say Blesse the Lord O my soule and all that is within me blesse his holy name who forgiveth all thine iniquities and healeth all thy diseases Quest Prethee mind this and say doth it not speake to thy dejection Answ No wilt thou say I would beare sicknesse but that I feare death This thought I shall dye is that which casts me down Reply 'T is true I thinke and I know here is the bottome of the doubt and dejection to speake therefore to it directly I le grant it thou shalt dye though it may be not now but suppose I say now Case even now thou shalt die yet consider these things and thou needest not be dejected First Christ came to deliver thee from this feare Cure It s the feare of death that doth more deject then death it self Now remember Christ came to free thee from this feare For as much as the children are partakers of flesh and blood he also himselfe likewise tooke part of the same that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death that is the Devill And marke it deliver them who through the feare of death were all their life time subject unto bondage Heb. 2.14 15. Consider Christ hath destroyed him that had the power of death the Devill and hath delivered thee Couldest thou beleeve this and why shouldest thou not thou mightest triumph But Secondly Christ hath tooke away the sting of death Death is a Bee having the hony of deliverance from this vile body c. but it hath no sting For what saith the Scripture The sting of death is sin the strength of sin is the law but thankes bee to God who giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ goe thou to that glorious chapter 1 Corinth 15. and read it O thou that art dejected with feares of death Thirdly Christ will be with thee in that hour thou fearest Thou shalt not dye alone for though all thy friends shall leave thee yet wil not Christ This David knew for speaking of his shepherd and who is the shepheard but our Lord Jesus as t is Hel 13.20 He saith although I walke through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evill he needed not for observe what he saith THOU ART WITH MEE thy rod and thy staffe they comfort me Psal 23.4 Albeit thy relations bid thee farewell and shake hands as not being willing nor able to keep thee longer company yet Christ wil not leave thee nor forsake thee In truth in life nor death hee 'le never doe that as t is Heb. 13.5 Fourthly Death shall be no death to thee A change it wil be and that from worse to the better but it s not a death Did not Christ say it Whosoever liveth and beleeveth in me shall never dye yea though he were dead yet shal he live John 11.26 Thou must not call that death which the Scripture cals but sleep The Scripture speakes of the dead in Christ that they sleep in Jesus 1 Thess 4.14 And she is not dead but sleepeth and our friend Lazarus sleepeth Now why shouldest thou O soule who art weary be cast down with the thoughts of sleep Fiftly Christ hath sweetned death for thee He hath layne in the grave and so honoured and softned that bed unto beleevers Would any child be afraid to lye in its mothers bed Is it not an Honour to lye down in the same bed in which the King of glory lay Art dejected O soule to go into thy Saviours Sepulchre what art thou cast downe with the feares of gain to dye is gaine said Paul Philip. 1.21 Sixtly Christ will raise you up againe Hee hath said so and if he should not he would not only breake his own word but disobey his fathers will neither of which hee 'l doe This is the fathers will who hath sent me that of all which he hath given me I should loose nothing but should raise it up at the last day This Christ spake once yea twice and pray marke it wel John 6 39 41. Christ O soul wil raise thee up againe Should the child be afraid to goe to sleep at night when his Father promiseth to raise him up in the morning Christ hath promised to raise up your bodies again yea and he hath promised to give you a new spirit into the bargaine for t is sowne a Naturall but raised a Spirituall body Put all this together O thou dejected soul and tell me now What cause hast thou to be cast downe with the thoughts of death May not these considerations cure that cause of thy dejection Thou art now troubled with sicknesse weaknesse paines c. but let death come doe not feare it and thou shalt be cured of all Diseases yea and which is better freed from all defilements Methinkes therefore you should rather desire to be desolved then feare death and imitate those who groaned to be uncloathed of this earthly house as knowing they have a better even a building with God an house not made with hands eternall in the Heavens 2 Cor. 5.1 Goe O cast down soule to that Scripture and thou wilt in it finde a Cordiall to cheere and cure thy spirit in this feare CHAP. 22. Cure for soules cast downe and dejected by the sence of Divine wrath A Little wrath of the Almighty casts the soule very low Cause even as low as Hell for what else is Hell but Divine wrath felt How many dejected hearts are there that cry out that the Almighty is angry that he frownes upon them and that every wrinckle in his forehead is a grave burying all their comforts When men smite God can cure and when God giveth quietnesse who then can make trouble but when be hideth his face who then can behold him Job 34.29 Indeed this is a sad cause of dejection and it puts the soule into a very dejected case indeed yet it is not incurable a soule that is cast down by the sence of Gods wrath may be raised if Christ will helpe it to minde and beleeve these particulars First This case is not singular even many holy men and women in all Ages of the world have been in this condition Cure Company is a comfort even in misery Thou needest not cry out O soule and say Was there ever sorrow like unto mine Yes there was thou feelest thine owne paine but David Job Heman Hezekiah c. felt as much peradventure more wrath then thou dost but why doe I speake of particulars When as I remember the Lord had not mercy but INDIGNATION upon Judah and Jerusalem i. e. the whole body of Israel threescore and ten yeares Zach. 1.12 yea as the body so the head of all the godly was made sensible of Gods wrath for Christ drunk the cup of his Fathers wrath it is more then a bad and unsound way of arguing I am under Gods wrath and therefore I am not Gods Childe This way of arguing condemnes all Gods
not this strange Sure I may well be disquieted who fish all night and catch nothing who act much and have but little or no income Time was when the spirit blew and my spices flowed Time was when the King sat at his table and my spiknard smelt Time was when the father smiled the son imbraced and the spirit warmed in every duty in every Ordinance But now oh now I want these injoyed incomes and may I not well bee disquieted and cast downe 6 The insultation of Satan and Enemies Sometimes causeth castings downe Satan is impudent and he doth sometimes insult if hee perceive the soule a little more then ordinary sad he takes advantage presently to say Where is now your God David was much disquieted and went in mourning because of the oppression of the enemy Psal 42.9 I am apt to thinke Satan may at lest be included in that word the Enemy For he is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. the enemy in an especial manner Ah Lord saith the poor soul the lamb may well tremble when the lyon doth triumph Satan triumphs very terribly He calls all my hopes into question he askes me where is my God my Christ my Comforter He bids mee shew him my Promises and hee demands what is become of my confidence And may I not be cast downe justly over whom Satan thus insults And besides as Satan insults sometimes so his children wicked men insult often Jam 3.6 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to kill And as if their tongues were set on fire with hell they speake as their father doth They say daily unto me where is thy God ver 9. Now this is a killing to us say some soules And truly if the Lord bee with us why then is all this befallen us as hee said when they were under the oppression of the Midianites Judg. 6.13 Thus while Satan and wicked men are so impudent as to insult some soules are so weake as to bee cast downe 7 Even corporall affliction is sometimes a cause of spirituall casting downe A sick-sick-body many times causeth a sad soule Hezekiah was sicke and that made him sadde the tidings of corporall death begat spirituall disquiet That tragicall relation of Hezekiahs casting downe is titled thus the writing of Hezekiah King of Judah when he had been sicke Esay 38.9 Indeede it falls out so that the soule following the temperament of the body is much disquieted when the body is afflicted Many souls chearfull enough when in health are over sad when sicke If God afflict the body we are apt upon that our selves to cast downe the soule It s needlesse in this to expatiate experience too too frequent shewes this that externall affliction is oft the principal and first cause of internall dejection 8 Adde to all these in the last place this viz. sence of Divine wrath This indeed of all the other is the greatest and most grounded cause of spirituall dejection A little wrath will make the soule to stoope If God in anger do but touch the hills they tremble His fury is poured out like fire faith the Prophet and the rockes are thrown down by him as it is Nahum 1.6 Surely say some soules we cannot dwell with everlasting burnings and such are all appearances of divine wrath Well might Job upon this ground say is my strenght the strength of stones as t is chap. 6.12 Alas if his strength had been the strength of rockes and mountaines it must needs faile when the arrowes of the Almighty were within him as t is there vers 4. It was this which cast down David here deeply for so he crys as out of the depth vers 7. Deep calleth unto deep at the noice of thy water-spouts all thy waves and thy billowes are gone over me I shall have occasion peradventure more then once in this Treatise to touch on this therefore I shall say no more here but only this that nothing hath in it more force to cast downe even the stoutest soules then the sence of Divine wrath CHAP. 10. Some Vses of the Doctrine by way of Application YOu have seen now the nature of spiritual dejection together with the diverse workings and causes thereof It stands us upon to mind these things and to improve them Christians you see you have cause enough to be cast down and even the choisest Saints are sometimes for those causes really cast downe and dejected There bee but three words of Application which I shall touch on in this Section and conclude it First Let this informe us of our imperfect state while we are in the flesh Our highest injoyments are not so sure as to deliver us from feare of falling Saints you see of the richest sort even such as are choicest are apt to be and sometimes are much cast down It s the vanity of some that they thinke and speake of present injoyments above what is meet Some have said Soules may come up to such a height as that they neither shall nor can be disquieted Yea some go so far as to censure all kind of doubting and to conclude soules in a damnable state because in a disquieted Surely such have not learned this truth as it is in Jesus You see a David cast downe and disquieted And you heare that even choicest Saints upon many causes are lyable to the like dejections Bee informed therefore to take heed how you dreame of a perfect and unalterable enjoyment of rest here Your rest though unspeakeably sweet is not unchangeably sure T is possibly you may think because you sometimes rejoyce with joy unspeakable that therefore your injoyment is unalterable But be not deceived even after high injoyments you may be dejected Even a Paul after a rapture as high as the third heaven was cast down low by a messenger from hell David said once hee should never bee moved 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word is as much as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i.e. well or good pleasure yea and his bottome was free grace Divine good pleasure had made his mountain so firme Psal 30.6 7. And yet marke this David is now moved very much even to a soul-tumult Howle Fir-trees for the Cedar is fallen Be not high-minded ye babes in Christ sith father may and do fall Certainly if this be a truth as its clear it is that Saints of the highest attainments may be and sometimes are cast down then surely there is no perfect unalterable state of peace and unsettlednesse here It s true when we come home we shall sit down and be disquieted no more But our hope is not here Whilst we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord 2 Cor. 5.6 Such as talke of being at home in this life forget that they are in the body Christians beware of it for its a delusion to thinke that here you are above dejection you are not at any time so setled but you may be disquieted And therefore
