First Many souls doubt the truth of their grace because of their wrong way of tryall There are false Touch-stones which may make pure gold suspitious as well as make brasse appeare as gold To instance it s a false and deceiving way of tryall to try the truth of grace by conquest My meaning is to conclude that my grace is not true because I am sometimes conquered by corruption it s a wrong way of conclusion and a false touch-stone of tryall Paul had truth of grace and yet sometimes he was conquered and carryed captive and sold slave-like by sinne Rom 7.14 So likewise a constant equall undauntednesse in owning of Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and ver 23. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. captivated or lead into captivity as by a Câ—nquerour and sold in a market and cleaving to truth is a false touch-stone or fallible way of tryall T is true the righteous is bold as a Lyon but this is not at all times alike Peter had truth of love to Christ and yet he was not so undaunted alwayes His deriall is knowne well enough So that now to apply this to our purpose it may be Oh dejected soule thou tryest thy grace the wrong way Thou sayest thou art conquered oft and led captive many times Bee it so thy grace may be sound for all this Those that scome the Turkish power may sometimes bee slave-like in his Gallies And a loyall subject of Jesus Christ may be sometimes overtaken and taken and sold Paul-like under sin But 2 In judging the truth of our grace we should rather eye its quality then its quantity As now faith the truth of that is seen rather in its quality then in its quantity There may be a faith big enough to remove mountaines and yet FALSE as is deducible from 1 Gor. 13.2 And there may be a faith no bigger then a graine of mustard seed and yet TRVE Little faith and true faith may go together Peradventure O soule thou art grieved to see thy grace so little and that makes thee feare t is false but know this thy feare is foolish The least dust of gold is gold and the least grain of grace is grace In judging thy grace O dejected soule know thou shouldest eye its quality not its quantity And in order to this Thirdly know That grace is true which is diffusive I would aske thee O soule that doubtest thy grace is counterfeit whether it be diffusive yea or no though it be little doth it spread it selfe Is thy little in head and heart too Hypocrites have much in the head little in the heart But see O soule doth not thy little spread Is it not leaven doth it not leaven thee all over Is it not in thy will thou wouldest and doth it not spread to thy desire thou desirest And because thou canst not doth it not leaven thy sorrow Is not that sower or rather sweet dost not grieve because thou carst not doe as thou wouldest and desirest Do not O soule murder thy selfe I meane kill thy comfort by not witnessing to the truth Cannot you see and say your little grace is diffusive Surely if it be you need not doubt its truth and you should not say t is counterfeit CHAP. 3. Satisfaction to soules dejected and fearing that the worke which is wrought in them is not of the spirit THe
child is not so safe in holding about the mothers necke as it is in being in the mothers armes Jesus Christ O ye cast down soules holds you in his armes and this is your safety Suppose thou cannot see thy closing with him yet he knowes his own closing with you And his arme is stronger and surer to hold us to him then ours are to hold him to us Yea Fiftly I propose this also unto thee O soule who art dejected and questionest thy closing with Christ Jesus Christ must and doth close with us ere wee can or do close with him The shepherd must and doth goe after the sheep and not the sheep after him Christ is our shepherd and he leaves the Ninty and nine sheepe to seeke thee one and having found he layes it upon his shoulders Did you ever hear of a lost sheep that sought the shepherd and laid hold on the shepherd you have not chosen me but I have chosen you saith Christ Joh. 15.16 And the Apostle tels us that he loved us first Christ O soule is first in the action of closing And he may be stretching forth his hand to close with thee though thou be not stretching forth to close with him Therefore Sixtly and lastly Suppose O soule dejected and cast downe I say suppose it be as thou fearest that as yet thou hast not closed with Christ What hinders but that thou mayest close with him now To day if you will heare his voyce harden not your heart He begs now do thou close now Rouze up thy soule and close with Christ even while thou readest he stands with open armes ready to imbrace thee yea and with open mouth as I may say calling after thee Quest What is it then that hinders Answ This hinders will you say I fear unworthinesse and I find unablenesse I am neither filling nor able Reply Why know O soule unworthinesse should not keep thee off sith he calls thee Because the man was blind when Christ called should be not go This is that that makes Christs grace so worthy that it closeth with such as are unworthy And as to thy inability know he 'le helpe thee The mother will stoop to take up the child in her armes that cannot clime up to her necke Christ O soule will help thee to close with himselfe Do but look up to him and t is don David sayes he 'le make his prayer and looke up Do thou O soul Christ bids thee and let that incourage thee Look unto me and be saved Esa 45.22 What canst thou do lesse and behold he requires no more Wherefore then art thou cast down and why art thou disquieted O soul Suppose that as yet however considering that which hath been hinted thou mayest have no cause to suppose it but I say suppose it that as yet thou hast not closed with Christ the doore of grace is yet open and t is free for thee to do it now Bee not therefore dejected nor cast downe for as yet thou mayest close with and rejoyce in Jesus Christ as thine CHAP. 8. I mentioned in the former Section an Eighth feare which discovers it selfe in some dejected soules and that was A fear of denying Christ Some poor cast downe soules are much disquieted with this fear Oh say they Case should we be brought up to the tryall we should deny Christ It s true say they peradventure wee may never actually be brought unto it yet its good to try our hearts whether the love of Christ in us bee as strong as death And alas upon the tryal we see ground to suspect it Surely we find we love our life more then Christ and we feare we should sooner deny him then dye for him Thus do many disquiet themselves Now for the quieting of souls in this fear I shal offer these particulars very briefly First Consider Satisfaction O ye dejected and fearfull soules This fear of yours may be a companion of valour Even such as have been fearfull in the Town have been valiant in the Field As there are some who boast much and do little so there have been some that have feared much and yet done mightily Our Book of Martyrs tells us of two One of which boasted how gallantly he would burn and yet he cowardly recanted the other feared he should deny Christ and yet he gloriously held out and suffered death You may fear and yet when it comes to it may be able to dye for Christ But Secondly We are not able to tell what strength Christ will give in at the very nicke of time Christ makes good promises in their season As wisdom to dispute for so courage to dye for Christ hath its houre in which it shall be given Christ forbids his disciples fearfull trouble and care beforehand for so the word signifies Luk. 21.14 And he tells them Mal. 10.19 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it shall be given in that hour Doe not cast down thy selfe O poore soule but beleeve there is strength in Christ though there be weaknes in thee and thou mayst experience that in the hou◠of tryall which thou doubtest now If Christ call thee to dye he 'le keep thee from denyall Why should the Souldier have his armes bef-re the time of War Your armes i.e. your strength and courage to die for Christ is reserved for that houre to be given forth then why shouldest thou perplex thy selfe for want of it now But Thirdly Suppose thou shouldest flinch and faint in a day of tryall Suppose thou shouldest indeed fall so sadly for t is a sad fall as to deny Christ Yet know First This might consist with grace I know none that will deny Peters grace because of his denyall of Christ Yea Secondly This may consist with love to Christ There is a true love which at first is not so strong as death Peter did not fall in the truth but in the strength of his love Besides Thirdly Christ will not let thee fall for ever He will restore thee againe He can and will bring thee on with courage in a second tryall who didst fall away by cowardize in a first Peter did afterward out-face a Magistrate that at first was affraid of a Maid To this adde Lastly Christ may own you though you deny him It s certaine a denyall of Christ with feare and unwillingnesse and this is thy case O soul doth not expose us to a being denyed by Christ It s true direct voluntary desperate denying of Christ is dangerous So if we deny him he 'le deny us But a denyall through jear with reluctancy A denyall feared before it be bewailed after it is which is and would be thy case O soule this I say doth not shall not make Christ deny any Why then art thou cast downe O soule and why art thou troubled with a feare of denying Christ Hee knowes how to strengthen thee that thou shalt not and to pitty thee if thou doe yea and to owne thee though for
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
But the soule convinced by the spirit is convinced of this sin as of the sin of sinnes viz. unbeleefe Oh saith a soul which is convinced by the spirit I know drunkennesse is a sin uncleannesse is a sinne pride a sin c. But I know unbeleef is a sin as great ray greater then them all This is laid upon my spirit that Christ is come into the world sweetly discovering the love of God freely tendering reconcilement in his blood But I Oh I did little see and much slight him I did not make it my worke to go after him nor have I been willing when he hath come after me to accept him And this oh this hath been nay I fear 't is still my sin Oh this base vile damnable unbeleefe is that which hath and doth lye upon my spirit Other sins put me in an â—â—â—solute necessity of salvation and this sealed me under damnation HEE THAT BELEEVETH NOT HE IS CONDEMNED ALREADY Oh that Scripture tooke hold on me Christ came and was willing to imbrace but I would not beleeve He came sweetly weeing and I stood out sinfully rejecting He tendered grace freely and I did put off that tender wretchedly He said come unto me and I le ease you and I did not could not would not beleeve and therefore came not to him This O this I am convinced of as my sin and this I doubt is my sin to this day The truth is I can hardly beleive yet that Christ came to save sinners Why say Oh soul doth not thy heart answer to these things as face to face is there not a copy of this complaint in the secret tables of thy heart If there be pray who should nay who could write it but the spirit Who could take these things of Christ and reveale them unto thee but the spirit Surely if none can call Jesus Lord but by the spirit as it is 1 Cor. 12.3 Then none could be convinced so far of sin for not receiving of or beleeving in which is all one this Lord Christ but by the Holy Ghost But Secondly What is the great principle upon which you are most convicted Is it SENSE or HOPE of divine love It may be thou hast sometimes tasted how good the Lord is Peradventure you have had some sence of the love of God Or It may be you have only sometimes attained some hopes of divine loves Now is it this that doth most affect thy heart in thy conviction Doth not thy soule say Oh! what a vile wretch have I been who have despised the riches of Gods goodnesse and who have not been led thereby unto repentance Standest thou convinced of the greatnesse of sins by the consideration of the greatnesse of his love Because God hath been is and thou hopest will be exceeding good Art not upon this convinced that thou art and hast been exceeding bad Surely so much as love and sweetnesse hath had an influence upon thy conviction so much the spirit hath been in it The hand of wrath may convince a Pharoah that he hath sinned but an eye of love will make a Peter weep bitterly Therfore Thirdly In thy convictions for sin what sight hast thou had of Christ The spirit where he convinceth of sin he also convinceth of righteousnesse as t is John 16.10 i.e. the spirit convinceth the soule that albeit it is unrighteous yet there is a righteousnesse in Christ which it may have The spirit where he is a messenger of sin comming in and convincing the soule thereof he is also an Interpreter taking the things of Christ and so shewing thereof unto the soule the spirit is that one of a thousand to shew unto man his uprightnesse as t is Job 33.23 An hypocrite may be convinced by the Law but alas in that conviction he sees only a Moses But a Saint is convinced not only by the Law but the Gospell and therefore in his conviction he sees a Messiah Canst not thou say O soul when thou wert convinced that