some common illumination 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are the onely things that act me in all Peradventure I doe not approve of God according to my knowledge of him And if so I am no better then the Heathens Rom. 1.28 It may be and I feare it that my observanced the Commandements is no better then the young mans Mark 10.19 20. I doubt my holy a rather seeming holy actions proceed mort from light that I dare not doe otherwise thâ—â— from love that I delight to doe it To do 〈◊〉 is one thing and to doe well is another Bonum bene valde differunt I fear what ever my actings bee that my principles and aimes are not as they should bee Some have bad ends in good workes others do spirituall actions from carnall principles and I fear whether this bee not my case Thus likewise some soules when they are cast down vent themselves Fiftly There are some who when cast down breath forth other feares as now touching their sincerity I doubt saith the dejected soul whether my heart be sound There are many painted Sepulchres and am not I one of them there bee many who at best are but seeming Saints and I feare I am such The Prophet saith The heart is deceitfull above all things and desperately wicked and he asketh also who can know it Jer. 17.9 For my part I do not know it Surely I feare nay I finde my heart desperately wicked and deceitfull I feare I looke one way Water-man-like even while I row another I fear least I be a child of darknesse transformed into an Angell of light Sometimes I doubt if Christ should now come to sever the lambes from the Goates that I should have no more of a sheep then the skinne and that it being pluckt off I shall appear as I am Job said indeed his heart should not reproach him so long as he lived Job 27.6 But I am sure mine flyes in my face every houre Without doubt I am but as a guilded grave brave without bad within I must speake my heart I feare I am but an hypocrite Sixtly Others there are dejected and cast downe whose dejection discovers it selfe in fear least corruptions get the conquest over them Oh saith the poore soule I find the flesh fighting against the spirit and I feare the flesh will get the day at lest I doubt the spirit will not Corruption is strong and grace is very weake I feare I shall one day fall by the hand of sin If I lye downe corruption is with me if I arise its awake as soon as I If I be about my calling or imployments in the world I perceive corruption dogges me and if I goe to duty it will not let me alone nay often it is then most busie I feare I feare that I shall fall Certainly I doubt I shall not stand long Ah Lord cryes the soule dejected any spake is enough to set mee a fire Passion is quickly stirred and I speak vainly yea and vilely too A little thing makes mee waspish I am borne downe with rash anger presently Pride too that appeares upon the least occasion I can hardly pray with any inlargements or doe duty with any affections but presently pride pirkes it selfe up Lust too that is ready to discover its life upon the least occasion I can hardly looke but I lust Thus cryes one thus cryes another and all agree in this they fear sin will get the day At least they doubt whether ever their Pigmy-graces so some speake shall bee able to get the victory over their Gyant-like-corruptions Seventhly Some when they are cast down have greater fears then these there are dejected soules who cry out Oh! they feare they never did savingly close with Christ To close with Christ in the way of the Gospell say they and they speak truth is a mystery and alas they doubt whether they have attained it There is a meer legall closing with Christ which is built only upon some qualifications in ones selfe and which carryes not the soule beyond the Covenant of workes and some soules under dejection feare theirs is such Woe is mee saith the soule if my closing with Christ bee not aright and I doubt it is not Mat. 7.22 Some soules at the last shall come and speake to him as if they had closed aright with him and as if they had in truth an interest in him and yet he will say hee knowes them not Now I feare I feare least I am such a soule and least he will speake to me so It s damnable to be deceived in this saith the soule and I doubt it Thus the wave of feare in the storm of dejection mounts thus high in some soules Eightly There are some who it may be will say they doe not doubt much their closing with Christ but they doubt their keeping close I feare saith some soule cast downe that I shall deny Christ There have been many Apostates and I doubt I shal make the number one more Peter denyed Christ in part and for a time and I feare I shall doe it altogether I thinke I should sinne in deniall of before I should suffer unto death for Christ I feare I am nearer allyed and shall be more like to Demas then to Paul It s true there are some who if they had a thousand lives could give them all for Christ But I feare I should not willingly give one Christ saith if wee deny him he will deny us And sure he knowes what I would doe if called to it I feare I should deny him and therefore that he 'le do so by me In these and the like feares doe the workings of spirituall dejection appeare The soul when elevated is not freer from then when dejected it full of feares and doubts CHAP. 7. An addition of some other feares which appeare as the workings of spirituall dejection in some soules IT being my purpose to treate of spiritual dejections at large See the second Section and also to satisfie the soule in those doubts and fears which discover themselves in the soul when and while it s cast down I shall adde some other feares unto the former As First Some there be who being dejected and cast downe are much disquieted with fears and doubts about Prayer As now whether ever they prayed in all their lives And if they did whether ever God did heare or regard any of their prayers Oh! saith some souls who are cast downe Prayer is a choice imployment a precious priviledge but alas we never injoyed it something wee have done sometime like prayer but we doubt whether it were prayer For We feare our own hearts and spirits were never in it Prayer only in the lip is without life and prayer if it be no more then words is of no worth God regards the prayer which comes from the spirit and heart But we doubt though wee have sometimes drawn neare him with our lips our hearts have been far from
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-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
a time thou shouldest deny him CHAP. 9. Satisfaction for soules cast downe about Prayer BEsides those eight particular feares which I spake of in the sixth Chapter of the foregoing Section I added six other feares which do appeare in some dejected soules Now it s my desire to speake something to them in order to satisfie some soules that lye and labour under them Some there are that when they are cast downe doe much disquiet themselves about their prayers Case Oh say some we feare we never prayed in all our lives or if wee did wee question whether God ever heard us c. Now for the satisfaction of soules in this case I shall speake unto it in both its branches And Satisfaction First For such soules as are cast down and disquieted and cry out Oh they never prayed in all their lives It s true they say they have sometimes spoke in prayer but they doubt whether ever they prayed in prayer They feare they rather moved their lips then breathed their spirits c. There are these things which I would say unto such souls First This very fear argues a choice frame It proceeds from a very choyce spirit thus to fear Indeed a slight and common spirit doth pray it cares not how So the worke be done it s all they mind and it were well some minded so much But with what frame of spirit they pray alas that they looke not after Some there are that we call Protestants which in this are as bad as Papists that they rather give God a number of prayers then any thing else but now it argues a spirit something heightened to mind the manner of prayer to eye the spirit and the soul how that is in prayer Looke as it argues in things humaine an ordinary minde that can content it selfe with the bare doing of things how bunglingly so ever whereas it proceeds from a raisednesse of mind to see that every thing be well done as well as done to see it be done neatly c. So it argues in things divine a common spirit such an one as Caine had to be contented with a bare sacrifice a bare empty prayer But it discovers a spirit heightened such an one as Paul had to eye the spirit how it is in prayer Paul professeth he would pray in his spirit and with understanding While it may be many neither care for the spirit nor understanding So that this fear hath some good in it in as much as it proceeds from a choicenesse of spirit But Secondly Take heed you do not roshly