Trouble of the Mind and the Disease of Melancholy, Discourse · Part 2 · Chapter 5
CHAP. V.
Of Aſſurance. As alſo of the Falſe Grounds upon which many are apt to conclude, that they are Gods Favourites, when they are not ſo.
7. ENdeavour to be aſſured that you enjoy Gods Favour, that is your Life: Not only to believe that it is ſo, but to feel this animating your Faculties, and ſpreading it ſelf through every part, that you may not only have his Countenance, but the Light of it; and that you may not walk in darkneſs, without the pleaſant beholding of this Glorious and Reviving Sun. His Favour towards you, tho' it. be undiſcerned, will make you bleſſed; but nothing but the ſenſe of it will cauſe you to rejoice, Tho' you be ſafe, yet it is very deſireable to know that you are ſo; not only to be going towards Heaven, but to ſee the Crown of Glory ſhining before your Eyes as you go along. It is very terrible, tho God be your Father, if you cannot think of him, but as of a Judge. Fears and Doubts are diſquieting and uneaſie things; the reſtleſneſs and the torment that they give you, ſhould excite you to try all means whereby they may be removed. It is much better to have a vigorous and a ſtirring Life, than the ſickly, feeble motions of it, that are ſcarcely diſcerned: As in Apoplexies and other Diſeaſes, where the ſoul is retired inward, and the ſpirits have ſo cold a motion, that they ſcarcely make the Pulſe to beat. What peace can you have without an evidence of your Intereſt in God? What comfort from his Promiſes, if you know not whether they belong to you or not? Will it enrich you to ſee large Treaſures, if you have no ſhare therein? What tho' there are abundance of Fountains of Conſolation, if you are like to periſh and to die with thirſt? You muſt endeavour to have your hops, as an Anchor that is both ſure and ſtedfaſt, Heb. 6.19. And you have encouragements given you for an hope ſo ſure. And (as one ſays) Hope were but a poor Anchor, if it ſhould leave the ſoul to the courteſy of a Wave, to the clemency of a Rock, to the diſpoſing of a Storm. Hope were but a weak Anchor, if it ſhould let the ſoul be loſt with uncertainties, or leave it in danger of Shipwrack. Be not ſatisfied that you think that God's Favour is your Life, till you can ſay with David, He is the health of my countenance, and my God, Pſal. 43.5. and theſe two met together, will produce a very ſolid and a comfortable joy; when you can ſay with the Rapture of Thomas, My Lord, and my God! or with the Church, I am my beloveds, and he is mine; Cant. 6.3. Uſe all the Ordinances, the Word, and the Sacraments to this purpoſe, that you may find him whom your Soul loves; Cant. 3.3, 4. Oh what will be your pleaſure, when you ſee the great God of Heaven to be your own God! to ſee that Saviour, of whom the Prophets, and Apoſtles, and Martyrs, and all your Miniſters, and your Chriſtian Friends, have ſpoke ſo much, to be at length your own Saviour! how will you be at eaſe, when you ſee his Excellencies to be yours! and that you are among the joyful and adoring-throng that wait upon him! To love him, and to have his love ſhewed to you, and to have theſe mutual Delights to increaſe, but never to decay; to poſſeſs one another for ever with renewed and repeated Extaſies; this is an Heaven begun, that no thoughts can fully apprehend, nor words declare; in order to this, you muſt give all diligence to make your calling and election ſure; 2 Pet. 1.10. Often you muſt try your hearts, and your Actions by the Word of God, and beg his Spirit, and obey his motions, and excite your Graces, and watch againſt Sin, and deny your ſelves. The Trader endeavours all he can to get a plentiful Trade, and would have a great deal of buſineſs, and money flowing in upon him: The Merchant ſtrives to have all the plentiful Returns imaginable: Oh! Let us ſtrive that our Souls may not only be ſafe, but that they may proſper too; not only that we may pray, but pray with boldneſs to God, as Children to a Father: and when we are able to look upon him as ſo related, and as our Friend, our Service will be more fervent, and all our work done with greater life and heart; our ſlaviſh fears and deſpondence will give way to Love and Hope; and then every thing that concerns us, will undergo a moſt comfortable change: we ſhall be able to hear the Thunders, and the Curſes, and the Threatnings of the Law, without aſtoniſhment and terror; becauſe we ſhall dwell as in God's Pavilion; We ſhall be able to think of Hell, and not be overwhelmed; becauſe we ſhall look upon it as a Dungeon, from which we are ſaved by the Grace of God: We ſhall attend to the Meſſages of the Goſpel, for it will bring us glad tidings; the bleſſed Angels will be your Guardians, the Miniſters of the Church your Directors, and your Helpers; the Malice of the Wicked, and the Rage of Devils will fall below us, and not reach our happineſs.
