words are a strong expression of his deare and faithfull affection the mothers affections are deare and tender so are mine the mother loves her childe because it is the fruit of her wombe I also have begotten thee and thou art my childe the mother is most tender to the sucking childe which cannot help it selfe if it cry she cannot hold you also are such before me the mother may possibly forget but I will not you are alwayes in my eye and if I cannot forget my selfe I cannot forget you for you are engraven and imprinted in my hand Thus God hath comforted his people and will have mercy upon his afflicted Esay 49.13 He comforteth those that are cast downe 2 Cor. 7.6 When the heart mournes much God will shew himselfe For 1. the end of sorrow is not to afflict but to profit not to cast downe only The end of sorrow is not affliction but healing but also to raise up when God casteth sorrows upon the wicked his end is to afflict and to punish and their sorrows doe attain their end when they lye like loads oppressing their spirits but that which is a curse to them is a cure to the godly their mourning is but sowing in teares to reap injoy sorrow in the spirits of such is like the raine upon the grasse it puts the soule into a flourish it makes it yeelding and tractable as wax when it is softned wil easily receive impressions and metals dissolved are apt to be drawn out and to be moulded as you would have them Sorrow is better than laughter for by the sadnesse of the countenance the heart is made better Eccles 7.3 the sad lookes of others hath a naturall force to work seriousnesse and consideration in us much more when our owne hearts are full Ahab himselfe would do much in a pensive fit and Manasseh his monstrous spirit was tamed by sorrow God brought upon him the Assyrian and hee bound him with fetters and carried him to Babylon and when he was in affliction hee besought the Lord his God and humbled himselfe greatly before the God of his fathers and prayed unto him 2 Chron. 33.11 12. You see the sweet fruit of this bitter roote and what was the issue God was intreated of him and heard his supplication and brought him again to Hierusalem into his kingdome ver 13. 2 The greater sorrow It makes a fit object of mercy the fitter object of mercy mercy is for the miserable and none more miserable then such as mourne in the losse of communion with God this wound is the deepest and most bleeding of all wounds the soule in such a case hath no help in all the world all things yeeld not more then a drop of water upon Dives his tongue Look now upon the nature of God and you shall see him full of mercy upon the promises they also are full of mercy upon the wayes of God they also are full of mercy therefore if you clothe your selves with the garments of heavinesse and can come before God with spirits much lamenting after him he will appeare to you Hee will revive the spirit of the humble q 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrys Esay 57.15 3 Much sorrow will put upon strong pursuites after God it will make you full and strong in prayers and the power of prayer is great with God it makes the soule to run to Christ and to improve all the hope and faith and interest that it hath in him and they that seeke the Father in the Son shall finde him 4 Now God will be welcome when the soule is bitten with his absence God leaves his people because they slight him but when they have learned to prize him now he will come no place fits him but the highest and now God is lift up when the heart in the presence of all things which were delightfull and precious pines after him love is seene in sorrow we grieve much in the losse of that we love much 2. Then sorow prevailes with God Secondly when it is ingenuous when it is ingenuous 1. When for the cause not losse onely When not onely for the losse but for the cause when you can mourne not onely that you are Deserted but because you have sinned when you can grieve much that you have procured this evill 2. When not onely for sadnesse but also for the sinfulnesse of the losse When your sorrow is not onely because of the misery of such a state but also for the sinfulnesse there must needs be many feares and great anxieties in such a soule as seeth it selfe left of God but a holy heart will grieve for this not onely that it is fallen into such misery but also and especially that sinne hath regained strength that the life and lustre of holinesse is so weakened Grace hath a great beauty in the eye of him that hath it r 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Naz. orat 5.6 and sinne carrieth in it the greatest deformity and misery unto him so that such a one mindes not so much his ease as his cure yea his heart is carried in such strong desires after God that it overlookes its suffering weeping is no burthen and so that he might recover his losse though it come through a storme of feares cares griefes he would count himselfe happy another man who hath no greater thing to feare or desire then hell and heaven dwells upon his feares when he is affraid and is held in them and if he could be delivered from his feares he would be at rest but a godly man though he feele his troubles yet would he not count his case happier if these stormes were downe but he will mourne still till he be restored to his former life in God David was not satisfied till a new heart was created in him and a right spirit renewed Psal 51.10 11. 3. When not for losse of comfort onely but of God also When not onely for the losse of the comfort and sweetnesse in a holy converse with God but for the losse of God himselfe a child hath much comfort and reliefe from his father but when his father is gone he doth not onely lament his losse of comfort but his losse of his father so the wife more laments the losse of her husband then of her good by him when a man seeth what he hath lost he cannot but mourn to think what daies he had when he lived under the wing of his gracious father but yet all the comforts that ever he had or hoped for doe not lye so heavy as God himselfe For to a godly man all comforts and graces and all good that he receiveth doth serve to lead his heart to and to fixe it in God God hath his end here for he sends out these but as Ioseph sent Chariots to bring his father and brethren to him all these things are but conveyances and servants employed betwixt God and his people to invite and draw their
of this cup which wee have in hand This makes heaven sweeter and puts the soule upon more longings for it because there it knoweth it shall not feare nor sorrow any more Constant joyes in such a condition as this is in the world sute not more than constant feastings in times of heavinesse we are freed from the power of sinne but in part so we are but in part freed from afflictions And it is probable except grace were more abundant that constant peace would have ill consequents Paul was tempted after his exaltation that he might not be exalted Comfort belongeth not to sanctification but glorification therefore the fulnesse of it is kept till wee bee set in glory Comfort is the reward of holinesse therefore the perfection and stability of it is kept till that time when holinesse shall be perfected and the perfection both of grace and peace is deferred that when Christ shall appeare in glory this may set out the day When Christ came in the flesh God powred out much of his Spirit at his ascension and will powre it gloriously when all shall be consummate then Christ shall shine among all his Saints and the fulnesse of their perfections as the Sunne attended with all the starres in their brightest glory Till that time while you are children under tuition and at schoole you will meet with frownes as well as smiles and correction daies as well as play daies and it is well the day is comming that hath no night and joy that hath no sorrow with it Cause 2 Second Cause in Iudgement to the world God might send out his Saints as starres in glory that all eyes might gaze on them but he will not all things are in a mystery and hidden to the world the graces of the Saints hid under many infirmities and the comforts of the Saints under many sorrowes in just judgement upon the world God is wise and knoweth how to fit the same things for many ends Christ came in a poore estate and his glory and majesty was covered with a cloud and mantle of a meane outside and why was this It is true it was for satisfaction of Justice for the sinne of his people but it was also in Judgement to the world he was a precious one yet because hee came not in State and pompe he was a stone refused of the builders and so a stone of stumbling and a rocke of offence 1 Pet. 2.7 8. And because the Gospel came not with humane dresse and externall ornament The preaching of the crosse is to them that perish foolishnesse 1 Cor. 1.18 God hath not stooped in the matters of heaven to sense as he hath in the matters of the world he will not send unto men any from the dead nor yet shall any walke among men with shining robes of heavenly glory The things of this life are seene and tasted but Spirituall things are conveyed most in a spirituall way If Adam had continued in his integrity God would have manifested himselfe to the world as a man to his friend and not onely faith and reason but the senses should have beene blessed in communion with God but now he so disposeth of all things that even his people walke by faith and not by sight he will not give such a sensible demonstration of his bounty to the world that it may justly perish in its wickednesse if it will not beleeve Moses and the Prophets and if they will not beleeve the Gospel The world is led by sense though the Scriptures testifie of the excellency of redemption and adoption and of the great happinesse of the Saints yet they foolishly cast away faith and the word and run to sense and finding the heires of glory to be often sad beholding not their comforts but their sorrowes they conclude that the way is worthlesse and that religion is but a sower grape and as bitter waters and as the way of the desart Cause 3 Third Cause To establish them in more full comforts x Nube selet pulsa candidus ire Dies Ovid. there was darknesse before light in the world after the strong winde which rent the mountaines and brake the rocks came the still voyce in which God was 1 Kings 19.11 12. And as God often sends great comforts before great afflictions in the world Christ was transfigured in the Mount before his great agonie in the garden so he often premiseth affliction of the soule before great comforts and the soule is setled the more afterward as the tree is rooted more by shaking It is Gods method to bring first to Aegypt and through the Sea and wildernesse and then to Canaan The Apostle prayeth that they may bee strengthened and established but when After yee have suffered a while 1 Pet. 5.10 When the soule hath passed through straits and hath seene the wonders of the Lord in the deepes it is advantaged much to further establishment 1 Because that comfort and evidence which comes so immediately from God is strongest when a man hath beene taken off from all his foundations and God hath appeared unto him in the desart it is a strong demonstration of his love and wins the heart to much love and to strong confidence as if a friend when he is offended and hath us at an advantage so that he may in justice and can undoe us if then he spare and not onely so but is as Esau to Iacob turning wrath into love and anger into compassionate kindnesse this much knits us to him to love him and cleave to him as a good and a fast friend indeed 2 God gives much proofe and evidence of the truth of grace which he hath wrought in them when he makes them see they had hearts that could love him even when it was doubtfull to them whether he loved them when the truth of grace is evidenced clearely it brings much comfort and what greater evidence of an upright heart then to follow God when he seemes to flye away and to love him when hee seemes to abhorre and hate them to weep upon him in love when he seemes armed with weapons of death y Qui nec iratum cessat colere numen Sen Diis fruitur iratis superat crescit malis and to powre out the soule to him when hee seemes to be powring downe fire and brimstone upon them 3 It gives hope that if darke clouds do arise yet they shall be scattered againe the sense of former troubles may helpe to conclude that such deeps are passable and the soule will be apt to say there is hope concerning this z O passi graviora Daus dabit his quoque finem Virg. experience of mercy is a great helpe to faith and holds up the soule that it will not fall so flat and lie so long under discouragements againe It will helpe and furnish the heart to pray much because God hath beene intreated in such times before and to say as the Apostle having delivered us from so great
desertions are great preparations partly because they give much experience of the vanity of all creatures he hath shewed you learne how little they availe in the day of wrath so that you may see you part not with so great matters if you doe part with the world God hath shewed you that life is not in them and that you may live without them And partly because having felt greater evils you are more encouraged to indure the lesse You will not feare to fight with a strippling after you have encountred with a Goliah Moreover in the greatest deeps have you not seene how all your feares have vanished and all your sorrowes passed away by the light of Gods countenance shining forth upon you and so you see that the joy of the Lord is strong It is a signe of much a Afflict'â— dat intellectum quos Deus diligit castigat Deuâ— optimum quemque out mala valetudine aut luctu affuit Sen. love and that you are highly set by with God when he thus leads you into severall states for this is to lead you by the hand to see all that may bee seene and if hee did not intend much good hee would not bestow so much worke upon you you stand in this in the greatest conformity to CHRIST when through many tribulations and afflictions you enter into glory God keepes you from much soyling by constant rubbing and useth the sanne so much to blow away the chaffe and keepeth you awake by these stirres some troubles ennoble the spirit of a state which would degenerate into effeminacy by constant peace winds fanne the aire and purge it and the running and restlesse waters are most cleare This may suffice to have pointed at some Causes of Gods cutting off the comforts of the Saints Having hitherto treated of the Case of the afflicted soule I now come to the Cure The Cure I shall not need to enlarge my selfe much here having beene somewhat copious in the Cure of the first kind of desertions There are two sorts of men that walke much without the consolations In the first the cause is naturall in the second spirituall As for the first Of melancholicall persons who are oppressed with melancholly that darke and dusky humor which disturbes both soule and body their cure belongs rather to the Physitian than to the Divine and Galen is more proper for them than a Minister of the Gospell It is a pestilent humor where it abounds one calls it the devils bath Balneum diaboli These men cannot walke clearely but as a light in a darke Lanthorne shines dimly so is the soule in such a body the distemper of the body causeth distemper of soule for the soule followes its temper a Mores sequuntur temperaturam corpovis Galeâ— this disease worketh strange passions and strange imaginations b Terribilia de fide hurribilia de divinitate and heavy conclusions It is not possible such a man should be quiet till he be cured the seas rage not more naturally when the windes blow than this man hee may sometimes be elevated as it were into the third heavens but anon he will bee brought as it were into the lowest hell But I leave such with this advise when they finde their temper to be naturally or accidentally melancholike to use all such waies as God hath prepared in a naturall way for as the soule is not cured by naturall causes so the body is not cured by spirituall remedies But I shall direct my selfe to those whose heavinesse of spirit is from spirituall causes Of the sleepie soule These persons are of two sorts 1. Sleeping These persons are of two sorts 2. Awakened First there are some slumbering and drowsie spirits who are fallen from their former comforts and know it but make up that want in the creature in which they take delight living in the meane time without God As it was in the former kinde of desertion so it is in this God is departed and either men know it not or minde it not but beare their dolefull losse with a stupid and a sinfull patience or rather with a stupid dulnesse But if you finde your selves in such a case consider what a contempt of God this is to bee willing to live without him and to powre out your hearts upon the creature you must looke for a bitter scourge except you repent or else God will leave you to walke on to your graves in a dull and a low way It is a wofull change to descend from communion with God and Christ to these poore things below And how little doe you set by all precious promises the favour of the great and eternall God and the blood and love and presence of Jesus Christ that can bee content to live in such a state Looke upon others how their soules have melted when God hath beene estranged from them where is your love faith feare hope life that you can indure to be so if these were not all asleepe you would take up a cry for your former happinesse and sit downe and weepe over your present misery Is the losse of a friend in the earth so grievous and is a friend in heaven of no more account you live in a spirituall adultery because your husband is neglected while other things are entertained Awaken your selves and seeke to regaine your former peace and joy in God Secondly Of the awakened some are awakened and see their losse and are affected with it this sort though it have more sorrow yet is in a better way than the former I will to both these propound some 1. Perswasives I will to both these propound some 2. Directives For perswasion consider Motive 1. Comfort is your strength 1. That comfort is your strength The more a man seeth and feeleth the love of God the more the heart is established There are three great assaults and trials that a man is exposed to 1. Tentations to sinne He that will walke in the way of God shall not alway saile in a calme the great Leviathan will shew himselfe hee whose victories have beene many even among the highest Saints Now if your hearts bee filled with comfort you have a strength greater than the world For the manifestation of divine love is the incendiary of love which is stronger than death So long as love to Christ is kept up the heart is safe love is a strong garrison and makes the soule impregnable And while you keepe a fresh and cleare sight of the love of God and Christ it feeds love and keepes it up in strength Adde to this that comfortable enjoyment of God doth carry the heart aloft it makes the conversation to be in heaven and while a mans way is above he is safe from the snares below Then the heart is in danger to bee ensnared when it wanders in the creature as the foule is in danger when she is upon the earth but when she is mounted upon the