nor groundlesly condemne your selfe Peradventure there was more of your spirit in prayer then you saw or say What dare you deny that at such and such a time your spirit was in your prayer If it were not then what meant those sighs and tears and groanes what meant that bearing of the bosome and those liftings up and wringing of the bonds if your spirit was not in your prayers Surely as in point of smning albeit wicked men should say their hearts were not in it Yet their joy and merriment in it would witnes against them So in the manner of praying though Saints doubt their hearts was not in it yet their sighs and groanes in the spirit though unutterable in themselves yet they could witnesse for them in this However Thirdly Can and dare you appeale to God that so far as you knew your heart it was at such and such a time in prayer Can you say Lord thou knowest that I desired such a grace c. and oh how glad was I in the bare thoughts and smalâ— hopes that I had of obtaining it But on the contrary how did the fear and sence of not obtaining it grieve me Surely if you can thus seriously and consideringly appeal to God you may conclude that your heart and spirit was in prayer Besides Fourthly Consider thy soule might have been and may be in a prayer notwithstanding many dulnesses and wanderings I find by experience that the ground of this fear is that dulnesse and those wandrings of our spirits in prayer Now cleare it is that notwithstanding these yet our spirit may be really and so accounted by God in duty You know in that duty of watching with Christ in his agony T is recorded the disciples slept yet marke it Christ saw and said their spirit was in it The spirit saith he is willing but the flesh is weake Christ saw their spirit and acknowledged its willingnesse notwithstanding their drousinesse And for wandrings you know t is possible for the eye to be fixed upon an object and yet not to be so fixt as to be altogether free from rowlings The eye may bee upon the sun and yet it may twinckle And certainly if we should say that the heart is not in prayer because of some wandrings wee should condemn the generation of the just For to be so intense upon God as to have no wandring thoughts at all is not attained unto by many if by any at all So that now why shouldest thou say thy spirit was not in prayer because of some dulnesse and wandrings T is possible that these things may be and yet God may see yea and acknowledge thy spirit to be in thy prayers Object But alas saith the soule cast down Suppose my spirit be or were in prayer what is that I feare I never prayed in Christs Spirit It is one thing to pray in our spirits another thing to pray in Christs spirit Now I feare I never prayed in the strength of Christs spirit however it might be in the strength and sincerity of my own For answer and satisfaction to this Ans let me intreate you to consider these particulars First This is a more choyce fear then the former It s a choyce thing to eye our owne spirit It s a choicer to eye Christs spirit in prayer Morall sincerity may a little put on the former But its divine sincerity which looks after and unto this Nadab and Abihu can content themselves with strange fire But Moses and Aaron will not offer but with holy fire It s certainly an evidence of a soule more then ordinarily heightned not to be content to pray in the sincerity of our spirit but to labour for the strength of Gods spirit Secondly T is possible to pray in the holy Ghost and yet to doubt it I find some doubting they never prayed in the spirit because they have been straitned and wanted those inlargements which others have c. Now mind it t is possible to pray in and that by the holy Ghost and yet not to be inlarged The soule may be so full as that it may not be able to vent it selfe Fulnesse of spirit doth sometimes cause straitning As now in Davids case it s said then went King David in and sat before the Lord c. Then i. e. when as Nathan had been and told him at large the rich and sweet intentions of God towards him Certainly
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
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
intends a cure in this opening the wound Some Hypocrites have a seared conscience I feare they are incureable But this discovery of thy disease is a signall of health Christ deals well with those whom he wounds he hath balme for the bruised Many a wretch playes the hypocrite all his life and goes into hell in the conceit he lived in Yea 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Signifies a Player usually t is rendred Actor by the Latines some shall come conceited of sincerity at last saying Lord Lord But Christ will then make them know what they are It s mercy that he discovers thee to thy selfe here The Publican is better in his sackcloath confessing then the Pharisee in his vizzard praising But. Sixtly Add to al this the consideration of the promise of the spirit to them that aske him Lu. 11.13 Though thy spirit be hypocriticall yet Christs spirit is sincere Christ hath promised to send him It s but aske and have David it seemes was in your case and he prayed Renew in me a right or a sincere spirit And you know what incouragement he gives This poore man said he he speaks as if he were as poor as thou oh soul cryed and the Lord heard him Psal 34.6 It s the Covenant of promise that he will give a new heart Object T is so indeed but alas I have prayed and yet not received and therefore my joy is not full I have groaned under this hypocrisie many yeares And yet see not the promise of the comming of Christs spirit c. Answ Surely thou art mistaken O soule in saying the spirit is not come Those groanes of thine are his That softnesse is an effect of him Peradventure all thy hypocrisie is not yet cured I said in this life it would not be The spirit will be a refiners fire all your dayes It s true he could burne up all at once but thou couldest not bear it Such a fire would breake thee Gold-smiths proportionate their fire else the refining pot would crack Certainly the Lord Christ considers we are but earthen vessells therefore the refining fire is heated accordingly The spirit purgeth out hypocrisie by degrees In time he 'l have purged out all Even this dejection of thine is a degree of purging And this fruit thou shalt have of this feare That thy feare of hypocrisie shall worke for thy sincerity why then art thou cast downe O soule be not disquieted so with the feare of hypocrisie trust in God waite on the spirit for thou shalt yet praise him as sincere to thee and making thee so to him CHAP. 6. Satisfaction for soules who fear they shall never get the victory over corruptions THe next sort of cast down soules which I would indeavour to raise up Case are such as are much disquieted and cry out upon their corruptions Oh say they corruptions are strong and we are weake They fight we oppose as well as we can but we doubt the conquest We feare corruption will get the day well may we be cast downe while we lye under this fear c. Now for the satisfaction of such souls and in order to the lifting up of their dejected spirits I would offer have them to consider these things First This combate may consist with Satisfaction and indeed ever is with a state of grace It s the weaknesse of some to think and say that their conquest is compleate and that they are in perfect quiet Surely I say these words are rather discoveries of weaknesse then of strength and perfection Israel was not at rest when in Canaan Neither are those soules who are troubled with and for sinnes in Aegypt It s not an Israelitish spirit to say either others or our selves are in Aegypt because we have still combatings Even in Canaan they had their combatings God left some there to keep his people in action Doe not thinke especially do not conclude thou art still in Aegypt because thou art not freed from fightings and feares Beleive O soule thou mayest be in the land of promise and yet be troubled with the combates For Secondly Even choyce Saints have been as you are i.e. pestered with corruptions and troubled with fear of conquest Paul had been as high as any even in the third heavens and yet he had his buffettings yea and he crys out of them again and again You think your selves sometimes in a sadder estate then any And you say were ever any so wretched as you are Yes O soule Paul even Paul who came behind none nay who was before any in grace and guifts he was as wretched as you are And he crys out so O wretched man that I am Marke that I am as if none other were as he It s a comfortable and raising thought O ye cast downe soules Other choyce Saints have been in as wretched a condition as you are by reason of the combatings of corruption Thirdly Consider it s a rich mercy to have a heart to strive with and to be affraid of corruption Many a wretch is at peace with sin yea many are