thou wert a sinner thou wert also convinced that there was a Saviour Didst not thou see a remedy as well as a disease a healing plaister as well as a killing wound A Saviour as well beseeching sinners to come unto him that they might have life as blaming of them for not beleeving in him that they might be free from death Surely soule its the spirit who giveth life the letter killeth Where the letter convinceth only it doth leave a soule under the sentence of death But if together with the sentence of death for sin thou didst also see the hopes of life in a righteousnesse then there was something more and higher then the letter in thy conviction even the Holy Ghost If then when thou wert convinced thou didst see unbeleife as the great sin and divine love as the great aggravation of that unbeleife and yet withall a sight of free and full righteousnesse tendred as a cure of both If I say thou didst see these things in thy conviction why art thou cast down O soule and why dost thou fear the spirit was not in thy conviction To go on then to the last branch of this fear and doubt Thou sayst O soul that dost fear thy comfort was not from the spirit At lest thou sayst thou dost doubt it It s true after thy storme thou didst heare a still voyce but sayst thou was the spirit in that voyce Sometimes even after conviction thou dost say thou didst feel comfort but thou fearest whether it were from the spirit or from the letter and fancy c. Why now in order to the scattering of this fear let me intreate you to consider these three things First Whence it was that thy comfort was fetched which was brought to thee was it not such as one of a thousand could not bring came it not from Jesus Christ who can only give man his righteousnesse as it is Job 33 23. He shall take of mine and shall shew it unto you saith Christ of the spirit Job 16.15 Where the spirit brings in comfort it is still shewed to be fetched from Christ Alas canst not thou say It was not from any creature men or Angell that the hope of your comfort came Alas miserable Comforters were they all But it was onely from Christ where the spirit comforts he doth it still in a discovery of Christ As he shewes Christ pierced by the soule and useth that sight unto conviction so he discovers Christ willing to imbrace the soul and useth this sight unto consolation The peace and comfort of some is rather from a cessation of the trouble of conscience then from a sight and discovery of Christ Now if thy comfort came only from an apprehension of Christ and from a sight of the things in him why art thou disquieted as if thy comfort were not from the spirit Since as no man knoweth the things of a man save the spirit of man which is in him 1 Cor. 2.11 Even so the
suppose such a sad thing that all of thy relations were enemyes to the wayes of Christ and that they should and did hate at lest slight and scorn all that were godly Upon this aske thy heart what it would or doth say to this Is not the very supposition of this sad to thy soule And doth not thy soule say Oh that thou couldst weepe teares of blood over the soules of thy relations Does not thy heart say however they are or doe yet thou and thy house will serve the Lord. Doth not the spirit upon thy appeale bear witnesse with thy spirit that let Father Mother Husband Wife Master c. do what they will yet thou by the helpe of Christ will pray for them and with full purpose of heart will cleave to him Now if it be so why art thou cast down why art thou affraid that thou hast no more then education Surely a soul thus quallified as I have hinted goes far beyond education If thou hadst nothing but what thou hadst from thy relations in education thou couldest not act further or against them as is supposed in Religion Therefore Thirdly Consider O soule that sayst thou fearest thou hast no more then education I say consider canst not thou say that albeit education did first set thee in the way of godlinesse yet since that time thy soule hath met with that which would have done it if that had not and doth exceedingly confirme thee in it Education is or may bee likened to that report which the Samaritan woman made to her neighbours of Christ Joh. 4. T is true her report brings them to Christ but Christs words confirmed them insomuch as that they told her now we beleeve not because of thy saying for we have heard him our selves so canst not thou say T is true all that at first thou hadst was but Education that is that which thou hadst from Parents Friends c. But now thou hast something more now thou canst say thou lovest Christ and his wayes not because thou wert brought up in the knowledge of him and his wayes but because thou hast since tasted him to be sweet and found his ways pleasant I doubt not but that many soules can say this and why then are they disquieted for feare they have no more then education To come up therefore one step further in order to the quieting of souls cast down and disquieted with this fear I shall offer some three Inquiries unto them As now First In case you should desist and leave off from the wayes of Christ in which you have been educated Inquire what would your condition be and how your heart would take it See would or could your heart be quiet Should you thinke ye be in a comfortable condition Nay doth not the feare of apostacy trouble you Doe not you tremble to thinke lest you should fall Surely had you no more then education you would not bee perplexed with these thoughts It s all one to a Jacke wound up by a mans hand whether it move or stand still and it s all one to one principled no higher then education whether he prayes or no heares or no c. if the hand of educatiours wind him not up he can bee quiet and still But where life is there motion must bee otherwise the creature groanes And surely if upon an inquiry this way thou find cessation or apostacy would be as death to thee thou needst not much feare but there is a life of regeneration and something higher then education in thee Secondly Inquire what thy thoughts are upon doing of holy duties are thy thoughts then selfe-swolne i.e. art conceited of selfe T is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as some great one or rather dost not see thou art an unprofitable servant and hast done but what nay not so much as thou oughtest Surely though education may and do puffe up yet its regeneration that humbles and pulls down Adde hereunto Thirdly Make inquiry after thy aime in holy actings Is it to be and do as others is it to comply with friends relations c. or is it to have communion with Christ Is it to hold forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darknesse to light Is not this thy aime to approve thy selfe to God It s true education may and doth make many do duties to approve themselves to Parents Tutors c. But its regeneration which makes this the end of holy actings to approve on 's soule to God Education may cause a minister to preach and a Christian to practise to be approved of by men But its regeneration which puts on Timothy to study to shew himselfe approved unto God as t is 1 Tim 3.15 Wherefore O soule why art thou cast down why sayest or fearest thou that all which thou hast is onely education Sith if thou shouldest leave off thou couldst not be quiet And yet while thou actest thou darest not boast◠and all that thou aimest at is above men Surely these things are more then education But To adde one thing more Suppose it be as thou fearest Suppose as yet education is thy all and that all thy principles are parentine I say suppose this Quest What then what if thy feare bee more then a feare a reallity what then Oh soule Answ What then why then I may well sit sadly as I do and be disquieted more then I am I may not onely be cast down but resolve never to rise why if I have no more then education wo is me for I am undone c. Reply Stay soul not so sad If it should be that as yet you have no more then education yet remember First Good actings are laudable in themselves Holy practises are commendable from any principles The young man that told Christ he had kept all the commandements from his childhood had no more then education and yet t is said Christ looked upon him and loved him Mark 10.21 I thinke it was but a conceit of Origen that said Christ kissed him yet I thinke it may be truly collected Christ was pleased with his practise though he pittied his principles your actings are laudable and lovely though your principles be as yet but very low And besides this remember Secondly Christ can raise your principles up to your actings when he pleaseth Do you continue with open sayles though rowing and lugging with the Oares of education The spirit blowes where and when he listeth He may principle thy actions and fill thy sailes ere thou art aware you know who said ere ever I was aware my soul made me like the chariots of my willing people Cant. 6.12 I will not say Timothy had grace and was sanctified from the womb yet I know he was well educated his unfained faith first dwelt in his Grandmother Lois and in his mother Eunice as t is 2 Tim. 1.5 Christ sanctified his education and why may be not sanctifie thine Why then art thou disquieted O soule as
fearing thou hast no more then education It may be but a feare or if it should be reall yet there is you see hope and comfort for this thing CHAP. 5. Satisfaction for such as fear they are at best but Hypocrites THere are some soules who when they are sadde Case and cast down they cry out against themselves for Hypocrisie To these I must now speake and in order to the quieting of their disquieted mindes I shall propose these particulars First It s at lest a peece or part of sincerity to question hypocrisie Satisfaction Hypocrites doe not use to question themselves It s the very nature of Hypocrisie to be shye of and to avoid as much as possible any tryall And it s of the nature of sincerity to be questioning Thy very feare O soule of hypocrisie is a fruit of sincerity The Pharisee did not suspect himselfe neither did the Publican purge himselfe yet you know who went away justified Christ O soule will and indeed delights to justifie such as condemne themselves Thine own suspition is not an evidence of thy hypocrisie Look as wicked men are said to feare where no feare i.e. no ground of feare is So likewise Saints do sometimes Cant. 1.6 It s worth the noting though the Church cry out looke not upon mee because I am blacke much like the Leper in the Law Levit. 13.45 yet Christ saith of her thou art all faire and hast no spot Christ O soule can discover sparkles of gold under thy clods of dirt and he can see peeces of sincerity even in thy feares of hypocrisie Secondly An unknown iniquity is not an argument of hypocrisie Sinne must be known and yet concealed ere it brand one for an hypocrite Many soules question their sincerity because of secret sins Peradventure some corruption bubbles up that they were not aware of they perceive some sin that had a long time laine secret and this makes them feare they are hypocrites but it should not David is sensible of secret sins and he cryes out against them cleanse me from my secret sins Psal 19. Yet he can and doth stand to and plead his sincerity Psal 26.1 2. Look as in point of sincerity it s not enough to serve God by doing his will But we must know it and be willing our selves So likewise in the point of hypocrisie it s not simple sinning but knowing and hiding thereof that makes it so The Assyrian was Gods rod and he did serve him Howbeit saith the Text he meaneth not so neither doth his heart thinke so Esa 10.7 The Assyrian service was not sincere for he nere meant to doe what he did Proportionably thy sins O soule are not hypocrisie for as much as thou knewest them not neither didst mean to keep them if thou didst know them Quest Consider this O sad dejected soul thy sins which are newly broke out are they not such as thou didst never dreame of Is it not that which thy soule loatheth and thou didst thinke thy selfe most free from Ans Yes They are so and this makes me fear my heart that it should so long conceale these corruptions which now I see Reply But know O soule it s a mistake from hence to conclude hypocrisie Certainly thy ignorance will excuse thee herein Hypocrisie is properly a feighning or counterfeiting either of vertue where t is not or a concealing of vice where it is Didst ever boast or feigne thy selfe better then conscience told thee thou wert or didst ever conceal or extenuate sins thou knewest in thee If not why fearest thou thy self an hypocrite It s a painting of a Sepulcher that denotes hypocrisie there may be unknowne sins where there is sincerity But Thirdly Some mixtures of this bitternesse will be in the best while in the body There is no grace so perfect in this life as that its free from all mixture Our gold is never so refined but that there will at lest cleave to us some drosse As the strongest faith doth not free any from all incredulity So the purest sincerity doth not free from some hypocrisie Even Peter and Barnabas are taxed by Paul and recorded by the spirit no have had at lest a tange of this bitternesse they are down-right charged with dissimulation Gal. 2.13 It s a true assertion of an accute