Scripture Light the Most Sure Light, Sermon 8
TRUE PEACE MAY BE INTERRUPTED.
Sermon, II.
PSALM, 42.11.
Why art thou caſt down, O my Soul?Stepney, April, 23. 1648. and why art thou diſquieted within me? &c.
Doct. 2 IT is poſsible that the Saints, and People of God, may be much diſcouraged, and caſt down: Though there be an inward Peace and quietneſs of Soul, which they are ordinarily indued with, yet poſsibly this Peace may be interrupted, and themſelves much diſcouraged, and caſt down.
Here are two words in the Text ſpeak as much; Caſt-down, Diſquieted. And three times in this Pſalm, the Pſalmiſt ſaith, His Soul was caſt down within him; yet this David was a man of great Peace and Comfort ordinarily.
And as with David; ſo it was, is, and will be with other Saints. This is ſo ordinary a caſe, that …he Holy Ghoſt hath provided a ſtanding Pſalm, or Prayer, on purpoſe for ſuch as are in this condi…on: Pſalm, 102. the Title, A Prayer; or Pſalm, of the afflicted, when he is over-whelmed, and poureth out his complaint before the Lord. In Pſal. 119.25. he ſaith, My belly cleaves to the duſt; and that is low indeed. And verſ. 28. My ſoul melteth for heavineſs: I am not only ſad, and heavy, but my ſoul melteth for heavineſs. Canticles 5. The Spouſe ſaith, Her heart was gone; or, my ſoul failed within me. And if we look into Pſalm, 143. we find (at the 4. verſ.) that the Pſalmiſt ſaith, My Spirit is over-whelmed, and my heart within me is deſolate. What do all theſe expreſſions, high, great and many, ſpeak, but this Truth that is now before us?
For the more full cleering, and opening of it, I ſhall labor to ſhew,
Firſt, How far it is poſsible for a good man to be diſcouraged, or caſt down?
Secondly, How it doth come to paſs that he is ſo diſcouraged?
Thirdly, How thoſe Diſcouragements can ſtand with his Grace and goodneſs?
Fourthly, How they may be healed and cured?
Queſt. 1 And Firſt. If you ask, How far the Diſcouragements of the Saints may reach? For (will ſome ſay.) I know it is poſſible that the moſt gracious, holy man, may be much diſcouraged, but not with ſuch diſcouragments as mine are.
Anſw. 1 I Anſwer. What are yours? Are you ſo far diſquieted, diſcouraged, caſt down, as to refuſe the word, promiſe, or conſolation that is brought unto you? So far may the diſcouragments of the Saints extend: Pſal. 77. verſ. 3. I remembred God, and was troubled. He doth not ſay, I remembred my ſin, and was troubled, but God; Yea I was not onelyonly troubled, but I did complain, and my ſpirit was overwhelmed within me. But when the promiſe came, and mercy came, and comfort came, did he refuſe that too? yes verſ. 2. my ſoul refuſeth to be comforted.
Anſw. 2 Secondly, Are you ſo far diſcouraged, diſquieted, caſt down, that your very body feeleth the ſmart of your diſcouragements? that you do not onelyonly refuſe the promiſe, and al comfort for your ſoul, but even for your body? Then look into Pſal. 102. and ſee if your caſe may not be paralleld, verſ. 4. My heart is ſmitten and withered like graſs, ſo that I forget to eate my bread. verſ. 5. By reaſon of the voice …f my groaning, my bones cleave to my skin. verſ. 6. I am like a Pelican of the wilderneſs, and I am like an Owl of the deſ…rt. verſ. 9. I have eaten aſhes like bread, and mingled my drink with weeping. verſ. 10. Becauſe of thine indignation and thy wrath: for thou haſt lifted me up, and caſt me down. verſ. 11. My dayes are like a ſhadow that declineth: and I am withered like graſs. O! but I am not onelyonly ſo far diſcouraged, as to refuſe comfort for ſoul and body: but my ſoul refuſeth Duty, and caſts off Duty too for the preſent.
Anſw. 3 Thirdly therefore. It is poſſible, that a good, and gracious mans diſcouragments may extend thus far too. You wil think it ſtrange that I find an inſtance for this in that holy man Jeremiah: yet if you look into Jer. 20.7.8. and 9. verſes, you find it made good. Indeed (ſaith he) The word was as fire in my bones, and I could not forbear: But for the time he did reſolve to forbear preaching in the name of God, which was his duty, which he had commiſſion to do: for (ſaies he) I wil not make mention of him; nor ſpeak any more in his name. This Holy, Gracious man, was under temptation, he was much diſcouraged, and thereupon he ſaid ſo. Yet (verſe 13.) he ſaith, Sing to the Lord, praiſe the Lord: for he hath delivered the ſoul of the poor from the hand of evil doers. But then mark the next words, Curſed be the day wherein I was born; let not the day wherein my mother bare me, be bleſſed. Curſed be the man who brought tidings to my Father, ſaying, A man child is born to thee. What a ſudden change was here, even in the beſt of the Saints, from incouragments, to diſcouragements. O! but I have not only curſed the day of my birth (as Jeremie) and wiſhed that I had never been born; But I am weary of my life, and have ſought after mine own death: and was there ever any Godly, Gracious man, that was thus diſcouraged, and caſt down?
