these 15 Symptomes wherin I have beene some what large because they are sutable to these deserting times I shall now give you three grounde or reasons why there are such eclipses or cloudings of Gods countenance First because the spirit of God which is a spirit of wisdom 1 Ground The Spirit of God is free worker and revelation a spirit of life and light a spirit of love and of a sound minde a Eph. 1.17 is a free and arbitray agent he workes when 2 Tim. 1.7 and where and in what measure he pleaseth as the wind bloweth where it listeth so the spirit workes where and how he pleaseth b John 3.8 to some he reveales more to some lesse of the minde of God none are perfect in there faith love joy while they remaine heere as he is free to give the soule comfort and speake peace to it so he may as freely withdraw his divine influence from it at least in some measure and degree and who can blame him for so doing since he acts freely and every dram of peace and comfort which any poore soule hath is meerely of grace and benevolence if you have more communion with God then your brethren and a bound in the comforts of the holy Ghost whilst they morne under sad discouregments you have so much the morecause to magnifie the grace of God for what have you which you have not received as the sun is free in shining on your outward man so the spirit of God is also free in casting his beames upon your inward man * Donum spiritus liberum est nulli merito alligatum Musc Secondly the Lord in his infinit wisdome layes you low 2 Ground Saìnts are brought low that they may sympathize with their brethren that you may pittie others that are in a sad conditon over whome you would otherwise insult and triumph such as have knowne the terrors of God and have beene in the depths of sorrow and affliction themselves will Sympathize with there afflicted brethern experience makes a compassionate and tender hearted Christian if ye be wounded your selves you would be sensible of others if you be exercised in the spirituall warfare your selves you will pitty those that by groaning under the burthen of corruption by exercise wee come to be expert souldiers in the Campe of Christ indeed the speculative part of religion is not comparable to the practicall our Saviour himself was tempted that he might be a compassionate high preist and know how to helpe others that are tempted a Heb. 4.15 you are apt to grow proud and wanton when you have much comfort and greate raptures you are puffed up with your inlargments and looke at your poore wounded afflicted brethren at a great distance the Lord it may be will take away your comforts and put you into the same capacity with them that you may be sensible of their sorrowes no temptation hath taken others but it may also surprize you yee may ere long for ought I know mourne after your beloved as the Spouze did in the Canticles though you have the bridgrooms presence now with you it may be shortly taken frō you and then your countenances wil be sad and your harts be filled with sorrow you ought therefore to be so far from censuring your disconsolate brethren as that you should morne with them and helpe to beare their burthens so fulfill the law of Christ which is a law of love Thirdly because God will put a differēce in the measure 3 Ground God will have Saints know they have not a full poffession of heaven here of the Saints enjoyments here and in glory here they live by faith there by sence and vision here their comforts ebbe flow but there they have an uninterrupted communion with God a fulnesse of joy in the beatificall vision of the Lord of glory 't is true the saints in this world have experience of that joy which is unspeakable and glorious but they have but a tast of it some times they are so carried up in the spirit as that the most excellent things in the world are as nothing unto them but these raptures are not of long continuance there is as great if not a greater difference betweene the Saints here and the Saints in glory in the measure of there joyes as betweene the Saints that lived under the old administration those that have liv'd since Christs ascention when he distributed great portions of his spirit to the sonnes of men a Eph. 4.8 as princes use to give great gifts at the time of their coronation the Apostle cleares this excellently in the 1. Cor. 13 12. now wee see darkly through a glasse or medium now wee have but a Darke sight of the glory of God but then namely when the vaile is rent and corruption swallowed up wee shall see face to face now wee know but in part but then wee shall know even as wee are knowne the failings and imperfections of the most spirituall Saints do sufficiently confesse the vaine interpretation which some give on this place namely that the perfect vision of God is to be referred to the Saints there which cannot be obtained without a change of the outward man this mortality must put on immortality and this corruption incorruption at the glorious appearance of the sonne of God when the Kingdome shal be delivered up to the father and the father shal be all in all b 1 Cor. 15. now we are the sons of God it doth not appeare what we shal be but wee know when he doth appeare we shall be like him for wee shall see him as hee is b 1 John 3.2 hee shall change our vild bodies that they may be fashioned like his glorious body c Phil. 3.1 21 and this is that which the Saints long after as the great marriage feast the complement of their joy and happinesse praying continually come Lord Jesus come quickly Vse 1 Spurne not at this Doctrine as too low and carnall for you let not such a thought enter into your hearts but examine your selves strictly concerning it that at length if it be the will of God yee may be sensible of your great losse for a man to be wounded and not know it aggravates his afflictions to be miserable yet to be ignorant of it adds to his inisery the time was when you had tender consciences broken and contrite hearts and were sensible of the stratagems of Satan and the deceitfulnesse of your owne spirits yee have also seene the out-goings of God and your mouthes have beene filled with mirth and singing as the bird in a summers morning oh how pleasant and delightfull have the truths of God and Saints of God beene to you but now behold and oh that you were sensible of it yee walke in a desart and wildernesse where there is no water darknesse is your habitation you feed on chaff and windy notions in which
