love and affection Can we say too much or think too long of this Saviour who did joyn himself to our Flesh that he might loose the Bands of our Iniquity who being in the Form of God took the Form of a Servant that he might destroy the power of those sins which would have enslaved both our Souls and Bodies and made us for ever miserable Surely we cannot but fall down before the Lord with the deepest reverence and esteem him above every thing in Heaven and Earth who hath created us according to his own Image who hath redeemed us with the Blood of his own Son and who daily doth aslist us with the Graces of his most Holy Spirit and who hath provided for us a House not made with Hands in the Heavens Let such Subjects as these be the Arguments with which you entertain your Thoughts before you begin any Religious Duty and it will strangely conduce to the filling your Souls with Light and Life and make you diligently study to obtain God's Favour and breed in you most passionate Desires to dwell in his presence to all Eternity 3. I come to the last case I proposed to speak to which doth relate to these unhappy persons who have naughty and sometimes Blasphemous Thoughts start in their Minds while they are exercised in the Worship of God which makes them ready to charge themselves with the Sin against the Holy Ghost to pronounce their Condition to be without hopes of remedy and to fear that God hath utterly cast them off Now to give them the best ease and relief I am able I will endeavour these two things 1. To shew that their Case is not so dangerous as they take it to be 2. To give proper advice for their behaviour under the tumultuous Disorders of Mind and for their recovery from them That their Case is not so dangerous as they apprehend it I shall endeavour to shew by the following Considerations 1. Because these frightful Thoughts do for the most part proceed from the disorder and indisposition of the Body And this I take to be evident because they are more rise and troublesome and insult most over a Man after a fit of sickness or a great dsappointment or a heavy loss which hath deeprest his Spirits and made them gross and heavy but when it pleases God that he shall recover his health again and his spirits grow finer and move more briskly and his strength doth become more confirmed then these perplexing thoughts use much to abate and by degrees quite to vanish 2. Because they are mostly good People who are exercised with them For bad men whose Heads are busied in laying one Scene of Wickedness or other how they may gratifie their Malice or execute their Revenge or over-reach their Neighbours or violate their Trusts or satisfie their beastly Lust rarely know any thing of these kind of Thoughts or use to complain of them But they are honest and well-meaning Christians of unhealthy Constitutions and melancholy Tempers who are so miserably harrass'd by them who above all things earnestly desire an interest in their God and Saviour and for that reason the least dishonourable thought of him which infinuates its self into their Minds is so dreadful unto them 3. Because it is not in the power of those disconsolate Christians whom these bad Thoughts so vex and torment with all their endeavours to stifle and suppress them Nay often the more they struggle with them the more they encrease and when they are vehemently opposed they do more domineer and terrifie men And the true reason is because by successful strivings they do but feed this melancholy Humor and grow more dejected So that there is good cause as I observed to judge them to be Distempers of the Body rather than Faults of the Mind 4. We may observe that they who labour under the burden of such dismal Thoughts are seldom betray'd into any great or deliberate sin For they having a very low opinion of the Condition of their Souls are jealous of the least Temptations and tremble at the appearance of any notorious Evil. Which is the cause they commonly set a strict guard over their Words and Actions Hence it is apparent that the sins which most easily captivate others can scarce make an entrance into them They have little temptation to Covetousness who can find no satisfaction in Riches They cannot be hard hearted to their Neighbours in distress who are so ready to beg the prayers and help of all about them They are in no danger of of being swell'd with Pride who think a great deal worse of their own state than it deserves They being then thus humbled into a mean apprehension of themselves by the calamitous disorders of their Mind to contend the more abundantly to keep themselves blameless and unspotted from the World wherein they discovering no ease no relief for their doleful Complaints are not allured by any of its glittering or sensual Baits to transgress the Divine Laws From what has been said it plainly follows That there is more trouble than danger in the case of the dejected Christians which we have been considering Altho I own that none do more deserve our pity so black and dismal is the Sentence they pronounce against themselves and yet I make no question but God in his own season and when he sees it most proper for them will in some measure settle and quiet their Minds and also bestow a large Recompence on them for all the Troubles and Sorrows they have sustained out of fear that he was highly displeased