Anſw. 4 Yes. What think you of Job? I was weary of my life: Job, 10.1. And in the 3. Job, pouring out his complaint in regard of himſelf he ſaith, verſ. 20. Wherefore is light given to him that is in miſery, and life to the bitter in ſoul? verſ. 21. Which long for death, but it cometh not, and dig for it more than for hid treaſures. Now ye know, that thoſe which dig for Gold and Silver, dig induſtriouſly, and earneſtly. Thus it is with me, ſaies Job, I am ſo afflicted, and diſtreſſed; and in ſuch bitterneſs of ſoul, that I long for death, and dig for it as for hid treaſures.
O! what a mighty deep of diſcouragments, may the Saints, and people of God fal into, and yet be Godly, Gracious.
Queſt. 2 But why doth God ſuffer his own people, and deareſt children, to be thus diſcouraged, and their peace to be interrupted? I know (wil ſome ſay) that al our preſent joy, and comfort, is but a creature, and ſo may be ecclipſed; and that Satan is near unto the beſt of Gods children, thruſting, and puſhing them forward into theſe diſcouragments, that they may be like unto himſelf who is a diſcouraged Spirit: Anſw. Sic verus juſtitiae Sol nonnunquam oritur & ad nos accedit a liquando rurſus a noſtro clima…e aberrat utrumque tamen beneſicium noſtrum eſt. Frumentum in Terram jactum eget aliquo tempore ut congelatur & induretur aliquo etiam ut molliatur neutrum illi obeſt. utrumque n…ceſſarium eſt unum ut creſcat alterum ut Radices agat. Granat.but why will God ſuffer it to be ſo?
In General: It is for their good, for their good they have, and for their good they do want their Peace and Comfort: The Star which led the wiſe men to Chriſt, did not alwaies go before them, but ſomtimes it appeared, ſomtimes it was hidden from them; but both appearance and hiding was for their benefit: its firſt appearance invited them to Chriſt, and its withdrawance made them more diligent in ſeeking after him. So when Chriſt hid himſelf from his Mother Mary, ſhe ſought him the more, and when ſhe found him, ſhe rejoyced the more: but both his abſence and his preſence, her fear and her comfort, was for her good; for his abſence did encreaſe and draw out her deſires, and his preſence did encreaſe and draw out her joyes. When God is abſent from us, then we have teſtimonies of our Love to God (by our deſires after him,) and when he is preſent, then we have teſtimonies of his Love to us, by the ſhines of his Countenance; ſo that whether God ſhines or not, whether we have comfort or not, both is for our good. Thus in the General, but yet more Particularly.
Firſt, Ye know it is Gods way and manner to deal with the Children of men, according to their own diſpoſitions, to ſtoop and condeſcend unto their infirmities: Therefore ſaies the Prophet Hoſea, Hoſ. 11.4.He draws us with the Cords of a man. Now it is mans diſpoſition to come to God at the ſecond hand: So long as man can find a fulneſs in any Creature, he comes not to God; but firſt he ſees an emptineſs in the Creature, Duty, and Ordinance, and then he ſaies, O what a fulneſs is in God himſelf, in Chriſt himſelf!1 Tim. 5.5. The Widdow that is deſolate, truſteth in God: though a Widdow, yet if not deſolate (ſomtimes) ſhe would not truſt; and therefore God ſuffers a deſolation to come upon her Widdowhood. When Davids men took up ſtones to have ſtoned him, then (the Text ſaies) He encouraged himſelf in the Lord his God: 1 Sam. 30.6.So long as man hath encouragement elſ-where, he doth not encourage himſelf in the Lord his God. This being mans Nature, and God having a deſign of Love upon his own Children, he ſuffers a damp and diſcouragement to paſs upon all their Comforts; their Peace to be interrupted, their hearts diſquieted, and their ſouls diſcouraged, that ſo they may encourage themſelves in God alone.
Secondly: This inward Peace and quietneſs of ſoul, is ſo great a Commodity, that God would have the price to be inhanced and raiſed. Common and ordinary bleſſings once loſt, and found again, are extraordinary: It is a common and ordinary mercy that a man ſits in his Shop, and walks up and down in his Trade; but if he be ſick a while, loſe his health, and not able for five or ſix weeks to look into his Shop; if then he can get down but one day, O ſaies he, what an extraordinary mercy and bleſſing is it, that I ſhould go down again: Thus the interruption of an ordinary bleſſing, does raiſe it to an extraordinary. So long as a man hath his health and ſtrength, though he be able to travel forty, fifty, three-ſcore miles a day, he is not much affected therewith; but if he be ſick a little, and at deaths door, and then begins to recover, though he can but put forth his Hand, or ſtir his Leg, he bleſſes God, and ſaies, O Friends, I can ſtir my ſelf in my bed, I can move my Hand, or my Leg; what an extraordinary mercy and bleſſing is this! So in this caie, So long as a man hath inward Peace and quietneſs of ſoul, without interruption, he looks upon it as a common mercy and bleſſing; but if his Peace be a little interrupted, and his ſoul buffeted by Satan, and then he recovers his Peace, O ſaies he, what an extraordinary bleſſing and mercy is this! Now God will ſomtimes raiſe the price of this Commodity from an ordinary, to an extraordinary bleſſing, and therefore he doth ſuffer his own Children, and deereſt Servants to be thus diſcouraged, and their peace to be interrupted.
