Trouble of the Mind and the Disease of Melancholy, Discourse · Part 1 · Chapter 10
CHAP. X.
Shewing, that People under great Trouble and Anguiſh of Soul, are not to look for Aſſurance, or great Joy on a ſudden; but as far as they can, to enquire into the Reaſons of God's Diſpleaſure towards them, and to look up to him through the Great Mediator; and not further to provoke him: As alſo how they may know when Afflictions are ſent in Wrath, and when in Love.
VI. WHen you are under the ſenſe of the Anger of God, do not look for aſſurance and great triumphs of Soul on a ſudden; if you have ſupports, 'tis a great matter; tho as Mr. Bayne uſed to ſay, You do not know what Spiritual Feſtivities and Jubilation means. If you have daily bread to maintain your Life, 'tis what you ought thankfully to acknowledge, tho your Tables be not covered with Dainties, and tho you do not fare deliciouſly every day: They were but Three of the Diſciples whom our Lord admitted to the ſight of his Glorious Transfiguration; he does not treat all his Followers with the ſame Diſhes, with the ſame Joys and Tranſports: We are ſufficiently priviledged, if we are in the Verge of his Family, if we are adopted, 'tho there be ſeveral that are greater Favourites than we, and whom he is pleaſed to ſet at his Right Hand, and on his Left. He may chuſe whom he will, to be his beloved Diſciples, to whom he will manifeſt more of his Preſence and his Love, and an extraordinary Care: Do not think, that becauſe you have read of ſome that have had Heaven to meet them with Angelical Triumphs and Conſolations, that therefore you muſt drink as full draughts of the ſame Rivers of Pleaſure, or that they will follow you as much as them in this Wilderneſs. Some of the Eminent Servants of Chriſt, that have been very laborious and uſeful, that have been remarkable for their Patience, their Faith, and their Self-denial, have been bleſt with a nearer acceſs to God, and have ſeen more of the Lord of Hoſts in his Glory; but it is enough for ſuch unprofitable Servants, and ſuch great Sinners as we have been, that we look for the Promiſed Land: Tho we have not many Cluſters of the Grapes of Paradiſe, to chear us on the way, our Maſter uſes us very well, if he do not turn us out of doors; tho we fare not ſo well as others do, it is a Mercy that we have but the Crumbs that fall from his Table. This advice is needful, becauſe if we look for extraordinary Joy and Delight, and then find it not after long waiting, we ſhall be ready to give over our work, when we do not receive that Pay, in the hope of which we flattered our ſelves a long time. Becauſe ſome in a Tranſport, after long Deſertion, and ſore Tryals, and after long Abſence of Chriſt, have cryed out, He is come, he is come, oh he is now come, whom I longed to ſee. Now Salvation is come to my houſe: Now I am fully ſatisfied; now I am content to dye. Oh the Riches, the Depths, the Greatneſs of the Grace of God! Now I ſee that my Fears were too great, my Thoughts of him too low. I ſee that he that inhabits Eternity, even the Great Jehovah, will deal familiarly with the Sons of Men. I could not have thought, that ever I, that was ſo faint, ſhould be revived; that I, that was ſo full of Deſpair, ſhould be full of Hope; that I who was ſo near Hell, ſhould be brought to the Gates of Heaven; but my own experience now tells me, that ſo it is. Cant. 2.3, 4. I ſate down under his ſhadow with great delight, and his fruit was ſweet to my taſte; he brought me to the banqueting houſe, and his banner over me was love. This is the language of thoſe whom the King of Heaven delights to honour: Theſe are the Golden Veſſels which he fills with the Oyl of Gladneſs: Theſe are the Elijahs to whom he ſends his Chariots of Fire to convey them home. But this is not the Lot of all his Subjects; this is not what we are certainly to expect; if we go to Heaven, tho by Diſpenſations that have in them a great deal of Cloud and Darkneſs, yet it will be very well for us; if we believe, we ſhall be ſafe; tho ſome there be that with Simeon embrace their Saviour in their Arms, and ſee his Salvation before they dye, for the ſight of which we muſt ſtay till after death; the greateſt part of Believers have a comfortable, and reviving hope through Grace that they ſhall come to Heaven; but few there are that are ſo well aſſured of it, as to have no remaining doubts and fears: But notwithſtanding what I have ſaid, we muſt endeavour to work out our Salvation, and by a diligence in good works, and holy duties, to ſtrive that we may be among the bleſſed number of theſe excellent Saints, whom God is pleaſed to clothe with the Garments of Praiſe and Joy: The paſſionate feelings of Joy are not eſſential to Holineſs; tho when they are beſtowed, they do greatly quicken our obedience, and inlarge our hearts. If we reſolvedly adhere to God, he will give us what will be ſufficient for us: Our very fears ſhall encreaſe our comfort afterwards; by the way in which we did leaſt expect it, ſhall Joy and Pleaſure come as the Ravens, greedy Creatures, brought meat unto the Prophet.