writer that Hyporisie is in all Torshall but with so great a difference that all are not to be called hypocrises You will not call every doubting soule an Infidell why should you because of some remainders of hypocrisie conclude your selves hypocrites Job is charged even by God himselfe to darken counsell by words without knowledge Iob 38.2 And yet God tells Satan that he was a perfect and upright man But suppose the worst O doubting soule suppose not a little but a great deal of hypocrisie be in thy heart Consider Fourthly Our happinesse is built and bottomed more and rather upon the sincerity of Christs heart to us then upon the sincerity of our hearts to him Christ knew before he loved us that we would deale treacherously as it is Esa 48.8 It s charged upon the Church that she was not as sincere As Solomon describes a wife Pro. 31.11 i.e. to be one in whom the heart of her husband might trust the Lord said of Iudab she was treacherous and her heart was not turned wholly but fainedly to him Ier. 3.10 Yet he saith unto her I am married unto thee vers 14. It s our happinesse Christ abideth faithfull as t is 2 Tim. 2.13 our welfare is not founded upon our own hearts but upon his And as the whole body of sin and hypocrisie did not keep him from loving us sincerely at first so the remainders of hypocrisie shall not make him to love us lesse now Reader if thou be not a Spider I may tell thee this Christ can and doth love hypocrites His heart is sincere though our hearts be hypocriticall i.e. one that sucks poison out of wholesome things Sucke the speech and if thou bee a Bee thou wilt find not onely sweetnesse but sanctity yea and sincerity in it too Rouze up O cast downe soule Christ hath writ his love and thy life upon his owne heart not on thine There it remaines sound notwithstanding thy rottennesse The fountaine of free grace is open even for adulterous Iudah and treacherous Israel Object Yea but yet my hypocrisie is odious is it not my double dealing with Christ is dreadfull in it selfe I am sure it is so to me I see it and while I see it I cannot but be sad If it bee Christs glory that his heart is sincere towards me the more it s my sin and shame and sorrow that my heart is not so towards him Answ True O soule thy hypocrisie is thy sin but thy shame and sorrow for this is thy grace or rather Christs and thy glory For Fiftly It s a mercy to have a sight and sence of hypocrisie Christ certainly
intends a cure in this opening the wound Some Hypocrites have a seared conscience I feare they are incureable But this discovery of thy disease is a signall of health Christ deals well with those whom he wounds he hath balme for the bruised Many a wretch playes the hypocrite all his life and goes into hell in the conceit he lived in Yea 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Signifies a Player usually t is rendred Actor by the Latines some shall come conceited of sincerity at last saying Lord Lord But Christ will then make them know what they are It s mercy that he discovers thee to thy selfe here The Publican is better in his sackcloath confessing then the Pharisee in his vizzard praising But. Sixtly Add to al this the consideration of the promise of the spirit to them that aske him Lu. 11.13 Though thy spirit be hypocriticall yet Christs spirit is sincere Christ hath promised to send him It s but aske and have David it seemes was in your case and he prayed Renew in me a right or a sincere spirit And you know what incouragement he gives This poore man said he he speaks as if he were as poor as thou oh soul cryed and the Lord heard him Psal 34.6 It s the Covenant of promise that he will give a new heart Object T is so indeed but alas I have prayed and yet not received and therefore my joy is not full I have groaned under this hypocrisie many yeares And yet see not the promise of the comming of Christs spirit c. Answ Surely thou art mistaken O soule in saying the spirit is not come Those groanes of thine are his That softnesse is an effect of him Peradventure all thy hypocrisie is not yet cured I said in this life it would not be The spirit will be a refiners fire all your dayes It s true he could burne up all at once but thou couldest not bear it Such a fire would breake thee Gold-smiths proportionate their fire else the refining pot would crack Certainly the Lord Christ considers we are but earthen vessells therefore the refining fire is heated accordingly The spirit purgeth out hypocrisie by degrees In time he 'l have purged out all Even this dejection of thine is a degree of purging And this fruit thou shalt have of this feare That thy feare of hypocrisie shall worke for thy sincerity why then art thou cast downe O soule be not disquieted so with the feare of hypocrisie trust in God waite on the spirit for thou shalt yet praise him as sincere to thee and making thee so to him CHAP. 6. Satisfaction for soules who fear they shall never get the victory over corruptions THe next sort of cast down soules which I would indeavour to raise up Case are such as are much disquieted and cry out upon their corruptions Oh say they corruptions are strong and we are weake They fight we oppose as well as we can but we doubt the conquest We feare corruption will get the day well may we be cast downe while we lye under this fear c. Now for the satisfaction of such souls and in order to the lifting up of their dejected spirits I would offer have them to consider these things First This combate may consist with Satisfaction and indeed ever is with a state of grace It s the weaknesse of some to think and say that their conquest is compleate and that they are in perfect quiet Surely I say these words are rather discoveries of weaknesse then of strength and perfection Israel was not at rest when in Canaan Neither are those soules who are troubled with and for sinnes in Aegypt It s not an Israelitish spirit to say either others or our selves are in Aegypt because we have still combatings Even in Canaan they had their combatings God left some there to keep his people in action Doe not thinke especially do not conclude thou art still in Aegypt because thou art not freed from fightings and feares Beleive O soule thou mayest be in the land of promise and yet be troubled with the combates For Secondly Even choyce Saints have been as you are i.e. pestered with corruptions and troubled with fear of conquest Paul had been as high as any even in the third heavens and yet he had his buffettings yea and he crys out of them again and again You think your selves sometimes in a sadder estate then any And you say were ever any so wretched as you are Yes O soule Paul even Paul who came behind none nay who was before any in grace and guifts he was as wretched as you are And he crys out so O wretched man that I am Marke that I am as if none other were as he It s a comfortable and raising thought O ye cast downe soules Other choyce Saints have been in as wretched a condition as you are by reason of the combatings of corruption Thirdly Consider it s a rich mercy to have a heart to strive with and to be affraid of corruption Many a wretch is at peace with sin yea many are in Covenant with hell and death Some there be who are so far from fighting with and fearing of corruption that they pay tribute to it and make provision for it Many a wretch is a voluntary conquered captive unto sin And its mercy that you have a heart to strive Time was when you were free from righteousnesse i.e. had none at all and then you served sin It s grace that now you do oppose it and deny to yeeld service to it Were you at peace with sin you might feare your enmity with God But being at warre with it you may have peace in him But. Fourthly As long as your soul is kept up in a striving way it s a sign of strength Why should you say you are weake and feare c. sith you are so strong as to fight Weake ones are not fighters had you not some divine strength you could not stand before corruption But seeing you are after long fighting able yet to stand and strive why are you cast downe as if you should not get the day Consider O dejected soul that it argues a tree to be well rooted that stands after much blowing And it s a signe of a strong and valiant souldier if he keepe to his ground and flinch not notwithstanding great combating And certainly it may argue unto thee that through Christ thou art yet strong In as much as still thou art able to strive Object Oh but I feare for future thou wilt say because as yet sin stands strong notwithstanding all I doe against it I feare I shall never after all my striving get the victory over it Reply But why O soule shouldst thou thus feare Peradventure as yet thou hast not resisted unto blood in striving against sin Bear up yet a little longer strive yet still sin will bleed and fall ere long For Fiftly Consider It s no argument that you shall not
the Childes lisping though she seeme not to hearken Thou fearest O soule that God is angry with thy prayers as 't is Psal 80.4 but why shouldest thou feare this God was not angry with his peoples prayer of which the Psalmist there makes mention though he did not at that time answer it Your earthly Parents sometime seeme deafe when yet they delight to heare their Children tattle c. may it be thus with the Fathers of your flesh why may not nay why should you not thinke so of the Father of your spirits However Thirdly consider what it was you prayed for and were denyed or not answered inâ— peradventure 't was a temporall and that it may be not for your good though you foolishly thought so why should ye take it ill to be denyed in such a thing God hath heard thee for a Christ when thou saidst as Abraham What wilt thou give me so long as I goe Christ-lesse why what if God now hath not heard thee saying as she Give me children or I dye is not Christ worth many children Say O soule did not God give thee many a spirituall good thing upon nay before thy prayers why art thou cast downe if he deny thee temporalls Obj. Nay but 't is a spirituall good that I have prayed for and am not answered in Rep. It may be so yet consider peradventure 't is but a spirituall gift as memory understanding elocution in prayer and now why art troubled soule so much to be denyed in these what are they in themselves but such things as reprobates may have Gifts may goe to Hell yea many a gifted person is gracelesse why art cast downe with the deniall of gifts when Christ hath given graces without asking Nay but they are graces that I begge and pray for I have gone to begge faith and love and patience c. and yet I have no answer to these prayers Ans Stay yet O soule and consider it may be thou beggest not so much the grace as the degree It s not so much faith as a strong faith not so much love as a fervent love c. Now consider O soule though God deny thee the strength the degree of grace its choyce mercy thou hast the grace it selfe A little faith though but as a graine of Mustard-seed is precious Be not cast downe O poore heart if God deny thee great faith c. blesse him for that he hath given thee any faith c. Obj. But alas I doubt I have not faith at all c. it s not the degree of grace but the grace it selfe that I pray for and yet receive not Rep. Surely O soule thou art mistaken what ever grace thou prayest for especially so as to be troubled for want of which is thy case I say thou hast that grace already It s a degree of wisdome to desire to be wise and its a measure of grace to pray for grace The Disciples had faiâ—h when yet they prayed against unbeleefe without doubt O dejected soule thy panting after thy praying for and trouble at the sence of the want of grace is grace who can breath except he have life Lastly to cloâ—e up this case of fear about Gods not hearing prayer if God as yet have not answered my prayers the more is to come in Heaven God will answer all together God sometimes deales with his Children as we doe with ours the Childe abroad sends home for many things now for a Hat anon for a paire of Shoos c. the Father neither sends the thing nor an answer but anon sends for the Childe home and gives him all Minde ye Children of God for you are of that generation who seek his face your Father will send for you home one of these dayes and by death he 'l fetch you hence and answer all your prayers at once Now then beare up O dejected soules be not cast downe about your prayers as you are O remember in all this case Christ liveth for ever to make intercession for us why should we be so sad at the thoughts of our owne prayers as to forget to rejoyce in the faith of his If we sin he is our Advocate if we want any thing he knowes all our needs and why should we doubt that he prayeth for us since he lives for that very purpose CHAP. 10. Satisfaction to Soules cast downe about Hearing SOme there are who in their dejection call to minde the Word and their hearing of it Case but alas they are so far from being raised by it as that it dejects them the more Ah say they we have heard thee preached in our streetes Luk. 13.26 but so shall some say and be dis-owned at last by Christ the Word hath been sowen amongst us but we feare not as the good seed in the good ground and something now must be said to satisfie these soules and there be but four things which I shal offer briefly to this purpose 1 Call to minde what it was O soule which in the hearing of the Word did most take with Satisfaction and affect thy heart was it the Truth or the termes that did most prevaile with you Didst thou finde thine eares tickled with the entising words of mans wisdome Or didst thou feele thy heart touched with the power of the Spirit in the demonstration of truth If upon this inquiry thou doe finde that naked truth in the discovery of the Spirit did most take with and worke upon thy heart thou needest not bee troubled about thy hearing the Word for surely thou hast heard the word not as the word of man but of God 2 Consider what was the effect of that Word or that truth which thou didst close with The reall effect of the Word heard as the Word of God is the casting downe of those imaginations which did lift up themselves in the soule against Christ The Apostle tells the Corinthians that the weapons of his warfare were mighty through God But how did it appeare Marke because saith he they pull downe strong holds c. 2 Cor. 10.4 5. a Cannon shot off with Powder makes no battery nor breach but if it beate downe strong holds it argues there was more then bare Powder Certainly if the Word hath beaten downe thy towry imaginations and made a breach and so an entrance in thy bosome for Christ If it hath battered open the everlasting gates for the King of glory to enter in thou maist surely and sweetly conclude that thou didst heare more then man in the Word yea that Christ was in and with the Word of a truth It was a signe that the Thessalonians had received the Word as it was in truth the Word of God when it did effectually worke in them as 't is 2 Thes 2.13 But besides this 3 Know that there may be the seed of the Word in thy heart as in good ground See this fear stated Sect. 1. chap. 7. notwithstanding thy feares Oh say many