in Covenant with hell and death Some there be who are so far from fighting with and fearing of corruption that they pay tribute to it and make provision for it Many a wretch is a voluntary conquered captive unto sin And its mercy that you have a heart to strive Time was when you were free from righteousnesse i.e. had none at all and then you served sin It s grace that now you do oppose it and deny to yeeld service to it Were you at peace with sin you might feare your enmity with God But being at warre with it you may have peace in him But. Fourthly As long as your soul is kept up in a striving way it s a sign of strength Why should you say you are weake and feare c. sith you are so strong as to fight Weake ones are not fighters had you not some divine strength you could not stand before corruption But seeing you are after long fighting able yet to stand and strive why are you cast downe as if you should not get the day Consider O dejected soul that it argues a tree to be well rooted that stands after much blowing And it s a signe of a strong and valiant souldier if he keepe to his ground and flinch not notwithstanding great combating And certainly it may argue unto thee that through Christ thou art yet strong In as much as still thou art able to strive Object Oh but I feare for future thou wilt say because as yet sin stands strong notwithstanding all I doe against it I feare I shall never after all my striving get the victory over it Reply But why O soule shouldst thou thus feare Peradventure as yet thou hast not resisted unto blood in striving against sin Bear up yet a little longer strive yet still sin will bleed and fall ere long For Fiftly Consider It s no argument that you shall not
Stay a little O my soule waite for God in expectation For yet notwithstanding all thy present distempers I shall confesse my weaknesse and praise him for the salvations of my countenance and for his being my God still Thus you see the words opened I will give a Reason why I speak to Davids Expostulation rather from this last verse then from the fift verse The Reason is because t is here set out fuller then there though happily few mind it this last is as it were a second Edition with Additions for there are two additions in this verse unto that First In that t is but said I shall praise him for the helpe of his countenance But here t is I shall praise him for the helpe of my countenance In that hee acts faith as wee say in Thesi in this hee doth it in Hypothesi In that hee beleeves Gods salvation or saving help imminent as it is in himselfe In this hee beleeves it eminent or flowing out from him There David onely saith hee shall praise God as a Saviour here hee saith hee shall praise him as his Saviour T is one thing to beleeve the healths of Gods countenance another thing to beleeve the healths of our countenance Here David applyes the healths of Gods countenance to his own there he doth not this is one addition The second is more visible for here he adds that he shall praise him as his God which is not at all there There t is onely I shall praise him the health of his countenance Here t is I shall praise him the health of my countenance and my God Now in this verse which is the patterne of holy expostulation with ones soule with reference to sadnesse we may note these particulars 1 The object of this expostulation and that is Davids owne soule It s not enough to expostulate with God so he did verse the 10. But we must expostulate with our selves So David doth here 2 The manner of the Expostulation t is rationall and t is serious Here are two Whyes why cast down and why disquieted 3 The charge that he layes upon his soule He commands it to waite to tarry to expect God 4 The ground of all this both why David did thus expostulate and why he did charge his owne soule and that was because he knew did beleeve and was confident he should yet for all this praise God c. CHAP. 3. The Doctrines which arise from the Text. HAving thus opened and divided the Text it will not now be difficult to draw forth the Doctrines The kernell is visible when the shell is cracked And the graine is cleare when the buske is threshed There are four Doctrines which I shal gather as the principall graine in this floare And if Christ will helpe mee in the managing of them they will be bread to eate I. Even the choicest Saints and such as are according to Gods heart are lyable to spirituall dejections and disquiets II. It s the wisdome and should be the care of Saints when they are cast downe not to give way thereunto but to argue the case with their owne soules III. Saints in their deepest dejections when they are most disquieted should be content to tarry and waite for Gods cure and comfort IV. It s the duty and the glory of Saints to act faith and to beleeve even then when they are cast down lowest and see God least These foure Doctrines I conceive lye clear in these words of David And albeit I dare not say but there are others yet I conceive these the cheife truths which the spirit would teach us from this Text. I shall shew how each Doctrine is deduced from and may bee observed in the words as I handle them particularly and by themselves CHAP. 4. The first Doctrine spoken unto and proved from the Text and Examples WHat was Davids case hath beene others and may be ours This therefore is the first Doctrine which I shall speak unto and indeed be largest in viz. That Even the choicest Saints and such as are according to Gods owne heart are lyable to spirituall dejections and disquiets Surely though this be not simply expressed yet it is so strongly included that he that runs may read it That David was a choice Saint none will deny and that hee was according to Gods owne heart Act. 13.22 God himselfe doth witnesse Now 't was hee who here speakes and sayth Why art thou cast down O my soule And David was not single His case was but as others have beene Job was dejected before him his soule was cast downe as we say with a witnesse when he rent his mantle and shaved his head and fell down upon the ground as t is Job 1.20 he was much disquieted And as Job went before so Hezekiah came after David in soule dejection Surely his soule was cast downe when hee did chatter as a Crane and mourne as a Dove as t is Esay 38.14 I need not tell you of Asaph or of Heman Surely you have heard of their dejections and disquiets If you have not heard you may read their cases Psal 77. and Psal 88. Surely Asaph was much dejected when his spirit was overwhelmed And I think you le grant Heman was much dejected if you remember that hee was distracted Surely he was low when in the lowest pit and surely he was very much cast downe when hee cryed hee was free among the dead But why do I speake to you of others when I may appeale to your selves Saints have you never been sad were your hearts never cast downe have your spirits never been disquieted what have you always gone upon the Hills have you never been in the Valleyes In your way at least to Syon did you not passe thorough the Valley of Baca Though you now have beauty had you never ashes Have your garments of praise made you forget the spirit of heavinesse But why doe I renew griefe by its remembrance your sighings seale to this truth that even choice soules may be cast downe CHAP. 5. The amplification of the Point in some particulars I Shall handle this point of spirituall dejections something largely and the order which I shall walke by is this viz. I shall indeavour to discover 1 The nature of spirituall dejections what it is or what they are 2 The workings of them what they are and how they are 3 The causes of them whence they flow and how they arise The first thing which I shall speake unto is the nature of soule dejections Now this I shall be but breife in Spirituall dejection or soul-casting downe may easily bee guessed at if you consider either On the one hand viz. the right That the soule hath some sweet and spirituall injoyments in the injoyment of which it is much lifted up Holy joy puts the soule upon the Wing and causeth as it were a mounting upward David sometimes kept holy day as t is vers 4. of this Psalme in that day hee sang
