good man in a consumptive condition to consume waste and destroy that body of death that he carries about him Bodily weakness and sickness sanctified is purgative that as the body wasts and consumes so sin wasts and consumes for God will not suffer sin to outlive a Saint sin shall not enter into heaven with a Saint for that would marr his joy there as well as here And therefore God first purges that out before the soul can enter in corruption cannot inherit incorruption though God doth crown the grace of a Saint with glory yet he will not crown the sin and corruption of a Saint with glory Heaven is an holy and glorious place and will not hold any but holy and pure ones 't is the pure in heart that shall see God Heaven is a place for none but triumphants for such as have fought the good fight of faith and won the field and conquered Sin Satan and the World and put them to flight I but here a Christian is militant and must encounter these three potent Adversaries let him but worst these and then he will not fear Death though it be the King of terrors and rereserved for the last In this now the power of grace is clearly seen for that directs the Arrow that Death shoots at the outward man that it shall strike through the very heart of Sin Satan and the World that these shall be dead to him as well as he dead to them No sooner doth a good man feel a wound in his body but if sanctified if grace flows in sin is wounded also that lies a bleeding in him This is that which makes the children of God to rejoice in bodily weakness and insirmities because when sanctified through grace it is a means to weaken the power of sin in them For a true Christian bears an unfeigned and implacable hatred against Sin and therefore like to Sampson can be content that the house may be plucked upon his own head that his enemy Sin may die with him It is with the body spiritual as in the body natural there are some Diseases that must be starved out so long as the body is pampered the disease is nourished it must be brought very low or there will be no cure 'T is so with the body spiritual there are some sins in good men that must be starv'd out So long as there is strength in the outward man they will be stirring and active God therefore is pleased to bring the Body low that the Soul may get mastery and power over them Or like to some Rebels in a Castle that will never yield as long as any Provision is left 'T is so with Sin it will not yield as long as corrupted Nature yields any Provision to it And hence it is that sickly and weakly Christians are the most mortified Christians 4. When a good man is in a consumptive condition and begins to put one foot in the grave it pleaseth God to give in such clear evidence of his love to him and so full an assurance of his interest in eternal life that he even longs for a dissolution He was a child of Grace and an Heir before but now God makes him an Heir apparent Now so clear a light shines into his Soul as doth manifest his adoption and Sonship so that he can cry Abba Father which he could not do before I deny not but a true child of God may die in a cloud and not fee the light of life untill it comes in Heaven I but it is not alwaies thus but sometimes God is pleased to reveal his well pleased face to the Soul at the last and not before that she can say He is come he is come Some Christians are like to Swans that never sing but a little before their death their comforts and joyes come in at the last The Holy Ghost is the Guardian of a Christians comforts and sometimes he deals with them as a Guardian doth with an Heir who is committed to his trust When the Heir is come to age and is to enter upon his Estate then the Guardian gives him in his Evidences to preserve and keep himself Even so sometimes when a Christian is to enter upon the Inheritance of Eternal Life the Holy Ghost throws him in Evidences for it that he may carry them along with him thither 'T is true 't is the duty of all Christians to give all diligence to make their Calling and Election sure but some are fain to wait a long time before they can attain to this comfort and then when they are leaving Earth they have a glimpse of Heaven When their earthly house of this tabernacle is crumbling down upon their heads then God shews them his Building An House not made with Hands eternal in the Heavens and this is a gratious relief to a dying Christian for it is a beginning of Heaven to have a sight of Heaven it is comfort enough to have an assurance and evidence of these unspeakable joyes into which the Soul e're long shall enter The Soul may then say as he said when he lay upon his death-bed putting his hand to his heart Hic sat lucis Here is light enough This is that which makes sicknes and weakness so sweet to a Christian For though the Rod smarts yet he tastes Honey at the end of it that opens his eyes as it did the eyes of Jonathan to see the salvation of God It is a most soveraign antidote against the sting of death that it can't kill or destroy the Soul although it doth the Body No messenger is more welcome than this that comes to call him home 5. In all the weakness and consumptive condition of a good man God doth act the part of a tender-hearted Nurse to him and doth tend him even as a Nurse doth a bed-rid person who is committed to her care and is not this much Surely he shall be admirably well lookt to whom God tends Now that God doth thus is clear Ps 41.3 The Lord will strengthen him upon the bed of languishing thou wilt make all his bed in his sickness The Hebrew signifies to turn and so Arias Montanus renders it As Bed-makers use to turn and toss the Bed to and fro that it it may be easie and soft to lie upon so doth God deal with a good man when he layes him upon the bed of languishing he mitigates and moderates the affliction that it may not be so painful and terrible to him as else it would be No Nurse can do that for a sick and weak person that God can and doth for a good man When a Nurse hath turn'd the Bed and made it as soft as she can that the sick man finds a little ease and refreshment yet the Bed will quickly grow hard again and the man as weary of it as before But when God comes to make the Bed in our sickness he moderates the pain and gives rest to the bones Many a time when those that