a substance Doe not dispute thy selfe O soul into doubts rather receive satisfaction Christ will not lose any that are given to him It s his Fathers will he should not as he saith Joâ— 6.39 And surely hee 'l be faithfull to his Father Oh therefore be not thou fearefull of falling but if thou wilt fear let it be with a feare of diligence to keepe thee from security let it not be with a feare of diffidence to fill thee with sorrowes Christ who in no wise would cast thee off when thou commest will in no wise lose thee now thou art come If thou wander hee 'l seeke thee if thou fall hee 'l raise thee yea and what ever may be thy feares hee 'l uphold thee in his Grace even to the Grave and besides hee 'l raise thee up againe at the last day Thus have I passed through those particular Cases which I proposed to my selfe to resolve But alas all that I have said is but dead unlesse Christ quicken it READER pray over these conceptions that a spirit of life may come into them that they may so quicked dejected Soules that they may arise and say to themselves Why are we cast downe and why are we disquieted Let us not give way to our feares and sadnesse but exercise our faith and patience for we shall yet see God as the health of our countenance and as our God But these things are more fully to be spoken unto in the following Sections CHAP. 15. Cure for Soules cast downe by remainder of corruption HAving past through the particular cases of dejected soules I thought it not amisse to adde by way of supplement unto them some other I remember I touched upon eight grounds of Spirituall dejection and least upon the mention of them any soule should be troubled I shall offer somethings to satisfie such who is or may be cast downe about them so that as in the former Section I indeavoured to satisfie the particular feares of dejected soules I shall in this endeavour to cure the generall causes of all dejection Divines know there is a difference between a Cause and a Case the one is the bitter seed the other the sower fruit of dejection Now as I have said something to the one so shall I likewise speake a little to the other To begin then in that order in which I prepared them The first cause of Spirituall dejection was the remainders of corruption Cause this indeed is the root and ground of all dejections And in order to the Cure of a soule cast downe in the sight and sence of remaining corruption I shall lay downe these considerations First Cure Consider that the worke of Christ upon the soule doth not in this Life altogether destroy Place these 2 Sheets k l next after Fol. 132. sinne As long as the soule is in the body there will be sinne in the soule even Paul had a body of sinne and death in him and till death destroy the body thou must not looke to have sinne altogether dead in thee This is granted by all and why should it be questioned by thee O dejected soule Secondly Consider remaining corruption will worke one time or other A Dogge though in a chaine will barke and sometimes bite too a man cannot carry fire in his bosome but sometime or other it wil heat him if it doe not burne him Thou cryest out O dejected soul that they remaining corruption doth oft disturbe thee but why shouldest or how canst thou expect the contrary While thou dwellest in this house of Clay that Dunghill wil annoy thee But Thirdly Remember corruptions groaned under as a burden are rather a ground of rejoycing then of dejection for First it argues a life of bolinesse to feele a weight in sinne Dead men feele no weight be it never so heavie and Secondly it argues an activity of life to groane Many soules rather glory in then groane under a weight of sinne but it is a speciall mercy thou art not as they are Fourthly Beleeve it O soule Jesus Christ doth simpathize with thee under this thy burthen While thou groanest under and art cast down at the sight of remaining corruption thou art the object of Christs compassion It is a good plaister for any sore to consider the pitty of our Saviour Christ pitties thee O poore dejected soule to see thee labouring and groaning under the remainder of sinne Heb. 4.2 Fifthly Consider remaining corruption shall never ruine thee As the remaining Canaanites did not could not ruine Israel in the promised Land so neither shall remaining corruption ever ruine thy soule Could corruption ruine thy holinesse joy salvation glory c. thou mightest be much dejected indeed but that it cannot shall not doe Thy holinesse thy joy thy salvation thy glory c. are all safe in the impregnable bulwark Christs hand which is the infinite power of God and though corruption remaine in thee it shall never ruine these Sixthly Consider Jesus Christ dyed to redeeme thee from the remainders of corruption And doe thou act thy faith on thy Saviours death for thy sinnes death the vertue of his death remaines to keep under corruption from having dominion It is thy duty and let it be thy care and endeavour to goe to Jesus Christ for strength against and victory over thy remaining corruption therefore up and be doing that is beleeving Doe not sit solitary as one cast downe to see some remainders of sin Suppose O soule you had seene some gallant Captaine rescuing a person or place from the power of some potent enemy by breaking the strength and power of the Enemy and by taking up his abode in some Castle neare the place Suppose after this there should appeare some scattered Parties should the person or place be dejected at the remainder of a routed adversary should not they rather goe to their Conquerour and Captaine and intreat him to suppresse those remaining forces Beare up O cast-downe soule the case is thine Christ the Captaine of thy salvation hath routed the maine body of sinne upon his crosse and spoiled corruption of his chiefest strength he hath set up a garrison in thy soule and put in a party strong enough to repell and keep under the remaining forces O goe to him stirre up his Spirit to come forth and to bring thy Conquerours sword to check and suppresse thy tumultuous enemies I meane to lift up thy Saviours crosse against thy corruptions And beleeve it soule there is a vertue still in that Crosse to keep the remainders of corruption under Be not therefore cast downe but beleeve and if thou by the Spirit whom Christ hath put into the garrison of thy soule doe goe forth and mortifie sinne thou shalt live and it shall dye at last CHAP. 16. Cure for Soules cast downe by falls into sinne THe second cause of Spirituall dejection was as I mentioned falls into sinne This casts down the soule that the remainders of corruption doe
to the full when thou shalt enter into thy Masters joy when thou shalt rest from thy labours thy income shall follow thee when thou shalt come to Abrahams bosome and there thou shalt come dejected soule as poore a Lazarus as thou art then thou shalt have every prayer every sigh every groane come to remembrance and say now thou hast all that which we went out for Rouse up therefore O cast-downe soule God is a good Master you shall not labour in vaine Be not dejected but be stedfast unmoveable alway abounding in the worke of the Lord for as much as you know your labour is not in vaine in the Lord as t is 1 Cor. 15. last why then should you be cast downe for lacke of income CHAP. 20. Cure for Soules cast downe upon insultation of Satan and enemies I Remember another cause I mentioned of dejections was the insultation of Satan and enemies many soules are dejected at this that Satan and his instruments triumph over as it is at large shewed before Now to cure and comfort those Cure let me intreate dejected soules to minde and remember these insuing things First Satan will insult without ground Hee 'l say to David Where is his God and hee 'l but if to Christ concerning his being the sonne of God Sathan is an impudent enemy who will bragge and triumph against a soule for nothing It is the nature of a Dogge to barke a Lion to roare Woolfe a Wolfe to howle and it is the nature of Sathan to insult Be not therefore cast downe at it Secondly Though Sathan insults Christ is a friend and loves us still even at that time that Sathan insulted and buffeted Paul Christs grace was sufficient Should the Childe be cast down for the insulting of the Groome or the Scullion when he is beloved of his Father as his Heire What though Satan say Where is thy God thy hope c. mayest not thou O soule say My God and hope is in Heaven still All the Devils in Hell and men on earth shall never can never seperate between thee and thy God neither Principalities nor Powers nor Life nor Death nor any thing can separate c. Triumph O soule in that Rom. 8.35.37 though Sathan insult be not thou cast downe Thirdly The time shall come when thou shalt tread upon thy insulting enemy and when he shall be ashamed for all his insultations Remember O cast downe soule the God of peace will though thou canst not and that shortly tread downe Sathan under your even thy feet Rom. 16.20 Christ will take thee by the hand and owne thee in the presence of God Angels and men yea and Devills too And then thy enemy Sathan shall see who said where is thy God even then he shall see thy God as thine and be confounded for all his insultation over thee Lastly for wicked men who now it may be deride and scoffe at thee be not dejected for them Because the day will come when they will wish they were as thou art When they shall as much admire at thy happinesse and wisdome as now they sleight thy state and thoughts when God shall bring thee forth to light and thou shalt behold his righteousnesse Then shall all thy enemies see it and be ashamed which said where is the Lord thy God Then shall they licke the dust like a Serpent and shall fear not only because of the Lord our God but also because of thee as it is in that Excellent Scripture Mich. 7.9.10.17 which scripture if thou read seriously and act faith upon I dare assure thee of cure for this cause of dejection viz. insultation of Sathan and enemies CHAP. 21. Cure for Soules cast downe upon corporall Afflictions SPirituall dejection is sometimes caused by corporall affliction A sick body doth in some persons make a sad soul Cause When Hezekiah was sick and had received the sentence and message of death he turned to the wall and wept And the thoughts of the dying of his body produced dejection in his soul Thus indeed it is oft with others Now to cure this cause of dejection I shall not need to be large Only take a few ingredients which mixed together and applyed may serve in this case to raise the dejected Spirit First Consider the great ground of this dejection is a deceit Cure Afflicted soules interpret affliction amisse and therefore are cast downe They take every whipping to be an effect of anger whereas its a signe of love Your Father O dejected soul in your sicknesse is sweet He makes thee sick in thy body to cure some disease in thy soul He doth not afflict thee willingly T is only that thy spirit may be well that he makes thy body ill You have had fathers of your flesh who corrected you and yee gave them reverence should you not much rather be in subjection to the Father of spirits live Heb. 12.9 This is spoke in reference to affliction By this chastisement God seales up child-ship Do not despise therefore the chastenings of the Lord nor be not dejected for the word will beare this translation when thou art by sicknesse rebuked of the Lord 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i.e. they â—eject their own spirits Philo. Heb 12.5 It s a fault in the chastised child to be dogged and it s a failing in thee O soule by reason of corporall affliction which is but a fatherly chastisement to be dejected Besides Secondly Your father knows your frame He knowes what you can beare and hee 'le lay no more upon you then your strength can master The Lord will not alwayes chide neither will he keep his anger for ever 't is spoken of affliction by diseases as seemes to be hinted vers 3. But as a father pittyeth His children so the Lord pittieth them who feare him for hee knoweth our frame he remembreth wee are but dust As for man his dayes are but as grasse as a flower in the field so he flourisheth Psalm 103.9 13 14 15. Mind this O thou sick and sad soule thy father knowes thy frame he minds thou art but dust and he pittyes thee in all thy affliction which he layes upon thee Yea he sits by and makes all thy bed in thy sicknes as t is Psa 41. And he maketh sore and bindeth up be woundeth and his hand maketh whole as it is in Job 4 18. that is spoken of sicknesse too Christ if hee will can make thee whole And certainly if thou couldest beleeve thou shouldest see his glory as t is Joh. 11.40 Hath he not said enough to make thee say as David said I shall not dye but live to declare the workes of God The Lord hath chastened me sore but hath not given me over unto death see that place Psalm 118.17 18. O bear up dejected heart though thou be sick yet thou mayst recover and goe up to the house of God where thou mayest praise him for health restored to thee and
