him Our prayers have been rather the fruit of our heads and babbling of our lips then the breath of our hearts and panting of our spirits And yet say some soules Suppose our spirits were in prayer We feare Gods spirit was not The father seeketh such to worship him as do it in the spirit and the Apostle calls for praying in the Holy Ghost Now though our own spirit was in our prayers we feare Christs spirit was not It may be wee have prayed in the gifts of the spirit But what are they without the spirit himselfe Againe say the same dejected soules although wee should thinke and hope that we have prayed both in the sincerity of our own spirit and in the strength of Christs spirit yet we feare whether ever God hath regarded Surely he hath been alway angry with for as yet he never answered any of our prayers And to call and not bee heard to pray and not be answered Pro. 1.28 is a threatned judgement This oh this is our feare that we are those at whose calamitie God will laugh as it is Pro. 1.26 Secondly There are others who in their dejection vent other feares As now about the word whether ever it came to them as the word of God and as good seed upon good ground Alas cryeth one poore dejected soule I have heard the word often preached but I fear to no purpose for I thinke I never heard God in it It was the praise of the Thessalonians that they heard the word not as the word of men but as the word of God But it s my shame and sorrow I have rather heard men then God I read saith the soule the Parable of the Sower and I remember there was but one good ground which received the seed aright and I fear I am none of that I doubt I am the high-way-high-way-ground or the stony or the thorny but sure I am not the good ground i. e. one who with an honest and good heart having heard the word doth keep it for sure I bring not forth the fruit with patience Thus the fears of some dejected soules work about the word But Thirdly Other dejected souls breathe forth feares about the Promises As whether they have right to them or did ever in the spirit close with them Oh say some soules the Promises are indeede exceeding great and precious But are they ours wee doubt it my soule doubts saith one when I reade the Promises I doe rather read the riches of others then my owne Alas I feare they are none of mine and I dare not indeed cannot close with them Sometimes I have climbed the outside of the Promise I have read the letter but alas I never was in the inside in the spirit of a Promise It s likely many hung upon Noahs Arke without But none were saved but those within And I feare I was never within the Arke of any Promise Fourthly Some soules when cast downe feare their very abstinence from sinne As now whether they did or doe abstaine from sinne in a slavish way for feare or in a Sonne-like way for love I feare saith the soule I have and I do abstaine from sin rather from rationall then from pious principles I doubt I dread the coale of corruption rather for the fire of it which will burne mee then the filib of it which will blacke mee I doubt its the cudgell of wrath that drives me backe rather then the coard of love which keepes mee in from sinne Good soules abstaine from sin from heavenly principles as love of God desire of holinesse and I feare my principles are hellish as feare of damnation and or at best but earthly as shame of men and the like Fiftly Some soules when cast down cry out Oh the sinne against the Holy Ghost I feare saith a dejected soul I have sinned unto death I have sinned against such strong light and such sweet love that I feare my sinne is now the unpardonable sinne which shall not cannot bee forgiven I may well bee cast downe if that bee my case which was Judas his and I feare it is Christ saith all sinne and blasphemy shall bee forgiven but that which is against the Holy Ghost Alas here is my fear that I am guilty of that sin Sixtly The feares of some when cast downe doe not worke thus high yet they vent themselves thus Oh we feare we shall fall away Angells fell Adam fell others fall and are we surer then they Surely we are not so strong and therefore not so sure Many have gone beyond me in the spirit and yet saith the soule have ended in the flesh and I feare I shall doe so too I goe but softly I fall often I looke backe many times and I doubt I shall never persevere unto the death what is it to begin well and end ill what is it to have Ephraims righteousnesse A morning dew Alas mine is no better if so good This is my case and I may well be cast downe for I fear I shall fall The promise of the Crown is to perseverance Hee that is faithfull to the death shall have the crowne of life But I feare I doubt I shall not hold out neare unto death for my heart misgives me and I feare I shall fall away ere long and loose all at last CHAP. 8. The other branch of the workings of spirituall dejections which is greife and sorrow HAving now gone over sundry doubts and feares which are the workings of spirituall dejections I shall touch in a word only upon the other branch viz. That of greife and sorrow For As the soule when it s cast downe is full of feare so likewise its full of griefe Disquieted David vents himselfe not onely in feares but in sorrowes His teares were his meat day and night as it is vers .. 