these either you owne lusts or Satans suggestions and tentations As for your lusts considâ— 1. They cannot encline to any good for kinde which God alloweth not all thâ— difference between God and them is in the time measure order manner meant and therefore since you have the same good in Gods way is it wisdome for circumstances to hazzard your soules 2. They urge without reason therefore called foolish lusts and brutish it is true they have a colour of reason but such as a spark of wisdome would see to be folly 3. The order of reason and nature is that you should affect by judgement b Crates dicente quodam optimum esse quae quisque cupit frui resp 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 apud Laert. and not judge by affection affections are blinde guides 4. Lusts can see nothing but what is present and sensuall but they see not the spirituall evill nor the future calamity and dolefull consequents of sin now it is against reason to be so improvidently praecipitant And as for Satan what can be expected by his counsell who seeks in all to destroy and let this prevaile with you that all opinion of good in that which is against the will of God is either immediately or mediately from Satan Therefore see what cause you have to beleeve that that is best which God willeth and if you can carry this truth engraven upon you it will be as a wall to limit and shut up your inordinate affections and to shut out and break the force of Satans temptations here you begin to be taken when you are seduced if this fort had stood you had been safe and if you keep to Gods will in all you shall have his favour and consequently his presence in all 2 Weigh the arguments that are used on both sides for you shall by this better judge betwixt them 1. God urgeth debt you are his creatures you live at his cost and charges he hath done you good and not hurt all your dayes can your lusts plead this whence comes feares griefe paine want death hell but from sin You are then debters not to the flesh to live after the flesh Rom. 8.13 2 God proposeth good without evil can your lusts do so 3 God proposeth eternall good but the pleasures of sin are but for a miâ—ment c Momentaneum est quod â—electat aeternum quod cruciat Greg. 4 God proposeth a certain good buâ— lust cannot ambition may reach at honours that it may never attain covetousnesse may hunt for riches which it caâ— never finde 5 God proposeth all good but lust only some particular good voluptâ—ousnesse proposeth pleasure not dignty c. 6 God proposeth good to the posterity but can lust do it nay it draweth tâ— evill without care of posterity yea tâ— the shame and calamity of posterity 7 God proposeth true good thâ— which comforteth and giveth life iâ— deed but all the proffers of lust are delusions Solomon tryed it many spies have traversed this land and finde iâ— continent of lying vanities and trâ— miseries therefore keep close to God that you may have his favour and presence with you CHAP. XXIII Fifth meanes keeping in Gods way FIfthly take this direction Direct 5. Keep in Gods way Keep your selves in Gods way else you cannot expect his help Thou meetest him that rejoyceth and worketh righteousnesse those that remember thee in thy wayes Esay 64.5 Here are two things to be carefully observed 1 That the things which we undertake be good that we may pray as David Let that we do be good Hold up my goings in thy paths that my foot steps slip not Psal 17.5 For in an evill action to aske his aide is to provoke him it is an high indignity it is to draw the great God into a cursed confederacy with sinfull man against himselfe 2 The things must be such as we are called unto What we are called to for if out of rashnesse and folly or pride and vain glory we thrust our selves into actions or difficulties without warrant or command we may misse our aime if we think to be carried through with a divine hand Quest Quest How a man may know wheâ— he is called to such or such a work Answ 1. Ans 1 Some actions are tyed and appropriated to an office as administration of Sacraments to a Minister execâ—tion of Justice to a magistrate c. Concerning this take these rules 1 Ordinarily no man is called to the work of an office which is not called to the office therefore Saul and Vzziah sinned Samuel told Saul when he being a King had medled with the worke of the Priest in offering sacrifice That he had done foolishly and kept not the Commandement of the Lord his God 1 Sam. 13.13 And when Vzziah went into the Temple to burne incense upon the Altar of incense Azariah with his brethren withstood him and said unto him it appertaineth not unto thee Vzziah to burn incense unto the Lord but to the Priests that are consecrated to burne incense goe out of the Sanctuary for thou hast trespassed neither shall it be for thine honour from the Lord God 2 Chron. 26.16 17 18. 2 No man is called to the office in whom is not fitnesse and ability for it these things at the least are requisite 3 No man is called to any act of office but according to commission and order annexed to his office as for the Magistrate to execute judgement without hearing the cause c. So long then as I keep my selfe in my station and do the work that belongs particularly to mee in my place I may comfortably expect the good hand of God and with chearfulnesse I ought to walk in my way and not to afflict my soule with feares and cares God that hateth presumption in meh thrusting themselves into things too great and weighty doth require alacrity in those whoÌ„ he cals to his service when he put Iosuah into that great office of being a leader to his people Israel through the wildernesse he promiseth to be with him and often presseth this Only be thou strong and very couragious Josh 1.5 6 7 9. What should I speak of Moses Gideon David Ieremiah Paul and others in whom you have so many patternes of Gods goodnesse not leaving his servants in that way which he sets them to walk in Answ 2. Ans 2 Some things belong to meâ— as partakers of the heavenly calling as all acts of piety and charity yet in these take this rule A man is not so called to these as that all are to be done by any one at any time in any measure in any manner but we must wisely know how to order out wayes with discretion for it is note nough to do good but we must doe all according to patterne in due season and in due order for a good work may bee marred in the handling when we walk not by rule as when a man neglects his calling and is
THE CASE AND CURE OF A deserted Soule OR A TREATISE Concerning the nature kindes Degrees Symptomes Causes Cure of and mistakes about Spirituall Desertions BY JOS SYMONDS Minister of St. Martins Iremonger-Lane London I opened to my beloved but my beloved had withdrawne himselfe and was gone I sought him but I could not find him I called him but he gave me no answer Cant. 5.6 Venit cum manifestatur et cum occultatur abscedit adest tamen sive occultum sive manifestum Aug. ep 3. p. 10. LONDON Printed by M. Flesher for Luke Fawne and S. Gellibrand at the Brazen Serpent in Pauls Church yard 1639. TO THE RIGHT Worshipfull and much Honoured Lady the Lady REBECCAH RUMNY Madam FOure yeares agon I preached upon this subject of spirituall desertions not having then the least thought to put it to the Presse But a strong streame of importunities hath borne me downe My love to my friends hath subdued me to them They besieged me so strongly that they have entred and taken away the keyes of the City and pillaged me of my purpose and this little thing which they cal good booty but they are mistaken But now they have it much good may it doe them I stood out against them not because I prized it but because I thought it not good enough for them It shall much please mee if they having made a prey of it find it worth their having Since it doth fall into their hands the good blessing of GOD goe with it that it may bee better to them than the richest spoyles Madam in this businesse the next thing that I desired was to reserve the first for you and to stamp upon every one some small impresse of my obliged respects unto you Ladyship Besides mine owne engagements which are neither few nor meane your great worth was sufficient to wheele my thoughts in this kind towards you Among other excellencies your charitable disposition like a rich fountaine running with large streames of goodnesse many wayes renders you deservedly honoured of all It is true noblenesse to bee of a large and diffusive spirit He that is all for himselfe must receive all his thankes from himselfe but to doe good to others begets a strong reflexion of true honour Selfe is a poore center of a mans actions This is right earth All things that have affinity with the Heavens move upon the center of another which they benefit Madam I beseech you seeke to bee still more blessed in a close conjunction and sociall operation of true charity and sincere piety that these may stand as unwithering Crownes upon your head and when your old age shall give up to approaching death you may goe to Heaven full of faith and full of workes These asunder are dead but where they meet they have life in themselves and give life to their owners This life when your life shall end he wisheth to you who is and will be Your La pps ever bounden Ios Symonds A Preface ACcesses and recesses are not proper to him that by his immense presence filleth all a Locis corporalibus non extenditur nec includitur Aug ep 53. p. 235. and cannot be where he is not nor cease to be where he is True motion is found in such things onely as are subject to locall circumscription God is said to come or goe to be present or absent 1 In respect of manifestation as the Father speaks He commeth when hee is manifested and goeth when he is hid b Aug. ep 3. p. 10. Novit venire non recedendo ubi erat novit abire non deserendo quo venerat id ibid. 2. In respect of operation So God is said to be where he worketh as wee say the Sunne comes into a house where it shines into it Time was when God was with all men both by gracious manifestation and operation and this was mans happinesse But sinne hath separated betwixt God and man and they are departed each from other the division began from man yet the Divine goodnesse tenders reconcilement but man will not In this man is become unhappy that he hath lost his God and knoweth it not yea he counts his losse gaine and his gaine losse hee would be happy but he erreth in his choice he is ever moving never at rest willingly absent from the greatest good unwillingly labouring with the