is thy casting down for sin too much because there is no spiritual disease so dark to the soul but there is comfort enough in the Gospel to support the soul under it When God shall call to thee and say Come to me all ye that are weary and heavy laden and I will ease you Mat. 11. 28. And you to refuse to come to Jesus Christ and refuse and put off comfort from you you are then too much cast down for sin Fifthly Then is a man cast down too much for sin under the waight and sense and sight of sin when that sorrow for sin shall be an occasion to wrong and hurt and to disturbe the body by diseases and thus melancholy men are subjected too much to this distemper and herein they are too much to blame Many there are who make their tears their meat and drink so fill'd with tears that they cannot eat their bread with comfort There are many godly souls so troubled with sorrow for sin that they have no comfort and joy of heart in Job 20. 25. It is drawn and commeth our of the body the glistering sword commeth cut of his gall terrours are upon him Many men lie in the bitterness of their souls that they cannot eat one morsell of bread with joy Job 21. 25. Now God doth not require so much sorrow for sin as to eat out the comforts of a mans life and to disturbe the comforts of thy daies as to be so troubled and disquieted that they cannot sleep by night and not to take comfort in the day As it is said concerning Asaph Psal 77. 4. Thou holdest mine eyes waking I am so troubled I cannot speak When it is thus with you that you are so sore troubled so over much cast down it is excessive The Lord hath bid thee mourn not to wrack and crucifie thy body but thy lusts he calls thee to weep out thy sins strength and life not thy bodies strength and life God doth never require nor expect that any man should kill his body to save his soul through humiliation and sorrow for sin Sixthly Men are then cast down for sin too much-when a man is so far and so much cast down under the sight and sense of sin that he hath no mind at all to follow his particular calling now this is a sinful sorrow Sorrow for sin is not only sinful when it taketh you off from duties of godliness and Religion but when it taketh you off from your calling in the world and the reason is this as all Divines say That God doth never require any duty which belongs to our general calling as Christians to be inconsistent with our particular callings as Men Therefore if so be that your trouble of mind for sin hath been such as that it doth make you not to regard your particular calling as men in the world this is not accounted in Scripture a sorrow of sin necessary but immoderate and too much casting down for sin Seventhly They are too much cast down for sin when the amiable and admirable and comforting attributes of God are formidable and terrible to such men when we so think of sin as not to think on the divine attributes of God of the mercy of God of the goodnesse of God of the patience of God of the long-suffering of God of the faithfulness of God when men shall think so of God as if he were all justice all wrath without mercy good men have been overtaken with this fault Job was so Job 23. 15. Therefore am I troubled at his presence when I consider I am afraid of him Here Job tells you of the trouble of mind that he lay under that it made him afraid of God to be troubled at his presence and when he thought of him he was troubled at him One would think that to think on God is a comfort for a man to think that God is merciful to pardon my slong in faithful to keep Covenant with his people bountiful in God to supply his people strength in power to defend his people He is able to save them to the utmost one would think it should comfort one to think so on God But that presence that Moses could not endure to be without that presence Job could not endure to see and the reason was because of his guilt and his fears and doubting within him which cast him down too much And this was Asaph his case I remembred God and I was troubled Psal 77. 3. What the thoughts of God to trouble Asaph yes I remembred God and I was troubled I complained and my spirit was overwhelmed He might reason thus with himself I think that this God is a glorious and a terrible God a sin-revenging God and he seeth me and he marketh all my steps and he knoweth all my waies and he will reward all my doings therefore when I thought on God I was troubled at him O but the thoughts of God comforted Davids soul when I thought on thy name I was comforted said holy David Psal 99. 14. I but said Asaph when I thought on God I was troubled and Job when I thought on God on the Almighty I was afraid of him When the attributes of God shall trouble men to think of them and not encourage them and comfort them then is this sorrow too much casting down for sin But then Eighthly When under this sorrow for sin thou canst not look to God and blesse God for common mercies or special grace God gives thee mercies great mercies that thou maiest be rich and follows thee with mercies and blessings and loving kindnesses daily and his faithfulnesse is towards thee every moment and gives thee the world at will and yet for all this God not to have glory from thee shews thou art too much cast down for sin Whereas trouble and humiliation for sin if it be moderate and right it administers occasions to serve God and it doth occasion thee to blesse God and to give him glory for common mercies and special grace it doth occasion thee to glorifie God and draweth out the heart to serve God and to blesse him for the receit of mercies and when mercies have not this effect upon thee and when sorrow for sin worketh not this way it is immoderate sorrow and too much casting down for sin When God gives thee grace to assist thee against manifold temptations and to keep thee from the committing of manifold sins and to help thee against thy corruptions and to give thee grace to establish thy heart and yet not to bring up thy heart under thy sorrow to bless God this is a sinful sorrow If a man be upon his knees he may see heaven above and the earth beneath but for a man to lie flat upon his face he cannot see neither the heaven above nor any creature but only the earth below him So when God brings thee to thy knees for sin then you can see a gracious God
down his life for me voluntarily and meritoriously and laid himself down very low to be my Saviour therefore why O my soul shouldst thou be cast down excessively for sin It is true O my soul if thou hadst been to die and to have purchased thy own redemption to have been thy own Saviour and if the waight and the extreme burden of thy sins had been to be laid upon thy own shoulders and if thou hadst been to have made perfect satisfaction to divine justice in thy own person if thou hadst been obliged to have kept the whole Law perfectly and if thou hadst been for to make a full recompence for the wrong and evil that thou hast done and thou wast to offer the fruit of thy body for the sin of thy soul yet this would not doe nor procure the least satifaction nor make the least compensation and recompence for the evil thou hast done Now if this were thy case to be thy own mediator and thy own intercessor and to have thy blood spilt for thy sins if this was thy case thou hadst cause to be excessively cast down for sin A finite creature can never make satisfaction to infinite justice Could I give a thousand Rams ten thousand Rivers of Oyl yet I could not make an attonement or give a sufficient ransome for my redemption But it is far otherwise the quite contrary is thy portion not thy case Here O my soul is thy case which may abundantly administer thee comfort the blood the precious blood of Jesus Christ is laid down for sin that thou maist not excessively be cast down for sin and thou maist draw abundance of comfort satisfaction from this consideration First Consider with thy self O my soul Jesus Christ did not shed his precious blood for himself but for me he did like a good shepherd lay down his life for his sheep Joh. 10. 15. Secondly Consider that God the Father did accept of the laying down of his life in this behalf Joh. 10 17. The Father loves him because he laid down his life Thirdly Consider and reason with thy self O my soul What though there are great arguments to greaten sin and to heighten sin so there are many great arguments to greaten the mercy of God in Christ Are thy sins great the mercies of God are greater Doe thy sins deserve great punishments even eternal death the death of Jesus Christ and the merit of Christ are of infinite value to merit life even eternal life Are thy sins the sins of a man I but the satisfactions of Jesus Christ are the satisfactions of a God do thy sins merit the frowns of God O but Christs death doth merit and purchase the favour of God In a word as Christs Person doth excell thy person so doth his obedience infinitely exceed thy disobedience therefore said the Apostle Paul Rom. 5. 16. c. But the free gift is of many offences unto justification Here the Apostle intimates that though there is great guilt in sin yet there is greater mercy and merits in Christ for as by Adam there came sin and death so by Jesus Christ there came righteousness and life for as the wages of sin is death so the gift of God is eternall life through Jesus Christ our Lord Rom. 6. 23. There is not so much guilt in sin as there is merit in Christ there is not so much guilt in sin to condemn as there is merit in Jesus Christ to save Therefore why shouldest thou be cast down O my soul Jesus Christ hath laid down his life for me and in laying down his life he hath made full satisfaction for sin unto his Father and though there are required more tears for sin by way of humiliation yet there wanteth no more blood for sin by way of satisfaction therefore be not thou excessively cast down for sin Thirdly Reason thus with thy own soul that thou maist not be too excessively cast down for sin O my soul consider excessive casting down may hinder thy soul from holy endeavours in suppressing and mortifying of sin It is the policy and subtilty of the Devil to draw men to run into extreams sometimes the Devil draweth men to possess them so with the reigning power of sin as that they shall never so much as think of the guilt of sin and sometimes to possess them so with the power of sin as not to be able so much as to look at the pardon of sin I may say to thee as God to Joshua chap. 7. 10. Get thee up why liest thou on thy face it was fit Joshua should be cast down at the disaster but not be taken off from pursuing the enemy Therefore reason and say O my soul it doth not become thee to be cast down excessively under the guilt of sin but to lift up thy self against it by resting upon God Fourthly Reason thus with thy soul O my soul consider are not these dejections of minde are not these excessive castings down for sin exceeding great disparagement to Gods free grace and mercy and to Christs merits if a man that is a thirsty shall come to the Sea the mighty Ocean to seek water and when he comes there to be cast down with the thoughts that all the water in the Sea cannot quench his thirst this would render the Sea to be but an empty thing so thou to be troubled and to be exceedingly and excessively cast down for sin and to think that the mercy in God and the merits of Christ cannot comfort and bear up thy dejected soul this doth exceedingly disparage the mighty Ocean of Gods mercies and Christs merits for thee to think that thy sins do out-vye mercy and out-strip free grace In the time of the Law the Mercy-seat did wholly cover the Ark where the Law was kept to shew that if a man doth violate not only one command but every command of the Law yet all that might be covered over with mercy and notwithstanding the violation of the Law they had a Mercy-Seat to go to though we do violate all the Law all the commands of God yet this Law is covered all over with mercy the mercy of God is far above thy dejections The red Sea did dround Pharaoh and all his Host with as much ease as it could dround one man so can the red Sea of Christs blood drown every sin though they were mountains of transgressions as well as the least sin In Psal 25. 11. For thy Name sake O Lord pardon my iniquity for it is great it is a word in the Hebrew emphaticall we reade it for it is great but it may be rèad though it be great for the sake of thy Name O Lord pardon thou my iniquities because they or although they are multiplied or therefore thou wilt pardon them because they are great Fifthly Reason thus with thy soul why wilt thou cast thy self down O my soul especially considering that the casting down of the soul doth cast down
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 scalvat that signifies prosperity in the Hebrew is rendered by the Arabick investigatio by the Septuagint 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 inquisition or examination to make a search or to examine and the reason is this prosperity makes known a mans disposition as we say of Magistracy Magistratus indicat verum when a man comes to be a Magistrate it will shew what a man is so I may say prosperity will shew what a man is it will find a man out therefore saith Anselme in his Sentences Tribulatio probat unam patientiam prosperitas verô omnes virtutes examinat adversity and trouble it tries but one grace that is your patience but prosperity it will try all your graces it will try your love whether you love God or the World it will try your zeal whether you will venter Christ or your estates O beloved wilt thou envie a man that doth prosper in the World when it is so hard a matter for a good man to use well a prosperous condition It is said of Pius Quintus he was called pious because in their account when he was a mean man he was thought a good man but when he came to be Cardinal he doubted of his Salvation but when he became a Pope he despaired of Salvation Beloved when you are in a mean condition you live holy and pray better then now you doe God had more service from you then now he hath when you have gotten your great livings and much of the world It is a Note that Bernard hath on Psal 91. 7. A thousand shall fall at thy fide and ten thousand on thy right hand but it shall not come nigh thee The genuine sense of that place is the godly should not fall in that time by the plague but saith Bernard I may apply this to prosperity on the left hand there shall be ten thousand fall by prosperity when it may be not a thousand fall by adversity Beloved if so be adversity slays his thousands prosperity slays his ten thousands Secondly Confider that the prosperity of wicked men hastens their end and their ruine Wilt thou envy a mans prosperity when thou seest prosperity hastens his ruine Psal 37. 1 2. Fret not thy selfe because of evil doers neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity For they shall soon be cut down like the grasse and wither as a green herb The more a flower is blossomed the neerer it is to its withering time When wicked men do flourish and blossome broadest they are then neerest to be cut down therefore fret not thy self against evil doers for they shall soon be cut off Prov. 24. 19 20. Fret not thy self because of evil men neither be thou envious at the wicked For there shall be no reward to the evill man the candle of the wicked shall be put out Their prosperity shall hasten their ruine but not their reward there shall be no reward to evil men Would not you account it folly in a man that is heir to so many thousand pounds per annum to enuy a Stage-player in a cloth of Gold in the habit of a King and yet not heir to one foot of Land why though he hath the form and respect and apparrel of a King or Nobleman upon the Stage yet he is heir to nothing Thus wicked men though they are arrayed gorgeously and fare deliciously with Dives everyday wanting nothing having more then heart can wish they are only possessors thou godly man art the heir The Oxe that is the labouring Oxe is longer lived then the Oxe that is put into fatted Pastures putting him there doth hasten the slaughter of the Oxe when the Lord puts wicked men into fat Pastures he doth it to hasten their ruine Thirdly Consider that another mans prosperity is not a hurt to thee nor a prejudice to thee therefore do not envy their prosperity Suppose a wicked man hath much by his muchnesse thou hast never the lesse thy portion is not impaired because anothers is encreased Leahs fruitfulnesse was no cause of Rachels barrenness yet she envied her Why dost thou envy a wicked man when thou seest him grow rich and Prosper this is an Act of folly because his prosperity it is no hurt to thee nor no prejudice to thee Fourthly Consider that thou in this life hast a prosperity which wicked men have not and in the life to come thou shalt have prosperity that they shall never have Here are two parts in this Consideration the One is this 1. That in this life thou hast a prosperity that wicked men have not 3 ep John 3. 2. Beloved I wish as I pray above all things that thou maist prosper and be in health as thy soul prospers When thy body doth not prosper that it is diseased when thy estate doth not prosper that thou art behind hand the labour of thy hand cannot fill thy belly nor cloath thy back even then thy soul may prosper In the Psalmist language thy soul may flourish like a green herb Psal 92. v. 13. Those that be planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the courts of our God They shall be fat and flourishing c. The graces of the spirit may thrive in thee when nothing prospers nor goeth well with thee in the World now wicked men though they doe prosper in their bodies they prosper not in their souls they prosper and thrive in wealth and goods not in grace It is a remarkable Text in Psal 106. v. 15. And he gave them their request but sent leanesse into their souls He gave them their request but what follows he sent leanesse into their souls the Quails were dainty food it did fat their bodies but their souls starved their souls thrived not their graces grew not their souls starved Suppose thy estate doth not encrease yet does thy graces thrive this should comfort thee and free thee from all disquietings in thy inward man 2. For the life to come thou shalt then have prosperity that no wicked man shall have this consideration should allay all disquietness thus the Psalmist doth Psal 17. 2 last Verses David speaks of men that have their portion in this life children enough and money enough for all their children to give them large portions What doth David doe to prevent repineing and disquietings of soul mark the next words As for me I will behold thy face in righteousness His meaning is I see them prosper here they have many children and they have enough for them all but as for me this satisfies me I shall behold thy face that is when my body shall be raised at the resurrection day and I shall come to Heaven this will satisfie me and this did quiet the spirit of David Fifthly Consider that prosperity makes wicked men worse and adversity makes good men better there are two parts in this likewise 1. Prosperity makes wicked men worse In the chapter I read this Afternoon God