this is continued pag. 481 CHAP. 36. 3. The effects of this sad condition these are expressed according to the quality of the persons thus Deserted 1. As they are sleeping Christians and they are 1. Careless pag. 483 2. Declining in affection pag. 484 3. Apt to he drawne to evill ibid. 2. As they are awakened in these there are different workings 1. Evill effects as 1. Heartless complaints pag. 485 2. Fruitless complaints pag. 486 3. Great unquietness expressed in three things pag. 487 2. Good effects as 1. Sorrow pag. 490. 2. Longing desires pag. 491 3. Repentance ibid. 4. Subjection pag. 492 4. The cause of the restlesness of the soule without God pag. 492 1. From the condition of the subject expressed in five things pag. 492 2. From the object in respect of 1. The quality of it pag. 498 There are three things in God which cause the wound to bleed much ibid. 2. The relation in which God stands to a beleiver pag. 503 3. The operation of God pag. 504 CHAP. 37. 2. The causes for which God deales thus with his people pag. 506 1. To put a difference betwixt Heaven and earth ibid. 2. In judgement to the world pag. 510 3. To establish the godly in more full comforts pag. 512 Affliction of the soule doth advantage much to further establishment foure reasons of it pag. 513 4. The correcting and healing of some evill in his people 517. These evils are 1. Deadness and dulness of heart ibid. 2. Fearelesness of God pag. 519 3. Slightness of heart 521. expressed in three things ibid. 4. Living too much upon the creature expressed in three things pag. 525 5. Intractableness and stifness of heart pag. 528 6. Rigidness and unmercifulness to the spirituall estate of others pag. 530 7. Some great transgression pag. 533 5. To shew that God is the God of all comfort pag. 534 6. To revive their esteeme of mercy pag. 536 7. That others may be instructed pag. 538 8. To fit them for speciall service pag. 539 2. The cure of this sad condition pag. 542 1. In those in whom the cause is naturall pag. 543 2. In those in whom the cause is spirituall and it is applyed 1. To those that have slumbring and drowsie spirits pag. 544 2. To those that are awakened and see their losse to these are propounded 1 Perswasives 1 Comfort is their strength pag. 546 Three great assaults that a man is exposed unto ibid. 2. Sadness doth much hurt both to themselves and others pag. 549 3. Recovery is possible proved by five things pag. 550 2. Directives 1. Seeke the Father in the Son pag. 551 2. Seeke peace much pag. 555 3. Come in much love to God pag. 556 Love shews it self in two things pag. 557 Decemb. 4. 1638. Imprimatur THO WYKES THE DESERTED SOULES Case and Cure CHAP. I. That the godly are sometimes deserted THough most men since God and they parted in Adam live without God in the world Eph. 2.12 13. and are so far from him that they neither enjoy him nor know him yet there is a generation of men whom God hath made nigh by the bloud of Christ with whom he hath renewed that old acquaintance and amity which at the first he had with them Heu Domine Deus rara hora brevis mora Bern. in Cant. 13. and they with him which blessed estate as it is not here perfected so it 's often interrupted their comforts are sweet alwayes but short often there are but few if any whose joyes in a comfortable communion with God are not sometimes clouded with sorrowes in a dolefull elongation from him so that if you lay but your eare to the doore of their closets you shall often heare the daughters of Sion as heires of their mothers miseries complaining in their mothers language The Lord hath forsaken me and my God hath forgotten me Esay 49.14 If you six your eyes upon them you shall see Sions teares in their eyes her palenesse in their faces her sorrowes in their soules in consideration of and compassion to these mourners I spent some thoughts upon this sad subject Desertions then are either Common or Special These which I call common are such as all men share in by nature God having forsaken and withdrawne himselfe from Adam and all his posterity with Apostate Angels The speciall I shall handle as they concerne Godly The speciall I shall handle as they concerne Hypocrits Desertions as they concerne men truly regenerate are Gods withdrawing himselfe In respect of quickning quicting or cōforting of the soul Desertions as they concerne men seemingly regenerate are Gods withholding of those influences by which they had a kinde of life comfort spirituall To begin then with desertions as they concerne the godly I shall first speake something in generall of them and then descend to the more specials That which I shall say in the generals I will comprize in two things 1 That there is such an evill as spirituall desertion 2 How they are deserted That there is such an estate That the godly may be deserted proved it s almost lost labour to prove yet because as all in Christians is hidden and secret so nothing more than their comforts and discomforts I will and that in two words make it good we will call in two witnesses to give evidence to the truth The experience of the Saints Aske Sion By experience you have her verdict Esay 49.14 And Sion said the Lord hath forsaken me and my God hath forgotten me You see here the Church clad all in blacke bewailing her widowhood as one bereft of her dearest husband every word of her speech is bedewed with teares b 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Plut. l. de consolat ad Apol. and beareth a drop from her bleeding soule The Lord Iehovah he whose power and fidelity hath been to me as the pillars of the earth he hath forsaken me he hath cast me off My Lord he who was mine in covenant mine in communion he who was the joy of my life the life of my joy the strength the stay the spring of my life he hath forgotten me he hath cast me not onely out of his armes but out of his heart I am quite out of his love not onely forsaken but forgotten And in this Sion is not alone Aske David and you shall heare him as soon as you come neare him sighing sobbing crying soaring but what saith he what ailes him he telleth you Psal 22.1 My God my God why hast thou forsaken me See how well their testimonie agreeth how can a man looke upon David and not count him as a poore Orphan that is left in woe case friendlesse helplesse comfortlesse a but yet we will heare a greater than David that is the Captaine of our salvation the first head of the whole order c Christus Primicerius q. in primâ cerâ vel primus in cerâ antiqu s◠ilicet cereis is ebanturtabulis
Ship is easily born down the stream but it is hardly fetched up again the Philosophers tell us that the way from the habit to the privation is easier than the way from the privation to the habit as a man may easier make a seeing eye blinde then a blinde eye to see a man may soon put an instrument out of tune but not so soon put it in again a man may lose more strength in a dayes sicknesse i Corpora tarde augescunt at cito extingunntur citius templum à Romanis destructum quam à Iudaeis structum Savan then he can recover in many dayes of health Therefore when thou art mounted aloft by plentifull supplies of grace as upon Eagles wings take heed of falling for it is easier not to fal then to rise if thou provoke thy God to retire it may cost thee many prayers and teares to get him to return when thy lusts begin to stir and to be armed with a new strength these monsters will cost you labour and sweat to muzzle them subdue them it is easier to keep out an enemy then to expell him a man may better keep an estate then get it how did the Church seek Christ before she found him again Cant. 5. 3. It will be grievous The losse will be grievous it is most miserable to have been happy k Miserum est fuisse beatum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Theophyl ep 37. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Eurip. in Hec. acriores sunt morsus libortatis intermissae Cic. in Offic. when you have found the sweetnesse of Gods presence it will be a bitter thing to lose it 4. It s possible to keep it It is possible to be kept it is a comfort that care will keep it Object But few do maintain a constant communion with God but do at one time or other fall behinde hand Answ 1. This doth not argue it impossible but difficult 2. The more difficult the greater care is required and a wise man stirres the more when a case is difficult Object But God doth sometimes of his own pleasure shorten and diminish the influences of his Spirit l Animus fortis crescit inipsa rerū difficultate Bern. ep 256. even because he will and that for ends best knowne to himselfe Answ 1. If it be not for your default it is not lost by you though in such a cafe it be lost to you because you have it not yet you have not lost it so it is without sin to you as it is in bodily health if it depart but not by our default by want of due care of it we sin not it is our present affliction not our fault 2. Whom God hath so left he hath not left in that maner as he doth others as we may see in examples 1. He denyeth not a generall assistance but a spetiall that is he withdrawes not all those workings of his power by want of which an universall weaknesse and dcadnesse overspreads his servants but in some particular case only as in Peter Christ did not leave him to a generall declension but to a particular slip 2. He did sooner return to Peter and caused Peter to return to himself 3. He communicates more to them afterward so Peter gained by his losse 3. Wee are not so much to minde what God doth in the way of his free pleasure and absolute soveraignty as what he doth in ordinary nor so much what he will doe as what he will that we shall doe nor so much what the Issue of our work shall be as what our rule is This out of doubt we shall finde by an holy walking even more of God if not at this time in this thing in this kinde or in this measure yet in another for our labour shall not be in vain in the Lord. 1 Cor. 15.58 It is possible and frequent to finde little strength in some case and much in another it may be thy lusts may be working but thy heart melting fearing mourning warring praying and abounding in much spirituall life it may be in afflictions thou maist have more sorrow and unquietnesse of heart being not so abundantly filled with spirituall comfort but this may be recompensed in much meeknesse humbleness hungring after God dependance upon him c. God will not be wanting to thee that failest not thy selfe if thy love be constant to him much more is his to thee we say love descends stronglier then it ascends the father loves the childe better than the childe loves the father Gods love begets ours therefore it is not only a preventing love before ours but an excelling love above ours 5. It is an excellent thing in respect of 1 the meanes 1 Christ Consider the excellency of enjoyment of God 1. In the meanes of it 1 the Son of God dyed to obtain it his blood was poured out that there might be a way for man to have Communion with God we are made neare and have accesse to God and favours from God at no lesse price then the blood of the onely begotten Son of God 2. The Spirit himself is imployed to poure in the treasures of divine grace 2 The Spirit 3. All the Prophets Apostles Preachers yea 3. All ordinances the Word and Sacraments are the instruments of conveyance of this high favour It must needs be of great worth and excellency In respect of the effects 1. Comfort and happy concord for the effecting of which such high persons and excellent means are employed 2. In the effects 1. It brings great peace and solace because it sets the soule in an harmonious state m Omne bonum concordiae cognatum est Spond in hom Ilia 2 1. A man carried on in a heavenly course by a divine hand hath concord betwixt Conscience and himselfe Conscience Betwixt conscience and himselfe as it is a tutor for instruction so is a task master for exaction as it shewes what we owe so it demands it now when a man hath his rent ready for his Lords Baily he is not molested Conscience will murmure and grumble if a man come short n Mens conscia verbere caedit occultum quatiente animo tortore flagellum Juven de improb Sat. 13. but holy walking keepes peace 2. Concord betwixt the affection and condition that is when a man enjoyeth God Betwixt the affection and condition he hath what he would have now if a man have what he loves he is satisfied as if you give a poore man riches his heart is eased Whom doth the godly man love and desire in the world more then God Psal 73.25 he is his light life strength Joy all in all to him Col. 3.11 3. Betwixt inclination and action Concord betwixt inclination and action when a man hath a principle that disposeth him to holinesse and yet is hindered or perverted this is a sicknesse and paine to the soule as if you stop water in its
apud Greg. de Valent. t. 2. disp 8. qu. 1. p. 6. take heed then of harbouring lusts in imagination or purpose take heed of frowardnesse and rebellion of heart unkindnesses breeds unkindnesse can you with reason expect that God should be with you when you regard him not Can two walk in one way that are not agreed Amos 3.3 walke then before him in all well pleasing keep close to Jesus Christ for all the love of the father is laid out upon the son and comes to you through him be dearly affected to his people for they are his friends God dwelleth in such 1 John 4.12 When you have your friends good will you have your friend and when you fall into straits and lusts and men and devils shall take up armes against you if you come and say to God as Iehoram to Iehoshaphat The King of Moab hath rebelled against me wilt thou goe with me against Moab to battle God will answer as Iehoshaphat did I will go up I am as thou art my people as thy people and my horses as thy horses 2 Kin. 3.7 My brethren you have a sure way to retain the favour of your God he hath shewed you the way that is good and have you not one alway with him which is the delight of his soule one ready at your request to interpose himselfe and to take up all differences betwixt you and him lye not therefore under any guilt but every day renew thy peace and league with God by making Christ thine advocate then shall his face shine upon thee and his Spirit shall not be with-held from thee Thinke it not enough to escape his wrath a friend not only dreads displeasure but delights in the favour of his friend it cannot satisfie a living and a loving Saint that Gods hand is not against him except it be also with him or that God is not his adversary except he be his friend a wicked man may fear his wrath but a good man cannot beare his absence if then you desire his presence keep his favour and because nothing but that which is against his will displeaseth Take heed of crossing God take heed of crossing his will And for this I will prescribe two Rules 1 Keep up love Keep up love for this will make you of on heart with God there will be an harmony in your hatred and his your desire and his your delight and his your wils will run in the same channell with his feare may make the life better but love makes the heart better it carrieth a man out of himselfe and casts his affections and actions into Gods mould it works after his pattern and doth all to please him as love is the wife subjects her desires to the desire of her husband love would hol◠you in an uniforme course of holinesse and all strayings in life are from decayings of love this bindes the soule to God so that as the hinder wheeles in the Coach follow the forewheeles being all conjoyned so the heart ◠drawne after God by love love will not suffer you to please your selves with any thing that may not please you God nor to swerve from this rule to gaine the world but as Gods love sub◠fils your will in giving all good so you love in its measure will fulfill Gods will in doing all good and this is the property of our communion with God there is a continual intercourse of love Gods will and mans sweetly conjoyning in a happy concord mutually delighting each in other and mutually filling the desires each of other God dwelling in his and they in him 1 John 4.16 they cleaving to him and hee to them And let me a little more open the power and efficacy of love in this businesse and when I have done you shall see that it contributes not a little to the keeping of the heart to God Love quickneth and preserveth desires 1 It sharpens and preserves desires r Animae motus radix est amor Paris pars 1 partis 1. de universo c. 21. after God and what are desires but reachings of the heart the soul by desires doth as it were with extended spread armes raise it selfe after God it will make a man unsatiable alwayes thirsting and now though the armies of the Philistines be in the way yet the soule will breake through all for the waters of Bethlehem desires after God have much good in them they capacitate the soule an hungry man eates much the promise emptieth it selfe freely upon such Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousnesse for they shall be filled Mat. 5.6 and they quicked the soule as they make it receptive so they make it active Psal 63.1 It sets all the wheeles in motion it will not suffer the soule to bee at rest it cannot take content ſ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in any thing except it bee fulfilled but will put out all her Sayles and Oares in strong pursuance Psal 63.8 My soule followeth hard after thee 2. It makes resolute It makes resolute regardlesse of all things in comparison of what it longs for and fearlesse t Quid non audet amor and invincible no terrors can deterre him but as a Gyant he rejoyceth to run his race u Grata ignominia crucis qui crucifixo non est ingratus Bern. in Cant. Serm. 25. It makes also unweariable no labours too great but love will finde patience no difficulties so long but love will finde tolerance and longanimity nay love thinkes nothing hard The Commandements art not grievous 1 Joh. 5.3 It is a great advantage to have strength of resolution for now the soule will be 1. more full in all endeavours the bow full bent delivers the arrow with full strength a piece full charged will go off with great force and its fulnesse and vigour indoing that is the grace of the action 2. More steady it is hard to stop the soul when she runs with strength what was said of Aristides is much truer here you may as well almost stay the Sun in heaven as put such a one out of his way when resolutions are strong the soule is like a fenced City it is hard for tentations to break in there is roome left for Satan to work when through coldnesse of affection there is weaknesse in the resolution a faint denyall begets new sutes and a doore left unbarred gives easie entrance When you cleave not to God with full purpose of heart Acts 11.23 other things may get in betwixt God and you the steeple moves not because it is setled upon its basis but the Weather-cock is turned with every winde 3 It makes the soule of an yeelding temper It makes yeelding when God hath your love he hath the key of your hearts love sets him in the throne all the faculties will bow themselves with offerings to him love opens the eares to heare God and moves the hands to work and the
focte to walk and the head to devise for God God may have any thing in a time of love he never comes out of seasâ—â— when the heart is in this temper if her say the word it is done love cannoâ— say no to God it is full of promises easily entreated is not churlish but of a liberall property it stands ready for all service and will trample upon all reasonings respects contradictions rebellions that rise up against God if God say of the dearest lust fall upon him it wilâ— not spare if God say I must have thy liberty it saith there it is if God say thou must be impoverished for my sake it saith I am content if God say I must have thy life for my glory it saith Lord it is thine take it I am thine do what thou wilt love cannot hold when God as keth but will give all do all suffer all if God call it will run out of estate peace friends the world it self yea when it doth much it thinkes it little yea nothing and so when it hath been labouring for God it still saith with David What shall I render to the Lord and with the Apostle Lord what wilt thou have me to do it sticks at no cost nay it is glad it hath any thing for God and counts this the best use of all to lay it out for God and this the best possession of all to lose all for God 4 Love will make you fearefull of losing God every mans feares are equall to his love so that as the worldly man feares to lose the world which is his God so a godly man feares to lose his God Elies heart trembled for the Arke while he sate watching to heare newes of the battle 1 Sam. 4.13 feare makes men wise x 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Arist pol. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Clem. Alexand Prov. 1.7 it keeps the heart waking and watching it keepes the eye upon the treasure and soon apprehends the least recesse of God from a man 5 Love keepes the intentions right It keeps the intentions right 1. Upon the right end it is as the by as to convert the soule in all her wayes to her God On the right end for what is love but imbracing of God and such a closing with him as that as it findes indigence and want of him so it hath complacence and contentment in him yea and that contentment breeds hunger after what it hath not and gratitude for what it hath and so turneth all designes and her wholâ— course to this thing that she may beâ— still blessed and more blessed in the fruition of God 2 In due plight 1. actuall 2. It keeps the intentions in due plight in themselves 1. Makes them actuall love hath a good memory it carrieth the stamp of God upon the heart and seldome forgets him the soul lives where it loves x Animus ubi amat non ubi animat and as love came in by the eye so it delights by thâ— same doore to run out to God y Vbiamoriói oculus 2 vigorous 2. Iâ— makes them vigorous and serious and so able to order and regulate all the motions of the soul in their right way Thus love is very usefull in this point to keep you from straying from God and consequently needfull that you may by holy walking retain his favour and presence 2 Hold this as a fixed verity That you may not crosse or offend God hold fast this truth that Gods will is best that that is best which God wils all that are come to God do beleeve this else they had not come for what could draw the heart from all its good but that which is greater then all but though this be habitually in them yet they doe not alwayes actually beleeve it for what should be the cause of their excursions and deviations but because at present they think it better to walk in another way then the way of God there are but three causes of voluntary declining any thing either it is because 1. the thing is not worth entertainment at least 2. upon such tearmes or because 3. a better thing is presented which wee cannot enjoy with it so that if a man could carry this truth in his heart unblotted that it might ever appeare legible it would be to his gadding affections as a curb and settle the soul on God as on her Center If you could beleeve that you cannot mend your selves or make your condition better any other way you would be stedfast and immoveable for how you would see a conjunction of Gods will and your chiefe good so that in crossing his will you should crosse your selves as wisdome speaketh He that sinneth against me wrongeth his â—wn soul all they that hate me love death Prov. 8.36 To help you in this as in a matter of â—eat importance Meanes to hold that fast 1 Get a cleare knowledge of God witâ— he is in himselfe and of the wisdomeâ— God in the Commandements which at full of reason and of the end of the command thy good and of the nature 〈◊〉 that good 2 Make this knowledge actuall ofâ—â— minde it 3 Know that there is reason to gioâ— the lye to all opinion of good out of Gods way and against his will 1 Because Gods love is fully toward you and so perfect that he hath not câ— off any good from you 2 All that is truly good agreeth wiâ— his will as the formality of truth is the agreement that it hath with the mind of God so the verity of goodnesse is thâ— agreement that it hath with the will oâ— God and again all true good is froâ— him and eminently in him z Omne honum in summo bono therefore that which stands in opposition to hâ— cannot be good 3 Consider the subject of such misâ—â— prehension hee is either one coverâ— with darknesse or clouded with passion men naturally are blind and so call eviâ— good and good evill and good men sometimes are clouded and with a frenâ—ie of passion distempered and judge that good which when they become sober they count the greatest evill and which is the truest judgement whether that of a man drunk and not himselfe or that of a man that is calme cleare and himselfe 4 Remember that you must needs are in judging that to be good which you cannot entertaine with contentment but a godly man findes these two things as sure notes of the true evill in every sin 1. Feare before and in admission of it 2. Paine and repentance after and that ever a Chilo damnum lucro turpi se pretulisse dixit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Laert. in Chil. 5 When you see two crosse counsels weigh well these two things 1. the Counsellors 2. the Reasons First weigh the Counsellors consider well who they are that stand up to oppose God and you shall finde that which may disable their testimony they can be but one of
