Christ Inviting Sinners to Come to Him for Rest, Treatise · Chapter 47
CHAP. XLVII.
Sheweth that beleevers are often under inward affliction, and ſpiritual deſertions.
I Shal now ſpeak of the reſt that Chriſt gives unto the ſoul in regard of inward afflictions, thoſe inward afflictions are ſpiritual deſertions, that is, when the Lord ſhal be pleaſed to abſent himſelf from the ſouls of his people, and leave them in ſuch darkneſs of ſpirit, though they be beleevers, & have intereſt in Chriſt, yet they may be left for a time by God, ſo as their ſpirits wil be extreamly afflicted with ſorrow, and feare, and trouble, becauſe of Gods abſence from them, and indeed, there is no affliction like to this affliction, there is no condition ſo reſtleſs as this condition is. Now this is that that every one is not acquainted withal, carnal people think that theſe afflictions are only conceits, imaginations, and melancholly, but the ſaints know what theſe afflictions are, that they are the moſt real afflictions in the world, theſe ſpiritual deſertions, for God to withdraw himſelf from his people. We read of ſuch an affliction that a godly man was much exerciſed withal, and that was Heman that was the penman of the 88. Pſalme, you read it in the title, it was a ſong or Pſalme for the ſons of Korah To the cheif muſician upon Mahalath Leannoth, Maſchil of Heman the Ezrahite a Pſalm of Heman. Now this Heman was one of the greateſt men exerciſed with deſertions upon the face of the earth. If you read this Pſalm at your leiſure, you ſhal find; that though he was a man very Godly yet exceedingly exerciſed with ſpiritual deſertions and afflictions, the Lord withdrew the comforts of his ſpirit from verſe the firſt, ſaith he, Oh Lord God of my ſalvation I have cryed day and night before thee. verſe the 3. My ſoul is ful of troubles and my life draweth nigh unto the grave. verſe the 4. I am counted with them that go downe into the Pit. I am as a man that hath no ſtrength, free among the dead, &c. verſe the 7. Thy wrath lieth hard upon me, and thou haſt afflicted me with al thy waves. What a ſtrange expreſſion is this of a godly man? And then there is outward afflictions mingled with ſpirituall afflictions, verſe the 8. Thou haſt put my acquaintance far from me, thou haſt made me an abomination unto them, I am ſhut up and I cannot come forth. verſe the 9. My eye mourneth by reaſon of affliction verſe the 13. But unto thee have I cryed Oh Lord, and in the morning ſhal my prayer prevent thee. Lord why caſteſt thou off my ſoul, why hideſt thou thy face from mee? God had hid his face from him verſe the 15. I am afflicted and ready to die from my youth up, while I ſuffer thy terrors I am diſtracted. He was acquainted with theſe ſpiritual afflictions from his youth up verſe the 16. Thy fierce wrath goeth over mee, thy terrors have cut me off. What expreſſions are here for a godly man? and when we read this Pſalme and know it is the Pſalme of a Godly man ſpeaking how greatly he was afflicted, we may be put in mind of that ſcripture. If the righteous ſcareſely be ſaved, where ſhal the ungodly and the ſinner appeare. Where ſhal the ſinner appeare, if ſuch a man that was wiſe, that the ſpirit of God ſaith of him▪ that he was one of the wiſeſt men that lived upon the face of the earth, and yet afflicted, excerciſed with inward afflictions, the Lord hiding his face from him. In 1. Kings 4.31. There the Holy Ghoſt ſpeakes of this Heman that was thus afflicted, ſpeaking of the wiſdom of Solomon, it is ſaid, He was wiſer then al men, then Ethan and Heman, &c. So that it appeares by that, that Heman was one of the wiſeſt, for elſe it could not be an argument of Solomons wiſdom that he was wiſer then al men, and that he excelled in wiſdom above any other, And yet this man had the terrors of God upon his ſpirit. Therefore let none of you, when God ſeemes to withdraw himſelf, and afflict you, ſay, that your condition is worſer then ever any ones was, when any of you have ſuch thoughts as theſe are, remember the 88. Pſalme, and when you think of the great greif, ſorrow, and trouble that is upon you, and are ready to think that it is greater then others, then go and read the 88. Pſalme. As Luther was wont to ſay when they were in any trouble, go and ſing the 46. Pſalm. So when you are in trouble, and ſorrow, and greif, then ſay, come let us go and read the 88. Pſalm, and remember who was the penner of that Pſalm, Heman, a godly man, and what his condition was, and then thou ſhalt ſee that thy condition is not ſo ſad as his was.