8. Take heed of concluding the ſpecial favour of God, from the Common Mercies you enjoy.
1. You muſt not conclude you have this Favour from any of your outward Privileges. God may long dwell among a People by the outward Teſtimonies of his Preſence, by his Word, and the means of Grace, and yet leave them at laſt. Who were once more happy than the Jews in his Protection, and yet none are more miſerable than they are by his departure? Jeruſalem, where he had placed his Name, and that was once the glory of all Cities, is now no more remarkable for its glorious Temple, and its ſtately Towers; for its Riches, Grandeur and Splendor, wherewith it ſhined heretofore. The Holy Land, the Countrey of Judea, which our Saviour bleſt with his preſence, which he inſtructed with his heavenly Sermons, and honoured with his Miracles, is now no more the ſame Judea that it once was: it is now groaning under the cruel Dominion of the Turks: and the Seven Churches have loſt their Golden Candleſticks, and the bleſſed Gueſt that one walkt in the midſt of them: The Stars that ſhone there, are now eclips'd, and their glory gone. It is a great mercy indeed ſo have the Goſpel, but it will not in the iſſue be ſo to you, unleſs it ſhine into your hearts: If it do not prevail to the converſion of your Souls, it will aggravate your ruine: inaſmuch as you will go from the cleareſt Light, to the thickeſt Darkneſs; from the brighteſt Day, to the moſt diſmal Night. You cannot conclude that you have this Favour from any common gifts of knowledge, or of underſtanding, unleſs you be ſanctified throughout. When our Lord aſcended, he gave gifts to men. *Du Monlin's Sermons, XI. Decade, Serm. 2.Like thoſe Liberalities which Kings ſcatter indifferently among their Subjects in the day of their Coronation, without making a diſtinction between the good and bad; and of thoſe pieces of Gold and Silver ſeveral partake that leaſt deſerve them; but their great Honours, and the Principal Offices of the Crown they reſerve for their peculiar Favourites, and for thoſe that belong to the Houſhold, and wait upon their Perſons: ſo Chriſt diſtributes many Favours to all that enjoy his Goſpel: but there are ſome that are peculiar to his own Family, as diſtinguiſhed from the reſt of men; ſuch are the gifts of Faith, of Regeneration and Adoption: Happy was the Womb that bare him, and happy were the Paps that gave him ſuck, and yet more happy are thoſe that keep his Words; Luke 11.27, 28. Neither circumciſim, nor uncircimciſion availeth any thing, but a new creature, Gal. 6.15.
2. You cannot conclude from your outward Proſperity, your Richer or abundance in the World, that you have this Favour of God, in which is Life. Our Lord, that by his own Example did intend to ſhew to men better things than the Goods of this World, did firſt cauſe his Angels to appear to the poor Shepherds, not to the Courts of Princes, and the Schools of Philoſophers. He could have had Kings, if he had pleaſed, to wait upon him, and to lay their Crowns and Scepters at his feet; but he choſe a Train of poor Followers, whom he did enrich with Heavenly Treaſures, and not with thoſe of this Earth, though the whole Creation, and all its glories, were at his Command: The Poor were they that received the Goſpel; and not many Noble are called, &c. 1 Cor. 1.27. The poor of the world are rich in faith, and heirs of the Kingdom; Jam. 2.5. Tho as Riches are no ſign of God's Election, neither is Poverty a mark of Grace: but yet with the Lower ſort of People, and thoſe that are not many times very wiſe for this World, God does often build his Church. Afflictions and Croſſes are no mark of his diſpleaſure; nor is a continued Proſperity the character of his Love: for many times God lets his Sun ſhine upon the Wicked to their dying day; their ſtrength is firm; the Rod is not upon them; they fear no evil, they know no ſorrow: there are no tears in their eyes, no ſadneſs in their hearts, no complaining in their Families; See Job 21. from the 7th to the 13th verſe. Riches are indeed of themſelves great bleſſings; with them a man may do abundance of good works; which the poorer ſort of People cannot, by reaſon of thoſe ſtraits and difficulties that they are to wraſtle with: they are great Talents, and ſerviceable to great purpoſes; they do afford men great leiſure for the affairs of their Souls; and not being perplexed with anxious cares how to get a livelihood, they may