Innocency Though Under a Cloud Cleared, Part 3 – Part 4
In the next place, I ſhall ſpeak a wordt the nature of Sorrow or Mourning, ſeeing there are ſo many promiſes annexed to tru… Mourners. And in this mind two things.
1. What Deceits attend Mourning, tha… we may not be deceived.
2. The Properties of true Mourning.
1. Deceit is when we take the ſudden motion of a natural tender affection, for the exerciſes of true conviction or a heart truſ… affected from Grace; for ſome nature is ſuch that upon the leaſt ſudden motion of any ſorrow, or ſometimes from ſudden joy, they cannot but mourn; and if this come at a ſeaſon of praying or preaching, without care it may be, and I fear, is taken as a fruit of Grace.
2. When a ſoul mourns more for peace than for the want of preſence. So did Sa… and Judas, &c.
3. There is a hidden occult quality … ſome natures, that they cannot but in a w… of ſympathy, weep and mourn when they ſe… another mourn; it may be thoſe that they ſee mourn, may mourn from true conviction, and then in a way of ſympathy they cannot but mourn too; and ſo being among true Mourners, they and others may conclude it true.
4. Deceit is, when any ones mourning is produced from a ſad reflection of guilt, … croſſing Light, more than for their dealing …nkindly with God and his Love.
Queſt. What are the trueſt Signs of a true …ourner?
Anſw. Theſe;
1. True Mourning in real …ourners, brings or draws up the ſoul into a …ore ſingle cloſing in with God, or it raiſeth … the heart to a more ſpecial expectation …d choice compliance with God: ſee and …ind well Iſa. 38. laſt part of the 16, verſe.
2. Such prize deliverance from ſin, much …re then freedom from ſorrow, Iſa. 38.17. …al. 40.1, 2.
3. They are a people that are as ſeriouſly …ected with their unſuitable frames of heart their mourning, as for the matter they …urn for.
4. Anſwers from God in their mourning; …eſs their anſwer brings Power, as well as …don, it will not ſatisfie, Pſal. 51.
…. A true Mourner, mourns moſt kindly, … freely when he injoys God, in ſealing up …on muſt fully, Luke 7.38. and 47.48.
…. Such a heart mourns for that moſt, that is ſeen leaſt; I mean more for heart-ſins unſeen, than for ſins without, that are ſeen. See Job 42.3, 6. ſee David, Pſal. 19.12. and 51.5, 6, 7. and Iſa. 6.5.
7. The property of ſuch a ſoul is, The nearer it draws to God, the more the work of mourning and ſhame doth increaſe: See Jer. 3. and laſt verſe, and ſee Job 42.2, 3, 6.
Beſides theſe Deceits, there are yet ſome Deceits that are harder to be diſcerned; and that is, in point of joy, and boldneſs, and appearance of life in duties: For know,
There are many, that from eloquence duty and ſome concurrents of natures abi… ty, joyning with imitating ſorrow or joy do ſo heat and warm, and lift up the ſoul that it concludes that joy, heat and lifting up, muſt be from preſence; and yet ſometimes this heat, joy and liftings up, may only ariſe from the unity of Light and Life for do but mind how Peace doth ariſe from a bare union of Light and Life; if the Li… be but one with the Light, and doth not cr… it, that ſoul muſt needs have peace; thou… the Light may be but a deceivable Light, … if the Life croſs it not, Peace is maintained and many times ſuch ſouls in ſuch condi… ons, do conclude, that their joy and peace from Preſence: Therefore it doth concus to know the Truth or Deceit of ſuch J… Peace, Confidence and liftings up; you … ſee the Truth, and alſo the Deceits, in what follows. As,
1. When the increaſe of Confidence and Comfort doth not crucifie or mortifie ſin, but leaves the ſoul, or gives the ſoul as little power againſt ſin, as when it firſt found it, unleſs it be reſtraint of ſin, not mortification.
2. When the joy and comfort they in joy …y it, doth not increaſe more care in their …atch, but the heart growes higher and loo…er to that work: both which you will ſee by …e difference Chriſt makes, between the …eart the Devil is caſt out of, and that the …evil went out of, Mat. 12.43, 44, 45.
3. When their peace and comfort by it, …n and doth allow of private ſins, and both …n ſubſiſt and ſtand together; and if at any …e there be any trouble for ſuch ſins, a lit… ſorrow, with ſome performance of duties … lick it whole, will end it, without freſh …plication of Jeſus Chriſt; when as ano…er heart, cannot after ſo ſinning, have any …ace but from a true manifeſtation of God's …ve in him, Pſal. 51.8, 9. Job 34.29.
4. When the ſence of propriety in God, …kes them high and confident in mercies in …es of proſperity; but in croſſes or time of …reſs, their confidence, comfort & ſtrength …es, Prov. 24.10.
5. When the ſoul only takes comfort from, or rejoyces in that part of Gods Word which ſpeaks out comfort, but not in that which croſſes corruption, and requires duty. Now a true Joy, Comfort and Confidence, ariſing from a true ſence and ſight of propriety in God, makes the ſoul to love and delight in each and all God's Words, as well one as the other: See Pſal, 119.57, 70, 72, 77, 97. Apply 114. with 127, 128, 167.