age it is neither wholly night nor wholly day with us but we expect a glorious evening wee looke for a time when truth shall vanquish error and light shall swallow up darknesse And those that have a name they live and yet are dead shall be plainly discovered and that maske and vizard pull'd off where with they have blinded many precious Saints I meane their pretences of high and glorious discoveries without relation to the blood of a crucified Christ which is not only sleighted and undervalued by Papists and others that live under a Covenant of works but also by another sort of Professors who have much of the Spirit of divine light and dying to the flesh and carnall created things in their mouthes the Lord Jesus in the sufferings of his humane nature is laid aside as an Almanack out of date or an old administration or fleshly appearance out of which they are passed And this is that spirit of Antichrist which began to work in Johns time and appeared much in Luthers time in Zwenkfeld his followers who judged Luther and other faithful Christians to be men of a very low straine that lived under a carnall administration upon the letter and history not knowing God in Spirit and in mystery which is the very language of the manifestarians in these daies concerning many precious Saints I shall be far from stirring up the civill Magistrate against those that erre in judgment about spirituall things so they submit to lawfull Authority in civill things for this were to thwart the straine of Christs Gospel which exhorts us to love and forbearance if peradventure the Lord will give them repentance to the acknowledgment of the truth a Heb. 10.2 our weapons saith the Apostle are not carnall but spiritual b 2 Cor 10 4. and my Kingdome saith our Saviour is not of this world if it were my disciples would fight c Ioh. 18.36 Howbeit it concerns every Christian soul to mourn before the Lord and to be earnest with him in prayer that he would consume the man of sin with the breath of his nostrills and that he would throw down the strong holds of Satan namely those horrid errors and blasphemies which are crept into the Churches of Christ I shall desire thee Christian Reader to read this little book without prejudice and to avoid jangling and strife and minde the things that tend to peace and edification Now the Lord give thee and mee a seeing eye a hearing eare and an understanding heart Farwell To the Christian READER HIgh attainments and choyce Communion with God are a great Happinesse such as many Saints come not up to nor all that pretend they have them doe enjoy Some judge themselves on the top of Mount Sion when they are at the foot thereof they are without sinne perfect live in the Essence of God neither Christ nor any of his institutions are considerable with them The Ministery is a delusion the Ordinances of the Gospel low administrations empt Cloudes fleshly appearances and dead formes righteousnesse holinesse faith are to them of little account Immediate revelations are onely looked at the holy Scriptures laid aside Whereupon Satans delusions are often taken for the Spirits discoveries and these conceit themselves all Spirit manifest much flesh Is it not fleshly wisdome to put down what the infinite wisdome of God hath set up to seek out inventions of out own and not to be content with the Gosspel which is the power of God to mans salvation Reader art thou beyond others in knowledge holinesse high attainments let not thy tongue but life declare it Christ had the Spirit not by measure John 3.34 he was annointed above his fellowes Heb. 1.9 fill'd with all the fulnesse of God Colos 2.9 yet he conversed with sinners Matth. 9.11 pray'd with others Luk. 9.28 frequented the Assemblies Luke 4.16 preached to mixt multitudes Mark 6.33 34. pray'd before meat Matth. 19.19 15.36 Communicated with his disciples Mat. 26.29 made use of the Scriptures Luk. 4.17 18 19 20 21. and directed others to do so John 5.39 How is it then that any should cast off such duties Have they more of the Spirit than Christ Are they richer than he If such thoughts lodge in them the Lord teach them to know themselves to bee lowly minded and to esteeme other better than themselves Phil. 2.3 What heights soever such speak of they are in a bottome greatly benighted and clouded decay'd rather than growne Christians Declinings are dangerous growth is comfortable It 's matter not onely of observation but of complaint that the power of godlinesse is much abated in most Saints Many in England have lost their first love it 's time for them to remember former dayes and to doe their first works lest severe judgements divorce them from their sweetest comforts This little Treatise very savoury and seasonable written with a Dove-like Spirit will discover to thee thy declensions and direct thee to the ready way of recovery Read it with a single heart and the Lord make it a blessing to thee W. G. Saints in England under a Cloude THat such as are spirituall and have tasted of the specially love and grace of God may yet for ends best known to him be cast into a sleepy and languishing condition