unseasonably in conference hearing fasting praying he cannot upon just ground expect Gods assisting presence and blessing in his way and so on the contrary Answ 3. Sometimes a man is above ordinary course called to some worke and here we finde the calling of a man to be of God 1. When he hath a particular word d Quilege privà ta ducitur publica non constringitur apud Episc Sarisb de justitia operum c. 42. so Abraham had a particular charge to leave his Countrey and to slay his son in Sacrifice So Peter also had a particular word to walk upon the water and God failed them not 2. A strong bent and inclination of heart so Paul was bound in his spirit to Ierusalem though dangers waited for him Acts 20.22 so it is judged of Ehud in killing Eglon of Phyneas in slaying Zimri and Cosbi 3. When God fits not onely with a disposition but with a spirit for the worke as when he called Saul to the Kingdome he gave him another spirit 4. When he gives peace of heart in their way and beares them out against all accusations from within or without so Paul and Silas had this testimony of their calling to their worke a spirit of glory resting upon them Quest Quest But evill men have sometimes a great flush of spirit courage ability peace and confidence have they this of God Answ 1. Ans 1 God may employ even wicked men and may for the service of himselfe and of his Church fill their sailes with a full gale of great gifts and carry them on with a strong hand so he helped Cyrus He saith of Cyrus hee is my Shepheard and shall performe all my pleasure Esay 44.28 and Thus saith the Lord to Cyrus whose right hand I have holden or strengthned c. Esay 45.1 2 There is a naturall strength which may doe much some have a naturall vigour and confidence which enables them to do and suffer much 3 Mens lusts and sinfull ends and respects may adde activity and vigour to their spirits in good actions e Vis Hug. Grot. de verit relig Christ l. 2. Iehu was zealous but that flame of zeale was inkindled by the love of the kingdome and many others do much but it is by the strength of their self-love and politique ends 4 There is a diabolicall power of that Prince of the ayre who worketh in the children of disobedience which makes his zelots as God hath his f Pertinacia haeretica est obduratio voluntatis ipsorum obligatio diabolica qua eos trahit quò vult sicut vult ut furiosi casustinent ex insania cordium quae vix sanitas sustineret Guilielm Parisiens de tentat resist Vid. eundem de virtutib cap. 21. as Pharaohs Magitians wrought like unto Moses so Satan transformes himselfe often into an Angel of light and in a way of seeming piety and devout zeale makes many to be valiant Champions But there is this difference of that common assistance of the spirit of God to evill men and of the strength from nature lusts or Satan from that which the holy Spirit gives to the godly in their wayes 1 That which is from naturall temper lusts or Satan is often found in an evill cause as Sauls Zeale before he was called of Christ was madnesse against the truth 2 Only the spirit of holinesse works by love to God others for other ends 3 Only the spirit of holinesse makes more holy by all assistance which it affordeth this only wins the heart so that the more God is with him in his way the more he loves him and loves to serve him and so hath this evidence that it is from God because it tends to him so Davids heart was silled with love when God appeared for him Blessed be the Lord because he hath heard the voice of my supplication the Lord is my strength and my shield my heart trusted in him and I am helped therefore my heart greatly rejoyceth and with my song will I praise him Psal 28.6 7. Let this suffice in this digression for briefe answer of these questions now let us returne to the direction be sure you keep in Gods way for you cannot finde God but in his own way when the arkâ— and pillar of fire the word moves before you walke after it and then yoâ— shall finde God pouring in himselfe and girding your Ioynes with strength 〈◊〉 Waite on the Lord and be of good courage and he shall streng then thine heart waite I say on the Lord. Psal 27.14 Feare thou not for I am with thee be not dismaid for I am thy God I will strengthen thee yea I will help thee yea I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousnesse I the Lord thy God will hold thy right hand saying unto thee feare not I will help thee feare not thou worm Iacob and ye men of Israel I will help thee saith the Lord and thy redeemer the holy one of Israel Esay 41.10 13 14. It is a precious promise a man may say and sigh in himselfe alasse the worke is great and I am weak but God saith I will strengthen thee and help thee and if the difficulty be too great for thee yet it is not too great for me But a man may say alas they that war against me are many and great and I cannot stand before them I finde mighty lusts strong disputes strong tentations but see what God saith ver 11 12. They that strive with thee shall perish they that war against thee shall be as nothing and as a thing of nought they may come against thee but thou shalt be above them they shall vanish they are no more then a shadow But a man may say I finde my heart shaking at the sight of these sons of Anah and I am ready to say in my selfe I shall one day fall by the hands of Saul to this God answereth 1. by a repulsion of feare in a word of encouragoment Feare not nor be dismaid which he repeates again and again 2. by â—teration of the promise I will help I will help I will strengthen thee I will hold thy right hand as if he said I will surely do it 3. by calling in his attributes as witnesses and assurances I am Iehovah one that is and will give being to all my words I am the holy one one that cannot deceive you 4. by pleading his relation and affection I am thy God I am Iehovah thy God thy Redeemer as if he had said I have given my selfe to you and have undertaken to save you and therefore feare not though thou art but a worme Iacob yet will I uphold thee oh then that we could now in our way rejoyce and say as the Prophet The Lord Iehovah will help me therefore shall I not be confounded Esay 50.7 CHAP. XXIV Sixth and Seaventh means Be doing and wisely and diligently use the meanes of grace BE doing many cry Lord help
darke and stormy season they reckon themselves among the dead and thinke that all hope is gone of getting out of these deepes but now consider there is hope 1. The life you have is from Christ Their life is from Christ and deare to him it is deare to him he laid downe his life that you might live he hath planted in you that grace you have and will hee not cherish his owne worke which with so much cost and care he hath undertaken the breathings of thy soule are the breath of his own spirit and he wil own it if you come to him he will in no wise cast you out f 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Joh. 6.37 That grace you have was given you to fit you for communion with him and when you come to him will hee shut the doore he opened the doore in your heart when you shut it and will he not open his doore when you knocke he loves to doe much for his for he loves them much you are not straitned in him but in your selves what is the meaning of the Gospell doth not Christ stand with a fulnesse in his hand why doe you not looke to him with faith who is as full of goodnesse as of power is he not your head are you not his members he feeles your paines and sicknesse yea he well knoweth and that by experience in his kinde what it is to be without God and knoweth there is no help for you but in himselfe your unkindnesses shall not hinder if you will be friends with him he will be a friend to you the adulteresse shall finde acceptance if she returne Ier. 3.1 2. There is a promise to such as seeke You have a promise why then doe you not lift up your heads you cannot come before you are called and what you want is ready for you he hath said he will give rest to the weary strength to the weake light to the blind health to the sicke he would not have said these things but that hee would have you rejoyce in hope when you come to aske the spirit it is granted before you aske Luke 11.13 If you that are evill know how to give good gifts unto your children how much more shall your heavenly father give the holy Spirit to them that aske him Doe you think that you have more compassionate love then he you thinke if your children come hungring crying fainting for bread you could not deny them how much lesse will Christ your love is nothing to his He is love 1 John 4.16 that is to say he is the fountain of love he workes it where it is and that love that you have to him is from him and would he be loved of you if he did not love you certainly he was your friend before he made you his friend 1 Iohn 4.19 So then beleeve and God is ready good hangs in the promise like ripe fruit if you shake the tree f Verba cupressis similia dici solet de promissis speciosis quidem sed f â—llentibus apud Caelium l. 25. c. 2. the fruite will fall turne this promise into prayer plead with God in his owne language make his bond thy petition live upon his word if you beleeve it shall be well if you have faith as a grain of mustard seed those mountaines that lye upon you shall be removed when God deales with us by way of promise he deales the sweetest way for what would you expect but his good will and how would you know his good will but by his word by the promise you have God not inclining and yeelding but determining binding himselfe by this ladder climb up and bowe thy soule before him upon the pillars of faith which doth so surely interest thee in thy God he proclaimeth and makes heaven and earth his witnesses that hee is yours he hath given such power to faith that he that beleeves sits upon the throne with Christ Apoc. 3.21 and is made Lord of all the treasures of the kingdome All is yours 1 Cor. 3.22 Yea God hath so tyed himselfe to his people that he hath not only said aske seek pray but command me Esay 45.11 3 You have experience Experience you are ready to say as Gideon what signe dost thou give me stil the heart cryeth for security and is hardly satisfied have you not signes what is the word but a sign of his favour what is the Sacrament but a signe and seale of his love what is the grace you have but a signe and earnest of his love What are all the Saints but signes a cloud of witnesses Esay 43.10 12. Chap. 44. 8. Others How many cripples have you seen walking and leaping how many sick healed how many dead raised and why doe you thinke he should be harder to you then to all what thinke you that hee hath some speciall quarrell to you are you alone and have you none like you in sin what if it were so yet is not all the sins of all the Saints more then yours cannot he pardon thy personall debt that hath sealed a discharge to so many thousands it matters not how much thou owest a mountaine is as easily covered in the sea as a mole-hill Have not you your selves experience Your own bethinke your selves have you not often been refreshed by his hand did you never finde your bones out and your soul sick till now and who helped you when you came grovelling in the dust with your backs bowing under pressures did he not lift up thy soule with a renewed strength when you came with yokes upon your necks irons on your hands and feete like poore captived slaves did he not heare you when you cryed when you had but a little roome to peep at and could out of a close stinking dark dungeon see but little of heaven when your soules were almost among the dead and you had but so much life as to cry Lord help me did he not help Nay how often unsought hath he come to you When Pharoah and his taskmasters made your soules to serve you did not send up the groanes and cries that Israel did yet hee came and led you out not into the wildernesse but unto Canaan and gave you liberty peace and the good things of the land when you had run in a sort out of all you came not as the Prodigall to his father but he came to you and renewed your stock and filled your becalmed soules with fresh gales of grace And now after all this when hee hath been such a friend so faithfull such a father so mercifull will you say there is no hope No rather say if new tentations arise and new lusts that break in and spoile say as David The Lord that delivered me out of the pawe of the Lion and out of the pawe of the Beare hee will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistim 1 Sam. 17.37 and as the Apostle We had the sentence
a death in him we trust that he will yet deliver us 2. Cor. 1.10 4. It workes more closing with Christ the death of comfort occasions a greater life and strength towards Christ both in desire of him and dependance upon him and for this cause God shakes the soule with earthquakes that it may stand faster upon its true basis and foundation that which at first brings the soule to Christ is his worth and our need and the more wee see our selves necessitous the more our hearts gather in to Christ the soule must have some rest and if it finde none within nor without it is carried to Christ as Noahs Dove to the Arke That which is the first coard to draw to him hath also a strength to bind to him therefore God gives his people sad visions of sin and wrath that by being shaken they may roote themselves more in Christ this was Gods great â—ime to set up his Son as the hope and helpe of his people and as that glorious meanes by which hee may diffuse the beames of his mercy and love upon men and hee loves to see the Saints advancing him by flying to him and abiding in him And the more they goe forth to Christ and seeke the Father in the Son the more they are blessed Christ is the rock of the Saints and when they are knit to it they stand fast the nearer they are to Christ the nearer are they to all happinesse God will not looke friendly upon the soule but through Christ he will not poure out the spirit of comfort but through him and as comfort comes by comming so the oftner the soule comes and the more it converseth with Christ and resteth on him the more comfort it will finde at last Christ will tell you many secrets and open his fathers bosome to you when you stick close to him And this advantage comes by desertions that the soule is so frighted with those stormes which it met with that it is afraid to bee any more out of its harbour but seekes to dwell under the wing of Christ and to keepe closer to him than ever it did before and so this affliction brings forth the peaceable fruit of righteousnesse in them which are exercised thereby Heb. 12.11 Cause 4 4. Cause The correcting and healing of some evill in his people He doth it for their profit that they may be partakers of his holinesse Heb. 12.10 There are many things in the Saints which are very repugnant to that filiall state in which they are set by grace and it is no wonder if God take such courses wherein he seemes not to bee a father to them that are not as children to him I will instance in some particular evils which God will not beare with but doth visit in his people with this and other rods 1. Deadnesse and dulnesse of heart Sometimes living men are in a livelesse state their hearts are so benummed that they seeme to lye among the dead the former vigor and activity of their graces is gone and they are become barren and unfruitfull now as in a lethargie or apoplexie Physitians use strong and sharpe medicines so God casts the soule into a feaver to get off this stupidity and hangs their soules over the mouth of hell and makes them to drink of that cup of red Wine the dregs whereof the wicked of the earth shall wring out and drinke Ps 75.8 that by this strong potion he may quicken their dull and sleepie spirits Deadnesse is such a state in which a man is neither receptive nor active neither fit to receive good nor to do good and such a case is not tolerable for in this Gods ends are stopped for he calleth out his people to be vessels to receive mercy to hold forth his name but he can doe neither that is dead Nature it selfe loves not a dead thing it is both unusefull and uncomely for where life faileth there is corruption as in the body a mortified member doth putrifie and not onely it selfe but others therefore as a man useth all meanes to recover the life and spirits in his body so God doth with his people David lay in a slumbering drousinesse a long time but at last when he lay like Ionah sleeping by the sides of the ship hee sent a storme into his soule to awake him then he revives like another man 2. Fearelesnesse of God this is a temper to which the Saints are apt to grow as Children are wont to grow sawcy and presumptuously malepert and irreverent till the fathers frowne and majesticke austerenesse take down their spirit God will not be carelesly dealt with though he allow us confidence and holy boldnesse in approach to him and converse with him yet he expects a due sense of his Majestie and greatnesse Let us have grace whereby we may serve God with reverence and godly feare for our God is a consuming fire Heb. 12.28 29. Though he be a father yet he is a terrible an holy and an Almighty God And therefore to correct the sinfull boldnesse of his people and to cause them to stand in awe of him hee sometimes shuts in his favour and keeps state by concealing himselfe as the Persian Kings shunned familiaritie and were seldome seene that they might be more a Persona Regis sub specie majestatis occulitur Iust l. 1. honoured The feare of God is one of the maine pillars of his throne and so farre as he is not our feare he is not our God therefore he hath ever shewed himselfe in his power and greatnesse unto men when he came to give the Law hee came in great Majesty with fire blacknesse and darknesse and tempest and the sound of a Trumpet c. and so terrible was the sight that Moses said I exceedingly feare and quake Heb. 12.18 19 21. yea and in the Gospell it was foretold that God would shew wonders in Heaven above and signes in the earth beneath blood fire and vapour of smoake the Sun shall be turned into darknesse and the Moone into blood before the great and terrible day of the Lord come Ioel. 2.31 Rom. 10.13 Acts 2.19 20 21. When he came to publish peace to the Gentiles hee came with great terror in judgement upon the Jewes and struck off the branch naturall that the Gentiles might not be high minded but feare Rom. 11.20 And in particular persons he so workes by intermixtures of frownes and favours majesty and mercy that they may learne to walke as those Churches did In the feare of the Lord and the comfort of the Holy Ghost Acts 9.31 It is not a servile seare or a feare of discouragement which God expects but a feare of reverence a feare intermixed and tempered with love there is a great difference in feares a man feares a beast and runs from him a man feares an enemie but hates him but a child feares his Father and loves him yea therefore hee feares because hee loves they shall feare the