a familiar spirit that I may enquire of her And his servants said unto him Behold there is a woman that hath a familiar spirit at Endor c. What doth he doe in his afflictions why he goeth to a Witch and useth sinful means and all to try what he might doe to prevent the prevailing of the Philistins over him O thou that darest venture on any sinful shift to avoid any affliction why this is an Argument that thou art inordinately disquieted under afflictions Lastly A man is then excessively disquieted under afflictions when he is so troubled for bodily afflictions that he doth distemper his own body You shall read this of Job he was so troubled that his spirits were dried up and his bones they were consumed and his strength was wasted And thus you read in the 38. Psalme of David Thine arrows sticke fast in me and thine hand presseth me sore What follows There is no soundness in my flesh Here the Psalmist did so grieve for Gods hand upon him as to weaken his own body and consume his strength this then is an Argument that sorrow is too inordinate when disquiet and trouble of mind for afflictions doth distemper the body Thus I have done with the third cause of Soul-disquieting that is for outward afflictions SERMON XIII Psal 42. 11. Why art thou cast down O my soul and why art thou disquieted within me hope thou in God for I shall yet praise him The health of my Countenance and my God I Am on the second part of David's trouble In general I shewed you what are these causes for which the souls of Gods people are troubled and disquieted 1. For the Prosperity of the wicked 2. For the Calamities of the Church 3. For the want of the Assurance of Gods love 4. For the Personal afflictions of the body I now come to the Fourth Fourthly Godly men are disquieted in their soules because of guilt of sin on the conscience the guilt and the power of sin on the conscience of all things in the World doth trouble the soul of a godly man For the handling of this Particular there are several Particulars to be considered First I shall shew you how it appears Gods people are disquieted in conscience for sin Secondly In what seasons and cases the People of God may be most troubled and cast down for sin Thirdly The difference between that sorrow and disquietness of soul of those that are godly and the disquietness of soul of those that are ungodly and reprobate men Fourthly How it comes to pass they are so much disquieted for sins Fifthly When may Gods people be said to be too much disquieted for sin Sixthly If the godly be disquieted so much What is the reason the wicked are not disquieted at all First How it doth appear that the souls of Gods people are apt for to be disquiet in their souls under the guilt of sin And first I shall instance it in David Psal 38. 3. There is no peace in my bones by reason of my sins that is I am exceeding troubled Psal 6. 2. Have mercy on me for my bones are vexed Now the Scripture by a trouble in his bones means an exceeding great measure of trouble that is I am in so great and sore troubles that it doth even vex my soul and trouble my body So likewise again in Lament 1. 13. From above he hath sent fire into my bones c. Now when a man is in so great trouble of spirit and so afflicted in body by reason of sin that there is no quietness in his bones when he is in so great affliction for sin to disturbe soul and body this is immoderate sorrow and too much disquietness So the Psalmist cries out in Psal 51. 8. Make me to hear the voice of joy and gladness that so the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice that is as if he said I have lost by reason of my sin the light of thy face and I have broken my peace Now let the light of thy countenance come into my soul and let the peace of conscience come to my soul which I have lost let this come to me again So again the Psalmist saith I go mourning all the day by reason of my sin and I am sorely troubled for I roar because of the troubles of my heart Psal 38. 6. 8. So again in Psal 77 3. When I remembred God I was troubled I complained and my spirit was overwhelmed Thou holdest mine eyes waking I am so troubled that I cannot speak So in Psal 88. 3. It is spoken of Heman My soul is full of troubles and my life draweth nigh unto the grave And in verse 7 Thy wrath lieth hard upon me thou hast afflicted me with all thy waves And so in verse 16. Thy fierce wrath goeth over me thy terrors have cut me off See how this man doth multiply his complaints by reason of his sore troubles and his great afflictions that lay upon his body and spirit So likewise you read of Job's troubles how he was sorely disquieted by reason of his personal troubles Job 23. Job was troubled and affraid of God and his presence was terrible to him And he complaineth that the Almighty troubled him All which doth make it to appear that the people of God are apt to be disquieted for their troubles and sins Secondly In what seasons is it that the people of God are most apt for to be troubled and disquieted for sin A man is not alwaies disquieted and troubled for the guilt of sin but there are some special seasons wherein God doth let their consciences to be more troubled and disquieted for sin then ordinary Now there are Seven special Seasons wherein conscience is most troubled and disquieted for sin First Case is Upon the consideration of the threatning and denunciation of some great judgement The apprehending of some great judgement doth bring the guilt of sin to remembrance and then conscience is sorely troubled And thus we read of wicked men that they are troubled in conscience in 1 Kings 21. 27 28 when it was told Ahab that he should be destroyed then guilt of sin came to mind and conscience was troubled and his mind perplext and then be went and humbled himself And it came to passe when Ahab heard those words that he rent his clothes and put sackcloth upon his flesh and lay in sackcloth and went softly When he heard of the denunciation of judgement threatned by the Prophet then he went and humbled himself before the Lord. So likewise Jehoshaphat and Hezekia's hearts and consciences were troubled at such a time as this was Secondly a second Case is When the Lord doth lay them under some great affliction when it is not nigh them but when it is already upon them An instance you have of Manasseh 2 Chron. 33. 10 11 12. And the Lord spake to Manasseh and to his people but they would not answer nor hearken
bring thee back he will make conscience for to be like a mastiff Dog for to fly in thy face for thy back-sliding from God and conscience shall tell thee what thou hast done in thy wicked departure from God and then thy own conscience will be worse then the snarling of a dog to thee then shall conscience use this season for to tel thee of thy sins against God Seventhly A seventh Season is this when a man comes for to lie on a sick bed or on his death bed that is the last season that God taketh to rouze the sleepy sinner and to let conscience awake and disquiet him for the sin he hath done It may be you can be living drunkards and living adulterers and not be troubled I but can you when you lie upon a sick bed or your death-bed when conscience shall be awakened canst thou then be a dying drunkard and a dying adulterer and not be troubled Take heed of these sins There is a caution in Pro. 5. 8. Remove thy way far from her and come not nigh the door of her house Here is a caution for young men laid down by Solomon to take heed of a whorish woman least you become mourners at last this is the season for conscience to disquiet thee for sin and if you belong to God he will make thee to mourn at last for the evils thou hast done In Job 21. 25. Another dyeth in the bitterness of his soul and never eateth with pleasure O the bitter pangs that are in many a mans soul when he dyeth and another may think he goeth away in peace and thus you have the second Question what those seasons are that God doth take to trouble mens consciences and disquiet them for sin I now come to the third Question to shew you what difference is between the disquiet for sin that is in the godly and the disquiet that is in the wicked and reprobate men for 't is possible that wicked and ungodly men may have trouble in conscience for the sins they have done because God hath put natural conscience in wicked men for to rebuke and check and trouble and disquiet them for some sins sometimes Now in the resolving of this Question there are thirteen or fourteen differences between the one and the other First Wicked and ungodly men are troubled for sins I but their trouble and their disquietness it is onely for great and gross sins and not for small and secret sins Before conversion Paul was never troubled and disquieted for concupiscence for secret corruption and heart lusts therefore saith Paul I had not known lust if the law had not said Thou shalt not covet Rom. 7. 7. That is he had not known the inward part of lust that the inward and secret desires of the heart were sin he was alive then without the law and he thought himself to be in a very good condition and kept himself from great and gross enormities but never made any reckoning and account of smaller and lesse enormities and lesser evils Unconverted men see sins as we see stars in the night we may see the stars of the first magnitude onely but we cannot see the lesser stars So wicked men by the light of natural conscience they can see sins of the first magnitude gross sins and infamous sins but they never take notice of lesser crimes smaller sins secret sinful lustings and desires for to check their hearts for them these the light of nature as it was with Paul never takes notice of But now look upon a godly man and there you find a great difference their disquietness of conscience doth much differ for their conscience doth disquiet them not onely for sins as big as Camels but for sins as small as Gnats not for mountains of sins but for Mole-hills of corruption small and little sins are the trouble and disquieting of good mens spirits Hezekiah he did greatly humble himself though it was but for an inward sore For the lifting up of his heart in pride This is an Argument of true grace when the soul shall be humbled for inward secret and heart sins So David his heart smote him after he had numbred the people It is questionable what was the particular sin because for a King to number his people it is in it self lawful I but it was some secret evil heart-sin heart-pride some other sin for this his heart smote him Those sins that will not trouble wicked mens sleep will break a godly mans heart that which may be to a wicked man as dust in the finger of his glove not any trouble to him to a godly man is as gravel in his kidneys greatly to trouble and disturbe him The second Difference Wicked men may be disquieted for sin and for some outward acts of sin but they are never troubled for the inward habit of sin for the sinful nature that depraved disposition of heart to sin We read many times wicked men have been troubled for the raigning acts of sin but never troubled at all for the sin of their nature Cain he was troubled for the murdering his brother and Balaam for Witchcraft and Ahab was troubled for the sinful acts of Idolatrie Judas for his treachery and Saul for his cruelty but neither these nor any wicked man in the World was troubled for original sin for the depravity of their natures But now godly men their disquietness for sin doth not only reach to the acts but also to the habits of sin to the natural depravity which is the foundation and fountain from whence all these corrupt actions flow this is that which doth greatly trouble them You read of Paul in Rom. 7. 24. O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from the body of this death or this body of death alluding to those sins wherein men were wont in a way of punishment to tie a dead body to a living body he speaks here of his body of sinful and depraved nature that was to him as a dead man tyed to a living man whereas before conversion he never did complain of any inward corruption nor once make mention of corrupt nature Art thou troubled for sin but can thy conscience bear thee witness thy disquietness of soul is for the sin and depravity of thy nature as well as for the sins of thy life Art thou troubled as well for the nature of sin as well as for the acts of sin Art thou troubled as well for the corrupt fountain as well as for the corrupt streams that flow from thence If thou art thus troubled and disquieted for sin all thy conflicts with sin shall end in conquest over sin another day The third difference Wicked men may be troubled for sin but their disquietnesse for sin is more for the evil of punishment that is the effect of sin then it is for the evil that is in the nature of sin they are disquieted for sin but it is because sin