6. If it be true, ſuch a ſoul is made abl… by it, to diſtinguiſh between the comfort… that flow from Preſence, and that which flow… from other things, though it have an angelical ſtamp upon it: Do but ſee and apply Exod. 33.23. with 13, 14, 15. and chap. 34.9. And ſo David.
7. All falſe Joy and Comfort begins at wrong end, as thus; all that Joy and Comfort ariſeth from ſence, and 'tis ſence onl… that gives light; But true Joy and Comfor… ariſeth from ſight, and that ſight bege… ſence: So Moſes, Exod. 33.15, 16. So D… vid, Pſal. 116.10. and 43.5. That Chri… intends, John 10.4, 5. A ſtranger they will … hear.
8. Falſe Comforts and Joy will trium… over unſeen ſufferings, but when ſeen a… felt, it fails and falls; But true Joy, Co… fort and Confidence from fight of Preſenc… is moſt weighty and ſerious, and chearfu… when ſuffering for God, is ſeen and felt. S… David, and the three Children, and Daniel, …nd Paul, and thoſe in Acts 5. ult. Rom. 5.1, …, &c. Now becauſe ſome have, with their falſe …iftings up, great gifts and parts, and ſo not …o eaſiely diſcovered, I will add a few more to …o theſe.
9. Though they may be imployed in hear…ng or declaring ſuch and ſuch Truths, yet do not in themſelves ſavour what is ſaid, or what they ſay or declare: See John 6.60.
10. What ever ſuch have that looks like …ife, yet it laſteth not long, but is in a decli…ing poſture, like Ephraim, Hoſ. 7.8, 9. and Mat. 13.20, 21.
11. It's more troubled at negatives, than …or want of affirmatives; that is to ſay, it's …roubled ſometimes at things that are contra…y to life, but ſeldom or never troubled for …he want of life; like the Phariſes, Luke 4.…, 39, 40. So much to this particular.
In the next place I would lay down ſome …rue ſignes or diſcoveries, whether or no we …ave the true promiſed Spirit the Scripture …peaks of; and they are as followeth.
1. That heart that is truly inriched with …he Spirit of God, is very chearfully carried …ut, to comply and cloſe with God in all its …ence and ſufferings; as Job, Job 1.31. …hap. 40.5.& 43.5. So David.
2. That heart by it is made capable to diſtinguiſh and know God or Chriſt's Call, from all falſe calls or diſcoveries, though in a night-ſeaſon: See Cant. 5.3, 4.
3. To ſuch a heart, Preſence is alwayes pretious; but moſt pretious when it gives moſt power againſt ſin, Pſal. 40.1, 2, &c.
4. It enjoys nothing in its own account, livingly and lovingly, but when it enjoys Preſence clearly, Pſal. 73.25, 26.
5. It fears no dammage nor danger, when ſin is from it, and Preſence is with it, Pſal. 23.4. & 27.1. and 112.7.
6. It makes the heart to make ſweet applications of God's Love, in and from the bittereſt laſhes; and out of darkneſs, applications of Light; See Micah 7.8. ſee David, 1 Sam. 30.6. 2 Sam. 15.24, 25.
7. It's that which leads the Soul not only to, but into the Spirit and Life of all Truth, John 16.23. imitating-light, life and grace, only leads to, but not into any truth.
8. It never gives the ſoul a freſh view of Chriſt, but it gives the ſoul a renewed participation of what is communicable by Chriſt, John 16.13, 14. 2 Cor. 3. ult.
9. It never brings the ſoul ſenſible comforts, but it livingly ſets the ſoul at liberty; not only to live, and to love God, but it transforms the heart into the Glory of what it injoys or beholds, 2 Cor. 3.17, 18.
10. That heart that is truly inriched with it, it cannot live without it; and if without it, it is as a body without a ſoul: and mind this, that when that lies hid, all comforts on this ſide God, cannot make it live till it returns, Job 34.29.
There is many more, but I do but hint at them, and that by which God hath in meaſure ſatisfied my ſould with.
If any ſhall object and ſay, that they have felt theſe, or moſt of theſe, but they are ſo often eclipſed, that they fear it cannot be right, and they are often fearful, that they had only a ſight and taſte of it, and that God hath finally forſaken the ſoul; I ſhall only let you know what hath been a comfort to my ſoul, and is a teſtimony, that it's only Gods hiding his face, and not a final forſaking. Mind theſe things.
1. If the ſoul be finally forſaken, that ſoul is willing to be forſaken, and not troubled at it, but rather rejoyces in it.
2. If finally forſaken, there is an evil ſpirit preſently poſſeſſes it; as in Saul.
3. That heart that's finally forſaken, is not, nor cannot be ſenſible that it is ſo; but the contrary; as Pſal. 13. & 77.6, 7.
4. They are not tender in point of ſin, but ſin without ſence; As they in Rom. 2.
5. They do not nor cannot long for the returns of Preſence; for mind, God never leaves a love and longing after Preſence in a ſoul that's finally forſaken; if that be there, there is Gods pledge to ſhew he will return; 'tis that that keeps poſſeſſion for God till he comes; ſee Iſa. 54. at large, Jer. 31.18, 19, 20.
There is many more, but theſe alſo are ſuch, by which God hath comforted my ſoul in a time of diſſertion.