poore soules there bee so many stones and thornes in our hearts that we feare the good seed hath met but with bad ground in our hearts but know O soules that as no ground is so good but it hath some stones and thornes so your hearts may be good ground notwithstanding some worldly cares and deceitfulnesse Beware least you imagine that you should or could make your hearts good and your soules fruitfull of your selves some have doubtlesse mistaken Christs meaning in that Parable who thinke that their hearts must or could be good ground before the seed of the Word make it so Parables are not to be stretched beyond their intention Thy heart may be was is and will be bad ground ere the good seed make it good thou sayest the seed was good but thy ground i. e. thy heart was nought therefore the Parable speakes sadly of thee c. but be not dejected nor deceived It s the glory of spirituall seed that it wil make BAD ground GOOD It s true other seeds though good yet if sowne in bad ground are lost the bad ground spoyling the good seed But t is otherwise here The bad ground i.e. bad hearts doe not mar the good seed but the good seed mends the bad hearts Every heart since the fall hath and doth bring forth bryers and thornes Now where good seed comes it choakes the bryars and thornes i.e. deceit and corruptions Object Nay but saith the soule t is true if this good seed did abide but alas I feare t is lost all or at best there is but little remaines of the many handfulls that have been sowne upon mee there are but a few graines abide c. Ans Be it so O soule yet if any seed remaine 't will grow and be saving any one seed taking roote in thy heart is immortall and it will remaine Reply But me thinks I hear the soul reply with sighs and saying T is true if I had but any seed abiding with me I could rejoyce for I know the good seed will not dye But I alas I see it not spring up and therefore I doubt c. Duply Tarry O soule The Husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth and hath long patience for it And shouldest not thou waite for the most precious fruit of the heart Jam. 5.7 and have longer patience Even the Lord of the Vineyard waiteth some yeares for his fruit as is deducible from Luk. 13.7 Albe it thou see not the seed spring yet it may be under the clods taking root even under the clods of your corruptions there may be the seed of grace And what if you see it not Should the husbandman who in the Winter lookes upon his field newly or lately sowne and sees nothing but mire and earth and dirt cry out and say all my seed is lost would not every one count him weake and tell him in the Spring he shall see the contrary Thy Spring O soule is comming it s now thy Winter season as before n = * Sect. i. chap. 5. was hinted and now thy seed is not seene for thy corruptions like dirty clods lye upon it But beare up O soule and expect with patience and thou shalt see thy seed springing up unto a Harvest of holinesse and of life But what if I should say as thou dost that thy seed i.e. the word which thou hast heard is dead I should not feed thy fear For know you not that which the Apostle saith 1 Cor. 15.36 thou foole that which thou sowest is not quickened except it dye It s a peece of folly to expect a quickening of seed sowne ere it rot and dye Verily saith Christ except a corne of wheat Joh. 12.24 fall into the ground and dye it abideth alone i. e. it increaseth not Even Christ himselfe sowne in the heart doth at least seemingly dye ere hee springs up Death passeth upon all our mercies in the seed and we find them only as by a resurrection Even that good seed of grace the holy word of the Gospell which hath beene sown in thy heart and lyes now as dead and rotten will arise and spring up ere long and thou shalt see it be not therefore O soule so cast down and dejected Lastly To wind up this case Admit as yet the Word of God never came like it selfe i e. as good seed to thee yet it may now God hath bid us in the preaching of the Word to be instant both in season and out of season And in effect he hath said to us as t is Eccles 1.6 To sow our seed in the morning and in the evening not to with hold our hand And how do we or you know which shall prosper Peradventure the seed that is sown in the evening may prosper with thee though that be lost which was sowne on thee in the morning Christ O soul for ought that I or thou knowest may in this reading or the next cause a blessing to be upon the seed And it may at last bring forth in thy heart sixty yea a hundred fold O be not faithlesse but beleeve Thou who now goest up and downe mourning for the want of a precious seed See Isa 55.10 11. and 35.1 2 3 4 See these places mayest ere long return rejoycing bearing sheaves Hath not the Lord said As the raine commeth down from heaven and returneth not thither but watereth the earth and maketh it bring forth and bud Even so shall the word which goeth forth of his mouth it shall not return empty Thou who now fearest thy selfe to bee a barren Wildernesse shall blossom abundantly and rejoyce This Christ hath commanded me to tell you who are of a fearfull heart therefore be not dejected or cast downe but be strong CHAP. 11. Satisfaction to the soule cast downe and troubled with feare about the Promises THe Promises are appointed and indeed were intended for our comfort but many souls who are dejected are so far from being comforted by them that they are troubled about them O say they had we assurance that we were interested in the Promises we could rejoyce Case but we question our right to them and we feare wee have no part or lot in them c. Now to raise up the soule cast down and labouring under this fear I shall present these particulars to be seriously considered First You have no just ground to say you have no right to the Promises God doth no where say that thou shalt have nothing to do with his Promises Sith God doth not exclude thee why shouldest thou exclude thy selfe It s not enough to say thou art a sinner for the Promises are tendred unto sinners It s observable there is one Promise or other made and tendred unto all sorts of sinners But. Secondly It s your duty to beleeve the Promises are yours and this is the way to come to know it It s a strange and ungospell-like expression to say I would beleeve the
Promises did belong to me if I knew it Why if you knew it what roome were there for faith You must beleeve so shall you knowâ— Suppose a pardon thrown to a company of condemned ones in a prison should any say is my name in particular there when it should be said there is a pardon for any that will take it Oh how would all catch and snatch at it Certainly O soule you should beleeve the Promises to be yours and not stand questioning whether they are or no After you beleeved not before pray mark it you were seded with the spirit of promise Ephes 1.13 Thirdly It may be the Promise is yours and your soule hath closed with it although at present you doubt The Promises comming to us art as sealed letters and we many times have them in our hand and read them not No wonder therefore you say you find not the comfort of them Many soules have the Promises as children have the nipple of the breast in their mouthes but doe not suck and no wonder if they cry out they taste not the sweetnesse of them Object Nay but I fear and tremble I am full of doubts and vexation And had I closed with the promise this would not be Answ Say not so O soule the womâ—â— that came behind Christ touched him though she trembled It s possible for a soule to touch a Promise even so far as to draw vertue out of it aâ— it were indirectly and by the hinder parts when happily it durst not as the woman in thâ—â— case come before the Promise and close directly with it in the face thereof But Fourthly thou must know O soule that some promises have their times of fulfilling and peradventure the time is not yet come the promise of hidden manna is to a time of conquest Apoc. 2.17 It may be thy combate is not yet over why then dost thou expect the Manna some promises are sealed up as Commissions not to be opened till the Commander come to such a place sure I am God keeps some promises till the life to come and we doe but in vaine trouble our selves to looke for the fulfilling of them here Lastly Suppose as yet thou hast never as thou sayest closed with any promise what hinders O soule but that thou doe it now The promises of God lye open before you why doe you not come and take Surely you should not cast downe your soules with feare that you have not closed with them yet but you should thus arise and lay hold of them now Obj. So I would if I were but thus or had but this I want the condition of the promise and till I have that I dare not meddle with it Answ Beware of this rock O soule it hath split many let it not split thee To this end you are to know and pray minde it First You are to fetch all from the Promises not to bring any thing to the Promises The Promises are not as Pumps that will give no water except some be poured in But they are as Wells and there is nothing for us to doe but to come and draw Such as stand off from acting faith upon the Promises nakedly because they see not this or that in themselves Are guilty of making their own qualifications their faiths bottome Secondly The greatest promises as of pardon of sins c. are FREE It s said come and take freely Isa 43. ult buy wine and milke without money or monyes worth God blots out sins for his names sake its only for us to declare it and put him in remembrance that we may bee justified And Thirdly The Promises are to give the condition It s considerable that whatever condition may be urged as pre-requisite to any one promise is freely promised in another A new heart a new and right spirit repentance of sin victory over corruptions c. These things are called out for as conditions and these things are held forth as promised See to this purpose these places Jer. 25.7 Eze. 36.25 Act. 5.31 Ro. 7. ult c. Wherefore then O dejected soul art thou cast down as if the Promises were not thine or did not belong to thee Surely thou hast no ground justly so to say Remember nothing is freer then the grace of Christ and that is held forth to thee And in him all the Promises shall be yea and amen Arise O soul and lay hold on him and all the Promises in him So shalt thou be able to say of a truth now I see God is no respecter of persons in the tender of his promises CHAP. 12. Satisfaction to Soules cast downe and troubled about their abstinence from sinne c DEjected soules are very weake and hence it is that they are ready to be troubled about every thing this Satan sees and hence it is that creates trouble in them even from that which otherwise might comfort them Abstinence from sinne is expresly commanded Psal 4.4 and yet even about obedience to this command the dejected soule is troubled Oh say some poore hearts that re cast downe we abstaine from sinne Case 't is true but from what principles Are they not rather selfish and slavish then spirituall and sincere A Dogge chained up is a Dogge still and the reason why he doth not this or that mischiefe is his chaine not his change and we feare 't is so with us c. Now to answer soules saying thus Satisfaction and if it may be to satisfie them under this feare there be foure things which I desire may be minded First Its mercy to be able to abstaine from any principles sinne is such an evill as that its a great good to be kept from it by any meanes the heart of some is so fully bent upon sin that nothing can restraine them some wretches rush into abomination as the Horse into the battell Ah Lord how many are there who will not are not cannot be kept from sinne by all meanes used It s a favour oh poore soule that thou art not as they are it s well for thee thou art not as wilde as they I much feare their case who are not afraid of nor abstaine from sinne at all I little feare thine who art so afraid of sinning as that thou questionest not the reality of the act but the royalty of the principle It s a kinde of high and royall hatred of sinne when the soule cannot be contented only to abstaine from it but when it s troubled as thou art O soule that the principles of that abstinence were not high and royall enough Secondly God traines up his children in holy things by degrees as in point of doing good and fearing him so in point of eschewing evill God carries on by degrees God takes off his owne people from running into sinne sometimes by hedging up their way with thornes as 't is Hos 2.6 Mothers weane their children from the breast by Wormwood at first God first at least oft