3. He went in mourning ver 9. Sighs complaints expostulations those also are the workings of spirituall dejection Ah Lord what palenesse of face what wringing of the hands what watering of the cheeks doth dejection produce what beating of the breast with the Publican what weeping and crying with Rachell what questioning and crying with Mary doth casting down cause There are two appearances of these kind of workings 1 Within The soule tosseth it selfe up and downe the heart rowles and beates as if it would breake its passage through the body How doth the soule talke with its selfe and aggravate its griefe How is the heart smitten and withered as grasse as t is Psal 102.4 The bowells boile and rest not as t is Job 30.26 2 Without The lips quiver as t is Hab. 3.16 The eyes run down all the night as Lam. 1. the voice that speakes faintly And is there any sorrow as mine was ever soule as I am Did you ever meet with any in my case Thus griefe vents it selfe and thus doth the disquieted soule as it thinkes ease it selfe But I neede not go about to paint these sorrowes some soules are able
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
poore soules there bee so many stones and thornes in our hearts that we feare the good seed hath met but with bad ground in our hearts but know O soules that as no ground is so good but it hath some stones and thornes so your hearts may be good ground notwithstanding some worldly cares and deceitfulnesse Beware least you imagine that you should or could make your hearts good and your soules fruitfull of your selves some have doubtlesse mistaken Christs meaning in that Parable who thinke that their hearts must or could be good ground before the seed of the Word make it so Parables are not to be stretched beyond their intention Thy heart may be was is and will be bad ground ere the good seed make it good thou sayest the seed was good but thy ground i. e. thy heart was nought therefore the Parable speakes sadly of thee c. but be not dejected nor deceived It s the glory of spirituall seed that it wil make BAD ground GOOD It s true other seeds though good yet if sowne in bad ground are lost the bad ground spoyling the good seed But t is otherwise here The bad ground i.e. bad hearts doe not mar the good seed but the good seed mends the bad hearts Every heart since the fall hath and doth bring forth bryers and thornes Now where good seed comes it choakes the bryars and thornes i.e. deceit and corruptions Object Nay but saith the soule t is true if this good seed did abide but alas I feare t is lost all or at best there is but little remaines of the many handfulls that have been sowne upon mee there are but a few graines abide c. Ans Be it so O soule yet if any seed remaine 't will grow and be saving any one seed taking roote in thy heart is immortall and it will remaine Reply But me thinks I hear the soul reply with sighs and saying T is true if I had but any seed abiding with me I could rejoyce for I know the good seed will not dye But I alas I see it not spring up and therefore I doubt c. Duply Tarry O soule The Husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth and hath long patience for it And shouldest not thou waite for the most precious fruit of the heart Jam. 5.7 and have longer patience Even the Lord of the Vineyard waiteth some yeares for his fruit as is deducible from Luk. 13.7 Albe it thou see not the seed spring yet it may be under the clods taking root even under the clods of your corruptions there may be the seed of grace And what if you see it not Should the husbandman who in the Winter lookes upon his field newly or lately sowne and sees nothing but mire and earth and dirt cry out and say all my seed is lost would not every one count him weake and tell him in the Spring he shall see the contrary Thy Spring O soule is comming it s now thy Winter season as before n = * Sect. i. chap. 5. was hinted and now thy seed is not seene for thy corruptions like dirty clods lye upon it But beare up O soule and expect with patience and thou shalt see thy seed springing up unto a Harvest of holinesse and of life But what if I should say as thou dost that thy seed i.e. the word which thou hast heard is dead I should not feed thy fear For know you not that which the Apostle saith 1 Cor. 15.36 thou foole that which thou sowest is not quickened except it dye It s a peece of folly to expect a quickening of seed sowne ere it rot and dye Verily saith Christ except a corne of wheat Joh. 12.24 fall into the ground and dye it abideth alone i. e. it increaseth not Even Christ himselfe sowne in the heart doth at least seemingly dye ere hee springs up Death passeth upon all our mercies in the seed and we find them only as by a resurrection Even that good seed of grace the holy word of the Gospell which hath beene sown in thy heart and lyes now as dead and rotten will arise and spring up ere long and thou shalt see it be not therefore O soule so cast down and dejected Lastly To wind up this case Admit as yet the Word of God never came like it