with them I am now arrived at the last part of my Subject which is to give the best Advice I can for their behaviour under these perplexing Disorders of Mind and for their recovery from them Which I shall endeavour in the following particulars 1. Frequently observe how your Thoughts are imployed If they are engaged in a good Matter encourage them to persevere and secure them all you can from outward disturbance and diversions If they are taken up in trifling and vain Subjects of no real benefit to you translate them to some more noble and useful Argument For as your Thoughts are so your Actions will be Men cannot think foolishly and act wisely Besides idle Thoghts are Neighbours to bad ones and there is a straight and short passage from one to the other But if they are exercised in any evil design it highly behoves you to extinguish and suppress them for if the Fountain be muddy all the Streams must partake of its impurity And this Work you ought to take the first opportunity to do and that with all your might not only because it is of absolute necessity to the Health and Peace and Innocence of your Soul but because the Victory over them will be much easier at their first appearance than after by suffering them to dwell with you you have given them some countenance of encouragement and
astray from his Ways to quicken our Returns to our Duty So that when Fear doth prevail upon a man to amend his bad life he puts his Passion to the very use for which he received it from God And having thus applied it to the end for which it was made an Essential Ingredient of his Nature we have no cause to question but God will own him and graciously allow his Obedience 2. We may observe That God hath enforced all the Laws he hath given to the Children of Men by Threatnings as well as by Promises But as promises are to work upon our Love so Threats are to excite our Fears God having made the Motives to our Obedience to answer the different Passions with which he hath endued our Souls Wherefore there cannot be the least reason to conceive that God should threaten Punishments against the disobedient which naturally act upon the fears of men and yet not be pleased with the Service which these Fears raised by the Penalties annext to his own Laws do bring forth No God therefore doth set Life and Death before Men that the fear of Death may make them chuse Life and he threatneth them with Everlasting Punishments that the Amazement and Horrour which the serious and due Consideration of them will cause in their Souls may powerfully engage them with all Speed and Care to labour to fit themselves to partake of the Divine Mercies 3. Our Blessed Saviour first and his Disciples after him in their Sermons do address themselves not only to the Passion of Love but also to that of Fear which they never would have done had they been conscious that the Sacrifices of Fear would not have ascended up to Heaven with a grateful Savour He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved but he that believeth not shall be damned Doth not Christ here intend to bring Men to a belief of his Gospel and to yield Obedience to the Laws thereof as well by the fears of Damnation as the hopes of Salvation And when he had cured the man who had been afflicted with an Infirmity Thirty eight Years he bids him sin no more lest a worse thing come unto him The Argument our Lord used to engage the poor impotent man to live innocently was directed to the Passion of his Fear taken from the Danger of a Calamity greater than the very long Infirmity of which he now was cured that would befal him if he did still continue in his sins Knowing the terror of the Lord saith St. Paul we perswade men The Apostle well knew that the greatness of these Terrors exprest in the foregoing Verse That we must all appear before the Judgment seat of Christ that every one may receive the things done in his body according to that he hath done whether it be good or bad if fully and maturely weighed would be of irresistible force to recover Men from a lewd and prophane Conversation They must be brought to a state of extream Obstinacy or Desparation upon whom an Argument of such wonderful power and efficacy can make no Impression 2. I come to a second Case often complained of by some serious Christians which is a want of Inclination to holy things and a coldness in their Devotions They do not come to God's House nor address themselves to their Prayers with such an appetite as they do to the Business of the World but want earnest and fervent Desires for the success of the Petitions they put up to their Father in Heaven they cannot warmly engage their hearts in the Cause of their Salvation but find a listlesness to Spiritual Exercises which they apprehend to be a full proof of their Hypocrisie and that God will refuse their Prayers and Thanksgivings as vain and insincere Oblations Now before I proceed in the best and clearest Method I can to relieve Persons in this unhappy Condition I desire it may be first observed that why many have no more Zeal and Life in God's Service is their own fault for which they are greatly to be blamed Because this Dulness of Spirit that attends their Religious Exercises does come from their own Negligence and want of Consideration They take Care to make an Appearance in the Congregation but no care about