also carry thee He cares not how much weight a Christian layeth on his back a true Israelite may ease himself and best please his God at once God delights not to see tears in thine eyes or paleness in thy countenance thy groans and sighs make no Musick in his ears he had rather that thou wouldest free thy self of thy burden by casting it upon him that he might rejoyce in thy joy and comfort Now true confidence in God and resting upon God will both free thee of thy burden and also bring in the strength of God to sustein and bear thee up from falling wouldest thou therefore own God as thy strength and fetch strength from God to thy soul rest upon God roll thy self upon him And that 1. In times of greatest weakness 2. In times of the greatest service 3. In times of the greatest trials First In times of greatest weakness when thou feelest thine inherent strength to fail yet be not discouraged but rest upon the rock of thy strength That is the truest act of Faith that hath no created supporters but is terminated in God alone it is no hard matter for a strong man to believe and to be confident but it is a difficult thing for a man to discern the truth of his faith when created strength is at its height take away the crutch and then you will see what he will lay hold on next to bear up his lame legs with When a Christian finds nothing in himself then to rest on God is an evidence of true faith Faith in God under poverty of Spirit is a precious faith 't is such a faith as is peculiar to the people of God such a faith as they must set on work Zeph. 3.12 I will leave among you men that are humble a poor people and they shall trust in the name of the Lord. When God hath emptied a man of all self-strength and made him poor then is the time for him to trust in the Lord. God hath a way to make a rich man poor and take nothing from him and to make a strong man weak and yet not diminish his strength Quest. How doth God this Answ By giving him an humble spirit making him poor in spirit So that his heart is taken off his riches and off his strength and now such an one will trust in God But sometimes God makes men poor and brings them low indeed on purpose that they may learn to trust in God alone 2 Cor. 1.10 We received the sentence of death that we might learn not to trust in our selves but in the living God So 1 Tim. 1.5 She that is a widow is left alone and trusts in God Why truly to allude to this there is many a soul who hath been wedded to a self-strength and God hath cut it off and made her a widow one left alone that she might trust in God Rom. 7.4 O Beloved if this be your case that God hath widdowed your souls and stript you naked of all created and communicated strength that you are poor and weak helpless and comfortless now is your time to cast your souls on God for all strength to bear you up Secondly In times of the greatest and highest service and employment whether doing or suffering account God your strength by resting on him and trusting in him 1 Tim. 4.10 Therefore we labour and suffer reproach because we trust in the living God The work of the Apostles and Primitive Christians was very great and very high they stood in need of a mighty aid for it was beyond their inherent strength and therefore they did commit themselves and their work to the rock of their strength As there is no work so little but exceeds our strength so there is no work so great but there is a proportion'd strength to it to be had in God When God therefore calls thee forth to hard and high service such as makes every vein in thy heart to bleed and every string ready to crack do not think it a work beyond omnipotency's power sit not down dejected as if God required impossibilities of thee but trust him and thou shalt but bear the name he will do the work no man ever failed in his work who had the strength of God for his help His strength ever rises as his work rises and the higher the service is the greater shall be his strength Esay 40.29 30 31. And therefore when God called Moses forth to deliver Israel from the power of Egypt see what he saith to him Exod. 3.10 11 observe here Moses is doubtful of his own strength and pleads that as an excuse for his refusal of the work Who am I q. d. Alass this is a work beyond my skill and ability to perform Now to this God answers by a promise of his presence I will certainly be with thee q. d. I will make up all thy imperfections and weakness in mine own fulness and strength the greater the work is the more I will manifest my self and the less thou hast in thy self the more thou shalt receive from me And therefore when Moses pleads his excuse with a particular demonstration of his inability God gives a particular answer Exod. 4.10 11 12 Lord saith Moses I am not cloquent but am slow of speech and of a slow tongue and therefore very unfit for the work I am not able to deliver thy message either to Pharao or to the children of Israel but shall rather spoil it then deliver it Now God gives a particular answer to this particular objection First by way of Interrogation Who made mans mouth i.e. Cannot I that made the mouth cure the imperfection of it cannot I give thee an eloquent and a ready tongue Secondly by way of particular promise in reference to that particular case Now therefore go and I will be with thy mouth and teach thee what thou shalt say the like you have Matt. 10.19 It shall be given you in that same hour what ye shall speak Divine assistances do ever flow in according to the greatness of the work It shall be all one to thee to perform a very high piece of service for God with a strength proportioned to it as it will be to do a lesser work with a little strength Do but rest upon the rock of your strength and you will never be troubled at your work Thirdly In times of the greatest trials when thou art conflicting with spiritual or corporal enemies then rest on the rock of thy strength Sometimes a Christian is as it were drawn forth into the field to encounter with sin and Satan and these two grand enemies of the souls Salvation do set all their power and policy on work to foil and ruine him sin that sets upon him as Satans messenger and buffets him and Satan stands with his bow in his hand and shoots fiery darts at him to wound and torment his soul Now what should he do in this case why rest on the rock of his