and brought to a low ebb in their owne sense and feeling is an experimented and undeniable truth and hereof we have divers instances in holy writ Job was a godly man there was none like unto him and yet the Lord hid his countenance from him and writ bitter things against him a Job 13.26 and David and Heman were filled with horror and amazement in the apprehension of the Lords withdrawing his comforts and the light of his countenance from them and the Church of Christ was once put upon this sad and dismall conclusion That the Lord had forsaken her yea her Lord had forgotten her b Isa 49.14 Cant. 5.6 Nay in this we have the Lord Jesus himself for an example who as touching his humane nature wanted those sensible feelings and injoyments of God which he was wont to have in so much that this blessed Saviour of mankinde cried out in the bitternesse of his soule My God my God why hast thou forsaken me c Mat. 27.48 And againe My soule is exceeding sorrowfull even unto the death d Mat. 26.38 For our better understanding of this truth Two sorts of desertions and that wee may have a distinct knowledge of it according to the Scriptures we are to consider two sorts of desertion which differ much the one from the other First 1. A reall desertion there is a totall reall desertion and rejection by God and this is when the Lord hardens the heart of a man as hee hardned the heart of Pharaoh e Exo. 4.21 and wholly withdrew the influence and beames of divine grace from him the Lord wil call him no more he will breath on him no
longer by the breathings of his Spirit now this kind of desertion true Saints are not capable of nor subject unto For although there is oftentimes a withholding from them comforts and inlargements yet never a totall withdrawing of grace f Isa 54.10 for it is grace and grace only that supports them and bears up their spirits in a drooping and disconsolate condition it is the power of the Lords grace upon their souls that prevents sad disasters and desperate attempts which otherwise Satan and their flesh would put them upon Secondly 2. A suspension of comfort there is another kind of desertion which cannot properly be called a desertion but rather a Suspension of those soul refreshing manifestations influences and consolations of the Spirit which a Saint hath formerly enjoyed neither is this totall and universall but partiall and graduall in respect of measure and degree a true Christian is never so forsaken of God but he partakes in some measure of the influences and opperations of the Spirit of grace though there may not be such heatings and warmings as there have been The Sunne you know shines upon the earth in Winter as well as in Summer yet the earth is not so warmed heated nor the trees made so fruitfull by the influence of the Sunne in Winter as in Summer just so it is with a Christian he hath his Winter as well as his Summer seasons his nights as well as his dayes his complainings as well as his consolations but yet observe that this kind of desertion if it may be so called which a Saint is capable of is rather in his apprehension than reall The soul-ravishing object which is God in Christ is not darkned or eclipsed in it selfe God is perfect light and in him is no darknesse at all g 1 Joh. 1.5 But the darknesse is in the understanding or apprehensive faculty which is but renewed in part the flesh as a thick mist or cloude interposes it self betwixt the object and our understandings as betwixt the Sunne and our corporall eyes so that wee cannot clearly see into the things that are revealed or comprehend fully the glory of the spirituall object The Saints may be considered under a twofold notion Saints considered in a twofold relation or relation this will help much to the clearing of the matter in hand First 1. In justification as they are in a state of Justification and union with God in Christ and this admits of no change diminution or increase the weak Christian is as much justified as much united to God he hath as much interest and propriety in Christ though hee cannot make so much advantage and improvement of it as the strong Christian who hath a greater degree of faith the ground and matter of justification which is the free grace of God in and by the blood of Christ as Mediator h Ephes 1.6 7. Ro 3.24 25. remaines sure stedfast and unmoveable notwithstanding the daily sinnings and backslidings of saints the Covenant which they are under is an everlasting Covenant of free grace which cannot be disanulled i Jer. 32.40 and the bond of their spirituall union which is the Spirit of grace and love is an eternall bond that can never be broken or dissolved as the bond of temporall Marriage may be God hath betrothed his Saints to him for ever and hath given them his Spirit to be a Seale k Ephes 1.13 and a pledge of his everlasting love to them Secondly 2. In Sanctification the Saints may be considered in their Sanctification and communion with God which is an effect or product of their justification and union l Gal. 4.6 now in this the Saints have experience of great changes and alterations of ebbings and flowings as in the Sea of increasings and decreasings as in the Moone Their communion with God and enjoyment of him is sometimes greater sometimes lesser as God manifests himself to them and the Sun of righteousnesse shines on them you shall have a Christian high in communion with God when hee meets with a ful-tide and fresh-gale of the Spirit m The Spirit is compared to wind Cant. 4.6 hee goes on merrily in his way and passes over the Red sea of temptations as it were with a fore-right winde but when the wind blowes not at all or else blowes but softly either he cannot hoiz saile or at the best heeds forced having but a side wind to tacke often about and make many boords before