Thirdly, God is a tender Father, and he would have all the Love of his Children; he would not have his Children to love their Nurſe more than himſelf: Our Joy, and Peace, and Comfort, is but the Nurſe of our Graces; now when God ſees that his Children fall in love more with the Nurſe, than with himſelf, then he removes the Nurſe, and cauſes their Peace to be ſuſpended and interrupted: he will not have the Nurſe to be loved more than himſelf.
Fourthly, Somtimes God doth ſuffer this cloud to ariſe upon the Peace and Comforts of his People,Ignorandum non eſt conſolationes ſpirituales eſſe infantium ci…um & lac. dulce quo Deus nutrit ſuos & a mundi voluptatibus avocat ut harum volup…atum ineſcati dulcedine alias omnes conſolationes contemnant & amoris Divini dulcedine capti omnem amorem mundi abjiciant, Deus negat ſuis conſolationes ut ſiant perfectiores, Granateus. that he may train them up unto more perfection; Comfort is the Childrens Milk: ye may obſerve therefore, that the weaker Chriſtian hath ſomtimes more lively, ſenſible Comforts, than the ſtronger Chriſtian hath; Why? but becauſe this inward Joy, and Peace, and Comfort, is that Milk, and ſweet Honey whereby they are drawn off from the pleaſures and ſweetneſs of the world; and as theſe Comforts do wean us from the worlds comforts, ſo we have need to be weaned again from theſe weaners, which God doth ſomtimes by reſtraining of them, and ſo we grow up unto more perfection.
Fifthly, Somtimes again, God ſees his Children do grow vain, and light, and froathy, and wanton, and ſecure under their Peace and Comfort, and then he withdraws himſelf, hides his face, and ſo they do loſe their Comfort. This was the caſe in Canticles, 5. where the Spouſe ſaith, My ſoul failed within me, at verſe 6. But why? I opened to my beloved, but my beloved had withdrawn himſelf: And why had he withdrawn himſelf? He comes and makes a tender of Love and Mercy, verſe 2. and ſhe would none, verſe 3. I have put off my Coat, how ſhall I put it on? I have waſhed my feet, how ſhall I defile them? that is, I am now laid to ſleep; they are words that import ſecurity, and upon her ſecurity he withdraws himſelf, and being withdrawn, her ſoul fails within her. And thus it is many times with the Children of God in their particulars; the Lord ſees that they grow ſecure, vain, froathy, and wanton under their peace and comfort, then he withdraws himſelf, and their peace faileth.
Sixtly, Our Lord and Savior Chriſt is a tender Chyrurgion, who hath ſet all our bones which we our ſelves have broken by our ſins. You know that a wiſe and an honeſt Chyrurgion, though he deſire his Patient may be quickly cured, yet if he ſees the Plaiſter doth not lie right, he takes it off again, for it is not laid right ſaith he: So doth Chriſt do, he ſees that the Comforts of his People ſomtimes are not right laid, and therefore (ſaith he) though I deſire this poor wounded ſoul may be quickly cured, yet becauſe this Comfort, this Promiſe, this Experience doth not lie right, it muſt be taken off again. Now the Comforts of the Saints are ſo laid ſomtimes, as the very laying of them doth breed diſcomfort. As in the ſowing of Seed; it is not enough that the Seed be good, but it muſt be well ſown, elſe the very ſowing thereof may cauſe weeds: So though Light be ſown for the Righteous, yet ſomtimes it is ſo ſown, as that the very ſowing thereof doth breed theſe weeds of fears, and diſcouragements, that you may ſay, and that without Propheſie, Here is a poor ſoul that ere long will be much diſcouraged, though for the preſent full of comfort.
Object. But this is hard to ſay, Can ye foretel a mans Diſcouragements, even in the time of his Comfort? who is there among all the Saints ſo comforted, concerning whom you may ſay, ſurely this man will be much diſcouraged again?
Anſw. 1 Firſt, When a man, a good man doth lay his Spiritual Comfort upon outward Bleſſings, you may ſay before-hand, this mans Comfort will never hold, but ere long he will be much diſquieted; and this was the reaſon why the Saints in the time of the old Teſtament, labored under ſo many Diſcouragements, even becauſe they meaſured the Love of God ſo much by theſe outward bleſſings. Pſal. 143.4. Therefore my Spirit is over-whelmed within me, Why ſo? Verſe 3. Becauſe the enemy prevailed: He meaſured Gods Love too much by theſe outward things, and therfore when the Enemy broke in upon him, he thought God did not love him, and ſo he was over-whelmed, thus in regard of all outward bleſſings. Seeſt thou therefore a man who raiſeth his perſwaſion of Gods Love from the ſmiles of any Creature; ſay of ſuch a man before-hand, O this poor ſoul ere long, wil be in the dark, and under ſome diſcouragements.