will bring all the enemies of Christ under his feete and if there be a treacherous disposition like Ioab exalting Adoniah into the throne of David God will bring it downe Christ must have his owne place the throne must not be given to another If you so set up the world that you count it happinesse and seeke it more than Christ and are more carefull to leave this then Christ unto your children God will arme himselfe against you to subdue this treacherous conspiracy and rebellion against his anointed 5 Intractablenesse and stiffenesse of heart this is another cause of the clouding of our comfort God deales with the heart by coards of mercies and by bonds of affliction but mercies move not and afflictions prevaile not therefore God takes another course as Physicians when gentle meanes profit not apply sharper God wil not lose any whom he hath called therefore if they be stubborn and stand like rocks against all ordinary meanes he will come upon the tenderest part and use the sharpest way and when he comes in stormes and clouds who can abide it his rebukes are more terrible than thunder The spirit of a man may sustaine his infirmities but a wounded spirit who can beare Now the soule is hard set and comes upon her knees to submit her selfe and melts like waxe and yeelds to any thing it seeth an absolute necessity of agreement with God when it is beleaguerd with such trouble on every side David had enough upon him to have humbled him but his heart was strong till God put the cup of trembling into his hand and this wrought so that it fetched up all and brought the man in frame Clay is easily molded but the marble must have many blowes the Sun beames will melt the soft but brasse must be put into the fire A tender sprig is easily nipped but a stiffe Oake must be hacked and hewed before it falls A stout spirit brings much sorrow upon it It is a grievous temper if it be not bowed to God it groweth worse and worse if it be bowed it is often with great violence in naturall causes resistance increaseth the vigour and operation of contraries when fire and water meet in strong opposition how doth the stronger rage till he have got the victory If a man enter the lists with a stout a strong Antagonist he calls up all his spirits and power that he may get the conquest If a King send to deale with rebells if neither proffers nor patience nor counsells nor favours can prevaile he armes himselfe against them God will overcome if faire meanes doe not the worke then he awakes himselfe as a Lyon and comes as a man of warre and le ts flye his arrowes into the soule Iob 6.4 God tryed Ephraim divers waies but his heart yeelded not at last when warning pieces did not bring him God mounts his Canons against him and gives him a broad side For the iniquity of his covetousnesse I was wroth Isay 57.16.17 and then hee strikes sayle and yeelds Ierem. 31.19 6. Rigidnesse and unmercifulnesse to the spirituall state of others the Saints are sometimes much wanting in bowells of pitty and tendernesse and apt by censures neglects contempts and rough dealing to break the bruised reed it is hard to pitty much till they have felt much for this cause Christ was a man of sorrowes that we might be assured of his compassion c Haudignara mali miseris succurrere disco Dido Virg In all things it behooved him to be made like unto his brethren that he might be a mercifull and faithfull High Priest in things pertaining to God to make reconciliation for the sinnes of the people for in that he himselfe hath suffered being tempted he is able to succour them that are tempted Heb. 2.17 18. God chooseth broken vessels to powre comfort into that it may diffuse it selfe upon others Whether we be afflicted it is for your consolation 2 Cor. 1.6 Sense of the paines of a wounded spirit makes the heart tender and God loves such a spirit he abhorres pride insolence and unmercifulnesse in all but most in his children It is very unnaturall for fellow-members to be incompassionate one to another The relation requires love and love calls for mercy Christ is full of meeknesse and will not quench the smoaking flaxe nor breake the bruised reede and he that abounds in mercy loves mercy What if thy brother be low in gifts and grace yet know you not that the beauty of Christs body is made up as of the summetry and congruity so of the inequality of members and the least infant in grace is as the apple of his eye take heed of destroying by your uncharitable carriage the Temple of Christ or causing those to grieve whom he would not have grieved Is it for you whom he hath spared to deale so with your fellow servant your hard dealing is the way to bring you into prison and to lay you in chaines What if he be poore and meane yet looke not over him with disdaine Have not the faith of our Lord Iesus Christ the Lord of glory with respect of persons James 2.1 In this you are corrupt Judges Iudges of evill thoughts ver 4. these are chosen of God rich in faith heires of the Kingdome ver 5. If ye despise the poore it will occasion men to blaspheme that worthy name by which you are called ver 7. The Law saith If thou love thy neighbour as thy selfe ye doe well ver 8. You must be judged by this Law and hee shall have judgement without mercy that hath shewed no mercy ver 13. What if thy brother have many failings or have offended remember the rule Brethren if a man be overtaken with a fault restore such a one in the spirit of meekenesse considering thy selfe lest thou also be tempted Be are ye one anothers burthens and so fulfill the Law of Christ Gal. 6.1.20 Edoms sinne was great because he added affliction to Iacobs troubles Thou shouldest not have spoken proudly in the day of distresse c. As thou hast done it shall be done to thee thy reward shall returne upon thine owne head Obad. 12.15 7. Some great transgression there are dayly infirmities which have a pardon in course but though God be mercifull to the weaknesse of his servants yet if they sinne willingly and put out the light of Counsell he will put out the light of comfort If they breake the bonds of his government he will cast them into bonds of distresse David is a visible and knowne patterne in this case Sometimes the Saints take head and run like the wilde asse in the desart till her moneth come in which she hath tâ—avell and sorrow and sometimes they wound the honor of the gospel so bring a wound upon themselves a sword is sheathed in their soules and sometimes they will run to their old waies and this reneweth their old feares and breeds new troubles sometimes they lye long unhumbled
not sinfull where the affection and desire to duties is not quenched but held up in strength But when men do voluntarily lay downe their strength of holy endeavours in the wayes of God and move more slowly and negligently either much omitting or slightly performing the duties of godlinesse it is a signe that it is not with them as it hath beene Apoc. 2.4 5. 2. It is an abatement especially of such acts of grace as are internall and most proper to a godly man Especially in internal and most vitall actions as mourning for sinne rejoycing in God selfe judging heavenly improvement of the promises and providence of God desire of Christs appearing c. There may possibly be an holding up of duties externall as hearing prayer c. but if these inward actions and motions of the new man cease it is a certaine argument that a man is upon the losing hand Externall duties may be upheld by the power of conscience and other causes but those inward acts cannot spring but from an inward root Here Grace inherens is the womb and grace assistant is the mid wife the one gives disposition the other action so that when a man is lesse in these he hath lesse of God 3. In the abatement of externall acts In personall and secret duties there will be lesse done in personall and secret duties than in more publick duties which are with and before others pride and other civill respects may enkindle a false fire in a frozen heart the breath of applause may fill the sails move the ship which otherwise would lie still or move another way A Pharisaicall spirit will be much quickned with praise and glory and a servile spirit will be much provoked by feares men are content to doe more then they would sometimes through hope of the favour of men sometimes through feare of disfavour But such are moved not by the spirit that is from above but by the spirit that is in the world therefore judge your selves by secret acts follow your selves into your closets and retiring places and observe your diligence endevour and spirit in your hidden wayes and secret duties for what you are in them that you are indeed as then you may best take your height when you remove all advantages for if you stand upon any thing you will seeme higher then you are so you may best see the temper of your spirits when all externall enforcements are absent when you are your selves without the ingrediencies of respects to men to intermingle with your spirits As there will be lesse done in a time of desertion and an abatement of fruitfulnesse so you may discerne an indisposednesse By indisposednes and unmeetnesse to duties 1 Lesse willingnesse you may doe good Lesse willingnesse but it is rather as a taske r Nil nisi jussus agit Ovid. than a delight and you are not carried to it so much out of liking and contentment as by a compulsory judgement which layeth a necessity on you that you doe it as a debt and due which the law exacts upon paine of imprisonment but not as a free-will offering and Eucharisticall sacrifice When the heart is filled with God its delight is with him and he yeelds obedience in love and counts his worke wages an evill heart is hardly drawne to good it quarrels with the rule and is loath to be bound David when he was in distemper and left in the rage of his corruption was not willing to be limited by the law of God but when he was himselfe then he loved it Psal 119.129 Gold and silver was not so precious he chose it v. 137. he took it as his portion vers 57. I said oh Lord this is my portion I will keep thy words Å¿ Calvin in loc When a man enjoyeth God his walking with God is his life he is much affected with converse with him partly through love and sutablenesse to God in respect of which he is the Centre to which he tends and in which he rests partly through respect to the recompence which he hath in hope and partly for the sense of sweetnesse which he hath in his converse God meeting his servants with satisfying comforts sweet embracements and blessed coruscations and beames of mercy and loving kindnesse so that they say in their hearts with David It is good for me to draw near to God Psal 37.28 Yea love mightily commandeth and enclineth the hearts to duties but when a man is in greater distance from God then the pleasant wayes of holinesse which were to the soule as a delightfull Paradife are become as the way of a desart a way of thornes and briars a wearisome and unpleasant path 2 That zeale fervencie which you had will be much weakned Lesse zeal and fervency when God is with a man by powerfull and plentifull supplies of the spirit he musters up all the powers of his soule and cals in all his abilities to wait on God and to doe him service So David Praise the Lord O my soule and all that is within me blesse his holy name Psal 103.1 Observe with what contention and strength you were wont to doe what you did for if now you put lesse to it and goe on in a way of spirituall lazinesse and sloth it 's sure there is a diminution of heavenly influence this seemeth to be the case of the Church in the greatest part of it which caused the Prophet to complaine There is none that calleth upon thy name or stirreth up himselfe to take hold of thee Esay 64.7 CHAP. VII When a man is deserted his light is darkned THe second change which you may discerne in your selves The second change in one deserted is in his light is in your light and sight the eye of the soule that gate of spirituall life and death suffers and this being weakned a man is like Sampson when his eyes were put out t Plerumque oculus contemplationis amittitur post per carnis desideria hujus mundi laboribus animus subjugatur Testatur Sampson c. Greg. l. 7. mor. c. 13. apud Alvar. de auxil grat disput 46. num 2. brought into great misery bondage A four fold evill when God hides himselfe 1 Obscurity 2 Inefficacie 3 Vacuity 4 Incredulity 1 Obscurity Obscurity God shines not into the soule with such abundant light as before u Illuminatio intermittitur intenditur remittitur quis qui spiritum Christi sensit negarit aliquando contingere ut in majori aliquando in minori luce versetur Camer amic collat p. 55. but withdrawes himselfe from the intellectuall part and this causeth a withering and dying in the whole man for as our light is so is our life Psal 119.144 Here is the root of the maine difference betwixt Christians true and false strong and weake one seeth things as another seeth not A wicked man that is learned though he seeme to have light
lesse of God as when the Sun is clouded all things are proportionably clouded and obscured Againe if God actuate not and stir not up the minde to enquire after him and to behold him it will be but as the eye of the body in the time of sleepe which seeth nothing till it be awakened And lastly except God fasten and fix the minde upon himselfe and other spirituall objects it will be wandering and he that goeth from the Sunne goeth into darknesse This is the first of those evils forenamed which befals the minde in a time of desertion it is darkned though it have light still yet not so much though it see as much as it did extensively yet not intensively as a weake eye may see as many things as a better eye yet it seeth not so fully and clearely you may know all things that you have knowne but yet not iâ— that cleare and spirituall manner yet note that habituall light is not impaired but those beames of light which God is wont to cast into the soule are lessened And when it is thus with you that you have declined in your acquaintance with God and in your apprehension of the sinfulnesse of sinne the beauty of holinesse the excellency of Christ the preciousnesse of the covenant you have cause to sit downe and weepe for you have not so much of God in you as you have had CHAP. VIII The light and notions of a deserted man have not their former efficacie to affect impell repell and humble the heart THe second evill that befals the minde is inefficacie The second evill that befals the minde is inefficacie Prov. 10.27 vide Drus qu. Hebr. l. r. q. 11. The understanding by its light should be as the compasse in the ship to guide and order men and as the sailes and wings to set all in Motion and as the anchor to hold up in all stresses but when God leaves a man to himselfe how weake is this light and unable to discharge its office it hath not those effectuall operations that it had upon the soule 1 A man is not so affected with the things that he knoweth Not affecting as in former dayes time was when the apprehension of Gods love did worke mightily melting to repentance quickning to obedience encouraging to confidence filling the heart with gladnesse and glorying and the mouth with praises and songs of rejoycing but now the thoughts of divine love doe not so raise the heart So time was when the sight of sinne was a wound to the soule casting shame into the face and causing griefe in the heart but now you can behold your sinnes and cannot say as in the dayes of old Mine eye hath wounded my heart Lament 3.51 This weaknesse and inefficacie of knowledge is a signe you are in an ill case 2 A man is not so impelled to duty where God is present with much assistance Not impelling to good and abundant influences of his spirit there he rules and holds his subjects in a strict obedience the scepter by which he ruleth is the Word but not the word as it is written with Inke and lieth in the letter but as it is engraven in the heart and as it is in the throne seated in the understanding yea and as it is swayed by that invisible hand which worheth mightily in those that beleeve Ephes 1.19 When God holds backe the working of this power spirituall truths lie bound hand and foot and put not forth themselves in their former regall power which they did exercise as Gods Vicegerents and Vicerours to command and governe but the heart enjoyes a wofull liberty and tolleration in a barren and unfruitfull conversation the Majesty and mercy of the great and gracious God doth not constraine b 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 significantius forsan constrictos tenet nos ut luc 19.43 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hen. Steph as it doth in those who enjoy God 2 Gor. 5.14 But as if the heart had none to feare and nothing to hope for or none to judge it it is dull carelesse and heedlesse in former dayes the minde which is Gods statute booke and the monitor in a man was often suggesting counsels and perswasions crying as that voice Esay 30.21 This is the way walke in it when ye turne to the right hand and to the left that is in all your wayes but now it is silent and become like those idoll shepherds that had eyes and saw not and tongues but spake not it was as a law having an obligatory and binding power Rom. 7.23 so that there was no peace but in holy walking but now that light is become weake and the whole man is out of order 3 A man is not so restrained as he was Not restraining from evill this is one office of an enlightned minde to be as a bridle to corruptions and a checke to impetuous lusts there is a great power in the naturall mans conscience when God awakens it and sets it on to limit the boundlesse spirits of men unregenerate as we see in â—â— laam who though he had a good mind to pleasure Balack in hope of profit yet durst not the light within him durbed him and held him so strongly back that a house full of silver and gold could not draw him but when God for the hardnesse of mens hearts ceaseth to quicken this light it becomes weake and men are let loose to all evill as those Rom. 1.26 because they imprisoned the truth which would have ruled in them therefore God gave them up to a reprobate minde c 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. mentem sine judicio Beza at hoc minus malum est saepe naturale mens ergo reproba est judicium perversum distortum pravum quo insanda juditabant licita Cor. a Lapid Est Paraeus c. Vid. Camer defens finem versus So in the godly there is a renewed conscience an understanding enlightned with saving light which while God by continuall pulsations and motions keeps waking becomes a strong banke to preserve the soule from the overflowing rage of sinne but when God ceaseth to worke in it then the heart is left like a ship in a storme when her cables breake or faile David in his grievous foile which he suffered knew that adultery was a sinne yet God not adding his influence to this light it became too weake to raise up resolutions sufficient and to chaine up that monster in his soule 2 Sam. 11. And Asah had light enough to convince him what a sinne it was to rob Gods treasury to make a present to send to the King of Syria that he might curry favour with him yet he adventures upon this sacriledge his knowledge could not hold his hands from doing evill no not from imprisoning the prophet who did his duty 2 Chron. 16. so that if you be lesse restrained by your knowledge it is a signe that the power of God is not so much put forth