next fear which I shall speake unto is that which concernes the Authour of that worke which is in the soule Some soules when they are cast downe Cafe cry out they feare that all that worke which is passed upon them is no more then in the bare letter as they call it i. e. they doubt whether it be of the spirit yea or no as was opened in the former part c. Now for the removing of this feare Satisfaction and to raise up a soule that is cast downe and lyes doubting whether its calling conviction and comfort be from the spirit yea or no I shall speak to each of these by themselves First For thy calling O soule thou sayst thou fearest thou wert only called by men i.e. wrought upon to leave thy sins and former course by the meer wit and oratory of men in perswading c. There be three things which I would offer to scatter thy fear in this particular 1 Consider that thy call may be by the spirit though thou doe thinke it was by man only It s certaine that the spirit speakes to our hearts mostly by men Immediate calls are rare It may be you feare your call was not by the spirit because 't was by men It might be mans speech and the spirits call 'T was Christ that preached to the Ephesians though it were Paul that spake Paul tells them Christ came and preached peace to them Ephes 2.17 And yet we know Christ was never at Ephesus and Paul speakes this of Christ after the time of his suffering as is deducible from vers 16. Indeed 't was Christ that preached by Paul And though man was the trumpet yet the spirit was the breath that filled it when thou wert called from thy sin Look as in Samuels case it was the Lord called him and he thought 't was Eli as 't is 1 Sam. 3. so it may be with you and the reason may be as it was in Samuels case He was a child and so did not know yet as the text saith the Lord It may be thou art a child as yet O soule and art not so well able to distinguish of the Lord from men Thou as yet mayest not be acquainted with the mysteries of the spirit and therefore thou mayest thinke t is only man when it was the spirit which called thee Hereafter when thou shalt grow up to a fuller age in Christ this childish thing and feare may be done away And thou shalt no more speake as a child and say thou fearest 't was man only that called thee But thou shalt be taught of God and know thou wert called by the spirit 2 Call to minde in what frame of soule thou wert if thou canst call it to mind when thy first call was and consider what it was and is which doth prevaile with you Happily thy soul was in a direct way of opposing God and thou didst little thinke of him when he called thee The more unexpected it was the more of the spirit was in the call Besides say O soule was it not naked truth plaine simple truth that did and doth most take with thy heart Surely the more plaine truth was which did worke upon you the more of the spirit was in that worke It s a rule case the lesse of man the more of God Art not able to say O soule that thou wert going on in a vaine vile way of living without God and that thou wert so taken up with the world and vanity c. that God was not in all thy thoughts And that at a time thou didst either read or hear such or such a naked truth As to instance that thou wert a child of wrath by nature that out of Christ there is no hope of salvation c. And that hereupon unexpectedly thou didst find thy heart moved to take another course Peradventure thou hadst read or heard and didst know the same truth before O but at such or such a time thou didst find thy heart more wrought upon by it then ever I beseech you seriously say hath it not been thus with you If it hath why doubt ye that your call is not by the spirit But 3 Call to mind And in sincerity tell and confesse what it was that thou wert ialled from and what it is that thou wert called to Canst not thou say thy call was not so much at lest not only from misery but it was from sinne T is true many a man by naturall conscience and fleshly principles is thus far wrought upon in a call that it is willing to come out of misery I but thy soule can say it was willing to come from sinne and 't was from that which in thy call thy heart was taken off Yea and art not thou able to say thou didst find thy heart in thy call really going out after as conceiving thou wert called unto holinesse as t is 1 Thes 4.7 Cannot you appeale to God that in your call you did at lest that now you do find your hearts not only called and made willing to leave a sorrowfull estate and come into a happy one But also to leave a sinfull estate and come into a holy estate Certainly if your call were not only from misery but from sinne And if it were to be as well and as much nay more unto holinesse then unto freedom from misery I say if you can clear this And do not your consciences oh ye dejected souls witnesse to this then why do ye doubt what reason have you to feare that your call was not of the spirit To come therefore to the other thing viz. Secondly To your Conviction You say you doubt whether that were of the spirit and evangelicall or only by the letter and legall Now to satisfie you in this there are 3 questions which I would put unto you And in the sincerity of your hearts resolve them 1 What was the great sin of which you were and are convicted when thy heart was convinced of sin what was the greatest sinne which then thou wert convinced of Search your hearts and consider what answer to give can you say it was unbeleife Certainly if you were convinced of that it was the spirit which wrought that conviction I desire not to be mistaken I do not urge this as if I thought there either were not or needed not any more conviction then this for certainly saving conviction extends it selfe to all sin and in particular to our particular speciall sinnes But my aime is to hint something as a signall discovery of conviction by the spirit and in order to this it is which I am now speaking Now then wert thou ever convinced of unbeleefe Hast thou seen this to be a sin yea and to be a great sin Certainly if thou hast thy conviction hath been of the Holy Ghost It s the peculiar worke of the spirit to convince of unbeleefe as t is John 16.9.11 Many a soule is convinced of these or these sins
suppose such a sad thing that all of thy relations were enemyes to the wayes of Christ and that they should and did hate at lest slight and scorn all that were godly Upon this aske thy heart what it would or doth say to this Is not the very supposition of this sad to thy soule And doth not thy soule say Oh that thou couldst weepe teares of blood over the soules of thy relations Does not thy heart say however they are or doe yet thou and thy house will serve the Lord. Doth not the spirit upon thy appeale bear witnesse with thy spirit that let Father Mother Husband Wife Master c. do what they will yet thou by the helpe of Christ will pray for them and with full purpose of heart will cleave to him Now if it be so why art thou cast down why art thou affraid that thou hast no more then education Surely a soul thus quallified as I have hinted goes far beyond education If thou hadst nothing but what thou hadst from thy relations in education thou couldest not act further or against them as is supposed in Religion Therefore Thirdly Consider O soule that sayst thou fearest thou hast no more then education I say consider canst not thou say that albeit education did first set thee in the way of godlinesse yet since that time thy soule hath met with that which would have done it if that had not and doth exceedingly confirme thee in it Education is or may bee likened to that report which the Samaritan woman made to her neighbours of Christ Joh. 4. T is true her report brings them to Christ but Christs words confirmed them insomuch as that they told her now we beleeve not because of thy saying for we have heard him our selves so canst not thou say T is true all that at first thou hadst was but Education that is that which thou hadst from Parents Friends c. But now thou hast something more now thou canst say thou lovest Christ and his wayes not because thou wert brought up in the knowledge of him and his wayes but because thou hast since tasted him to be sweet and found his ways pleasant I doubt not but that many soules can say this and why then are they disquieted for feare they have no more then education To come up therefore one step further in order to the quieting of souls cast down and disquieted with this fear I shall offer some three Inquiries unto them As now First In case you should desist and leave off from the wayes of Christ in which you have been educated Inquire what would your condition be and how your heart would take it See would or could your heart be quiet Should you thinke ye be in a comfortable condition Nay doth not the feare of apostacy trouble you Doe not you tremble to thinke lest you should fall Surely had you no more then education you would not bee perplexed with these thoughts It s all one to a Jacke wound up by a mans hand whether it move or stand still and it s all one to one principled no higher then education whether he prayes or no heares or no c. if the hand of educatiours wind him not up he can bee quiet and still But where life is there motion must bee otherwise the creature groanes And surely if upon an inquiry this way thou find cessation or apostacy would be as death to thee thou needst not much feare but there is a life of regeneration and something higher then education in thee Secondly Inquire what thy thoughts are upon doing of holy duties are thy thoughts then selfe-swolne