The Dejected Souls Cure, Sermon 5
SERMON V.
Pſal. 42. 11.
Why art thou caſt down, O my ſoul? and why art thou diſquieted within me? hope thou in God, for I ſhall yet praiſe him—The health of my Countenance, and my God.
Question 2 THe ſecond Queſtion is, For what are the people of God caſt down? and that is for the want of the apprehenſion of Gods love and favour: and in the handling of this caſe, I ſhall take this way.
Firſt, To ſhew you why God doth ſuffer his people to be caſt down under the apprehenſions of the want of Gods love and favour.
Secondly, To ſhew you, that though this be your condition; yet there is no great cauſe of your dejection and trouble, and caſting down of ſoul under this condition.
Thirdly, To lay down ſome Theological rules what a Chriſtian is to doe, what courſe to take, that ſo he may gain the love and favour of God.
And Fourthly, I ſhall lay down the uſe and application.
Firſt Then I ſhall ſhew you why God doth ſuffer his people to be caſt down under the apprehenſions of the want of Gods love and favour; that though God may love them, yet they may not know that love and favour that God doth bear to them. I ſhall reduce the Reaſons into theſe Four Heads.
Firſt, It ariſeth from a mans own ſelf.
Secondly, It commeth from God.
Thirdly, From the Divel.
Fourthly, It commeth from other men: Theſe may be the Four general Cauſes why Gods people are caſt down under the want of Gods love and favour to their ſouls.
Firſt, It ariſeth from a mans own ſelf; and that in theſe Six regards.
Firſt, From the prevalency of natural melancholy in a mans body. The prevalency of melancholy in a man doth Why Gods Children want aſſurance.darken the underſtanding, and it troubles the fancy, and it doth diſturbe the reaſon, and ſadden the ſoul, and cloaths it in mourning weeds; and when theſe meet together, it muſt needs caſt the man down, and ſuſpend the ſenſe of Gods favour from him. Melancholy, it is the mother of diſcomfort and diſcontent; and it is the nurſe of doubts. Think of that ſtory which you read of, Daniel 4. concerning Nebuchad-nezzar, He did eat graſs like an Oxe, he knew not whether he was a beaſt or a man. But his fancy was troubled, and his underſtanding was darkened, and his reaſon was gone: and thus natural melancholy maketh a child of God to think that he is a child of the Divel when he is a child of God; and it makes him to think he is a brat of Babylon when indeed he is a ſon of Sion. It is no more wonder ſaith Baxter, for a melancholy man to doubt, and fear, & deſpair, then it is to ſee a ſick man groan, and a child crie when he is beaten: the beſt way to cure this, belongs rather to a Phyſitian then to a Divine. There is a natural diſtemper in the body is the cauſe of melancholy; yet trouble of conſcience, doubtings, diſtreſſe of ſpirit are the companions of it. You may ſilence a melancholy man, when you cannot comfort him. If you abate his ſadneſſe by convincing arguments, yet when he retires alone through the prevalency of this humour all is forgotten; his comforts are but a day or two old.