hee get to shore Here you may aske me why Saints now under the new Testament administration Quest are lesse surprized with spirituall languishings and swoonings than Saints were under the old Testament administration The old administration ingendered bondage Answ and terror in those who lived under it although they were sonnes yet were they dealt with as servants though they were heires yet were they used as children in nonage n Gal. 4.1 2 3. Gal. 5.1 but the new administration brings peace and liberty to Saints This the Apostle handels excellently as in other places so especially in the 2 to the Cor. 3 Chap. Therefore those Christians that act much from a spirit of bondage and yeeld to slavish feares terrors though they may be right in the maine yet doubtless their carriage and demeanour is not answerable to the new Testament administration Now the reason as I conceive why Job and David and other eminent believers in the old Testament had so much horror upon their spirits is because they lived under a typical administration and were types of Christ * God exhibited spiritual things to believers under the old Testament in Types and shadows Heb. 10.1 not only in their bodily sufferings but also in their spirituall agonies and temptations in the one they shaddowed forth the sufferings of his body * Vide Calv. Institu lib. 2. Cap. 11. Sect. 3. ad finem and in the other the sufferings of his soule And now the old administration being abolished and a new one taking place we doe not read that the Saints who lived since Christs ascension have had so much horror and bondage upon their spirits as Job and David had Neverthelesse it cannot be denied but the Saints have their ebbings and languishings under the new Testament more or lesse Paul that chosen vessell of God had conflicts within as well as terrors without he was not alwayes carried up into the third heaven as he writes of himself o 2 Cor. 12 but had sometimes experience of sad qualmes and aguish fits and in Johns time which according to the opinion of some was a time of more light The Angels of the Church of Ephesus p Rev. 2.4 5. who were faithfull and so acknowledged by Christ himself in the 2 and 3 verses had lost their first love and were fallen from their former zeale and therefore Christ bids them remember from whence they were fallen and repent and
who whilest they depend on their owne righteousnesse are the greatest enemies to the righteousnesse of Christ Secondly in a more refined mysterious way attributing that to frames of spirit and to the acts of faith love joy which some falsly call God in them which should be attributed only to the righteousnes and bloodshed of the Lord Jesus If you fall on any thing for life salvation though never so spetious besides the righteousnesse of Christ as Mediator or if you looke on any thing either externall without you or internall within you as a ground of your peace apart from or without relation to the blood of Christ whereby the same is rendered acceptable in the sight of God this is to fall under a Covenant of works and oh that this were but rightly considered by those who count the knowledge of Christ in his Mediatorship and Preist-hood to be no other than a knowledge of him after the flesh Object Rom. 8.14 Yee have not received the spirit of bondage againe to feare how then can the Saints be brought into bondage and under a Covenant of works T is true Answ the Spirit of God having once spoken peace to a believer he doth not afterwards bring him into bondage by telling him that he is under wrath and in chaines of darknesse for this were a plaine contradiction which is far from the Spirit of God who is truth and is no lye z 1 Joh 2. c 7. neverthelesse the Saints may be brought into bondage after they have received the Seale of the Spirit as they may also be deluded with errors which wee must not impute to the Spirit of God but to Satan and the flesh for these two joyne together to rob God of the glory of his grace The Spirit who is free in his operation causeth terror and slavish feare in the believing soule no other wayes than the Sunne causeth darkness by suspending his beames and irradiations doubtlesse so far as wee hearken to the suggestions and language of the Spirit of God wee shall be conducted into the way of truth peace and comfort but wee often give credit to Satan that lying spirit and so are led from Christ the true way into dangerous paths Suppose yee take counsel both of an honest-man and a deceiver so far as you follow the advise of the honest-man yee prosper well in your businesse but if you will be tampering with the advise of the deceiver which is our case then wee have to doe with Satan who is the great Jugler yee will be cozened and deluded Ninthly 9 Symptome If ye slight the communion of Saints if the society and communion of Saints especially such as keep close in their judgments to the simplicity of the Gospel and are most spirituall holy and watchfull in their conversations be tedious and burthensome unto you so that you forsake their assemblies and meetings as it was the manner of some in the Apostles dayes a Heb. 10.25 And though yee are convinced that they have much of the Image of God upon them and your hearts have been wonderfully expatiated and enlarged whilst you frequented their assemblies God having unbosomed his love to you in the communication of their experiences yet now your spirits swell and rise up against them as too strick and too watchfull for you not long since their company and discourse was delightsome and precious unto you oh you could not be absent from them an houre you were never in your right element but when you were conversing with them I appeale to you did not your hearts often burne and were not your affections raised heaven wards in communicating with them where then is your former zeale and love seeing now yee are as much or more affected with the company of meere worldings or lukewarme Gospellers or sleight spirited Opinionists than with the Society of these precious saints certainely they have but could affections to Christ who looke on the communiion of saints as an arbitrary indifferent thing And as this is a symptome of decaying in spiritualls so it argues much vanity and slightnesse of spirit if you be taken up in your meetings with circumstanciall and trisling things and so fall to jangling and strif (a) 1 Tim. 1. 