i.e. art conceited of selfe T is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as some great one or rather dost not see thou art an unprofitable servant and hast done but what nay not so much as thou oughtest Surely though education may and do puffe up yet its regeneration that humbles and pulls down Adde hereunto Thirdly Make inquiry after thy aime in holy actings Is it to be and do as others is it to comply with friends relations c. or is it to have communion with Christ Is it to hold forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darknesse to light Is not this thy aime to approve thy selfe to God It s true education may and doth make many do duties to approve themselves to Parents Tutors c. But its regeneration which makes this the end of holy actings to approve on 's soule to God Education may cause a minister to preach and a Christian to practise to be approved of by men But its regeneration which puts on Timothy to study to shew himselfe approved unto God as t is 1 Tim 3.15 Wherefore O soule why art thou cast down why sayest or fearest thou that all which thou hast is onely education Sith if thou shouldest leave off thou couldst not be quiet And yet while thou actest thou darest not boast◠and all that thou aimest at is above men Surely these things are more then education But To adde one thing more Suppose it be as thou fearest Suppose as yet education is thy all and that all thy principles are parentine I say suppose this Quest What then what if thy feare bee more then a feare a reallity what then Oh soule Answ What then why then I may well sit sadly as I do and be disquieted more then I am I may not onely be cast down but resolve never to rise why if I have no more then education wo is me for I am undone c. Reply Stay soul not so sad If it should be that as yet you have no more then education yet remember First Good actings are laudable in themselves Holy practises are commendable from any principles The young man that told Christ he had kept all the commandements from his childhood had no more then education and yet t is said Christ looked upon him and loved him Mark 10.21 I thinke it was but a conceit of Origen that said Christ kissed him yet I thinke it may be truly collected Christ was pleased with his practise though he pittied his principles your actings are laudable and lovely though your principles be as yet but very low And besides this remember Secondly Christ can raise your principles up to your actings when he pleaseth Do you continue with open sayles though rowing and lugging with the Oares of education The spirit blowes where and when he listeth He may principle thy actions and fill thy sailes ere thou art aware you know who said ere ever I was aware my soul made me like the chariots of my willing people Cant. 6.12 I will not say Timothy had grace and was sanctified from the womb yet I know he was well educated his unfained faith first dwelt in his Grandmother Lois and in his mother Eunice as t is 2 Tim. 1.5 Christ sanctified his education and why may be not sanctifie thine Why then art thou disquieted O soule as
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
Promises did belong to me if I knew it Why if you knew it what roome were there for faith You must beleeve so shall you knowâ— Suppose a pardon thrown to a company of condemned ones in a prison should any say is my name in particular there when it should be said there is a pardon for any that will take it Oh how would all catch and snatch at it Certainly O soule you should beleeve the Promises to be yours and not stand questioning whether they are or no After you beleeved not before pray mark it you were seded with the spirit of promise Ephes 1.13 Thirdly It may be the Promise is yours and your soule hath closed with it although at present you doubt The Promises comming to us art as sealed letters and we many times have them in our hand and read them not No wonder therefore you say you find not the comfort of them Many soules have the Promises as children have the nipple of the breast in their mouthes but doe not suck and no wonder if they cry out they taste not the sweetnesse of them Object Nay but I fear and tremble I am full of doubts and vexation And had I closed with the promise this would not be Answ Say not so O soule the womâ—â— that came behind Christ touched him though she trembled It s possible for a soule to touch a Promise even so far as to draw vertue out of it aâ— it were indirectly and by the hinder parts when happily it durst not as the woman in thâ—â— case come before the Promise and close directly with it in the face thereof But Fourthly thou must know O soule that some promises have their times of fulfilling and peradventure the time is not yet come the promise of hidden manna is to a time of conquest Apoc. 2.17 It may be thy combate is not yet over why then dost thou expect the Manna some promises are sealed up as Commissions not to be opened till the Commander come to such a place sure I am God keeps some promises till the life to come and we doe but in vaine trouble our selves to looke for the fulfilling of them here Lastly Suppose as yet thou hast never as thou sayest closed with any promise what hinders O soule but that thou doe it now The promises of God lye open before you why doe you not come and take Surely you should not cast downe your soules with feare that you have not closed with them yet but you should thus arise and lay hold of them now Obj. So I would if I were but thus or had but this I want the condition of the promise and till I have that I dare not meddle with it Answ Beware of this rock O soule it hath split many let it not split thee To this end you are to know and pray minde it First You are to fetch all from the Promises not to bring any thing to the Promises The Promises are not as Pumps that will give no water except some be poured in But they are as Wells and there is nothing for us to doe but to come and draw Such as stand off from acting faith upon the Promises nakedly because they see not this or that in themselves Are guilty of making their own qualifications their faiths bottome Secondly The greatest promises as of pardon of sins c. are FREE It s said come and take freely Isa 43. ult buy wine and milke without money or monyes worth God blots out sins for his names sake its only for us to declare it and put him in remembrance that we may bee justified And Thirdly The Promises are to give the condition It s considerable that whatever condition may be urged as pre-requisite to any one promise is freely promised in another A new heart a new and right spirit repentance of sin victory over corruptions c. These things are called out for as conditions and these things are held forth as promised See to this purpose these places Jer. 25.7 Eze. 36.25 Act. 5.31 Ro. 7. ult c. Wherefore then O dejected soul art thou cast down as if the Promises were not thine or did not belong to thee Surely thou hast no ground justly so to say Remember nothing is freer then the grace of Christ and that is held forth to thee And in him all the Promises shall be yea and amen Arise O soul and lay hold on him and all the Promises in him So shalt thou be able to say of a truth now I see God is no respecter of persons in the tender of his promises CHAP. 12. Satisfaction to Soules cast downe and troubled about their abstinence from sinne c DEjected soules are very weake and hence it is that they are ready to be troubled about every thing this Satan sees and hence it is that creates trouble in them even from that which otherwise might comfort them Abstinence from sinne is expresly commanded Psal 4.4 and yet even about obedience to this command the dejected soule is troubled Oh say some poore hearts that re cast downe we abstaine from sinne Case 't is true but from what principles Are they not rather selfish and slavish then spirituall and sincere A Dogge chained up is a Dogge still and the reason why he doth not this or that mischiefe is his chaine not his change and we feare 't is so with us c. Now to answer soules saying thus Satisfaction and if it may be to satisfie them under this feare there be foure things which I desire may be minded First Its mercy to be able to abstaine from any principles sinne is such an evill as that its a great good to be kept from it by any meanes the heart of some is so fully bent upon sin that nothing can restraine them some wretches rush into abomination as the Horse into the battell Ah Lord how many are there who will not are not cannot be kept from sinne by all meanes used It s a favour oh poore soule that thou art not as they are it s well for thee thou art not as wilde as they I much feare their case who are not afraid of nor abstaine from sinne at all I little feare thine who art so afraid of sinning as that thou questionest not the reality of the act but the royalty of the principle It s a kinde of high and royall hatred of sinne when the soule cannot be contented only to abstaine from it but when it s troubled as thou art O soule that the principles of that abstinence were not high and royall enough Secondly God traines up his children in holy things by degrees as in point of doing good and fearing him so in point of eschewing evill God carries on by degrees God takes off his owne people from running into sinne sometimes by hedging up their way with thornes as 't is Hos 2.6 Mothers weane their children from the breast by Wormwood at first God first at least oft