greatest evill Though other things are quiet in their place and rest in their end yet mans place where he is pitched is strange to him and his end vexeth him all his life is labour c Sicut quo plus à centro recedis ut ad plura pergas eo magis amittis omnia sic animus à seipso fusus immeÌ„sitate quadam diverberatur mera mendicitate coÌ„teriturcùm natura cogit unum quaerere multituâ—â—o non sinit Dionyapud Gibe p. 77. Non ille ire vult sed non potest stare Sen. ep 94. Nihil potest quietare hominis voluntatem nisi solus Deus Aquin. and his motion is but a vexatious shifting from vanity to vanity from evill to evill from bad to worse this soare cryeth for healing and that which he thinkes to finde a lenitive becomes a corzive while he thinkes to cure the wound he makes it deepe d Postquam posuisti me contrarium tibi factus sum contrarius mihi Eern. and is his owne tormenter The Heathen blundered in confused guesses how to redresse the state of man they saw an unhappinesse but neither knew the cause nor cure yet something they assayed when they propounded those two rules to repaire the breach 1. To reduce things to the first principles of nature 2. To live according unto nature These rules are usefull if rectified and rightly used First reduce things to their primitive originalls and lay them againe in the wombe whence they sprang This experiment would profit much Looke into the world and you shall see a confused mixture of good and evill but you must divide them wisely and pursue them to their beginnings Ascend by the scattered beames of happinesse in the world to the Sunne of righteousnesse from whence they flow and descend by the black and bitter streams of misery to the poysoned spring that sends them forth and you will see two originalls of both God the fountaine of life and sinne the root of death In this way of reduction of things to their causes a man may see as in a glasse what he was and what he should be what made him miserable and what would make him happy It is mens unhappinesse of two guides to choose the worse brutishly declining reason to be led by sense seeing enjoying and suffering things without inquisition into their parentage This is true folly to dwell in the surface of things not penetrating into their inmost nature utmost end formost rise A wise man seeth things quite through from first to last he asketh three questions of the things be meets with What are you Whither goe
this is continued pag. 481 CHAP. 36. 3. The effects of this sad condition these are expressed according to the quality of the persons thus Deserted 1. As they are sleeping Christians and they are 1. Careless pag. 483 2. Declining in affection pag. 484 3. Apt to he drawne to evill ibid. 2. As they are awakened in these there are different workings 1. Evill effects as 1. Heartless complaints pag. 485 2. Fruitless complaints pag. 486 3. Great unquietness expressed in three things pag. 487 2. Good effects as 1. Sorrow pag. 490. 2. Longing desires pag. 491 3. Repentance ibid. 4. Subjection pag. 492 4. The cause of the restlesness of the soule without God pag. 492 1. From the condition of the subject expressed in five things pag. 492 2. From the object in respect of 1. The quality of it pag. 498 There are three things in God which cause the wound to bleed much ibid. 2. The relation in which God stands to a beleiver pag. 503 3. The operation of God pag. 504 CHAP. 37. 2. The causes for which God deales thus with his people pag. 506 1. To put a difference betwixt Heaven and earth ibid. 2. In judgement to the world pag. 510 3. To establish the godly in more full comforts pag. 512 Affliction of the soule doth advantage much to further establishment foure reasons of it pag. 513 4. The correcting and healing of some evill in his people 517. These evils are 1. Deadness and dulness of heart ibid. 2. Fearelesness of God pag. 519 3. Slightness of heart 521. expressed in three things ibid. 4. Living too much upon the creature expressed in three things pag. 525 5. Intractableness and stifness of heart pag. 528 6. Rigidness and unmercifulness to the spirituall estate of others pag. 530 7. Some great transgression pag. 533 5. To shew that God is the God of all comfort pag. 534 6. To revive their esteeme of mercy pag. 536 7. That others may be instructed pag. 538 8. To fit them for speciall service pag. 539 2. The cure of this sad condition pag. 542 1. In those in whom the cause is naturall pag. 543 2. In those in whom the cause is spirituall and it is applyed 1. To those that have slumbring and drowsie spirits pag. 544 2. To those that are awakened and see their losse to these are propounded 1 Perswasives 1 Comfort is their strength pag. 546 Three great assaults that a man is exposed unto ibid. 2. Sadness doth much hurt both to themselves and others pag. 549 3. Recovery is possible proved by five things pag. 550 2. Directives 1. Seeke the Father in the Son pag. 551 2. Seeke peace much pag. 555 3. Come in much love to God pag. 556 Love shews it self in two things pag. 557 Decemb. 4. 1638. Imprimatur THO WYKES THE DESERTED SOULES Case and Cure CHAP. I. That the godly are sometimes deserted THough most men since God and they parted in Adam live without God in the world Eph. 2.12 13. and are so far from him that they neither enjoy him nor know him yet there is a generation of men whom God hath made nigh by the bloud of Christ with whom he hath renewed that old acquaintance and amity which at the first he had with them Heu Domine Deus rara hora brevis mora Bern. in Cant. 13. and they with him which blessed estate as it is not here perfected so it 's often interrupted their comforts are sweet alwayes but short often there are but few if any whose joyes in a comfortable communion with God are not sometimes clouded with sorrowes in a dolefull elongation from him so that if you lay but your eare to the doore of their closets you shall often heare the daughters of Sion as heires of their mothers miseries complaining in their mothers language The Lord hath forsaken me and my God hath forgotten me Esay 49.14 If you six your eyes upon them you shall see Sions teares in their eyes her palenesse in their faces her sorrowes in their soules in consideration of and compassion to these mourners I spent some thoughts upon this sad subject Desertions then are either Common or Special These which I call common are such as all men share in by nature God having forsaken and withdrawne himselfe from Adam and all his posterity with Apostate Angels The speciall I shall handle as they concerne Godly The speciall I shall handle as they concerne Hypocrits Desertions as they concerne men truly regenerate are Gods withdrawing himselfe In respect of quickning quicting or cōforting of the soul Desertions as they concerne men seemingly regenerate are Gods withholding of those influences by which they had a kinde of life comfort spirituall To begin then with desertions as they concerne the godly I shall first speake something in generall of them and then descend to the more specials That which I shall say in the generals I will comprize in two things 1 That there is such an evill as spirituall desertion 2 How they are deserted That there is such an estate That the godly may be deserted proved it s almost lost labour to prove yet because as all in Christians is hidden and secret so nothing more than their comforts and discomforts I will and that in two words make it good we will call in two witnesses to give evidence to the truth The experience of the Saints Aske Sion By experience you have her verdict Esay 49.14 And Sion said the Lord hath forsaken me and my God hath forgotten me You see here the Church clad all in blacke bewailing her widowhood as one bereft of her dearest husband every word of her speech is bedewed with teares b 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Plut. l. de consolat ad Apol. and beareth a drop from her bleeding soule The Lord Iehovah he whose power and fidelity hath been to me as the pillars of the earth he hath forsaken me he hath cast me off My Lord he who was mine in covenant mine in communion he who was the joy of my life the life of my joy the strength the stay the spring of my life he hath forgotten me he hath cast me not onely out of his armes but out of his heart I am quite out of his love not onely forsaken but forgotten And in this Sion is not alone Aske David and you shall heare him as soon as you come neare him sighing sobbing crying soaring but what saith he what ailes him he telleth you Psal 22.1 My God my God why hast thou forsaken me See how well their testimonie agreeth how can a man looke upon David and not count him as a poore Orphan that is left in woe case friendlesse helplesse comfortlesse a but yet we will heare a greater than David that is the Captaine of our salvation the first head of the whole order c Christus Primicerius q. in primâ cerâ vel primus in cerâ antiqu s◠ilicet cereis is ebanturtabulis
seene nor eare heard nor c. 1 Cor. 2.9 The Gospel is divided into Doctrine The Gospel is divided into History The Gospel is divided into Prophesie 1. The Doctrine hath in it somewhat that is evident and easily falling in with reason for there are things in it appertaining to naturall Philosophie as elements men beasts trees c. to Ethicks as all the morall rules and vertues to Oeconomicks precepts for ordering of families to Politicks lawes for Cities and Common wealths These a naturall understanding can deale with But there are other things of more high nature which are called Supernaturall as the Trinity Incarnation Resurrection c. these are above reason 2. The History this is of things past and have no evidence to sense for what can the eye see of Paradise the Flood the Arke c. nor to reason by any thing in themselves how should reason conclude that such things have beene but that they are related and revealed 3. The Prophefie this is of things to come and so to come as that a man cannot see them as a Philosopher may see the effects in their Causes for they come within such a course nor can any creature by reason conclude their futurity but as their being depends upon Gods Will so their manifestation that they will come is only by Gods Word Hence it is that nature being so unapt to receive things upon trust and desiring to see all hold to rules of sense and reason is very hardly brought to beleeve the Gospell Because of this unbeleevingnesse wee need a divine assistance which is the working of faith and witnessing unto faith or to the beleever the truth of the Gospell