4 5 6 7. neglecting those blessed truthes wherein the Saints concur and agree as namely the Doctrine of Justification by Christ of assurance by the spirit and liveing upon God by saith in our severall callings and relations and herein professiors doe as children use to do who looke more on the outside than on that which is with in and prize bables and toyes more than Preclous things Religion which consists in a conformity of the hart to God is now turned into a dispure and made use of only as a head notion a sad thing hee that is the greatest disputant and can utter bigg swelling words is counted the most excellent Christian whereas many dispute much of religion that manifest but little of the power of it and those that are spirituall and walke circumspectly can tell you from experience that they have seldome or never mett with the comforts of God in disputes but have come away from them with sad harts and drooping spirits and how can it be otherwise since men exalt their owne notions and gifts more than Christ and strive more for victory than for truth in contending for their opinions Thirdly when men are let loose to a spirit of bitternesse 10 Symptome If there be much bitternesse against dissenting brethren invie and parsecution So that they stuff and fill their bookes sermons and discourses with gall and wormeword and rake up all the dunghills they can meete with that so they might find a matter against brethren who in some things oiffer from them looking on that which is true Christian charity according to the Apostls description (a) 1 Cor. 13. as want of true zeale such a spirit as this hath acted much of late in professors that live under seuerall formes and indeed ye that have a close commuinon with God a cleere judgment in the things of God may see these angry bitter men that would violently obtrude upon their brethren every opinion they hold though but Circumstanciall under a penalty notwithstanding their heat of spirit grow exceeding colde in the practicall part of Godlinesse and in the duties of Christian Charity while they continually cry out errors errors c. without excerciseing bowells of compassion towards their brethren they themselves loose much of their Communion with God for whereas they ought in tendernesse of heart to pray and mourne for their brethrē if fallen into any error either of doctrin or practise and endeavour by meekness of spirit to set them in joynt againe * So the word signifies Gal. 6.1 in the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Quemadmodum incolumitati naturae diligentia medicorum servit ita Christiana Charitas sanitati mentium cordium tam
THe Saints are cloathed with the Sun yet often under a Cloud Their path is like the morning light shining more and more unto the perfect day yet they often decline Cloudings are their affliction and Declinings are their sinne To prevent or remedy either is a great worke Both are aimed at in this little Treatise wherein the case of a Spirituall declension is distinctly stated and the symptomes of it clearly represented So that the Christian Reader comparing his heart and life with this discourse may either praise God for his growth or pray away his decayes in grace Soul-declinings are too visible among the Saints in England And therefore I judge it seasonable to make this or any faithfull Discovery and cure of them legible June 9. 1648. Joseph Caril THE SAINTS Declining state UNDER Gospel Administrations OR The case of Desertion briefly stated in a few Considerations with several Symptomes of the Saints Decreasing and Declining in Spirituals Very useful in these times wherein there is much of Notion and little of the Power of Godliness manifested By William Troughten Minister of the Gospel at Wanlep in Leicestershire LONDON Printed by J. M. for Livewell Chapman at the Crowne in Popes-head Alley MDCLII To his Excellency the Lord Fairfax Generall of the Parliaments forces Noble S ir THE God of Armies hath done great things by you as an instrument for the peace and security of his people in this bleeding Kingdome I may speak it without flattery that you are the glory of England and so you will be ever esteemed by all true English-men your place is honourable your birth is noble but much more your spirit which God hath raised and fitted for great and honorable acheivements When Saul was made King of Israel the Lord gave him a royall spirit fit for Kingly government and surely when your EXCELLENCY was appointed Generall of the Parliaments Army a fourefold portion of the spirit of wisdome courage and meeknes was poured out upon you that you might be as bold as a lyon and yet as meek as a lambe which two excellent vertues have shined forth in your conversation The Lord hath given large testimony to your faithfulnesse by many unparelled successes so that the Army under your EXCELLENCIES command since they were first modelt'd have not been frustrated in any warlike attempt and however some discontented spirits that are engaged to a faction censure your proceedings yet I am confident there is no man that hath a drop of true English blood runing in his veines or that hath a right understanding of the privileges of the