ver 2. From the end of the Earth will I cry unto thee when my heart is over whelmed lead me unto the rock that is higher then I. This is the carriage and behaviour of ungodly men Again Wicked men look more after comfort then after duty if God give them ease and peace they never care for grace but God's people look after duty more then comfort in disquiet of conscience when the Converts were troubled in mind they cry'd not after comfort but after duty they cry'd Men and Brethren What shall we doe what shall we doe to be saved Thus I have dispatched to you the third Querie the Differences in these fourteen Particulars between the disquiet of soul for sin that may be found in wicked men that Evangelical holy trouble of soul for sin which is found in the godly The fourth Querie is But why are God's people so much disquieted for sin that they are more troubled for sin then they are comforted in the sight of their graces sin shall damn their souls Why then doth sin so much disquiet their consciences There are five Reasons 1. It ariseth partly from that softness of heart that tenderness of Conscience that is implanted in God's people by God the eye it is troubled at a mote when the hand is not troubled at a greater thing the eye is the tenderest part of the body Why beloved God's people they have tender consciences sin on their consciences is as a mote in their eye that greatly troubles them It is worth your notice that as God doth make a promise that he will keep his people as the apple of his eye Deut. 32. 10. He found him in the desart land and in a waste bowling wilderness he led him about he instructed him he kept him as the Apple of his eye So Gods people are said to keep his law as the apple of their eye Prov. 7. 2. Keep my Commandements and live and my Law as the apple of thy eye Beloved a blow on the eye offends the eye you must keep the Law as the Apple of the eye the apple of the eye is the tenderest part of the eye one breach of the Law by sin will as much disquiet thee as a blow on thine eye if thou keepest the Law as the apple of thine eye A second cause or reason is this God's people are troubled for sin because God's people seeing themselves that they are more in sinning against God then they are in obeying God therefore sin troubles them and disquiets them more grace is as the gleaning of the Vintage and sin is as the full harvest Job 15. 16. How much more abominable filthy is man which drinketh iniquity like water God's people see their sins like Mountains and their graces like Mole-hils my lusts burn like a flame but my graces like a glowing coal my sins at full tide but my graces at a low ebb that makes God's people to be so much troubled for sin disquiet of soul is more incident to the godly as the moth is ordinarily in the finest Cloth and the worm in the Rose sooner then the Briar A third Reason is this Because sin is more visible and manifest to the soul then their graces are therefore they are more troubled for sin You read in Galatians 5. 19. Now the works of the flesh are manifest which are these adultery fornication uncleanness lasciviousness idolatry witchcraft hatred â—â—riance emulations wrath strife c. But when the Apostle gives you the list of the graces of the Spirit he doth not say that the fruits of the Spirit are manifest but the fruits of the flesh are manifest to shew as one observes well that a man may more easily discern and have a sight of his sin then a godly man can have in the sight of his grace A fourth Reason is drawn from a Consideration that Christ's soul was troubled for sin Christ's soul was troubled for sin as imputed to him though he had no sin inherent in him Now is my soul troubled saith Christ Christ did not only suffer in his body upon the Crosse but likewise in his soul in the Garden John 12. 9. His soul was not troubled for his own sin for there was no guile found in his mouth but it was for our sins he was troubled Now Beloved O! Christ was troubled for thy wounds for thy sins and this makes a godly man reflect shall Christ's soul be troubled for my sin that was imputed to him and shall not I be troubled for sin that is inherent in me A fifth Reason is this That the People of God might taste and see the evil and the bitternesse of sin the more in the course of their lives and may be more put in awe to commit sin for time to come this is a reason that Solomon gives why godly men are troubled in mind for sin Eccles 7. 25 26. I applied mine heart to know and to search and to seek out wisedom and the reason of things and to know the wickednesse of folly even of foolishness and madness And I find more bitter then death the woman whose heart is snares and nets That is to know the evil of sin folly and madnesse is meant sin in Solomon's Dialect and saith he I find it to be more bitter then death Solomon by experience speaks this I find sin to be worse to me then death Beloved this is God's end why he will make a man to find out the wickednesse of sin to be troubled in conscience for sin is that thou mightest find sin to be more bitter to thee then death that so thou mightest avoid those sins and shun them for which thou hast smarted so much And thus I have finished the fourth Quaery SERMON XV. Psal 42. 11. Why art thou cast down O my soul and why art thou disquieted within me hope thou in God for I shall yet praise him The health of my Countenance and my God Question 5 A Fifth Quaery in order is this When may God's people be said to be excessively or too much disquieted in soul for sin There are seven particulars to resolve this four of them I shall gather from one Psalm Psal 77. 2 3 4. In the day of my trouble I sought the Lord my sore ran in the night and ceased not my soul refused to be comforted I remembred God and was troubled I complained and my spirit was overwhelmed Thou holdest my eyes waking I am so troubled that I cannot speak Here are four discoveries laid down when a man's disquiet and trouble of soul for sin is immoderate and excessive First When a man is so disquieted under the guilt of sin that he is not only unable to receive comfort but he is unwilling to receive that comfort that belongs to him v. 2. my soul refused to be comforted This was his sin I prove it by the 10. v. And I said This is mine infirmity It was an infirmity in Asaph
when he was under trouble of mind for to refuse comfort God intends trouble for sin to be an exercise of grace not to obliterate the evidence of our graces when trouble for sin proves an eclipse of grace not a spur to grace it is excessive Secondly When the amiable and glorious attributes of God are represented unto the soul of a godly man under a formidable and a dreadful notion this is laid down in v. 3. I remembred God and was troubled I complained and my spirit was overwhelmed The thoughts of God should comfort a soul in trouble of mind but when a man in trouble of mind shall make the Attributes of God to trouble him then it is excessive Job 23. 15. Therefore am I troubled at his presence when I consider I am affraid of him Adam after he fell What doth he do he went and hid himself from the presence of God Gen. 3. 8 10. And they heard the voice of the Lord walking in the garden in the cool of the day and they hid themselves for they were affraid Beloved when thou canst not think of a God but the thoughts of a God troubles thee this is excessive trouble in a godly man Thirdly When a man is so disquieted in soul for sin that a man doth abridge himself in the use of those natural comforts that God doth allow him to enjoy when he cannot eat nor drink nor sleep this is laid down in the 4. v. of this Psalm Thou holdest mine eyes waking I am so troubled that I cannot sleep His meaning is I am so troubled in conscience under the guilt of my sin that I cannot sleep at night when I lie down in my bed I cannot eat nor sleep I cannot enjoy those natural comforts and sleep which the Lord allows me to enjoy as worldly care is described in covetous men Eccles 5. 12. The sleep of a labouring man is sweet whether be eat little or much but the abundance of the rich will not suffer him to sleep That is an argument of excessive worldly care and trouble in a man for the world when he is so puzzled and glutted with the world that he cannot take his rest at night A fourth discovery in this Psalm is When disquiet of soul under the guilt of sin doth either discourage a man or unfit a man for religious duties then they are excessive and inordinate this is laid down in the 4. v. I am so troubled I cannot speak He was so overwhelmed with fears and troubles in his spirit that it did either discourage him from praying or unfit him for the use of prayer now to make it appear put them together v. 10. I said this is ruine infirmity It follows that all those troubles that be so inordinate to make him refuse comfort and troubled at the thoughts of God and to make him likewise that he could not sleep and he could not pray all this was his infirmity These are the four discoveries taken from that one Psalm Fifthly It is then inordinate when a man is so disquieted under the sight of sin that he hath no mind to follow his particular calling where in God hath set him in in the world that he can take no comfort in Wife or Children estate or comforts when a man shall be so perplexed that he cannot follow his trade then it is sinful there is his reason for it because God injoyns no duty belonging to our general calling as Christians that should clash with or justle out our particular callings as Men and herein the Divels policy lies that if he in trouble of mind can keep a man out of his calling he hath the better way to work upon an idle man Sixthly When trouble and disquiet of soul for sin is prejudicial to the health of our bodies I hate robbery for a burnt offering so that 's not God's sacrifice that is prejudicial to bodily health God hates us not for a burnt offering this was an infirmity in Heman one troubled deeply in mind Psal 88. 3. My soul is full of troubles and my life draweth nigh to the grave Heman's trouble of soul was so great that it did weaken his body and bring him to nothing but skin and bones So you read of trouble Psal 31. 9 10. Have mercy upon me Lord for I am in trouble my eyes is consumed with grief c. For my life is spent with grief and my years with sighing my strength faileth because of any iniquity Here was a mixture of weaknesse in this though it was for sin yet to consume the bones and to spend the strength God doth not require that Lastly When a man shall be so disquieted under the guilt of sin that he shall be uttenly discouraged from venturing to lay hold on Jesus Christ when they say doubtingly what the enemies say scoffingly where is no help for him in God when the kinde or degree of trouble of mind is so much that it shall impugn the end of it it is then excessive What is the end of trouble of mind for sin the end is to imbitter sin and to provoke a soul to look out after Jesus Christ And thus I have given you but the heads of this particular Question 6 Sixth Quaery You will ask me If it be so that godly men are so much disquieted in soul under the guilt of sin then what is the reason that wicked men can live so jocondly under such heavy loads of guilt yet never have a troubled thought nor disquieted heart all their days that they do not come into trouble as other men What is the reason of all this It is a very fruitful Question and well to be considered There are 10. General Causes First It proceeds partly from the malice and subtilty of the Divel that those souls that he hopes to damn when they die he will not disquiet them for sin whilst they are alive this is hinted to you Luke 11. 21. When a strong man armed keepeth his palace his goods are in peace The strong man is meant the Divel the pallace is meant the heart of a wicked man the goods to be at peace is meant that the thoughts of a wicked man is at peace and nothing troubles him when the Divel doth possesse a wicked man's heart he labours to keep all his thoughts quiet and calm and at peace with him Steila although a Popish Author yet hath a good note Unum est hic observandum we are to observe this one thing here the great cunning of the Divel that soul that he hath a possession of he would not have him trouble his conscience it is his labour saith he ut ne ullum conscientiae stimulum patiatur that he should not endure one prick of conscience the Divel doth with wicked men as the Babylonians did with the Jews in captivity they would make them sing songs when the Divel hath got wicked men captive the Divel would fain have them sing songs and be secure
the flesh And this should teach you all that if you be at any time troubled and cast down be sure that you be with David cast down and troubled more for spiritual things then for outward personal sufferings The dishonour that was done to the name of God was as a sword in Davids bones In the handling of this Doctrine I shall shew you for what it is that the souls of the children of God that are not cast off may be cast down And that I shall lay down more generally and it shall be as the foundation of the following discourse and that is in these four particulars First Though they may not be cast off yet they may be cast down for the greatness and grievousness of sin that is the great cause why the souls of the people of God are cast down Secondly Because of the want of the love of God and the assurance of pardoning grace Thirdly Because of the afflictions and calamitous condition of the Church and people of God Fourthly Because of those outward and personal afflictions of the body these I shall only name because they are as the foundation of the following discourse First The souls of the children of God they may be cast down though they cannot be cast off under the sight and sense of sin the great reason why I treat upon this subject is that it may be as an appendix to that subject concerning the pardon of sin In the handling of this doctrine concerning the casting down of the soul for the sight and sense of the greatnesse and grievousnesse of his sin there are many particulars to be considered First I shall shew you what this casting down for sin is Secondly What sort of men they are that God doth cast down and humble in the sight and sense of sin Thirdly When may Gods people be said for to be too much cast down in the sight and sense of sin Fourthly How may we discern between the casting down for sin of the godly and the casting down for sin of wicked and reprobate men seeing that Gods people are cast down for sin and wicked men not cast down for sin at all Fifthly What reasons may be given that the souls of Gods people that shall not be cast off yet they may be cast down under the sight and sense of sin Sixthly What rules may be laid down unto the people of God that they may not be cast down too much under the burden and sight and sense of sin and so to run into dejection of mind by reason of sin I shall begin with the first of these namely What this casting down for sin is I told you in the beginning that there is a casting down For sin first When God casts down the soul by way of humiliation for sin And this I told you is a casting down for sin in a good sense when sorrow of sin is mixt with faith Then secondly There is a casting down for sin in a bad sense and that is when the soul is cast down so for sin as that it cannot at that time look towards Jesus Christ with an eye of faith for pardon of sin and to be fully perswaded of taking the forgivenesse of sin by Jesus Christ and this sort of humiliation is that you are to check your hearts for Secondly What sort of men they are that God doth most cast down for sin and this I shall lay down by nine or ten particulars There are nine or ten sorts of men which God doth most humble and cast down for sin First Those that have been most notorious for sin most infamous for sin and who have been most scandalous in their lives before conversion God doth usually bring them home with tempestuous alarms in their consciences Thus Manasseth he was high in sin and great in iniquity and abomination but low in the sight of his own sins and God useth more harsh and more rough means by bringing in grosse and notorious ill livers those that will set their faces against heaven enraged persecutors and exposers of God and his truth that goe on resolutely and stubornly and frowardly in the waies of sin God when he calls such home he layeth them low and humbleth them deeply under the sight and sense of past provocations So Paul he was a high and a great and a notorious sinner before his conversion he was a great persecutor of the Church and people of God he was an injurious person and he was a blasphemer he did not care what wrong and what havock he made of the Church of God he persecuted his people from one City to another and cast them into prison and laboured to put both Christians and Religion out of remembrance Now Paul he being such a notorious sinner and so abounding in sin when he is brought home by conversion God must use him more severely and deal more sharply with him and humble him greatly and lay him low in the sight and sense of his own vilenesse and under the greatnesse of his own sinfulnesse God must unhorse Paul in meeting him in the way he was riding to accomplish his evil designes and as he was going to vex the people of God I say God must cast him down to the ground and lay him upon his face and make him cry Lord what wilt thou have me to doe as you may read the story at large in Acts 9. And the great reason is this because as his cruelty was manifest so God would make his repentance and humiliation to be manifest as his sin was not only as his sins was against a great God so his humiliation and repentance should be manifested to be great but also as his sins was so great an offence to men that feared God so his humiliation and repentance should be great and manifested before them that were so offended by him at his course this humiliation and horror is his spiritual penance to the world makes repentance more visible And If I now speak to any of you here that have been or still are notorious in sin and wickednesse that have sinned greatly if ever God bring you home by effectual calling and conversion he will lay you low by humiliation and cast you down greatly under the sight and sense and sorrow for sin that as your sins have been great so your sorrow shall be great That instance spoken concerning Lydia is worthy your observation in Acts 16. v. 14. 29 c. there you read of two persons that were converted yet in a different way one from the other You read of Lydia in the 14th verse A certain woman named Lydia a seller of purple of the city of Thyatira which worshipped God heard as whose heart the Lord opened that shee attended to the things that were spoken of Paul This woman shee was Converted in a very easie way and manner in comming to hear Paul preach and at this time the Lord opened her heart Here was conversion