act as to relieve himself by an indirect course for he would not take the name of God upon him in vain he had rather die then do it Now when God hath thus drawn out the desires of the soul after grace then he gives in such a measure as shall preserve it and keep it from yielding to the temptation and Beloved it is a gratious relief to be kept in an holy and gratious frame of heart under a strong and powerful temptation 't is worthy of a Christians taking notice thereof So doth the Prophet this poor man cried and the Lord heard him Psal 34.6 Beloved if you be never so poor yet if God draws out your hearts after him in prayer you shall be kept that you shall not take any indirect course to help your selves but be able to say as David of himself this poor man cried and the Lord heard him As prayer is the desire of the soul formed into requests and petitions so crying is the importunity of the soul in prayer Petitions and requests presented to God with an humble and reverential boldness it is a wrestling with God for a blessing a perseverance in prayer with an holy resolution not to be put off Now 't is the poor that thus crys sense of want that pinches the soul joyned with some hopes of obtaining makes the soul to cry and he that crys shall be heard Divine relief shall come in to help it in this time of need Thus you see how relief comes in to a good man in the want of all outward comforts Secondly When the strength of the outward man fails And this is properly the failing of the flesh when a man is in a consumptive condition God smites the body and then the flesh wasts the beauty thereof fades and the senses grow dull and heavy The Prophet David had great experience hereof and therefore often mentions it in his Psalms Psal 38.10 my strength faileth and Psal 109.24 my flesh faileth of fatness and Psal 69.3 mine eyes fail He was brought low even to the mouth of the grave but Divine relief came in As you may see Psal 116.6 I was brought low and he helped me God sometimes raises a man from the very gates of death and gives him a new life restores him to his former health and strength But if God doth not thus by a gratious man yet he shall have cause to say the Lord is the strength of my heart in this weak and low estate and condition Divine relief shall be given to him 1. To support and strengthen him to bear his affliction with patience the power and grace of God is wonderfully seen in bearing up the spirits when the body sinks and in giving grace to exercise patience under the pains and sorrows of death you have heard saith Saint James of the patience of Job Jam. 5.11 As you heard of his corporal affliction how soarly he was handled so you have heard of his patience how gratiously he was he was supported that he could bear his affliction without murmuring or repining 't is true it made him groan I but the stroke was heavier then his groaning As he saith Job 23.2 Even to day is my complaint bitter my stroke is heavier then my groaning The spirit of a man will sustain corporal infirmities when God sustains the spirit Now patience under afflictions is equivalent to a deliverance from them to be able to bear an affliction is as great a mercy as to be freed from it if God rebukes the feavour of impatiency and thereby cures that it is as much as to rebuke a bodily distemper and thereby to cure it So you may see 1 Cor. 10.13 There hath no temptation taken you but that which is common to man but God is faithful who will not suffer you to be tempted above that you are able but will with the temptation also make a way to â—scape that ye may be able to bear it i. e. I can assure you that thus far you shall be set free from your temptations afflictions that you shal be able to bear them This is a gratious relief for there is no affliction but impatiency makes a greater affliction many afflict themselves when God doth not and many afflict themselves more then God doth their impatiency first makes their groaning heavier then their stroke and then their stroke heavier then it is in it self 2. Divine relief and strength comes into the heart of a good man in this consumptive condition to renew the inward man as the outward man decays So saith the Apostle 2 Cor. 4.16 Though our outward man perish yet our inward man is renewed day by day As God pulls down the old house the house of clay he frames and erects a new building that shall abide for ever So that a Christian may say as Peter Martyr said when he was dying My body is weak my mind is well well for the present and it will be better for the future The flesh and spirit of a good man are like two buckets when the flesh goeth down the spirit gets up he is ever best within when he is worst without when the body is going down to the earth from whence it came the soul is ascending to heaven from whence it came And you have a gratious promise for it Psal 92.13 14. Those that be planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the courts of our God They shall still bring forth fruit in their old age they shall be fat and flourishing Old age shall have green fruit upon it When â—he flesh proves the most barren the spirit is most fruitful a true Christian never flourisheth so much as when old age hath nipt the flesh and it is a lovely sight to see gray hairs a consumptive body and a withered face fat and flourishing in Holiness and Righteousness to see Summer-fruit upon an old tree in Winter-time and yet thus it is with good Christians their Winter of old age is their most flourishing time When nature is most spent grace comes to its greatest strength and perfection Faith strongest love to God and Christ most enflamed hope most lively and holiness most beautiful and sparkling the greatest beauty in the soul when the body is turning to rottenness and putrifaction When the natural breath smells of the earth the spiritual breath savours most of heaven the eye of the soul most clear in discerning spiritual and heavenly things when the eye of the body grows dim and dark the hand of faith most steady to take hold on Divine promises when the corporal hand shakes with the palsie and the feet of the soul run fastest towards the mark for the price of the high calling in Christ when the bodily feet cannot move So true it is that a Christian may say as S. Paul said When I am weak then am I strong weak in my outward man but strong in the inward 3. Divine relief comes in to the heart of a
