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A63269
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Of the causes and cure of sad disconsolate thoughts in Christians. By one of their sympathizing fellow-members, W. Traughton
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Troughton, William, 1614?-1677?; J. D., engraver.
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1677
(1677)
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Wing T2317; ESTC R219353
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23,660
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96
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is a Duplication of the Subject of the Promise I will not leave I will not forsake And a Multiplication of Negatives no fewer than five Negatives by which God intimates That he will not yea he will not surely he will not forsake his Servants He will never wholly reject them nor utterly leave them If he leave them 't is but for a Season If he go from them 't is but as one that goes from home to return speedily again I will not saith Christ leave you Comfortless or as Orphans at Sixes and Sevens but I will come to you Joh. 14.18 He may sometimes frown but he will smile again If at any time his Compassions towards his People seem to be restrained yet they cannot be extinquished 2. Though God may vary in the Operations of his Love yet his Love in it self is still the same and shall be the same for-ever Jer. 31.3 Psal 89.30 44. Joh. 13.1 In the Summer there 's Light inherent in the Sun and Light fluent from the Sun That 's ever perfect and permanent but this may suffer Changes and be obscured as in the Night it happens The Root doth not alwayes give so much Sapp to the Branches as to make them Budd and Blossom yet she doth alwayes stick close to them and influence and maintain them A Father may have a dear Love to his Child and yet shew but little of it in his Carriage as David towards his Son Absolon and so it may be in this Case 3. When God hides his Face from his People he with-holds those Acts of Love only that are for their well-being not those that are for their being Though a true Christian may want that without which he cannot have Comfort yet he shall never want that without which he cannot live In this respect God never with-holds any good Thing from them that walk uprightly Psal 84.11 4. A Christian may miss much of the External Presence of God and yet enjoy inward Communion with him He may want the Comforting Presence of God in respect of Soul-ravishing Joyes and Inlargements and yet at the same time partake of the powerful gracious Influence of the Spirit of God for his Sustentation and Support This doth never utterly forsake him And this is oft-times most in Power when it is least in out-ward shew and Appearance and Saints have most of God when they see him least whose gracious Power may and doth operate effectually where there is but little Sense and Feeling of it Mettals that lye deep under Ground and see not the Heavens yet partake of their Powerful Influence When God cover'd Moyses his Face in the Cleft of the Rock Exod. 33.22 then did he pass by and gave Moyses to see his Glory So the Clouds and Vailes which now cover the Eyes of many Pensive disconsolate Christians are often Forerunners of the Clearest Light and most Soul-ravishing Sight of God How-ever poor Soul be content to remain for a while in this World without these Soul-ravishing Joyes and Tasts of Heaven if God will have it so Doubtless there 's a great Difference betwixt the Condition of Saints in the Church Militant and the Church Tryumphant Heaven at last will make amends for All and that glorious Communion with God which is Reserved for the Saints in the Church Tryumphant will Countervail all the Sad and Sorrowful Thoughts Pressures and Temptations which now they are expos'd unto in their Militant Estate and Condition FINIS The CONTENTS of this small Tract touching Sad Disconsolate Thoughts Text. Psal 94.19 Opened and Explained Observation Saints should Watch against Sad Melancholy Unbelieving Thoughts I. Such Sad Disconsolate Thoughts are here described II. The Causes of them are set down First Bodily distempers especially Melancholy do partly cause them Secondly There are spiritual Causes of these Sad Thoughts As 1. Those remaining Principles of Carnal Reason and Unbelief that are in the Saints 2. They are Caused by a deep sense of Sin and the desert of it 3. By Spiritual Desertion or Gods hiding His Face from the Soul 4. From the Sad apprehension of Divine wrath and displeasure 5. From the Violent Temptations and Injections of Satan the Prince of Darkness 6. By looking at Death in the Terrible Glass of the violated Law of God The CVRE of these Sad Thoughts I. IF Melancholy be the Cause then use the means which God has appointed for the Cure of it As 1. Use Physick moderate Exercise good Diet. 2. Let your Converse be with Wise Compassionate Christians that have had experience of this sad Distemper and of Remedies against it 3. Consider though the cure of Melancholy be a torture to Physitians yet God can easily Rebuke it II. If your Sad Thoughts be caused by Spiritual Distempers Then 1. In General endeavour to Comfort these Sad Thoughts by applying spiritual Remedies 2. Often chide your selves for these Sad Unbelieving Thoughts More particularly First Does Satan that Spirit of Darkness work upon thy Melancholy distemper Unbelief Carnal Reason Then take to thee the Shield of Faith that thou mayest quench his fiery Darts Secondly If thy Sins make thee Sad and press thee down go to Christ who freely Invites the Soul that 's burthened and heavy laden Thirdly If at present thou doest not behold the Face of God with joy yet consider His Love is Unchangable and whom He Loves once He loves for ever Fourthly If thou hast Sad Apprehensions of Divine Wrath and Displeasure remember that Christ thy Surety has borne the Wrath of God for Sinners Fifthly If thou art Tempted by Satanical Injections to Blasphemy c. and doest abhor and resist the Temptation Consider it is thy Tryal not thy Sin Sixthly If the fear of Death cause Sad Thoughts learn to look at Death in the comfortable Glass of the Gospel of Christ Some further Directions for a poor Soul that 's perplexed with Sad and dark Thoughts I. Direction Call to Remembrance and improve former evidences of God's Love and Kindness to you II. Plead and expostulate humbly with God when He seems to hide His Face from thee This Direction is drawn out and inlarged in five particulars III. Improve the Soul sorrows and sufferings of Christ who bore the wrath of God in His Soul that thy soul might rejoyce in God IV. Renew thy Faith and Repentance in good earnest as if hitherto thou had'st never done it to purpose V. Trust in the Name of God Jehovah for Comfort and Salvation There 's enough in this Name to support thee under all thy sad pressures VI. Furnish thy self with fit matter out of the Holy Scriptures for Heavenly Thoughts and Meditations This was the practise of the Prophet David Of Job who esteemed the Word of God more than his necessary Food Of Nepotianus whom Hierom speaks of Of Augustin and his dear Friend Alipius Of Mr. Bilney Martyr Of Bishop Latimer Martyr Of Alice Benden Martyr Of Mrs. Katherine Brettergh Of Mr. John Holland an Eminent Saint and Preacher