Anſw. 2 When a man is unthankful for true Peace, and unhumbled for falſe Peace, he cannot hold his Peace long. Before a man is converted, he hath Peace within; For when the ſtrong man keeps the houſe, all is at Peace; but it is falſe Peace: after a man is converted, he hath Peace within, and it is true Peace; God expecteth that a man ſhould be humbled for his former falſe Peace, and thankful for his preſent true Peace; Now when God ſees one both unhumbled for falſe Peace, and unthankful for his preſent true Peace, the Spirit of the Lord is grieved, ſo it withdraweth, and the ſoul is comfortleſs.
Anſw. 3 When a man doth raiſe his Comfort only from ſomwhat that he doth find within himſelf; from Grace that he doth find within, and not from Grace without; from Chriſt within, and not from Chriſt without; then his Comfort will not hold; Perpetuum eſt quod habet cauſam perpetuantem, that is perpetual, which hath a perpetuating cauſe: Grace without is perpetual, Chriſts own perſonal Obedience in the merit of it, is perpetual; but the actings of Grace within us, are not perpetual, or not perpetually obvious to ſight, and therefore cannot perpetually comfort. Indeed our Grace within, and obedience, is in ſome reſpects a cauſe of our Peace: Firſt, a Cauſa ſine qua non, a cauſe without which we can have no Comfort; for a godly man can have no comfort, if he have no obedience. Secondly, A cauſe which doth, removere prohibens, remove what hinders our Comfort, namely, our ſin. Thirdly, A Cauſe witneſſing; for there are three that bear witneſs, The Spirit, Water, and Blood; Water which is our Sanctification, is one. Fourthly, A Cauſe confirming; for by our Obedience and Sanctification, our Juſtification is confirmed, and the ſence thereof; ſo that Obedience is one cauſe, but not the only cauſe of our Peace, nor the principal: When therefore you ſee the ſtreams of a mans Comfort run in this Channel, raiſing all his comfort only, or principally from his obedience, or acting of Grace within, then you may ſay, though the ſtream be now full, ſtay but a little, and ere long you will ſee it dried, and this man wil be much diſcouraged.
Anſw. 4 When a man, a good man doth lay his comfort, rather upon the impreſſion, or comings in of the Word, than upon the Word it ſelf. For example, Suppoſe a man take the Bible, and upon the opening thereof doth pitch on ſome Promiſe; for the preſent he is much refreſhed and comforted; or ſuppoſe that he doth not open the Bible, nor read the Scripture, but ſitting down in a dark condition, ſome Promiſe doth come to him which before he thought not of; now at the coming of this Promiſe, his heart is much raiſed, warmed, and comforted, inſomuch that he concludeth, ſaying, Now I am a child of God, now I know that God loves me, that I have a ſhare in Chriſt: either this man raiſeth his comfort from the Word it ſelf, or from the comings in of the Word; if from the Word it ſelf, how can his comfort die? if upupon the bare coming in of the Word, how can his Comfort live? For when a Word comes not, then his Comforts fail. We read in Pſal. 16. That he ſhall multiply ſorrows that haſteneth after another: your Tranſlation reads it thus, Their ſorrows ſhall be multiplied that haſten after another God;foreign but the word God is not in the Hebrew. The whol Verſe are the words of Chriſt, what ſaith he, at verſe 2. O my ſoul, thou haſt ſaid unto the Lord, thou art my Lord, my Goodneſs, Holineſs, or Righteouſneſs, is not for thee, but for the Saints that are in the Earth, and for the excellent in whom is all my delight: But O Lord our Savior, what if we do not go to thy Goodneſs, Holineſs, and Righteouſneſs, reſting upon that alone? He anſwereth, Their ſorrows ſhall be multiplied who haſten after another: And is not this to haſten after another, when men reſt upon the bare coming in of the Word, or the impreſſions on the heart that are made thereby? Where do we read in all the Scripture (turn from one end of the Bible to the other) and where do we read that Chriſt hath appointed any ſuch way of Comfort as this, that a man ſhould raiſe his Comforts from pitching, or by an opening of the Book? If I pitch upon a Promiſe to day, and ſo have comfort, may I not pitch upon a threatening to morrow, and ſo have no comfort again? Where hath Chriſt appointed any ſuch way as this, that I ſhould meaſure Gods Love, or caſt my everlaſting condition by the coming in of a particular word? Indeed God doth ſomtimes by his Providence, upon the opening of the Bible, cauſe our eye to fall upon ſome Promiſe, which is a Providential Comfort, he doth ſomtimes ſend a particular word to ſtay and bear up ones ſoul in a particular diſtreſs or affliction, but not that I ſhould meaſure his everlaſting Love, or caſt my condition by the coming in of every word; this therefore is to haſten after another, and how many ſorrows are multiplied upon the hearts of Gods People hereby? How many poor ſouls are there that walk in this way? God our Father ſees it, that the Plaiſter is not right laid, and ſo he is fain to take it off, but all from a deſign of Love, to lay it right; and for theſe reaſons God ſuffers his own People to be much diſcouraged.