him but he was at the very point of death then God revived him Even so it is in this case when the darkness of the soul is at the heighth and the soul is at the greatest loss and plunge no way open for its comfort and relief then God gives in some beam of Divine light to guide and direct it unto peace and comfort for though it be the portion of good men and of children of light sometimes to walk in darkness yet they are never cast into utter darkness eternal darkness is not their portion they shall not lie down in darkness light is sown for the righteous and as God hath his seeds time so they shall have their harvest let the soul be never so full of fears and perplexity of spirit yet this cloud shall vanish these fears shall be scattered and the soul shall see and know that it is under the gratious dispensation of a most gratious God who hath ordered all things for her peace here and eternal well-fare hereafter This is clear in our Text the Prophet had been in darkness I but God had brought him forth into the light and now he is able to correct his mistakes 5. That experimental light and knowledge which a sanctified soul gains in the time of its darkness and from the flowing in of Divine Light to scatter that darkness affords the soul unspeakable joy and satisfaction that she accounts it a sufficient recompence for all her trouble and sorrow in the want thereof As there is knowledge of things by principles so there is a knowledge that ariseth from experience and it would be very strange if the soul should gain no experimental knowledge by the incomes of Divine Relief in the time darkness S. Paul saith Tribulation worketh patience and patience experience Hereby the soul knoweth more of God and attains clearer apprehensions of him then it had before when she is able to say 'T is true I was in darkness but then God carried on a glorious design of doing me good all though I could not see it I was blind and not able to guide my feet into the way of peace but I had the conduct of Gods Holy Spirit I was very much perplexed in my Spirit but Divine strength kept me up in a waiting frame Yea I found at last light breaking in upon me in the darkest night my dark night was turned into a bright shining day Now this experience must needs fill the soul full of ravishing joy and satisfaction that she may say as David Return unto thy rest O my soul for the Lord hath dealt bountifully with thee and this is one mair end of Gods drawing a cloud over the eye of a Christian that he may have some experience of Gods gratious dealing with him in this condition and thereby attain a fuller knowledge of the ways of God then he did before I confess it may seem strange but 't is true that a Christian gains light by the darkness of his spirit Did not the light of a Christian fail him he would never have such experience of Divine Relief as now he hath This makes his light double to what he had before he had the light of instruction before but now he hath the light of experience and hence it is that those Christians who have had the greatest clouds upon their spirits prove the most knowing Christians for experience is the mistress of truth and when the soul is taught by experience it knows the truth indeed Now the soul is put out of all doubt there is no room for queries about it she is fully satisfied in it Many times when God goeth about to teach a man by his word and reads him a Lecture of Divine Promises made to the Soul in such and such a condition he little minds it but when God teaches him by his works in fulfilling those promises then he cannot but sit down and admire at the riches of Gods grace that God should deal thus with so vile and wretched a creature as he is Thus you have seen how Divine Relief flows in to the Soul of a good man when his understanding fails him 2. A second particular case is in point of Election It cannot be denied that as the appetite of all men is carried out to that which is good so the appetite of a good man is fixed upon the highest good and the ultimate end But then it must be granted that there is sometimes a failing of the Will both in point of Liberty and also in point of Domination 1. In point of Liberty which consists chiefly in making choice of such means as are most proper for attaining that end 2. In point of Dominion which lies in imploying all inferiour faculties for execution of those means Now the failing of the Will in both these respects is when the Will falls into a kind of hesitancy or indifferency and begins to halt God hath appointed proper means for the attaining this end but the Soul may be at a stand at some time and not determined Every good man can't say at all times with the Prophet My Heart is fixed It may be fixed as to the end but not as to the means There may be at some time a wavering in the Will about it Christians find it so by experience 2. When the strength of Resolution is not so powerful as to stand out against all assaults and to bear down all opposition The Will may be fixt but not so firmly as it ought to be there may be a giving ground for a time to our spiritual adversary a small retreat in time of temptation A Christian never yields to a temptation of Satan but there is at least a weakness in his Resolution and some presumption in his Will against which David prayed Ps 19. 3. When the Will grows cold and dead there is not that vigour or activity as ought to be put forth in the use of means his heart fails him when as he grows like a silly Dove without heart he prayes and hears and confers but in all with a dead and lazy Spirit 4. When the Will is fickle and inconstant 't is in and out and keeps not in one tenor and frame but like a broken Bow that soon starts aside This this is the spiritual plague and distemper of a good heart Now let us see the remedy and relief that flows from God for the cure hereof First God is pleased to cure this sad distemper by discovering the evil that is in it The failing of the Will is a greater evil and is far worse than the failing of the Understanding The more there is of Will in the commission of Sin and the less there is of Will in the performance of Duty the greater is the Sin Other wants of the Soul will sooner be passed by in a duty then the want of Will and therefore when God sets upon the cure of this distemper he first opens the wound and shews the filth that is in