if he to whom it is brought cannot read it he will not beleeve him or accept him Now God hath revealed himselfe by the creation Rom. 1.19 20. all the creatures are as so many witnesses to reason it selfe that there is a God which made all but reason is deafe and heares not That sound that is gone through the world Psal 19. or heares it so weakly that it cannot settle and quiet it selfe in this truth that God is and that he made the worlds so that our faith even in these things is not onely from the light of nature but also and especially from the light of the spirit and according as this light is afforded more or lesse so doth our faith vary in it's operation by the weaknesse and blindnesse that remaines upon the understanding though it be renewed the minde is disabled to answer these various and snarling objections which are conceived in this fruitfull wombe how many reasonings and strange disputes doth the carnall minde when it is left to it selfe forge against the truth which doe so cloud and puzzle the soule that it is often strangely foyled As those Gentiles being left of God became vaine in their imaginations Rom. 1.21 So the Saints themselves when God shutteth in the light of his spirit are full of dangerous reasonings entangling thoughts the Psalmist beholding the manner of Gods dealing with the wicked and with the godly that they prospered and these were asslicted from hence argues so strangely that he had almost beene soiled but that God did guide him with his counsels and upheld him by his right hand Psal 73. So Moses though God had told him what he would doe for the provision of his people consulting with reason had this answer from it Can God prepare a table in the wildernesse Num. 11. I need not insist upon instances of this nature the minde is very active and quick in working and is able to lose it selfe in doubts and perplexing reasonings but it is not so able without divine assistance to untie her knots and to free her selfe 2 Cause is Satan whose worke it is to molest the Saints Satans working he is full of all knowledge so that he knowes how to weave the most subtilenets to toyle the soule and he hath a way into a man by the phantasie where he is able both to keepe the thoughts working upon some strong imagination and ensnaring reasoning and to suggest new hence it comes about that a man is so mightily and uncessantly pursued with doubts and strong workings of unbeliefe that there is scarce an article of his faith so rooted in him but by these blustering and tempestuous winds it is at one time or other much shaken These then are the causes of the new and strong working of incredulity Atheisme which as it seemed by former force and power of supernaturall light to have beene buried doth in a time of desertion rise up againe to the great affrightment and disturbance of the heart CHAP. XI Of the change and alteration of affections in case of desertion where is spoken of love hope hatred c. with their sad abatements THe third change which a man deserted may finde in himselfe Third change in one deserted is in his affections in respect of his graces is in the affections these are the pulses of the soule by which judgement may be made of the state and temper of the soule the affections are but severall acts and motions of the will according to the quality distance and absence of objects presented to it And the will is the principall subject of holinesse herein the graces are most scituated and planted this is the throne wherein they reigne and rule so that the affections do much discover the state of a man grace hath its birth in the understanding but her seat in respect of the greater part in the will it is seminally in the minde actually and formally in the will especially therefore as I said the will is much to be observed in its tempers and inclinations and motions which are the affections of the soule as we call them Now these affections I referre that I may instance in particulars to two heads according to the principall objects of them which are 1 God and things spirituall 2 Sinne and things carnall As the heavens are moved upon her two poles so the affections are conversant about these two objects First of the affections which looke upward and have God and Christ and heavenly things for their object These affections are all comprised in love g Aquin. 1.2 ae q. 28. a. 6. as among the disliking affections hatred doth vertually contain the rest as griefe fear anger c. so in the liking affections love doth comprehend the rest of that kinde as desire delight joy hope c. these being but the children of love or severall acts of love Now the acts of love towards God and things above are principally three 1 Desire 2 Hope 3 Delight By desire and hope love extends it selfe towards God as absent by delight she enjoyes him as present Desire is love in motion Delight is love in rest Hope is Love having motion in her rest and rest in her motion and in expectation there is neither perfect rest nor perfect motion 1 Desire There will be a great change in this Desires abated so that when God denieth his wonted influence for what is desire but the soules following of God and there is a decay in this proportionable to the abatement of Gods drawing for so far only as God draweth we follow Cant. 1.4 Ioh. 6.44 The abatement of desires will shew it selfe in two things 1 There will be lesse prayer and endeavour to enjoy God Prayer is the presenting of our desires to God there is lesse prayer and endeavour and he that is full of desires is full of prayers the soule that longs after God breathes out many sighs and prayers and teares unto the Throne of Grace and is ever reaching after him h Non requiescit amor in quacunque supersiciali adeptione amati sed quaerit amatum perfecte habere quasi ad intima illius perveniens c. Aqu. 1.2 ae q. 28. a. 2. that it may apprehend him Phil. 3. If God be present it hangs upon him with humble entreaties not to depart from him if absent he flieth after him with mournfull complaints and cries that he would returne to him he cannot be answered or quieted if he finde not the losses and ruines of his spirit to be repaired But where the heart is still and silent in her evils over run with darknesse deadnesse earthlynesse and other like dolefull evils and yet puts not up her prayers or if prayers yet not cries being either no suter or at least no begger but quietly contents her selfe in her way here desires after God are very low The like may be said of all endeavours desires are active if you are become more slacke and
and friends and all the sweetest accommodations of this life yet as the child that wants the nurses breast is not quieted with bables no not bracelets of pearles oâ— chaines of gold but it must have the breast so he still pursues God anâ— is not satisfied till he get his hard hearâ— softened his dull heart quickned his darke heart enlightned and God returning againe into the tabernacle of his soule to fill it with the glory and power of his presence and so farre as he gaines in this he is at peace if God open the well of life and cause the streames thereof to flow in upon him iâ— he come in with power to destroy his lusts to quicken awaken and establish the soule hee counts it a greater happinesse than to possesse a crown counâ— â—t a greater happinesse then to possesse a crowne or heape of pearles or mines of gold The second act of love is hope In Desertion hope is weakned this is an act of the will extending it selfe towards that which it loves as future it is of great use to a Christian it is an anchor to uphold in troubles and a goad to excite to endeavour yet such â—s our folly that though all Christians have a saving hope yet few have a living hope that is to say such a hope is lives in them and gives life unto them but most rest in a poore faint â—eeble hope seldome improving this grace except in the day of feares sorrowes troubles and of death But surely if hope be abated a man â—s abated in his communion with the God of hope And the decayes of â—ope are in some of these three things 〈◊〉 in all in the Certainty of hope in the Acts of hope in the Efficacie of hope 1 For the certainty Certaine hopes â—re not onely mans portion In its certainty though there be a certainty in the object yet not alwayes in the subject Hope in the Saints respects the good hoped for in a three-fold degree of futurity Some hope for heaven as possible onely this is the lowest pitch of hope Some hope for heaven as probable though they have hope of attaining yet not without feare of missing some hope for heaven as certainâ—â— and infallible The hope of possibility is a weak hope the hope of probability is a fluctuatin hope the hope of certainty is a setlâ—â— hope that which the Apostle cals the Plerophorie or full assurance of hope Heb 6.11 Now as in other parts sâ— in this the Saints are subject to declension but where it so fareth that a man hope is clouded and enfeebled so that from a triumphant and joyfull expectation and waiting for of heavenly glory he is fallen into an habituall anxietie and dubiousnesse of minde it argueth that he enjoyeth not God as he hath done 2 For the acts of hope In the acts Note Hope hath two acts 1 Desire 2 Expectation The one is the reaching forth of the will to the thing promised the other hath two things which constitute it 1 The fixing of the soule upon the thing desired 2 The resting of the soule in the futurity of it Concerning these I will propound three things for your triall 1 The acts of hope are decayed Not so compleat where there is not that compleatnesse in them that hath beene as desire of heaven without minding it I or some slight desire and scattering thoughts of it without a patient and joyfull waiting for it 2 Where there is not that frequencie of these acts that hath been Not so frequent as when you doe not so often long and looke for heaven not so often minde it and feed your hearts in the expectation of it 3 Where there is not that fulnesse in these acts which hath beene Not so intense as when your heart doth not so eagerly desire it but hath lost her former breathings and pantings after it not So looking for and hasting to it 2 Pet. 3.12 And when it doth not dwell above but hath lost her habitation which shee had in heaven and hath pitched up tents unto her selfe in the world and when it doth not comfort it selfe in the remembrance of the promise and solace it selfe in the thoughts of its future blessednesse it is certaine here is a decay in the acts of hope 3 For the efficacie of hope In its efficacy not working note that a lively hope is an efficacious hope and as there are many precious effects of it so I will instance in foure 1 Prizing of the promise Appretiation of the promise faith coÌ„mends the promise unto hope it reveales the worth and truth of it and then hope takes it and hugs it so that it reckons it as its treasure and feeds upon it as its Manna which God hath given to refresh the soule in this desert when you forget your consolation and let the promises lie as a thing of no account when you afford them not roome yea the highest roome in your hearts when you build not your peace on this pillar and sucke not your joyes from these breasts surely all is not well your hopes are diminished 2 Moderation of the affection to the world Hope doth elevate the heart Moderation towards the world Where a mans treasure is there will his heart be also Matth. 6. If you be grown more proud in abundance more covetous after what you have not more discoÌ„tented with what you have your hearts are againe entangled in the love of the world and fallen from the heights of heavenly hope 3 Quickning endeavour Hope makes a man willing constant chearefull diligent Abundant diligence abundant in endeavours therefore if you strive lesse you hope lesse 4 Making able to suffer This steeled the Saints with courage and patience in persecution yea Constant patience this made them to rejoyce yea glory in tribulation for Christ Rom. 5.3 Encrease of feares of the crosse and of impatience in suffeâ—ing argueth a decrease of the efficacie and vigour of hope 3 The third act of love is delight this is a sweet contentment of heart in God and in the things of God In Desertion delight in God lessened a complacencie or taking pleasure in God and according to the degree of love is oâ—â— delight in God the same love that quickens desire and hope after God as absent sheweth it selfe in delighting in him as present It is true God is in a sense absent from us while we are in the world 2 Cor. 5.6 that is we have not fully attained Phil. 3.12 but yet he is also present he is present 1 to faith for faith hath a propheticall eye to see that as present which is absent and a magneticall hand to draw unto it selfe that which is afarre off and he is â— present to sense for we taste and feele his power and goodnesse and so farre as the soule that loves him enjoyeth him it joyeth in him Appearing therefore if your delight be lesse
to each other by kinde entreating of their Ambassadours Judge thy selfe if thou hast been formerly fearfull jealous watchfull but now art growne heedlesse bold ventrous yea not only lesse fearing occasions of sin but also more delighting in them it is a sure sign that the temper of thy spirit is corrupted thou art growne worse 2. The law of God is lesse loved there are two branches of the law precepts The law lesse loved and prohibitions and our natures will more easily imbrace the one than the other we many times are content to doe much if the law require this or that we yeeld and consent to it but to be limitted and barred is most distastefull when men love their sins though they like not the law prohibiting those sins And looke into your selves for so strangely doe the regenerate sometimes degenerate that sometimes it is a displeasing thing that there should bee any law to crosse and thwart their desires and lusts yea to be angry with them that hold this law unto them so good Asah was overtaken 2 Chron. 16. the Seer struck at his sin with this sword of the spirit Asah stands up in defence of his sin and smites the Seer oh how far may the heart goe out from God what a thing is this that a renewed man should so farre decline as to love that which God hates and so to love it as to reject God to harbour it and to say in his heart oh that there were no bonds that I might be free oh that I had my will then would I repeale that law and returne to sin Lesse prayer against sin yet this is sometimes found but it is a signe of a man much estranged from the life of God 3. His prayer will be lesse against his sin that which we hate is our burthen and so far as the soule hates it it desires to be freed from it m Est intentio odii no cere nec cessat in laesione peccati sed in exterminio Gul. Paris de Rhet. Divin c. 23. Vere poenitens est Iuratus in mortem peccatorum ib. See how the Apostle cryeth out as a man tyred with the chaines of a grievous bondage Oh wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from this body of death Rom. 7. Yea and when hee felt his sinne stirring hee prayes and prayes and prayes againe to heaven for help 2 Cor. 12. There is a praying against sin while yet the heart is towards it but it is fearefull mockery of that Majesty to whom wee pray it may be a mans case that the power of conscience may enforce and extort prayer for subduing of sin and yet the power of sin may be such that it may hold the heart in the love of it But if you slacke in the sincerity and fervency of your prayers for mortifying grace you have abated in hatred of sin In the next place comes griefe for sin a grief rising and springing from the bowells of love to God this is a speciall grace which as it is from God so it is honoured with the promise of Gods presence For thus saith the high and loftie one that inhabiteth eternitie whose name is holy I dwell in the high and holy place with him also that is of a contrite and an humble spirit to revive the spirit of the humble and to revive the heart of the contrite ones Isay 57.15 As when the streames are shallower it hath lesse of the fountaine so the lesse godly sorrow the lesse of God u 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Proverb graec when a man is not so frequent in humbling his soule nor so full of griefe when sins wounds are not so grievous as they have been he hath no cause to 〈◊〉 downe and lament his case for God is departed in a great measure from him CHAP. XII The second rule to judge of Desertion is taken from the increase of sinne where how the increase of sinne may be knowne THe second rule to guide in the judgment of this matter whether a may be deserted or not is the consideration of his sinnes where sin is increased there is lesse of God sin is contrary to godlinesse and the nature of all contraries is that the intention and increase of the one is the remission and decrease of the other as in the ayre when there is most darknesse then there is leas◠light when the spirit of holinesse is present in his powerfull working then the power of sin is weakned but when he withdrawes his influence then sinne breakes out as when the Sun sets then the beasts that lay before lurking in their dennes come forth with roarings and howlings for their prey and as when the King is gone out of his kingdome then the trayterous rebells who before concealed themselves rise up in armes to work their wils And it must needs be that upon Gods departure and his ceasing the acts and operations of his power in the soule When God departs sin increaseth that sin must revive and returne upon a man with a renewed strength and prevaile much For 1. First Satan is vigilant For 1. Satan takes the opportunity and takes his time to doe all the mischief that he can when God leaves a man he seekes to make a re-entry as theeves break open houses and pill and spoyle in the absence of the master And indeed when God thus leaves the soule there is not a meere Desertion onely but a tradition also of a man into the hands of Sathan God permitting him to deale with the soule in a sort as with Iobs body to lay his hand on them to spoyle them to smite them with many soares and though he cannot slay them yet he may much hurt them so that they come out of his hands as the man in the Gospell that fell among theeves and was robbed and wounded and left half dead Luke 10.30 2. Sinne is potent Sinne is a potent thing it hath indeed many things against it but more for it and onely God above it so that if God cease to watch and keepe the heart in his way and to keep down this monster it will be stirring Take a short view of the power o◠sin It is compared to an husband which overcomes by kindnesse to a Lord which prevailes by power yea it is compared to the things of the greatest power it is called a Conquerour leading all in captivity a tyrant holding all in bondage a King holding all in subjectiō and draw near and see the strength of it Consider the City that she is mured in it is man an active creature and as fire is more fierce in gunpowder that in wood and rebellion stronger in a generall than in a peasant so sin is stronger for the subject of it hence it come that the devils exceed man in wickednesse because their natures are more active and more potent sin also is in the whole man therefore as fire that hath hold in every