2. The ſecond cauſe of the ſuſpenſion of the favour of God it is this, ſpiritual ſecurity, and indulging and harboring in the heart any known ſin; there is nothing in the world that will ſo much hinder him of, and keep the ſoul from the aſſurance of the favour of God, as the harbouring in the ſoul any known ſin; for all the while David did harbour in his heart, and indulge and hide his ſin from God, he did loſe the light of Gods countenance, and he loſt the ſhining of Gods face upon his ſoul, inſomuch that he prayeth to God to reſtore unto him the joy of his ſalvation. It is true, the ſalvation of David was not loſt, but the joyes of his ſalvation; the comforts and conſolation that he formerly enjoyed, that was loſt; and for this he begs of God for to reſtore unto him, Pſal. 51. 12. reſtore unto me the joyes of thy ſalvation. Although that ſin cannot make a child Pſal. 51. 12.of God to loſe ſalvation it ſelf, yet ſin may cauſe God to ſuſpend the comforts, and the wonted joyes of his ſalvation. I may ſay concerning this caſe, as Philoſophers ſay of Earth-quakes, When the wind is in the Air, ſpread abroad and diffuſed in the Air, then it doth not throw down either hill or mountain; but when the wind is gathered together, and lies in the caverns of the Earth, then it cauſeth Earth-quakes, and over-turns all that is about it; ſo while that ſin is not kept cloſe in the ſoul, and while it is not indulged there, and whiles it is not hid and concealed, but confeſſed and repented of, and prayed againſt, it doth not much hurt; but when that ſin is indulged and kept cloſe, and not repented of, nor prayed againſt, but indulged in the ſoul, this will make a heart-quake, and a conſcience-quake, and will fill thy heart with horror and amazement: Pſal. 32. 3. When I kept ſilence, my bones waxed old through my roaring all the day. When a man doth conceal his ſin, it Pſal. 32. 3.troubles his ſoul, and woundeth his heart, and breaketh his peace: if you will break Gods Law, it is but juſt and righteous with God to break your peace. God will not encourage any of his people, by giving them peace, and comforts, and mercies in any ſinful courſe; and however, the Antinomians hold us in hand, and would make us believe that our comforts have no dependance on our ſinful actions, whereas God teacheth us no ſuch thing; ſaith the Prophet Iſaiah, The work of Righteouſneſs that is peace, and the end thereof is quietneſs, and aſſurance for ever. Here you ſee that comfort, and conſolation, and joy, and peace, and aſſurance, is annexed to the works of Righteouſneſs; when as diſcomforts and diſcouragements are annexed unto ſin; if you break Gods Law, God will break your peace, God will break your heart; the ſame promiſes of peace cannot be made to the godly and wicked; for they have promiſes of divine peace, the other have not, Ezek. 14. 4. Therefore ſpeak unto them, and ſay unto them, Thus ſaith the Lord God; Eze. 14. 4.Every man of the houſe of Iſrael, that ſetteth up his idols in his heart, and putteth the ſtumbling block of his iniquities before his face, and cometh to the Prophet, I the Lord will anſwer him that cometh according to the multitude of his idols. When a man ſhall come to the Prophets, to the Miniſters of God, and ſhall make great complaint of his inward trouble in his ſoul, and much caſt down within himſelf; and yet in the mean time keep and harbour known ſins upon his own heart; God hath ſaid he ſhall not anſwer that man that he might give him comfort; but ſaith God in the 5. v. Thus ſaith the Lord, repent and turn (*Others. your ſelves) from your idols, V. 5.and turn away your faces from all your abominations. and then God will anſwer him; but thoſe that will not turn from their evil wayes, God will anſwer ſuch a man with rebuke, and God will ſet his face againſt that man, and make him a ſign and a proverb, and cut him off; he that keeps ſin in his heart, and indulges ſin there, there ſhall be no peace in his conſcience, nor ſerenity, nor quietneſs of ſoul; he ſhall not in joy the ſmiles of Gods face, the light of Gods countenance, but the ſenſe of his wrath, much anguiſh, and ſorrow, and perplexity of mind for his ſin.
The third cauſe of the ſouls ſuſpenſion and want of Gods favour; it is the defectiveneſs of the people of God in the exerciſing of their graces; little grace ſhall have but little evidence: and if you are not abundant in the exerciſe of grace, you will not have the comfort of grace but in a weak meaſure. Ioh. 14. 21. He that hath my Commandements and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me; and he that loveth me, ſhall be loved of my father, and I will love him, and will manifeſt my ſelf unto him. You know that all the ſtars in the Firmament have light, but you cannot ſee the light of the little ſtars ſo clearly as the light of the greateſt; ſo though there is truth of grace in the weak as wel as theſtrongeſt acts; yet if thy graces be weak in the exerciſe of them, thy comforts and evidences will be alſo weak, and hardly diſcerned and hardly ſeen. Peace be multiplyed to you ſaid the Apoſtle; if you do not multiply your graces, God will not multiply your peace; if you do withdraw the exerciſe of your grace, God will withdraw the comforts of your grace. You cannot ſee ſmall things ſo eaſily as you ſee great things; he that will ſee a ſmall needle, a hair, a mote, had need have good eyes: ſo ye cannot ſee ſmall weak grace ſo eaſily as ye may ſee ſtrong and great acts of grace; therefore their comforts are ſmall many; men cannot ſee their graces, and their evidences, becauſe they are like motes and hairs; if you do not abound in the exerciſe of grace, you will not be able to ſee the evidence of grace, and injoy the comforts of your grace. You know when a man is in a ſound, you do not know whether the man is dead or alive, becauſe his breath is not perceived, and his pulſe not beating; ſo when your graces are weak, and your graces little, when you do not live in the exerciſe of grace, you cannot ſee the evidences of grace.