VII. Enquire into the Cauſes of God's Anger; he is never angry, as I have ſaid before, but when there is very great reaſon, when we force him to be ſo: What is that accurſed thing in our hearts, or in our lives, for which God hides his face, and frowns upon us? What particular diſobedience to his Commands is it, for which he has taken up the Rod?Vid. Caryl. in loc. Job 10.2. I will ſay unto God, Do not condemn me, ſhew me wherefore thou contendeſt with me. q. d. Lord, my Troubles and my Sorrows are very well known. Every Eye beholds my Calamity, every Ear is aſtoniſhed with the report of my ſore diſtreſs; and all that know me, or have heard of me, wonder why I am, above all others in the world, made ſo miſerable a man, that there has not been an example of the like great and ſtrange affliction ſince the beginning of the world. I my ſelf, that feel theſe wonderful ſorrows, am moſt of all perplext; ſhew me for what, and why it is, that I ſhould be ſo: He was an upright man; and not being conſcious either of ſecret allowed ſin, or open Tranſgreſſion, might be at a great loſs to know the cauſe of his affliction; but for the moſt part of us, who are as far from the Grace which he had in his Trouble, as we are from the Riches which he had in his Proſperity; we may ſoon know that God is angry for our ſin; and yet at the ſame time we muſt not ceaſe to be ſollicitous to know what are the particular ſins that have made him to tear us up by the roots, to throw us down as with a whirlwind; what it is that has made him to be ſo long angry with us, and ſo long to delay his help; that if any evil be undiſcovered in our ſouls, we may lament it with a ſeaſonable grief, and get a pardon for it. It is not the common Courſe of God's Providence, to cover his Servants with ſo thick a darkneſs as that is, which our Troubled Souls labour under in the day, or rather in the night of his Diſpleaſure: And therefore we may with Humility deſire to know why he proceeds with us in a way that is ſo ſingular; for it is ſome way delightful to the Underſtanding, to pierce into the Reaſons and the Cauſes of things. Pſal. 74.1. O God, why haſt thou caſt us off for ever? why doth thine Anger ſmoke againſt the ſheep of thy paſture? How angry ſoever he be, we muſt make our Addreſſes to him; and ſeeing to be caſt off, to be ſeparated from him, is a thing ſo terrible, he allows us to enquire into the Reaſons of his Proceedings, and to debate the Caſe; and our debate muſt end in Prayer and Supplication; as here, v. 2. and tho it be very true, that when a man is fallen into a Pit, the buſineſs of the poor man is not to inquire how he fell thither, but how he may be drawn up again, and eſcape the danger that has overtaken him; yet in this caſe of the ſenſe of God's Diſpleaſure, the knowledge of the Cauſes of it may produce many good effects, which tho they do not appear in our depths and troubles, yet will ſhew themſelves afterwards; they will cauſe us for ever to dread the ſame things which did bring upon us ſo many miſeries. As ſuppoſe in another caſe, a Mother that brings forth Children to the Grave, that only views them a while, and after all the pain of bringing them forth, and after all the care of their future welfare, ſees them one after another ſnatcht away, to know the Reaſon of this ſo terrible a ſtroke, will greatly ſupport her ſpirit; as ſuppoſe it be to wean her from Terreſtrial Comforts, and to give her thoſe that are Eternal; to take her Children away, and to give her more of God; to bury her dear Off-ſpring, that her declining Graces may have a Reſurrection, or that her Comfort in the Living, may be more ſenſible to her when there are ſo many dead: This wiill calm her ſoul, and make even a diſconſolate Mother to rejoice. Thus when a man is exerciſed with long and ſharp Sickneſs and Affliction, to know the Cauſes of it, may be uſeful to promote his Humiliation at the preſent, and to make him avoid the like for the time to come, if he do recover.