thou dost desire to amend thy waies and thy doings that have not been good and to walk more close to God if so though thou hast not the measure of humiliation and casting down for sin as others have yet thou hast the end of humiliation and thou maiest rest satisfied in thy conscience If that humiliation doth imbitter sin and endear Jesus Christ to thy soul I tell thee O poor soul though thou hast not this degree of humiliation thou maiest be dear to Jesus Christ and thou maiest go to heaven for all that and I tell thee further for thy comfort there was never yet any went to hell and lost heaven for want of degrees of grace but many goe to hell and lose heaven for want of truth of grace So none ever went to hell for want of such and such a degree of casting down for sin and for want of such and such a degree of humiliation but many goe to hell for want of humiliation in the least measure and truth of it If there be faith in thee grace in thy soul though it be but as a grain of mustard-seed a little grace sprung in the soul shall spring up in thy soul to a harvest of glory as thy reward Yea God rewards the soul with no less a reward then glory for a little grace heaven is not entailed to the soul upon such and such degrees of grace to have so much faith and so much repentance and so much humiliation and so much casting down for sin and so much love to Christ though this is to be strived after as a strong faith in God much love to God c. yet heaven is entailed to weak faith a little love c. so it be true Therefore if thou findest the ends of humiliation thou maiest satisfie thy selfe though thou wantest the degrees this is the Second rule Rule 3 The Third rule why the souls of the people of God should not be too much cast down for sin is this Be sure to cast thy self upon Jesus Christ for life and salvation and then whatever comes be sure thou wilt not be too much cast down for sin nor too much dejected under it What is the great reason that so many poor souls are so much cast down for sin too much dejected under the sight and sense of it It is this because they are afraid to cast themselves wholly upon Jesus Christ and to rowle themselves upon him for salvation Though more sin requires more tears for sin upon the thoughts of it yet Jesus Christ need not shed more blood for sin Jesus Christ needs no more to die for satisfaction for sin Christ hath paid a full and compleat and sufficient ransome for sin and needs die no more I but thou hast not shed all the tears thou must doe for sin for the body of sin and the remainders of corruption that are within thee It is the nature of wicked men yea and good men too to run into extreams about and concerning sin and therefore observe this rule for it will be a means to keep you that you do not cast your selves down too much for sin First It is natural for wicked men that they will be so far from being cast down for sin too much that they will not be troubled nor cast down for sin at all but to goe on from sin to sin for to passe from one degree to another till they perish everlastingly and this they do without fear Secondly But now on the right hand good men are very apt to run into a right-hand error and wicked men will not be cast down for sin at all these will labour to cast themselves too low for sin under the sight and sense of it The Scripture makes mention of wicked men they are not at all troubled for sin as you may read in Job 21. 14 15. nothing troubles their consciences when they come to die see verse 13. They spend their daies in wealth or as the Hebrew word is they spend their daies in mirth and in a moment goe down to the grave But are they at all humbled before God read the 14 and 15 verses Therefore they say unto God Depart from us for we do not desire the knowledge of thy waies What is the Almighty that we should serve him and what profit should we have if we pray unto him Therefore depart from us Wherefore because they lived in mirth and pleasure and at hearts ease and they never so much as thought of sin and much less for to be humbled under the sense of it and therefore they neither cared for God nor for his waies so that you see wicked men are not cast down for sin at all But now good men are on the other side very apt for to imbitter their own condition by being too much cast down for sin this is possible and good men are very apt to doe it 2 Cor. 2. 7. ye ought to comfort him lest perhaps such a one should be swallowed up with overmuch sorrow When a child of God shall out of bitterness of soul cast himself down too much for sin As he was subject too that was by the Church excommunicated for his sin when he under this censure suffered for his sin it was the Apostles fear lest he should be born down with overmuch sorrow Therefore though wicked men make light of sin and are not humbled under the sight and sense of it at all take heed that in your mourning for sin you do not cast your selves down too much for sin and thus I have resolved these six Questions I shall now close up this Doctrine with a word of use Use 1 If it be so that the children of God may be cast down for sin though they may not be cast off for sin and may a godly man be so cast down for sin that he may cry out with the Psalmist Why art thou cast down O my soul and why art thou disquieted within me Although wicked men may live in pleasure all their days and never be troubled and cast down under the sight and sense of sin I shall direct my speech a little to wicked men First O you that live in a course of ungodliness in waies of wickedness delighting your selves to live after the imaginations of your own evil hearts consider and reason thus with your own souls What are good men cast down that shall never be cast off and are they dejected who shall never be rejected what will you doe that heap sin upon sin and add iniquity to iniquity to multiply your abominations and never have your hearts to be troubled and never have your consciences smite you for the evil of your doings O consider that many may be cast into hell for sin that never have been cast down for sin and if you go on and continue in this way of sinning what will become of you But you may say What may be done or what means may be used to get
the body also there is such a sympathy between the body and the soul that the one cannot be troubled and cast down but the other is so also for when the body of Christ was troubled his soul was troubled also when the People of God have melancholy and troubled thoughts it doth trouble and disturb the body as well as the minde it weakeneth the body and lesseneth that joy that they should have in God and puts the whole man out of order and therefore it is very observable what David speaketh and I shall lay it down to those that are troubled under the dejections of minde for sin for those very men that cast down themselves for sin excessively this also doth disturb and trouble the body In Psal 32. 4. I kept silence and my moisture is turned into the drought of summer And it is more fully set forth in Psal 38. 3 4 5. There is no soundness in my flesh by reason of thine anger neither is there any rest in my bones by reason of my sin for mine iniquities are gone over my head as a heavy burden they are too heavie for me and I go mourning all the day Here for too much dejection followeth a bodily disease and distemper as in ver 7. My loyns are filled with a lothsome disease and there is no soundness in my flesh And many Interpreters do hold that his trouble in minde his being cast down so much under his sin was the cause of his bodily disease So again in Psal 39. 8 9. Deliver me from my transgressions there was his inward deje ction his trouble for sin And in ver 10. Remove thy stroke away from me I am consumed by the blow or conflict of thy hand When God with rebukes for sin makes him see his wrath in the sight of sin that by this means he may not continue in sin and thou to cast down thy self excessively under the apprehensions of sin this doth not only disturb the minde but also destroy the body I mention this not that I would that any should cast off godly sorrow for sin provided that it be kept within its due bounds for sorrow for sin in a due measure it neither troubleth the minde nor distempereth nor afflicteth the body but it is excessive sorrow for sin that casteth down the soul and causeth distempers to arise in the body therefore reason with thy soul against it Sixthly Reason thus with thy own soul consider O my soul opposition against sin rather then excessive casting down for sin is that God accepteth and is more pleased withall Christians are very apt to think and believe that if they be thus and thus cast down for sin and so much humbled and cast down for sin they do great matters and yet in the mean time they do not conflict and contest with and against their lusts and constantly oppose their sin to be so far humbled to be so far dejected for sin as may encourage the soul to fight against sin this is that which is well-pleasing to God When the men of Israel did flee before the men of Ai in the seventh Chap. of Joshua Joshua fell upon his face and rent his clothes now said God to Joshua Get thee up wherefore fallest thou upon thy face ver 10. so saith God to you to thy soul that is dejected and excessively cast down for sin Wherefore fall ye down upon your faces on the ground in a dejected condition for sin get you up so say to thy soul why dost thou fall upon thy face why dost thou deject thy self why dost thou mourn excessively for sin get thee up God had rather see the soul to be up and to be fighting against corruption then to be down on thy face in too low a dejection for sin It is with thy soul as with a Souldier a Generall had rather see his Souldiers up and fighting against their common enemy then to lie upon the ground wounded and cast down crying by reason of their wounds so God had rather see the souls of his People to be up and to be fighting against their corruptions and lusts their common enemies to their salvation then to be down upon their faces on the ground under an excessive casting down for sin Seventhly Reason thus with thy self O my soul why art thou dejected under the sight and sense of sin consider it is not the measure of humiliation nor the degrees of it but the truth of humiliation that God accepts of and maketh promise of acceptance to Therefore do not lie so low under so sad a dejection the Lord doth make the greatest promises to the least measure and degree of faith though thy faith be little and thy graces small yet the least and the weakest measure and degree of grace God accepts Though there are many that go to Hell for want of truth of grace in the habit yet never any go to Hell for want of degrees of grace in the act if there be but the least beginnings of grace God accepts of that if it be but faith as a grain of Mustard-seed that is faith so a little Tree may be as truly called a Tree as the greatest though it wants that degree of greatness yet it is a Tree for all that so a little grace a little seed of faith as a grain of Mustard-seed may as truly and as properly be called true faith as the strongest faith though it want the degrees of it God hath his bottle for them that shed few tears as well as for them that make their heads a fountain of water though thy grace be but as a bruised reed and as smoking flax yet that bruised reed and that smoking flax shall not be quenched nor the bruised reed broken in Isa 42. 3. a bruised reed he shall not break and the smoking flax he shall not quench though grace be very weak and very little and small as a bruised reed and as smoking flax or dimly burning for so the word signifieth yet God will strengthen the one and kindle the other and will not reject these small beginnings of grace though they appear to be so dim as scarcely to be discerned Though God doth not make promises to sinners as in that state yet God doth make promises to sinners as they have grace though never so weak and small therefore why shouldst thou give way to too much trouble of minde Use The Use that I shall make is this to let you know that the Scripture doth in joyn you not only to check your hearts for and to use holy reasonings against your excessive dejection and casting down for sin but also you must reason your selves into a way of believing many Christians will reason why they should believe and why they should be comforted and why they should be cast down but why they are excessively cast down they have no reason at all but this because they must be so and that you must have the one as well as
God doth bear to them I shall reduce the Reasons into these Four Heads First It ariseth from a mans own self Secondly It commeth from God Thirdly From the Divel Fourthly It commeth from other men These may be the Four general Causes why Gods people are cast down under the want of Gods love and favour to their souls First It ariseth from a mans own self and that in these Six regards First From the prevalency of natural melancholy in a mans body The prevalency of melancholy in a man doth darken the understanding and it troubles the fancy and it doth disturbe the reason and sadden the soul and cloaths it in mourning weeds and when these meet together it must needs cast the man down and suspend the sense of Gods favour from him Melancholy it is the mother of discomfort and discontent and it is the nurse of doubts Think of that story which you read of Daniel 4. concerning Nebuchad-nezzar He did eat grass like an Oxe he knew not whether he was a beast or a man But his fancy was troubled and his understanding was darkened and his reason was gone and thus natural melancholy maketh a child of God to think that he is a child of the Divel when he is a child of God and it makes him to think he is a brat of Babylon when indeed he is a son of Sion It is no more wonder saith Baxter for a melancholy man to doubt and fear despair then it is to see a sick man groan and a child crie when he is beaten the best way to cure this belongs rather to a Physitian then to a Divine There is a natural distemper in the body is the cause of melancholy yet trouble of conscience doubtings distresse of spirit are the companions of it You may silence a melancholy man when you cannot comfort him If you abate his sadnesse by convincing arguments yet when he retires alone through the prevalency of this humour all is forgotten his comforts are but a day or two old 2. The second cause of the suspension of the favour of God it is this spiritual security and indulging and harboring in the heart any known sin there is nothing in the world that will so much hinder him of and keep the soul from the assurance of the favour of God as the harbouring in the soul any known sin for all the while David did harbour in his heart and indulge and hide his sin from God he did lose the light of Gods countenance and he lost the shining of Gods face upon his soul insomuch that he prayeth to God to restore unto him the joy of his salvation It is true the salvation of David was not lost but the joyes of his salvation the comforts and consolation that he formerly enjoyed that was lost and for this he begs of God for to restore unto him Psal 51. 12. restore unto me the joyes of thy salvation Although that sin cannot make a child of God to lose salvation it self yet sin may cause God to suspend the comforts and the wonted joyes of his salvation I may say concerning this case as Philosophers say of Earth-quakes When the wind is in the Air spread abroad and diffused in the Air then it doth not throw down either hill or mountain but when the wind is gathered together and lies in the caverns of the Earth then it causeth Earth-quakes and over-turns all that is about it so while that sin is not kept close in the soul and while it is not indulged there and whiles it is not hid and concealed but confessed and repented of and prayed against it doth not much hurt but when that sin is indulged and kept close and not repented of nor prayed against but indulged in the soul this will make a heart-quake and a conscience-quake and will fill thy heart with horror and amazement Psal 32. 