Fourthly, The ſuſpenſion of his love and favour, it ariſeth from the lazineſs, and careleſsneſs, and heedleſsneſs in the performance of holy duties: There is nothing in the world that is a greater bane of your graces and comforts then this is; if you do deny God in your obedience, God in juſtice will deny you in your peace and comforts; he that will not work ſhall not eat. As it is true in worldly things, ſo it is alſo true in ſpiritual things; if you do not your duties towards God, God will ſuſpend the comforts of your graces from you; if you do your duty toward God, you ſhall eat of the promiſed Land: if you will not let the Spirit of God work and operate in you in its ſanctifying work, God will not let you enjoy in your ſouls the comforting work of his Spirit. You know what Solomon ſaith, that the ſlugard ſhall have poverty enough; ſo you that are ſpiritual ſlugards not to do your duties towards God, you ſhall be ſure to have ſpiritual poverty enough in your ſoul, for want of comfort. Remember that expreſſion of Chriſt, in that parable in the Goſpel, that its the faithfull ſervant that muſt enter into the joy of his Lord; if thou wilt not be faithful in thy duty, thou canſt not expect to be filled with inward joy. Grace ſaith Baxter, is never apparent and ſenſible in the ſoul, but when it is in action; the want of action muſt needs cauſe want of aſſurance: though duties merit not comfort, yet they uſually riſe and fall with our diligence in duty. I may illuſtrate this by a familiar compariſon; there is you know fire in the flint, but the fire is not ſeen in the flint: I but ſtrike the flint and the ſteel together, and then you may ſee the fire; ſo there may be grace in the ſoul of a man, as fire in the flint; but untill the ſpirit of God comes and ſtrikes upon the ſoul as a flint to the ſteel, until the ſpirit of God worketh with the ſpirit of man in duty, there is no grace ſeen; and ſo the ſoul comes to lye under the diſmal workings of ſoul, under the ſenſe and want of the aſſurance of Gods love.
Fifthly, It ariſeth from this, becauſe that they do look more after comfort then they do after grace; and this is the cauſe why they want more comfort then they need to want; they look more after marks and ſigns that may tell them what they are, then after precepts, which tell them what they ſhould do. When Chriſtians ſhall be more enquiring after priviledges, more then to inquire after their duty, it is juſt with God to keep their comfort from them. When Chriſtians ſhall labour more to know that they are juſtified, then to know and uſe the means to be juſtified; to labour more to know that they are in a ſtate of grace, rather then to uſe thoſe means that are preſcribed to get grace; this may be a means why God keepeth them from the comforts of the Spirit.
And thus I have given you the firſt cauſe, why Gods people are caſt down under the apprehenſions of the ſuſpenſions of the favour of God to the ſoul.
The ſecond cauſe, why the people of God are caſt down under the want of the favour of God, it may be from God himſelf; God may keep thee from the enjoying of his love and favour; and that, 1. From an act of his Soveraignty. Aſſurance is given out of the goodneſſe of his Will, and withdrawn to ſhew the abſoluteneſſe and liberty of his Will. For, May not God do what he will with his own people? God he hath by his power made the day, and made the night; for God doth not only give dayes of comfort and conſolation to his people, but alſo he gives nights of deſertion, as they are acts of Gods power and ſoveraignty over his people, to ſhew that if it be the will and pleaſure of God, he can take away the day of comfort, and withdraw and ſuſpend his love and favour from the ſouls of his people; ſo alſo if he will, he can by act of his ſoveraignty give us aſſurance, and give in comfort to the ſouls of his people; God may do what he pleaſe, and none may ſay, Wherefore doſt thou ſo?