when sin hath thus revived and is become stronger Ans It will be necessary to consider foure things When sin is growne stronger it may be known by The roote The branches The soyle The fruit 1. The roote of sin First the roote which is the life of the plant is in the root and there is something which hath the resemblance of a roote to sin in the soule by the meanes whereof sin lives 1. Affection Affection and the minde 2. Vnderstanding The affection and love of sin is the life of it then sin dyeth when we hate it then it lives when we love it hence flow all resolutions to sin and all voluntary acts of sin and all yielding to tentations and occasions of sin love is an affection begetting union and action a man is desirous to be and doe that which he loves judge then theincrease of the power of sinne by the increase of love to sinne There are foure degrees of love to sinne Foure degrees of love to sin 1 Degree is a non-resolution against it t Cum non sit dicendus velle qui quod potuit non confecit non vult proculdubio resistere qui non facit quod potest ut resistat Aug. apud Parisiens which is when though a man be not come to a resolution to fulfil his lust Non-resolution against it yet he is not at all or but slightly resolved against it his hatred against it is not sogreat as hath beene therefore his watch is neglected his sinne connived at the course of mortification slacked though he open not the doore to entertaine sinne yet he leaves it unlocked and unbarred that if occasion present it selfe sinne may not be excluded u Planevult qui plene non est nolens qui deliberat descivit 2 An allowed desire of sinne desire is love or an act of love tending to that which pleaseth and suteth with the heart and as hatred begetteth an aversion Allowed desire so love begets desire when you finde a leaning and hankering and lusting unto sinne with allowance it is a signe of love and this is a wofull temper of spirit a Malorum ultimum est malasua amare ubi turpia non solum delectant sed etiam placent Sen. ep 39. 3 A resolution to runne to sinne when the heart hath decreed with it selfe that it will doe evill it is a signe of a great strength of sinne when a man retaines a purpose of sinning and for the most part is a token of a rotten heart What greater strength of sinne can there be imagined Resolution then against reason religion vowes threats promises heaven hell to maintaine a resolution of evill in the heart this begets a desperate prosecution of sinne and argueth a great measure of Atheisme and contempt of God and is ever joyned in persons enlightned with a resisting of the Holy Ghost in the counsels of his Word and the checks and dictates of conscience 4 A delightfull acting of sinne Delightful a â—ing and taking pleasure in unrighteousnesse as here the acts of sinne are very sinfull because the more an evill act is wilfull the more it is sinfull so the power of sinne is very great because the more it is in delight the more in the will and the more it hath of the will the stronger it is The second thing which is a part of the root The other root is the minde Which feedeth sinne and the maine part is the understanding as it is in the root of the tree one part conveyes sap to another and then that coveyeth sap into the tree so here affection feeds action and the minde feeds affection the minde gives strength to sinne 1 By good opinion of it that fleshly wisdome that is in us By good opinion of it that carnall minde is wholly for the strengthning of sinne and the more this ministers that which gives life to sinne the stronger it is as in the Church so in every particular man there is a false prophet and a beast the beast of sensuality and brutish lusts and the false prophet of carnall wisdome working miracles before the beast raising up many representations of a bewitching nature by which lust is quickned and strengthned now while Christ rules with power in the soule the beast is bound and the false prophet is silenced but when he departs then they are loosed and walke up and downe with power and deceit woring in the heart 2 In a word By working for it when the corrupt minde works unto sinne sinne is growne Quest How doth it worke unto sin Answ 1 By diverting it selfe from the thoughts that might detaine the heart from sinne By diversion being voluntarily inconsiderate 2 By studying to defend it b Excusare non excutere Sen. Protection either making it no sinne or small sinne being willingly carelesse to search and enquire into the utter sinfulnesse and exceeding danger of sinne 3 Drawing the heart to sinne by speculation Attraction presenting sinne to the heart as fire to powder by perswasion suggesting the sweetnesse advantage necessity smalnesse secrecie and singularity of the sinne or the possibility facility and efficacie of repentance to remove the guilt of it or such like shifts or stratagems doth the corrupt minde use by these perswasions and suggestions as by cords drawing and by gins entrapping the heart in sin now when the operations and efficacie of the minde in this kinde are increased then sinne is strengthened in the root 2 Consider the branches of your sinne The increase of sinne appeares in the branches as it is a signe the tree groweth when it spreads in this spreading of sinne observe 1 When thy sinfulnesse spreads into grosse sinnes When it spreads into grosse sinnes such as the Apostle cals the manifest fruits of the flesh Gal. 5.19 and the defilements of the world 2 Pet. 2.20 thou hast cause to reckon that thy sinne hath regained much strength 2 When it spreads unto many sinnes Into many sinnes and various lusts when swarmes of evils and many sinfull distempers are put forth as pride and envie and passion and earthlinesse and unbeleefe and impatience and the like it is a signe a disease hath much prevailed in the body when it hath brought it into a generall weaknesse so when distemper and sicknesse hath over-spread the soule so that it is every way disabled to an holy walking and over-run with various and manifold corruptions it is evident that sin hath gained 3 When those sins sprout up with liking Sinnes bewailed which you have confessed and bewailed if there were not a strong streame of sinfulnesse in your soule such a dam of resolutions and vows as is made with teares and heavinesse in repentance could not be so borne downe 3 Consider the fruits of sin The increase of sinne appeares in the fruits which are 1 Inclination which are 2 Action First inclination
Proposition It is safer to exceed then to come short it is safer to extend you selves by over-abounding then to c◠short it savours of a better spirit wh◠a man is free though in excesse the when he is slack and back ward and is not so much evil by abounding so◠what to pinch the flesh as by abating suffer losse in the spirit the things the concern the body are not of such va◠as those that concerne the soule 〈◊〉 so much the more cause you have 〈◊〉 ther to leane to the right hand because as there is a greater worth in the w◠on the right hand so there is usually disposition inclining rather to the 〈◊〉 hand Few men offend in passing their bounds More men are found defective in giving almes then excessive and so where one is in any way of piety carried with too full a gale an hundred lye becalmed where one piece is more than weight many are found too light 4 Proposition Fourth Proposition A man must not make his disposition a rule alway Which in three cases is hardly bounded That a man must not be ruled by his own disposition but must seek arule to walk by for in some men the heart hangs with perpetuall hungring after converse with God that if there were nothing to limit them they would scarce doe any thing else and there are three things draw the heart still unto God 1 Great comforts in meeting God in duty Great comforts these make the soule to say as David It is good for me to draw neare to God Psal 73.28 When God opens himselfe and his treasures and lets in his people to his presence and feasts them with spirituall and joyfull sights and tasts this makes them loath to leave but they hang unto duties as the child to the breast and finding so sweet a conjunction of plenty and sweetnesse are filled with delight and are ready to say to all things else as Abraham to his servant when he went up to the mount Stay thou in the valley the spouse vns with her beloved and found him as a apple tree among the trees of the forrest whose fruit was sweet unto her taste hee led her into his wine-cellar and she was ravished with his love and greatly solaced in his sweet embraces and now see what care shee takes to keep that which she joyed to have and feared to lose I charge you oh ye daughters of lerusalem that ye stir not up nor wake my beloved till he please Cant. 2.7 But in such a case it is a point of obedience and self-deniall for a man to leave his banquet to do that which he is called to and we should so prefer God to all our comforts as to bee content to come downe with Moses from the Mount when he hath businesse for us below 2 Love to God Great love this is of a living and large disposition and apt to draw the heart much out he that loves come as a friend he loves to come and converse with God and even then when his necessities are not urgent yet his heart is drawing heaven-wards as the wife loves to be with her husband c. 3 Necessitousnesse of spirit Great necessities when one is sensible of great wants great corruptions tentations feares then he is apt to be over-solicitous and active especially when such an afflicted spirit hath either both of these two things 1 An opinion that all good lyeth in duties When men thinke that a hard heart may be softned a stiffe heart bowed a corrupt heart changed and all good attained by labour and sweate men that know what it is to want these will worke even their soules out of breath and are so carried with desire of the good that they are not sensible of the labour But remember all lyeth in Christ and therefore you must seek it from Christ by the meanes if you make duty and endeavour your refuge you are deceived 2 If there be an opinion that God will not accept lesse this is the case of many they have been at prayer and that not only in sincerity but with importunity and with a full tyde of spirit and yet they are afraid to betake themselves to their employments out of opinion that they have not done that which is sufficient but that their occasion and necessity cals for more still but herein men have under-thoughts of God as if he were like the gods of the heathen that did not heare or as if hee were hard to be entreated For a close of this businesse I will in a briefe view present some things that are considerable in way of satisfaction in such cases Farther considerations to cleare the question 1 Distinguish between occasions and duties ordinary and extraordinary Distinguish betwixt duties ordinary and extraordinary for as when an extraordinary or great person comes all stand by and give him place which we will not if an ordinary and common man come so affaires and things of the world and nature doe stand for their own and will not be set aside for ordinary duties to waite at the closet dore as when an extraordinary service is performed Your time is divided betwixt heaven and earth therefore you must not only give to both but with equality each must have his owne 2 There is a time to waite as well as to work Know there is a time to waite as well as to work when you have presented your suites with what strength you are able now faith must come in and lay hold upon the promise and you ought to beleeve that God heareth for you have his word The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous and his eares are open to their prayers Psal 34.15 Remember you come not to God to obtain a promise and grant but it is obtained in Christ you must only sue it out by prayer and whatsoever you aske in Christs name beleeving you shall receive it Mat. 21.22 so Davids practise he begins often with prayer but ends with praise it is want of faith that causeth unquietnesse though you should not rest in your duties yet you should rest in the promise if God heare not at first yet he will heare at last yea he heares when you thinke hee heares not But you must give God time that is all he requires the thing shall be yours but the time is his doe with your prayers as with your seed be patient til God come Behold the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth and hath long patience for it untill he receive the early and the latter rain Ja. 5.7 Be ye also patient stablish your hearts for the comming of the Lord draweth nigh When you have preferred a petition to the King you do not fall presently to write another but you waite a time convenient and then you move again so doe with God the doore is open you may come again in due time but live by faith and
hearts to himselfe and the Saints doe not rest in these they doe not match with the handmaides the fruits of Gods love are sweet When for losse not onely as bitter but as a signe of Gods displeasure and because they are sweet therefore God is precious Christ is pretious to them that beleeve 1 Pet. 2.7 4. When your sorrow is not onely for the losse as it is your evill but also as it betokeneth displeasure in God a true friend is grieved when his friend leaves him and casts him off not onely for his owne great losse but for his friends anger he can as well be without his friend as without his love and is as loath his friend should be displeased as himselfe endammaged 5. When because by this losse you are disabled to serve him When your sorrow is that you have lesse strength to serve him grace hath a great recompence in it selfe but can you grieve that by bringing your selves into this state of deadnesse you have lived to little honour to your God When you can submit to all tearmes of reconcilement and are not now able to doe much for him this is ingenuous sorrow 6. When you can gladly submit to all conditions of reconcilement and of restauration though God require much or impose much yet you count all nothing in comparison of God can you say Lord command me chide rebuke smite doe what thou wilt ſ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 inquit Themistocles Eurybiadi plagasque minanti dum sanum in praelio cōsilium decerit Plut. though it be through a desart yea through a Sea of straits and troubles yet I am content to goe so I may arrive at last at my desired end if I may have thy good presence it shall be enough if thou wilt come to me if I may come to thee every way shall be sweet though I goe thorow thornes and bryars to the raking of my flesh and the effusion of my blood yet this shall be nothing to me if I may enjoy my God who is all in all to me When your sorrow is ingenuous then you will find God yea indeed he hath found much whose frozen heart begins to thawe and to dissolve it selfe in showres of teares for the return of God unto his deserted soule the Lord hath looked upon thee if with Peter thou weep bitterly t Tunc peccator visitatur a Domino quando compungitur ad lacrymas nam et Petrus tunc flevit quando in eum Christus respexit Bern. de mod bene viv ser 10. Secondly bewaile the cause this is part of that cure which the great Physitian of soules prescribed to Ephesus languishing in a like disease I have somewhat against thee Bewaile the cause of the losse because thou hast left thy first love remember therefore from whence thou art fallen and repent Apoc. 2.4 5. Quest Whether the substraction of the quickning influences of the spirit be alway for sinne Ans 1 Answ 1. Sometimes it is like he doth it not because his people have sinned but for higher ends as Peter was left to be strangely foyled with fears of suffering falling exceedingly beneath his former spirit and resolution yet not for any particular sin of his but as it is likely that he might see how unable he was of himselfe that so all the glory of his future heroick acts and sufferings might come not to himselfe but unto Christ and so Paul was buffetted that he might not be exalted God let loose Satan not to punish but to prevent his sin 2 Cor. 10. so the case stood with the blinde man John 9.3 Ans 2 2 There is also cause in us though God make it not a cause to himselfe and to his action therefore your way is to consider your wayes Ans 3 3 God usually doth it for sin and if you search the Scriptures they testifie that sin is the usuall spring of this evill Sin separates betwixt us Esay 59.2 he bath threatned If we forsake him he will forsake us 2 Chron. 15.3 Quest Quest How a man may finde out what sin is the cause Answ Answ First sometimes the cause 〈◊〉 visible and a man can scarce look besides it 1. When upon some particula◠grosse failing a damp hath fallen upon him in such a case God points at the sin and discovers the cause of his displeasure by this sudden punishment inflicted on him Scriptures afford man◠instances of discovering the sin by th◠time of the punishment 2 It may be there hath been an eminent neglect of those meanes by which life was upheld and grosse carelesnesse in omission or palpable remissenesse is duties vanity of minde sinfull affections and other evils connived at have so broken in that a man may plainly se◠the time when his fall began and whe◠his sun began to set Secondly Upon consideration 〈◊〉 though the cause be not transparent i◠may be discovered and for help in this I will propound foure rules 1 Pursue your losse and sad condition to the birth of it consider how long this night of darknesse hath been upon you look back to the dayes in which you were happy in a living communion with God if a man have lost a thing hee bethinkes himselfe when he had it and where and so as much as may be pursueth his losse to the very time and place It may be when you come to this you will have much light to finde out how you lost your treasure God goeth not away upon small offences you will by searching finde the gap that let in these floods 2 Consider what things have beene most pressed by God from time to time upon you for though the whole law and all righteousnesse be enjoyned to all yet there are some things more especially pressed so Iosuah was much pressed to courage so much as if it had been his only taske Be strong and of a good courage only be thou strong and very couragiou◠Josh 1.6 7 9. The Israelites were mightily among other things called on to take heed of forgetting God and what he had done when they should possesse the land of promise Deut. 4.9 Only take heed to thy selfe and keep thy soule diligently least tho◠forget c. Chap. 8.2 5 10 11 14 18. And after their returne from Babylon some things especially were againe urged as not to mixe themselves with the heathen which things Ezra Neh laboured much in and to build the temple which the Prophet Haggai againe and againe enforceth c. So every Christian according to his station temper measure of gifts and graces relation age course c. is put upon some things in a speciall manner heare what the spirit saith the voice cals upon you it may be for more humiliation or more meditation or more thankfulnesse prayer reading zeale mortification of particular lusts now if you have been deafe to these cals it is like here grew the difference betwixt God and you for here is great
neither destroy thee c. Deut. 4.29 30 31. Take then the counsell of the Prophet which he gave to Israel when God was departed from them Oh Israel return unto the Lord thy God for thou hast fallen by thine iniquity take with you words and turn to the Lord say unto him Take away all iniquity and receive us graciously so will we render the calves of our lips Hos 14.1 2. That you may finde the like favour and God may do for you as hee promised to them I will heale their back slidings I will love them freely for mine anger is turned away from him I will be as the dew unto Israel he shall grow as the Lilly and cast forth his roots as Lebanon his branches shall spread and his beauty shall be as the Olive tree and his smell as Lebanon c. ver 5 6. When Ephraim repented and mourned God pittied him I have surely heard Ephraim bemoaning himself thou hast chastised me and I was chastised as a bullock unaccustomed to the yoke turne thou me and I shall be turned for thou art the Lord my God c. Is Ephraim my deare Son is he a pleasant childe for since I spake against him I doe earnestly remember him still therefore my bowels are troubled for him I will surely have mercy upon him saith the Lord. Jer. 31.18 19 20. You see then what encouragement you have to seek in this way for peace with God and for the quicknings of his Spirit which you have lost sin armes God against you but he cannot hold back mercy from the humble his promise hath given repentance a power to prevaile with him and he will not contend with the broken hearted hee hath a speciall eye upon mourners and will not hide himselfe from the cry of the afflicted a contrite heart is a sacrifice which he will accept Psal 51. He is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit Psal 34.18 The father z Quit ille nobis intelligen lus pater Deus scilicet Tam pater nemo tam pius nemo Is ergo te filium suum etsi acceptīe ab eo prodegeris etsi nudus redieris recipiet quia redisti Tertul de poenitent Patris cibus est salus nostra Beda Ambr. in Luc. 15. of the Prodigall made hast to receive and welcome his straying son and rejoyced that hee that was lost was found again and that he that was dead was alive againe Luke 15. this is the way walk in it if God should deny such he should deny himselfe because he hath said though he hath been Sorely displeased turne you unto me and I will turn to you Zach. 1.2 3. Till you repent your sin is continued and conse quently Gods displeasure Therefore consider seriously of your case for want of serious thoughts doth great hurt so that though the heart bee affected yet not enough it seeth often that all is not well and knoweth the cause yet because these things lye not upon the spirit by ponderous thoughts a man beares his misery happily complaining but not wisely and strongly endeavouring to remove it And the heart is not soone brought downe you must hold up the objects of spirituall griefe by consideration that they may be able to beare downe the heart therefore be much in pondering these two things 1 The sad effects of the losse of God see what blindnesse barrennesse weaknesse depravednesse vanity feares accusations of heart what cryes and clamours in your soules and now what if afflictions come how will you be able to live in such a time other then a dying and a feareful life what if death come either a black cloud of darknesse will over-spread you or a storme of affrightments and terrors will torment you and now remember your sinne hath brought all this upon you 2 The sinfulnesse of the cause why did you neglect and despise your God if you had not set him shamefully at a low rate you would not have turned your back upon him what Could not the infinite Majestie and mercy of the Father the incomprehensible love of the Son the unutterable comforts of the holy Ghost prevaile with you Do you see what you have done have you not said to the Father I neither fear thy Majesty nor desire thy mercy and to the Son I care not for all thy love nor yet for thee that dyedst for me and to the holy Ghost I regard not all thy saving counsels living influences and high refreshments doe you not heare these pleading with you each for himselfe and each for all they are one and what you have done in this you have done against each and against all weigh well then what your carelesnesse and disobedience amounts to that you may meet him with an humbled spirit drenched in teares and clothed with shame put case now that God should requite you in your kinde and that his heart should not be towards you then you might bid peace yea life yea hope adieu for ever Consider further how God did follow you and entreated you not to goe from him did he not tell you he could not beare contempts and that you would repent it at last and will see that what you have done against him you have done against your selves did he not kindly use you and were you not alwayes welcome to him Oh my people what have I done unto thee and wherein have I wearied thee testifie against me Mich. 6.3 and when you were going did he not cry after thee Returne thou back sliding Israel and I will not cause mine anger to fall upon you for I am mercifull and I will not keep anger for ever Jer. 3.12 Yet you would not Consider now how long you have lived without him and how often God hath called upon you to consider your waies if you will let your thoughts out you will finde abundant cause of griefe and when you seek him with repētance you will finde him in mercy drawing neare and he will forget your unkindnesse and you shall heare no more of them doubtlesse your sinnes this way are very great so that sometimes God hath been put as it were to a stand what course to take when God had promised mercy to his revolting people he addes But I said how shall I put thee among the children and give thee a pleasant land and I said thou shalt call me my father and shalt not turne away from me Jer. 3.19 When the Church had been disloyall she at last fell to this course of repentance and see the issue A voice was heard upon the high places weeping and supplications of the children of Israel for they have perverted their wayes and they have forgotten the Lord their God returne ye backsliding children and I will heale your backslidings ver 21. and oh that you also would tread in their steps and say We come unto thee for thou art the Lord our God ver 22. CHAP. XXIX Two other