VIII. When you are under a ſenſe of God's Diſpleaſure, flye to his Mercy and his Grace in Chriſt: When your Creator is angry, 'tis not any thing in this world can give you relief, but himſelf; flye from God, as abſolutely conſidered in his Greatneſs, Juſtice, Holineſs, and Majeſty; to him, as diſcovering himſelf through the Mediator: The Hills and the Mountains cannot be a ſhelter from his Wrath; whither can you go from his Preſence? Whither will not the ſenſe of his Anger, and your own guilty thoughts purſue you? Betake your ſelves to him, and when you think of him, think of him as a God, in whom there is the greateſt Tenderneſs and Pity, and of which all the Compaſſion that is in humane nature, is but a weak reſemblance; as it is all one with him in Temporal Deliverances, to ſave by many or by few; for what dangers can re… Omnipotence? ſo 'tis as eaſie with him to … give a Thouſand thouſand Sins, as one ſin … we be never ſo unworthy and ſo vile, yet Mercy ſeeks no other qualification of its object, but that 'tis neceſſitous, and obnoxious to ruin; and it is a good way to flye to his meer grace and mercy; for we have undone our ſelves. Poring upon our ſelves does but encreaſe our load; we are apt to ſay in our diſtreſs, Were we ſo and ſo mortified to the world, were our hearts ſo purified and cleanſed, then we might approach him with ſome boldneſs, who is altogether holy; this is true, but yet we muſt firſt ask of him to make us ſuch, in whom he may delight: And as we ſorrowfully caſt our eyes upon our wounds and our miſeries, let us look at the ſame time to that Phyſician who has provided a Remedy for us by Chriſt, and who can heal all our backſlidings, and teach us to apply that Remedy: If we are the worſt and the moſt ſinful Creatures upon earth, yet is a Saviour tendered to our acceptance, and our choice; and if we will receive him, all our Tranſgreſſions, how heinous ſoever, will be blotted out. As we have a very deep ſenſe of Hell and Deſtruction, ſo let us have the moſt enlarged thoughts of the pardoning Grace of God; and to this we are encouraged by the diſcoveries that he hath made of himſelf, through his dear Son: His Forgiveneſs is like himſelf; it is (as one ſays) an Object for Faith alone, which can reſt in that which it cannot comprehend;Dr. Owen in Pſal. 130. p. 221. and were not Forgiveneſs in God, ſomewhat beyond what men could imagine, no fleſh could be ſaved. Iſa. 55.88. My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are my ways your ways, ſaith the Lord; for as the heavens are higher than the earth, ſo are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. It is not the manner of men, to paſs by multiplied Tranſgreſſions, as he doth: The conſideration of his Infinite Mercy removes all thoſe obſtructions, which our unbelief, viewing the greatneſs and aggravations of our ſins, throws in the way; and tho our ſins have been every way inexcuſable, and do upon every reflection that we make upon them, fright and trouble us, yet the Mercy of a God ſurely will yield us ſome relief; for there is no other reaſon why he does good to this or that ſinner, but his own Grace, Hoſ. 3.4. He freely chuſes, juſtifies, adopts, and renews the Souls of his Elect; 'tis all, not from their merit, or from any thing that he foreſaw in them, but from the good pleaſure of his will, Eph. 1.5. All that he does for them, all that he will do for them to Eternity, will be to the praiſe and glory of his own grace. This is the true way to humble us, when we ſee nothing in our ſelves, but what expoſes us to miſery; and that is true Goſpel Obedience which is the fruit and product of his Love ſhed abroad in our hearts. This is the only Rock whereon we are to build our Comfort, when the Storm comes. This Free Grace of God, is that which the Saints admire on earth, which revives their drooping ſpirits, and which they will wonder at for ever. 'Tis a ſhelter from the accuſations and the malicious inſultings of the Devil; for tho he ſet our ſins, with all their overwhelming circumſtances before us; tho we cannot deny the charge, and believe that we are miſerable in our ſeves; yet do we reſolve to flye to the Mercy and the Love of God in Chriſt: We ſhould diſparage the Excellencies of his Nature, and the Offers of his Goodneſs, if we did not lay hold upon them: And this is that which ſome call a natural Novatianiſm in the timerous Conſciences of Convinced Sinners, whereby they doubt and queſtion pardon for Sins of Apoſtacy, and falling after Repentance.