2. So God doth it to manifeſt his wiſdom and goodneſſe to his people; for by his withdrawing and ſuſpending comfort, and hiding his face, 1. he hereby doth by this means keep his people from being glutted with comforts, and joy, and delights; ſhould God continue the light of his countenance alwayes to them; ſhould God fill their hearts with full aſſurance of grace, and full aſſurance of faith alwayes, to let forth the beams of his glorious love into their ſouls, they would be ſubject to be glutted, and ſubject to ſlight comfort, and to take little notice of thoſe loving kindneſſes of God, and of thoſe divine favours beſtowed upon them: therefore God in wiſdom ſeeth it fitting ſometimes to ſuſpend thoſe favours, and ſometimes to withdraw that love, and favour, and comforts, and joyes from them, that they may prize it more, and retain it better when they enjoy it.
2. God may withdraw his love and favour from the ſouls of his people, out of an act of wiſdom, that thereby he may let his people ſee and conſider that there is more evil really in ſin, then ever there did appear ſeeming good in the commiſſion of ſin; a man will commit ſin, that thereby he may obtain ſome ſeeming good, as to pleaſe the luſt of the eye, or to the obtaining of ſome other deſirable ſeeming good; but God he lets them ſee and find, by the with-holding of his love and favour, and the light of his countenance, that there is more real evil in the loſſe of Gods countenance, then ever there did appear ſeeming good in the committing of ſin, and in the pleaſure of it.
3 God may ſuſpend his favour as an act of wiſdom, to hide pride from men, and ſelf-conceitedneſſe, that they may not be proud of their own gifts and graces, of the ſtrength and degrees of their graces, Job. 33. 17 He doth withhold from man his purpoſe (or as in the margent, his works) & hide pride from man; why ſo? becauſe a man may be proud in the works that he doth, & be full of high & vain concei…s of himſelf, therefore God doth hide his works that he may hide pride from him; & this is an act of wiſdom & goodnes in God.
4. God doth it, that thereby he might make his people to be more afraid of ſinning againſt him, leſt the comforts be again eclipſed; for I muſt reaſon thus, before I commit any ſin, that if I do this, I break the righteous Law of God, and if I do break his Law, God will break my heart, and break my peace; and ſhall I make no care of committing a ſin againſt God, ſeeing by the committing thereof, I muſt lie under the ſenſe of Gods wrath.
5. Then God doth it to let a man know, and find that aſſurance is not eſſential to holineſſe, although the people of God have grace, and do believe, and have ſins pardoned, yet the ſenſe of this pardon, and the ſenſe of this faith, and the aſſurance of this grace is not eſſential; though there cannot be peace, but there muſt be grace; yet it may be where there is not peace; there may be a root where there is no faith, yet there cannot be fruit but there muſt be root. God will have men know the ſenſe of faith and repentance is a gift of meer liberality.
6. God doth it to let men ſee the difference between heaven and earth; God reſerves the beſt to the laſt: God doth not think it fit that men ſhould have conſtant joy in this unconſtant world, nor full joy in this empty earth, nor laſting joy in this tranſitory world, but he doth reſerve that until his people come to heaven; ſhould the people of God, while they live in this world, have the fulneſſe of joy and conſtant comfort, they would be ready to ſlight, and never look after that place where is fulneſſe of joy, they would never deſire to be in heaven; but therefore God is pleaſed to mix ſorrow with comfort, and ſuſpend, and hide his face, to that end that his people might look after heaven; and to let them ſee the difference between heaven and earth: and thus you ſee that ſecond reaſon, why God doth ſuſpend his favour from his people, which is drawn from the wiſdom of God.
Reaſon 3 The third reaſon, as God may ſuſpend his love and favour from his own ſoveraignty, and from his own wiſdom; ſo thirdly, he may do it from an act of his juſtice, and lay them under the apprehenſions of his wrath; God will puniſh his own people for ſin, with the ſuſpenſion of his love and favour. Although he will not puniſh them with hell, Deſertion, an of juſtice.and in hell, yet he will and may puniſh them with the ſenſe of hell, and lay them under the ſenſe of wrath. And I ſhall lay down ſome particulars, how God by an act of juſtice doth puniſh his own people for ſin, with the ſenſe of the want of aſſurance.