read and meditate, and pray with more devotion; but then theſe ſoft and eaſie Bleſſings meeting with the Corruptions that is in Humane Nature, they prove frequently to be a ſnare; they frequently miniſter to Pride, and Vanity, and Luxury, and Exceſs; to Senſualities and worldly Luſts; and for that reaſon it is that our Saviour ſays, A rich man ſhall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven, Matt. 19.23. Few meet with Heaven here, and an Heaven hereafter; Luke 16.19, 20, 21. The Rich man had all manner of Accommodations; a ſtately Dwelling, a throng of Admirers, ſoft Garments, and curious Entertainments, compoſed of every thing that could be fetch'd from the Land, the Sea, or the Air; and in the midſt of all this Plenty, had the Curſe of an Uncharitable Spirit: the poor Lazarus was cloathed with Rags, whilſt he ruffled in his Silks: the poor man, whilſt he had his exceſſes, and his plenty, had not what was neceſſary to life. He was a modeſt Beggar, he asked but for the Crumbs that fell from his Table, the ſweepings of his Houſe, and yet he was denied. And to all this want there was added an increaſe of miſeries by his painful Sores; and the poor man had no Friends to viſit him, no Phyſician to bind up his Wounds, no Cordial to ſupport his Spirits; in this ſorrowful poſture lay the poor Lazarus; and his Carkaſs was even putrefying before he came to dye; the Dogs were cue only kind Creatures; they lickt his Sores, and aſſwaged the vehemence of the p…i… with their healing Tongues; 'They (as one expreſſes it) were Humane, 'though then Maſter was a Brute; and yet this poor man was very happy: when his pains made him at length to dye, Angels were ſent to convey his newly-delivered Soul away; to carry him that was ſtarved on Earth, to the Feaſt of Glory; where he will never be in diſtreſs or trouble any more. The poor Man had a very weary Journey, but moſt ſweet refreſhment when he comes to his Journeys-end. He was expoſed to the injuries of the VVeather, and the ſharpneſs of the Cold; but in Abraham's Boſome he was inexpreſſibly comforted; plenty enough had he in his Father's Houſe, though he could not obtain here, with all his begging, ſo much as one Crumb; and the Rich-man, a little after, had his polluted and unready Soul torn away, and was condemned to greater deſtruction for having been ſo cruel to this poor man: This proud and ſcornful VVretch, whom with his flaming eyes he ſaw at reſt whilſt he was in his Torment, and who was become the beggar then, and fain would have had one drop to cool his burning Tongue, but it was denied; and he that ſhewed no mercy, found none; v. 23, 24. and his Hell was hotter to him, for having lived ſo much at eaſe here on Earth; and it increaſed his Flames to remember how many were haſting to the ſame place by his ill Example; and who, when they come thither, would encreaſe his torment. So that we may ſay to Rich men, what a good old Miniſter ſaid to a Lord, after he had ſhewed him his ſtately Houſe, his Gardens, his Fiſh-ponds, and his other Conveniences for a pleaſant and eaſie Life; My Lord (ſaid he) you had need make ſure of Heaven, for it will be bad going to Hell from ſuch a place as this. Many People think, that becauſe their Endeavours ſucceed well, their Trades flouriſh, and their VVealth increaſes, that ſurely they are loved of God, and that theſe things are the marks of his peculiar Favour. You may live in pleaſures, and yet be dead while you live. Your Bodies may want nothing, and yet your unregarded Souls ſuffer under miſerable decays; you may be lifted up to Heaven with outward enjoyments, and yet they may only expoſe you to a greater fall, and a more amazing danger. You are healthful, it may be, while others are ſick; but your health is not any other than a greater Talent which is given to you, and of which you muſt render a very ſtrict Account: Your ways, it may be, are ſmooth, but do they not lead you to ruine, and the Grave? There is nothing more formidable than ſpiritual Judgments; and of all ſpiritual Judgments, none ſo great, as for God to let you alone to chuſe your own way, to take your own courſe, and to follow the devices of your own hearts: And it is a mark of his Anger kindled at a more than ordinary rate, when he ſays, Hoſ. 4.14. I will not puniſh their ſons and daughters any more. Reſt not therefore in this, but ſeek for ſanctifying Grace, and the pardon of your ſins with your whole heart.