3. When I kept silence my bones waxed old through my roaring all the day When a man doth conceal his sin it troubles his soul and woundeth his heart and breaketh his peace if you will break Gods Law it is but just and righteous with God to break your peace God will not encourage any of his people by giving them peace and comforts and mercies in any sinful course and however the Antinomians hold us in hand and would make us believe that our comforts have no dependance on our sinful actions whereas God teacheth us no such thing saith the Prophet Isaiah The work of Righteousness that is peace and the end thereof is quietness and assurance for ever Here you see that comfort and consolation and joy and peace and assurance is annexed to the works of Righteousness when as discomforts and discouragements are annexed unto sin if you break Gods Law God will break your peace God will break your heart the same promises of peace cannot be made to the godly and wicked for they have promises of divine peace the other have not Ezek. 14. 4. Therefore speak unto them and say unto them Thus saith the Lord God Every man of the house of Israel that setteth up his idols in his heart and putteth the stumbling block of his iniquities before his face and cometh to the Prophet I the Lord will answer him that cometh according to the multitude of his idols When a man shall come to the Prophets to the Ministers of God and shall make great complaint of his inward trouble in his soul and much cast down within himself and yet in the mean time keep and harbour known sins upon his own heart God hath said he shall not answer that man that he might give him comfort but saith God in the 5. v. Thus saith the Lord repent and turn your selves from your idols and turn away your faces from all your abominations and then God will answer him but those that will not turn from their evil wayes God will answer such a man with rebuke and God will set his face against that man and make him a sign and a proverb and cut him off he that keeps sin in his heart and indulges sin there there shall be no peace in his conscience nor serenity nor quietness of soul he shall not in joy the smiles of Gods face the light of Gods countenance but the sense of his wrath much anguish and sorrow and perplexity of mind for his sin The third cause of the souls suspension and want of Gods favour it is the defectiveness of the people of God in the exercising of their graces little grace shall have but little evidence and if you are not abundant in the exercise of grace you will not have the comfort of grace but in a weak measure Ioh. 14. 21. He that hath my Commandements and keepeth them he it is that loveth me and he that loveth me shall be loved of my father and I will love him and will manifest my self unto him You know that all the stars in the Firmament
I Am now to lay down some Scripture rules for to help a child of God that is cast down under the want of assurance of Gode love how to recover the sense of Gods love again Now for your help in this matter I shall proceed in two general directions 1. You are to remove those things which cause a suspension of Gods favour and love within you which did cast you down 2. You must labour to practice those things that may further you in the attainment of this comfortable sense and certain assurance of Gods love For the first Here are eight things which are to be removed which happily hath occasioned this suspicion of Gods love 1. Labour to remove natural melancholy there is such a natural sympathy between the soul and the body that a distemper in the one causeth trouble in the other It is no more wonder for a consciencious man overcome with melancholy to fear doubt c. then for a sick man to groan or a child to cry when it is beaten if there be melancholy on the body there will be trouble on the soul that is under desertion and trouble of mind in Christians it doth sometimes begin from a natural melancholy Now this must be removed in case you would recover a comfortable sense and assurance of the love of God Saith the Physitian natural melancholy hath sad effects that do attend it as fear subject to frets terrible dreams sad apprehensions why now the devil can tell when thy apprehension is disturbed and he can tell how to turn this and to make you fear your salvation the devil is a powerful spirit and when the natural temper is thus exorbitant he can make this that was a natural to become spiritual evil 2. You must remove spiritual pride Job 33. 17. that he may withdraw man from his purpose and bide pride from man If those swelling humours of pride be in thy spirit God will send a messenger of Satan to buffet thee men of proud spirits saith Preston They are exposed to sad desertions and darkned eclipses of their comforts it is usual with God when he seeth men proud and high-conceited of the measure and degree of their graces to pull down their pride he keeps from them the comfort of their own graces Pride is not onely a bane of grace but of comfort too God resists the proud the Greek word signifies That God puts himself in battel array against him Beloved God doth put himself in battel array against a proud man therefore if ever you would regain the certainty and assurance of Gods love remove pride 3. If you would regain this comfortable assurance remove dulnesse and deadnesse of heart in holy duties when the vigor and liveliness of our spirits are abated in duty the comforts of Gods spirit shall be detained little duty and lesse comfort shall go hand in hand together when the affections are dead and the heart straitned in duties evidences will be darkned and comfort will be eclipsed carelesse performances are recompenced by God with frowns not with smiles 4. Sensual joyes and delights in the Creature in the things of this world they do enervate spiritual joy the Sun when it shines on the fire doth hinder the burning of the fire When thou hast a Sun shine of comforts in this world it is a hundred to one but that thy affections have neither light nor heat comforts are heated by grace the more heat is in thy affections the more strength is in thy comforts and consolations Now sensual delights they take away the heart and when the heart is gone comfort is gone Hosea 4. 11. Whoredome and wine and new wine take away the heart To be swilling and guzling at the Cup and to be following of wantons this takes away the heart Sensual joys they are very contrary to godly joyes a man will never have joy in the Holy Ghost that is overwhelmed with sensual and vain delights in the things of this world 5. Take heed of grieving the spirit if ever you would retain the comfortable assurance of Gods love Isaiah 63. 10. But they rebelled and vexed his holy spirit therefore he was turned to be their enemy and fought against them If thou dost grieve his spirit in heaven he will sadden thy spirit on earth Res delicata est spiritus sanctus it a nos tract at sicut à nobis tractatur saith Tertullian The spirit of God will handle us as we handle it if you grieve Gods spirit he will grieve yours he wil not powre joy into your spirits when you but grieve his if you vex Gods spirit by resisting the holy motions of the spirit he will vex your spirits by retaining the comfortable motions of the spirit It is observable the spirit of God in Scripture it is not only called a Comforter but the Holy Ghost therefore it is in vain to believe that the spirit shall be a Comforter to you if you withstand the office of the spirit as he is the holy ghost therefore O you that grieve the spirit by resisting the holy motions of it you shall never regain the comforting work of the spirit 6. Remove all unmercifulnesse and uncompassionatenesse of spirit to others that are troubled in mind Many Christians are like a herd of Dear it is their manner that when one of the herd is wounded by the Forrester all the rest leave him and forsake him and put him away from them and let the wounded Deer shift for it self alone there are many such uncompassionate souls that if a man be in trouble of mind and have the arrows of Gods wrath sticking in the soul they run away from them and leave them many men are thus wanting tenderness and wanting bowels of compassion towards tempted and troubled souls full of censures contempt rough dealing now for this rigidnes and uncompassionatenes God doth oftentimes cause eclipses in their own souls If ever you would regain comfort pity tempted soule pity and compassionate disquieted souls and that is the way to regain your comfort 7. Remove a wantonnesse and a fearlesnesse of the Majesty and greatnesse of God if the parents dandle a child on the knee their child wanting discretion is apt to grow wanton therefore the Parents are forced sometimes by an austere earriage to prevent this wantonnesse If God should alwayes manifest smiles it would breed a contempt to God therefore God doth with a majestick Soveraignty carry himself with a seeming displeasure with frowns in his brow and all to correct that spirit of wantonnesse that is in his people The Persian Kings shunned familiarity with their Subjects and would be but twice a year seen by them lest their Subjects should contemn them if they should often see them so God doth hide himself from them lest there should be a spirit of wantonnesse growing in his people Lastly If you would not be cast down under these desertions then remove from you all worldly-mindednesse to be
to put upon holy endeavours after comforts Psal 30. 7. Thou didst hide thy face and I was troubled it follows v. 8. I cryed to thee O Lord c. David doth not spend so much time in fruitlesse complaints as he doth in holy endeavours after duties Lastly Spend more time to strengthen evidences then to weaken evidences many men spend more time in questioning their evidences then in strengthning them as in trouble of mind a man will give himself to read dreadful threatnings to read such places of Scripture and such good books that carrie most dread and terror and will spurn at promises and at comforts this is to strengthen the devils hands and to weaken thine own Indeed when thou findest thy heart to presume and delude it self then it is good to make application of dread and terror to awaken thee but when a man is in trouble of mind then to shun promises and only to pore on threatnings of the Scripture I say this is a course rather to weaken thy comforts then strengthen them if thou canst not find thy affections up why run to thine inclinations why it may be thou sayest thou canst not mourn but thou wouldst mourn I cannot pray but I would pray I cannot hear profitably but I would hear better it is a rule that Divines give That when a believer cannot have comforts from the actings of grace he is bound then to look for comforts from his general inclination it may be thou canst not pray well but for what end thou dost pray is not thine end to get more communion with God and to get more power against sin When thou canst not find evidences strengthened by the actings of grace thou mayest find evidences by thy intention in duty Thus I have done with these two great causes of a Believers dejection or casting down to wit the greatness of sin then secondly The desertion or divine suspension of Gods love SERMON VIII Psal 42. 11. Why art thou cast down O my soul and why art thou disquieted within me hope thou in God for I shall yet praise him The health of my Countenance and my God I Am now come to the second part of the Psalmists distress Why art thou disquieted within me Arius Montanus whom Ainsworth follows in his translation reads the words thus Cur tumultuaberis Why art thou all in a tumult a Metaphor drawn from the Sea to the tumults that are in a good man The manner of the Psalmists dialect it is in a way of expostulation From thence I shall draw this Observation Observation That godly men they ought to check their hearts for and to use holy reasoning against all inordinate disquietings of soul In the handling of which point in the general I shall shew you what those things are for which the soul of a child of God is disquieted That which disquiets the soul of a child of God either First It is the prosperity of the wicked or else Secondly The calamities of the Church 3. Outward afflictions on their bodies 4. Inward corruption in their hearts I shall spend this Sermon on the first of these to wit That godly men they should check their souls for all disquietings touching the prosperity of wicked men I do not know any one outward thing in the world that doth more disquiet the souls of good men then the prosperity of the wicked Touching this particular I shall handle it to you in this method First I shall shew you that Godly men are apt to be disquieted in soul for the wickeds prosperity 2. Shew you reasons why you should reason against check the soul for all disquietings because of their prosperity Thirdly and lastly Lay down some considerations whereby you may reason against disquietings of the soul because of the prosperity of wicked men First Godly men have had their souls greatly disquieted because of the prosperity of wicked men There are four or five instances of good men in this kind In David the father and Solomon the son you have a discovery of great disquietings of soul First In David the father Psal 73. 3. and in the 12 13. v. For I was envious at the foolish when I saw the prosperity of the wicked Behold these are the ungodly which prosper in the world they increase in riches verily I have cleansed my heart in vain and washed my hands in innocency as if he should say It is in vain for me to be godly because I see wicked men do so prosper in the world It is a great stumbling block in good mens wayes to Heaven to see wicked men prosper good men have been overtaken with this discouraged and disquieted in soul to see wicked men prosper in the world Secondly Solomon was troubled for the very same thing Eccles 10. 6 7. Folly is set in great dignity and the rich sit in the low place I have seen servants on horses and Princes as servants walking upon the earth To see servants ride on horse-back c. that is to see wicked men advanced prosperous and successeful and to see the godly in an object despicable and low estate this disquieted Solomon Thirdly Look further into the Prophet Jeremiah he was greatly disquieted because of this Ier. 12. 1. Righteous art thou O Lord when I talk with thee let me talk with thee of judgements wherefore doth the way of the wicked prosper c. He would reason with God what did he say to God let me talk with thee of thy judgements wherefore doth the way of the wicked prosper Jeremiah would fain know a reason of God wherefore the way of wicked men should prosper Fourthly And thus likewise a fourth instance you have of Job ch 21. v. 7. Wherefore do the wicked live become old and mighty in power c. Thus you see four instances in four of the best men David Solomon Jeremiah and Job Fifthly I might give you in a holy Prophet Habakkuk chap. 1. v. 13. Thou art of purer eyes then to behold inquity or canst not look on grievance wherefore lookest thou upon them that deal treacherously and holdest thy tongue when he devoureth him that is more righteous then he Here the Prophet doth reason with God why God would do this that he that was of pure eyes would behold a wicked man prosper in his wicked way And thus you see briefly the first part That good men they are apt to be disquieted in soul in seeing the prosperity of wicked men 2. The next thing is to shew you the reasons why good men should not be disquieted and troubled in soul when they do see the wicked prosper in the world The Reasons are four First Do not be disquieted because of the prosperity of wicked men because God doth give them prosperity to be a snare to them Prov. 1. 32. For the turning away of the simple shall slay them and the prosperity of fools shall destroy them It makes them secure it proves fuel to