Firſt, God doth puniſh his people for the ſin of grieving his Spirit; if you do trouble and grieve Gods Spirit, he will grieve & trouble your ſpirits; if you ſend Gods Spirit ſad to heaven, God will put ſadneſſe into your ſpirits upon earth; and if you be comforted, how can you expect to receive any comfort, when you ſend him away ſad that ſhould rejoice your ſouls? therefore when God hath withdrawn his countenance, then conclude thou haſt grieved his ſpirit.
Secondly, God may withdraw his love, and puniſh his people for the ſin, for the careleſſeneſſe and ſlightneſſe that his people have of God, and of his fear; as children are apt to grow ſaucy, and preſumptouſly malepert and irreverent, till the father frown, and majeiſtick auſterity takes down their ſaucineſſe; ſo Gods people are like wanton children, apt to ſlight God and his fear, and therefore he ſees it fitting that we ſhould ſee his frowns as well as his ſmiles; he will puniſh his people with the loſſe of his favour, for their ſin, as well as ſmile upon them in the light of his countenance; God will ſometimes brow-beat his own children, that they may ſee the wrinkles of his brows (to ſpeak after the manner of men) Too much familiarity breeds contempt: the Perſian Kings ſhunned familiarity, and were ſeldom ſeen, that they might be more honoured.
Thirdly, God doth it to puniſh that rigidneſſe, unmercifulneſſe, and uncharitableneſſe that men have towards others that are troubled in their minds; there are many Chriſtians that have obtained the aſſurance of Gods favour, the aſſurance of their ſalvation; they do look upon others that are filled with fear and trouble of mind, and that lye under temptation, they look upon them at a great diſtance, and carry no more love and bowels towards them then they do to thoſe that have no grace at all; now God for to cure this diſtemper, he doth ſuſpend his favour, and withdraw the light of his countenance, and let them to lie under doubts and fears, that they may learn to pitty thoſe that are caſt down, and not to be ſo uncharitable to them, not to cenſure them, not to break thoſe bruiſed reeds.
Reaſon 3 I now come to the third reaſon, why Gods people are dejected and lie under the apprehenſions of the want of Gods love and favour to their ſouls; it ariſeth from the devil; it may ariſe from him, and that both from his malice and his ſubtilty; the devil, becauſe he cannot make the children of God to daſh their ſouls in pieces upon the rocks of preſumption, therefore he labours to make them to drownd their ſouls in the gulf of deſperation, becauſe he cannot hinder a child of God from going into his maſters joy in another world, he labors to hinder their maſters joy from comming into them in this world; the devil, he will rather play at ſmall game then at no game at all; ſeeing he cannot keep them from going into heaven it ſelf, he will keep heaven from entring into them; becauſe he cannot keep you from the having of grace, he will keep you as long as he can from having the ſence of grace. And this is the third reaſon, why Gods people may lye under the want of the light of Gods countenance.
Reaſon 4 The fourth ſort of reaſons, why God may withdraw the light of his countenance, it is this; it ariſeth from other men, and that partly from good men, and partly from bad men.
1. It ariſeth partly from good men, (i) good men may ſlight the ſociety and company of doubting and weak Chriſtians; when they ſhall conſider thus with themſelves, I am a trouble to the company and ſociety of good men; and when good men ſhall ſtand at a diſtance and not care for the company of weak Chriſtians, it makes them ſay, ſurely God will not have good thoughts of me, and ſurely God will not think well of me, and will Chriſt have fellowſhip with me, and not contemn me? Theſe reaſonings ariſe in the hearts and ſpirits of good men, weake Chriſtians occaſioned, by that ſtrangeneſſe and ſlightneſs of ſpirit in good men, towards thoſe that are weak; Tis hard to pity much, till we have felt much; women that never was in travel, cannot pity them ſo much that are in travel; for Chriſtians that never was tempted, cannot pity thoſe ſo much that lie under great and ſtrong temptations; thoſe that have not been under ſtrong doubts and fears, cannot pity thoſe that are under doubting and fears.