subjects of England but will blesse God for you and make an honorable mention of the very name of the Lord Farfax and the army under his command You are yet on the stage and many eyes are upon you he that hath hitherto enabled you to play your part wisely for the preservation of three bleeding Kingdoms will I doubt not in his own good time bring you off honourably and all those under your command that are acted by the same principles of publique interest T is true deare Sir there are divers members of your Army as there will be in such a numerous body that are slight-spirited and hold many heterodox and unsound opinions which no sober Christian can approve of yet this I can speake uppon mine owne certaine knowledge That there is a pretious publique spirited people in your army a people that mourn for the divisions of the times a people that seeke the glory of Christ and not their owne honour a people that walke much with God and have a close communion with bin and who recount continually with much thankfulnesse the sweete providences and dispensations of God towards them and the whole Kingdome by them As for your Excellency It hath pleased the Lord to try you severall waies not only by the malitious slaunders of open adversaries and by your 〈…〉 weaknesses but also the unChristian and ungratful censurings of pretended friends and of these their are two sorts i those that are riged in their opinions and practice touching Church goverment and 2 another sort who are or were lately members of your army that pretend to be above formes and to have an extraordinary knowledge of divine misteries but to speake the truth they are low and carnall and disobedient to lawfull authority both civill and martiall and indeed the power of our good God hath wonderfully appeared in carying you through these great temptations and difficulties with much settlenesse and chearfullnesse of spirit If the Lord had not been on your side may you say you bad been swallowed up ere this and the prosperity and happinesse of three Kingdomes in you Let the Lord have the glory of this as hee hath had of his other mercies from your Excellency Sir I am bold to tender this little treatise to your Excellency if I did not look on you as humble and spirituall I should not present it to you for it is not sutable to the wisdome and greatnesse of the world but to the experience of humble Saints with whose hidden priviledges and comforts I doubt not you are well acquainted Now the Lord stablish you in the truth and blesse you and yours with all spirituall and heavenly blessings in Christ Your EXCELL humbl and faithfull servant W. T. To the Reader Christian Reader I Have observed of late that the Saints generally through out this Kingdome have loft much of the power and vitalls of Religion since they entred on needlesse disputes and while some pretend to live above Ordinances and Formes they live below God and Christ in and upon the world and although they offer liberty to others yet they themselves as the Apostle speakes are the bond-slaves of corruption being lull'd asleep by Satans delufions so made insensible of the want of those reall injoyments of God which they have had in his Ordinances * See the Epistle of 12. Ministers to the Reader before the Book intituled The cleare Sun-shine of the Gospel breaking forth upon the Indions in new England lately set forth by T.S. I have therefore thought it my christian dutie to publish this small Treatise as that which may be usefull for such Professors if God give a spirit of humility self-denyall which though it be dressed in a simple and homely phrase without the varnish of humane elocution yet it discovers some spirituall experience of the work of Gods spirit which infinitely surpasseth all humane and acquired abilities The poore Indians in New England may shame the Professors in Old Enland Others have treated on this Subject in printed bookes but as I humbly conceive with due regard to their elaborate discourses they speak not fully to the present condition of the Saints and to these times of confusion wherein the mystery of iniquity works in a high measure under guilded and specious pretences and Satan himself is transformed into an Angel of light What shall we say of this
doe their first works So that in the purest times the Saints have had their cold fits their retrogradations and goings back in spiritualls Thus much for the proofe of the premisses now that the weak ones may not be offended at this discourse for I would not willingly offend or stumble any that professe the name of Christ it will be necessary to premise a few cautions 4. Considerations by way of caution for preventing mistakes and informing the judgment a right before I come to the Symptomes and in order there unto I shall lay down these following considerations First as Satan that lying spirit may delude thee 1. Consi Satan will tempt you to think worse of your spirituall condition than it is by flattering thee into a beliefe that thy soule is in a flourishing growing condition by reason of some gifts and enlargements when it is otherwise and thus he deales with hypocrites and temporary believers so may he likewise accomplish his wicked designe by perswading thee that thou art in a languishing condition when thou art not by the one he would puffe thee up and make thee glory in the flesh and by the other he would expose thee to such discouragements that thou shouldest not serve God comfortably in thy calling as hee will tempt thee to think better of thy condition than it is so likewise to think worse of it than it is by presenting before thee false mediums and glasses and putting thee upon consulting with flesh and blood which is no competent judge in spiritualls for the flesh savoureth not the things of God q