Soul in the cave Psal 57. yea and he composed a special choyce Psalme upon each occasion therefore he stiles them Michtams i. e. golden Psalmes and yet it was after all this that he fell in that foule businesse I might instance in Peters Case which seemed and in a sence did exceed Davids and in the case of others and yet none ever charged them with the sinne against the Holy Ghost so that t is cleare many are mistaken in this sinne and why mayest not thou be mistaken oh soule who fearest it Thirdly There are some soules who are not at present capable of that sinne my meaning is that cannot possibly at present be charged with it as now such as are not very highly enlightened such as have not had any great or high income of joy and sweetnesse such as have not been eminent and long professors All Divines conclude that a person sinning the sinne against the Holy Ghost must be supposed to be 1. One much enlightened 2. One who hath tasted of the heavenly gift and the joyes of the Holy Ghost yea and 3. One who hath been some famous and forward Professor Now alas poore soule thou cryest out thou art but a babe a novice one who knowes little and hast tasted lesse one who hath small light and weake life and no joy or comfort at all one whose highest degree of knowledge is but as yet a beame whose greatest income of joy is but a drop who art a stranger to tasting of the heavenly powers and the world to come and who yet art no forwarder then humbly to professe to desire to feare Jehovah and to love Jesus Thou dost often sigh these sayings and seale to them as true and this may secure thee from being guilty of the sinne against the Holy Ghost sith at present thou art incapable of that sinne But Forthly The soule guilty of this sinne cannot be troubled for it at least so as to desire to repent of it and to have Christ to pardon it Thy feare thy trouble thy disquiets O soule argue thou art free from this sinne for wert thou guilty of it thy heart it would be hardred and could not desire to repent thy Conscience it would be seared and no way disquieted for it yea and thy desires would be dead so as that thou wouldest not pant after Christ nor the Spirit thy very feares and disquiets should answer in this case themselves they could not would not be in thee if this sinne were committed by thee a senslesse and troublelesse soule ever goes along with this sinne and therefore know this Fifthly None can be guilty of the sin against the Holy Ghost but such as First totally fall away from both Practise and Profession of all godlinesse and Religion as t is Heb. 6.6 Secondly Directly doe despite unto the spirit of grace as t is Heb. 10.29 and Thirdly Such as doe directly and plainly and professedly oppose and speake evill of the wayes of Christ which sometimes they professed Now tell me O soule and beware of false witnesse against thy selfe Quest First Art thou totally falne away from both the practise and profession of godlinesse Dost hold no points of Faith Dost doe no acts of Religion Dost make no profession of Jesus Christ Answ Surely I heare the say I desire to beleeve and the Lord help my unbeleefe I desire to walke exactly to have a good Conscience to God and man and this profession I make that if I know my heart I desire to worship the God of my Fathers according to that order of the Gospell which many count and call Heresie well then O soule thou art not totally falne away which yet thou wouldest be if thou wert guilty of the sinne feared But Quest Secondly Say soule and doe not eclipse the truth of Gods grace in thee Darest thou doe despight to the Holy Ghost Ans Surely I heare thee answering I tremble at the thought thereof I would not for ten thousand worlds speake the least evill of that good Spirit I am so farre from despiting him that I doe earnestly desire him and waite for him Alas this O soule would not could not be wert thou guilty of this sinne Then Thirdly answer O soule Dost thou oppose godlinesse Quest What dost or darest thou persecute such as desire to walke with Christ c Answ Is not this thy reply to this That thou rather pittyest thy selfe for not being so forward as others then persecutest them for being before thee Yea thou art so farre from opposing those that are godly that thou wouldest if Christ would help thee suffer any persecutions rather then leave off thy endeavour to be godly Now certainly O poore dejected soule thou art not guilty of the sinne thou fearest for if thou wert thou wouldest fall away wholly and speake evill of the Spirit directly and oppose godlinesse professedly sith these things doe ever accompany that sinne against the Holy Ghost But Lastly there have been precious soules who sometime feared their sinning against the Holy Ghost and yet have afterward enjoyed the sealing of the Holy Ghost See the Bookes of them Mistris Drake Mistris Wight and others of late have brought forth this experience fully to light that soules who have sometimes questioned their sinning unto death have yet found the Spirit sealing them up to life and Mistris Drake breathed out a little before her death this comfortable counsel Never let any despaire how desperately miserable soever their case be Wherefore then rouze up thy selfe O dejected soule thou who now fearest the sinne against the Spirit mayest ere long boast of the seale of the Spirit Trust thou in Christ for thou shalt yet praise him for joy and assurance given in by that Holy Ghost against whom at present thou fearest that thou hast sinned CHAP. 14. There remaines yet one Case more which being spoke unto puts an end to this Section NOw this Case is the feare of falling away after all Case Many a poor soul which is satisfied it may be for the present in its state yet questions it for the future Oh! say some soules we feare we shall never hold out many have gone farte and yet have perished at last for want of perseverance indeed this is usually the last trouble of dejected soules and in this as in a last refuge they shelter their feares Suppose say they our case be now as good as the Angels at first as good as Adams in Paradice yet Adam fel and Angels fel and we fear the like Now unto these soules I would offer these particulars Satisfaction in order to raise them from under this dejection First Blessed is the soule that feareth alway The soule standeth surest while it trembleth the Apostle adviseth him that standeth to take heed least he fall And the way to stand is not to be high minded but to feare as it is Rom. 11.20 Many had never fell had they ever feared Peters presumption was his fayling
not only worke but that sometimes they prevaile sometimes the soule is actually overtaken with sinne and falls it may be into some foule fact now this causeth casting downe to cure which Cause I shall speake something in particular when I have premised this one thing in generall viz. It must be confessed it is sad to fall into sinne Sadnesse After the soule hath been in Christs armes to fall into the pits of Satan for so sins are must needs goe to its heart indeed it goes to Christs He is offended really and mightily that any soules who have tasted his grace in pardoning past sins and knowen that such a pardon cost his bloud I say he is offended that such should afterward commit or fall into any sinne but yet all things weighed there may be much yea and enough said to cure and comfort a soule dejected because of falls into sin after grace As First Such a thing as this is consistent with grace This is that which causeth the dejection of such soules as fall into sinne Cure that they are thereby drawne to doubt the truth of their grace for say they surely had we been ever really and strongly wrought upon wee could never have failen into such and such sins But yet these soules should doe well to remember that Sampson fell againe and againe into the same sinne of wantounesse See Judg. 14.3 15.20 16.1 and yet he is in the Catalogue of the children of Abraham and reckoned up amongst the worthy beleevers Heb. 11. It s the opinion of many holy and wise persons that David fell more then once into the sinne of lying and that therefore he prayed to be kept from the way of it Psal 119.29 I mention not this to countenance much lesse to incourage presumptuous desperate sinners but only to cure perplexed and dejected Saints ye are deceived O ye dejected soules if you thinke your falls into sinne be inconsistent with grace Secondly Consider falls into sinne are not falls from salvation The Covenant of Grace is not made null by thy fall O cast-downe soule though Israel have played the Harlot yet Christ remaines a Husband Jer. 3.1.1.14 God did expresly say though thy children sinne and though I visite their sinnes with a rod yet my Covenant will I not breake Psal 89. Peradventure O soule thou art cast downe as thinking thy fall into sinne hath cut off the band of the Covenant but thou art mistaken Yea Thirdly There is a speciall salve prepared for this sore a particular cure for this cause of dejection viz. Promises of pardon after falls into sinne I LE HEALE BACK-SLIDINGS Hos 14.3 Surely that supposeth falls into sinne after grace for what else is backsliding and that directly proposeth pardon and healing to such soules Returne yee backsliding children and I will heale your backslidings Jer. 3.22 Marke O dejected soule Christ calleth thee to returne and he speakes to thee as to a Childe still notwithstanding thy falls into sinne therefore be thou advised to arise and to goe to him urge him with his promise and hee 'l make it good Neither is this my advice but the advice of the Lord. Heare him in Hos 14. O Israel returne unto the Lord thy God marke it thy God still for thou hast fallen see soule how he points at thy state by thine iniquity Take with you words and turne to the Lord and say unto him Take away all iniquity and receive us graciously Rise up therefore and obey this command and counsell and certainly in this case thou wilt finde cure and comfort CHAP. 17. Cure for soules dejected about the Covenant of Grace I Said that ignorance of the Covenant of Grace was likewise a cause and a chiefe cause of Spirituall dejection and therefore I hinted in the use of the first Section advice to study it I shall briefly offer something to this here for many times dejected soules cry out They are and may be well cast downe for alas they are not in that Covenant Cause Were I in the Covenant of Grace cryes the dejected soule I could rejoyce but alas I doubt it and therefore I am dejected Alas I finde many things in that Covenant promised which indeed I could wish but alas I want and how can I thinke I am in the Covenant when I have not the things promised in it in my owne soule c. But let me intreat thee a little to consider these particulars in order Cure to cure this cause of thy dejection First The things of the â—ovenant are not wrought all together there are many particulars promised as feare new spirit tender heart c. each of which is wrought in its time and order It is true the generall root of all these is given to the soule viz. The Divine nature but yet the particular branches spring up in their season Thou wouldest see all O soul but thou must stay the time and thou shalt Secondly Neither is any one particular perfectly wrought at once a soft heart is a thing wrought by degrees and to have the Law written in our hearts is businesse of time it is a long Copy which Christs Spirit is writing a long time As we are alway learning so that is alway writing Thou O poore soule wouldest have all together and at once and in truth who would not be glad if it might be to have it so but we must wait for this worke is not the businesse of a day but of our whole life Thirdly Christ knowes who are in Covenant though we doe not He is the Mediator of it and he may see and know that thou art in that Covenant though thou doe not The Father who hath made a Purchase in his owne name and his Childes may and doth know the Childe to be in the writing though the Childe doe not Christ your Father made the Covenant in the purchase of his Bloud on your behalfe and so knowes thy name to be in it though thou cannot see nor read it there by reason of thy infant age and condition of Childe-hood But Lastly Suppose it as thou fearest take hold of the Covenant now 1 It is a free Covenant reached out to poore sinners upon tearmes of grace Free Grace rich grace and not upon workes or qualifications It promiseth all things but it requires nothing but acceptance 2 It is a full Covenant it extends to all sinnes originall actuall great little to sins of ignorance and infirmity to sins of presumption and obstinacy I say therefore Arise O cast-down soule God in the Covenant of Grace calls to rebels and saith Let them take hold of my strength that they may make peace with me they shal Esa 27.5 He calls every one to come to incline his eare and saith Hee 'l make an everlasting Covenant with them even the sure mercies of David Isa 55.1 2. It may be thou thinkest that thou hast stood out too long It is true a day