3. Labour to prevent decays in grace It is easier to keep health then to recover it And it is easier to maintain grace in strength and vigour then to recover any degree of grace when 't is lost Though it be Gods goodness to restore grace yet it is your duty to prevent the loss thereof 4. Watch the first decay of grace least it grow to a total consumption of all observe the least flagging of faith and love when it comes to a trial a little grace may serve to repair a little decay but thou wilt stand in need of much to repair a great decay and therefore as soon as grace begins to fail do thou begin to repair O ply the throne of grace for strengthening influences least thy weakness prove dangerous and desperate however do not abuse relieving grace by a present security 3. The third particular failing of the heart is the failing of Animal spirits that the man is ready to fall into a swoon or the soul just taking its flight from the body and leaving its old habitation So the Church complains Cant. 5.6 My soul failed Arias Montanus renders it My soul went forth And this made David cry out Hear me speedily O Lord my spirit faileth I am like them that go down into the pit David was a man ful of spirit and yet he was at this time as if he had had no spirit As 't is said of Nabal his heart died within him and became as a stone 1 Sam. 25.87 And thus it may be with a good man at some time and that in these cases 1. When hope is deserr'd and expectation disappointed Hope deferr'd saith Solomon makes the bea rt sick Prov. 13.12 i. e. When the thing hoped for is deferr'd a mans heart is set upon a thing and he hopes for the obtaining it and he waits and waits and yet it comes not this makes the heart sick but if his expectation be disappointed then his spirit dies It often falls out that mans time and Gods time are not the same Man sets a time to himself and thinks thus at such a time such a mercy and such a good will come in I but Gods time may be long after Now when he seeth that still he must wait and yet the mercy comes not his heart fails his spirit sinks 2. When God hides his face from the soul and she can't see it This was Davids case Psal 143.7 My spirit faileth hide not thy face from me least I be like unto them that go down into the pit i. e. The hiding of thy face will quite kill my spirits As the light of Gods countenance is the life of the soul so the hiding of Gods countenance is its death No sooner doth God depart from a good man but his soul is ready to depart So it was with the Church Cant. 5.6 I opened to my beloved but my beloved had withdrawn himself and was gone my soul failed when he spake I sought him but I could not find him I called him but he gave me no answer 3. When the soul is wounded with the sense of sin and of Gods displeasure for sin the burden and pain is intolerable and then the spirit sinks As nothing sinks the spirit so much as sorrow and grief So no grief is so heavy upon the soul as grief for sin and the sense of Gods wrath You have a notable passage for this Job 6.4 For the arrows of the Almighty are within me the poison whereof drink up my spirits An arrow is a deadly Engine so called in Hebrew from its effect cutting or wounding and God sometimes shoots an arrow which pierceth into the soul cuts and wounds it yea sometimes he shoots a poisoned dart and that drinks up the spirit i. e. it kills the spirit Even as a great fire drinks up a little water that is thrown upon it So Gods wrath drinks up the spirit it leaves no spirit in the heart of a man 4. A sudden passion of fear makes the heart to fail So Luke 21.26 Mens hearts failing them for fear Fear when it is excessive dispirits a man When Josephs brethren found their money in their sacks it is said their hearts failed them and why for they were afraid Gen. 42.28 5. Some strong temptation of Satan may make the heart to fail especially if grace be weak Satans assaults sometimes are very violent they come upon the heart with great power like a mighty torrent that overwhelms and sinks the spirit Thus Luther was assaulted by him His temptation was so strong that it seemed to him as if the swelling surges of the Sea did sound aloud at his left ear and that so violently that die he must except they presently grew calm afterwards when the noise came within his head he fell down as one dead and was so cold in each part that he had remaining neither heat nor blood nor sense nor voice and thus it hath been with others The temptations of Satan are sometimes so strong and violent upon the soul as to cause the Animal Spirits to fail These are the particular cases wherein God reveals and makes known the greatness of his strength for the relief of his people 1. When a mans heart fails him through a disappointment then there is a relief for him 1. By exchanging a mercy the soul hopes for one and God gives in a better and more desireable God deals not with his people as Laban dealt with Jacob instead of a fair and beautiful Rachel he put him off with a blear eyed Leah No! God doth the contrary it may be thou art set upon a blear-eyed Leah and God gives thee a fair Rachel My meaning is when the heart of a Christian is set upon and strongly carried out after a low and inferiour mercy and the soul is sick for want of it even ready to die God gives him an higher and more glorious mercy As God is often better to us then our desires so he is better to us then our hopes and when he disappoints our hopes he gives us a mercy that is beyond our hopes For God is no way tyed to the hopes of his people but onely to his word of promise and that he will perform in his own way and time Now sometimes the hope of a Christian may be falsely bottom'd and not rightly fixt on Gods word and then it is no wonder if we meet with a disappointment I but though God doth frustrate our expectation he will not break his word The promise of God doth not fail although we are apt to think it doth when our hope and expectation is disappointed The word of the Lord standeth sure even then when we are not sure that the thing we desire and hope for shall be granted to us and hence it comes that instead of the mercy we desire God gives us in that which he hath promised although not desired nor hoped for 2. God relieves the hearts of his people by giving in the