Mat. 16.23 Now this latter temptation of Satan commonly surprizeth a Christian when he hath a deep sense of his own vilenesse and is much abased in himself his heart in an humble and contrite frame for then 't is most probable such a temptation may take a deep impression therefore at such times take heed you deny not the work of grace and the operation of the Spirit of God upon your souls acknowledge your own nothingness but with all be sensible of the love of God towards you in changing and renewing your hearts Secondly 2. Consi The keennesse of a corruption doth not infallibly preâ—â—â—se a declension in spiritualls it cannot be safe for a Christian to judge of his spiritual condition by the keennesse or activeness of this or that corruption in him for the soul may have intimate converse and familiarity with God and be filled with that peace which passeth understanding when yet it is buffetted and exercised with the bublings up and stirrings of corruption and this was Pauls case in the 7th to the Romans 1 Rom. 7. where after a great conflict with the flesh hee comes off a conquerer by the consideration of the victories of Christ and in another place r he tells us that he had a thorne or prick in the flesh which was some notable corruption or other and though hee had prayed thrice against it yet still it continued vexing the good man to the end that his faith patience might be exercised and therefore the Lord tells him for his comfort that his grace was sufficient for him notwithstanding the malice of Satan and the daringness of his lusts and that the Lords strength was made perfect in his weaknesse Å¿ 2 Cor. 12. Here Paul was not in a spirituall consumption because he was exercised with the stirrings of corruption but therefore God permitted it that he might not trust in himself but in the Lord so neither shouldest thou presently conclude upon the stirring of every corruption that thou art run behind hand in true mortification for as some Patients that are nigh unto death make a great bustling and are so strong when they are giving up their last breath that two or three men can scarse hold them or as the body of a man after he hath received his deaths wound will leape and move from place to place even so it is with the lusts and corruptions of believers for though they are knockt in the head and have received their deaths wound by the death of Christ yet will they bustle and make a stir so long as wee remaine in this Tabernacle and untill the flesh be perfectly subdued in us by the Spirit 3. Cons The distemperature of the body hinders internal actings Thirdly the constitution of the body if distempered with melancholy and other ill humours may and doth cloude the understanding and interrupt the internall motions and operations of the renewed soul So that a Christian cannot clearely apprehend them in himselfe or make out the same to others Melancholick Christians are as full of divine experiences as heavenly and spirituall as any yet when this duskish humour and black distemper of melancholy which may well be called the devils cushion is prevalent upon them oh what false conclusions what grosse mistakes and carnall reasonings what closing in with Satans suggestions and fighting under his coulours doe these bewray at such times how shamelesse are they in denying what Christ hath done for them and what the Spirit hath wrought in them and evidenced to them which they will thankfully acknowledg when the skie is clear the weather faire when the cloude of melancholy is dispelled and the foggy mists of temptations scattered and therefore it behoves Saints not to judge of their spirituall condition in melancholick and pettish fits for the Satan and their owne lying hearts joyning together will deceive them Fourthly 4. Cons Saints differ in the measure of their spirituall growth as some trees grow taller and shoot forth more than others so is it with Saints in their spirituall growth there are Saints of severall degrees and measures as there are several gifts and dispensations and but one Spirit t 1 Cor. 12. so there are severall degrees of faith love joy humility and all even the least of them streaming from that one Spirit Unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ u Eph. 4.7 Some have more and others lesse according to the wise dispensation of the Father perhaps thou art not so high in communion with God as others are thou hast not high attainments but art low and dead hearted comparing thy self with others wilt thou therefore conclude that thou hast no communion with God at all or that there is a decrease of thy communion with him that thou art no member at all because thou art not the most eminent member or that thou art a languishing dying member because thou art not so nimble and active in spirituall performances as others These are false conclusions and shew forth a great deale of pride and unthankfulness Thus much by way of caution now I come to the Symptomes of a Christians abatement in spiritualls in the handling whereof I shall be somewhat large First 1. Symtome If there be a decay of love humility self-denyall if there