no Psalme but such as was sweet Still hee spake with the voice of joy and praise But now consider againe On the other hand as I may say the left the soule is sometimes at a losse Sorrow sometimes playes its reakes as we say and turns joy out of doores The soule is deprived of wonted injoyments this now casts it downe Sorrow clips the soules wings it makes the spirit flag and faint it turns festivalls into mourning It causeth the soules Spring to bee as the Autumne It brings on Winter and raine too and affords the singing of no birds but the Owle and the Pellican And quite contrary to what the soule is when divinely elevated that it is while sadly dejected So that as joy is the Springtime and Summer of the soule sorrow is the Autumne and Winter You know what is the nature of Autumne and Winter Flowers fade leaves fall cold nips trees wither sap runnes downe night growes long and dark too wayes grow dirty aire chilly all things looke unlovely Thus t is with dejected soules their flowers fade their leaves fall c. By this you may guesse at the nature of spirituall dejections Yet a little more In the Text are two words hinting the nature of spirituall dejections One is casting downe which as I noted in the explication is as much as laying the soule levell the bending or the bowing down thereof It s the soule set on the dunghill or lying prostrate on the ground This is one word The other is disquieted Now that word properly as I opened it notes a storme and tumult This then holds forth the nature of spirituall dejections to be the soules storm and tumult The soule cast downe is afflicted and tossed with tempests and not comforted as t is Esay 54.11 O thou afflicted tossed with tempests it s spoken unto dejected Syon The soul cast down is as a tumult things are in it in a confused disorderly way As when people in a rout or riot are out of all order so is the soule when dejected This shall suffice to hint at the nature of spirituall dejection Its you see in briefe the soules low posture It s a David on a dunghill in a valley It s the souls throwing it selfe down It s the soule in a tempest tossing and tumbling to and fro or it s the soule as in a tumult quite out of the even and orderly frame in which it sometimes was and alwayes should be CHAP. 6. Shewing the workings of a soule cast downe THe nature of spirituall dejection being seen in the generall wee shall now take a view of the Workings thereof in particular Now the working of spirituall dejection appeares in 1 Feares and Doubts 2 Griefe and Sorrowes First the working of spirituall dejection appeares in feares and doubts The soule cast down is full of doubts One while it doubts this thing another while that Now this feare fills it anon another For look as the soule lifted up is full of hope and assurances and carried forth in expectations so the soule cast down is full of feares and exceedingly perplexed with doubtings Oh saith the poor soule dejected and disquieted I fear this and I doubt this Can you resolve me in this doubt or helpe mee in this feare and the like I shall instance in severall feares and doubts which usually trouble the soule when and while it s cast down First The soule when dejected it feares the worke of grace It saith I feare whether ever God wrought upon mee at least I doubt it Sure I am saith the dejected soule God is a rocke and his worke is perfect But alas there are so many imperfections in my soule that I question his worke in me I know God works both to will and to doe But alas though I wilâ— sometimes I doe never I feare God hath not wrought in me Paul was confident that where God began a good worke hee would perfect it And this makes me diffident that he hath not begun at all in mee I see so many debillities deceits decayes that surely I may say as he if the Lord be with me why is all thuâ— befallen mee Judg. 6.13 The soule knowes the worke of God is glorious And sure it is that if he will worke none shall hinder But Oh saith it I finde my soule so in-glorious and I feele so many hindrances that I doubt I shalâ— dishonour God to thinke sure I am a afftaid to say he hath wrought upon me This is one feare Secondly The soule cast downe sometime discovers its fears in other termes its dejection workes up in other doubtings As now whether its grace be true or counterfeit Grace that is false is frequent but that which is true is scarce Common workings are ordinarie but speciall ones are rare Counterfeit coyne is in Beggars purses but true coine is the portion of the rich I am sure saith the soul when it is dejected there is a fained saith and a false love Christ eies unfained faith and such Tymothies was but I feare mine is not The Scripture calls for unfained love let love be without dissimulation Rom. 12.9 and the Apostles love was such Yea but I doubt mine For my part saith the poor cast down soule I question not whether the faith of others in the head Christ be sound or whether the love of others to the members beleevers be sincere But I doub my owne True saith the soule I though once I bad faith in Christ and love to the brethren and that my gold was not counterfeit c. But now I feare and doubt all Then Thirdly Other soules cast down have other feares sure saith one whatsoever worke is only in the letter t is death and not life and for my part I feare whether mine have been by the spirit I doubt saith the soule under dejections whether my calling were orely by the voice of man in the bare letter or of Christ in the spirit T is true the word came to some not in word only but also in power and in the Holy ghost 1 Thess 1.5 But alas I doubt whether it came so to mee There are convictions and comforts which are but naturall legall and false And I doubt whether mine have not been such There are indeed convincings and comfortings which are Evangelicall and spirituall Christ saith the Holie Ghost shall convince of sin and of righteousnesse but I feare he never did convince me of either thus workes the disquieted soules of some Againe Fourthly The feares of some in spirituall dejection appeare about their holy actions as hearing praying repenting c. And about these the feares of the Soule cast down workes thus I doe sometimes pray or rather indeavour to pray I do sometimes mourn for sin or rather I do some thing like repentance But alas whence doth this proceed I doubt the principles whence these acts do arise are but poore and low and carnall It may be education profession ingenuity morality or at best
But the soule convinced by the spirit is convinced of this sin as of the sin of sinnes viz. unbeleefe Oh saith a soul which is convinced by the spirit I know drunkennesse is a sin uncleannesse is a sinne pride a sin c. But I know unbeleef is a sin as great ray greater then them all This is laid upon my spirit that Christ is come into the world sweetly discovering the love of God freely tendering reconcilement in his blood But I Oh I did little see and much slight him I did not make it my worke to go after him nor have I been willing when he hath come after me to accept him And this oh this hath been nay I fear 't is still my sin Oh this base vile damnable unbeleefe is that which hath and doth lye upon my spirit Other sins put me in an â—â—â—solute necessity of salvation and this sealed me under damnation HEE THAT BELEEVETH NOT HE IS CONDEMNED ALREADY Oh that Scripture tooke hold on me Christ came and was willing to imbrace but I would not beleeve He came sweetly weeing and I stood out sinfully rejecting He tendered grace freely and I did put off that tender wretchedly He said come unto me and I le ease you and I did not could not would not beleeve and therefore came not to him This O this I am convinced of as my sin and this I doubt is my sin to this day The truth is I can hardly beleive yet that Christ came to save sinners Why say Oh soul doth not thy heart answer to these things as face to face is there not a copy of this complaint in the secret tables of thy heart If there be pray who should nay who could write it but the spirit Who could take these things of Christ and reveale them unto thee but the spirit Surely if none can call Jesus Lord but by the spirit as it is 1 Cor. 12.3 Then none could be convinced so far of sin for not receiving of or beleeving in which is all one this Lord Christ but by the Holy Ghost But Secondly What is the great principle upon which you are most convicted Is it SENSE or HOPE of divine love It may be thou hast sometimes tasted how good the Lord is Peradventure you have had some sence of the love of God Or It may be you have only sometimes attained some hopes of divine loves Now is it this that doth most affect thy heart in thy conviction Doth not thy soule say Oh! what a vile wretch have I been who have despised the riches of Gods goodnesse and who have not been led thereby unto repentance Standest thou convinced of the greatnesse of sins by the consideration of the greatnesse of his love Because God hath been is and thou hopest will be exceeding good Art not upon this convinced that thou art and hast been exceeding bad Surely so much as love and sweetnesse hath had an influence upon thy conviction so much the spirit hath been in it The hand of wrath may convince a Pharoah that he hath sinned but an eye of love will make a Peter weep bitterly Therfore Thirdly In thy convictions for sin what sight hast thou had of Christ The spirit where he convinceth of sin he also convinceth of righteousnesse as t is John 16.10 i.e. the spirit convinceth the soule that albeit it is unrighteous yet there is a righteousnesse in Christ which it may have The spirit where he is a messenger of sin comming in and convincing the soule thereof he is also an Interpreter taking the things of Christ and so shewing thereof unto the soule the spirit is that one of a thousand to shew unto man his uprightnesse as t is Job 33.23 An hypocrite may be convinced by the Law but alas in that conviction he sees only a Moses But a Saint is convinced not only by the Law but the Gospell and therefore in his conviction he sees a Messiah Canst not thou say O soul when thou wert convinced that thou wert a sinner thou wert also convinced that there was a Saviour Didst not thou see a remedy as well as a disease a healing plaister as well as a killing wound A Saviour as well beseeching sinners to come unto him that they might have life as blaming of them for not beleeving in him that they might be free from death Surely soule its the spirit who giveth life the letter killeth Where the letter convinceth only it doth leave a soule under the sentence of death But if together with the sentence of death for sin thou didst also see the hopes of life in a righteousnesse then there was something more and higher then the letter in thy conviction even the Holy Ghost If then when thou wert convinced thou didst see unbeleife as the great sin and divine love as the great aggravation of that unbeleife and yet withall a sight of free and full righteousnesse tendred as a cure of both If I say thou didst see these things in thy conviction why art thou cast down O soule and why dost thou fear the spirit was not in thy conviction To go on then to the last branch of this fear and doubt Thou sayst O soul that dost fear thy comfort was not from the spirit At lest thou sayst thou dost doubt it It s true after thy storme thou didst heare a still voyce but sayst thou was the spirit in that voyce Sometimes even after conviction thou dost say thou didst feel comfort but thou fearest whether it were from the spirit or from the letter and fancy c. Why now in order to the scattering of this fear let me intreate you to consider these three things First Whence it was that thy comfort was fetched which was brought to thee was it not such as one of a thousand could not bring came it not from Jesus Christ who can only give man his righteousnesse as it is Job 33 23. He shall take of mine and shall shew it unto you saith Christ of the spirit Job 16.15 Where the spirit brings in comfort it is still shewed to be fetched from Christ Alas canst not thou say It was not from any creature men or Angell that the hope of your comfort came Alas miserable Comforters were they all But it was onely from Christ where the spirit comforts he doth it still in a discovery of Christ As he shewes Christ pierced by the soule and useth that sight unto conviction so he discovers Christ willing to imbrace the soul and useth this sight unto consolation The peace and comfort of some is rather from a cessation of the trouble of conscience then from a sight and discovery of Christ Now if thy comfort came only from an apprehension of Christ and from a sight of the things in him why art thou disquieted as if thy comfort were not from the spirit Since as no man knoweth the things of a man save the spirit of man which is in him 1 Cor. 2.11 Even so the