children even Christ himselfe Secondly Gods wrath is rather in appearance then in truth It is a Vizzard not thy Fathers face that lookes so terrible thy Fathers face is love all love only love fury is not in him only now he hath put on a Vizzard to scare thee a little and hee 'l lay it aside againe he doth but hide his face under that Maske hee 'l open it againe In a little wrath I hid my face from thee Isa 54.2 Marke it wrath is but a vaile that hides Gods face in it is not his reall face it is but as we say A copy of his countenance There is never a black letter in all Gods face especially as to his children no God is love it is his Name in love there is no unlovely letter Thou sayest God is angry it is true he appeares so Note this but he is not so As he is never truly pleased with sinners but is angry against them every day notwithstanding their conceit so he is never indeed displeased with Saints whatever they feele or feare But Thirdly All the anger and wrath of God is not against thy person but against thy sinne Suppose thy Childe be sick and wounded deeply wounded with some bloody gash or cut desperately sicke of some ugly Disease thou art displeased but with what with his Person with thy childe No but with his wound with his disease So it is with God he is only angry and displeased with thy sinne thy corruption and his rough hand which thou feelest is but to take away and purge out that he is wel pleased with thee Ephraim is a deare still though God speake against him his bowels are troubled for him as it is Jerem. 31.18 Againe Fourthly It is a mercy to be sensible and sorrowfull for Divine displeasure There is many a hard-hearted wretch in the world that slights God that makes a mock of sin and wrath too Blessed be God that thou as David canst say My flesh trembleth for feare of thee and I am afraid of thy judgements Psal 119.120 And Fifthly God will not contend nor be wroth for ever Your Fathers anger O sad soul wil over as we say i. e. wil goe away this cloud and storme wil not last alwayes Read O dejected soule Isa 57. heare God himselfe saying I will not contend for ever neither will I bee alwayes wroth for the spirit would faile before me and the soules which I have made For the iniquity of his covetousnesse I was wroth and smote him and he went on frowordly in the way of his heart I have seene his wayes and I will heale him I will lead him also and restore comfort unto him I create the fruit of the lips peace peace to him that is afarre off and I will heale him vers 16 17 18 19. Pray minde these healing words Christ will heale and restore comfort hee 'l not retaine his wrath hee 'l create peace out of that Chaos of confusion in which thou now art Though there be nothing but darknesse upon the face of thy deep so David called his dejection yet God who at first caused light to shine out of darknesse will shine into thy heart to give thee the knowledge of himselfe in the face of Christ as it is 2 Cor. 4.6 Beleeve this and rejoyce O dejected soule creating power is ingaged by promise to fill thee with peace who now cryest out of wrath Lastly The time is comming that thou shalt be for ever freed from so much as the very appearances of wrath In heaven you shall alwaies behold your Fathers face thy sunne shall no more goe downe by day there are no clouds in the heaven of heavens Mindest thou not what David said and he was sometimes dejected as thou art As for me I shall behold thy face in righteousnesse I shall be satisfied when I awake with thy likenesse Psal 17. last Take in these crums of comfort O thou cast downe soule though I be but briefe and give only drops yet sip them and thou wilt finde them spirits O why art thou cast downe why art thou dejected Trust thou in God and expect him O tarry thou a little thy Lords leasure and thou shalt see him ere long come leaping over the mountaines appearing in his owne glorie and then shalt thou appeare with him inglory then shall he wipe away all teares from thine eyes and scatter all feares in thine heart yea then will he satisfie thee in all thy cases and cure thee of all these causes of dejection and then shalt thou praise him indeed as thy God Object Peradventure you will say he tarries long Reas It is true yet hee 'l come though he do tarry He said Yet a little while and ye shall see me it is but a little while indeed though it be long in thought Dejection and casting downe is not the posture you should be in no you ought to arise and WALKE to looke up and to waite to expect and looke out to lift up your heads and hearts and not to be cast downe O that Christ may finde more standing bearing up against all difficulties and under all dejections doing his work and suffering his wil with all faithfulnesse faith and patience Blessed wil our soules be if Christ at his comming finde us thus doing and saying worke O soule and waite for your Saviour who is now comming and whom you shall praise in that day saying Loe this is our God we have waited for him and he will save us This is the Lord we have waited for him we will rejoyce and be glad in his Salvation Isa 25.9 SECT III. PSALM 42. ult Why art thou cast downe O my soule and why art thou disquieted within me CHAP. 1. Another Doctrine raised and beld forth from the words I Have dispatched the fust Doctrine raised from the words And shall now proceed to the second which is It is the wisdome and should be the care of soules when they are cast down not to give way thereunto but to argue the case with themselves Thus doth David and his thus doing is the foundation of this Doctrine His practice hath in it the force of precept to command us without doubt we should imitate this pattern And it wil be our wisdome so to doe Two things there are which I posite and would presse in this point The first is That Christians dejected should not give way to dejection The second is That they should argue the case with their own soules Both these branches of the Doctrine are in Davids Expostulation The first Virtually the second formally David doth not say weep on O soul thou dost well He doth not say as Job in another case O turne away from me and suffer me to weep a little He doth not say as the Prophet Looke away from me I will weep bitterly labour not to comfort me No this were to give way to his sadnesse this were to nourish his heavinesse But mark it he
not bee So here Why art thou cast down is as much as there is no cause or reason for this casting down of my selfe and giving way unto it for it should not be When our Lord perceived the dejection of his Disciples upon the thought of his departure he bids them not give way unto it Let not your hearts be troubled John 14.1 He saw a storme like that of waters arising in their spirits but he bids them not to give way unto it The word that is translated disquieted in this text The Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 used here Iob 14 1. and the Heb. word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doe is as I opened a word used sometimes for the disquiet of waters Our Lord seems to allude to it for the word translated troubled signifies so as Waters are troubled Now mind it O poor dejected ones Christ saith you should not be dejected so nor give way unto it His word is imperative he saith let it not be both signifie a trouble as of waters I need not stand to prove it further This one Demonstration wil clear it We should not give way to that which we have no reason for But we have no reason to be dejected so as to be disquieted Therefore c. David indeed sought for a reason but hee found none He asked his soule why it was disquieted implying his judgement saw no reason for it But his soul doth not indeed could not make any rationall answer This question silenceth his soule As that in the Parable why diddest not give my mony into the banke that at my comming I might have required mine owne with usury Luk. 19.23 This question struck the idle servant dumb So here Why art cast down It strikes the soule dumb and it cannot answer nor give a reason for this dejection Christians Why should you be irrationall why should you give way to that which you cannot give a reason for You cannot at any time give any reason for your dejection unto that disquietnesse which we opened Your case is not cannot be miserable The Heathen could say The Diety being reconciled to him he could not be miserable Numine placato non miser esse queo Why Saints God is reconciled to you in Christ you cannot be miserable being reconciled Ah! Why should you that are blessed so as that you cannot be miserable I say why should you be dejected without doubt you can give no sollid reason for dejection therefore it should not be neither should you give way to it But as there is no reason for dejection so there are many reasons against it I shall insist only upon two Reasons why dejected Saints should not give way c. The Reasons are because dejection is 1 A Passion 2 Perillous First Dejection and disquiet is a Passion Now passions should be curbed not given way unto Passion is an unruly beast and wee should not let its reines loose Reason should moderate but Religion should mortifie all passions Col. 3.5 Amongst the rest of the things to be mortified passion is one Indeed we read it inordinate affection as if it were two words But it s in the originall onely one word which may be translated passion 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The word which is used by the Syriack translators signifies sicknesse Indeed passion signifies a kind of suffering Passio derivator a patior Wee are commanded to mortifie our passions Not that Religion destroyes all passions but that regulates all Were sorrow and disquietnesse given way unto it were not regulated Certainly that sorrow which is irregular and hath no reason as wee said formerly must be mortified Casting downe disquietnesse troubles c. are passion and therefore not to be given way unto But Secondly T is perilous to give way unto disquietings There is danger in disquiet and to give way unto it is to give way to dangers This danger is three-fold viz. In regard of 1 It selfe 2 Satan 3 The Soule First There is danger in giving way to disquiet in regard of it selfe It will get ground and strength and the more its given way unto the harder it will be to rule Passion is an unruly beast which must be curbed and which if it have the reines loose wil grow master-lesse Disquiet is a disease and a disease of that nature which increaseth by degrees and every increase thereof is dangerous sorrow wil quickly overflow in case it be given way unto it s as a floud which if not stopt wil arise and over-flow all bankes Spirituall dejection is the soules Consumption now Consumptions increase if given way unto But Secondly T is dangerous to give way to dejection in regard of Satan hee 'l get ground by dejection Satan knowes how to make use of disquiets he would have sorrowfull soules to give way unto sorrow that so sorrow might swallow up the soule as t is 2 Cor. 2.7 The Apostle exhorts the Church to be tender of the dejected person who as some thinke had been excommunicated and filled with sorrow and dejection thereupon now the Apostle would have the Church to forgive 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. ingulphed as one sucked up and drowned in a gulph and comfort him least he should be swallowed up c. and least Satan should get an advantage as t is vers 11. Satan hath his devices and one of them is to make the soule give way to dejection then in the depth of dejection he comes with temptations to despaire and Self-murder c. And in truth experience tells us Satan hath a mighty advantage over us especially when we are dejected and give way unto it Thirdly It s dangerous to give way to dejection in regard of the soule it loseth ground thereby The soule is a great loser by dejection 1 The more its given way unto the weaker the soule is The soule much dejected is unfit for any service 't was this that unfitted the Disciples to watch it s said Christ found them sleeping for sorrow Luk. 22.45 sorrow brings one asleep both Naturall and Spirituall dejection causeth drowsinesse The soule when it gives way to dejection is thereby drowsie and the drowsie soule is unfit for duty Yea 2 The soule dejected is weakned unto warfare Sad soules are not fit for souldiers the cheerful soule is a Gyant refreshed with Wine it can fight the Lords Battels with courage The sad soule is liable unto cowardize As the joy of the Lord is our strength so the sorrow of our spirits is our weaknesse 3 The soule cast downe is unfit for comfort Sorrow given way unto shuts out joy and the more roome the one hath the lesse is left for the other Some soules when cast downe are so full of sorrow that there is scarce a hole for comfort to enter sorrow where it rules hath so many Centinels and Guards that its hard for comfort to get in unlesse it be by violence A sorrowful soule forgets to eate his