Queſt. 3 But how can all this ſtand with Grace? Can a man be thus comforted, and diſcouraged? diſcouraged, and then comforted again? thus to and fro in his comfort, yet in Chriſt, yet gracious, yet holy?
Anſw. Yes: For though there be much evil in this traverſing up and down,Revertere anima mea in requiem tuam, Pſal, 116. obſervemus verbum revertendi quo admonemur, fieri quidem ſubinde, ut animus piorum optata requie privatur et variis diſcriminibus inquietetur verum juxta id accidere conſolationis quod ſuo tempore conceditur illis Divinitus ut ad quictem ſuam revertantur Muſcul. in Pſal. 116. yet in the Saints there is ſtill a mixture of ſome Grace withal, ſome Grace mixed with their diſcouragements. Take the Saints and people of God, and though they be much diſcouraged and caſt down, yet ſtil they mourn after God, and though they cannot wait ſo patiently as they would, yet they ſay in truth, if they did but know that God would come at laſt, they would wait al their lives, here is Grace; and though they cannot mourn for ſins paſt, for which they are moſt diſquieted, yet they dare not put forth their hand willingly unto any ſin preſent. I have read of one that was ſo troubled and caſt down, that he ſaid and thought, I find ſo little comfort in my ſoul, that I would willingly ſuffer my body to live in burning fire until Chriſts coming, ſo that I might but have the aſſurance of Gods love and favor, and though I am perſwaded I ſhal go to hel, yet my hope is, that my paines here wil be mitigated there, in al which trouble (ſaith my author) nothing in the world could perſwade him to do any thing willingly that was diſpleaſing to God; this man was at the laſt comforted, and then he would often ſay, the Devil took advantage of my ſorrow for evil things, to make me unthankful for good things. But I ſpeak this to ſhew, that the Saints are never ſo diſcouraged,foreign Faeces à foreign cuſtodivit quia vina ſua vi conſervant. but ſtil there is a Grace that is mixed withal, they dare not ſin. Yea and though by their very diſcouragements, they do ſin againſt the Goſpel in unbelief, yet by the ſame diſcouragements they are kept from their ſins againſt the law, theſe diſcouragements being as the lees that do keep the wines.
Yea and though they do reſt too much upon their righteouſneſs whereby their feet ſink into divers ſloughs yet it is becauſe they would be the more obedient to God their father, and in the midſt of al their diſcouragement profeſs in truth, I would give al the world for the preſence of God, here is Grace, a mixture of Grace withal, no marvel therefore, that theſe diſcouragements may be in a Godly Gracious man.
Queſt. But is there no evil in this to be thus fluctuating to and fro, comforted and then diſcouraged, is there no evil in theſe diſcouragements?
Anſw. Much, very much, I ſhal not enter into the particulars. But how can they improve Chriſt as they ſhould in this condition? So long as a mans title for his land is in queſtion, he cannot ſow his ground, nor build houſes; and if you ask him, why do not you ſow your ground, and repair your houſes? his anſwer is ready, I dare not lay out much coſt, becauſe my title is in queſtion: So here, ſo long as a mans title to Chriſt is in queſtion, he cannot improve Chriſt as he ſhould. If a man be going a journy, and know not his way, he loſeth much of his way and of the comfort of it in inquiring after the way, and thinking whether he be right or wrong; when he comes at three or four turnings, there he ſtands whilſt he might ride a mile, and when he comes above in the field, and ſees a ſhephard at a diſtance from him, he rides up to him to inquire whether he be in his way or not; yea and al the day long he is thinking of his way, whether he be right; whereas if he knew his way, he might have many precious thoughts of God and of the word. So in this caſe, while a man is doubting and fearing, and knows not whether he be in the way to Heaven or no, how much precious time is loſt? thoughts of Chriſt loſt? thankfulneſs for Mercy loſt? of al hearts the ſcripture ſaith an unbeleeving heart is an evil heart, and when mens hearts are diſcouraged and caſt down, are they not unbeleeving? Who would not therfore take heed of theſe diſcouragements, and of the interruption of their peace?
Queſt. 4 But ſuppoſe now that I have loſt my comforts, times were heretofore when my ſoul was ful of joy, but now I am quite diſcouraged, what ſhould a poor ſoul do to recover his peace and comfort again that interrupted peace may be reſtored?
Anſw. 1 Some things by way of Queſtion, ſome things by way of direction.