your selves againe and what is 〈◊〉 your sorrows and labours to this recompence if God will return agaâ—â— you will thinke all labour and paint well bestowed oh how sweete will 〈◊〉 be after such a time of deadnesse how sweet will a cleare understanding and an established faith be after such mists of darknesse and unbeliefe how sweete will liberty be after so long a time of cruell servitude how sweete will victory and rest be after so long and so bloody a war now the Ordinances will be as the greene pastures in which your soules shall feed and delight themselves now you that did dwell in the dust and were compassed about with hellish lusts and uncleane spirits shall be filled with the Spirit of Christ and shall converse with God it will be a sweete time when all things shall become new when your diseases shall be turned to health and you shall renew your strength as the Eagles when Christ shal come into his ancient throne Ps 103.5 and rule you with the Sceptor of his grace And I pray God that all that have been deserted may seek him and finde him This shall suffice for the first sort of spirituall desertions viz. reall now followeth another sort if I may so call it desertions only in appearance CHAP. XXX Of Defertions in appearance only with causes of mistake in this Case HAving finished the first sort of desertions or Gods with drawings of the quickning influences of his Spirit which are when men are really so deserted I now come to those desertions which seeme such but are not 〈◊〉 godly man sometimes may and doth draw sad conclusions against himselfe and conceives that God hath departed from him when it is not so And this mistake proceeds from such causes as these 1 Fearefulnesse 1 Cause Fearefulnesse this abounds 〈◊〉 some more then others the matter 〈◊〉 weighty and in such cases man is apt to feare as one upon a Towre though the place be strong and he sure yet when he lookes downe he is appalled at the dreadfulness of the precipice counts himselfe in danger This feare is 〈◊〉 creased in men because they know they may sinke into such deeps and they see many have fallen now as in a time of pestilence and great mortality feare so takes hold of some that they thinke sometimes that they are strucken m Quod fore posse timet moestus adesse putat and that they also are going to the house of silence and darknesse when as they are in healthfull state so sometimes men think in this case And the tempers of some spirits are such that they are apt to feare there are dusky clouds of Melancholy darkening their reason so that they thinke with that melancholy King that they of men are become beasts and so are ready to depose themselves from that Princely state which they lived in to feed with oxen And to all this there is a working of the Prince of darknesse labouring to hide the light and to encrease the darknesse and sadnesse of a fearefull soule and this feare being raised doth create dismall visions and apprehensions that a man seemes to himselfe to bee metamorphosed and thinkes he is as one cast out from God when yet his case is good 2 Mistake in the cause of present deadnisse Mistaking the cause of their present state 〈◊〉 When they are cloggeâ— with indisposednesse and ill disposednesse they lay this to Gods with drawing himselfe which indeed is the fruit of their owne carelesnesse slothfulnesse and untowardnesse they take not painâ— with themselves but suffer their heart to dy and to be depraved and then 〈◊〉 out that God hath forsaken them theâ— is an aptnesse in men to charge God buâ— awaken your selves lest God withdraw indeed 3 Misjudging themselves Misjudgeing themselves Error in judgement occasioned by They thinke worse of themselves then they are and there are sundry things which occasion them to mistake 1 Spirituall poverty A poore man is apt to domplaine Spirituall poverty and an humble maâ— is apt to thinke meanely of himselfe There is that maketh himselfe rich and hath nothing and there is that maketh himselfe poore having great riches Some mens hearts are high when their worth is low n 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 de Athanasio Naz. the emptiest eares stand highest but the richest Mines lye low an humble Christian is a rich treasureâ— yet he thinkes he is worth but little But I must tell you all is not gold that glisters all in a godly man that seemes grace is not there is a bastard humility as well as a genuine humility true humility is Iudicious though it thinke meanely of it selfe yet justly it judgeth not against truth false humility is distempered and erres in Iudgement I say it is a melancholy distemper in the habit of humility which can see nothing but ill sights it can see no good when it lookes this way it cannot see wood for trees it ever is in substraction in its account of reall worth and matter of encouragement but ever in multiplication and addition beyond measure of faults and wants and all matter of discouragement Aske him how he doth and he will tell you he is a very beggar a miserable man a bankerupt full of sinne empty of God he is nothing hath nothing seeth nothing tasteth nothing doth nothing yea he will tell you but who can beleeve him that knoweth his rich worth that he is worse then nothing o 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hoc unum se scire dixit quod nihil sciret Socrat. apud Laert. 2 Hungring and thirsting after 〈◊〉 grace Hungring of spirit this is a sweet companion of humility but it hath this property to leâ— the soule still outward and is so sering in seeking what it hath not that it minds not what it hath a coveâ—ouâ— man is ever poore because ever wanting hee forgets what is behinde and is still pressing to that which is before p 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrysost 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Prov. Graec. It is the fault of such as are filled with strong desires after God that they much for get what they have received pride â—ver feeds on what it hath but humility seeth best what it hath not But you should remember that strong desirâ— after God are strong evidences of his presence other things are first desired and then attained but spirituall things are first attained and then desired without these the heart would rest without God and as it cannot be without some chiefe good so it would seek it out of God but when it is wheeled about with a strong by as towards God doubtlesse God is there 3 Much love Much love This also is neare in blood unto the two former and is an occasion sometimes of sad thoughts in the heart Love hath qualities which expose the heart to trouble 1. It is jealous ever fearefull least it should lose the happinesse which
height of living and joyfull converse with God he is like the prodigall brought to another life to feed upon huskes with swine instead of bread in his Fathers house Many such there are who had reviving tasts of Iesus Christ and did rejoyce to see the streames of the well of Life sweetly flowing and with overflowing abundantly filling the Saints and themselves with comfort but now the tree in the midst of their paradise is to them like the withered fig-tree the shadow and fruit of it ceaseth and they are miserable in the losse of that which is the happinesse of those that have it and herein their misery is so much the greater by how much they count it less Is it not a sad thing to see a man so degenerated that he can live without his life and rest out of his place that place where hee hath had such peace and such contentment Oh here is an heavie spectacle a man hath lost his estate and he grieves hee hath lost his name or health or c. and he grieves but hee hath lost his God and yet hee mournes not he saith it is well alas hee is not himselfe when the day breakes and the Sun sends out her beames into this darke region when a spirit of truth and life shall brings this wandring creature home againe and cause him to bee himselfe then you shall see the man acting another part alas what amazement will ceaze upon him how will he melt that is now frozen how will hee bee afflicted to see himselfe and his case in which now he lieth as quiet as Peter in his chaines Acts 12. 4. Degree When not onely losse of comfort but affliction of soule Degree when God not onely suspends his comforts but afflicteth the soule not only not continuing the staffe of living bread but feeding them with the bread of sorrow and affliction which he doth diverse waies 1. 1. By rebukes of spirit 4. waies By rebukes of spirit the Spirit of God comes sometimes in a way of displeasure and chides and rebukes the soule this David found which maketh him often cry and mourne as the child whom his Father rebuketh this chiding is 1. A conviction of sin not onely of the fact but of the sinfulnesse God sometimes comes to set out a sin unto man and then it is very dreadful such a terror and astonishment ceazeth upon him by a full sight and sense of sinne as that if there bee not a supporting hand of grace and mercy extended to him he cannot stand under it Sin is a strange thing and if God should pull off the visage of this monster and discover fully the fearefull nature of it it would be a but then too heavie to be borne now then when God conceales his love and reveales guilt it must needs be bitter when a man seeth his inditement but hath not his pardon it must needs bee grievous 2. Opening the desert of sin and shewing a man into what a gulfe he hath cast himselfe that now in justice and in sentence of Law he stands condemned to eternall death when the grace of the promise is obscured and the justice of the Law lively presented it must needs cause a man to feare much Now saith God see what I may doe I may cause all thy welfare to passe away like a cloud and bring in a deluge of woes upon thee I might shut thee by a decreed banishment from my presence and cast thee as a stone that is hurled from a sling into hell for ever Such words as these are heavier than mountaines when the soule seeth that vastnesse of eternity filled with death and sufferings and seeth not the refuge in the Gospel this is a great shaking to the soule 3 By holding the eye upon these sad things so that whithersoever a man turnes his sinne is with him and hell before him the cry of sinne and the curse of the law is ever in his eares My sinne is ever before me Psal 51.3 It was also Iobs sad case that the sinnes which he thought he had beene rid of long agoe returned upon him and did so cleave to him as if they had been his possession Thou writest bitter things against me and makest me to possesse the iniquities of my youth thou puttest my feete also into the stockes c. Job 13.26 27. this is an heavy thing when God continueth in this way of displeasure breaking the spirit with these grievous charges 4 By menacing outward or inward troubles as he did to David when hee had sinned greatly against him he told him what he would doe how he would follow him with evills for ever and that his posterity should rue his folly and when he had numbred the people what a severe way did God take now temporary evills especially spirituall are often very grievous when God shall say I will shut up my peace and my comforts from thee thou rebell and ungratefull wretch thou shalt no more see my face as thou hast done others shall drinke but thou shalt thirst others shall rejoyce but thou shalt mourne I will no more meete thee as I have done I will spare thy life but I will not shew thee my favour all thy dayes thou shalt live dubiously and dye anxiously I say when these words are heard what an heavy case is this how did David even wast himselfe with grieving when God did estrange himselfe Psal 32. Psal 51. But when God shall menace not onely this but hell and eternall death this is farre more grievous but this God doth even to his owne and sets it on so strongly that hee makes often their spirits to waste and their strength to consume David and Heman were drenched in these deepes and how grievous were their complaints 2. 2. By tradition of the soule 1. Into its own hands By tradition of the soule 1. Into its owne hands the heart of a man is the greatest tyrant and cruellest monster against it selfe it is more a divell than the divell he needs no furies to fulfill his troubles who is given up unto an accusing spirit e Nihil est miserius quam animus hominis conscius Plaut This is grievous it hath cries clamors stripes stings wounds deaths it will be law witnesse plaintife judge executioner chaines rackes gibbets what not hee hath a hell within him that is in such a case For consider 1. The temper and nature of the soule it is receptive of much evill and misery and very active and this activity is improved to selfe affliction 1. Byguilt which is as powder to the flames or as the windes to seas which makes them to rage and boyle 2. By the weapons which the heart disquieted hath against it selfe an eternall God and a just Law 3. By unbeleefe by which the soule is made naked to her owne blowes a guilty conscience strikes the promise out of a mans hand and drawes the sword and sheathes it in the soule it undermines
terrours of God doe set themselves in array against me Job 6.2 3 4. And when the soule hath exceeded all eloquence and past almost all humane bounds of language and expression it is not satisfied but thinkes it falls exceeding short of uttering her misery My stroak is heavier than my groaning Job 23.2 But all this is not a right carriage of the spirit such passions would befit such as have a God without mercy and distresse without a promise and without a redeemer Faith is suspended when these clamours are heard and the soule forgets the freenesse and fulnesse of grace when it is thus transported out of it self and from its hopes Secondly Good effects The good effects of such uncomfortable eclipses of Gods favour and presence follow which are 1 Sorrow great sorrow thou hidst thy face and I was troubled Sorrow Psal 30.6 the heart should not yea if it be in due temper cannot rest without God his absence is worthy to bee lamented whose presence is most worthy to bee prized 2 Longing desires of Gods gracious returne Desire after God the soule thinkes delaies grievous m Etiam celeritas in desiderio est mora P. Syri Desideranti invisa est quaevis mora desiderium acuit absentis vicinitas post spem omne desiderium impatientissimum est Quamdiu differtur spes aeternorum affligitur anima fidelium i.e. vel pro dilatione bonorum quae amat velpro illulion malorum quae tolerat Beda hope deferred maketh the heart sicke Prov. 13.12 The Church saith she was sicke of love Cant. 5.8 The heart that hath had a sense of Gods sweet presence cannot bee satisfied without him but counts all things nothing till it regaine him who is to her as the Sunne to the world and the soule to the body 3 Repentance and humbling of soule Repentance it seekes what unhappy and accursed thing hath raised this cloud betwixt God and her and falls downe at his feet confessing weeping and begging his favour in Jesus Christ willingly grieved and ashamed it counts not this sorrow bitternesse but hath some sweetnesse in it n 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Arist Rhet. Lachryma animae amarae dulces sunt amarae propter absentiam boni dulces propter certitudinem inveniendi c. Savanarol med in Psal Qui Regis Israel 4 Subjection to all conditions of agreement It saith Subjection Lord impose demand what thou wilt I count nothing too deare for thee I count the gaine of the whole world losse for thee and will deny my selfe for thee If my heart draw backe draw it on to thee as farre as I am able to sacrifice my selfe to thee I doe it Thus the soul sets on towards God inquires for him in all meanes will not be put off it falls not by despaire or sleepes in sloth but faith holds up hope and hope keepes up indeavours and it cannot be quiet without God There are two maine Causes of the restlessenesse of the soule without God Causes why the soul cannot bee quiet in this case First The condition of the subject 1 Tender the soule but especially in a beleever From the subject when hee is in a living state is very sensible of any evill especially of the greatest evill Tender a mans sorrow is as his sight is therefore where hee seeth God and hath a knowledge of him in his excellencie the losse of him is grievous o Summi deloris causa summum gaudium est Sen. all evils on the body are but as the rending of the garment but griefe in the soule is as the tearing of the flesh A wounded spirit who can beare Prov. 18.14 outward evils are but as the breaking of the out-works All sense in the body is from the soule therefore the soule must needs be most sensible 2. It is spirituall 2. Spiritual if the body bee in miserie externall things may helpe in sicknesse physick p Omnes humanos sanat medicina dolores Propert. Eleg. l. 2. in want reliefe in famine bread c. but when the soule is in distresse all the world is but like a great cipher it amounts to nothing Heaven and earth is but as a shadow nothing but God can quiet q Tranquillus Deus tranquillat omnia quietum aspicere quiescere est Bern. in Cant. 23. As the body is not satisfied with things spirituall so the soule is not contented with things corporall there must bee a fitnesse in the object else it moves not as the eare is not pleased with light and colours nor the eye with sounds The soule therefore being spirituall must meet with that which is spirituall and proper for it else it is not contented every living creature hath an appetite and sense carried to some things and out of that compasse it hath no quiet as take a beast and you shall never satisfie him but with pastures and such things as he affects and take a man and he must have other things things of higher worth sutable to his nature and take a spirituall man whose soule is illuminated and drawne out to higher and more spirituall things and him you cannot quiet with a thousand worlds without interest in Christ and the favour of God the spirituall man is carried to things spirituall as the naturall man to things naturall And as a naturall man cannot be quieted without naturall accommodations and enjoyment of such things as sute with him so the spirituall man cannot have rest without his spirituall treasure 3. It hath pitched upon God by faith and hope It hath pitched upon God it hath devolved it selfe upon him and that for eternity and in the businesse of life and death Now if a man were passing over a deepe and swift torrent and when hee is upon these deepes shall feele the bridge cracking and sinking it must needs let in a sea of feares and amazement upon him And how can it bee that when a man seeth the vastnesse of eternity the greatnesse of sinne the terrors of the wrath that burnes like fire and hath in his agonie throwne himselfe upon God in Christ and now is doubtfull whether Christ will owne him or take any care of him I say how can it bee but hee should bee in great distresse at such a time when God withdrawes his comforts every thing that may afflict stands forth in greatest strength now death is death and sin is sin and the soule feeles the weight of every load comfort lightens all burthens and when Christ is present all evils vanish and discouragements scatter as a mist but when that is gone then those evils gather like clouds of fire and blood over the soule and those miseries which did lie as conquered men doe rise up with renewed strength and what a sad time is this when the soule seeth her danger and not her refuge her wounds but not her cure nay to see him that is her only trust not onely not to