there are many witnesses of the Gospel therefore it is frequently called the Testimony there is a cloud of Witnesses miracles Heb. 2.4 the Ministers and Apostles and Prophets among them especially Acts 10.43 c. 26.16 c. 5.32 the Saints Esay 43.10 but the Holy Ghost is the head of this Grand jury Heb. 10.15 1 Ioh. 5.6 he comes with his testimony and setleth the heart in assurance of the Gospell that it may finde firme ground and sure footing so long as faith is wavering comfort will be unstable the house cannot be strong if the foundation be weake the Gospell is the foundation and if that bee laid firme the whole fabricke of peace will stand strongly able to beare out all stormes and tempests The second question is concerning themselves Their interest and their interest in the Gospell For though a man know clearly what that faith and holinesse is which gives him a reall title to the promise yet he may be unable to know his faith to be that faith There bee many things which make true faith often hardly discernable 1. Great imperfection it is hard to know certainly when 1 plant is newly put up above ground what it is a low faith hath but little evidence there is a light in every grace to shew it selfe but as it is with some starres they are so small that they are scarce seene so a man may have faith and yet not be able to say positively and peremptorily that hee doth beleeve 2. The similitude of false faith and true a man may know in generall what is requisite to the nature of gold yet when he comes to apply his rules he may bee puzzeled because art can exactly imitate nature yea so as that a famous Painter was deceived by a flye which though it was artificiall yet he thought was naturall 3. The conscience is not alwaies a competent Iudge because it may be clouded with feares and jealousies 4. Satan often doth so snarle this question that the soule is not able to extricate it selfe Wee need therefore the helpe of the Spirit whose Office it is to be our Comforter And as conscience in its Court is witnesse advocate and Iudge n Ipse accusator Iudex Carnifex vermis remordens Quintil. l. 5 Instit so is the Spirit he is a Witnesse giving evidence concerning the fact that this is done i. e. that the man doth beleeve he is an Advocate to plead the lquity of his Cause and that by the law of grace he should live he is the Iudge by pronouncing sentence applying the Law of grace in a judicial way and saith the soule shall live But all are comprized in the testimony for it is a testimony clearing and determining the Case That there is such a testimony (o) S.S. donat animae pignus salutis scilicet test imoniuÌ„ quod silius Dei sis of the Spirit as doth evidence the â—yuth and sincerity of grace and consequently a personall interest in the promise appeares farther by these Arguments 1. Ber. Serm. 2. in Pent. ArgumeÌ„ts proving this testimony The spirit of bondage and the Spirit of adoption are opposed each to other Rom. 8.15 Now the thing wherein they are opposed is their proper working the one causing feare the other peace Looke then into the worke of the spirit of bondage and you will finde 〈◊〉 doth not onely enlighten the soule to know and apprehend in generall wrath against sin and to apprehend what sin iâ— but it evidenceth to a man particularly that his waies are waies of sin and conse quently works a kind of plerophorie of hell a dreadfull expectation of wrath upon himselfe so that a man comes to conclude upon conviction I am the man who have transgressed and I am the man which except salvation come to me in Christ shall be damned And as the spirit of bondage thus joyneth in the sentence of condemnation by stirring up clearing fixing and strengthening the conscience in like manner the Spirit of adoption worketh with Conscience in the sentence of absolution reconciliation and adoption 2. If the Spirit be a Comforter which will not be questioned it must witnesse the truth of our beleeving and by that our interest in the promise because till this be done till a man bee assureâ— that his faith is saving hee cannot bee satisfied in this question which now troubleth him whether hee shall beâ— saved or whether mercy be his portion There are three maine steps to comfort 1. Salvation comes through Christ in the free promise but here it yeelds 〈◊〉 other comfort but this it may bee miâ—â— if I receive it 2. The heart goeth 〈◊〉 to take hold of salvation this is a farther step to comfort and here the foundation is laid but yet though this bee sufficient to life and salvation in the end yet it is not sufficient to peace and consolation at present a man cannot bee satisfied till hee attaine a third thing which is this a knowledge that hee hath rightly and savingly received salvation 3. If the knowledge of the true definition of faith and holinesse were sufficient to give assurance to him that truly beleeves that he doth truly beleeve then none that are so qualified and doe reflect carefully upon themselves can be uncertaine or doubtfull whether their faith
is he building and preparing him to be a more excellent structure The gardiner digs up his garden pulls up his fences takes up his plants and to the eye seemes to make a pleasant place as a waste but wee know he is about to mend it not to mar to plant it better and not to destroy it So God is present even in desertions and though he seeme to annihilate or to reduce his new creation into a confused Chaos yet it is to repaire its ruines and to make it more beautifull and more strong The glory of the second temple was greater than the glory of the first Hag. 2.9 In the repairing of an house we see how they pull down part after part as if they intended to demolish it but the end is to make it better it may be some posts and pillars are removed but it is to put in stronger it may be some lights are stopped up but it is to make fairer lights So though God take away our props it is not that we may fall but that he may settle us in greater strength hee batters downe the life of sense to put us upon a life of faith and when he darkens our light that we cannot see it is but to bring in fuller light as when the starres shine not the Sunne appeares repairing our losse of an obscure light with her clear bright shining beams So then we see that though God doe forsake his people yet not totally not for ever not ceasing the affection of love but the acts and not those which concerne our being but such as concerne our well being As abundant quicknings and aid of grace victorious and triumphant power over sinne the cleare and satisfying testimony of his Spirit c. CHAP. III. Foure other considerations about desertions HAving premised these things in the generall I shall now come to the specialls to speake of these desertion in their severall kindes and first as they befall the godly Desertions as they befall the godly are of two sorts Withdrawing of 1 Influence of grace 2 Of comfort 1 Inward 2 Outward For all the complaints which the Saints doe make of Gods hiding and withdrawing himselfe arise from one of these three grounds or all 1. That God doth not carry on their spirituall life as he was wont 2. That he gives not that peace joy comfort assurance as he was wont A man may want Gods gracious presence in outward things yet enjoy his internall presence in the soule yea often there is most of God within when least without 3. That he brings them into outward straits and doth not deliver them Before I come to speake directly and particularly of these I will propose foure briefe observations about them 1. That a man may misse much of Gods externall presence in the sweet and comfortable way of his providence providing protecting and ordering all occurrents to contentment yet may enjoy inward communion with him his soule may be most abundantly animated and quickned with the Spirit when he hath most discouragements without yea God is wont when he gives least in the world 2 Cor. 1.4 5. to give most of himselfe and his people seldome have much of the fatnesse below and of the springs above at once as the sunne and the stars appeare not together But when hee shuts up all doores of hope and helpe in the world then he sets open the doores of heaven So Saint Stephen when hee saw nothing but death in the world Then saw heaven opened and Christ sitting at the right hand of God Acts 7. Such mercy found Iacob when he was a poore pilgrim in a strange land then he saw that heavenly ladder and the Angels ascending and descending as a pledge of Gods care and their readinesse for his good Gen. 28.12 The abundance of the spirit both of grace and peace is usually powred forth in a day of sorrow as when the dough which the Israelites brought from Egypt was spent God gave them bread from heaven And there are 2. causes of it 1. Gods tender love which is such that he will not add affliction to his peoples sorrow Because Gods love is such that he wil not adde sorrow to sorrow When therfore he is pleased in his wisdome to put a cup of affliction into their hands he is wont to give them also the cup of consolation when he casts them into outward straits he doth recompence it with inward inlargements The Church never had such full predictions of Christ and precious promises of great mercy as when the most dreadfull evils hung over her head as appeares in the prophecies of all the Prophets And the faithfull usually finde their worst dayes their best dayes and when they meet with troubles they find most peace This the Apostle witnesseth As the sufferings of Christ abound in us so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ 2 Cor. 1.4 And though our outward man perish yet our inward man is renewed day by day g 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 die die ut Tertul. legit in li. de resur carn i. e. quotidie Vid. Esti com in lo. 2 Cor. 4.16 2. The capacity of the soul is widened The capacity of the soule is inlarged in affliction and enlarged in affliction heavenly communion with God is sweetest in an evill day and the soul longs after God that in him it may finde all supplyed which it wants in the world Now the more God stirs up desires of himselfe the more the soule is prepared to communion with him and the more it hath of him the hungry man eats most and hee that is most athirst drinks most When the life of nature and sense is cut off the soule seekes a life in God and is much in all endeavours of injoying God now she seekes him in prayer she enquires for him in the word and by all meanes reacheth hard after him So David when he was in the wildernesse panted and breathed after God hee prayeth hee cryeth his thoughts are with God all the day yea in the night he meditates upon him and saith he My soule followed hard after thee Psal 63.8 2. One may want the comforting presence of God yet have the quickning presence One may want inward comfort yet not be deserted in respect of the influence of grace the tenure of grace and peace is not the same a man may lose the sence of grace and yet retaine the life of it Though he be more happy that hath grace and peace yet hee may be as holy that hath grace without peace yea and as the clouded summers sunne yeelds more comfort to the earth than a bright shining winters sunne so when the soul is most clouded it may be most quickned when the light of Gods favour is hid the quickning heat of the spirit may most abound 3. He that loseth Gods quickning presence loseth also his comforting presence The comforting presence is never without the quickning presence