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
not only worke but that sometimes they prevaile sometimes the soule is actually overtaken with sinne and falls it may be into some foule fact now this causeth casting downe to cure which Cause I shall speake something in particular when I have premised this one thing in generall viz. It must be confessed it is sad to fall into sinne Sadnesse After the soule hath been in Christs armes to fall into the pits of Satan for so sins are must needs goe to its heart indeed it goes to Christs He is offended really and mightily that any soules who have tasted his grace in pardoning past sins and knowen that such a pardon cost his bloud I say he is offended that such should afterward commit or fall into any sinne but yet all things weighed there may be much yea and enough said to cure and comfort a soule dejected because of falls into sin after grace As First Such a thing as this is consistent with grace This is that which causeth the dejection of such soules as fall into sinne Cure that they are thereby drawne to doubt the truth of their grace for say they surely had we been ever really and strongly wrought upon wee could never have failen into such and such sins But yet these soules should doe well to remember that Sampson fell againe and againe into the same sinne of wantounesse See Judg. 14.3 15.20 16.1 and yet he is in the Catalogue of the children of Abraham and reckoned up amongst the worthy beleevers Heb. 11. It s the opinion of many holy and wise persons that David fell more then once into the sinne of lying and that therefore he prayed to be kept from the way of it Psal 119.29 I mention not this to countenance much lesse to incourage presumptuous desperate sinners but only to cure perplexed and dejected Saints ye are deceived O ye dejected soules if you thinke your falls into sinne be inconsistent with grace Secondly Consider falls into sinne are not falls from salvation The Covenant of Grace is not made null by thy fall O cast-downe soule though Israel have played the Harlot yet Christ remaines a Husband Jer. 3.1.1.14 God did expresly say though thy children sinne and though I visite their sinnes with a rod yet my Covenant will I not breake Psal 89. Peradventure O soule thou art cast downe as thinking thy fall into sinne hath cut off the band of the Covenant but thou art mistaken Yea Thirdly There is a speciall salve prepared for this sore a particular cure for this cause of dejection viz. Promises of pardon after falls into sinne I LE HEALE BACK-SLIDINGS Hos 14.3 Surely that supposeth falls into sinne after grace for what else is backsliding and that directly proposeth pardon and healing to such soules Returne yee backsliding children and I will heale your backslidings Jer. 3.22 Marke O dejected soule Christ calleth thee to returne and he speakes to thee as to a Childe still notwithstanding thy falls into sinne therefore be thou advised to arise and to goe to him urge him with his promise and hee 'l make it good Neither is this my advice but the advice of the Lord. Heare him in Hos 14. O Israel returne unto the Lord thy God marke it thy God still for thou hast fallen see soule how he points at thy state by thine iniquity Take with you words and turne to the Lord and say unto him Take away all iniquity and receive us graciously Rise up therefore and obey this command and counsell and certainly in this case thou wilt finde cure and comfort CHAP. 17. Cure for soules dejected about the Covenant of Grace I Said that ignorance of the Covenant of Grace was likewise a cause and a chiefe cause of Spirituall dejection and therefore I hinted in the use of the first Section advice to study it I shall briefly offer something to this here for many times dejected soules cry out They are and may be well cast downe for alas they are not in that Covenant Cause Were I in the Covenant of Grace cryes the dejected soule I could rejoyce but alas I doubt it and therefore I am dejected Alas I finde many things in that Covenant promised which indeed I could wish but alas I want and how can I thinke I am in the Covenant when I have not the things promised in it in my owne soule c. But let me intreat thee a little to consider these particulars in order Cure to cure this cause of thy dejection First The things of the â—ovenant are not wrought all together there are many particulars promised as feare new spirit tender heart c. each of which is wrought in its time and order It is true the generall root of all these is given to the soule viz. The Divine nature but yet the particular branches spring up in their season Thou wouldest see all O soul but thou must stay the time and thou shalt Secondly Neither is any one particular perfectly wrought at once a soft heart is a thing wrought by degrees and to have the Law written in our hearts is businesse of time it is a long Copy which Christs Spirit is writing a long time As we are alway learning so that is alway writing Thou O poore soule wouldest have all together and at once and in truth who would not be glad if it might be to have it so but we must wait for this worke is not the businesse of a day but of our whole life Thirdly Christ knowes who are in Covenant though we doe not He is the Mediator of it and he may see and know that thou art in that Covenant though thou doe not The Father who hath made a Purchase in his owne name and his Childes may and doth know the Childe to be in the writing though the Childe doe not Christ your Father made the Covenant in the purchase of his Bloud on your behalfe and so knowes thy name to be in it though thou cannot see nor read it there by reason of thy infant age and condition of Childe-hood But Lastly Suppose it as thou fearest take hold of the Covenant now 1 It is a free Covenant reached out to poore sinners upon tearmes of grace Free Grace rich grace and not upon workes or qualifications It promiseth all things but it requires nothing but acceptance 2 It is a full Covenant it extends to all sinnes originall actuall great little to sins of ignorance and infirmity to sins of presumption and obstinacy I say therefore Arise O cast-down soule God in the Covenant of Grace calls to rebels and saith Let them take hold of my strength that they may make peace with me they shal Esa 27.5 He calls every one to come to incline his eare and saith Hee 'l make an everlasting Covenant with them even the sure mercies of David Isa 55.1 2. It may be thou thinkest that thou hast stood out too long It is true a day
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
not bee So here Why art thou cast down is as much as there is no cause or reason for this casting down of my selfe and giving way unto it for it should not be When our Lord perceived the dejection of his Disciples upon the thought of his departure he bids them not give way unto it Let not your hearts be troubled John 14.1 He saw a storme like that of waters arising in their spirits but he bids them not to give way unto it The word that is translated disquieted in this text The Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 used here Iob 14 1. and the Heb. word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doe is as I opened a word used sometimes for the disquiet of waters Our Lord seems to allude to it for the word translated troubled signifies so as Waters are troubled Now mind it O poor dejected ones Christ saith you should not be dejected so nor give way unto it His word is imperative he saith let it not be both signifie a trouble as of waters I need not stand to prove it further This one Demonstration wil clear it We should not give way to that which we have no reason for But we have no reason to be dejected so as to be disquieted Therefore c. David indeed sought for a reason but hee found none He asked his soule why it was disquieted implying his judgement saw no reason for it But his soul doth not indeed could not make any rationall answer This question silenceth his soule As that in the Parable why diddest not give my mony into the banke that at my comming I might have required mine owne with usury Luk. 19.23 This question struck the idle servant dumb So here Why art cast down It strikes the soule dumb and it cannot answer nor give a reason for this