Firſt, Haſt thou quite forgot the yeares of the right hand of the moſt high? haſt thou loſt al thy former experiences too? I know that uſually when our comforts fail, our former experiences fail, yet not alwaies; for the Pſalmiſt ſaith here, my ſoul is caſt down, yet at the ſame time verſ. 6. he ſaith, Therefore I wil remember thee from the land of Jordan, and of the Hermonites, from the hil Miſſar. So Pſal. 77 The Pſalmiſt having ſaid at the 7. verſ. Wil the Lord caſt off for ever? and wil he be favorable no more? is his mercy clean gon for ever? and doth his promiſe fail for evermore? hath God forgotten to be Gracious &c? he addeth in the ſame breath, but I wil remember the years of the right hand of the moſt high. Ye know what the diſciples ſaid. Did not our hearts glow within us while he opened the ſcriptures to us? Luk. 24.32.Beloved! you have no comfort now, wel, but you remember at ſuch a time, when you were al alone in your chamber, and no ſoul was near you, how the Lord came and opened the ſcriptures, the promiſe to your ſoul, wherewith your heart did glow within you. Have you quite forgotten the openings of thoſe ſcriptures to you? (I ſpeak not of the Glowings, for I ſuppoſe they are now gone) but are the ſcriptures gone that were then opened to you? did not you ſay in your laſt trouble and down-caſt condition, if ever the Lord appear to me again, I wil never doubt of his mercy more? And did he not appear unto you and open the promiſe unto your heart? and have you now forgotten theſe things? this is your infirmity, why ſhould you not remember the days, and times, and workes, and experiences of the right hand of the moſt high?
Anſw. 2 Secondly, Do you not uſe the means for the reſtoring of your comforts in ſuch a manner, as thereby you do loſe them more? A man may have great deſire after ſome preferment, and place, which many ride for, but one is ſo haſty that he rides over hedg and ditch, and thereby fals, and hurts himſelf, ſo others get before him, and by his too much haſt, he doth loſe his place. Thus it is ſometimes with good people, they make ſo much haſt to their comfort, that they loſe it by their haſt, they would have it ſooner, if they went on in an ordinary way of waiting on God without ſuch poſting haſt, but they muſt have it to day, O! let me know my intereſt in Chriſt to day (ſaith one) or elſe I am undone for ever. Thus by ſtinting, and limiting God to a time, they tempt the holy one, and ſo are more diſtant from their comfort; the more the child cries, and is froward under the rod, the longer is the rod continued.
Some ſeek comfort in a way of reaſon, and think to reaſon out their temptation, and to reaſon in their comfort, but as one ſaith wel; diſpute not with God leſt you be confounded, diſpute not with Satan leſt you be deceived.
Some again tire themſelves in duty, neglecting of their calling; the truth is, prayer is a friend to comfort and more than ordinary time is to be uſed in prayer for thoſe that are troubled in conſcience, but when men under temptations, and without comforts throw up their callings, thinking that nothing is to be done but prayer, by throwing aſide their calling, they lay themſelves open to more temptations of Satan, they do ſo tire out their natural ſpirits in duty, that they are flat and dead in duty, ſo their temptations are the more increaſed, and their comforts more diſtanced. Wherefore conſider, if you would have comfort reſtored again, whether you do not uſe the means of comfort in ſuch a manner, as to ſet you at a further diſtance from it.
Anſw. 3 Thirdly, Whether have you not ſtrained, and reached for ſome outward comfort ſo far, as to loſe your inward comfort? I read of Francis Spira, that when he was in horror of conſcience, he could not with peace and quietneſs behold his wife and children, for, to get an eſtate for them he denyed the truth, and therfore when they came before him in his trouble, he cryed out in much horror, How terrible is the ſight of theſe to me! they had been comforts to him before, yet now he could not away with the ſight of them, O! thought he, for your ſakes, and for your proviſion, I have denyed the truth and yeilded to theſe ſuperſtitions, and therefore ſayes he, How terrible is the ſight of theſe unto me? What peace or comfort had Judas in the ſight of his thirty pence? look what outward comfort a man ſtrains his conſcience for, that wil be death unto him to behold. We read of David that when his men had ventured for the waters of Bethlehem, he would not drink of it, but poured it out before the Lord, for (ſaith he) why ſhould I drink the bloud of theſe men? he did not ſin in deſiring of it, nor did he command his men for to venture through the enemies quarters, for thoſe Hebrew words foreign quis dabit who wil give me? are but words of wiſhing, who wil give me to drink of the waters of Bethlehem that is, O! that I had the waters of Bethlehem: according to the hebrew language, but though he ſinned not in his deſires, yet when he had the waters he poured them forth before the Lord, and ſaid, God forbid that I ſhould drink the bloud of theſe men; and wil you drink the bloud of your own conſcience? Time was heretofore when you had peace and comfort, and by ſtraining and ſtretching your conſcience for your outward comfort; now you have loſt your inward, wil you not then take that outward comfort, and pour it forth before the Lord? and ſay, God forbid that I ſhould drink the bloud of mine own peace and comfort, how can any of you have peace, while thoſe ſtollen, and unreſtored goods lye by you?
Queſt. But alas! al my comforts do lye proſtrate at the feet of my fears, that now I have no peace at al, What ſhal I do that my peace and comfort may be reſtored?