desired mercy when they are past all hope of it When the soul is at the very brink of despair then the mercy is given in to revive it and that is implied in those words of Solomon Prov. 13.12 Hope deferred maketh the heart sick but when the desire cometh it is a tree of life i. e. God may defer the mercy so long as to make the heart sick even unto death and then bestow iâ— upon the soul now when it cometh it is a tree of life an allusion to that tree that God planted in Paradise Gen. 2.9 A tree that was a symbole or sign of life as the Sacraments are of grace Now as the faith hope and comfort of a true Christian is fed nourished and revived by these external symbols signs so it is revived by the income of a desired mercy When the soul hath been languishing at the door of hope until it grows out of hope and is ready to perish then God throws in the mercy to revive and comfort it Nay further 3. God sometimes gives in the mercy in a way that is beyond all hope in a way that seems the most cross to the hopes of a Christian Sometimes God shuts up all the doors of hope and makes that to be the way of conveying mercy to us So God promised to his people of old Hos 2.15 The valley of Achor for a door of hope i. e. when they should be destitute of those means as might encourage them to hope and meet with the greatest difficulties and troubles that they could meet with then the desired mercy should be given Great crosses oftentimes make way for and usher in great mercies Now when mercy comes in unexpectedly and in a cross way it comes with the greater force and power upon the Soul to revive and comfort it Mercies that are common to the Soul do not make such a strong impression upon it as those that are either more special or come to the Soul in a singular and unexpected way Such mercies are very sweet and precious to the Soul 2. As there is relief for a good man in this case so when the heart fails through the hiding of Gods face And that I shall shew you briefly in three things 1. When a good man cannot see Gods face God speaks to him and gives him strength to seek his face When the Soul can't hear God yet sometimes she hears the voice of God So it was with David Psal 27.8 6. When thou saidst Seek my face my heart said unto thee Thy face Lord will I seeek Hide not thy face from me put not thy servant away in anger God hid his face from David I but he did not shut up his lips David had the happiness to hear his voice though it was but from behind a curtain And this encouraged and drew forth his Soul to seek Gods face So when Christ withdrew himself from his Spouse that she knew not what was become of him she sought him but could not find him I but she heard his voice Cant. 5.6 And it is a great comfort to a good man to hear the voice of God when he cannot see the face of God Sometimes God speaks to the Soul by his word and sometimes by his works and thereby draws it forth to seek his face This is a notable sign that God is not wholly and eternally departed from us When God leaves a wicked man he doth not so much as speak to him he shall not hear from God unless it be by way of denouncing judgement against him But when he withdraws and hides his face from a good man he shall hear the voice of God though he cannot see his well pleased face God is desirous to see their face although he hides his own and therefore calls to them to come and seek his face Thou saidst Seek my face and this voice of God caused an eccho in David's Soul And I said Thy face Lord will I seek And this is one end of God in hiding his face from the Soul that hereby he may draw forth the desires of it after him As a mother sometimes turns her back upon the child to see wehther it will cry after her Even thus doth God and it is wonderful delightful to him to hear a Soul cry after him when he hath withdrawn himself and his face from it 2. Sometimes when a good man can't see the well-pleased face of God he feels the hand of God not the weight thereof to crush him down but the power and strength thereof to sustain and uphold him That which the Church had experience of in another case when she was sick of love Cant. 2.6 she did promise to her self in this case Cant. 8.3 His left hand should be under her head and his right hand should embrace her Christ puts forth both hands one for the head and another for the heart to keep the soul from death in this case 1. The left hand of Christ is put under the head to keep up and maintain a good opinion of him When the soul is full of inward trouble it is full of thoughts So Psal 94.19 In the multitude of my thoughts within me Nay it is apt to have hard thoughts of God such as are unbecoming the dear children of so gratious a father We are apt to think that when God hides his face from us he hath forgotten to be gratious and in anger shut up his tender mercies from us that his mercy is clean for ever and that his promise fails for evermore that the Lord hath cast us off for ever and will be favourable no more To these and the like thoughts is a troubled soul very prone when God withdraws Now Christ to prevent these or to moderate them puts his hand under our head As the putting of ones hand under the head of a sick person is a great stay to it and affords it some ease that he may compose to rest so doth Christ deal with a soul that is sick and ready to die in the sense of Gods hiding his face from it He puts under his hand to keep the judgement right that it may maintain a good opinion of God and keep up good thoughts of him and this is a great ease to a good man for there is nothing afflicts the soul more then such hard thoughts of God they are a great torture and perplexity to the soul and when they are removed the mind finds great refreshment thereby 2. The right hand of Christ is put forth to embrace the soul As his left hand is under the head so his right hand doth embrace a good man and with this he stays the heart and keeps it from dying when the soul is going forth he stays it and keeps it in So saith David Psal 18.18 But the Lord was my stay The right hand of Divine Grace and strength doth compass the soul about and thereby keeps it from going forth and that is promised Psal 32.10