selfe i e. as good seed to thee yet it may now God hath bid us in the preaching of the Word to be instant both in season and out of season And in effect he hath said to us as t is Eccles 1.6 To sow our seed in the morning and in the evening not to with hold our hand And how do we or you know which shall prosper Peradventure the seed that is sown in the evening may prosper with thee though that be lost which was sowne on thee in the morning Christ O soul for ought that I or thou knowest may in this reading or the next cause a blessing to be upon the seed And it may at last bring forth in thy heart sixty yea a hundred fold O be not faithlesse but beleeve Thou who now goest up and downe mourning for the want of a precious seed See Isa 55.10 11. and 35.1 2 3 4 See these places mayest ere long return rejoycing bearing sheaves Hath not the Lord said As the raine commeth down from heaven and returneth not thither but watereth the earth and maketh it bring forth and bud Even so shall the word which goeth forth of his mouth it shall not return empty Thou who now fearest thy selfe to bee a barren Wildernesse shall blossom abundantly and rejoyce This Christ hath commanded me to tell you who are of a fearfull heart therefore be not dejected or cast downe but be strong CHAP. 11. Satisfaction to the soule cast downe and troubled with feare about the Promises THe Promises are appointed and indeed were intended for our comfort but many souls who are dejected are so far from being comforted by them that they are troubled about them O say they had we assurance that we were interested in the Promises we could rejoyce Case but we question our right to them and we feare wee have no part or lot in them c. Now to raise up the soule cast down and labouring under this fear I shall present these particulars to be seriously considered First You have no just ground to say you have no right to the Promises God doth no where say that thou shalt have nothing to do with his Promises Sith God doth not exclude thee why shouldest thou exclude thy selfe It s not enough to say thou art a sinner for the Promises are tendred unto sinners It s observable there is one Promise or other made and tendred unto all sorts of sinners But. Secondly It s your duty to beleeve the Promises are yours and this is the way to come to know it It s a strange and ungospell-like expression to say I would beleeve the
O my soule and why art thou disquieted within me c. CHAP. 2. The explication with the division and doctrines of the Text. I Shall explicate the words of the Text a little so shall we be the better able to understand the meaning of them and to draw forth Observations from them Why art thou cast down O my soule and Why. The word or particle translated Why 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is and may bee otherwise translated As now to instance 1 It may be translated What. Job 11.8 And so t is as an inquiry into the truth of this trouble David doth as it were cunningly worke upon himselfe and say What art thou cast down Oh my soule is it so indeed Tell me oh my soule art reall in thy griefe art thou as much troubled as thou seemest to bee What is it so 2 It may be translated How And so it is a word of admiration Psal 36.8 as if David did admire to see his soule thus cast downe and t is as much as if David should say How Oh! how art thou cast downe O my soule how low dost thou lye how sadly dost thou sit how exceedingly art thou troubled Oh! how is it with thee 3 It may be translated after what manner Job 25.4 And so t is as if David should aske his soule What kind of sorrow this was which had possessed him and in what manner it was that he was troubled In what way art thou cast down O my soule 4 It may be translated Wherefore And thus it may looke two ways 1 To the end 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 aliquando ponitur pro 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sicut Mal. 2.15 and t is as much as if David should say Wherefore art thou cast down for what end Tell me O my soule what is the end that thou dost aime at in this sorrow what is thy designe in being cast down Thus it may be an inquiry into the end And 2 It may looke to the cause and so t is as much as for what cause Job 19.28 or reason art thou cast downe Canst tell why it is thus Say O my soul what is indeed the reason of thy being thus cast downe Cast down 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The word signifies properly to bow down or to lie flat or along upon the ground thus the word is applyed to worship or to mourning In the Psal 38.6 you have the word in its native signification translated and applyed to mourning I am troubled saith David and I am bowed down It s the same word As joy in the power therof lifts up so sorrow in the power thereof casts down Joshua full of trouble and sorrow casts himselfe downe prostrate oâ— the earth Josh 7.6 Davids trouble layes him prostrate as the word signifies yea he doth prostrate or cast down himselfe Coâ—jugatio Heth-pahel est significationis recipâ—oâ—ae His sorrow makes him his own over-thrower his soule casts downe it selfe for so the word in its conjugation