Anſw. 1 By way of direction Three things.
Firſt, Look what you would do if you were to be juſtifyed, and do the ſame now: if I were to be juſtifyed, (having a ſight of my own ſin & nature) I would through Grace, come to the righteouſneſs of Jeſus Chriſt, and leave the weight of my poor, guilty ſoul upon it; which act of faith would juſtify me, and give me peace; for being juſtifyed by faith, ſaith the Apoſtle, we have peace with God.
And as faith doth juſtify and give peace at the firſt, ſo the renewing of this act of faith doth renew our peace, and what is my juſtifying faith, but in time of temptation to leave my ſelf and condition upon Chriſt alone, ſaying, whether Godly or ungodly, whether in Chriſt or not in Chriſt, now I do not diſpute, but leave my ſelf upon Chriſt alone, this do again, and this wil bring peace again.
Anſw. 2 Secondly, You have now loſt your comforts, and the ſhinings of Gods face: either God hath withdrawn himſelf for your ſin, or not, if not for your ſin, he wil return again, and that quickly too; if for your ſin, labor more and more for to find it out, and to be humbled for it.
I know you wil ſay, O! but now in this condition I cannot be humbled.
But withal remember, that in this condition, that goes for humbling which doth not before, and God wil take that for humiliation now, which he would not take before. Pſal. 32. ſaith David, I ſaid I wil confeſs my tranſgreſſion unto the Lord, and thou forgaveſt the iniquity of my ſin. Dixit non fecit, ſaith Auſtin, he ſaid he would do it, but did not do it fully, yet thou forgaveſt the iniquity of my ſin, God took his humiliation although it was very low. Why? verſ. 3.4. we find him under temptation, and in much diſcouragement, for (ſaith he) My bones waxed old with my roaring al the day long, day and night thy hand was heavy upon me: my moiſture is turned into the drought of Summer, yet how ready was God to receive an acknowledgment, and a little humiliation from him, at this time.
O! But what is al this to us? this was Davids caſe. Nay ſaith David, this is not my caſe alone, for verſ. 6. For this ſhal every one that is Godly, pray unto thee, in a time when thou maieſt be found: God wil receive a little when you are much diſcouraged. Either therefore God hath withdrawn for your ſin, or not, if not, wait but a while, he wil return again; if for your ſin, labor more and more to be humbled for it, for he wil receive that meaſure of humiliation now, which he wil not do at another time.
Anſw. 3 Thirdly, Are al your comforts gone, and would you have them fain reſtored? Then read and read the ſcripture much; if you cannot read your ſelf, get ſome others for to read them to you. When a mans mind is empty, as in temptation and want of comfort, it is empty of Chriſt, and ful of fear, then it doth grind it ſelf, as a quern or mil when empty of corn, one ſtone grinds another: the more ful a mans mind is, the more free from temptations and fears, now ſcripture matter is the moſt filling matter, the more ye ſee Chriſt walking in the ſweet ſhades of divine love toward poor ſinners, the ſooner wil your faith revive, and your comforts be reſtored; and where can you ſee Jeſus Chriſt walking, and taking his turns with poor ſinners under the ſhades of divine love, but in the ſcriptures? ſtand there a while, and you ſhal ſee him, and your heart wil ſay, and why not one turn of love with me, O! my Savior? Study, read, and read much the ſcriptures.
Object. But if I do read the ſcriptures, and read them much, I ſhal then meet with ſome promiſe, poſſibly many, and now I cannot apply them being thus diſcouraged as I am, I ſhal ſee the promiſes indeed, and ſay, there is ſuch and ſuch an old friend of mine, but it is now mine enemy, the promiſe wil not own me, and I cannot apply it, and ſo it wil do me no good.
Anſw. Ye cannot tel what the promiſe wil do til you come to apply it; the promiſe never gives down its power and ſtrength til it be applyed, it doth then work when it is put to work, and not before. When Moſes ſaw his rod turned into a Serpent, he was afraid of it, and fled from it, but when he put forth his hand and took it by the tayl, it was a rod in his hand again, as it was before; it may be you look upon ſuch and ſuch a promiſe at a diſtance, and you ſay O! ther's my enemy, now it wil not help me, it wil ſting me, it wil undo me, but put forth your hand again to it, and it wil become a promiſe, a rod in your hand, as comfortable as ever it was before.
And doth not the promiſe come to you? go you to it. Somtimes the promiſe doth come to us, ſomtimes we go to it, when the promiſe doth come to you, you have joy, when you go to it, you have peace, and this peace may laſt longer than the other joy, but remember this as an everlaſting rule, That, your very relying upon the promiſe doth make it yours.
Object. But if I do read the ſcriptures much in this condition of my diſcouragement, I ſhal not onelyonly meet with the promiſe, but with a threatening, and that wil diſcourage me more.
Anſw. Not ſo, for i… a threatening make way to the promiſe, and doth therefore come forth to meet you, that it may lead you to the promiſe, have you any hurt thereby? now as the law was a Schoolmaſter to bring to Chriſt, ſo ſomtimes the threatening is a Schoolmaſter to bring you to the Promiſe.