be with her but against him it hath chosen him as her chiefe treasure therefore can no more be without him than without her selfe 4. It hath had hopes of Gods favour time hath beene It hath had hopes when it saw it selfe in the armes of Christ and walked with some assurance that it had a friend in Heaven and therefore seeing now her hopes to wither and those golden daies to passe as a pleasant dreame it cannot but be much afflicted This shall be the bitternesse of the anguish of unsound hearts at last who after they have fed their soules with hope and have run out their daies in a paradise of imaginary happinesse finde when they come to die all those joyes and all that confidence to spend themselves like a vapour and the leane kine to eate up the fat sorrow and everlasting perdition comming instead of joy and salvation which they looked for oh who can utter this misery a man hurled from a pinacle of high and glorious hopes into a depth of eternall woe By this wee may guesse what it is for a deserted soule that hath reckoned long upon high things and now seeth such a change that it is forced to count it selfe deceived and to exchange her living hopes for killing feares and whereas she thought her selfe a child to bee cast forth as a stranger yea as an enemy 5. It hath had much in communion with God and Christ 5. It did enjoy God time was when the man was kindly used when God conversed with him as a man with his friend when he invited him often and entertained him in love and powred in much of heaven upon him therefore now to see God estranging himselfe yea frowning chiding arming against him cannot but bee a cutting to his soule David having lost the liberties of the ordinances which were better than his kingdome to him sits downe in heavinesse as one taught by the experience of his former happinesse the deeper to lament his present misery When I remember these things I powre out my soule in me for I had gone with the multitude I had gone with them to the house of God with the voice of joy and praise with a multitude that kept holy day Ps 42.4 And this was the affliction of the Church that she lost him in whose presence she had received such abundant comfort Cant. 5. the more the soule hath had of God the more bitter is her losse of him Secondly 2. From the object in respect of 1. Quality of it the object is such as if you weigh it you will see that a man cannot be at rest when God holds back and leaves him in this dolefull case Consider first the quality of the object there are three things in God which cause the wound of an afflicted spirit to bleed much 1. 1. Goodnesse Goodnesse because God is good therefore his disfavour is a great affliction this sweet balme the heart in such a day will turne into a sharpe corrosive and out of this sea of comfort will draw bitter waters this golden mine which is a rich treasure unto others yeelds that which the heart turnes into iron rods and sharpe swords to wound it selfe For first if it apprehend his goodnesse to bee his kindnesse and gracious disposition to pitty and mercy then it reason heavily oh unhappy wretch that there should bee so sweet a fountaine and I should not drinke of it that streames should flow forth towards thousands none to me I envie not others happinesse but I lament mine owne misery that I should die in the midst of life and perish in the midst of salvation God is so good so ready to shew mercy that sure he is highly incensed against mee who seeke and call and cry yet am not relieved if my wickednesse were not very great yea if I were in his heart at all surely he that is so good in himselfe and unto thousands would not thus reject me I am tossed night and day and carry an hell in my soule continually and if I were not as an enemie in his eye if I were a child his bowels would not hold I should surely be received who can reckon the heavy conclusions which the heart will draw against it selfe it is so disposed to its owne hurt that not onely against faith but against reason it will afflict it selfe turning the Sun into darknesse and the Moone into blood setching misery out of mercy and hell out of heaven Or if secondly the goodnesse of God be taken for his holinesse and perfection then they reason thus surely I am very evill whom goodnesse rejects if I had any sparke of good in me God would not cast me off but certainely he seeth my abundant naughtines therfore he setteth himselfe against me Thus sundry waies the goodnesse of God makes the hiding of his face and the manifestation of his displeasure to be very grievous 2. Greatnesse When a man apprehends the Majesty of God the feare of his disfavour fals heavy upon him Who knoweth the power of thine anger even according to thy feare so is thy wrath Ps 99.11 The favour of a man of power is of much worth and there is power in his wrath The wrath of a King is as the roaring of a Lion but his favour is as dew upon the grasse Prov. 19.12 The wrath of the God of power is terrible as thunder a Fulmen est ubi cum potentia habitat iracundia Sen. and as b Leonis voci tontus naturaliter inest terror ut multa animantium quae per celeritatem possent impetum ejus evadere rugientis ej us sonitu velut quadam vi attonita atquâ—â—icta deficiant Ambr. hexam lib. 6. cap. 3. the beasts fall downe astonished at the roaring of a Lion so the soule is overwhelmed when so glorious Majestie is incensed In God there is a twofold power A power first of Authority which is that power by which 1. He despenseth all things as having all in his hand as absolute Lord and Soveraigne And what a misery is this that he that hath eternall life and death heaven and hell in his power should seeme to be against a man this is the fulnesse of all evill when hee upon whose will all things depend becomes ones enemie the losse of a particular comfort and contentment is great but how much worse is the losse of all 2. By which hee judgeth all God being the Supreme Lord holds this royalty that all men and Angels are accountable to him in all things now to apprehend that the Judge of all the world will not shew mercy but will proceed in strictnesse of justice especially when a man knoweth that he is guilty many waies and that God is privie to all his sins must needs bee a sore shaking to the soule Though all friends and ministers yea though all Angels come in to comfort yet it will not satisfie because they are but subjects God is supreme
till God awake them with rods and raise them by kindling a fire about them rebellion brings many loads disobedience and impenitence are springs of bitternesse a fire comes out of this bramble to burne the Cedar of Lebanon Cause 5 5. Cause to shew that He is the God of all comfort 2 Cor. 1.4 He keepes the cisterne empty that wee may looke to the Clouds above that the pleasant fruit of peace hath her rootes in Heaven our owne hearts though they may bee planted with pleasant trees yet of themselves bring forth nothing but bryars And God loves to shew himselfe the Lord of these treasures of comfort that the heart may have no dependance but in him and that it may alwaies feare because hee can soone turne the clearesâ— day into the darkest night Comfort is not given us in absolute possession but wee are alwaies tenants at will If God will hee can in a moment lay our hopes and joyes in the dust and strip us of all our garments of joy and turne us into mourning And as light in the aire but as water not in the spring I but in the vessell so it may soone bee cut off God needs not goe farre to feeke a rod to whip us with if he doe but withdraw his comforting Spirit our spirit will soone proove an afflicting spirit The peace of the soule is by vertue of the power and presence of God but if hee depart all is in uproare our owne thoughts will bee as scourges the Roman Emperours kept Lions to destroy the Christians and our hearts are grates and dens of Lions if God let them loose on the rendings that are by them if God keepe not garrison the enemies will breake in so that all our peace is from him the brightest starre that shines most with light of comfort derives it from the Sun of righteousnesse And therefore that they may have a sight of that darke and dismall nature of their owne hearts he shuts in his light and then when the soule lieth in a mournefull and distressed case in deepes where it findes no nottome and whence none can deliver when a man seeth al creatures standing as dead pictures and reckons himselfe past all hope then I say God sheweth himselfe to bee the God of comfort by commanding light to shine out of darknesse and quieting the high and raging stormes which did beare downe all before them Cause 6 6. Cause To revive their esteeme of mercy When a man is first brought out of Babylon bee is as those that dreame the heart is full of gladnesse and the mouth of praise the birds sing sweetly in the spring When a man is newly brought out of the pit and delivered from the sorrowes of death which did compasse him about and from the paines of hell which gate hold of him while the prints of the chaine are on him and the scarres of his hurt remaine he saith as David I love the Lord because he hath heard my voice and my supplications Psal 116.1 I was brought low and he helped me Returne unto thy rest oh my soule for the Lord hath dealt bountifully with thee For thou hast delivered my soule from death mine eyes from teares and my feet from falling The soule is in a float at present but when the daies of mercy continue the remembrance of the daies of sorrow weares off and the fire of love begins to abate and Christ is not of so high account though at first hee was the chiefest of ten thousands the joy of their hearts yet now his love and kindnesse groweth stale therefore God sends back the soule into her old prison to feele the weight of her ancient irons and chaines and causeth her to put on her old cast garments of mourning that sackcloth and ashes which shee wore in the daies of old that by laying this rod upon her as the Prophet spread himselfe upon the dead child a new life comes into the dying love and now mercy is raised to its former price and Christ is advanced on high now the soule returnes with redoubled strength and with multiplied and increased thankfulnesse Cause 7 7. Cause That others may be instructed Sometimes God chuseth the most eminent to set them out as demonstrations of this That assurance is not essentiall to holinesse that their conjunction is not indissoluble weake ones might have thought their cause worse if they had seene much grace alwaies attended with abundant joy but now God sheweth that comfort and rejoycing is not alwaies the portion of the Saints that so in their darke nights when they see no light they may live in hope that the Sun will rise though their way be a darke way it may be a sure way 8. Cause Cause 8 To fit for speciall service They that goe downe into the deepes see many wonders which others know not Experience gives wisedome Many are kept in a low way and have neither strong feares nor strong joyes these are not as Davids Worthies but are Christians of the lower rank common souldiers many are carried much aloft in great hopes and flashes of joy but they much overlooke the things below many infirmities and failings lye undiscovered But when God fetches the soule downe and sets it to dig beneath this man is more enlarged in true wisedome and holinesse and carrieth a fuller knowledge of sinne and Christ and of hell and heaven than other doe and so is made a stronger and more compleat man As he that hath beene in all conditions and hath travelled through sea and land and seene many Countries gaines an excellency by his experience above others An bome-bred spirit is a low spirit God will not doe much with many but leaves them to this worke mainely to save their owne soules but he will use some as his agents and factors in his great designes and affaires of mercy therefore traines them up to the knowledge of heights and depths Some are ordinary passengers and it is enough for them to looke to themselves being able to doe but little for others but some must bee Pilots and therefore must bee acquainted with winds and seas and rocks and sands that they may not onely save themselves but others Afflictions come not empty handed but like a darke cloud bring much after them there are many things which a man cannot learne in bookes but hee must learne it in himselfe a Scholler may read and acquaint himselfe with the Art of navigation but that will not make him a good Marriner nor will the studie of warre make a souldier but experience makes both God doth all as in great freedome so in great wisedome and having appointed men to severall ends he leads them in severall ends and workes them in severall moulds out of the same lump hee makes some differing from others in forme quantity and excellency some metall which is for highest use he casts often into the fire It may bee God may call you out to suffer much for him and
wing then shee is safe 2. Inward accusations the world may accuse but that is not so shaking as when Satan casts in objections hee is a subtile sophister and comes oft with snarling and cunning disputes and except you be well setled hee will drive you from your ground except God cleare the state of your soules and give evidence to your graces you will not bee able to hold up against Satan I speake this to such who live with low comforts and content themselves with darke evidences though you may hold out till you be set upon yet when that comes you will finde your selves weake 3 Outward straits what if a day of trouble come you may see changes you have no sure hold of any thing under the Sun and what shall support you in such a time what an heavy thing will this be that you should finde trouble in the world and no peace in heaven Spirituall comfort would make you undaunted and strong i Si fractus illabatur orbis impavidum serient ruinae Hor. Preme Preme ego 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lyps Auseret pecunias at babet in coelis Patriâ dejiciet at in coeleslem civitatem mittet vincula injiciet at habet solutam conscientiam carpus interficiet at iterum resurget cum umbra pugnat qui cuâ— justo pugnat Chrys What need he care whither he goeth that seeth Jesus Christ with him you have heard of the patience of the Martyrs and of their stoutnesse such was their courage that it could neither be corrupted nor daunted water could not quench it famine could not starve it fire could not burne it wilde beasts could not devoure it and what was that which gave them this strength but the sight of him that is invisible and the sense of his favour and presence a spirit of glory did rest upon them The Apostle acknowledgeth the force of peace towards God and comfortable accesse to him We rejoyce in hope of the glory of God and not onely so but we glory in tribulations also Rom. 5.2.3 This was that which made him say for which cause we faint not but though our outward man perish yet the inward man is renewed day by day 2 Cor. 4.16 He is well fenced that is invironed with salvation and that hath Christ with him he reckons not much of the world when he is sure of heaven k Quam sordet mihi terra cum Coelum intueor therefore seeke to get abundance of comfort labour to recover your losse you will have need of all what will you doe when you come to dye how sad will death be when you are going you know not whither l Animula vagula blandula quae nunc abibisin loca A drian Si des paulisper vivere auri puri mille talenta me hodie tibi daturum promitto Megapetus apud Lucian Motive 2. Hurt done by sadnesse Motive 3. Recovery is possible but death is but a shadow to him that meetes it with assurance of life 2 Your sadnesse doth hurt to your selves wasting your strength and to others by discouraging them 3 Your recovery is possible you may attaine to your former comforts 1 The same way is open still there is the same mercy in God the same Mediator the same promises 2 You are not now in farther distance from peace with God than in former times are you not now as capable as then when God found you in your blood m Qui fecit mundum ex mundo Chrys in enmity against him in darknesse in bondage unto every lust altogether without him did God appeare to you when you sought him not and will he not be found when you inquire after him is not his promise to revive the spirit of the contrite Esay 57. 3 Others have recevered David was in these deepes yet he was restored this testimony God hath that he is the God that comforteth those that are cast downe 2 Cor. 7.6 therefore live in hope n Sperate vosmet rebus servate secundis 4 He hideth his face that you may seeke after him he goeth from you that you may seeke after him and the promise is that they that seeke shall finde hee will open to them that knocke 5 You have aright to peace and comfort for it is that which Christ dyed for and which he hath left as a legacie to his people Peace I leave with you my peace I give unto you John 14.27 Sit not therefore under discouragements o Nemo dâ—sperct meliora lapsus Nondum omnium dierum soles occiderunt Philip. say not there is no hope take heed of hard thoughts of God who is a father of mercies but incourage your selves in your God p Peritus medicus potest omnes sanare infirmitates si misericors vult Fulg. Omn potenti medico nullus languir insanabilis occurrit tu tautum doceri te sine manum ejus ne repelle c. Aug. weeping mourning are good fruits of love but you must not stay here but reach after that which is before you this shall suffice by way of perswasion Now for direction let me propound a few counsells I Seeke the Father in the Sonne Counsell 1. Seeke the Father in the Sonne Happily you have not held up Christ in your hearts and for your strangenesse to the Son the Father hath estranged himselfe goe and carry Christ in your armes for he is deare unto him and the Father hath determined to powre out all his love through the Son Christ is set before you stirre up your selves to take hold of him if you will come to him you have the Fathers heart You make your case to be Christs case when you come to him and he cannot bee denyed the Fathers mercies melt at the Sons mediation You may pray and weepe and lift up your voyce on high but execpt you come in Christ all will not profit Then a man comes in Christ when he thankfully accepts of the offer of Christ and devolves his cares upon him desiring in his heart that Christ would undertake for him and then beleeves that he shall be accepted any one of these wanting you come not in Christ 1 You must entertaine the offer of Christ counting him worthy of all acceptation 2 You must cast your selves upon Christ else hee will not undertake for you holy dependance engageth him and makes him your friend 3 Then you must beleeve that you shall finde God a friend for except you believe the promise Christ will not move for you But when you are thus come to him then he will not faile you the Son will be fast to you him that commeth unto me I will in no wise cast out John 6.37 this is a precious word Christ will not shut the doore upon you when you come when you cast your selves into his armes he will not no he will not cast you out you have a sure hold when you fall into his armes you fall into his heart and