dejection Christians Why should you be irrationall why should you give way to that which you cannot give a reason for You cannot at any time give any reason for your dejection unto that disquietnesse which we opened Your case is not cannot be miserable The Heathen could say The Diety being reconciled to him he could not be miserable Numine placato non miser esse queo Why Saints God is reconciled to you in Christ you cannot be miserable being reconciled Ah! Why should you that are blessed so as that you cannot be miserable I say why should you be dejected without doubt you can give no sollid reason for dejection therefore it should not be neither should you give way to it But as there is no reason for dejection so there are many reasons against it I shall insist only upon two Reasons why dejected Saints should not give way c. The Reasons are because dejection is 1 A Passion 2 Perillous First Dejection and disquiet is a Passion Now passions should be curbed not given way unto Passion is an unruly beast and wee should not let its reines loose Reason should moderate but Religion should mortifie all passions Col. 3.5 Amongst the rest of the things to be mortified passion is one Indeed we read it inordinate affection as if it were two words But it s in the originall onely one word which may be translated passion 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The word which is used by the Syriack translators signifies sicknesse Indeed passion signifies a kind of suffering Passio derivator a patior Wee are commanded to mortifie our passions Not that Religion destroyes all passions but that regulates all Were sorrow and disquietnesse given way unto it were not regulated Certainly that sorrow which is irregular and hath no reason as wee said formerly must be mortified Casting downe disquietnesse troubles c. are passion and therefore not to be given way unto But Secondly T is perilous to give way unto disquietings There is danger in disquiet and to give way unto it is to give way to dangers This danger is three-fold viz. In regard of 1 It selfe 2 Satan 3 The Soule First There is danger in giving way to disquiet in regard of it selfe It will get ground and strength and the more its given way unto the harder it will be to rule Passion is an unruly beast which must be curbed and which if it have the reines loose wil grow master-lesse Disquiet is a disease and a disease of that nature which increaseth by degrees and every increase thereof is dangerous sorrow wil quickly overflow in case it be given way unto it s as a floud which if not stopt wil arise and over-flow all bankes Spirituall dejection is the soules Consumption now Consumptions increase if given way unto But Secondly T is dangerous to give way to dejection in regard of Satan hee 'l get ground by dejection Satan knowes how to make use of disquiets he would have sorrowfull soules to give way unto sorrow that so sorrow might swallow up the soule as t is 2 Cor. 2.7 The Apostle exhorts the Church to be tender of the dejected person who as some thinke had been excommunicated and filled with sorrow and dejection thereupon now the Apostle would have the Church to forgive 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. ingulphed as one sucked up and drowned in a gulph and comfort him least he should be swallowed up c. and least Satan should get an advantage as t is vers 11. Satan hath his devices and one of them is to make the soule give way to dejection then in the depth of dejection he comes with temptations to despaire and Self-murder c. And in truth experience tells us Satan hath a mighty advantage over us especially when we are dejected and give way unto it Thirdly It s dangerous to give way to dejection in regard of the soule it loseth ground thereby The soule is a great loser by dejection 1 The more its given way unto the weaker the soule is The soule much dejected is unfit for any service 't was this that unfitted the Disciples to watch it s said Christ found them sleeping for sorrow Luk. 22.45 sorrow brings one asleep both Naturall and Spirituall dejection causeth drowsinesse The soule when it gives way to dejection is thereby drowsie and the drowsie soule is unfit for duty Yea 2 The soule dejected is weakned unto warfare Sad soules are not fit for souldiers the cheerful soule is a Gyant refreshed with Wine it can fight the Lords Battels with courage The sad soule is liable unto cowardize As the joy of the Lord is our strength so the sorrow of our spirits is our weaknesse 3 The soule cast downe is unfit for comfort Sorrow given way unto shuts out joy and the more roome the one hath the lesse is left for the other Some soules when cast downe are so full of sorrow that there is scarce a hole for comfort to enter sorrow where it rules hath so many Centinels and Guards that its hard for comfort to get in unlesse it be by violence A sorrowful soule forgets to eate his
red Sea for to that doth the Lord allude there Therefore know your worke and be wise to do it O ye dejected souls you must waite and be contented in your waiting Quest But must I be contented with my condition in which I want God 'T were something to be contented with a comfortlesse condition but to be contented with a God-lesse and Christ-lesse condition this is harsh and I question whither it should be Answer You must distinguish both of 1 A state without God and 2 Content in that state First you must distinguish of a state without God There is a being without God so as men are by nature i. e. Atheisticall And so I thinke that place should bee translated most clearly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ephes 2.12 proportionate unto that place of Ephes 4.18 Now I doe not dare not say O dejected Soul thou shouldest be contented in such a condition But there is a being without God or Christ so as souls are who are in the darke that want the visibility of his presence That indeed have his life but are alienated from his light that see not God or Christ at all who are not wholly strangers to God but to whom God seemes estranged and from whom Christ seemes to be gone And such an estate thou must be contented in But yet Secondly You must distinguish of content There is a carnall hellish content arising from a sinfull frame of heart such as was in those of whom Job speakes that say to God depart from us that see no profit in his presence and that therefore can be well pleased with his absence as it is Job 21. Thus 't were hellish to be contented But there is a spiritual holy contentment arising from a submissive frame of heart to Gods will such as was in Christ who submitted to divine absence And in the Church who said I will waite that is with content and patience upon the Lord that hideth his face Esa 8.17 And in this way thou oughtest to be content to want God and Christ i. e. in a sweet submission to his will That since hee 'le not shine thou must bee contented to bee in the darke Further It is one thing to bee content to want God and Christ for a time it is another thing to be contented to eternity I will not say as some do thinke that we ought to be contented to want God to eternity This is disputable But its clear for a time we must be contented Indeed I think we must and we must not bee contented in our condition when and while we are dejected for the want of God and Christ Quest But alas thou wilt say How shall I be thus It s a mystery to bee contented and to bee not contented and that at the same time with reference to one and the same thing Answ Indeed t is true This is a mystery but yet you must study it And amongst other helps I shall mention three Considerations which if the spirit assist will in a measure learn you this mystery of not being contented to want Christ and yet of being contented to want him in your dejected condition c. 1 Consider Christ is thy happines but at his own disposall Because he is thy happinesse thou must not content thy selfe without him And yet because he is at his owne disposal thou must be content a while to want him and to waite for him Mind it O dejected soule the Lord Jesus is thy life thou must perish without him and therefore never be contented to want him But withall remember he is thy Lord therefore if hee 'le tarry thou must be content to want and to waite for him 2 Consider Christ waited long for thee but thou canst not want him alwayes Because thou canst not alwayes want Christ therefore beware of being content to be without him and yet because he waited long for you be not discontented if hee make you tarry a while for him 3 Consider If Christ never come to thee thou art utterly undone but if hee come at any time thou art made for ever Who can be contented to thinke of being utterly undone and miserable to all eternity yet such O soul thou wilt be if Christ come not to thee at all But if Christ come though never so late it s not too late to