what their Souls are there imployed They have not considered of what Infinite Importance it will be to them to serve God in the most acceptable manner nor how they should render their Service acceptable neither by what cause their Devotions have decay'd nor by what means they may revive and increase them Now if they neither consider where they are nor for what end they came it is no wonder that their minds should be flat and unactive all the time they stand before the Lord and very little concern'd for the prosperous Issue of the Prayers that are offered up by the Congregation As therefore it is high Presumption for such careless Persons to hope for any benefit by that part they bear in the Publick-Worship so they may cure their Malady by retiring from their Business and their Pleasures and by reflecting in good earnest upon the terrible Dangers whereunto they do every hour expose their immortal Souls But these are not the Men to whose Case I would speak at this time but I direct my Discourse to those who have frequently striven to remove this coldness from their Souls when they did approach the Heavenly Throne and yet have failed in their Attempt Now in abatement of their Trouble give me leave to lay the following Observations before them 1. That the difference of Degrees of Affections with which Men serve God does often depend upon the difference of their Tempers and Constitutions Some have such heavy Constitutions that it must be a great matter that will work upon their Hopes or Fears and it will require some time to make them very sensible either of their gain or loss But others have such a tenderness in their Natures and such quickness of Sense that the least things do much affect them A little Prosperity makes all their Spirits to mount and they are overflow'd with Joy and as small a Cross sinks them down and causes them to have sad and melancholy Perswasions of their Condition Now People of such various Dispositions notwithstanding they have equally endeavour'd to prepare themselves cannot serve God with equal affections but yet he may be alike pleased with what they both do Because he will measure their Obedience by the sincerity of their minds that lies in their own power and not by the difference of their Constitutions which was not made by themselves The Constitutions of some men being much warmer than those of others they easier take fire whether they are paying homage to God or doing business among Men. Where therefore Men have more heat in their natural Temper it is no wonder they should have more zeal in their Devotions But God will not reject any man because he is of a cold Complexion
or disdain his reasonable Sacrifice because it is offered with less vehemence of Passion 2. We may say further That they who are not carried by their Passions into the Service of God but render worship to him upon rational motives because he is the giver of all good things seem to act upon a higher and more sublime Principle For notwithstanding they are destitute of that pleasing warmth in their Passions which provokes others to pray unto God and to be thankful unto him yet they do not cease to celebrate his praise because it is their duty to do it and because Reason suggests that they ought to make grateful acknowledgments of his Infinite Mercies 3. We may observe That the most zealous are not always the best men For their zeal may be without knowledge or on the wrong side as it was in St. Paul when he persecuted the Church And it is his own Observation That notwithstanding a man had such a zeal for the Cause of God as would prompt him to suffer Martyrdom and yet wanted Charity his sharpest Sufferings would profit him nothing I must confess where a man is zealously affected in a good matter and his active Spirits are discreetly directed to the Service of God such an one may prove a glorious Instrument for the propagating and promoting the Fear and Honour of God among men and also may have a more sensible pleasure in every Religious Performance But all cannot raise their Affections to this pitch however God will not quench the smoaking flax nor break the bruised reed but pardon the wandrings pity the weaknesses quicken the affections and make gracious allowances for all the defects of infirm but honest Christians 4. That the most holy Servants of God cannot maintain an equal warmth in their Devotions at all times Experience doth teach them that in some Seasons an unaccountable heaviness will seize upon their hearts while they are on their bended knees supplicating the forgiveness of their sins who at other times can put their Souls all in a bright and pure frame by intense meditations on the unspeakable love of God If therefore now and then you perceive your minds dull and heavy at your Prayers it is but what sometimes doth happen to the most sincere Christians how great care and Diligence soever they use to uphold life and vigour in their Souls so that this is no just cause of disquiet and dejection of spirit Moreover Sickness Losses and all Afflictions do sometimes so disorder the Passions and oppress the Spirits even of the best men that it is hardly possible they should serve God with as much chearfulness under Calamities and Troubles as at other times tho' they may have as much integrity and as sincere desires to please him and he will take what they