conquer because as yet you have not Thy soule may be victorious though not yet That party that is put hard to it at first may come off with the conquest afterward It s a certaine truth that Jesus Christ shall get the full conquest over all things and that he shall bring every thing into subjection to himselfe But now we see not yet all things under him Heb. 2.8 It were a saying fallacious at first hearing to say Christ shall not put all things under him because as yet we do not now see it What if as yet thou hast not got the victory over corruption Mayest not thou be a conqueror hereafter although not new Some that have been worsted in the morning have yet been conquerers ere â—ight Operis victoria finis It s the end that declares the conquest Be not cast down O soule notwithstanding thy corruption doth as yet hold up thou mayst in the end conquer for all that But besides pray consider Sixtly That your soul gets many a victory that you mind not You rout sin many a time if you did but marke it Your soule is so eager after a full and finall conquest that you do not observe many particular successes you give pride unbeleefe uncleannesse c. many a desperate gash but though it be desperate in the heat and height of your spirits you regard it not because t is not dead Say O dejected soule hath not Christ helped thee many a time to put a temptation to flight yea and to give thy corruptions a wound And if so why art thou cast downe with feare of being conquered Christ will perfect victory for thee in the end However mind it Seventhly Sin shall never get the victory ever you Had you but faith at lest could you beleeve this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so is it used and translated Lu. 22.25 you would not feare Is it not expresly said Ro. 6.14 Sin shall not have dominion over you The word signifies to have Lordship Peradventure it may give you a foile but it shall not finally give you a fall It shall never Lord it over you by vertue of a full and finall conquest 'T was said of the Romans that they were sometimes overcome in battell Victi in praelio aliquando in bello nunquam Caesar Com. but never in the War the meaning is they were sometimes routed in an on-set but never conquered Certainly O poor dejected spirits you shall never be totally conquered by your corruptions Christ hath said it that the gates of hell shall never prevaile against his Church So said D. Sibs upon the Cant. page 5. And there is the same regard of the whole Church and of every particular member in regard of the cheifest priviledges 〈◊〉 graces that accompany salvation Hell neither without thee in temptations nor within thee in corruptions shall never prevaile against thee O soule thy Lord hath delivered it and why shouldest thou doubt it Adde to all this Lastly If you could but beleeve you might see victory waiting on you over every corruption Had you Pauls eys even in that combate the sence of which makes you as it did him groane you could see the conquest And be able to be so farre from being cast downe with a feare of being conquered as that in the faith of conquest you would as he did thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord Rom. 7.21 Christ dyed as well to free you from the conquest of sin here as the condemnation of it hereafter In his death you dyed and by the vertue thereof sin in you shall be crucified The Apostle bids you indeed reckon upon this as t is Rom. 6.11 Mind these things O cast down soule and in the consideration of them rouze and raise up your spirits and say why are we cast down and disquieted with fears lest corruption should be too hard for us or doubts that we should never conquer it The Apostle hath said it shall not have dominion over us yea and that we are in all things more then conquerors through Christ CHAP. 7. Satisfaction for soules doubting whether as yet they have closed with Christ THe seventh sort of feares which fill the soule when it s cast downe are about its closing with Christ Case Some there are as I noted that when they are cast downe cry out Oh they fear they never did truly close with Christ in all their lives at lest in a saving way They have so many feares and so little faith so much doubting and so little assurance that they thinke and fear they never did in a right Gospell way close with Jesus Christ Now that I might satisfie such soules and raise them I shall propose these particulars First Satisfaction It s possible to have closed with Christ and yet to doubt it All experienced Divines and Christians know that faith and doubting may dwell together It s true faith as faith doth not doubt but yet where faith is there doubting may be Experience witnesseth to this that hypocrites may and doe thinke they have closed with Christ when they have not And why should not we conceive as well on the other hard that Saints may have closed with Christ and yet think they have not It may indeed be questioned whether the soule doth act faith and know it not But I thinke it cannot be denyed but that the soule may have faith and not act it Peradventure it s not possible in the act of closing to be ignorant thereof But certainly after the act t is possible to doubt Inasmuch as the soule may question whether that act were right I do not fear to lay downe this as an undenyable truth that soules may have closed with Christ and yet doubt it This is the first thing I propose The second is It s possible that all the grounds upon which the soule questions its closing with Christ may be weake and false As the grounds upon which hypocrites conceit their faith to be good may be and are false and insufficient So likewise the grounds upon which a sound beleever may question his faith as bad may be fallible and false too In this case a Saints feare and an hypocrites presumption may be both alike groundlesse These grounds I find amongst others as the main of this feare 1 Want of assurance 2 A not seeing of Christ sweetly 3 An inabillity to trust Christ for other things 4 Some kinde of blasphemous thoughts of Christ Now neither of these are grounds firm enough to build this upon that ones closing with Christ is false First Want of assurance cannot make â—ut a not closing with Christ Assurance is rather a consequent i.e. a thing that followes then a concomitant i.e. a thing that goes with our closing with Christ I know some that make assurance and faith all one But as yet I am unconvinced of any thing that might make that good that every soule that hath closed with Christ is assured thereof I
child is not so safe in holding about the mothers necke as it is in being in the mothers armes Jesus Christ O ye cast down soules holds you in his armes and this is your safety Suppose thou cannot see thy closing with him yet he knowes his own closing with you And his arme is stronger and surer to hold us to him then ours are to hold him to us Yea Fiftly I propose this also unto thee O soule who art dejected and questionest thy closing with Christ Jesus Christ must and doth close with us ere wee can or do close with him The shepherd must and doth goe after the sheep and not the sheep after him Christ is our shepherd and he leaves the Ninty and nine sheepe to seeke thee one and having found he layes it upon his shoulders Did you ever hear of a lost sheep that sought the shepherd and laid hold on the shepherd you have not chosen me but I have chosen you saith Christ Joh. 15.16 And the Apostle tels us that he loved us first Christ O soule is first in the action of closing And he may be stretching forth his hand to close with thee though thou be not stretching forth to close with him Therefore Sixtly and lastly Suppose O soule dejected and cast downe I say suppose it be as thou fearest that as yet thou hast not closed with Christ What hinders but that thou mayest close with him now To day if you will heare his voyce harden not your heart He begs now do thou close now Rouze up thy soule and close with Christ even while thou readest he stands with open armes ready to imbrace thee yea and with open mouth as I may say calling after thee Quest What is it then that hinders Answ This hinders will you say I fear unworthinesse and I find unablenesse I am neither filling nor able Reply Why know O soule unworthinesse should not keep thee off sith he calls thee Because the man was blind when Christ called should be not go This is that that makes Christs grace so worthy that it closeth with such as are unworthy And as to thy inability know he 'le helpe thee The mother will stoop to take up the child in her armes that cannot clime up to her necke Christ O soule will help thee to close with himselfe Do but look up to him and t is don David sayes he 'le make his prayer and looke up Do thou O soul Christ bids thee and let that incourage thee Look unto me and be saved Esa 45.22 What canst thou do lesse and behold he requires no more Wherefore then art thou cast down and why art thou disquieted O soul Suppose that as yet however considering that which hath been hinted thou mayest have no cause to suppose it but I say suppose it that as yet thou hast not closed with Christ the doore of grace is yet open and t is free for thee to do it now Bee not therefore dejected nor cast downe for as yet thou mayest close with and rejoyce in Jesus Christ as thine CHAP. 8. I mentioned in the former Section an Eighth feare which discovers it selfe in some dejected soules and that was A fear of denying Christ Some poor cast downe soules are much disquieted with this fear Oh say they Case should we be brought up to the tryall we should deny Christ It s true say they peradventure wee may never actually be brought unto it yet its good to try our hearts whether the love of Christ in us bee as strong as death And alas upon the tryal we see ground to suspect it Surely we find we love our life more then Christ and we feare we should sooner deny him then dye for him Thus do many disquiet themselves Now for the quieting of souls in this fear I shal offer these particulars very briefly First Consider Satisfaction O ye dejected and fearfull soules This fear of yours may be a companion of valour Even such as have been fearfull in the Town have been valiant in the Field As there are some who boast much and do little so there have been some that have feared much and yet done mightily Our Book of Martyrs tells us of two One of which boasted how gallantly he would burn and yet he cowardly recanted the other feared he should deny Christ and yet he gloriously held out and suffered death You may fear and yet when it comes to it may be able to dye for Christ But Secondly We are not able to tell what strength Christ will give in at the very nicke of time Christ makes good promises in their season As wisdom to dispute for so courage to dye for Christ hath its houre in which it shall be given Christ forbids his disciples fearfull trouble and care beforehand for so the word signifies Luk. 21.14 And he tells them Mal. 10.19 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it shall be given in that hour Doe not cast down thy selfe O poore soule but beleeve there is strength in Christ though there be weaknes in thee and thou mayst experience that in the hou◠of tryall which thou doubtest now If Christ call thee to dye he 'le keep thee from denyall Why should the Souldier have his armes bef-re the time of War Your armes i.e. your strength and courage to die for Christ is reserved for that houre to be given forth then why shouldest thou perplex thy selfe for want of it now But Thirdly Suppose thou shouldest flinch and faint in a day of tryall Suppose thou shouldest indeed fall so sadly for t is a sad fall as to deny Christ Yet know First This might consist with grace I know none that will deny Peters grace because of his denyall of Christ Yea Secondly This may consist with love to Christ There is a true love which at first is not so strong as death Peter did not fall in the truth but in the strength of his love Besides Thirdly Christ will not let thee fall for ever He will restore thee againe He can and will bring thee on with courage in a second tryall who didst fall away by cowardize in a first Peter did afterward out-face a Magistrate that at first was affraid of a Maid To this adde Lastly Christ may own you though you deny him It s certaine a denyall of Christ with feare and unwillingnesse and this is thy case O soul doth not expose us to a being denyed by Christ It s true direct voluntary desperate denying of Christ is dangerous So if we deny him he 'le deny us But a denyall through jear with reluctancy A denyall feared before it be bewailed after it is which is and would be thy case O soule this I say doth not shall not make Christ deny any Why then art thou cast downe O soule and why art thou troubled with a feare of denying Christ Hee knowes how to strengthen thee that thou shalt not and to pitty thee if thou doe yea and to owne thee though for
