Christ the Way and the Truth and the Life, Chapter 21
CHAP. XXI. How to make use of Christ as the Life, wh… the beleever is so sitten-up in the wayes of God, that he can do nothing.
SOmetimes the beleever is under such a distemper of weaknesse and deadnesse, that there is almost no commanded duty, that he can go about: his heart and all is so dead, that he cannot so much as groan under that deadnesse. Yea he may be und… such a decay, that little or no difference will be observed betwixt him and others, that are yet in nature; and be not only unable to go actively and livelily about commanded duties, yea or to … astle from under that deadnesse; but also be so dead▪ that he shall scarce have any effectual desir… or longing to be out of that condition. Now▪ in speaking to the use making of Christ, fo… quickening in this dead case, we shall do tho… things
1. For clearing of the case, we shall shew how probably it is brought on.
2. How Christ is life to the soul in such a case, as this.
3. How the beleever is to make use of Christ for life, in this case; and,
4. Further cleare the matter, by answering a question or two.
As to the first. Such a distemper as this may be brought upon the soul,
1. Through some strong and violent temptation, from without, meeting with some evil disposition of the heart within, and so surprizeing & overpowering the poor soul, as we see in David, & Peter.
2. Through the cunning and slight of Satan, stealing the beleever, that is not watchful enough, insensibly off his feet, and singing him asleep by degrees.
3. Through carelesnesse, in not adverting at first to the beginnings and first degrees of this deadnesse and upsiting, when the heart beginneth to grow formal, and superficial in duties, and to be satisfied with a perfunctorious performance, without life and sense.
4. Through thortureing of conscience, in light …nd smaller matters: for this may provock God to …et conscience fall a sleep, & so the soul shall become more untender, and scruple little, at length, at greater matters; and thus deadnesse may come to an hieght, God ordering it so, for a further punishment to them, for their▪ untendernesse and uncircumspectnesse.
5. Through their not stirring up themselves, and shaking off that Spirit of lazinesse and drousinesse▪ when it first ceaseth upon them; but, with the sluggard, yet another slumber, & another sleep, and a folding of the hands to sleep.
6. Continuing in some known sin, and not repenting of it, may bring on this distemper, as may be observed in David.
As to the Second particular; Christ is life to the soul in this case; in that
1. He keepeth possession of the soul: for the seed remaineth, the root abideth fast in the ground, there is life still at the heart, though the man make no motion; like one in a deep sleep, or in a swoon, yet life is not away.
2ly. He is due time awakeneth, and rouzeth up the soul, & so recovereth it out of that condition, by one meane or other, either by some alarme of judgment and terror, as He did David; or dispensation of mercy and tenderness, as He did Peter. And usually He recovereth the soul
1. By discovering something of this condition▪ by giving so much sense and knowledg; and sen… ing so much light, as will let the soul see, that it … not well, and that it is under that distemper of lifelesness.
2. By discovering the dreadfulness of such a condition, and how hazardous it is to countinue therein.
3. By puting the soul in minde, that He … the Life, and the resurrection; and through th… stirring up of grace airting the soul to look to Him for quickening and outgate.
4. By raseing up the soul at length out of that drouziness, and sluggish folding of the hands to sleep, and out of that deep security; and putting it into a more lively, vigilent and active frame.
As to the Third. The beleever, that would make use of Christ, for a recovery out of this condition, would minde those duties.
1. He would look to Christ, as the light of Men, and the enlightner of the blinde; to the end, he may get a better and a more through discovery of of his condition; for it is halfe health here to be sensible of this disease. The soul that is once brought to sense, is halfe recovered of this feaver and lethargie.
2. He would eye Christ, as God, able to cause the dead and dry bones to live, as Ezech. 37. and this will keep from despondency and despaire; yea it will make the poor beleever conceive hope, when he seeth that his physitian is God, to whom nothing is impossible.
3. He would look to Him also, as Head and Husband, an Life to the poor soul, that adhereth to Him; and this will strengthen his hope & expectation: for he will see, that Christ is ingadged, to speak so, in point of honour, to quicken a poor dead and lifeless member: for the life in the head is for the good of the whole body, and of every member of the body, that is not quite cut off: and the good that is in the husband is forthcoming fo… the reliefe of the poor wife, that hath not yet gotten a bill of divorce. And Christ, being Life & the Life, he must be appointed for the releife, the quickening, & recovering from death of such as are given to Him, that they may be finally raised up at the last day, He must presente all his members lively in that day.
4. He would by faith wrape himself up in the promises, and lie before this Sun of righteousness, till the heat of his beames thaw his frozen heart, and bring warmth into his cold and dead soul, and thus renew his grips of Him, accepting of Him, as the Life, and as his Life. Christ himself tells us Iohn. 6: 40. That this is the Fathers will, that hath sent Him, that every one which seeth the Son, and beleeveth on Him, might have everlasting life, and He will raise him up at the last day. Faith closeing with Him, as it was the meane of life at first, so will it be the mean of recovery out of a dead distemper, afterward.