signifies as the learned know O my soule 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The word is put for the whole soule I conceive in this place as it is in some other Davids whole soule was grieved sorrow had seized not upon a part onely but upon the whole And why art thou disquieted the word signifies properly to be tumultuous 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 tumultuari c. either as the Sea is in a storme or as a people are in a tumult In Psal 46. ver 3. it s applyed to the Seas and Psal 65.7 it s applyed to people Indeed sorrow in the strength of it causeth a storme and a tumult in the soule It maketh every thing to be out of order as things are in a tumult Within me Psal 3.1 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It may be and sometimes is translated against me Sorrow is against the soule Griefe is an enemy yea where it prevailes it makes the soul an enemy to its selfe Davids soul was disquieted against him Hope thou in God The word properly signifies to expect or to waite for with expectation yea it includes a patient tarrying a while Thus t is said Noah stayed or tarried 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 expectare Gen. 8.10 Sorrow renders us impatient Usually every passion when t is predominant overthrowes patience David therefore bids his soule to be patient and in that patience to stay a little and yet to expect God at last 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It s as much as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Gréek or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Hebrew For so he addes For I shall yet praise him Stay soule saith David For the particle sometimes hath the force of a finall cause As in that Job 3.11 Why the breasts that I should such 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. For what end did I sucke Thus here it may bee used and David may tacitly answer his soule which might bee ready to say as hee said what should I waite for the Lord any longer 2 King ult Why saith David waite O my soule for this end I shall praise him I shall Yet The particle is sometimes rendred Still or Alwayes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Psal 84.4 David knew however he was cast downe now yet he should alwayes praise And hereafter he should still praise God notwithstanding any thing now Praise him The word signifies in its first and most genuine sence to confesse and is so translated sometimes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ezr. 9.2 Dan. 9.1 And happily there is this in it here As if David did hint to his soul that however he might have hard unbeleeving thoughts of God at present yet notwithstanding hereafter he should confesse this as his weaknes as sometimes he did Psal 77.10 I said this was mine infirmity And he should confesse God was his God and his salvation and this he should do in a song of praise when he should worship towards the Temple from whence hee was now banished and praise his name for his loving kindnesse and truth as it is Psal 138.2 i e 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 confessing for its the same word both his loving kindnesse and his truth Who is the health of my countenance In the Hebrew it is only thus the healths in the plurall number of my countenance And in truth this will stand very fit with the former David tells his soule he should yet confessingly praise Gods salvations which he shewed to him Yea and that he should confesse him to be his God however now he might doubt it for so it followes and my God So that now put altogether and it amounts to thus much as if David should say What art thou cast down O my soule How strangely is it In what way is it For what end or cause is it that thou doest thus bow down and storme thy selfe
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
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
ground why you should not beleeve Others have been as low as you and yet God hath raised them Joh Asaph Heman Hezekiah c. were much cast down yet they were raised One of them cryes out I am afflicted and ready to dye Psal 88.15 Another cryes out his spirit was overwhelmed Psal 77.3 A third cryes out I shall never more see the Lord in the land of the living Esai 38.11 Thus these soules cryed out of their depths and yet were raised Be as low as thou doest or canst imagine yet thy deepest dejection can be no ground why thou shouldest not beleeve Nay hath not the Lord said that he regards the low estate of his servants And did not David say out of the deep I cryed and he heard me And he brought me up also out of the horrible pit as it is Psal 40.2 Suppose thy pit be very horrible yet out of that thou mayest bee brought up Thirdly Thy defilement can be no ground why thou shouldest not beleeve It s not thy dirtinesse O dejected soule that should increase thy doubt or hinder thy faith Christ raises the soul from the dunghill Yea he takes it up when it lyes in the Kennel Israel hath not been forsaken not Judah of his God THOUGH their land were FILLED with sin against the Holy one of Israel Jer 51 5. Marke it though they were filled with sin yet they were not