now Davids spirit could not chuse but be very full And yet mark what he saith Who am I O Lord God and what is my house that thou hast brought me hither-unto And this was yet a small thing in thy sight O Lord God but thou hast spoken also of thy servants house for a great while to come and is this the manner of men O Lord God But now marke it what followes upon this as it were entry upon the duty And what can David say more unto thee for thou O Lord knowest thy servant See how he is straitened so that hee cannot say more But he is fain to say as sometimes it may be you have done Lord thou knowest thy servant So that you see there may be the spirit where and while the soule is straitned and certainly as Hypocrites may have inlargements and yet not the Holy Ghost so Saints may have the Holy Ghost and yet want inlargements Thirdly Consider How much of God as a Father didst thou see in prayer It s the worke of the spirit to helpe the soule to see God as a father and to cry Abba and to fill the soule with not words and expressions but with sighs and groanes unutterable So that then to satisfie thy self O dejected soule in this feare consider thy very feare is choyce And it may not be as thou fearest But shall I suppose it suppose it should be so that as yet thou didst never pray Suppose I admit it that thou didst not in the sincerity of thy spirit nor in the assistance of Christs Spirit pray yet for all that consider these things First Free grace can and doth beseech soules to accept of peace and love who doe not begge for it God by us saith the Apostle beseecheth you Though thou didst not nor canst pray to God yet free Grace comes and as I may say prayes to thee Thou sayest I shall never have peace and reconciliation for I never by Prayer did beseech God for it Why remember God tenders and in his free grace comes and beseecheth you to accept of it Secondly God can give though ye cannot or doe not begge he is able to doe abundantly above all that we can aske or thinke Ephes 3.20 yea and he is willing for before they call I will answer saith the Lord And he is found of them that seeke him not Though God be pleased to come in in prayer yet he is not tyed to it Besides Thirdly consider its Christs worke to offer up prayers for us he lives for ever to make intercession Heb. 7.25 when thy heart is dead he lives and he prayes for those that doe not cannot pray for themselves Fourthly know the Spirit is promised for asking Luk. 11.13 you who cannot pray remember to aske and to waite for the Spirit And you have Christs word to encourage and assure you that you shall have the Spirit so that now why are you cast downe as fearing you never did pray consider your feare is good yet it may be groundlesse However Gods heart first opens it selfe to us Be not cast downe unto despaire know God can and will give to such as neither doe nor can aske besides in time he 'l prepare thy heart and cause his eare to heare as it is Psal 10.17 why may not this raise thy soule who art cast downe and sayest thou didst never pray Ob. But wilt thou say Suppose I have prayed indeed I hope I have and daily I desire to doe it but alas What though I pray if God doth not heare what though I call he doth not answer This O this doth disquiet my soule I have prayed oft but I feare I have been heard never Ans Indeed this is the other branch of the fear according to what Christ hath given me I shall endeavour to scatter it I must acknowledge O soule that its a misery scarce expressable to pray and not to be heard But yet know many conceive themselves in this misery without ground In order therefore to the satisfaction and raysing of thy soule under this dejection let me prevaile with thee to consider with sincere and serious spirit these particulars First God may have heard thee though thou doe not thinke so It s true peradventure God hath not yet returned an answer in some particulars but yet he may have heard your prayers God is a free Agent and so he may take his owne time to send an answer Suppose thou send a Letter to a friend by a sure Messenger what though you have not an answer presently will you say your Letter was lost or that your friend did not receive it Why the case is so your prayers are your letters to God and Christ is a sure messenger though as yet God hath not sent his answer yet your Letters are read your prayers are accepted and in time viz. Gods time they shall be punctually answered God will answer your prayers that cry unto him night and day though he heare long as it is Luk 18.7 But Secondly It s possible the answer may be sent and you have not observed it There are Letters at the Post-house sometimes for us which only want fetching home The Spirit who brings returnes from Heaven hath an answer for us but we eye him not Job speakes of Gods going by and he saw him not of his passing on and he perceived it not Job 9.11 O how many times doth God go by us in acts of providence clearly and directly answering our prayers and yet we doe not see it nor perceive it Besides Thirdly for any thing you know your prayers will not be answered till you are dead your Children or the Churches may have answers of your prayers when you are gone or it may be God will reserve the answer till your death How many dying soules have said now O now we see and heare that God hath answered all our prayers Why then art thou cast downe O soule about thy prayers as if they were not answered Obj. But I cannot beleeve that God will ever answer Sure I am its well if it be so that I have eyed Providences exactly and could as yet never see any answer and what God will doe for time to come I know not but I doubt c. Ans Be it as thou fearest what if God as yet have not answered thy prayers in many in any particulars yet be not dejected O soule over-much for consider First unanswered prayers are not lost thou hast not prayed in vaine for God never bid the house of Jacob doe so thy letters are filed up in Heaven and though they are not answered yet they are remembred God doth not forget your labour of love in your letters of love for such are prayers it s our duty to pray 't is Gods grace to answer though as yet he reveales not that grace yet it makes not voyd our duty Secoundly God may be pleased with thy prayers though he doe not answer The Mother is pleased with
the Childes lisping though she seeme not to hearken Thou fearest O soule that God is angry with thy prayers as 't is Psal 80.4 but why shouldest thou feare this God was not angry with his peoples prayer of which the Psalmist there makes mention though he did not at that time answer it Your earthly Parents sometime seeme deafe when yet they delight to heare their Children tattle c. may it be thus with the Fathers of your flesh why may not nay why should you not thinke so of the Father of your spirits However Thirdly consider what it was you prayed for and were denyed or not answered inâ— peradventure 't was a temporall and that it may be not for your good though you foolishly thought so why should ye take it ill to be denyed in such a thing God hath heard thee for a Christ when thou saidst as Abraham What wilt thou give me so long as I goe Christ-lesse why what if God now hath not heard thee saying as she Give me children or I dye is not Christ worth many children Say O soule did not God give thee many a spirituall good thing upon nay before thy prayers why art thou cast downe if he deny thee temporalls Obj. Nay but 't is a spirituall good that I have prayed for and am not answered in Rep. It may be so yet consider peradventure 't is but a spirituall gift as memory understanding elocution in prayer and now why art troubled soule so much to be denyed in these what are they in themselves but such things as reprobates may have Gifts may goe to Hell yea many a gifted person is gracelesse why art cast downe with the deniall of gifts when Christ hath given graces without asking Nay but they are graces that I begge and pray for I have gone to begge faith and love and patience c. and yet I have no answer to these prayers Ans Stay yet O soule and consider it may be thou beggest not so much the grace as the degree It s not so much faith as a strong faith not so much love as a fervent love c. Now consider O soule though God deny thee the strength the degree of grace its choyce mercy thou hast the grace it selfe A little faith though but as a graine of Mustard-seed is precious Be not cast downe O poore heart if God deny thee great faith c. blesse him for that he hath given thee any faith c. Obj. But alas I doubt I have not faith at all c. it s not the degree of grace but the grace it selfe that I pray for and yet receive not Rep. Surely O soule thou art mistaken what ever grace thou prayest for especially so as to be troubled for want of which is thy case I say thou hast that grace already It s a degree of wisdome to desire to be wise and its a measure of grace to pray for grace The Disciples had faiâ—h when yet they prayed against unbeleefe without doubt O dejected soule thy panting after thy praying for and trouble at the sence of the want of grace is grace who can breath except he have life Lastly to cloâ—e up this case of fear about Gods not hearing prayer if God as yet have not answered my prayers the more is to come in Heaven God will answer all together God sometimes deales with his Children as we doe with ours the Childe abroad sends home for many things now for a Hat anon for a paire of Shoos c. the Father neither sends the thing nor an answer but anon sends for the Childe home and gives him all Minde ye Children of God for you are of that generation who seek his face your Father will send for you home one of these dayes and by death he 'l fetch you hence and answer all your prayers at once Now then beare up O dejected soules be not cast downe about your prayers as you are O remember in all this case Christ liveth for ever to make intercession for us why should we be so sad at the thoughts of our owne prayers as to forget to rejoyce in the faith of his If we sin he is our Advocate if we want any thing he knowes all our needs and why should we doubt that he prayeth for us since he lives for that very purpose CHAP. 10. Satisfaction to Soules cast downe about Hearing SOme there are who in their dejection call to minde the Word and their hearing of it Case but alas they are so far from being raised by it as that it dejects them the more Ah say they we have heard thee preached in our streetes Luk. 13.26 but so shall some say and be dis-owned at last by Christ the Word hath been sowen amongst us but we feare not as the good seed in the good ground and something now must be said to satisfie these soules and there be but four things which I shal offer briefly to this purpose 1 Call to minde what it was O soule which in the hearing of the Word did most take with Satisfaction and affect thy heart was it the Truth or the termes that did most prevaile with you Didst thou finde thine eares tickled with the entising words of mans wisdome Or didst thou feele thy heart touched with the power of the Spirit in the demonstration of truth If upon this inquiry thou doe finde that naked truth in the discovery of the Spirit did most take with and worke upon thy heart thou needest not bee troubled about thy hearing the Word for surely thou hast heard the word not as the word of man but of God 2 Consider what was the effect of that Word or that truth which thou didst close with The reall effect of the Word heard as the Word of God is the casting downe of those imaginations which did lift up themselves in the soule against Christ The Apostle tells the Corinthians that the weapons of his warfare were mighty through God But how did it appeare Marke because saith he they pull downe strong holds c. 2 Cor. 10.4 5. a Cannon shot off with Powder makes no battery nor breach but if it beate downe strong holds it argues there was more then bare Powder Certainly if the Word hath beaten downe thy towry imaginations and made a breach and so an entrance in thy bosome for Christ If it hath battered open the everlasting gates for the King of glory to enter in thou maist surely and sweetly conclude that thou didst heare more then man in the Word yea that Christ was in and with the Word of a truth It was a signe that the Thessalonians had received the Word as it was in truth the Word of God when it did effectually worke in them as 't is 2 Thes 2.13 But besides this 3 Know that there may be the seed of the Word in thy heart as in good ground See this fear stated Sect. 1. chap. 7. notwithstanding thy feares Oh say many