5. He would mourne for such sins and provocations, as he discovereth in himself to have caused and brought on this distemper. Repentance and godly sorrow for such evils, as have sinned Christ and life away, is a way to bring life back againe.
6. He would be sure to harboure no known sin in his soul, but to set himself against every known evil, as an enemie to the life and recovery, which he is seeking,
7. He must waite on Christ his Life, in the appointed meanes: for that is the will of the Lord, that He should be waited - upon there, and sought for there. There is little hopes of recovery for such, as lay aside the ordinances. Though the ordinances without him cannot revive or quicken a poor soul; yet if He hath condescended so far as to come with life to his people, in and through the ordinances, and hath appointed us to waite for Him there, we must be willing to accept of all his condescensions of love, and seek him and waite for Him there, where He hath said, He will be found.
8. In going about those ordinances of life, He would beware of putting them in Christ's room: that is, He would beware of▪ thinking, that ordinances will do his business: as some ignorantly do, who think that by praying so often a day, and reading so much, and hearing so much, they shall recover their lost lively frame, when (alas!) all the ordinances without Him signifie nothing. They, without Him, are cold and lifeless, and can never bring heat or warmth to a cold soul. It is He in the ordinances whom they are to seek, and from whom alone life is to be expected, and none else.
9. Though life lyeth not in the ordinances, as separated from Christ, and life is to be expected from Him alone; yet he would beware of going about the ordinances in a careless, superficial and indifferent manner: for this will argue little desire after life, and will bring-on more deadness. The ordinances than should be gone about seriously, diligently, and with great carefulness, yea with such earnestness, as if life were to be had in them; and yet with such a single and pure dependence on Christ for life, as if we were not about the ordinances at all. This is the right way of going about ordinances.
10. He must in all this waite with patience, without freting or quarrelling with Him, for his delaying to come▪ He must waite with much humility. It becometh not him, who hath▪ through his folly, sinned life away to quarrel now with God, because he restoreth him not againe to life, at the first asking. He may be glade if at length, after long seeking, waiting and much diligence, He come and restore to him the joy of his salvation, and if he be not made to lie as a bedrid all his dayes, for a monument of folly, in sinning away his life, strength and legs, as he did.
11. He must beware of giving way to any thing, that may increase or continue this deadnesse, such as untendernesse in his walk, unwatchfulnesse, negligence and carelesnesse; and especially he must beware to provock God, by sinning against light.
12. He would also beware of limiteing the Lord to any set measure of life and strength: for it becometh not beggers to be carvers; far lesse such beggers, as through folly have sinned away a good portion. It was not fit for the prodigal to seek … new patrimony, after he had dilapidated the former, it might suffice him to be made as a servant.
13. He would use well any small measure of life, he getteth, for God and his glory; getteth he but one talent he should use it, that he may gaine thereby: use (we say) limbs and have limbs, use strength and have it. This will be the way to get more.
14. He would be taking on the vowes of the Lord, and that in the Lord, to walk more watchfully in time comeing, charging all within and without not to stirre or provoke the Lord to depart further, or to scarre Him from coming to the soul.
As to the last particular.
If it be enquired. 1. What can that soul do, that is not sensible of this deadnesse and weaknesse?
Ans. Though there be not any reall sense or feeling of this condition; yet there may be a suspicion, that all is not right: and if this be, the soul must look out to Christ, for the life of sense, and for a sight of the provocations, that have brought on that condition. He that is the Life must recover the very beginnings of life: and when the soul winneth to any real apprehension and sense of this deadnesse, it must follow the course formerly prescribed, for a recovery.
2. But it will be asked. How a soul can act faith in such a case? And if it cannot act faith, how can it come to Christ, and make use of Him?
Answere. It is true, while the soul is in that case, it cannot act a strong and a lively faith; yet it can act a weak and a sickly faith: and a weak and sickly faith can lay hold upon an enlivening Christ, and so bring▪in more strength and life to the soul. If the soul be so weak, as that it cannot grippe; yet it can look to Him, that can quicken the dead, and hath helped many a poor soul before, out of a dead condition. Or if it cannot do so much as look, yet it may give an half-look, and lie before Him, who waiteth to be gracious; and sustaine it self, if it can get no more, with a may be He shall come.
3. But further it will be asked, what the soul can do▪ when after all this, it findeth no helpe or supply, but deadnesse remaining, yea and, it may be, growing?
Ans. The soul in that case must lye at his door, waiting for his salvation; and resolving, if no better may be, to die at his door; and leave no approven mean, or commanded duty, unessayed, that it may recover its former vigour, activity and strength. And while the beleever is waiting thus, he is at his duty; and this may yeeld him peace, and he may besure that he shall never be ashamed Ps. 25: 3. & 69: 6. Esai. 30: 18.