but Desertion is an eminent abatement of it so that there is an eminent decay of affection and fruitfulnesse and an eminent increase of darknesse and lust As a child cannot be said to be forsaken of his father when hee abateth somewhat of the height and fulnesse of his maintenance but when he keeps from him things necessary suffering him to wander up and downe to goe ragged and torne pinched and wasted with hunger and cold and not relieving though the sonne sue and entreat him to pitty him Then you may say God hath deserted you when he leaves you under the pressures of unbeliefe and the power of corruption and yet though you cry and call supplyes are restrained and you are suffered to walk in the valley of the shadow of death 3. Desertion is not to be judged by an indisposednesse and deadnesse partiall When the deadnesse is universall but universall Not all suspension of grace makes this mournfull state for as I have shewed sometimes God hides himselfe from one part for the quickning of another and may be most abundantly present where he seemes in great measure departed as I shall shew hereafter But when a man is overgrowne with deadnesse which spreads over the whole man that a man is now lesse in affection lesse in action yea unmeet unwilling unapt to all good and the means of good being abated in all his former life and lustre then he is deserted there maybe indisposednes to fome duties froÌ„ sundry causes but when a man is lesse in all then he is in this wofull state 4. Not every interruption of communion with God When the deadnesse abides on the heart not every present distemper and indisposednesse argueth God to have withdrawne himselfe There may be cold blasts stormie weather troubled aire darke clouds in the spring yea in the summer season A man cannot conclude from some present chilnesse or benummednesse of spirit or from some stormes of impetuous lusts that he is deserted The deadness of a deserted soule is not a transient but an abiding deadnesse not a slumber but a sleepe not a fit but a state of spirituall benummedness As a mother is not said to forsake her child that goeth away and returnes quickly so Desertion is not a present short abatement of Gods quickning presence but a continued cessation for some space of time it may be long CHAP. V. That a man may bee Deserted and not know it with the Causes and Evills of it I Have done with the State of a Deserted soule the next thing is the Symptomes and Consequences of it which will give some help to a man to know whether he be in this state or not And it is needfull to declare the signes of it for often men are in this lamentable case and know it not as in another sence it is said of Sampson when he awaked out of that sleep in which he lost his haire that he wist not that the Lord was departed from him Judg. 16.20 So it is true of many God is departed from them and they misse him not till they awake out of their sleepe n Et vigil elapsas quaerit avarus opes Quest But is it possible that that man should be so besotted that falling from a blessed course of sweet communion with God A maÌ„ may be deserted and not know it into so grievous an estrangednesse from him he should not perceive it can a man fall from such a height into such a depth and not know it Ans Yea certainly and there are divers causes of it as 1 there may be a great flush of spirit and much activity from false principles so that a man may seeme to be the same and to enjoy God as he did when if it bee observed hee hath lost much and the greatest part of his life stands upon other pillars as vigor of nature strength of parts inforcement of conscience respects to men false joyes fanatick dreames superstitious rules c. these windes often fill the sayles these waights move the wheeles even there where there is little of God 2. Gods departure is graduall as hee comes not all at once but by degrees so he departs not suddenly but gradually as the Sun riseth by degrees and sets by degrees and so night creepes often upon men before they are aware So God by degrees estrangeth himselfe and leaves the soul to wither by degrees as in a body languishing in a consumption there is not such an apprehension of the going out of life and the comming in of death as in him that receiveth a sudden mortall hurt and as he who wasteth in his estate by little and little is not so sensible of his decay as he that loseth all at once So if a man should fall from a heavenly converse with God and from a flourishing spirituall state into a livelesse and barren condition on a sudden he would be more affected with it but now his fall is graduall therefore lesse seene a hill is sometimes drawne out into such a length that the descent of it doth scarce appeare In Gods way a man may descend dayly yet because his decay is as it were broken into so many small parts he hardly seeth it old age and gray haires come slowly and slily they come by stealth one gray haire creeping after another and here and there upon them they know it not Hos 7.9 A decrepit weake state steales upon men their soules being like dreyning cisternes which empty themselves by drops and so emptinesse overtakes them before they see it while they think they are rich they become poor Apo. 3.17 3. Men lose much of God and know it not Men mistake and are many waies deceived in judging because they rest too much upon other things that doe deceive them some things without them cause them to mistake as 1 a pride and conceitednesse raysed by comparing themselves with others worse than themselves 2 the testimony and applause which others give them especially if by many by the godly by the wise praise blinds them and holds them in a sweet dreame of an imaginary excellency 3 transient and fleeting gales God now and then breaking in with potent workings and that rather to exercise of guifts for his office and for others sakes that they may be built up They consider not themselves when themselves indeede wither 4. They consider not nor examine their estates they lay down their watch and hold not continuall sessions for Judgement of themselves therefore changes befall them and they know it not when men cast not up their estates they may grow poore and not see it Conscience is the soules watchman yea her Iudge â—ow if there be a vacation and the Judge fits not a man may be spoyled of much of his estate and not bee righted except wee judge our selves frequently wee cannot know our selves fully but may lose and not see it But it is needful to know whether we be Deserted
focte to walk and the head to devise for God God may have any thing in a time of love he never comes out of seasâ—â— when the heart is in this temper if her say the word it is done love cannoâ— say no to God it is full of promises easily entreated is not churlish but of a liberall property it stands ready for all service and will trample upon all reasonings respects contradictions rebellions that rise up against God if God say of the dearest lust fall upon him it wilâ— not spare if God say I must have thy liberty it saith there it is if God say thou must be impoverished for my sake it saith I am content if God say I must have thy life for my glory it saith Lord it is thine take it I am thine do what thou wilt love cannot hold when God as keth but will give all do all suffer all if God call it will run out of estate peace friends the world it self yea when it doth much it thinkes it little yea nothing and so when it hath been labouring for God it still saith with David What shall I render to the Lord and with the Apostle Lord what wilt thou have me to do it sticks at no cost nay it is glad it hath any thing for God and counts this the best use of all to lay it out for God and this the best possession of all to lose all for God 4 Love will make you fearefull of losing God every mans feares are equall to his love so that as the worldly man feares to lose the world which is his God so a godly man feares to lose his God Elies heart trembled for the Arke while he sate watching to heare newes of the battle 1 Sam. 4.13 feare makes men wise x 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Arist pol. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Clem. Alexand Prov. 1.7 it keeps the heart waking and watching it keepes the eye upon the treasure and soon apprehends the least recesse of God from a man 5 Love keepes the intentions right It keeps the intentions right 1. Upon the right end it is as the by as to convert the soule in all her wayes to her God On the right end for what is love but imbracing of God and such a closing with him as that as it findes indigence and want of him so it hath complacence and contentment in him yea and that contentment breeds hunger after what it hath not and gratitude for what it hath and so turneth all designes and her wholâ— course to this thing that she may beâ— still blessed and more blessed in the fruition of God 2 In due plight 1. actuall 2. It keeps the intentions in due plight in themselves 1. Makes them actuall love hath a good memory it carrieth the stamp of God upon the heart and seldome forgets him the soul lives where it loves x Animus ubi amat non ubi animat and as love came in by the eye so it delights by thâ— same doore to run out to God y Vbiamoriói oculus 2 vigorous 2. Iâ— makes them vigorous and serious and so able to order and regulate all the motions of the soul in their right way Thus love is very usefull in this point to keep you from straying from God and consequently needfull that you may by holy walking retain his favour and presence 2 Hold this as a fixed verity That you may not crosse or offend God hold fast this truth that Gods will is best that that is best which God wils all that are come to God do beleeve this else they had not come for what could draw the heart from all its good but that which is greater then all but though this be habitually in them yet they doe not alwayes actually beleeve it for what should be the cause of their excursions and deviations but because at present they think it better to walk in another way then the way of God there are but three causes of voluntary declining any thing either it is because 1. the thing is not worth entertainment at least 2. upon such tearmes or because 3. a better thing is presented which wee cannot enjoy with it so that if a man could carry this truth in his heart unblotted that it might ever appeare legible it would be to his gadding affections as a curb and settle the soul on God as on her Center If you could beleeve that you cannot mend your selves or make your condition better any other way you would be stedfast and immoveable for how you would see a conjunction of Gods will and your chiefe good so that in crossing his will you should crosse your selves as wisdome speaketh He that sinneth against me wrongeth his â—wn soul all they that hate me love death Prov. 8.36 To help you in this as in a matter of â—eat importance Meanes to hold that fast 1 Get a cleare knowledge of God witâ— he is in himselfe and of the wisdomeâ— God in the Commandements which at full of reason and of the end of the command thy good and of the nature 〈◊〉 that good 2 Make this knowledge actuall ofâ—â— minde it 3 Know that there is reason to gioâ— the lye to all opinion of good out of Gods way and against his will 1 Because Gods love is fully toward you and so perfect that he hath not câ— off any good from you 2 All that is truly good agreeth wiâ— his will as the formality of truth is the agreement that it hath with the mind of God so the verity of goodnesse is thâ— agreement that it hath with the will oâ— God and again all true good is froâ— him and eminently in him z Omne honum in summo bono therefore that which stands in opposition to hâ— cannot be good 3 Consider the subject of such misâ—â— prehension hee is either one coverâ— with darknesse or clouded with passion men naturally are blind and so call eviâ— good and good evill and good men sometimes are clouded and with a frenâ—ie of passion distempered and judge that good which when they become sober they count the greatest evill and which is the truest judgement whether that of a man drunk and not himselfe or that of a man that is calme cleare and himselfe 4 Remember that you must needs are in judging that to be good which you cannot entertaine with contentment but a godly man findes these two things as sure notes of the true evill in every sin 1. Feare before and in admission of it 2. Paine and repentance after and that ever a Chilo damnum lucro turpi se pretulisse dixit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Laert. in Chil. 5 When you see two crosse counsels weigh well these two things 1. the Counsellors 2. the Reasons First weigh the Counsellors consider well who they are that stand up to oppose God and you shall finde that which may disable their testimony they can be but one of
is like 〈◊〉 mine not half broken up yea often whe◠you are neare to springs of life yo◠cease to digge the diligent hand maket◠rich a hungry soule findes many sweet meales in your leavings God would give much of himself if you would stay by it what if nothing come at present doe with the ordinances as with a pump dwell at it and the waters will flow it is not much hearing but wise hearing that carrieth the blessing the word must be laid up and must soake into the heart Ioh. 8.37 p 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Camerarius Sermo meus non penetrat in vobis Ludov. de Dieu Secondly let me adde a little for indutement to put you upon seeking God in this way 1 Consider it is Gods way therefore you must not expect good without it it is his way and he will make it good he hath appointed the meanes for this end and therefore they shall prosper that use them his power wisdome goodnesse stand all inviting you being as so many seals of this truth that they shall live that heare and they say to thee Oh thou that art named the house of Israel is the Spirit of the Lord straitned are these his doings doe not my words doe good to them that walk uprightly Micah 2.7 2 His promise is with you how fully hath he expressed himselfe in this Incline your eare and come unto me he are and your souls shall live Esay 55.1 2 3 q Verbum Dei animae vita virtus victus custodia c. Bern. And hath not Christ annexed his prsence to his ordinances for his people good unto the end of the world Mat. 28.20 Look then at the ordinances in the promise and see how God hath engaged himselfe unto his servants if you could beleeve you would see God more in his Sanctuary but as it is said that Christ wrought no more miracles in his own countrey because of their unbeliefe Mat. 13.58 so God shuts in his power from working because your hear◠is shut up in unbeliefe you should go◠with gladnesse to the house of God as to a place of feeding and healing rejoycing in hope to finde an effusion of the Spirit from on high according to the promise 3 God hath done it you see by these meanes he prevailes upon men and turnes from darknesse to light and raiseth from death to life you see others how they flourish in the Courts of Gods house as trees by the water side and have not you your selves found God often causing the ordinances to come as Ships laden with rich treasures for you hath not your heart burned when you have heard him speaking have not some sermons been as Elias Chariot hath not Christ come often when his Disciples have been together why doe you not then upon such experiences walk diligently and chearfully in the Gospell 4 It is Gods glory to meet his people it sets out his goodnesse wisdome power mercy faithfulnesse r Caesari cum statuas Pompeii delapsuras erigi jussit dixit Oice. ro 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Flut. de capiend ex hostib utilit as the Sunne in clearenesse it makes his name precious his wayes sweete his people fruitfull and herein saith Christ is my father glorified that ye bring forth much fruit John 15. therefore you have cause to seek to enjoy God in this way 5 Consider with whom you have to deale 1. One that knoweth who seek him he knoweth who are his friends and seeth all the reachings of thy heart after him Christ asked the woman whom shee sought but he knew shee sought him and so shewed himself unto her the childe may seek the mother and she may be ignorant of it but there is not a prayer not a sigh after him but it is in his eare not a teare for him but it is in his eye 2. He can doe what you desire he can carry you on as upon Eagles wings he is a fountaine of life and hath enough for you and for thousands 3. He is pittyfull he is sensible of your case ſ Heb. 4.15 Compassio cum impassibilitate perdurat Bern. de grad humil he knoweth your need of him what weaknesse you are left in if he be not with you what tentations and lusts break in what sorrow and heavinesse if you enjoy him not 4. He is the author of that desire which you have after him and God knoweth the meaning of his own Spirit these desires hee sent from himselfe to bee as Pharaohs Chariots to bring Iacob to Ioseph and when they have brought you to God will he not accept you he would not have sent for you if he meant not to helpe you therefore seeke him with faith and diligence in the meanes that you may have his presence for your guide and guard in all your wayes CHAP. XXV Three counsels to such as are deserted NOw I come to deale with such as are forced to draw this sad conclusion against themselves that God hath departed from them and I feare when men seriously consider what hath beene said that it will be found that not a few have cause to sit downe in the dust and to poure out teares in the sad sense of their grievous losse of the quickning presence of God Me thinkes it is visible in some that they are changed and have declined from that lustre life and activity of spirit which seemed once to be aloft and to be elevated to an excellent height of holinesse and heavenly mindednesse but now lyeth groveling in the dust with clouds and chaines of evident darknesse and death upon them And now I wish for such a spirit that I might come to them with like successe as the Angel to S. Peter when he lay sleeping in the prison The Angel of the Lord came upon him and a light shined in the prison and he smote Peter on the side and raised him up saying arise up quickly and his chaines fell off from his hands and he went out and followed the Angel Acts 12.7.9 God hath sent us also to strike off mens chaines and to open the iron gate that leades into the spirituall City and hath given us the hammer Ier. 23.29 and with it the key of the Gospell Luke 11.52 And oh that he would mannage these by his strength that men might be delivered that are in prison In dealing with such I will take this course to draw them out of these deepes I will lay down the matter of perswasion arguments to prevaile rules to direct First the matter of perswasion or the things that I plead for are 1 To consider well whether you be not in this case 1. Counsell Consider if it bee not so Call home your thoughts and send them as spies throughout all the Region and see if you finde Christ in it as in former times see if thy soule lye not as Jerusalem when the Babylonians came upon it are not the wals broken