takes us off from sinne rather by the bitternesse of it then the sweetnesse of himselfe Suppose O soule as yet thy abstinence from sinne proceeds from feare rather then love yet know its Gods way thus to traine up his children How many have first abstained from sinne out of feare of Hell who yet afterward have been helped to abstaine from it out of love to Christ some who at first could not be kept from sinne if they had not been told of Hell death and damnation have yet in time sincerely profest they would abstaine and avoyd sinne if there were none of those things at all so it hath been with others so it shall be with you Let thy principles be as low as thou fearest oh soule and yet thy feare argues them higher then thou thinkest yet I say suppose them low now they may be high ere long God by degrees will heighten both thy practise and thy principles But Thirdly Jesus Christ knowes how to passe by low principles as well as pardon lewd practises He that can and doth forgive acts of sinne when very high can and will forgive abstinence from sinne when the principles are low Indeed Christ highly embraces soules who are yet principled but low Nathaniels first principle of faith in Christ was it seemes but low Iesus hints it was but this because he had told him that he saw him under the figg-tree as 't is Joh. 1.50 Suppose thy abstinence from sin be as low principled as his faith in Christ yet Christ knowes how to love thee as him therefore Lastly Know you that happinesse depends not upon your acts or principles of abstaining from sinne but upon the bloud of Christ that takes away all sinne The Apostle knew that if he should have said 1 Joh. 1.7 2.1 himselfe and other beleevers had no sinne he should have spoke amisse but sure he was of this that the bloud of Christ would cleanse from all and that if any sinned they had an Advocate with the Father and these things he writ that they might not sinne wherefore then O soule who abstainest from sinne be not cast downe for feare thy principles of abstinence are too low but rejoyce in this that the bloud of Christ shall take away the guilt of all thy lewd practises and much more the guilt of low and meane principles But yet O soule know this gives no liberty to sinne O no sayest thou it doth not and God forbid that I should sinne because of this grace I desire for ever to avoyd sinne and oh that I could doe it from holy and high principles Quest I pray help me herein Answ For thy helpe O soule in this kinde there are three things which I offer to thy thoughts as meanes to heighten thy principles in abstaining from sinne First Eye Christ as dying for sinne its low to abstaine from sinne for feare least it should spill our bloud but its high to adstaine from sinne in faith that it hath shed Christs bloud Eye thy Saviour on the Crosse O soule and that wil secretly and spiritually beget these thoughts in thee Shall I sinne for whom Christ dyed Did sinne kill him and shall not I therefore leave it Did he lay downe his life for my sins and shall â—ot I abstaine from my lusts for his sake The thoughts of this that sinne cost thy Saviours Bloud will heighten thy principle in abstaining from it Secondly Looke upon your selves as dead to sinne in your Saviours death for sinne if thou art dead to it thou wilt abstaine from it and if thou abstaine from sinne upon this principle thy principle is high The Apostle Paul teacheth this principle Rom. 6.11 Reckon ye your selves to be dead indeed unto sinne this is a conclusion which Logically he would have Christians to draw from Christs death The word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i.e. logically and rationally to conclude 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 viz. That they are dead to sinne and if they thus conclude he hints the conclusion may be maintained for t is so indeed The soule is high in holinesse who avoyds sinne because t is dead to it Why O soule thou art indeed dead to sinne and if upon that reckoning or if from that reasoning thou abstaine from sinne thy abstinence is preciously principled Adde to this Lastly the remembrance of this viz. That sinne alone eclipseth love and this thought will beget hatred against sinne to purpose Hatred begotten or springing from love is great Why this thought O soule that sinne only cloudeth thy Saviours love will make thee out of love to his love hate sinne and so abstaine from it indeed And abstinence from sinne upon this account is high I know O soule you love discoveries of your Saviours love now then remember this Its sinne and sinne only that can hide love and if thou remembrest that thou wilt abstaine from sinne upon a principle of love to love and if thy principle be such thou wilt not have any cause to be cast downe or disquieted about it CHAP. 13. Satisfaction to cast downe soules troubled about the sinne against the Holy Ghost SAtan makes some soules dejected Case feare they have sinned unto death c. the sinne against the Holy Ghost and many soules cast downe Satisfaction are perplexed with this feare Now I shall seeke to remove this feare and to satisfie dejected soules in this case by the proposall of these particulars Definitio descriptio differunt apud logicos First It s very uncertaine what this sinne is I thinke none can exactly define it and few can well describe it now it s strange that thou shouldest feare more strange that any should conclude themselves guilty of such a sinne the knowledge of which is so uncertaine Secondly T is very certaine many soules especially dejected ones take that for this sin which is not It s true in a sence every sinne is a sinne against the Holy Ghost for he is God even as the Father and the Son but t is as true every sinne which is so accounted is not the sinne against the Holy Ghost of which the Scriptures speake as unpardonable Two sins I finde eminently urged by dejected soules against themselves as the sinne against the Holy Ghost that is to say 1 Sinning against cleare light and Conscience 2 Sinning against taste of love and experience But certainly t is possible for a Saint to commit sinne of both these kinds and yet not to sinne the sinne against the Holy Ghost I doe make no doubt but Davids sinne in the bed-businesse of Bathsheba had both these ingredients It cannot be doubted but his light was cleare that Adultery was a sinne and not to bee committed the expresse letter of the Commandements which David was well studied and skill'd in forbids it and for sinning after sweet experiences who doubts it David had sweet experiences of God when he was delivered from the Philistines Psal 56. and from
Soul in the cave Psal 57. yea and he composed a special choyce Psalme upon each occasion therefore he stiles them Michtams i. e. golden Psalmes and yet it was after all this that he fell in that foule businesse I might instance in Peters Case which seemed and in a sence did exceed Davids and in the case of others and yet none ever charged them with the sinne against the Holy Ghost so that t is cleare many are mistaken in this sinne and why mayest not thou be mistaken oh soule who fearest it Thirdly There are some soules who are not at present capable of that sinne my meaning is that cannot possibly at present be charged with it as now such as are not very highly enlightened such as have not had any great or high income of joy and sweetnesse such as have not been eminent and long professors All Divines conclude that a person sinning the sinne against the Holy Ghost must be supposed to be 1. One much enlightened 2. One who hath tasted of the heavenly gift and the joyes of the Holy Ghost yea and 3. One who hath been some famous and forward Professor Now alas poore soule thou cryest out thou art but a babe a novice one who knowes little and hast tasted lesse one who hath small light and weake life and no joy or comfort at all one whose highest degree of knowledge is but as yet a beame whose greatest income of joy is but a drop who art a stranger to tasting of the heavenly powers and the world to come and who yet art no forwarder then humbly to professe to desire to feare Jehovah and to love Jesus Thou dost often sigh these sayings and seale to them as true and this may secure thee from being guilty of the sinne against the Holy Ghost sith at present thou art incapable of that sinne But Forthly The soule guilty of this sinne cannot be troubled for it at least so as to desire to repent of it and to have Christ to pardon it Thy feare thy trouble thy disquiets O soule argue thou art free from this sinne for wert thou guilty of it thy heart it would be hardred and could not desire to repent thy Conscience it would be seared and no way disquieted for it yea and thy desires would be dead so as that thou wouldest not pant after Christ nor the Spirit thy very feares and disquiets should answer in this case themselves they could not would not be in thee if this sinne were committed by thee a senslesse and troublelesse soule ever goes along with this sinne and therefore know this Fifthly None can be guilty of the sin against the Holy Ghost but such as First totally fall away from both Practise and Profession of all godlinesse and Religion as t is Heb. 6.6 Secondly Directly doe despite unto the spirit of grace as t is Heb. 10.29 and Thirdly Such as doe directly and plainly and professedly oppose and speake evill of the wayes of Christ which sometimes they professed Now tell me O soule and beware of false witnesse against thy selfe Quest First Art thou totally falne away from both the practise and profession of godlinesse Dost hold no points of Faith Dost doe no acts of Religion Dost make no profession of Jesus Christ Answ Surely I heare the say I desire to beleeve and the Lord help my unbeleefe I desire to walke exactly to have a good Conscience to God and man and this profession I make that if I know my heart I desire to worship the God of my Fathers according to that order of the Gospell which many count and call Heresie well then O soule thou art not totally falne away which yet thou wouldest be if thou wert guilty of the sinne feared But Quest Secondly Say soule and doe not eclipse the truth of Gods grace in thee Darest thou doe despight to the Holy Ghost Ans Surely I heare thee answering I tremble at the thought thereof I would not for ten thousand worlds speake the least evill of that good Spirit I am so farre from despiting him that I doe earnestly desire him and waite for him Alas this O soule would not could not be wert thou guilty of this sinne Then Thirdly answer O soule Dost thou oppose godlinesse Quest What dost or darest thou persecute such as desire to walke with Christ c Answ Is not this thy reply to this That thou rather pittyest thy selfe for not being so forward as others then persecutest them for being before thee Yea thou art so farre from opposing those that are godly that thou wouldest if Christ would help thee suffer any persecutions rather then leave off thy endeavour to be godly Now certainly O poore dejected soule thou art not guilty of the sinne thou fearest for if thou wert thou wouldest fall away wholly and speake evill of the Spirit directly and oppose godlinesse professedly sith these things doe ever accompany that sinne against the Holy Ghost But Lastly there have been precious soules who sometime feared their sinning against the Holy Ghost and yet have afterward enjoyed the sealing of the Holy Ghost See the Bookes of them Mistris Drake Mistris Wight and others of late have brought forth this experience fully to light that soules who have sometimes questioned their sinning unto death have yet found the Spirit sealing them up to life and Mistris Drake breathed out a little before her death this comfortable counsel Never let any despaire how desperately miserable soever their case be Wherefore then rouze up thy selfe O dejected soule thou who now fearest the sinne against the Spirit mayest ere long boast of the seale of the Spirit Trust thou in Christ for thou shalt yet praise him for joy and assurance given in by that Holy Ghost against whom at present thou fearest that thou hast sinned CHAP. 14. There remaines yet one Case more which being spoke unto puts an end to this Section NOw this Case is the feare of falling away after all Case Many a poor soul which is satisfied it may be for the present in its state yet questions it for the future Oh! say some soules we feare we shall never hold out many have gone farte and yet have perished at last for want of perseverance indeed this is usually the last trouble of dejected soules and in this as in a last refuge they shelter their feares Suppose say they our case be now as good as the Angels at first as good as Adams in Paradice yet Adam fel and Angels fel and we fear the like Now unto these soules I would offer these particulars Satisfaction in order to raise them from under this dejection First Blessed is the soule that feareth alway The soule standeth surest while it trembleth the Apostle adviseth him that standeth to take heed least he fall And the way to stand is not to be high minded but to feare as it is Rom. 11.20 Many had never fell had they ever feared Peters presumption was his fayling