bread as the Psalmist shewes Psal 102.4 or if the sad soule comes to meat it hath no stomack we finde it by experience in naturall sorrow that it takes away our stomack A sad man sits downe and he is so full of sorrow that he cannot eate Even so somtimes the sad soule sits downe at the Lords Table and albeit the meat be choyce Manna from Heaven and the fruit of the spirituall Vine Christ yet the soule cannot eate a crumb nor drink a drop O souls minde it the reason why you receive so often and yet finde so little is because you give way to castings down your sorrow takes away your souls stomack As it sometimes stops your mouthes that you cannot open them i. e. you cannot pray sometimes nor speake a word to God you are so cast downe so likewise at other times it over-comes your appetite it renders you unfit for comfort Here is the reason by the way why you complaine so oft you finde little refreshing at breaking of Bread you are so cast downe and give such way unto it that you have no stomack to eate albeit Christ bid you welcome and bids you eate abundantly So that now then to winde up this you see both Scripture and reason you have both to confirme this first branch of our point that dejected soules should not give way unto dejection CHAP. 4. Some Applications of the first branch YOu see now this proved that when you are dejected you should not give way unto it it s too true you are apt to doe it but you see you ought not to do it Ere I passe on to the next branch I wil make use of this for two ends viz. 1 For chiding 2 For cautioning First let me as a friend and in a friendly way chide such as being dejected and cast downe doe give way thereunto And there are five sorts of soules to be chid for this First Such as are cast downe and conceale as much as in them lyes their trouble and the cause of it hearken unto me you close soules who keep sorrowes yea and Satans secrets Why doe you give way to your griefe and wil not make it knowne Is there any comfort in your concealment Is it not rather an adding affliction to affliction You sad the hearts of your friends while they see you disquieted and not willing to open your soule to theirs It s the Apostles command and I thinke 't was in reference to this case to confesse our faults one to another James 5.16 what is there none faithfull will not any be friendly why doe you conceale your sorrow and so feed it Certainly Satan and griefe get much by privacy and you who conceale your dejection are to be reproved for giving way unto it Secondly Such soules are also to be chid who being cast downe never looke after nor labour for comfort He that is sick and lookes not for a remedy is guilty of giving way to the disease And the soule that is sad and mindes not nor seekes not for comfort is guilty of giving way to dejection Now how many are there who care not to heare or read that which is comfortable its true they love to heare and read sad things Judgements wrath threatnings But as for sweet things promises experiences or the like alas they looke not after them It s observed of melancholly persons that they love to be in darke and melancholly places to heare sad and dolefull Notes the Owle and Birds of the night are most delighted in by them Even so many sad soules delight in the valley of death they love not to heare the sweet musick of mercy the delightfull notes of the Gospel the ravishing raptures of joy and peaceby beleeving nothing pleaseth them but the thundering of Sinaâ— the terrors of the Law the judgements of sinners c. Surely you who doe this are to be reproved for hereby you give way unto your sorrow and dejection which thing you ought not to doe Thirdly Such soules as in their dejection argue and dispute against their comfort are guilty of giving way unto sorrow Sometimes we come to dejected soules and tell them we have a commission to comfort them To this end we indeavour to open the Promise and the Oath that by those two immutable things in which it is impossible for God to lye they might have strong consolation as it is Heb. 6.18 but alas when we have said much we receive this short and sad answer Comfort is not mine To this we reply Why not yours hath God any where excluded you Yes they say we are shut up under unbeleefe and there is no comfort for us We answer God hath shut up all under unbeleefe that he might have mercy upon all as t is Rom. 11.33 Nay but say they God will not have mercy upon us for alas we are a people to whom mercy doth not belong But we tell them againe it s said That they which in times past were not a people are now the people of God and they had not obtained mercy now have obtained mercy as it is 1 Pet. 2.10 yea and we tel them It shall come to passe that in the place where it was said unto them Ye are not my people there shall they be called the children of the living God Rom. 9.26 But yet when we have said this still we are put off with denials and contradictions and still we finde some saying their soule refuseth comfort But minde it who ever you are you who thus dispute against your comfort you are to be chid for he or she that disputes against comfort gives way contrary to this point unto sorrow But Fourthly Dejected soules who love solitarinesse and avoyd society are to be chid also for they give way to sorrow Satan gets by thy solitarinesse thou shalt be sure of his company if thou wilt avoyd others company thou maist goe from others but not from him hee 'l follow thee into all the corners of thy retirednesse couldest thou be alone and without him it were not so ill but yet thy very being alone is not wel Solomon said Vae Toh i. e. Woe to the soule alone Eccl. 4.10 wert thou in company thy sadnesse might be sweetned with their comfort but being alone thy sorrow wil easily over-master thee and when thou art downe thou wilt want another to take thee up as t is there in Eccles It s a truth that sorrow seekes solitarinesse the sad soul would be by it selfe But God saw even at first it was not good for man to be alone It s bad for the best but most bad for the dejected soule to be by it selfe Sorrow runs away as I may say apace with the soule if it be without company but thus the soule should not be because it must not give way to sorrow Fifthly Such soules as in their dejections cast off duties to buy that give-way to sorrow and are therefore by this point to be chid Disquieted
Jeremiah wil preach no more chap. 20.9 and discontended Jonah leaves Ninivey and retires into the field hee 'l not preach to men but rather fret against God Oh! how many dejected soules are there who cast off duties hearing praying receiving c. and instead of waiting upon God in them for satisfaction doe rather sit and murmure impatiently against their God bid them pray indeed they say they cannot but the truth is will not for could not they as wel speake the same sad complaints to God that they doe to us exhort them to heare c. Alas say they It s in vaine c. but this casting off of duties is a giving way to dejection for to be cured of it we are to be up and doing as God tels Joshua Get thee up wherefore lyest thou thus upon thy face Judg 7.10 O ye cast-downe soules why lye you thus upon your faces up and be doing waite upon God in duties so shall you be freed from your dejection Therefore Secondly having thus friendly chid you let me now faithfully counsell you Take heed and beware O ye dejected hearts how you give way unto your dejections be not disquieted be not cast downe stop your sorrowes in season let not the flouds arise you are indeed apt to let open the floud-gates of grief but take heed least it over-slow your soules Davids practise bids you to be wise and Christs precept commands you not to let your hearts be troubled Obj. But may not I give way to sorrow who have given way to sinne May I not be dejected much who am defiled mightily Suppose but why doe I make it a supposition t is more c. that my heart smites me for sinne and I be dejected thereupon should not ought not I to give way to sorrow c Ans By way of answer suffer me O soule to say three things and I beseech you minde them First T is possible for Satan to have a hand Joab like in this matter See chap. 3 of this Section Satan knowes as wel how to gaine by sorrow as by sinne and therefore he that put thee upon the one may presse forward the other even under the Straw-berry of godly sorrow may lye the Serpent to sting unto despaire Secondly It s true you may nay you must give way to sorrow t is sinne to stifle Conscience Many a wretch makes a sport of sinne and ends his wickednesse as he began it viz. with mirth but this is madnesse Certainly the faith of pardon cals for and workes if saving the sorrow of repentance which is not to be repented of nor spoken against But yet Thirdly As you must give sorrow way so must you give faith way too It s your wisdome to know both when and where to stop you may give sorrow too much way even teares for sinne may drown the soule beware therefore of this and learne to moderate your griefes Quest You will say How shall we know when sorrow goes beyond its bounds what Land mark is there by which we may know the duly ful tide of godly sorrow when must we stop the flood-gates of griefe and cease to give way unto our sorrowes Ans This is a mystery and you will never learne it of me except the Spirit teach you yet the letter of this mystery lyes in three heads or rules First Then must sorrow be stopped and not given way unto when it begins to worke despaire It s time to wipe our eyes and to leave off weeping when we begin to be dimme-sighted as to mercy when sorrow is gathered into clouds to the darkening of grace its time to stop Secondly When God begins to appeare altogether in blacknesse and darknesse then its a time to rouze up our spirits from under dejections whereas the soule sees nothing but terrour and wrath and is hereby dis-heartened from duty its high time to stop greife if your soules begin to be so sad as to be afraid to goe to God to speake to him to argue boldly through the Gospel with him then its time to doubt and feare that your sorrow is gone too farre and that you have given way to it too much Thirdly when sadnesse makes you stand off from Christ when it begets so much feare as to keep under faith then certainely it is too much and it must be stopped Tell me O soule that mournest for sinne that art dejected and cast downe for thy defilement and corruption Art afraid to beleeve Art loath to goe to Christ Dost begin to question his willingnesse to receive and pardon thee Hereupon dost begin to thinke now thou art cast downe to arise no more to lye in thy sorrowes till thou dye And dost thinke it in vaine to goe to Christ and impossible to be accepted by Christ Know that now certainly thy sorrow is gone too farre and that now thou not only mayest but that thou oughtest and must stop it now it s thy wisedome and should be thy care to let it goe no further Quest But me thinkes I heare thee say Alas I would stop greife if I could I would cease to be sorrowfull had I a skill How shall I bridle my passion How shall I keep downe my disquiet Ans To doe this I confesse is difficult sorrow is a stubborne passion and it s not an easie thing to bridle it waters are not easily mastered But yet take two or three helps First begin to stop inordinate griefe quickly It s easier to stop the Horse at his first setting out then afterwards Griefe gets strength by any sufferance give it not place therefore no not for an houre It hath been noted that such as have craved and had leave to weep and be sad a little have taken more liberty then was allowed and have wept a great deale more then was fit lay a restraint therefore upon sorrow in its first swelling so shall it not over-flow the bankes of thy soule Secondly as a helpe to this Consider how your inordinate dejection goes to the heart of Christ sometimes the wife is prevailed withall not to be too sad because it grieves the husband Pray wife saith the husband be not so sad and melancholly it troubles me to see it c. This stops sorrow many times Consider it ye spirituall Spouses your husband Christ is troubled to see you so sad it goes to his heart to see you so dejected Christ speaks of Ephraim that his soule was disquieted for t is the same word in the originall with that in the text for him surely did you but seriously consider this it would stop your griefe and cause and keepe you from giving way unto it in as much as Christ is cast downe and disquieted as it were to see you so Thirdly Call your soule to an account this wil prevent it for going further The way to prevent exorbitant expences in Stewards is to call them to an account O poore soules learne and practise the Art of selfe expostulation say to