your selves againe and what is 〈◊〉 your sorrows and labours to this recompence if God will return agaâ—â— you will thinke all labour and paint well bestowed oh how sweete will 〈◊〉 be after such a time of deadnesse how sweet will a cleare understanding and an established faith be after such mists of darknesse and unbeliefe how sweete will liberty be after so long a time of cruell servitude how sweete will victory and rest be after so long and so bloody a war now the Ordinances will be as the greene pastures in which your soules shall feed and delight themselves now you that did dwell in the dust and were compassed about with hellish lusts and uncleane spirits shall be filled with the Spirit of Christ and shall converse with God it will be a sweete time when all things shall become new when your diseases shall be turned to health and you shall renew your strength as the Eagles when Christ shal come into his ancient throne Ps 103.5 and rule you with the Sceptor of his grace And I pray God that all that have been deserted may seek him and finde him This shall suffice for the first sort of spirituall desertions viz. reall now followeth another sort if I may so call it desertions only in appearance CHAP. XXX Of Defertions in appearance only with causes of mistake in this Case HAving finished the first sort of desertions or Gods with drawings of the quickning influences of his Spirit which are when men are really so deserted I now come to those desertions which seeme such but are not 〈◊〉 godly man sometimes may and doth draw sad conclusions against himselfe and conceives that God hath departed from him when it is not so And this mistake proceeds from such causes as these 1 Fearefulnesse 1 Cause Fearefulnesse this abounds 〈◊〉 some more then others the matter 〈◊〉 weighty and in such cases man is apt to feare as one upon a Towre though the place be strong and he sure yet when he lookes downe he is appalled at the dreadfulness of the precipice counts himselfe in danger This feare is 〈◊〉 creased in men because they know they may sinke into such deeps and they see many have fallen now as in a time of pestilence and great mortality feare so takes hold of some that they thinke sometimes that they are strucken m Quod fore posse timet moestus adesse putat and that they also are going to the house of silence and darknesse when as they are in healthfull state so sometimes men think in this case And the tempers of some spirits are such that they are apt to feare there are dusky clouds of Melancholy darkening their reason so that they thinke with that melancholy King that they of men are become beasts and so are ready to depose themselves from that Princely state which they lived in to feed with oxen And to all this there is a working of the Prince of darknesse labouring to hide the light and to encrease the darknesse and sadnesse of a fearefull soule and this feare being raised doth create dismall visions and apprehensions that a man seemes to himselfe to bee metamorphosed and thinkes he is as one cast out from God when yet his case is good 2 Mistake in the cause of present deadnisse Mistaking the cause of their present state 〈◊〉 When they are cloggeâ— with indisposednesse and ill disposednesse they lay this to Gods with drawing himselfe which indeed is the fruit of their owne carelesnesse slothfulnesse and untowardnesse they take not painâ— with themselves but suffer their heart to dy and to be depraved and then 〈◊〉 out that God hath forsaken them theâ— is an aptnesse in men to charge God buâ— awaken your selves lest God withdraw indeed 3 Misjudging themselves Misjudgeing themselves Error in judgement occasioned by They thinke worse of themselves then they are and there are sundry things which occasion them to mistake 1 Spirituall poverty A poore man is apt to domplaine Spirituall poverty and an humble maâ— is apt to thinke meanely of himselfe There is that maketh himselfe rich and hath nothing and there is that maketh himselfe poore having great riches Some mens hearts are high when their worth is low n 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 de Athanasio Naz. the emptiest eares stand highest but the richest Mines lye low an humble Christian is a rich treasureâ— yet he thinkes he is worth but little But I must tell you all is not gold that glisters all in a godly man that seemes grace is not there is a bastard humility as well as a genuine humility true humility is Iudicious though it thinke meanely of it selfe yet justly it judgeth not against truth false humility is distempered and erres in Iudgement I say it is a melancholy distemper in the habit of humility which can see nothing but ill sights it can see no good when it lookes this way it cannot see wood for trees it ever is in substraction in its account of reall worth and matter of encouragement but ever in multiplication and addition beyond measure of faults and wants and all matter of discouragement Aske him how he doth and he will tell you he is a very beggar a miserable man a bankerupt full of sinne empty of God he is nothing hath nothing seeth nothing tasteth nothing doth nothing yea he will tell you but who can beleeve him that knoweth his rich worth that he is worse then nothing o 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hoc unum se scire dixit quod nihil sciret Socrat. apud Laert. 2 Hungring and thirsting after 〈◊〉 grace Hungring of spirit this is a sweet companion of humility but it hath this property to leâ— the soule still outward and is so sering in seeking what it hath not that it minds not what it hath a coveâ—ouâ— man is ever poore because ever wanting hee forgets what is behinde and is still pressing to that which is before p 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrysost 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Prov. Graec. It is the fault of such as are filled with strong desires after God that they much for get what they have received pride â—ver feeds on what it hath but humility seeth best what it hath not But you should remember that strong desirâ— after God are strong evidences of his presence other things are first desired and then attained but spirituall things are first attained and then desired without these the heart would rest without God and as it cannot be without some chiefe good so it would seek it out of God but when it is wheeled about with a strong by as towards God doubtlesse God is there 3 Much love Much love This also is neare in blood unto the two former and is an occasion sometimes of sad thoughts in the heart Love hath qualities which expose the heart to trouble 1. It is jealous ever fearefull least it should lose the happinesse which
3 This testimony is holy holy formally originally effectively it makes holy more humble more contrite more watchfull more zealous more thankfull c. That assurance which breeds vanity contempt of ordinances neglect of duties security in sinne is deceitfull and abominable Thus of the Efficient cause The matter of comfort now the matter of spirituall comfort followeth That which is comfortable must bee such as can in some measure satisfie and fill the desire and appetite of the soule for so long as desire is held from her object there is an unrest and unquietnesse in the heart there will be a whining and crying of spirit there is paine in hunger grief in want now as desire is an extension or reaching of the soule after something futable so it is not satisfied But 1 Eyther by possession of the thing 2 Or by hope and expectation So that the proper object of spirituall comfort is 1 Things spirituall given to us and received by us here as the light of Gods countenance the quicknings of his spirit subduing of lusts successe in our prayers tasts of heaven c. 2 Things promised as in the former desire is turned into joy and the accomplishment of desire becomes a tree of life Prov. 13.12 so here it becommeth hope and this hope giveth comfort it is the Anchor of the soule and the best cure of sorrow in the want of things future y 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Naz. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wee are saved by hope Rom. 8.24 The maine things of our life and happinesse for eternity are ours onely in the promise z Hoc ipsum quod Christiani sumus spei est Cypr. de boo pat Concerning these things note 1 That the promise gives as strong comfort to faith as things present to sense yea greater For 1 The things to come are greater 2 More permanent 1 Cor. 13. 3 Sure a Fidelis futura veluti praesentia possidet magis ea adesse putat quam praesentia Clem. Alex. so that faith makes them as present Heb. 11.1 2 The soule may have the comfort of hope yet lose that of sense it may finde the way sad when it beleeves the end will be sweet 3 If a man lose the life and comfort of hope hee loseth the comfort of sense his way will bee sad who is afflicted about his end 4 According to the strength of faith and hopes claime comfort is advanced when hope fluctuates and lookes for eternall life onely as possible or probable then comfort also is unstable and weake but when it lookes upon it as certainly future then the heart hath a full rest Now having seene the nature and Causes Comfort may bee lost let us come to the defectibility of Comfort It may be lost the tenure of grace and peace is not the same in point of Comfort we are but tenants at will and may in a moment be turned out of a heavē upon earth into a hell upon earth Comfort is not of the being but well being of the Saints it is rather a reward than grace and belongs rather to glorification than sanctification Not joy makes a Christian but grace as it is the light not the warmth of the sunne that makes day so that this may faile 1. God may suspend his testimony or 2. Hee may let in Satan to afflict or 3. Hide himselfe and not meet them in approches to him in combats for him c. I must cut my selfe short here for I see the booke swels bigger than I desire Let this therefore suffice for entrance into the businesse it selfe CHAP. XXXV Of the state and degrees of this sad condition NOw I come to the sad state of the soule wanting the comforts of the Holy Ghost God withdrawing himselfe in respect of that gracious effusion of his mercy and manifestation of his love to the soule shutting up those sweet streames of refreshment which were wont to flow Here I will speake of 1 The Case 2 The Cure The state of a deserted and disconsolate soule requires to consider of 1 The nature of it 2 Degrees of it 3 Effects of it 4 Cause of it First then let us see what it is It is an eminent and abiding uncomfortablenesse of heart towards God or a losse of that comfort which the soule was wont to have in God 1 It is a losse of comfort in God A man may have much unquietnesse It is a losse of comfort towards God and yet not be in this case we speake of discomfort except the object of it bee Gods displeasure or departure makes not a deserted case A man may be afflicted in his spirit many waies yet Gods wonted presence may continue As the conscience of some sinne may cause much sadnesse and mourning eyther some sinne stirring or some sinne acted may much afflict but trouble of reluctance or sorrow of repentance are there and will be there where God is most present Paul is a patterne in the first Romanes 7. and David in the other Psal 51. The sinnes of others may disquiet Rivers of teares runne downe mine eyes because men keepe not thy lawes Psal 119. Lot Ezra all that have most of God have most of these sorrowes and these sorrowes are no miseries but mercies there is much sweetnesse in this temper The troubles of the Churches may in a way of compassion and sympathy afflict yea outward afflictions may in a naturall way paine the spirit for a time and the soule may mourne because of its deficiencies and poverty wanting that compleatnesse of holinesse which it desireth b Non perfecte de aliquo gaudet cui non sufficit Aquin though present degrees of grace are sweet yea because sweete the soule is not contented being in a state of want it will be in motion till it attaine the fulnesse Philip. 