their lust Hosea 13. 6. According to their pasture so were they filled they were filled and their hearts were exalted therefore they have forgotten me Their gold and silver and wool and flax did but cloath enrich and strengthen sins Now beloved wilt thou envy the prosperity of a wicked man wouldst thou envy a man to see him have silken halters and those to hang himself withal God doth give prosperity to wicked men to be as silken halters to hang them everlastingly therefore do not be disquieted though they prosper in the world Secondly Be not disquieted because wicked men have the curse of God with their prosperity this reason Job gives chap. 5. v. 2 3. he calls those men silly men that envy wicked mens prospering in the world for saith Job Certainly I saw God cursing their habitation Beloved it is better to have poverty with a blessing then to have encrease with a curse wicked men have the curse of God with all their prosperity and this reason Solomon gives you why you should not be disquieted Prov. 2. 31 32 33. Envy thou not the Oppressor and chuse none of his wayes for the froward is an abomination to the Lord but his secret is with the righteous the curse of the Lord is in the house of the wicked but he blesseth the habitation of the just Though thou seest a wicked man by oppression and grinding the face of the poor become wealthy O do not envy him why because the curse of the Lord is in his house This should be a strong reason not to be troubled at the prosperity of wicked men it is observable of Esau Gen. 27. 28. I will give thee the fatness of the earth and the dews of heaven a large promise yet you read Jacob have I loved and Esau have I hated Jacob had but a poor staff and Esau had the fatnesse of the earth why thou mayest be poor as Jacob with a staff and scrip and thou mayest be loved with Jacob. And wicked men may have the fatness of the earth with Esau and yet God hate them therefore be not disquieted at the prosperity of wicked men it was spoken of the Caldeans Zach. 1. 15. they were a wealthy Nation God may give you ease in the world and abound with wealth yet saith God I am sore displeased with them he doth mingle his wrath and curse with the abundance of wicked men therefore be not disquieted because wicked men prosper Thirdly Their prosperity doth cost them very dear they lose a soul to get a world they lose heavens glory for earths prosperity it is a dear purchase Wouldst thou envy a man that to purchase his house should lose his life why wicked men to purchase wealth lose their souls I have read of a Souldier that when there was a Law made by the General That none should rob the Country the Souldier robbed a Vineyard took away a bunch of grapes and for example sake was to be hanged and some did envy the man for the grapes saith he envy me not I pay dear for my grapes I apply this you may see wicked men about you to eat the fat and drink the sweet of the Land thou eatest the bread of affliction and drinkest thy tears O do not envy him his wealth is the price of blood it hath cost him dear Fourthly Do not be disquieted because the wicked prosper for this wil put thee in danger to be wicked as the wicked are that man that is troubled because the wicked prosper he is likely to be tempted to become wicked that he might prosper as they do Observe that where the Scripture speaks that good men should not be troubled because the wicked prossper it gives that caution Lest you should be wicked as the wicked are observe Prov. 3. 31. Envy not the Oppressor nor chuse none of his wayes Intimating that if you do envy wicked men that gain by oppression you will become Oppressors and will become wealthy as they are Prov. 24. 11. Be not envious against evil men neither desire to be with them A notable text that David telleth you of what danger he was in because he was disquieted when wicked men did prosper Psal 73. 2. My feet had almost slipt David saw this he did envy them and he had almost fallen into the same sin that they fell into You have a notable passage in the 10. v. Yet a little while and the wicked shall not be yea thou shalt consider his place and it shall not be He tels you of their prosperity in the foregoing verses They are not plagued like other men they have more then heart can wish and what follows in the 10. verse It is but a little while and the wickednesse of the wicked shall be at an end that is because they see wicked men prosper Gods own people return their way and do many times wickedly as they do Beloved to see men that shall break Covenants and deal treacherously to see them successeful and carry all before them if thou dost envy them thou art in great danger to sin as they do and do wickedly as they do that thou mightst prosper as they do Third Question is What Consideration should a man use to reason against these disquietings of Soul because of the prosperity of wicked men Beloved I will name to you six Considerations to allay those disquietings seeing wicked men prosper in the world First Consider with your selves it is a harder matter for godly men to use prosperity well then adversity well you know it is a harder matter to carry a cup of Wine that is brim full without shedding then to carry a cup that is half filled It is harder to carry a prosperous condition well without sin then it is to carry a state of adversity therefore in Scripture those that have been good in adversity have been bad in prosperity The men of Israel were good in Egypt but they were bad in Canaan Deuteronomy 32. even when God had delivered them and given them the Land of Canaan even then they rebelled against God When they waxed fat and plentiful in the promised Land then they spurned against God When David was in a private condition when he was hunted by Saul like a Partridge over the mountains David was a good man but when David came to the Throne then he became adulterous then he became murderous whereas before he was a man of a marvellous strict life therefore the Scripture speaks of Jehoshaphat 2 Chron. 17. 3. that he followed David's first waies intimating that David's first waies were his best waies I have read in Bernard's works chap. 12. B. 2. of considerations all that Chapter treats on this theam Majus periculum à prosperis quam ab adversis that it is more dangerous for a good man to be in prosperity then to be in adversity It is a Note Cornelius A lapide hath on Pro. 1. 32. that the same word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
not prosper in a good way It is possible that the Church of God that hath God and Christ and the truth and all on their sides and yet not to have victorie for to censure men by this you may by the same reason censure Christ and the Church of old and by the same reason you might justifie the Turk and Pope and condemn Christ if you should passe your censure by the victory and prevailing party for enemies have much prevailed against the Church do not censure because of success and that you may free your selves from this unjust censure take this consideration It is a Metaphor drawn from the Trees the one applyed to Christ the other to Nebuchadnezzar King of Babylon in Daniel 4. 22. from verse 4. to 12. mention is made of this vision where the King saw a Tree It was in the midst of the Earth and the height thereof was great ver 10. The Tree grew and was strong and the height thereof reached to Heaven and the sight thereof unto the end of all the Earth the leaves thereof fair and the fruit thereof much and in it was meâ—t for all the beasts of the field had shadow under it and the fowls of the Heaven did dwell in the shadow of it and all flesh was fed of it This is to be understood of Nebuchadnezzar King of Babylon of his Kingdom which did spread over all the earth Now again it is spoken of Christ in Isa 53. 2 3 For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant and as a root out of a dry ground he hath no form nor coneliness in him and when we shall see him no beauty that we should desire him This is the Testimony of this Tree this is meant of Jesus Christ and yet this Tree there is no form or beauty that we should desire it this Tree was nothing comparable to the Kingdom of Nebuchadnezzar for power and greatness and riches in the world and yet Jesus Christ must be a desoised plant So likewise when you see the men of the world for to prosper and to live in prosperity in the world do not censure them that are as low plants in the world poor and low if you doe you must condemn Jesus Christ and the Church of God and the generation of the just Secondly Do not justifie the wicked though they do prosper in the world you must not therefore judge their cause good because they prosper The Papists make their prosperity and successes to be an argument of the truth of their Church and their prosperity to be an argument of their being in the right way Many men make this to be a standing mark and upon all occasions will be ready to justifie evil actions with this Do you not see them prosper all breach of Covenant and all wickednesse and sinful actions they are ready to justifie them because they prosper and none to lift up a hand against them and because they carry all before them this is as bad an action as the Papists they make prosperity to be an argument of the goodnesse of the cause and the truth of their Church When Dionysius had robbed the Church and carried all away that they had he could then say to justifie his action Behold how the Gods favour us he made his prosperity to be an argument to justifie his sacriledge When men have full gales of wind in the prosperity of the World and when they do prosper in an evil course and none to disturbe them and all is well with them and the World at will then can they laugh in their sleeve and think that the God of Heaven doth justifie them in all their actions they have Armies on their side and strength and powers of the World on their side but we have truth on our side and God on our side and though the Church and People of God may be in the dust may be trampled under foot by wicked men yet the time shall come that the Church and People of God shall prevail therefore do not justifie the wicked in an evil way Thirdly Labour to abound in grace as you doe in blessings We read of an Altar made by Moses and also we read of an Altar made by Solomon and that which he made was four times bigger then that which Moses made because Solomon had more riches then Moses had and more peace Moses's was made in the Wildernesse Solomon's in Canaan I may allude to this You that God hath bestowed much riches and caused you to prosper in the World whose estates in the World are four times bigger then others are now God doth require four times more service from you then he doth from others You whose estates are great and come upon you yearly without pains and labour God doth expect that you should imploy your selves to his glory to bring God glory answerable to what is required of you more then he doth expect from handy-craft tradesmen in the world though they must serve God in the performance of those duties which God requires of them they must sequester so much time from their callings and rob their back to serve God and pinch their bellies to do their duties but this is a good exchange to rob their bodies to save their souls It was said of the Athenians the best Land and the best Laws fruntentis uterentur legibus nequaquam they made use of their Land but neglected their Laws take heed your mercies do not make you forget your duties Fourthly Admire not the prosperity of wicked men Haec bona ne putentur mala dantur bonis rursus no putentur summa bona dantur malis Aug Epist 70. these good things that they might not be accounted evil are given to good men and lest they should be thought the onely good are given to wicked men If there be any thing better then other the worst men shall never have them Now grace is the best good in all the World therefore the best men shall have it Now the riches of the World is the worst riches therefore wicked men shall prosper therein Prosperity is not the best good because it is that which God usually doth deny his beloved people and his dear children and bestoweth it on them that are the worst men Now when he shall deny it to his sons and bestow it on slaves it is an argument it is not the best good and thus much for the first Head for which Gods people are apt to be cast down SERMON X. Psal 42. 11. Why art thou cast down O my soul and why art thou disquieted within me hope thou in God for I shall yet praise him The health of my Countenance and my God Particular 1 I Now come to the Second Particular for which the people of God are cast down and that is because of the calamitous condition of the Church and people of God here in the World However some would hold us in hand that the
Church of God was never in a more glorious condition then it is at this day Yet whatsoever they say he that doth but rightly look at things and make but a diligent scrutiny into the Churches condition may easily see and behold the Church of God to be very low that the glory and the face of the Church of God was never so blurred as at this day and in these times wherein we live and we may say where is our glory become we may see our glory even standing on the threshold and ready to take her wings and fly away as a Bird and our eyes may behold it if God prevent it not for do we not see a cloud of troubles and sore afflictions hanging over our heads ready to fall upon us in these parts of the world and will certainly fall if God out of his infinite mercy do not prevent it Do we not behold prophaness and wickedness yea great wickedness to abound among us and that to appear also in the Church and that doth appear so much the more when the government of the Church which should keep out heresie and prophaness is cryed down and a toleration of all religions cryed up as if that were the true Church where most prophaness and errors abound where ever these sins abound there we may judge that it is the Churches swouning if not the Churches dying time The erroneous doctrines doctrines of Divels which do so much abound in our daies who do cast off the Assemblies of the true Church and seduce the people to sinful practices labouring to corrupt their judgements by unbottoming them from the truth and new principling them with false opinions these are the things do most hurt us This was that which troubled the Church of God of old in Revel 2. 15. this is called Satans seat where such opinions are propagated in verse 13. and these Principles are those which God hateth and for which God hath a controversie with the people where ever they are tolerated these opinions errors and heresies are they that disturbe the peace and trouble the patience of the Church of God not onely when wicked men are in power and place in the state but when wicked and prophane erroneous heretical and heterodox Opinions trouble the Church and the Lord knows how soon this Land may be overspread with them that may make us to say that the glory of the Church is departed and flown away for these are the Churches reproach and not her glory For if things do go on as we see they begin the Church of God may say they were never in a worse condition But in the handling of this particular that the people of God may not be too much cast down for seeing the calamity of the Church I shall First lay down some cautions 2. I shall shew you that the people of God have been afflicted for the calamaties of the Church 3. To shew you the difference between the sympathizing with the Church in her troubles and sinful troubles of mind 4. To lay down some Rules that notwithstanding the troubles of the Church and people of God be many and great yet it is the duty of the people of God not to be too much cast down First When I say that the people of God are not to be too much troubled for the calamities of the Church I do not intend by that to press you to a Stoical insensibility and sottish stupidity of the Churches miseries as you are not to be like Stoicks not to be troubled for the calamities of the Church at all not to have any fellow-feeling in your brothers miseries you must not be of an indifferent Galliolike spirit not to be cast down nor affected with the troubles of the Church but I would have you to be affected with the afflicted for the troubles of the Church in measure in a holy sense and a holy humbleness of heart for the troubles of the Church Secondly When you do find such a sympathizing and sensible fellow-feeling of the Churches miseries you are to cherish and to stir up that in you and that you are not to check your hearts for it for this is your duty and not your sin 1 Cor. 12. 26. as it is with the body corporal and natural so it is with the body mystical and spiritual as in the body if the head be in pain all the body every member of the body is sensible of it so it is with the mystical body if one member be in pain and suffer the rest of the members are in trouble for it Thirdly You are to check those castings down and those troubles of soul that doe disanimate and discourage you and lay you under such sorrow of spirit and under such trouble of mind as to lay you under a hopeless condition and that in your sorrrw you cannot retain any future hopes concerning the Churches future welfare and thus having laid down the cautions 2. I shall now lay down the Second particular to shew you that the people of God of old have been greatly sensible of and afflicted for the troubles of the Church of God and under this Head there are two sorts of persons to be considered 1. Those that did foresee the troubles of the Church and they did fear it and were troubled for it 2. Those that did feel the troubles of the Church when it did come and these were troubled also First Those that did foresee when the troubles of the Church would come and they were troubled the one was Elisha he did foresee the troubles of the Church and he fell a weeping and when he was with Hazael he asked What doth trouble thee my Lord And he answered and said Because of the evil and the wickedness that thou wilt doe unto the children of Israel to dash them against the stories and the strong holds thou wilt set on fire and then women thou wilt rip up with child the story you may read in 2 Kings 8. 12. 13. For saith he thou shalt come to be King and thou shalt do this great wickednesse and the consideration of what this man would doe to the Church of God made this good man so to weep And so likewise we read of the Prophet Isaiah Therefore said I Look away from me I will weep bitterly or I will be bitter in weeping labour not to comfort me Why what is the matter that this good man will be thus heavy and weep because of the spoiling of the daughters of my people What should the Prophet weep so for there was nothing in his daies but quietnesse and peace and plenty and yet in these daies the Prophet wept bitterly and would not be conforted the trouble was not now really come for it came not a hundred years after his death but the Prophet did foresee that it would come certainly upon the people of God and this consideration made him to weep and for this his heart was sore troubled