3. Do not think, that becauſe your Conſciences are not under trouble, that for that very reaſon you have God's Favour. The Eaſe that many Sinners have, is diſtempered, and will fade way; 'tis like the Eaſe of an Apoplexy, that benumbs the ſenſe, and weakens life; 'tis like the ſlumbers of the ſick that are cauſed with Opiates, and ſtupifying Potions: As many times true Believers fear, where there is no cauſe of fear; ſo do Sinners hope where there is no cauſe of hope at all. Many a Saint weeps that is going to Jeruſalem, becauſe he ſees not the bleſſed place that is before him; and many a ſecure ſoul is aſleep at the very door of Hell, becauſe he does not perceive the danger that is underneath; if he did, it would terrify him to ſee that the flood is coming, and his Houſe is only built on the Sand; to ſee that the Sword is drawn, and his Adverſary is on the way, and he has not prepared to meet him. Some indeed have queſtioned, whether be the greater Sin, Preſumption, or Deſpair? It is no queſtion but they are both very bad; they are both Rocks; and if a man be Shipwrackt, it is no great matter on what Rock he ſplits, when he is caſt away. Though God will make allowances even for the deſpairing Expreſſions and Thoughts of his Servants in great and long deſertions; he was gracious to David, though he deſpairingly ſaid, I ſhatl one day fall by the hand of Saul. And to Zion, tho ſhe ſaid, the Lord hath forgotten me. My ſtrength and my hope is periſhed from the Lord; Lam. 3.18. But yet it is a ſin that we ought to reſiſt and ſtrive againſt, and no leſs againſt Preſumption, which flays its thouſands every day. Oh how many are there! there are too many that eat and drink, and are merry, and yet know not whether God be their Friend, or their Enemy; Pſal. 55.19. They feel no changes, and therefore they fear him not. But if ſpeedy, and ſerious, and hearty Repentance prevent not, they will ſhortly feel a change that will ſpoil and blaſt all their hopes; they'l feel a change that will at the ſame time conclude their Life, and ſend them to Judgment, and lodge their Souls in miſery, and where will their hopes then be? My Friends, the way of Life is ſtrait; there are abundance of miſtakes about it; there are abundance of windings and turnings, of labyrinths and dangers, by the means of which you may be hindred in your Pilgrimage, if you do not take great care: there are ſeveral ways like to this way, that have a reſemblance to it, and yet vaſtly differ from it: there is the Peace of God, and there is the Peace of Satan; it is the deſign of that malicious Spirit, to let you be quiet in your Sins, that you may not ſee their evil, nor feel their bitterneſs, and then you ſave him the labour to make you miſerable, for you make your ſelves ſo. Suffer not him to blind your eyes, nor to lead you to deſtruction, whilſt you never ſo much as make one halt, nor ſtartle at it. You hear others complaining of their Sins, and crying out, that they are forſaken, and undone, and miſerable, and you thank God you have no trouble, your Conſciences are ſtill and quiet. I beſeech you take heed that it be founded upon good Reaſons, that it prove not to be only a ſhort ſlumber, and not a laſting peace. It may be you never doubted of God's love to you, and it is very well if you have no cauſe to doubt: You think, it may be, that ſuch as are in Soul diſtreſſes, are ſo, becauſe they have committed greater ſins than other men; and that Vengeance therefore, like the Viper on Paul's Hand, faſtens on them becauſe they have been guilty of ſome very great and monſtrous Sin: but you muſt know, the Judgments of God are too great a deep for you to fathom; he has wiſe Ends in thoſe ſevere Diſpenſations, though thoſe that are at eaſe may have committed as great Sins as thoſe that are in trouble: many times a great Calm precedes an Earthquake; many times the Sky is very clear juſt before the Clouds gather, and the Lightning and Thunder comes. Beware, leſt you be unſafe whilſt you are moſt confident: Beware, leſt you go down to the Grave, as thouſands do, with a fooliſh and ungrounded hope. Remember the fooliſh Virgins; and that of the Apoſtle, 1 Theſſ. 5.3.