3.12 but desertion imports a losse of comfort in God 2 It is a losse of usuall comfort as the former kinde of desertions is a losse of usuall quicknings A losse of usuall comfort so this is a losse of usuall quietnesse And as there are seasons in which God gives more of himselfe in way of quickning then he will constantly continue so he gives comfort sometimes in such fulnesse as shall not alwaies abide Not of extraordinary comfort every day is not a feasting day Paul was taken up into the third heavens but he came downe againe the Sunne doth not alwaies shine in an equall lustre God sometimes gives coruscations of glory but like lightnings they shut in againe As a father sometimes sends for his sonnes from schoole and makes merry with them at home but these play times come not every day they must to schoole againe and live under tutors and governours till they come to full age God opens himselfe much at some times 1 In speciall approaches of the soule to him then a man seeth and tasteth such things that hee is loth to depart but these comforts though
and his word shall stand As if you tell a poore trembling prisoner going to the barre for his life hee need not feare he shall sure escape hee will bee apt to answer you alas except the Judge say so all that you say will not profit me So will a poore afflicted soule thinke when others come and tell him surely your case is good and doubtlesse you will finde mercy and heaven will bee your portion Oh that God would say this to mee except this bee my sentence at his barre your comforts are but as souÌ„ding brass or as a tinckling cymbal Secondly there is a power of ability by which God is able to worke what he wils and to execute his owne purposes if hee pronounce sentence from the throne of Judgement there is no way to shun it if in the word of a King is power Eccles 8.4 how much more in the word of the Almighty what makes any thing dreadfull but its power and all that power in the creature is but derived from him and limited by him but his power hath no bounds but his Will therefore when the soule is not onely in doubt of his good will but in feare of his ill will how can it have any rest 3. Eternity God abides for ever 3. Eternity this makes his favour and displeasure more considerable the losse of a perpetuity wee reckon a great losse in our estates but what is it to lose God for ever and not onely to lose him but to beare his displeasure who is eternall eternity oh eternity how doth this swallow up the soule in a day of feares this sets on all other terrible things with a redoubled strength and causeth them to fall with weight more heavy than of mountaines upon the spirit such a thought as this he that hath all power and lives for ever hath forsaken me batters the soule as a wall of paper before a Canon 2. Consider the relation in which God stands to a beleever 2. In respect of relation he is to them in the nearest and dearest relation a Friend Father Husband God is all these perfectly the closest and most active friend the kindest and most tender father the sweetest and most loving husband the losse therefore of such a one is grievous yea the losse of any one is great as if a childe lose a tender hearted father or a friend a free-hearted friend or a wife a kinde-hearted husband but if one lose a Friend a Father an Husband at once this is very grievous But when the soule is descrted it apprehends it selfe to lose all these yea the best Friend Father and Husband yea her onely friend father and husband no wonder if it take up Ieremiah his sad complaint When I would comfort my selfe against sorrow my heart is faint in me Jer. 8.18 nothing can heale but that which did wound t Vnde datum est vulnus contigit inde salus 3 Consider the operation of God Gods operation he hath not onely put into the heart which he reneweth a longing and restlesse u Fecisti nos ad te inquietum est cor nostrum donâ—c requiescatin te Aug. Conf l. 1. c. 1. desire after him but he quickens this desire by sense of misery and by manifestation of his greatnesse and goodnesse that so the soule may be carryed with uncessant reachings after him he is then drawing the soule towards him when he seemes to be departing and how can that man rest whom heaven draweth Gods end in afflicting the soule is not its paine that it may wast it selfe in sighs and groanes but that it may with more eagernesse pursue him so that he is secretly and strongly working in the darkest night of spirituall sadnesse to a more full and comfortable conjunction and communion with his people therefore it is that they seeke and run to and fro to finde him because God draweth them by his power when David was in the desart he followed hard after God but what set his soule in that constant motion Thy right hand upholdeth me Psal 63.8 Let this suffice for the effects and consequents of Gods hiding his face and cutting off the comforts which the soule was wont to enjoy in him CHAP. XXXVII The Causes and Cure of this sad condition HAving seene what a wofull case a man is in when God withdraweth let us now weigh the Causes for which God dealeth thus with his people Cause 1 1 To put a difference betwixt heaven and earth God is wont to fit his actions to times and seasons Israel was a childe as well as we yea the first borne yet that Church had not so much of him as the Churches of the Christians It was not a time forfulnesse while the Church was in her Infancy God dealt with them as with children in minority he gave them much of the world and lesse of heaven the Spirit of adoption was poured out more fully when the Church was growne more full And as God reserved much till the Gentiles were called that when his guests were more fully met he might set out more abundance of his provision so God will keepe the rich store of consistent and abiding comforts till the great day that when all the family shall come together he may poure out the fulnesse of his hidden treasures upon them We are now but in the way and it is fit the best should come last we are but yet in the morning of the day the feast is to come in the meane time a running banquet a break-fast a taste shall suffice to stay the stomach till the time come that the King of Saints with all his friends shall sit downe together at the Royall Feast If you send your sonne to travel you give him lesse than his inheritance and you will send them forth by Sea and Land for your ends so God hath sent you abroad you are but travellers therefore must not thinke it strange if you meet with stormes and weary daies and if you have not so constant a presence of God with you The difference of this life and the next is not so much in the kindes of comfort as in the degrees and continuance of them this life hath such a presence of God as is with a kinde of absence We know this That while we are present in the body we are absent from the Lord 2 Cor. 5.6 This life is but our seed time of comfort Psal 97.11 and the seed will have a time to be out of our hands use and sight till the harvest come Now is working time and the time of fight and servants and souldiers must not expect any setled rest till their service is done and the warres cease There remaines a rest for the people of God Heb. 4.9 All the Saints that have gone before us have found ill dayes and hard times yea Iesus Christ himselfe till his houre came that he should be glorified had trouble in the world yea he dranke
a death in him we trust that he will yet deliver us 2. Cor. 1.10 4. It workes more closing with Christ the death of comfort occasions a greater life and strength towards Christ both in desire of him and dependance upon him and for this cause God shakes the soule with earthquakes that it may stand faster upon its true basis and foundation that which at first brings the soule to Christ is his worth and our need and the more wee see our selves necessitous the more our hearts gather in to Christ the soule must have some rest and if it finde none within nor without it is carried to Christ as Noahs Dove to the Arke That which is the first coard to draw to him hath also a strength to bind to him therefore God gives his people sad visions of sin and wrath that by being shaken they may roote themselves more in Christ this was Gods great â—ime to set up his Son as the hope and helpe of his people and as that glorious meanes by which hee may diffuse the beames of his mercy and love upon men and hee loves to see the Saints advancing him by flying to him and abiding in him And the more they goe forth to Christ and seeke the Father in the Son the more they are blessed Christ is the rock of the Saints and when they are knit to it they stand fast the nearer they are to Christ the nearer are they to all happinesse God will not looke friendly upon the soule but through Christ he will not poure out the spirit of comfort but through him and as comfort comes by comming so the oftner the soule comes and the more it converseth with Christ and resteth on him the more comfort it will finde at last Christ will tell you many secrets and open his fathers bosome to you when you stick close to him And this advantage comes by desertions that the soule is so frighted with those stormes which it met with that it is afraid to bee any more out of its harbour but seekes to dwell under the wing of Christ and to keepe closer to him than ever it did before and so this affliction brings forth the peaceable fruit of righteousnesse in them which are exercised thereby Heb. 12.11 Cause 4 4. Cause The correcting and healing of some evill in his people He doth it for their profit that they may be partakers of his holinesse Heb. 12.10 There are many things in the Saints which are very repugnant to that filiall state in which they are set by grace and it is no wonder if God take such courses wherein he seemes not to bee a father to them that are not as children to him I will