onely in those former times but in these latter ages the persecutions of the people of God have been so great and so hot and violent that they thought not to leave the Name of a Christian on the earth but he should be persecuted and yet the more that persecution did arise the more the people of God did encrease therefore why shouldest thou be overmuch cast down seeing that God doth make the sufferings of his people to be for their encrease and advantage 2ly Consider if that the number of Gods people do not encrease yet consider and be sure of it that the graces of Gods people shall encrease by persecution The children of Israel were better in the land of Egypt then they were in their own land and better in a Wildernesse then in the land of Canaan as it is said of the Church of Rome in the Primitive times Although they had wooden Chalices they had golden Priests but now they have golden Chalices and wooden Priests So when the Church of God is highest and most in outward prosperity when they have golden times in the World yet even then are they most apt to be lowest in their graces and most apt to grow secure and sleepy in the ways of God In Cant. 4. 16. Awake thou North wind and come thou South wind blow upon my garden that the spices thereof may flow out c. Now you know that the North and the South winds are one against another and yet these two opposites make the fruit of the garden to grow This North and South wind are compared and signifie the troubles and the prosperity of the Church the North wind of affliction and the South wind of prosperity But it is the North wind the cold and the sharp persecutions and fiery trials that make the graces of the Church to grow most The Church of God was better as to the growth of their graces under the Pagan Emperors then under Constantine the Christian Emperor because though Constantine was a Christian Emperor and it was much for the comfort of the Church and for the good of Religion yet their security made them run into error and heresie when their bodies prospered their souls did not prosper Whereas when they were under the Pagan Emperors when they were under great and strong persecutions though their bodies were in trouble yet their graces did exceedingly prosper So likewise when Popery did so prevail though the people of God were exposed to great trials yet their graces did thrive and grow green and fresh As Mouliu saith Men were burnt for reading the Bible but we speaking of the French Protestants burn with zeal to be reading But now Bibles are like old Almanacks moulding in corners while Play-books the Divels cathechisms are worn out with often perusal Thirdly Consider this that the persecutions and troubles and trials of the Church of God at one time and in one place doth but make way for settlement and establishment of Gods Church and people in another time and another place this should comfort you Unius Ecclesiae destructio multarum suit aedificatio the destruction of one Church is but the building up of many Churches You may read for this purpose in Acts 8. 1. of great troubles and persecutions of the Church which was at Jerusalem and they were all scattered abroad now what fruit was by all the troubles and by all the persecutions that fell upon the Church of Jerusalem this was the fruit and benefit it set up a Church in Samaria that persecution caused the Gospel to go into those parts of the World and Samaria received the Gospel as in verse 4. They went abroad everywhere preaching the Gospel Many places which never before heard of the Gospel came to have it preached in their parts by reason of the hot persecution that was at Jerusalem So likewise some Kingdoms of the World The troubles and persecutions of Gods people here by the Prelates it was the great occasion of the transplanting the Gospel into other parts of the World as into New-England and America which places never heard of it before so the Seven Asian Churches were destroy'd by the Pogan persecution but by the destroying of them it was transplanted into Africa and all Europe and now since in America so that if God shall let the Church to be persecuted in one place it still doth gain by all troubles in going into another place and though it be persecuted in one Kingdome yet it doth by its transplantation settle and gain in another As Christ speaketh in Matthew 21. 43. I will take the Gospel from you and give it to a People and Nation that shall bring forth better fruit that is Christ would take it from the Jews and give it to the Gentiles and therefore said the Apostle when they would not receive the Gospel among them Lo we turn to the Gentiles this is the great wisdome of God that the Churches troubles and persecutions in one place shall by him be an occasion to get good in another Fourthly Consider that there are such infallible promises made to the Church of God for its preservation that it shall never be destroyed by all the rage and fury and persecution of wicked and ungodly men They may be persecuted as the Apostle speaketh but they cannot be destroyed they may be cast down but not forsaken they may be perplexed but not in despair the Church may be in sorrow but they cannot be annibillated The Church of God shall never be so persecuted as to be cast off and utterly forsaken and destroyed by wicked men but the Church of God shall continue to the end of the World therefore you read what Christ speaketh of Peter Thou art Peter and on this rock will I build my Church that is on Christ and then observe what follows The gates of hell shall not prevail against it the powers of hell and the policies of all the divels in hell shall not prevail against the Church of God then if hell cannot prevail against the Church then the earth and men by persecution shall not prevail to pull it down and to destroy it and to shake it off from the rock on which it is builded It is reported that in the year 1620. when the Wars began in Germany that a great brass Image of the Apostle Peter which had that pretended claim by which Rome would hold their Keys fairly embossed upon a roll that hang down upon the Image in these words Iues Petrus super hanc Petram aedificabo Ecclesiam tibi dabo claves c. Standing in St. Peter's Church at Rome there was a great Massie stone fell upon it and so shattered it to pieces that not a letter of all that sentence saving onely these three words Aedificabo Ecclesiam meant I will build my Church which was left fair and entire God hath not made any promises to any Kingdome or Nation of the World nor to any
an impatient man may have a good wife amiable children a rich estate but if this man be apt to be impatient under one cross it makes him he can take no comfort in any thing in the World he hath What a mischievous temper is this the impatiency of one crosse shall eat out the comforts of a hundred mercies An impatient and disquieted spirited man he may fitly be compared to a Hedg-hog and some writers make the Hedg-hog an Embleme of an impatient man now the Hedg-hog they say it is of this properity that the way she hath to bring provision into her hole is to go after a windy day into an Orchard when the fruit is fallen and turns it self round like a Ball and on its bristles and prickles fills it self full of Apples and carries them to her hole but if in the carrying of them to the hole one doth but fall off she throws all the rest down So an impatient man God may load him with many mercies heavy laden with mercies yet if God doth but take away one blessing from him he throws down the comfort of all the rest of the mercies the Lord bestows on him this is the mischievous effect of those disquiets of soul under outward crosses SERMON XII Psal 42. 11. Why art thou cast down O my soul and why art thou disquieted within me hope thou in God for I shall yet praise him The health of my Countenance and my God I Am now to finish this third cause of disquiet There are two things by way of Application The first Use shall be by way of Instruction The second by way of tryal By way of Instruction it shall be to instruct you in several Theological rules that may be laid down to allay all excessive disquiet and discontent of soul under outward afflictions of what ever kind they be whether privative or positive I shall lay down ten Rules First Rule is Live in the continual meditation of the joyes and glories of Heaven It is observable of Paul though his life was a whole course of affliction yet when he was taken up into the third Heaven but whether I was in the body I cannot tell Paul tels you he had many infirmities in his body in hunger and nakednesse in perils by Sea and Land and great troubles in the body yet when he was taken up in a vision he forgot all the infirmities sufferings and sorrows that he met withall in the body 2 Cor. 12. 1. So likewise when Peter saw the transfiguration of Christ Mat. 17. 4. Then answered Peter Lord it is good to be here and build three Tabernacles A Divine observes Peter begged no Tabernacle for himself but said it was good to be there and yet onely upon a barren Mountain where there was no meat to eat nor house to lodge in why he forgot that there was no house here nor no food here having a view of Heaven he said it was good to be here on a barren Mountain It is observed by one touching those birds of the lowest flight they are the most mournful but those Birds of the highest flight are the most noble birds the Dove mourns the Crane chatters the Raven croaks but the Eagle never makes a lamentable noise which is a bird of the highest flight Divines make this use of it that those that are low-spirited men they will croak like Ravens and mourn like Doves when they are afflicted but to be as the Eagle flying aloft in the joyes of Heaven in your meditations this will keep you from that dispondency and that mournfulness of spirit If things go ill with you in the world there is no better way under Heaven to be gotten to allay disquiet of soul under bodily afflictions then to have thy soul transported with the joyes of Heaven It was the Counsel of Jerome which he gave to an Hermit Paradisum mente deambula tamdiu in Eremo non eris take but a walk or two in Heaven and then thou wilt not think thou art in a Wildernesse could you but take a turn or two in Heaven then you would not be troubled for the afflictions here upon Earth The Apostle hath an expression in 2 Cor. 4. 17. For our light affliction which is but for a moment worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory The weight of glory made the Apostle to look on heavy afflictions to be but light therefore he called them light afflictions An eternal glory made the Apostle look on long afflictions to be but short afflictions If you would not then account afflictions burdensome think what a weight there is in glory and if you would not think afflictions long why think what eternity there is in glory A Second Rule is this If you would not be inordinately disquieted for afflictions in the World Labour to get your hearts more troubled disquieted for sin when a man bleeds too much at nose or any one part of the body Physicians open a vein in another part to make a diversion of the bloud Beloved when you grieve too much for worldly crosses do as Physicians doe with the blood make a diversion make a diversion of your sorrows open the sluces of your tears for sin pour them out for sin and then you will grieve lesse for the World that is the reason men are troubled to much for afflictions because they are troubled too little for sin and corruption It is a true rule Religious fear it doth banish out a slavish fear and spiritual joy eternal joy so spiritual trouble expels worldly trouble they that are much troubled for sin are not much troubled for any thing in the World besides sin Thirdly Be sure you do not place an excessive love on any comforts in the World you do enjoy if you would keep your trouble but regular keep your love but ordinate It is observable what we read of Jacob Genesis 37. 34 35. And Jacob rent his cloaths and put sackcloth on his loynes and mourned for his son many daies And all his sons and all his daughters rose up to comfort him but he refused to be comforted and he said I will go down into the grave unto my son mourning What was the reason that the good old man was so excessively grieved for his son Verse 3. It is said That Israel he loved Joseph more then all his brethren because he was the son of his old age Now Jacob loving Joseph more then all his children made him grieve more for Joseph then all his children if he had not loved Joseph too much when he had him he had not grieved too much for him when he thought he had lost him O Labour to keep an ordinate love to worldly comforts A man that can part with the pairing of his naile cannot part with his finger why because he looks on the naile as superfluity could you look on the World as the pairing of the naile it is but a