be a decrease and abatement of spiritual love humilty and self-denyall so that you grow sleight and envious and high minded truly it is a sad Symptome it may be you have great gifts and excell in outward performances high and lofty expressions of more than ordinary enjoyments of God as if yee only did reigne and none were comparable to you and yet all this while you walk proudly and vainly and whilst you boast of high attainments you live much below God Thus it was with some in the Church of Corinth x 1 Cor. 4.7 8. who looked on Paul and the other Apostles as not worthy to be compared with them in spirituall enjoyments and here upon the Apostle makes use of that ironicall expression which wee may take up in our dayes Now yee are full now yee are rich yee have reigned as Kings without us and I would to God that yee did reigne that wee also might reigne with you I would it were so indeed as you say that we might beare you company and share with you in your enjoyments But these very Corinthians were so far from excelling the Apostl in a spirituall way that they were much below him and walked carnally Are yee not carnall saith the Apostle for as much as there are divisions among you and I could not speak to you as unto spirituall but as unto carnall even as unto babes in Christ y 1 Cor. 3.1 Now in this there may be great mistakes and therefore take these rules First if you have greater enjoyments of God than your brethren Rule 1. The clearer apprehensions you have of God the viler you will be in your owne eyes you will then see more into the evil of your own hearts and bewaile the same doubtless the more you see of God the viler you will be in your owne eyes if God appeare unto you in his glorious perfections you cannot but lie in the dust in the sense of your owne filthinesse and imperfections and for this we have divers instances in scripture when the Lord had invailed his glory to Job how did it humble and abase him Behold said he z Iob. 40.4 5. I am vile what shall I answer thee I will lay my hand upon my mouth once I have spoken but I will not answer yea twice but I will proceed no further I will expostulate the case with God no longer neither will I plead mine owne righteousnesse with him And againe a Chap. 42. verse 5 6. I have heard of thee by the bearing of the eare that would not move him but nowmine eye seeth thee now I come to see thy glorious Attributes and perfections thou having opened mine eyes by thine owne Spirit wherefore I abborre my selfe in dust and ashes And so Ezekiel when he saw the appearance of the likenesse of the glory of God b Ezek. 1.28 he fell on his face in token of humility and self abasement And the Prophet Isaiah when he saw that glorious vision Chap. 6.5 cryed out in the sense of his owne vilenesse We is me for I am undone because I am a man of uncleane lips mine eyes have seen the King the Lord of hosts If you have seen the Lord in his glorious appearances oh your hearts will be humble your consciences tender your spirits full of self deny all the visions of God Christ will above all other things throw downe the pride of the flesh and cause the soule to have a high esteeme of the Lord Jesus as the chiefest of ten thousand Secondly 2. Rule The more precious will the Ordinances of the Gospel be to you the more precious and beautifull will the word and Ordinances of the new Testament be to you as Preaching Prayer Sacraments Communion of Saints I dare say if you enjoy much of God as you say you doe you will be so far from sleighting the Ordinances of God under the notion of carnall and fleshly dispensations as that you will have higher thoughts of them than you have had the Lord Jesus powring out his comforts upon you in and by these as conduitpipes you will remember that you have had sweet meetings with God heavenly breathings and warmings unspeakable comforts and refrshings from him and that God hath unvailed and uncovered his face and appeared gloriously unto you in these administrations and therefore the word and Ordinances of Christ will be precious to you as gold and sweeter unto you than honey and the honey combe c Psa 19.10 And indeed it doth not a little amaze mee that any who professe the name of Christ and union and fellowship with him should abandon the Ordinances of Christ now under the new Testament seeing David speakes Prophetically in reference to this latter administration d Psal 84.1 2 3 4. the Prophet Mica chap. 4. vers 1 2. of the amiablenesse of Gods Tabernacles and the Saints longing after God in the use of his Ordinances Hath not the Lord refreshed your soules in Prayer and ravished your hearts while you have communicated with the Saints in a Sacrament and have yee not by an eye of faith in the use of an Ordinance seen Jesus Christ crucified for your sins and sitting at the right hand of his Father making intercession for you such as have experience of the Communications of God can set to their seales that this is true and therefore take heed of sleighting those administrations wherein you have found God so abundantly Thirdly 3. Rule The conversation will be more holy i in generall if you have high enjoyments of God in the Spirit your conversation will excell in spirtualnesse and holinesse by the irradiations of God upon you yea there will be such Christian care and watchfulnes that you will flie from the very appearance of evil from the garment spotted with the flesh from fleshly tamperings lacivious gestures and unprofitable discourses where the Spirit of God works most there will be the greatest conformity to God who is holinesse it self But to descend to particulars 2. More particularly First 1. You will be in a good measure crucified to the world your affections will be in a high degree crucified to the creature true mortification consists not in a few good words and fine expressions for there are many that speak much of dying to the flesh and carnall things who yet live much in the flesh and upon the world really therefore to be crucified to the world is to have the heart and affections alienated from it and set upon God and heavenly objects our conversation is in Heaven saith the Apostle e Phil. 3.20 and wee sit together with Christ in heavenly places and I am crucified to the world and the world to me f Gal. 6.14 That is I am so dead to the world that it is indifferent to me whether the world smile or frowne upon me for I care no more for it than it cares for me and againe