not exceed Fourthly Sometimes God turns the fears of his servants into the right channel that in stead of fearing evil they fear him more then before they did and the fear of God is a notable means to cure the fear of evils As one saith well He fears nothing else who fears that one thing to sin and he fears none else who fears that one who is more then all God The fear of God is an excellent antidote against the power and poyson of all other fears You have a full place for this Es 8.13 14. Fear not their fear nor be afraid sanctifie the Lord of Hosts himself and let him be your fear and let him be your dread He that would not fear that which the wicked sometimes do and ought to fear must fear him only whom they do not fear And this is Gods great work to put his fear into the hearts of his people and that will cast out all distrustful and distracting fears Thus I have dispatcht the fourth case Fifthly and lastly In case that the Animal Spirits fail through some strong temptation of Satan there is relief for it As Satan sets all his power and policy on work against the Soul So God sets all his power and wisdom on work to relieve and help it And when Satan doth his worst to destroy it God doth his best to save it Relieving power comes in according to invading power when All might is against him then all might is for him Three things God doth for an assaulted Christian 1. He calls Satan off 2. He calls the tempted Soul in and administers heart-cheering Cordials 3. He crowns the victory First he calls Satan off When God seeth this roaring Lyon preying upon the Vitals of a Christian and ready to destroy him God calls him off For God hath Satan upon a string and he can go no further then he permits him When Satan would have touch'd the life of Job as he had a great mind to it then God bade him hold that was precious and not a fit morsel for the tooth of such a beast Satan never engageth nor encounters with a Christian but with Gods leave He can't shoot a fiery dart at the Soul until God is pleas'd to loosen his Chain whereby he hath him at command And no sooner is he in any hopes of a victory over him but God sounds a retreat He must and shall fall off for God will not suffer him to kill though he wounds The Spirits may fail and the Heart may ake when Satan thrusts sore at him I but Satan shall not give him a deadly wound If God doth but appear on the behalf of a poor assaulted Christian as he doth in the very nick of time when there is but an hairs breadth between him and death Satan cannot stand his ground but gives back and the Soul enjoyes a sweet release It is in this case as it was with those that were possessed with the Devil Christ did but give the word of command and Satan presently obeyed it As you may see Mark 1.23 24 25 26 27. And there was in their Synagoue a man that had an unclean spirit and be cryed out saying Let us alone what have we to do with thee thou Jesus of Nazareth art thou come to destroy us I know thee who thou art the holy one of God And Jesus rebuked him saying Hold thy peace and come out of him And when the unclean spirit bad torn him and cryed with a loud voice he came cut of him And they were all amazed insomuch that they questioned within themselves saying what thing is this what new doctrine is this for with authority commandeth he even the unclean spirits and they obey him The words hold out the authority of Christ put forth upon Satan in a time when there was the greatest need thereof When the poor creature was ready to be devoured by him Christ gave but the word bade him come out and he was not able to keep possession any longer Even so when the Soul is assaulted by him if God steps but in and layes his commands upon him if God doth but say it is enough let him alone he is presently bound hand and foot he cannot stir any further Satan never had nor ever shall have his will upon one true Believer Secondly God calls the poor tempted Soul in and administers heart-cheering cordials to it A poor Soul never stands in more need of a Cordial then when it hath been worried by this arch enemy of its comfort and God stands as ready to administer it No sooner had Christ got rid of him when he had worsted him in open field but God dispatcht away some of his glorious attendants with the best Cordials that Heaven could afford So you may see Mat. 4.11 Then the Devil leaveth him and Angels came and ministred unto him Surely it must needs be some rare dainty that is sent by the hand of an Angel what it was is not expressed a Christans experience doth best discover it for as Christ was in all things tempted as believers are so one main end of his temptations was that he might be able to succour those that are tempted Heb. 1. ult For in that he himself suffered being tempted he is able to succour them that are tempted He is sensible of that relief that he had from his Father both in the temptations and after And as he will have Christians conformable to him in temptations so they shall be in relief and comforts He knows what it was to be tempted and what it was to be administred unto after the temptation was over when he came sweating out of the field faint and weary and he hath learnt to succour and relieve his people in the like condition and therefore he sends to them and sends for them to come to him that he may administer to them He first sends down the holy Spirit into their hearts to give them notice that this is a fit season for them to come to Court and apply themselves to him at the throne of Grace that they may have grace and mercy in this time of need when they come and make their addresses to him he then applies himself to them administers to them according to their need No sooner was Luther released from a grand assault of Satan and come to himself but presently he betook himself to Christ in prayer and prayed most earnestly and received great comfort thereupon and made confession of his Faith This made him say that Meditation Prayer and Temptation makes a Divine I am sure it makes an experimental Christian Thirdly God crowns the victory Though a Christian may be tempted yet he shall overcome In all these saith the Apostle we are more then conquerours Ro. 8.37 What is that Triumphers 2 Cor. 2.14 Now thanks be to God which alwayes causeth us to triumph in Christ As sure as Satan leads a poor Christian into the field and there encounters him with