and this will allay all unquietness and inordinate trouble in thy mind Tenthly and Lastly Consider that God in his wisdome will proportion all afflictions that befall thee in this World according to thy strength that thou art able to bear them 1 Cor. 10. 13. There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man But God is faithful who will not suffer you to be tempted above what you are able If the Lord laies heavy burdens on thee he will give thee strong shoulders Seneca saith Si gravis brevis si longa levis if afflictions be heavy they shall be short but if afflictions be long they shall be light heavy afflictions they shall be short afflictions and long afflictions shall be light afflictions God will proportion them Job 14 1. Man that is born of a Woman is but of few daies and full of trouble troublesome daies are made short daies Why now if they be full of trouble they are but few how sad would it be of perpetuity and misery a multitude of troubles and a multitude of daies met God will proportion thy afflictions according to thy strength Isa 28. 27. For the fitches are not threshed with a threshing instrument neither is a cart-wheel turned about upon the cummin but the fitches beaten with a staff and the cummin with ard The meaning is that God will not exercise weak people with great afflictions there shall be afflictions proportionable to their strength this God hath promised Isa 27 8. In measure when it shooteth forth thou will debate with it he stayeth his rough winds in the day of his East wind If men be not able to bear a boisterous storm he will stay his rough wind he will abate the measure of his afflictions Let this quiet thy soul that God doth proportion all his dealings with thee according to thy strength thus you have laid down ten Rules how to bear afflictions without inordinate disquiet of soul Qu. But since we must not be stocks to be insensible of Gods afflicting hand and seeing some kind of trouble and sorrow for afflictions is allowed by God How shall we know whether we be inordinately 〈◊〉 for outward afflictions A. sw First When outward afflictions doth swallow up the comforts and enjoyments of present mercies then you are excessiv thus we see in Ahab Ahab had a flourishing Kingdone and statel Palaces yet could take no comfort in them all because he could not get poor Naboths yineyard from him that argued too much disquiet in him And thus we read of Rebecca Genesis 27. 46. And Rebecca said to Isaac I am weary of my life because of the daughters of Heth. A very impatient speech that when a present affliction shall make thee say I have no joy in my life as many people when they are once crost of their wills Well say they I have no joy in my life though they have many mercies such speeches us these are but the issues of disquiet let not one crosse make thee flee off from all thy comforts in the World Thus we read of Jacob likewise he was too much disquieted in that one loss which made him he could not take joy in all his comfort in all his mercies Read the story in Genesis 37 35. And all his sons and his daughters rose up to comfort him but he would not be comforted Jacob had eleven sons living that he knew and many daughters and all came about him for to comfort him but he refused to be comforted Why beloved Men are so over-born and over-whelmed with troubles upon a cross that if they lose one child all the other children shall not affect them certainly this kind of sorrow is an excessive sorrow Secondly Then disquiet of soul for worldly afflictions are inordinate when afflictions in the World doth so disquiet a mans mind that it makes a man weary of life and maxes him wish for death meerly because of afflictions This was the failing of Jonah chap. 4. v. 8. It is better for me to die then to live because God took away the gourd The like you read of in Job chap. 7 15. So that my soul chuseth strangling and death rather then life Job was in a distemper and he wisht death rather then life this was a sin in him for afflictions so to disquiet a mans mind that to wish Would to God I were out of the World all these are but the flowings and impatiency of a disturbed heart And so again chap. 10. v. 1. My soul is weary of my life I will leave my complaint upon my self this was his trouble You that have drank deep of a bitter Cup either by crosses in children or in estates or reproach in your names and all this makes you inordinate and cryeth out I am weary of my life you are sinfully disquieted You have a passage in Isa 32. 2. And a man shall be as a hiding place from the wind as rivers of water in a dry place as the shadow of a great rock in a weary land Speaking of Christ the Land cannot be weary but it refers to the inhabitants of the Land here is a rock a weary Land the inhabitants of the Land were weary to live in the Land because they were so scorched with the heat of afflictions when affliction shall oppresse so hard upon you that it shall make you unwilling to live this argues that disquiet of soul is very inordinate Thirdly When a man is disquieted for afflictions that lie upon him yet he is no whit troubled for all the afflictions that befall the Church of God and never laies them near his heart when disquiet for personal sufferings shall justle out all compassion for the sufferings of Gods Church this argues thy trouble is excessive Fourthly When a man is disquieted for outward afflictions that it doth indispose a man to duty then a man is too much disquieted Thus in Exodus chap. 6. 9. The poor Israelites they were so in anguish and trouble because they were held such vassals in Egypt that it is said they could not hearken to Gods word because of the grief and anguish of their spirits When afflictions make you unfit to hear Sermons and make you unfit to pray as in Psal 77. 3. I remembred God and I was troubled I complained and my spirit was overwhelmed This is a sinful disquiet Fifthly Disquiet under afflictions is then inordinate when a man dares venter on any sinful shifts or means to get rid of his afflictions Suppose thou beest poor and darest venture on cozenage and deceit to get an estate suppose thou beest in a low place and thou darest sin against conscience to get a place of preferment here in this World this is sinful disquiet Thus we read of Saul an evil spirit from the Lord troubled him the Philistins were upon him he was in distresse in his spirit 1 Samuel 28. 7 8. And Saul said unto his servants Seek me a woman that hath
heart and sin in the habit and nature of it Sixthly When a wicked man is disquieted for sin he doth not go to God's Word for comfort and consolation and to allay the sorrow and trouble of mind he lieth under but he hath recourse to sinful and sensual pastimes and delights in the world to allay the troubles of his soul and conscience So you read in Genesis 4. from v. 15 to 18. There you read that Cain he lay under sore troubles of mind for his sin even to despair insomuch that he said his sins were greater then can be forgiven I but under this disquieted condition What did he doe what course did he take Did he take to God for satisfaction and to allay his troubles No he took a wrong course for 't is said And Cain went out from the presence of Jehovah and then after he was gone from God then be went to build Cities His going out from the presence of the Lord is meant he went out from the Ordinances of God and from the Church of God to sensual delights in the World not as though Cain could go out from the essential presence of God that no man can So Ainsworth intimateth on this Verse that it is meant his going from the place of God's Word and publique Worship And so to come into God's presence it is the greatest joy for a godly man in this life to come into God's presence in his Ordinances in his Church which joy Cain now was deprived off whereas he should have had recourse to these to allay his trouble of mind and not to have gone to build Cities in the World to stifle his conscience But godly men know when they are disquieted for sin for them to have recourse to pleasures and profits and pastimes and sensual delights in the World it cannot administer no true comfort no true joy no true peace of conscience no more then a silken Stocking will administer comfort to a broken Leg and what can this do it may cover the broken Leg but it cannot cure it so delights may cover the wound of conscience for a time but it cannot give any real comfort But they know they must hear and pray and seek God publique and private in his own way according to his own will in ways which he hath sanctified to that end to ease troubled consciences You read of Jonah he was troubled for sin in going from Gods presence in not obeying his voice but under his trouble for sin his soul fainted within him but did Jonah go to worldly and sinful and sensual delights to allay his troubled soul No the Text saith I remembred the Lord and my prayer came in unto thee in thine holy Temple He saw no other way was available to ease his spirit and pacifie conscience but onely in Gods ways which he hath sanctified for that very end Godly men will present their supplications to God and addresse themselves to him in the way of his Worship to cure their distempered soules and to labour to find God's love in Christ in his promise Godly men may see that sin in their hearts and guilt upon their spirits may make them sad but they labour to find a smile from the face of God to make their souls glad and to speak their sins dead and to speak peace to their consciences and joy to their heart and satisfaction to the soul and delight in the spirit which makes the soul to rejoice and be glad in Gods presence SERMON XIV Psal 42. 11. Why art thou cast down O my soul and why art thou disquieted within me hope thou in God for I shall yet praise him The health of my Countenance and my God I Have laid down six Differences already of that disquiet that doth arise from a natural Conscience in wicked men under the guilt of conscience for sin and between that holy disquiet of soul for sin found in the godly The seventh Difference in orders is this Wicked men are disquieted for sin but it is as causing outward afflictions rather then as causing inward and spiritual withdrawings of Gods face I may allude to that in Job 41. 25. When he raiseth up himself the mighty are affraid by reason of breakings they purifie themselves When God breaks them by outward afflictions then they be think themselves what evil they have done and how they must amend and better their days but it is more because of danger of death then out of love of purity this makes men say I must purifie my self not because sin is impure but because it breaks my body and breaks my outward comforts from me it sin did not afflict the body it should never afflict the soul of a wicked man by his will Wicked men are like that man that was in a deep consumption of his Lungs and complained to a Physician of a Whitloe upon his finger Men are troubled at afflictions that are but trivial and toyes but when they do consume in their graces and neer unto an eternal death sin and the consumption of grace that doth not trouble them men that are thus disquieted more because of affliction then the inward withdrawings of God's face from them they are fitly set out by Ducks in a Pond of Water let a little Peble stone be cast into the Water and the Ducks will dive but let it Thunder in the Heavens the Ducks are not affraid I may make this Use of it Wicked men are like Ducks let God but give them a blow on their outward man afflict their bodies this will make them dive croutch tremble and make them affraid but let the Heavens be lowring let God's face be eclipsed if sin did not trouble the body it should never trouble the conscience A godly man is troubled at affliction for sin-sake but a wicked man is troubled at sin for affliction-sake it is affliction makes him troubled at sin But now a godly man is of a far different temper he is disquieted at sin more because of the inward withdrawings of God's face then because of the outward afflictions of the body Psal 30. 7. Lord by thy favour thou hast made my mountain to stand strong Thou didst hide thy face and I was troubled David had trouble in the Kingdome at that time had troubles on his Person but all this did not go so near his heart as the hiding of God's face the heaviest stroke of God's hand did not so much disquiet David as the Eclips of God's countenance Outward troubles they were to David but as the scratch with a Pin in the flesh but the withdrawings of Gods face did trouble him as a Sword in his bones this is a seventh Difference between the one and the other The eighth Difference is this Wicked men under disquiet for sin they do more complain of God then they do complain to God but Good men more complain to God then of God when they are disquieted for sin wicked men more
divine Soliloquies that the people and Saints and servants of God have had in themselves to bless God See not only the divine Soliloquies here mentioned but also the works of Augustin and Bernard Gerrard Dr. Hall and others that have had divine Soliloquies between God and their own souls in secret therefore let this be your care yea make conscience of to be much in these divine Soliloquies to have much conference between God and your own souls in secret it is a duty that Christians are bound to to confer with others and this God takes notice of So also it is a duty to confer with your own souls between God and your own souls David sometimes blesseth God and sometime he checketh himself sometimes he calls to his soul to bless God and raiseth up his soul to praise God and sometimes he chideth his soul for being cast down Why art thou cast down O my soul Are you at any time troubled in mind then use this holy reasoning of this holy man Why art thou cast down O my soul Are you at any time sluggish in duty then say to thy self it is better to be the servant of God then to be the Divels drudge so draw up thy soul again to a frame sutable to the duty thou goest about and the God thou servest it is better to live in peace with God and a good conscience then to live in the service of the Divel which will bring trouble of mind and horror of conscience to thee and say by conferring with thy self with thy soul What am I what is my condition am I an elected person or am I a reprobate am I an heir of glory or an heir of hell am I a child of God or a child of wrath am I in the state of grace or in the bonds of iniquity Such conferences as these with thy own heart will be a means to awaken thy heart from the sleep of securitie to consider of its own estate this is thy duty let this be your practice to enter into a discourse with your own hearts as David did But I shall not follow this particular There is something more in the words to be considered and that is the manner how David doth speak to his own soul and how he reasoneth with his own heart and saith Why art thou cast down O my soul from this manner of speech consider this doctrine Doctrine 2 That a child of God should check his soul for and use holy reasonings against excessive castings down for sin and this I draw from the manner of the Psalmists speech he checks his own heart and reasons with his own soul concerning this particular Why art thou cast down O my soul In the handling of this doctrine there are two particulars to be considered First A child of God should check his heart for and use holy reasonings against excessive sorrow and casting down for sin Secondly To shew you in what manner you are to use these holy reasonings against your excessive casting down for sin First Why a child of God should check his heart for and use holy reasonings against inordinate and excessive casting down for sin Because First he is the chief actor and principal agent of his own dejections and he being the chief agent of his sorrow he is to lay the fault and blame on his own self I told you though the words lie to be read passively Why art thou cast down O my soul yet they are to be read actively according to the original text Arias Montanus cur humiliasti te Lormus cur deprimes te anima mea Why or what dost thou cast down thy self O my soul Therefore if thou art cast down thou art the actor and agent of thy own dejection thou dost cast down thy self therefore check thy own heart for and use holy reasonings against immoderate and excessive dejections for sin God enjoynes his people to believe in him to keep up their souls to lift up their souls to God and yet sometimes they are subject to cast down themselves and cast down their souls by immoderate and excessive casting down for sin When the Divel by his temptations doth not cast them down yet will they cast down themselves Why dost thou cast down thy self O my soul Secondly This is the ready and most effectual way to recover himself out of that dejected condition by checking his own heart for being excessively cast down holy and religious arguments with a mans own soul are prevalent arguments to work the soul out from his dejected estate which if he should let himself alone in this dejected estate he would soon plunge himself into such a condition and excessive and immoderate casting down for sin into such a gulf of misery as that he would not be able to get out again As it is good for a man to reason with his heart when he is assured of salvation so why he doubts of it There is a Why am I cast down in sorrow as well as Why am I raised up in comfort Then Secondly After what manner are the people of God to use these holy reasonings against immoderate and excessive casting down of their souls for sin Answer There are seven waies how the children of God are to check their hearts for and to use holy reasonings against excessive sorrow and casting down for sin First The children of God should reason thus with themselves after this manner O my soul I am not cast off by God everlastingly by lying low before God therefore why should I be cast down excessively for sin In Psal 94. 14. For the Lord will not cast off his people neither will he forsake his inheritance Although God doth not say I will not cast down my people yet he doth say I will not cast them off So Romans 11. 1. the Apostle he repeats the words again God hath not cast off his people and he puts a God forbid upon it in the 1 verse Hath God cast off his people God forbid The Apostle brings it in as a strong negation God hath not cast off his people whom he foreknew Therefore seeing that God doth not cast off his people Why should I be too much cast down let wicked men let reprobates that shall be eternally cast off let them be excessively cast down but let not me be cast excessively down for sin seeing I shall never be cast off though I may be cast down for a little moment according to that expression in Isa 54. 7 8. For a small moment have I forsaken thee but in great mercies will I gather thee In a little wrath have I hid my face from thee in a moment but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy upon thee saith the Lord thy Redeemer This casting down for sin is but momentary a small time a little season but he will not cast off for ever Secondly Reason thus with thy own soul against thy dejections and say Jesus Christ he laid