then do as kindly at their hands and bountifully reward such Services Hence I gather that since men are not able at all times to keep their Affections at an equal height when they address themselves to their heavenly Father either in the Church or in their Closets that he doth not expect it from them and they ought not to give place to melancholy Fears when they shall find it otherwise with themselves God has made nothing the subject of our obedience which is not within the bounds of our abilities and he will at the Day of Judgment condemn men for the Actions only which proceeded from their Wills and not for that want of heat in their Passions which was owing to the natural make of their Constitutions that they could not help or to outward unhappy Circumstances which they had not at their command 5. What hitherto hath been said about coldness and damps in the minds of men while they are engaged in religious duty has been to comfort those who are exceedingly grieved at it and who yet have not been able to conquer it tho' they have used true pains for that purpose Now notwithstanding it is not to be expected nor necessary that these innocent Persons should meet with a compleat cure of their grief yet I must tell them that nothing will more enliven their Spirits in the Service of God than deliberate Meditations of him and of themselves before they enter upon any part of Divine Worship If they would often engage their minds in Contemplations about the Divine Attributes and the Infinite Perfections of the Nature of God it would strangely help to deliver them from that drowsy Stupidity of which they so sadly complain and which hath so strong an influence on their Actions For frequent thoughts of Almighty Power will make the most sturdy Temper to tremble and the proudest heart to submit There is no thinking seriously of unsearchable Wisdom without being wrapt up in admiration of it and becoming very willing to be ruled by it And will not the meditations of Infinite Love diffussing it self over the World oblige us to adore to honour to love and to praise that most glorious Spring from whence it floweth Do but consider as the Providence of God watches over all the Works of the Creation so with what a particular care it hath preserved you and delivr'd you from the many and great Dangers which you did not foresee and against which you could make no provision and certainly it will give a sensible touch to your Soul and cause you to breake forth into Songs and Hymns of Thanksgiving But if you proceed still further to contemplate the deep Mysteries and inconceiveable love shewn by Christ in the mighty work of your Redemption to consider the great condescension of your Saviour when he left the Heavens to dwell amongst us the wonderful humiliation of himself when he took our Frail Mortal Nature upon him the Pains the Agonies the Horrors of the most dreadful Death he suffered to save us ungrateful Sinners and this can hardly fail to dissolve the most obdurate and stony heart and make you firmly conclude that you never can sufficiently admire love serve or suffer too much for this most Blessed Saviour Can your Passions continue all quiet when you look to this your most merciful Redeemer who left the Bosom of his Father to seek you when you had lost your selves in the ways of sin and the paths that lead to death Who came to procure Reconciliation for you with God whom as you had heinously provoked so you were in no respectable to make him satisfaction Do but with some seriousness recollect how often the Lord hath spared you when your own hearts have told you that you did deserve punishment How very often you have highly offended him and fearfully looked when he should destroy you and yet you are still suffer'd to be in the Land of the Living as so many Monuments of his Compassion and he is not yet wearied with waiting for your return that he may be gracious unto you Do I say but meditate upon these mercies of your God and try whether your hearts will not all melt into
so that Conquest which would have cost you but small pains may become doubtful where you are to contend with thoughts whose long standing hath confirm'd and almost rooted them in your Nature Thus frequent Reviews taken of your Thoughts will produce both power and skill to manage them wisely and may in good measure prevent or cure the Troubles complained of by these Melancholy Persons 2. Endeavour to keep all your Passions within due bounds since Storms of Passion confound the Soul and make way for evil thoughts And whatever was the first Cause of the Passion it is apt before it goes off to run them into those frightful Reflections which they so much dread and after the weakness and indisposition which a strong Passion leaves behind it they will be less able to repel them So that it is very bad for splenetick Persons to give way to their Passions which both bring their Distemper upon them and unfit them to grapple with it Nay they cannot safely give any scope to the most pleasing Passions for they sometimes shall find as bad effects in the excesses of Joy as of any of the sowr and churlish Passions and be as greatly dejected after them It would be much for their advantage to bring themselves to an equal and steddy temper so as none of the Affairs of the World may make a deep impression upon them to be mild