is too long to be out of Covenant with God but yet it is not now too late To day if you will heare his voyce O therefore close with the Covenant now and doe not lye cast downe and dejected with feares that thou art out But arise and come in for now in these Gospel times even the Strangers and Eunuch debard in the times of the Law from the Congregation are invited to take hold of the Covenant and there are promises to this purpose made unto them in Esa 56. to which place I referre thee for a further cure in this case CHAP. 18. Cure for Soules cast downe upon indisposition to duties INdisposition unto good duties is oftentimes a cause of dejection Cause and by reason of it some are cast downe as conceiving it inconsistent with a life of grace and acceptation with God Now to cure this I shall apply these particular Plaisters First Life and indisposition may consist together Cure Every living man is not lively alway Even the Spouse of Christ was sometimes asleep Cant. 5.2 Even David himselfe cryes out of straitnesse of heart It is possible thy soule may sometimes be as a Ship at Sea without a full and fresh gale I may speake it I thinke as an universall truth Never was any Saint disposed to duties at all times alike and why shouldest thou be cast downe at the common Lot and condition of all Christians Secondly It is a mercy thou art not quite dead to duty Many a soule is starke dead to prayer starke dead to the Word c. and it is Free Grace thou art at worst but indisposed better is the crawling Snaile then the dead Elephant And it is a more blessed state to be a creeping worme though with much indisposition in the way of duty and life then a skipping heart though with much agility in the way of sinne and death Thirdly Though thy indisposednesse be sad yet thy trouble for this is sweet Note Blessed is the soule that mournes for disposition to evill and indisposition to good Time was when thou couldest live and not be troubled at a totall neglect of duty it is a mercy that now thou lovest it so well as that thou art grieved that thou canst doe it no better But Fourthly Consider thy acceptance with God doth not depend upon thy doing of duty nor upon thy livelinesse and disposition in doing no it depends solely upon his grace You are accepted in the beloved as it is in that precious place Eph. 1.6 Both thy person notwithstanding its faults and thy performances notwithstanding their failings are alwayes accepted in Christ he hath made us accepted in the beloved marke it it is not thou but God that makes thee I say MAKES thee not thy selfe that makest thy selfe accepted yea and this is in the Beloved not in our duties or dispositions but in the BELOVED i. e. in Christ Jesus I tell thee poore soule couldest thou doe well and with never so much life and disposition out of Christ it were nothing And contrary though thy doings be poore thy disposition poore all poore yet thou and all thine are accepted IN THE BELOVED Fifthly It is the office of Christ to present all thy performances to God and to procure acceptation in his bloud He takes away all thy failings and indispositions and he presents all to the Father well Minde this Duties goe never from Saints to God as they come out of their owne hands but as they goe through Christs Lastly Christ O dejected soule will cure thy indisposednesse Hee 'l inlarge thy heart and inliven thy spirit and then shalt thou not only walke but run the way of his Commandements when he shall inlarge thy heart as it is Psal 119 32. The Spirit is a Spirit of life power sweetnesse inlargement and this Spirit he hath promised So that these things sucked by meditation may afford cure and comfort to thee O dejected soule who art cast downe under the sence of indisposition to duties CHAP. 19. Cure for Soules cast downe upon want of incomes BUt alas sayes some other soule I doe but in vaine I doe not complaine of indisposition to though I might urge that but of want of income in duty Cause See the thing as it is stated Sect. 1. cap. 9. I confesse it is sad to be as the parched ground alway gaping and never to have drops from above Cure But yet O soule let me intreat thee to minde a few things in this case First Divine income is not alway the same Peradventure thou hast not so much now as formerly it may be so for First God gave thee much at first to incourage thee as a beginner which he doth not alway to all Vsually it is in Gods House as it is in ours at first comming of a Servant the Master is a little more familiar then afterward At first comming God might give much to welcome thee and to ingage thee but now thou hast been long in his house he mindes thee as much as formerly though he hint it not so often Besides Secondly God may with-hold incomes to try thee whether thou servest him for LOVE or for the LOAVES Many serve Christ not for himselfe but for themselves rather for the penny of income then for respect to him Now Christ may with-hold incomes to try thee and therefore be not cast downe for want of them lest thou give him ground to suspect thee but consider Secondly It is Christs Prerogative if he will use it to make us serve for nothing The Psalmist speakes it to the Kings Daughter of Christ He is thy Lord and worship thou him Psal 45.11 He must be worshipped as a Lord because of his greatnesse though hee should not give any income or wages Yet Thirdly He doth waite to give income in its season There are times when incomes will be most sweet and Christ doth waite for those times Christ said to his Mother Woman what have I to doe with thee Joh. 2. He knew there would by and by be a fitter season to doe that which she desired then at that time your time said Christ is alwayes my time is not yet come as it is Job 7 6. O remember dejected soule Christ waites to be gracious his income shall be when fittest for thee Fourthly It will argue a choyce frame of spirit in thee and therefore I mention it to presse it on thee to doe duty notwithstanding thou want income To worke without wages argues a love to the Master we work for a mercinary spirit wil doe for pay but a gracious childe-like spirit will pay its selfe in its doing and continue praying hearing receiving c. even without any income But Lastly To cure thy dejected soule who art troubled for want of income Know that in Heaven thou shalt have income for all The Master called the Servants at the evening and gave then to each his penny O consider thou shalt ere long have income
expostulates the matter with his owne soule he summons it to a reasoning He askes his soul why art thou cast down and he pursues the question again and saith why art thou disquieted within me CHAP. 2. Something premised in order to the first branch of the Point ERe I doe proceed to the proofe of the first branch I shall premise this viz. That the soule is apt to give way to dejections Dejected persons are very free to give way and to yeeld unto dejection Peradventure this may bee hinted here in this word cast downe and which may be rendred why dost thou cast downe thy selfe some read it quare conturbas me i.e. why dost thou O my soul trouble me The soule is apt to trouble it selfe Rachell wept and would not be comforted She gave so much way to weeping that she would not give way to comfort Are not my dayes a few saith Job cease then that I may mourne a little so some render that Ut plangum paululum Dolorem â—â—â—um Job 10.20 Sure Job did give way to his sorrow when he set himselfe as it were to weep And the Psalmist holds forth as much when hee saith my soul refuseth to be comforted Psa 77.3 Certainly he that refuseth comfort gives way to sorrow You dejected soules speake the truth is it not thus Do not you give way to sadnesse at least sometimes How oft do you dispute against your selves How oft do you maintaine your sorrowes How oft doe you argue against your comforts and flye from your comforters Surely you do often give way to sadnesse Now the reasons whence it comes to passe that dejected soules are proane to give way to sadnesse and dejection may be these First A strong conceit that they have reason so to do Oh-say many we may well weep and mourn we may wel be dejected and castdown we have reason for it so they conceit And albeit when the reason is told it appears light yet they are apt to conceit it weighty It s with dejected souls as it was with Micah when his carved Image his Ephod his Teraphim his graven Image and his Priest were taken away Hereupon he gathers together his servants and neighbours to pursue them that had stole them And being asked the reason he saith ye have taken away my gods c. and doe you aske me what aileth me He conceited hee had great reason to be troubled Even so many poore soules who have lost it may be but their Idolls Relations Parts Inlargements c. which they idolized they are cast downe and they give way to it as conceiting they had ground so to be Secondly Dejected soules are prone to give way to dejections From a strange kind of perversnesse which doth often times seize them especially in their sadnesse Even good Jonah was overtaken with this evill God sees him cast down and comes to him and saith Doest thou well to be angry and he said I do well to be angry even to the death Jonah 4.9 Ah Lord what a perverse speech is here How sweetly doth God reason with him God might have reprooved him have chid him but hee doth not he only askes him if it were well done as a loving father askes the sad child child dost well to be sad And yet observe Jonah's perversenesse I do well saith he yea I do well to be troubled unto death What a sullen speechis this Dejected soules is it not so with you sometimes Are not you perverse Doth not your soul say it s well to be sad This is another reason of your giving way thereunto Thirdly An over-high esteem of some things which the dejected soule hath lost makes it give way to sadnesse Soules doe over-value many things this makes them over sad many times Rachell did prize her children too high and that made her give way to sorrow so farre as that she would not be comforted because her children were not T is possible to prize even spiritual things too high as Parts Performances Ordinances c. And if we prize them too high we will soon give way to sorrow for want of them too farre Fourthly An opinion though groundlesse that it must be so makes many give way to sorrow and dejection Some conceit because t is said that blessed are they that mourn and woe to them that laugh c. Therefore the soule must be sad and heavy and dejected These Scriptures are mistaken and the mistake of them is the reason why many give way to dejection It s true Christ pronounced the mourners blessed but it was rather to stop their mourning then to increase it It was rather to give them joy then to give them ground to sorrow It s true also Christ did denounce woe to them that were merry and did laugh But it was such whose mirth was carnall and so madnesse Not to such as rejoyce in the Lord for that we are commanded to doe alwayes But yet from the mis-understanding of these and the like Scriptures dejected soules conceit a recessity of sadnesse that it must be and therefore they give way unto it Fiftly Some conceive that the truth of humiliation lyes in its depth and therefore they give way to dejection as conceiving that to be deep and true humiliation It was observed by an experienced Divine Dr. Sibs that men are deceived when they thinke a dejected spirit an humbled spirit Many a poor heart thinks its weeping its sorrow its going heavy c. to be true and deep humiliation and I wish some Preachers had not gon too far this way now upon this account it s no wonder if they give way to it Lastly It s the innate nature of melancholly to give way thereunto There is certainly a religious melancholly and some delight in it They conceive a kind of Divinity in dejection Sorrow hath a kind of sweetnesse in it And a soul cast downe is prone to feed upon its dejection There is an innate propensity in all sadnesse and melancholly as indeed there is in all the passions to feed and nourish it selfe And hence it is that souls cast down are prone to give way thereunto CHAP. 3. The first Branch proved that Christians should not give way to sadnesse HAving premised that we are prone to give way to sadnesse and dejection I shall now prove the contrary It s true de facto O dejected soules that you art prone to give way to your dejections But it s not true de jure I know by experience you are lyable to it but I know that it should not be It is your wisdom and it should be your care not to give way to your dejections and castings down The Text witnesseth it selfe clearely to this truth This question hath in it the force of a negation why art thou cast downe virtually is as much as thou shouldest not be cast down As Ier. 2.36 Why gaddest thou about c. It s as much as there is no cause for it and it should