if I had not been undone The issue is good although the means seem never so cross This is excellently set forth under a type Ezek. 1.16 And their appearance and their work was as it were a wheel in the middle of a wheel i. e. very cross and intangled one in another one goes one way and another goes another way and yet all perform one and the same work Thus is the providence of God it is often very cross and complexed it works by cross and intangled means yet carries on one glorious design All these cross ways and means work together as the Apostle saith for the good of them that love God Rom. 8.28 2. When a Christian is most in the dark yet he shall not want a secret though insensible conduct of Gods Holy Spirit that shall secure him from ruine in his way It is a notable relief to a blind man to have a sure guide God is a sure guide to a good man when he is unable to direct himself Alass no man is able to guide himself without the assistance of Gods Holy Spirit So Jer. 10.23 O Lord I know that the way of man is not in himself it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps Why how then shall he escape ruine and destruction when so many snares and rocks are in his way See that Psal 37.23 The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord. God goeth along with a good man and orders him in every step he takes though we cannot see a step of our way yet if we take God with us he will direct us I will guide thee with mine eye Psal 32.8 His eye is open upon the righteous and he will guide them in the right way even then when they cannot see their way before them and therefore is that counsel of Solomon In all thy ways acknowledge him and he shall direct thy paths Prov. 3.5 6. As God orders the steps of a good man so he orders the ways of a good man It may be thou art apt to walk in one way and God will put thee into another where thou shalt find the greatest comfort and peace we never walk so safely as when God takes the sole care of us When Abraham followed God in the darkness of sense and reason not knowing whither he went his course was never better steered and oftentimes we do best when we know not what to do when we are at the greatest stand our reason darkned and our spirits perplexed and all the ways we can imagine of true peace and comfort block'd up and we know not where to set one foot forward then God comes and takes us by the hand and leads us into such a way as we dream't not of where our desired peace and comfort is prepared for us There is an excellent promise for this purpose Esay 35.8 And an high way shall be there and a way and it shall be called the way of holiness the unclean shall not pass over it but it shall be for those the way faring men though fools shall not erre therein Observe first God makes out a way for good men to walk in an high way Via Regia the Kings way the way of God an holy way or the way of holiness sin and wickedness is not Gods way Secondly fools shall not erre therein i. e. the people of God sometimes are much in the dark and know not what to do in a particular case I but yet they shall be guided that they shall not loose their way but how shall they be guided Why God will be with them and so that passage may be read for he shall be with them In our translation it is rendered but it shall be for those but it may be read thus but he i. e. God shall be to them or with them to conduct and guide them in their way How many Christians have cause to bless God and say I could never have found the way to peace and comfort had not God been my guide This very experience brought the Prophet to that confidence for the future As you may see in the second verses before my Text Psa 73.24 Thou shalt guide me with thy counsel and afterward receive me to glory 3. When a Christian is in the dark God is so far the strength of his heart that he can wait for light When they know not what to do nor what to think yet they can wait for light they are expectants And now Lord what wait I for My hope is in thee saith David Psal 39.7 My soul waiteth for the Lord more then they that watch for the morning Psal 130 7. As a man that hath a long journey to go upon very great and important business how doth he watch for the morning because the darkness of the night suspends his motion I but David waited more for the Lord then a traveller watcheth for the morning or as the words may be read as they that watch unto the morning and so he makes a comparison between himself and watchmen i. e. There is no watchman doth more observe and wait for the breaking forth of the light of the day then I do wait for the Lord. And this is a blessed relief to the soul to be put into a waiting posture When the soul knows not what to do yet it can wait for light Not like Saul And why should I wait for the Lord any longer But as David I waited patiently for the Lord Psal 40.1 Though a good heart will not let God wait long No nor at all willingly for obedience yet he is willing to wait as long as God seeth good for light to guide him in his obedience loath is a gratious heart to miscarry in his work or to tread awry or step out of Gods way and therefore he will wait for light glad would he be of one beam of light to clear up his spiritual state to him I but he knows that Gods time is the best It is sad to him to be in the dark yet he knows that none can scatter the cloud that overspreads him but God and therefore he concludes with the Prophet It is good both to wait and to hope in the Lord. 4. Though a good man may be in the dark yet God will not always leave him in the dark Unto the upright there ariseth light in the darkness Psal 112.4 Oftentimes when they least expect it then it ariseth as the night is darkest a little before the day breaks so when the thickest cloud hath overspread the soul then God causeth light to spring forth Even as it was with Saint Paul in another case 2 Corinth 1.8 10. We were pressed out of measure above strength insomuch that we despaired of life but we had the sentence of death in our selves that we should not trust in our selves but in the living God who delivered us from so great a death When his condition was at the heighth when nothing could help or relieve