Yea, and God doth therefore ſomtimes ſend the threatening, that it may lead you to the promiſe. You know how God appeared to Elijah, firſt in a wind that did ſhake the Mountains and Rocks, but God was not there, then in an Earthquake, but God was not there, then in a fire, but God was not there, then in a ſtil voice, and there was God. So when God appears to a ſoul, ſomtimes he doth firſt ſend a threatning, and ſhakes the Rocks, and Mountains, and hard hearts, and his converting Grace may not be there, but there is a ſtil voice behind, the voice of the promiſe, God is there, and al this ſhaking of the threatning, is but to make way unto the ſtil voice of the promiſe that is behind.
Object. O! but if I ſhould read the ſcriptures much in this condition, I ſhould meet with many other things which concern not me, there are many hiſtories in the ſcripture which ſuites not with my condition, and ſo I ſhould get no good or comfort.
Anſw. Say not ſo, Chriſt cures, per modum divertentiae, by way of divertency, as you do thoſe that are grieved. If a friend have loſt a husband, or wife, or child, you do not ſpeak of the loſt perſon, and ſay O! what a ſweet friend, or husband, or wife, or child you have loſt; but you ſpeak of ſomthing elſe, and then afterwards you are able to ſpeak of the perſon loſt, but firſt you divert his mind from the matter of his grief, and ſo you do cure his grief. Thus doth Chriſt alſo when he cures a poor, wounded, grieved ſoul, he doth not alwayes ſpeak to the ſubject matter of grief in hand, but leads the heart ſomtimes into the conſideration of other truths, and then afterwards doth ſpeak unto the matter that is now concerning, he cures by way of divertency.
Study therefore, O! ſtudy the ſcriptures much, for thus the Lord wil pour wine and oyl into your bleeding wounds, and in due time you wil ſay, as David did, In the multitude of my thoughts, Pſal. 94.19 Queſt.O Lord, thy comforts have comforted my ſoul.
But ſuppoſe the Lord do reſtore to me the joy of my Salvation, that the bones which I have broken may rejoyce, ſuppoſe there be a return of peace and joy, what ſhal I do then?
Anſw. I ſhal not need to tel you what then, you wil tel me what then, for you wil ſay, O! now I muſt be thankful, now I muſt beleeve, now I wil never doubt of mercy and of grace again. OnelyOnly take theſe few words of advice.
Firſt, Be ſure that you underſtand your comforts rightly, be not miſtaken in them, labor to diſtil and refine your comforts. As there was a mixt company came out of Egypt, which ſet the Iſraelites a murmuring: ſo there is a mixt company that comes with your comforts. Every creature is born into the world with ſome filth; when you have comfort, labor to find out and ſeperate the droſs and filth, put away that mixt company: Roſe leaves keep not long in the leaf, diſtilled comforts keep the longeſt.
Secondly, If you would be rid of Satan from coming into your quarters, fal you upon his; the way to keep the enemy out of our country, is to fal into his: ſo deal with Satan, do him al the miſchief you can, be not barely offenſive, up and be doing againſt him.
Thirdly If you would keep your comforts, put them al into the hand of Chriſt to be kept for you, a child that knows not how to keep his mony, if he get a penny from any friend, he brings it to his father or mother, and ſaith, mother pray keep this penny for me. You have experience that you cannot keep your own comforts, you wil loſe and ſpend them quickly. As Jeſus Chriſt is the Lord Treaſurer of al our Graces, ſo he is the Lord keeper of al our comforts, and therefore when God is pleaſed to give in any comfort to you, go to Jeſus Chriſt, and ſay, Lord keep my comforts for me, keep my evidences for me, keep my aſſurance for me, ye muſt not onelyonly depend upon Chriſt for Graces, but for comforts, and aſwel for the keeping, as for the getting of them.
Fourthly, As you have any ſpiritual comfort from Chriſt, ſpend al for Chriſt, for though in temporal things, the way to have little, is to ſpend much; yet in ſpiritual things, the more you ſpend, the more you have: and therefore whatſoever comfort you have, ſpend it with the Saints. Do as Moſes did, when Moſes was in Pharoahs Court, and in great preferment, ſtanding in the preſence of the King, he went out to viſit his brethren, and to comfort them under their burdens, I wil ſee (ſaith he) how it fares with my brethren, under their Burdens. So do you alſo, hath the Lord ſpoken peace and comfort to your ſoul? and do you now ſtand in the preſence of the King of Kings, having his face ſhining on you, with your comforts al reſtored unto you? now then go out unto your brethren, and inquire who they are that labor under any burden, and with the ſame comfort wherewith you have been comforted your ſelves, comfort others, knowing this for certain, that the more you ſpend, the more you ſhal have, and the longer you ſhal keep your comforts, yea, and this Chriſt expects, that what comforts we have from him, we ſhould ſpend for him.
And thus I have alſo done with the Second Argument.