and gentle in their behaviour to avoid all needless contentions and heats to be ready to do good to every body but never to do things seemingly hard except where great necessity requires it Neither to set their hopes nor their fears too high not groundlesly to despair where God has pronounced no threats nor fondly to presume where he hath made no promises 3 Do not leave your Callings nor forsake the Post wherein Providence hath placed you As before it was my Advice not to set your hearts too much on the World nor to suffer your Passions to run out vehemently after it so now I exhort you not to quit your Imployment and utterly to forsake it by reason of the trouble of your Mind For no business at all is as bad for you as too much and there is always more Melancholy to be found in a Cloyster than in the Market-place As when a man is too full of business he is ready to forget God so when he is idle and destitute of all Employment his Head is apt to become a Cage not only of unruly but unclean Thoughts It will be therefore much to your detriment to hide your selves from your Friends and to quit the Calling wherein you were exercised in that People of dejected tempers never fare worse than by themselves and when they have nothing to do For when they have neither Company nor secular Affairs to take up their time they will be musing perpetually upon the Objections they make against themselves and their Thoughts will all fix and centre upon the desperate Condition wherein their disturbed Phancy hath placed their Souls Whereas vertuous and cheerful Conversation innocent Recreations and moderate Business will give a great diversion to the Distemper and much conduce to chace away these gloomy Apprehensions 4. When you find these Thoughts creeping upon you be not mightily dejected as if they were certain Tokens of your Reprobation For so far as they depend upon the indisposition of the Body which for the most part they chiefly do I take them no more to be marks of the Divine Displeasure than Sickness or Losses or any other Calamity you may meet with in the World Neither violently struggle with them since experience doth teach that they increase and swell by vehement opposition but discipate and wasteaway come to nothing when they are neglected and we do not much concern our selves about them for it is the custom of the Mind of Man much oftner to think and reflect upon those things which either delight orgrieve him than upon those which he judges are to be despised I know this would be no good advice did these Thoughts lye within our power and were the products of our choice as all sins are for then the sooner and the more vigorously we resist them so much the better it will be for us for at first sin is weak and has little interest in us and Conscience is tender and is made extream uneasie by any compliance with it so that if we did bravely oppose it in the beginning of the Siege the Victory would be most certain But when in length of time sin hath got both strength and confidence our very Nature must undergo a great change before it can be subdued But now having proved that these bad Thoughts do result more from the weakness of the Body than from the vitiousness of the Mind it is evidently apparent that by another sort of treatment they must have a cure It is not therefore a furious Combat with Melancholy Thoughts which will but weaken and sink the Body and so make the Case worse but a gentle Application of such comfortable things as restore the strength and recruit the languishing Spirits that must quash and disperse these disorderly Tumults in the Head Whenever therefore these troublesome Thoughts begin to stir do not fall into any violent Passion which will abate the Gourage and shatter the Resolutions of your Soul but having first commended your miserable Case to the tender care and compassions of your Heavenly Father who will not let you be afflicted above measure endeavour with a meek and sedate temper quietly to bear them 5. Do not think the worse of God for them or accuse his Providence of want of care of you For he might have permitted such Thoughts to have continued perpetually or at least to have visited you much oftner and in a more frightful manner and all this without the least diminution of his Justice But as his Mercy appears in the degrees and intervals of your Sufferings so it doth also in the ends of them He sending these Afflictions for wise and kind Reasons that they might be powerful Preservatives of your Souls against the hainous sins of a crooked Generation in which you live that cry loudly to Heaven for vengeance that they might lessen your Inclinations to the Enjoyments of this Life that they might deaden your Appetites to sensual Pleasure and take your hearts off of the perishing Goods of the World which can afford you small Satisfaction so long as your Minds are haunted with these black Thoughts Nothing will dispose you more to have Compassion on your suffering Brethren than your own Sorrows and nothing make you less envy the towring height and prosperity of others which to Persons in your mournful state must be so insipid and uncomfortable that you will indeed be concern'd for the many dangers of their station but never wish you could supplant them In a word nothing will cause you more to feel your own Infirmities and a want of the