2. It is to make them more experienced for to comfort tempted ſouls, 2 Cor. 4, 5, 6. there the Apoſtle layeth down one end of their affliction; whether we be afflicted, it is for your conſolation and ſalvation, which is effectual in the enduring the ſame ſufferings which we alſo ſuffer, or whether we be comforted, it is for your conſolation and ſalvation, who comforteth us in all our trihulation, that we may be able to comfort thoſe that are in trouble, by the comfort wherewith we our ſelves are comforted of God. This was it, that they who are under ſpiritual afflictions, they may comfort them with the ſame comforts that they themſelves have been comforted of God; a Scholar may read much of ſufferings, yea, he may read whole volumes of ſufferings, and of ſpiritual ſufferings, of doubts and fears that other Chriſtians have lain under: I, but yet for all that reading, he may not be ſo able to pitty diſtreſſed ſouls, becauſe he wanteth experience of it himſelf. A Scholar may read books of the Art of Navigation, and yet he may not be a good Mariner, but it is experience that makes them to be good Mariners; ſo a man may read books of ſufferings, yet not be able ſo kindly to pity thoſe that are in ſufferings, becauſe he wants that experience that others have, that have been in the ſame caſe; thoſe that have been tempted, thoſe whoſe conſciences have been troubled, thoſe are the fitteſt men to ſuccour thoſe that are in that condition; God chuſes broken veſſels to poure comfort into, that they may diffuſe it unto others.
2. It may ariſe from bad men, bad men may occaſion the trouble of ſoul to dejected ſouls; though the Lord doth leave and ſuffer his people to be dejected and caſt down, yet the Lord doth it,
1. To make wicked men to fear their eternal condition; may not wicked men juſtly reaſon thus with themſelves? do I ſee ſuch a man that doth follow the Ordinances of God, and live, and walk in the wayes of God with care, and making conſcience how he liveth in his calling, and labours to keep his heart cloſe to God, and to maintain communion with him, and will not, nor dares not commit any known ſin, and prayes in his family, and labours to mortifie ſin, and to keep under his body, and to abound and grow fruitful in the wayes of God, and in goodneſſe? and do I ſee ſuch a man to lie under fears, and under doubts, and under troubles of mind, and ſo caſt down, and even ready to fear all is in vain, that he ſhall loſe heaven at laſt? O what then will become of me? what may I think with my ſelf, whoſe wayes are nothing like his wayes? he hath followed Ordinances, but I have not; he hath laboured to walk in Gods way with care and conſcience, whereas I never made conſcience of any ſuch thing; he hath laboured to live conſcientious in his calling, which I never did; he dares not commit known ſins, whereas alas I indulge ſin, and hug ſin in my boſom; he labours to mortifie ſin, whereas ſin reigns over me as a Lord; he labours to grow fruitful, but I am unfruitful; and I never watch my heart, and do my duty, and I never make conſcience to walk holy and humbly with God as he doth; and yet behold, he is in trouble and caſt down for want of Gods favour: what then may I think of my ſelf? doth this man lie under the ſenſe of wrath, and may not I fear that I ſhall lie under the weight of Gods wrath? Doth he fear hell, and ſhall not I ſurely feel hell? And when they ſee this, it is only for this end, to awaken them out of the ſleep of ſecurity, and to rouze him from thoſe falſe preſumptions and perſwaſions of his own ſalvation; and in ſome ſenſe it is a mercy to wicked men, that good men are caſt down and troubled, that they may look into their own hearts and wayes, to amend and repent.
2. God doth it in a way of Judgement to wicked men, that the Lord lets his own people be caſt down, under the abſence of his Divine favour in Judgement to the world, that it may be a ſtumbling-block to the world in their way to heaven; when they ſhall ſay of themſelves I and my company, there is no ſuch merry men in the world as we are; we can be merry, and we can over-reach and deceive in our trade, and we can do this and that, and yet not at all troubled in conſcience all the year long: and yet behold, thoſe that follow Miniſters, and go to Ordinances, and hear Sermons, & love the Bible, yet ſee how they hang down their heads & are troubled in mind, & caſt down, and ſcarce have any comfort all their lives. Now what may be the reaſon, that they ſhould go ſo after their own evil wayes, and not be troubled, and the people of God in their exact walking be ſo much caſt down? It was ſo in Calvins dayes, Spiritus Calvinianus eſt Spiritus melancholicus, Chriſtians ſpirits were ſad ſpirits; and this was a ſtumbling-block to many Papiſts, who would not follow a ſad Religion.