Sacred Therapy, Book 3 · Chapter 23 – Chapter 24
CHAP. XXIII.
Concerning the converts imprudent censure of himself for felt ingratitude.
SOme converts sometime, do passe rash sentence against themselves for ingratitude, namely when after receiving some notable benefit, for which they had made earnest supplication to God, and for which, before the receiving of the benefit, they had oblieged themselves by vow to a thankfull acknowledgment of the favour prayed for, they find themselves come short of their purposed, promised and hoped-for chearfulness… and alacrity in praising and thanking the Lord; whereupon they not only fall in heavinesse, but also in a sort of indignation against themselves, and quarrellous complaining of their condition, and by this means, are so far from performing their vows, that by their imprudence they do involve themselves in no small guiltinesse: and for this distemper of mind and indignation against themselves, they conceive themselves to have just reason; partly, because they find their rejoycing in God, and thanksgiving to him, for the benefit received, nothing answerable to their earnest praying for it; partly, because the benefit received seems to them to have lost much of the estimation it had before they did receive it; partly, because they find even that small measure of joy, at the receiving of the benefit after some few dayes, to grow cold and likly to evanish. Hence doth suspicion begin to get footing in them, that for their ingratitude the Lord is angry with them, and hath bestowed the benefit on them, not in mercy but in wrath, and so they fall in the guiltinesse of ingratitude more and more.
2. For removing of this evil, five practical errors must be removed, which ordinarily concur in this sicknesse. The first is this, the afflicted, in his promising unto God to be thankfull, will be found to have had too much confidence in his own strength; trusting, that in his resolution, his heart could not but melt in the sense of the mercy granted. And this appeareth by his indignation against himself, when he findeth, that in his resolution his heart hath deceived him; as if he had expected the benefit from God, and the thanksgiving from himself; whereas he should have distinguished these two benefits, to wit, the gift prayed for, and the thanksgiving for it, and should have depended upon God for bestowing of both: for, the grace of thankfulnesse for a benefit asked and received, is greater then the benefit prayed for; which if the afflicted had considered well, he should have humbled himself before God for his not performance of his duty, rather then fallen in a proud quarrelling for his inability to be thankfull.
3. The second error is an unequal comparison between the desire he had to obtain the benefit, and the rejoycing in God for the benefit received; for, the desire to obtain the benefit, oft-times hath in it a great measure of natural and carnal appetite, and seeking of some part of self-perfection; but the rejoycing in God, which the convert purposed to offer for the benefit, is spiritual. And we are much more inclined to seek these things which pertain to the commodity of this life, then to perform spiritual duties; So that it is not to be wondered at, when our desires, in part natural, are not followed with equal affection spiritual▪
4. The third error is, when the convert doth not put difference between the estimation of the benefit, and the joy in God for bestowing of it, but measureth them with the same line, not considering that estimation is the act of the intellect and judgment, and that joy is the act of the affection; and both of them in this case exercised about divers obiects: the estimation respecting the benefit it self, the affection of rejoycing in God who did bestow it, respecting the giver of the benefit. Now the estimation of, and delighting in, the benefit, may be lesse or more, while the estimation of Gods goodnesse, in bestowing of it, remaineth the same. And therefore, the convert should not charge himself for lake of estimation of God and his gifts, albeit he feel much variety in the respective motions of his affections.
5. The fourth error is, when the convert counts all the estimation of, and thanksgiving for, the benefit, temporal or spiritual received, as nothing, because it is not answerable to the worth of what is received, or to the kindnesse of God who hath granted it: which reason, if it were of weight, there should be no acceptable thanksgiving from any Saint on earth, during this present life; for, it is impossible that any measure of thankfulnesse from men should be found answerable to the causes of their thankfulnesse, whether manifested in temporal or spiritual benefits. And therefore, upon this consideration, the Psalmist, Ps. 116. 11. cryeth our, What shall I render to the Lord, for all his benefits towards me?
6. The …ifth error is, when the convert taketh it for an evidence of an unthankfull mind, if the fervour of praising God, once kindled after the fresh receit of the mercy, shall after some time, seem to cool or decay; which if it were true, no room should be left to any holy affection, except only to the expression of joy for benefits received. But the truth is, that one duty must so be studied, as other duties have their time and place also; for, we are commanded to rejoyce and tremble also, to rejoyce with them that rejoyce, and to mourn with them that mourn. Again we must acknowledge, that some expressions of thankfulnesse becometh the convert upon the fresh receit of the benefit, which are not required to be alwayes afterward continued. We read of the impotent criple restored to his limbs by Peter, Act. 3. 8. and that for joy, he leaped and cryed out; but no man would require of him that he should alwayes thereafter have daunced and cryed out, and yet he might be found among the number of thankfull receivers of favour from God.
7. These errors then being removed, let the convert, 1. with the Psalmist, Ps. 103. charge his soul to blesse God at all times, and to remember all his benefits, and not forget any of them, and to confess his obligation to God, which in the Scripture, and specially in the Psalms, is put for blessing, praising and thanking God; for, the word that signifieth in the Original to confess and praise, or thank, is oft-times one and the same. 2. Let him beg grace to be thankfull for benefits no lesse earnestly, then he doth beg the promised benefits themselves. 3. Let him put the sacrifices of thanks and praise in Christs hands, by whom the calves of our lips are made acceptable unto God. 4. Let the convert comfort himself, that in the life to come, he shall be taken up with praise and thanks-giving to God for ever and ever.
CHAP. XXIV.
Concerning the converts imprudent censure of himself for his felt impatiency in bearing lesser troubles, after his patient bearing of greater troubles.
SUndry converts, when greater troubles do assault them, do humble themselves in the acknowledgement of their inability, and pray unto God for patience and strength to bear their burthen. But when lesser troubles surprize them, they are foyled and overcome by their passions. For example, in the smaller pains of body, loss of goods, injuries done to them unexpected, by word or deed; and here they fume and fret, and break forth in some expressions of impatiency. Whereupon, when they reflect, they are so far from humbling themselves and making right use thereof, that their indignation at themselves, and their fretting is increased so much the more, as the cause of their impatiency was so small, as common reason found in heathens hath overcome, and therefore should have been more easily digested by Christians. This mis-carriage useth oft-times to be past-by, without any fruit further then to acknowledge their infirmity.
2. But the true cure of this evil, is in discovery and removal of the causes thereof, which are three, 1. Carnal confidence of the convert in his own strength, as able to overcome lesser troubles. 2. Neglect of duty toward God in his rencounter with smaller provocations of passion; for, men in great troubles and weighty crosses, use to flye unto God by prayer to help them to bear the same, but when they meet with lesser crosses, they oppose their own strength unto them, and puts not up the mater to God, and so their infirmity is manifested. 3. Gods wise correcting his child for miskening of him in lightest maters.
3. Therefore let the convert afflicted in this case, acknowledge his failing, and be humbled at the sight of his passionat infirmity, and blesse God for bearing down by his rod carnal self-confidence. 2. Let him learn of David, Ps. 141. 3. not to trust in his own strength in any thing, but depend on God for setting a watch before his mouth, and keeping the door of his lips, and mainly for keeping his heart from inclining to any evil thing. 3. Let him make more use both of Christs open fountain for washing away sin and uncleannesse, and of his assistance to mortifie the deeds of corrupt nature by his Spirit: for, otherwayes the convert may look to be oftener foyled in this kind, and oftener to be corrected for not watching over his passions.