red Sea for to that doth the Lord allude there Therefore know your worke and be wise to do it O ye dejected souls you must waite and be contented in your waiting Quest But must I be contented with my condition in which I want God 'T were something to be contented with a comfortlesse condition but to be contented with a God-lesse and Christ-lesse condition this is harsh and I question whither it should be Answer You must distinguish both of 1 A state without God and 2 Content in that state First you must distinguish of a state without God There is a being without God so as men are by nature i. e. Atheisticall And so I thinke that place should bee translated most clearly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ephes 2.12 proportionate unto that place of Ephes 4.18 Now I doe not dare not say O dejected Soul thou shouldest be contented in such a condition But there is a being without God or Christ so as souls are who are in the darke that want the visibility of his presence That indeed have his life but are alienated from his light that see not God or Christ at all who are not wholly strangers to God but to whom God seemes estranged and from whom Christ seemes to be gone And such an estate thou must be contented in But yet Secondly You must distinguish of content There is a carnall hellish content arising from a sinfull frame of heart such as was in those of whom Job speakes that say to God depart from us that see no profit in his presence and that therefore can be well pleased with his absence as it is Job 21. Thus 't were hellish to be contented But there is a spiritual holy contentment arising from a submissive frame of heart to Gods will such as was in Christ who submitted to divine absence And in the Church who said I will waite that is with content and patience upon the Lord that hideth his face Esa 8.17 And in this way thou oughtest to be content to want God and Christ i. e. in a sweet submission to his will That since hee 'le not shine thou must bee contented to bee in the darke Further It is one thing to bee content to want God and Christ for a time it is another thing to be contented to eternity I will not say as some do thinke that we ought to be contented to want God to eternity This is disputable But its clear for a time we must be contented Indeed I think we must and we must not bee contented in our condition when and while we are dejected for the want of God and Christ Quest But alas thou wilt say How shall I be thus It s a mystery to bee contented and to bee not contented and that at the same time with reference to one and the same thing Answ Indeed t is true This is a mystery but yet you must study it And amongst other helps I shall mention three Considerations which if the spirit assist will in a measure learn you this mystery of not being contented to want Christ and yet of being contented to want him in your dejected condition c. 1 Consider Christ is thy happines but at his own disposall Because he is thy happinesse thou must not content thy selfe without him And yet because he is at his owne disposal thou must be content a while to want him and to waite for him Mind it O dejected soule the Lord Jesus is thy life thou must perish without him and therefore never be contented to want him But withall remember he is thy Lord therefore if hee 'le tarry thou must be content to want and to waite for him 2 Consider Christ waited long for thee but thou canst not want him alwayes Because thou canst not alwayes want Christ therefore beware of being content to be without him and yet because he waited long for you be not discontented if hee make you tarry a while for him 3 Consider If Christ never come to thee thou art utterly undone but if hee come at any time thou art made for ever Who can be contented to thinke of being utterly undone and miserable to all eternity yet such O soul thou wilt be if Christ come not to thee at all But if Christ come though never so late it s not too late to make thee really royally everlastingly happy Well mind this soule and minding be serious in these thoughts then mayest thou come to bee acquainted with this mystery of being contented to want God Christ comfort c. and to wait even in thy saddest dejection with aboundance of patience Quest But What shall I say to silence Satan and to still my unquiet heart in Christs absence in during the time of my dejection Answ For that O soul take these directions to support thy spirit and silence Satan in thy dejections First Say to Satan and thy selfe that Christ knows his owne time Why shouldest thou either prescribe or confine him to time what Christ said to his disciples that say you to your dejected soules His time is not yet come though your time be alwayes Job 7.6 Tell thy soule indeed Its time is alwayes but Christs may not be yet Say Christ is at his owne disposall and he knowes his owne time The wife that longs after her absent Husband silenceth her selfe with this My Husband knowes his owne time Yea and she can with this also quiet the children too who cry oh that our Father were come Children you Father knowes his own time So O soul do thou silence thy self and do thou likewise answer thine enemy who saith where is now thy God Say my God my Christ is in Heaven and doth what pleaseth him It pleaseth him that I should want and waite and I am contented for he knowes his own time Secondly Christs time is the best time His time is alwayes seasonable Tell thy soule and Satan thy time may not be fit and seasonable Had a diseased person who lay by the Poole of Bethesda stept in to the water when he would it had not beene well And yet alwayes it was time for the diseased But it was not alway the spirits season The Text saith An Angell went down at a certain season Joh. 5.4 O remember it dejected soule Thy time is alwayes but it is not seasonable Now Christs time is ever seasonable though not alwayes present His time is the best time the seasonable time the healing time Thâ—rdly Say to thy soule Though this time seeme long yet t is certaine Though it bee not now yet it will be The vision is for an appointed time i.e. for a season and though it tarry yet it will SURELY come and not tarry Christ will come in his owne time Say to thy soule though now thou want him notwithstanding thou shalt YET praise him Fourthly Tell thy soule That Christs time is when all hope is gone and all meanes seemingly faile When the soule is shut up and there
you marke it whoever thou bee that feares God who sittest in the darke and sees no light here is the lowest case let him trust in the Lord. So that now you see both precept and example holding out this that even in the deepest dejection that we are or can thinke to be we must act our faith and beleeve CHAP. 3. A further amplification of the worke of faith in the case of dejection and casting downe PEradventure you will aske mee what you must act your faith for and beleeve in in the deepest dejections If you do I will satisfie you Two ways 1 By a description of the thing or of that faith that must be acted 2 By a deciphering of the particulars that must be beleeved For the first viz. the faith which must be acted I describe that thus It is a resolute and noble exercise of the grace of faith in which the soule quiets it self in and rests it selfe upon God and Christ expecting and looking for an accomplishment of all the promises as to joy or holinesse notwithstanding all the feares and all the doubts which may arise to the contrary This faith supposeth doubts and feares but it over-comes them It seeth hinderances but it triumphs over them It feeles disquietings but it suppresseth them And whatever the promise be whether for life joy peace comforts deliverance c. it expects a fulfilling of it from God and Christ But Secondly To see this clearer I shall instance in the particulars of this faith and this I shall do 1 Generally 2 Particularly and 3 Specially Generally In our deepest dejections wee are to hold fast cur former faith in any particular We must beleeve all that which ever we did beleeve and know concerning God Christ Scripture c. Some are apt in dejection to bring all things into question To question God Christ and all But now remember whatever thou didst know and beleeve of God and Christ or his wayes out of the Scripture before thou must beleeve the same still Let not Satan draw thee into a doubt much lesse a deniall of former received and professed truths They are all as true now as ever A man who sees houses and trees in the day time doth beleeve that the same houses and trees c. are even in the night when he is in the darke and cannot see them And Saints must beleeve all that in the night of dejection which they saw and beleeved in the day of conversion But Particularly Soules in their deepest dejections ought even in order to their releife and raising to beleeve these three things First The power of God i.e. They ought to beleeve that the Lords hand is not shortned that it cannot save but he is Almighty and all-sufficient still It was the sinne of unbeleeving Israel that they questioned the Almighties power CAN GOD say they prepare a table in the Wildernesse Behold he smote the rocke that waters gushed out and the streames over-flowed CAN he give bread also CAN hee provide flesh for his people Psal 78.20 Soules under dejection you are apt to dispair even of divine power you are ready to question Gods Can. But you should not you should alway beleeve and say as he did Lord if thou Wilt thou Canst c. It s a choyce passage to this purpose which you have Joh 11.22 Where Martha even when her Brother was dead beleeves Christs power I know that EVEN NOW whatsoever thou wilt aske of God God will give it Marke she beleeved even then when her Brother was dead Mind it O yee dejected soules in your lowest state you must beleeve Christ can helpe and raise Yea Secondly You must beleeve this possibility with reference to your selves Do not say Christ can cure this in another but beleeve he can do it to thee The Leper said thou canst make MEE whole Matth 8.2 As in the point of resurrection of the body it s not enough to beleeve the resurrection of a body but of this body and of thine So Job beleeved with his flesh and his eyes and not anothers should arise chap 19.27 In like manner here in the point of raising from dejection the soule must act faith in or for himselfe He must beleeve that Christ can raise him even him how low or deep soever he be cast down Adde to this Thirdly When the soule is gone thus farre as to beleeve a possibility it must goe farther in beleeving an inclinablenesse at least in God or Christ to do as they can As the soul is to act faith for a possibility that Christ can so it is to act faith for a probability that he wil. The soul must not say that Christ hath forgotten to be kind or that his mercies are cleane gone No it must beleeve that there are some thoughts of it still and that yet there is a mercy in store Mind David in Psalm 40 ult I am poor and needy what then see what followes yet the Lord thinketh on me Surely O sad soule thou must not say as Zion did my God hath forgotten me i.e. altogether cast thee off No thou must beleeve that yet he thinketh at least of thee His heart retaines some love and yet there is some inclination in him to raise and help thee But now to come higher if the soule bee come up here to beleeve these particulars it must goe further to beleeve some Specialls As First It is not enough to retaine faith in fundamentalls and to beleeve a power in Christ though as to our selves and an inclinablenesse to raise But in our dejections we must act faith that yet Christ certainly will help and raise us David saith hee shall yet praise God as health i. e. as his healer After two dayes he WILL revive us and the third day he WILL raise us up and we SHALL live in his sight Hos 6.2 Mind it the Church beleeves it certaine though she leave God to his time he will and wee shall Dejected hearts you must beleeve Christ will raise you Though you bee downe yet you shall arise as it is Mich. 7.8 here then is the first speciall step you must ascend in the acting of faith you must beleeve you shall bee helped Breath O soule upon this stair for you must go higher Secondly You must beleeve That even in your dejections you are not deserted It was Pauls faith though Israel were low yet God had not cast them off Rom. 11.1 Dejected heart Christ is with thee in thy dejections he hath not left thee though thou be low Israel hath not been forsaken nor Judah of his God c. Jer. 51.5 you must beleeve Christ is with you though you are not aware of it David did thus neverthelesse I am continually with thee thou hast holden me by my right hand Psal 73.23 Though Davids foote did slip yet God was with him So Christ is with thee though under the disguise of thy dejection O cast downe soule and thou must beleeve this even in thy
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