really whatever they thought forsaken of their God That Jesus who dyed for you when you were dead in sin wil raise thee though thou be defiled with sin Suppose your soule as vile a sinner as Satan represents you yet remember Christ dyed for sinners for ungodly for enemies Rom. 5.6 8 10. So that thy defilement is no just ground why thou shouldest not beleeve Lastly Thy former and present doubtings and unbeleefe can be no just ground why you may not beleeve Admit thou hast doubted long yet thou mayest beleeve at last Quest But What will not doth not my unbeleefe cut me off from the Promise Answ No past unbeleefe is no just hinderance to faith now Davids former doubting did not hinder his injoyment of the Promise It is true he said in his hast as you doe He was quite cast out And that all men were Lyars he meant the Prophets who told him of the promises and yet God setled him notwithstanding his unbeleefe Thy unbeleefe shall not make voyd Gods faithfulnesse doe not say I have doubted so long that it is in vaine to beleeve now But remember O soule former doubtings shall be remembred no more if thou beleeve now So that you see there is no ground to hinder faith there is neither inhibition by God nor is there any warrant in thee why thou shouldest not beleeve neither the depth of thy dejection nor the degree of thy defilement nor all thy former doubtings shall hinder Christ from helping why should they then hinder thee from beleeving Secondly Consider the Promises are made to the lowest state soules in the deepest dejection are directly under the Promise now if the Promises are thine made to thee and to such as thee why shouldest thou not beleeve Is thy power quite gone and is there none left to help thee Why that Promise is thine Deut. 33.36 Art poore and needy and dost seeke water and there is none found yea doth thy tongue faile for thirst Then that Promise is thine Esa 41.17 Art in the darke and seest no light why to thee is that word Trust on thy God Isa 50. last And though thou sit in the darke yet thou shalt see light as Micha 7.9 yea and light is sowen for thee Psal 96. It may be thou seest it not yet it lyes sowne as seed and wil spring up again The Lord wil create peace for thee that art farre off from it Esa 57.17 Search the rich store-house of the Promises and thou wilt see most of them pointing out their finger to thee Why sayest thou God hath forgotten thee Can a Mother forget her children yea though she can God will not forget thee Esa 49.15 Say not Thy way is hid from thy God for he giveth power to the FAINT and to them that have NO MIGHT he increaseth strength Isa 40.29 Thus all the Promises speake to thee O beleeve beleeve saith every Promise for my sake and for my sake c. Hadst thou but a peradventure it were ground to hang upon and it were enough to keep thee from sinking There is a peradventure for the vilest 2 Tim. 2.25 But thou hast more then a peradventure of healing for it is expresly said I will heale back-slidings marke it BACK-SLIDINGS and I will love freely Hos 14.4 up therefore O cast downe soule act thy faith beleeve Christ can yea and wil help thee raise thee and thou shalt praise him as the health of thy countenance and as thy God Obj. But I am afraid to beleeve what I that am thus low and so vile that have no might and see no means It is meer presumption in me to beleeve I should presume if I beleeved c. Answ Say not so O soule Presumption is not simply in case of Salvation but in case of sinning Indeed if thou shouldest say I shall be saved and therefore I may sinne this were presumption but to say I have sinned yet I shall be saved this is FAITH Thou art wrath though we have sinned in them is continuance and we shall be saved as it is Isa 64.5 This Scripture is a very precious place in which comfort is held forth and laid hold upon by faith notwithstanding the Sinners wickednesse or Gods wrath De Dieu translates the whole verse thus Thou meetest him that rejoyceth and doth i.e. who with joy doth righteousnesse by thy wayes they remember thee If thou wert angry when we sinned or by way of question Behold thou wert angry when we sinned yet in them i. e. in thy wayes is eternity that we might be saved The whole place indeed is a sweet and strong support to faith notwithstanding sins the meaning of which according to that Commentator is The wayes of God are not changed but are fo ever the same and therefore what grace and bounty he hath used to shew the same he still will use to miserable sinners that we might be saved Indeed this is a good and sweet interpretation of this place but I think there is another interpretation as cleare if not more comfortable that is if by in them we understand our sins Thus wee have sinned and in them i. e. our sins is continuance for alas we continue still sinfull after Gods wrath for them and yet notwithstanding this we shall be saved and thus Calvin sweetly glosseth it Although we have been obstinate in our sins for sin after wrath or chastisement is obstinacy and so deserved to be destroyed a hundred times yet through thy mercy we are still saved See Soule here is mercy for obstinate sinners and consider did not Christ