instance in some particular evils which God will not beare with but doth visit in his people with this and other rods 1. Deadnesse and dulnesse of heart Sometimes living men are in a livelesse state their hearts are so benummed that they seeme to lye among the dead the former vigor and activity of their graces is gone and they are become barren and unfruitfull now as in a lethargie or apoplexie Physitians use strong and sharpe medicines so God casts the soule into a feaver to get off this stupidity and hangs their soules over the mouth of hell and makes them to drink of that cup of red Wine the dregs whereof the wicked of the earth shall wring out and drinke Ps 75.8 that by this strong potion he may quicken their dull and sleepie spirits Deadnesse is such a state in which a man is neither receptive nor active neither fit to receive good nor to do good and such a case is not tolerable for in this Gods ends are stopped for he calleth out his people to be vessels to receive mercy to hold forth his name but he can doe neither that is dead Nature it selfe loves not a dead thing it is both unusefull and uncomely for where life faileth there is corruption as in the body a mortified member doth putrifie and not onely it selfe but others therefore as a man useth all meanes to recover the life and spirits in his body so God doth with his people David lay in a slumbering drousinesse a long time but at last when he lay like Ionah sleeping by the sides of the ship hee sent a storme into his soule to awake him then he revives like another man 2. Fearelesnesse of God this is a temper to which the Saints are apt to grow as Children are wont to grow sawcy and presumptuously malepert and irreverent till the fathers frowne and majesticke austerenesse take down their spirit God will not be carelesly dealt with though he allow us confidence and holy boldnesse in approach to him and converse with him yet he expects a due sense of his Majestie and greatnesse Let us have grace whereby we may serve God with reverence and godly feare for our God is a consuming fire Heb. 12.28 29. Though he be a father yet he is a terrible an holy and an Almighty God And therefore to correct the sinfull boldnesse of his people and to cause them to stand in awe of him hee sometimes shuts in his favour and keeps state by concealing himselfe as the Persian Kings shunned familiaritie and were seldome seene that they might be more a Persona Regis sub specie majestatis occulitur Iust l. 1. honoured The feare of God is one of the maine pillars of his throne and so farre as he is not our feare he is not our God therefore he hath ever shewed himselfe in his power and greatnesse unto men when he came to give the Law hee came in great Majesty with fire blacknesse and darknesse and tempest and the sound of a Trumpet c. and so terrible was the sight that Moses said I exceedingly feare and quake Heb. 12.18 19 21. yea and in the Gospell it was foretold that God would shew wonders in Heaven above and signes in the earth beneath blood fire and vapour of smoake the Sun shall be turned into darknesse and the Moone into blood before the great and terrible day of the Lord come Ioel. 2.31 Rom. 10.13 Acts 2.19 20 21. When he came to publish peace to the Gentiles hee came with great terror in judgement upon the Jewes and struck off the branch naturall that the Gentiles might not be high minded but feare Rom. 11.20 And in particular persons he so workes by intermixtures of frownes and favours majesty and mercy that they may learne to walke as those Churches did In the feare of the Lord and the comfort of the Holy Ghost Acts 9.31 It is not a servile seare or a feare of discouragement which God expects but a feare of reverence a feare intermixed and tempered with love there is a great difference in feares a man feares a beast and runs from him a man feares an enemie but hates him but a child feares his Father and loves him yea therefore hee feares because hee loves they shall feare the
till God awake them with rods and raise them by kindling a fire about them rebellion brings many loads disobedience and impenitence are springs of bitternesse a fire comes out of this bramble to burne the Cedar of Lebanon Cause 5 5. Cause to shew that He is the God of all comfort 2 Cor. 1.4 He keepes the cisterne empty that wee may looke to the Clouds above that the pleasant fruit of peace hath her rootes in Heaven our owne hearts though they may bee planted with pleasant trees yet of themselves bring forth nothing but bryars And God loves to shew himselfe the Lord of these treasures of comfort that the heart may have no dependance but in him and that it may alwaies feare because hee can soone turne the clearesâ— day into the darkest night Comfort is not given us in absolute possession but wee are alwaies tenants at will If God will hee can in a moment lay our hopes and joyes in the dust and strip us of all our garments of joy and turne us into mourning And as light in the aire but as water not in the spring I but in the vessell so it may soone bee cut off God needs not goe farre to feeke a rod to whip us with if he doe but withdraw his comforting Spirit our spirit will soone proove an afflicting spirit The peace of the soule is by vertue of the power and presence of God but if hee depart all is in uproare our owne thoughts will bee as scourges the Roman Emperours kept Lions to destroy the Christians and our hearts are grates and dens of Lions if God let them loose on the rendings that are by them if God keepe not garrison the enemies will breake in so that all our peace is from him the brightest starre that shines most with light of comfort derives it from the Sun of righteousnesse And therefore that they may have a sight of that darke and dismall nature of their owne hearts he shuts in his light and then when the soule lieth in a mournefull and distressed case in deepes where it findes no nottome and whence none can deliver when a man seeth al creatures standing as dead pictures and reckons himselfe past all hope then I say God sheweth himselfe to bee the God of comfort by commanding light to shine out of darknesse and quieting the high and raging stormes which did beare downe all before them Cause 6 6. Cause To revive their esteeme of mercy When a man is first brought out of Babylon bee is as those that dreame the heart is full of gladnesse and the mouth of praise the birds sing sweetly in the spring When a man is newly brought out of the pit and delivered from the sorrowes of death which did compasse him about and from the paines of hell which gate hold of him while the prints of the chaine are on him and the scarres of his hurt remaine he saith as David I love the Lord because he hath heard my voice and my supplications Psal 116.1 I was brought low and he helped me Returne unto thy rest oh my soule for the Lord hath dealt bountifully with thee For thou hast delivered my soule from death mine eyes from teares and my feet from falling The soule is in a float at present but when the daies of mercy continue the remembrance of the daies of sorrow weares off and the fire of love begins to abate and Christ is not of so high account though at first hee was the chiefest of ten thousands the joy of their hearts yet now his love and kindnesse groweth stale therefore God sends back the soule into her old prison to feele the weight of her ancient irons and chaines and causeth her to put on her old cast garments of mourning that sackcloth and ashes which shee wore in the daies of old that by laying this rod upon her as the Prophet spread himselfe upon the dead child a new life comes into the dying love and now mercy is raised to its former price and Christ is advanced on high now the soule returnes with redoubled strength and with multiplied and increased thankfulnesse Cause 7 7. Cause That others may be instructed Sometimes God chuseth the most eminent to set them out as demonstrations of this That assurance is not essentiall to holinesse that their conjunction is not indissoluble weake ones might have thought their cause worse if they had seene much grace alwaies attended with abundant joy but now God sheweth that comfort and rejoycing is not alwaies the portion of the Saints that so in their darke nights when they see no light they may live in hope that the Sun will rise though their way be a darke way it may be a sure way 8. Cause Cause 8 To fit for speciall service They that goe downe into the deepes see many wonders which others know not Experience gives wisedome Many are kept in a low way and have neither strong feares nor strong joyes these are not as Davids Worthies but are Christians of the lower rank common souldiers many are carried much aloft in great hopes and flashes of joy but they much overlooke the things below many infirmities and failings lye undiscovered But when God fetches the soule downe and sets it to dig beneath this man is more enlarged in true wisedome and holinesse and carrieth a fuller knowledge of sinne and Christ and of hell and heaven than other doe and so is made a stronger and more compleat man As he that hath beene in all conditions and hath travelled through sea and land and seene many Countries gaines an excellency by his experience above others An bome-bred spirit is a low spirit God will not doe much with many but leaves them to this worke mainely to save their owne soules but he will use some as his agents and factors in his great designes and affaires of mercy therefore traines them up to the knowledge of heights and depths Some are ordinary passengers and it is enough for them to looke to themselves being able to doe but little for others but some must bee Pilots and therefore must bee acquainted with winds and seas and rocks and sands that they may not onely save themselves but others Afflictions come not empty handed but like a darke cloud bring much after them there are many things which a man cannot learne in bookes but hee must learne it in himselfe a Scholler may read and acquaint himselfe with the Art of navigation but that will not make him a good Marriner nor will the studie of warre make a souldier but experience makes both God doth all as in great freedome so in great wisedome and having appointed men to severall ends he leads them in severall ends and workes them in severall moulds out of the same lump hee makes some differing from others in forme quantity and excellency some metall which is for highest use he casts often into the fire It may bee God may call you out to suffer much for him and