and Timothy did and we should walk not by sence but by faith 2 Cor. 5 At present O soule thou sayest Thou seest nothing but wrath thou feelest nothing but sorrow thou hearest nothing but threatning c. take heed thou conclude not thy state by thy sence A state sensibly bad may be really good as a state seemingly good may be substantially bad As the seared Consciences of Reprobates so the scrupulous Consciences of Saints are not fit nor able to make right conclusions What though at present Sence present nothing so much as in order to a cure yet cured thou shalt be God creates light out of darknesse and shines into our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of himselfe in the face of Christ as it is 2 Cor. 4.6 Though at present thou art sensible of nothing but darknesse yet God may create a light out of that Beware of concluding any thing from present sence or feeling Yea Beware of eying it tso much looke off from what thou seest and art sensible of unto that thou seest not We faint not said the Apostle Why marke it We looke not at the things Which we see but at the things which we see not 2 Cor. 4.16.18 Secondly Consider not selfe Selfe is alwaies insufficient as to holy worke or joy If thou conclude from the consideration of selfe thy conclusion wil be false Thou art cast downe and Childe-like art nor able to rise againe Selfe cannot raise thy soule what then wilt thou conclude thy soule cannot be raised O take heed of this Where selfe is insufficient Christ is sufficient and when we are weake his power is magnified in our weaknesse Abraham considered not his owne body now dead Rom. 4.19 had Abraham considered himself he had never beleeved for a Sonne it was Sarahs fault and the ground of her laughing unbeleefe she considered her selfe as old c. you must not therefore consider selfe as weake no let me adde this you must not consider selfe as sinfull This may hinder faith As weaknesse to helpe our selves so unworthinesse to be helped by Christ is generally the cause of doubting and unbeleefe but take heed of both Abraham beleeved though himselfe was old yea and though Sarah laughed neither his weaknesse nor her sinne could hinder his faith Take heed therefore of eying selfe either as unable or unworthy Christ is able to raise the weak yea and willing to lift up the worthlesse soules of cast-down ones 3. Conclude nothing by Satan Hee 'l tell you of difficulties and impossibilities but consider him not As Satan makes the proud heart of exalted Babilon think it shal never fal so he would make the grieved heart of dejected Sion think it shall never rise but know Satan is a Lyar and who would beleeve an old constant Lyar Hee 'l say despaire when Christ saith hope But beleeve thou the Lord Jesus and slight Satan be sure to conclude nothing from his suggestions Obj. But what if Conscience joyne with Satan what if that witnesse to Satans words c Answ Beleeve not nor conclude from thy owne Conscience it is possible that may erre and looke as the seared Conscience of the wicked erre and speake peace when there is no ground so the seduced Conscience of the godly may create trouble when there is no cause Besides Christ sometimes doth permit Conscience to condemne to heighten his owne grace in acquitting It is sometimes in Spirituals as it is in Temporals we receive the sentence of death in our selves that we may not trust in our selves Doe not therefore O dejected soule conclude of thy cast-down condition from Satans suggestions no not when backt with thy owne Conscience care not for Satans condemnation nay judge not thine owne selfe as it is 1 Cor. 4.3 Lastly Beware of concluding any thing form present seeming rejections of Christ Many a cast downe soule cryes O Christ seemes to reject mee and therefore I am lost and ther 's no hope c. But mind it O soule as a Caution Though Christ at present seem to reject thee yet conclude nothing Thou knowest and oh that thou wouldest for this purpose consider well the woman of Canaan Christ at first did seeme to reject her I am not sent said he but to the lost sheep of the house of Israel Nay he calls her dog and upon that account denyes her childrens bread yet you know the issue Beware therefore of concluding from the present dealings of Christ though he seem to reject thee and let thee lie Though he speak as if he meant not to cure thee and call thee dog as if he would not have to doe with thee yet beleeve for all this may be but a shew to try thee and thy faith It s said in the story of the journey of Christs Disciples from Jerusalem to Emaus that Christ made as though he would have gone further yet upon entreaty he went in to tarry with them Luk. 24.28 29. Christ O soul may seem to goe away when he intends to tarry Only he lookes for intreaty O therefore do not conclude any thing from the present visible seeming rejections of Christ He may frowne and smite cast off and reject cal thee dog and deny thee a crum and yet he may intend and if thou beleeve and waite will to imbrace thee and raise thee up and to fill thy soule with healing and rejoycing Having premised these things by way of caution to be taken heed of I shall now adde one or two positive considerations for the inabling of the soule to act his faith even then when it lyeth lowest and seeth least First Consider there can be no just ground why thou shouldest not beleeve As formerly I said there can be no just ground for our great dispairing casting downe so now I say there can be no just ground why we should not beleeve that yet we shall praise God T is true the soule is apt to conceive grounds of dispaire at least to conclude there are grounds why it should not beleeve But mind it wel and you shal see there is no reason can be given why the soule though never so low and cast downe should not beleeve its raising up by Christ and its rejoycing in Christ For First There is no command or inhibition to the contrary 'T is true Satan sayes there is an inhibition but he is a false Prophet and God never sent him The dejected soule cryes out O I may not I must not I dare not beleeve Why O soule why must not you beleeve who said so when did Christ forbid thee where is the word that faith you may not beleeve Nay is not the Scripture expresse in commanding you to beleeve at all times Is not this his commandement that we should beleeve on the name of Jesus Christ 1 Joh. 3.23 See the Text is positive why shouldest thou say then that thou mayest not beleeve Secondly The depth of your dejection neither is nor ought to be a
freedome from these dejections p. 37 3 To prepare for dejections p. 38 1 By remembring there is such a state and we are lyable to it ibid. 2 By acquaintance with the Covenant of grace in its freenesse fullnesse and firmnesse p. 39 3 By treasuring up experience ib. SECT II. I. HEre is Satisfaction held forth unto the particular feares and doubts of dejected soules viz. 1 To souls fearing that God never wrought upon them p 42 to p. 48 2 To soules fearing their grace is not true p 48 to 52 3 To soules questioning whether their calling conviction and comfort be of the holy ghost p. 50 to 64 4 To soules doubting whether their holy actings be from light or love p. 64 to 70 5 To soules fearing their hypocrisie p. 70 to 76 6 To soules doubting they shall never conquer corruption p. 76 to 82 7 To soules fearing they never savingly closed with Christ p. 82 to 91 8 To soules fearing their fall from Christ doubting they shall deny him p. 91 92 93 9 To soules questioning whether ever they prayed as they ought or whether ever God heard p. 93. to 105 10 To soules dejected about their hearing of the Word p. 105. to 111 11 To soules questioning their interest in and their closing with the Promises p. 111. to 115 12 To soules troubled about abstinence from sinne p. 115. to 120 13 To soules fearing their sin against the Holy Ghost p. 120. to 125 14 To soules fearing their fall from grace and not beleeving their perseverance p. 125. to 132 II. Here is held forth particular cure for the particular causes of soule-dejection and the eight generall grounds of soules being cast down are stated and spoken to as 1 Satisfaction is given to soules cast down by reason of the remainders of corruption 2 Satisfaction is given to souls cast down by relapses into sin 3 Satisfaction is tendred to soules dejected about the Covenant of Grace 4 Satisfaction is held forth to soules cast down by reason of indisposition to duties 5 Satisfaction for soules dejected for want of former incomes 6 Satisfaection to soules troubled by reason of Satans and enemies insultation 7 Satisfaction to soules cast down by reason of sicknesse and feare of death 8 Satisfaction to soules dejected under the sence of Divine wrath These are spoken unto in the Pages between 132. 133 SECT III. ANother Doctrine raised from the Text which is 1 Delivered in its generall body p. 133 2 Devided into two branches viz. 1 That Christians dejected should not give way to dejection p. 133 2 That they should argue the case with their owne soules 3 Pursued and followed in I. Branch under three heads viz. 1 A premise that dejected soules are apt to give way unto dejections shewing six grounds of it p. 133 to 138 2 Aproofe of the first branch 1 From Scripture 2 From Reason which 1 There is no reason to give way p. 139 140 2 There is much reason against it 1 Because t is a passion p. 141 2 Because t is perillons 1 In its selfe ib. 2 By reason of Satan p. 142 3Vnto the soule 1 Taking away our strength to work p. 143 2 Taking away our stomacke to eate p. 144 3 An application 1 To chide such as give way to dejection as 1 Who conceale their trouble p. 145 2 Who look not after comfort p. 146 3 Who dispute against comfort p. 147 4 Who avoyd company p. 148 5 Who cast of duty p. 149 2 Two cautions against giving way by 1 Answering the objection of sorrow for sin and shewing when that is too much p. 149. to 151 2 Advising how to stop sorrow that it goe not too farre p. 153 II. Branch is 1 Propounded p. 154 155 2 Proved p. 154 155 3 Amplified shewing 1 Wherein the expostulation of the soule with its selfe consists as 1 In a solemne summoning of the soule to give an account of its dejection p. 156 2 In a serious consideration of what the soul saith for its dejection p. 157 3 In an endeavour what the soule can to satisfie its selfe ib. 2 Why this soule expostulation should be as 1 Because the soule hath a faculty thus to expostulate p. 158 2 Because hereby the soule often sees its cast down causlesse p. 159 3 Because hereby sorrow is stopped ib. 4 Because this will plead some excuse for dejection p. 160 5 Because hereby the soule is fitted for a cure p. 161 4 Applyed 1 To reprove those that argue not the case with themselves p. 161 2 To direct soules how to argue by giving the soule 1 Some rules p. 161. to 165 2 Some questions p. 165. to 166 3 Some informations p. 166. to 169 SECT IV. THE Doctrine of waiting in dejections is 1 Raised and proved from the text p. 169. 170 2 Explicated by shewing what is waiting upon God in dejection is in four particulars p. 171 to 174 3 Confirmed by six grounds p 175 to 177 4 Applyed for 1 Humiliation p. 178 179 180 2 Caution p. 181 182 3 Exhortation in this use some cases of conscience are satisfied as 1 The case of being contented to want Christ resolved 1 That it must be p. 184 2 How it may be p. 185 2 The case of answering to or dealing with Satan in the time of our dejection p. 186 187 188 5 Concluded 1 By granting that though the soul must be content to wait yet it may pray but shewing how p. 189 2 By granting though the soule should be content to wait yet it may indeavor to be cured but shewing also how p. 190 SECT V. THe Doctrine of beleeving in the deepest dejections is 1 Raised out of the words p. 193 2 Opened in shewing 1 When the soule is deepest dejected p. 194 195 196 2 That then its duty and glory is to beleeve p. 198 3 Confirmed from the example of David c. p. 199 4 Amplified 1 By shewing what it is to beleeve in dejections Set forth 1 In a generall description p. 200 2 In particular points to bee beleeved then as 1 Gods Power 2 Possibility of the souls cure 3 inclinablenesse in God to do is p. 201 202 3 In six speciall things to be beleeved by the soul when it is in lowest p. 203 206 2 By shewing three Reasons for all this p. 207 208 5 Amplified 1 For information that times of dejection ought to be times of beleiving yea that they are the proper season of faith here are three reasons given why in a special maner Christ looks for faith now p. 210 to 214 2 For perswasion of the soule to act its faith when it s cast downe lowest and here 1 The duty is opend p. 214 2 Motives are binted to stir up as 1 That now faith is blessed p. 215 2 That now faith glorifies God p. 216 3 That now beleeving ingages God p. 217 4 That now beleeving raiseth p. 218 3 Meanes to help are propounded as 1 Cautions in which the soule is advised to take heed and beware 1 Of concluding any thing by sence p 219 2 Of considering selfe ib. 3 Of beleeving Satan although backed with ones own conscience p. 220 4 Of concluding any thing upon the present visible rejection of Christ p. 221 2 Considerations as 1 There is no ground why the soul should not beleeve for p. 222 1 There is no command to the contrary p. 223 2 The death of dejection is not c. ib. 3 The souls defilement is not p. 224 4 Former unbeleif or present doubtings are not p. 225 2 The promises are made to the lowest estate as is instanced p. 225 226 3 The soule shall not need to fear its presumption to beleeve which being the last object that is put in against beleeving t is answered and cleared p. 227 228 229 FINIS