make thee really royally everlastingly happy Well mind this soule and minding be serious in these thoughts then mayest thou come to bee acquainted with this mystery of being contented to want God Christ comfort c. and to wait even in thy saddest dejection with aboundance of patience Quest But What shall I say to silence Satan and to still my unquiet heart in Christs absence in during the time of my dejection Answ For that O soul take these directions to support thy spirit and silence Satan in thy dejections First Say to Satan and thy selfe that Christ knows his owne time Why shouldest thou either prescribe or confine him to time what Christ said to his disciples that say you to your dejected soules His time is not yet come though your time be alwayes Job 7.6 Tell thy soule indeed Its time is alwayes but Christs may not be yet Say Christ is at his owne disposall and he knowes his owne time The wife that longs after her absent Husband silenceth her selfe with this My Husband knowes his owne time Yea and she can with this also quiet the children too who cry oh that our Father were come Children you Father knowes his own time So O soul do thou silence thy self and do thou likewise answer thine enemy who saith where is now thy God Say my God my Christ is in Heaven and doth what pleaseth him It pleaseth him that I should want and waite and I am contented for he knowes his own time Secondly Christs time is the best time His time is alwayes seasonable Tell thy soule and Satan thy time may not be fit and seasonable Had a diseased person who lay by the Poole of Bethesda stept in to the water when he would it had not beene well And yet alwayes it was time for the diseased But it was not alway the spirits season The Text saith An Angell went down at a certain season Joh. 5.4 O remember it dejected soule Thy time is alwayes but it is not seasonable Now Christs time is ever seasonable though not alwayes present His time is the best time the seasonable time the healing time Thâ—rdly Say to thy soule Though this time seeme long yet t is certaine Though it bee not now yet it will be The vision is for an appointed time i.e. for a season and though it tarry yet it will SURELY come and not tarry Christ will come in his owne time Say to thy soule though now thou want him notwithstanding thou shalt YET praise him Fourthly Tell thy soule That Christs time is when all hope is gone and all meanes seemingly faile When the soule is shut up and there
is nothing left when hope and meanes are gone then is his time to come Fifthly Tell your soules and Satan That Christ is comming while you are waiting His Ship is under saile while thou standest looking upon the shoare Hee is comming leaping and skipping over the Mountaines while thou lyest sighing in the vallies Lastly Tell thy soule and Satan Christ comes secretly When his Brethren were gone then went hee up also to the Feast not OPENLY but as it were in SECRET Joh. 7.10 Hee had told them his time was not yet come And now it is come hee goes up in secret Say O dejected soule I must want and waite and I am contented for Christs time is not yet come in sight and yet hee is and may be comming in secret So that now to wind up this know your worke is to waite and learne to bee content with your worke Though thou art cast downe Yet bee not discontented But bee patient and still waite in hope Onely remember that I do not by all this exclude either prayer or endeavour No you must waite patiently and want contentedly and yet you may pray and use meanes First You may pray Patience may well enough consist with prayer It s a temptation to cast off prayer in any dejection Habbakkuk knew the time of the vision was appointed and therefore he would tarry and waite But yet chap 3 hee prayes So may you you may pray and call as the soules under the Altar how long You may expostulate with God and intreate him to make hast Onely remember Two Cautions in your prayer First Remember though you be importunate yet be not impudent When thou hast prayed for hast lye at Gods feet if he tarry Though thou tell God thou canst not yet doe not say thou wilt not bear his hand Secondly Be submissive Say if it be possible come sooner But yet Lord not my will but thy will bee done Husband writes the wife if it be possible come quickly and before such a time yet you are wise I leave it to you I rest yours expecting c. So write to Christ O Lord if it bee possible come quickly if it may become before I dye However Lord thou art wise though I bee weake not my time but thy season I rest I remaine thy patient panting waiting Spouse Secondly As you may pray so you may indeavour in the use of meanes to raise your selves at least to quiet your soules It s desperate folly and faultinesse to cast off the use of meanes in any dejection Joshua must up and be doing And thou mayest work and yet waite Onely here take Two Cautions likewise First Vse no unlawfull unappointed meanes Though Soul may use Davids Harpe yet he must not go to the Witch of Endâ—r to quiet his spirit Though thou mayst and shouldest Pray Read Heare Confer Communicate yea and Fast if with prudence Yet thou must not Drinke Drab Conjure c. to quiet thy selfe When Christ will not thou shouldest not go to Satan to comfort thee Secondly In thy use of meanes thou must not rest in them Thou must use all things as meanes not as medicines It s not the Word Sacraments c. but Christ in them which thou must looke out for as to cure Though thou offer sacrifice yet thou must trust in the Lord. Albeit you may indeavour by workes yet you must expect by faith Beware of relying upon meanes for cure or comfort But in all through all looke out and act faith upon Christ. Object But thou wilt say This I would if I might I would beleeve if I had ground Why Knew O soule in thy lowest condition there is ground for faith When thou sinkest deepest into the â—hine and hast no ground for thy feete yet thou hast ground for thy faith David did and thou mayest and must act thy faith and beleeve even then when thou art most cast downe and disquieted But of this I shall treate in the following Section SECT V. PSALM 42. ult For I shall yet praise him who is the health of my countenance and my God CHAP. 1. The fourth Doctrine drawn out of the words and spoken to SPirituall disquiets are sooner made then cured it s easier to cast down then raise up ones soule A weake heart may disturbe its selfe but even a strong heart cannot settle its selfe indeed it s a hard thing to keep up the spirit in a right religious frame Either upon the one hand we are apt to be puffed up too high and under pretence of high injoyments to forget our selves or on the other hand we are apt to be cast downe too low and under pretence of deep dejections to forget our Saviour now it s our wisdome to avoyd both extreames if the Lord lift us up we should not presume and if he cast us downe we must not despaire if Christ smile we should not grow wanton and if he frowne we should not wax weake It s an argument of much flesh to abuse comforts unto loosenesse and it s an argument of little faith to sinke under dejections into despaire Holy David was now low much disquieted and mightily cast down yet even in his dejection he raises up his spirit and beleeves though God were with-drawne and David was faint in panting after him yet he beleeves he would come againe and that he should rejoyce in praising him The last point which I raised from this place was this viz. It s the duty and the glory of Saints to act faith and to beleeve even then when they are cast down lowest and see God least I suppose you see it cleare in the words holy David was very much disquieted his soule did cast downe its selfe he went mourning because of the oppression of the enemy His God was in the darke and his heart hereupon was downe yet notwithstanding this he acts his faith and beleeves he should yet praise God as his health and as HIS I shall yet praise him as the health of my countenance and as MY God CHAP. 2. The point opened and proved THe point is precious as you wil see when its plaine and it wil be powerfull I hope if proved viz. explaine and confirme it First for the explication there are two things to be touched upon Viz. 1 The Subject and 2 The predicate of the proposition For the Subject It s a soule cast down lowest and seeing God least of such I have been speaking all this Treatise and of such I especially speake here now such are so Either 1 Certainly or 2 Conceitedly First there are some really i. e. rationally dejected some soules are deeply dejected and their grounds are weighty Now this reall and certaine case of dejections is chiefly at foure times or upon foure occasions as namely First When a soule is deprived of all means of injoyment of God as formerly Time was it may be that the soule lay in Jerusalem the place where the Lord delighteth to dwell and that