IX. Beware of running into further ſin, and ſo to provoke God to further Anger: When our Hope is periſhed, there is nothing ſo evil, which we ſhall not dare to do: If help do not ſpeedily come, we are apt to ſay, it is in vain to pray; it is vain to look up to a God that has thrown us of. Jer. 2.25. Thou ſaidſt, There is no hope; no, for I have loved ſtrangers, and after them will I go. You are loſt for ever, will the Devil ſay, and therefore it is all one whether you ſin or not, you can but ſtill be loft; this is one of his fiery darts; and if by our compliance we ſuffer it to take hold upon us, it will terrifie us the more; he will rejoice at our fall, and put our Souls by every new Tranſgreſſion, into much more violent and ſcorching Flames: What monſtrous Injections, what unbecoming Thoughts of God, does he ſuggeſt; and alas how frequently do we entertain them! for they come thick upon us: In the time of God's diſpleaſure, when the edge of his Holy Spiritual Law does wound our Souls, what vaſt multitudes of Corruptions do we then diſcover, that we never ſaw before? How do our old Sins amaze us, and new ones ariſe and ſpring from them? And what can we do in the ſwelling of Jordan? What in ſo great an inundation, but endeavour in our poor feeble manner to look up to Chriſt for help. Beg the Spirit; for as one ſays, There is no heart ſo unclean, which this Spirit will not cleanſe; no ſoul ſo feeble, which he does not fortifie; none ſo forrowful, which he does not comfort; none ſo deſolate, which he does not cauſe to rejoice; none ſo ſlaviſh, which he does not ſet at liberty; none ſo ſick, which he does not heal; none ſo dead, which he does not quicken. Surely he will regard us, for he knows, that of our ſelves we cannot bear up againſt the Winds and Waves. And let us always remember, That among ſo many cruel Enemies, 'tis Unbelief that leads the Van: It encourages and draws them on; and when we have got the Victory over this, all the reſt will be daunted, and run away. By Unbelief we open our hearts, and let in all thoſe Thieves and Robbers which deprive us of our Peace. It is the defilement of our Conſciences by manifold acts of ſin, that makes us like the troubled Sea, which cannot reſt: And for a Conſcience guilty of many neglects, to lay claim to God's Mercy, is to do as we ſee Mountebanks ſometimes do, who wound their Fleſh, to try Concluſions on their own Bodies, how ſovereign the Salve is; yet often they come to feel the ſmart of their own Preſumption, by long and deſperate Wounds. Let us in the caſe even of ſore Afflictions, be afraid to ſin;Sibbs Souls Conflict, p. 31. for that Devil that tempts us, will immediately vex and torment us the more for it.
X. Miſtake not thoſe things for evidences of the certain Wrath of God, which perhaps are not really ſo. He may ſuſpend the expreſſions of his Love, tho he love us ſtill; as Joſeph had the tenderneſs of a Brother, whilſt his Brethren thought him very angry with them: Nay, in our ſecret ſupports we are not deſtitute altogether of his care, tho we know not how they come: As the Metals that lye deep in the ground partake of the Influence of the Sun, tho he does not ſhine upon them with his Light. There are few Afflictions, but have rather the marks of a Fatherly Kindneſs, in the ſeaſonable Correction of our Faults, than the Marks of Diſpleaſure. No outward loſſes, no inward troubles, that are but for a time, are the certain ſigns of Wrath; no, tho they be very long, and very grievous; for it was not ſo in the caſe of Job. But how ſhall I know (will ſome ſay) when Afflictions are in wrath? It is a queſtion to be anſwered with great tenderneſs and caution. They are by Divines ſaid to be ſo: 1. When they come with great Violence, and ſuddenly deſtroy, as in the caſe of Sodom and Gomorrah, and in the Deluge. Pſal. 58.9. Before your pots can feel the thorns, he ſhall take them away as with a whirlwind, both living, and in his wrath, Nahum 1.9. He will make an utter end, affliction ſhall not riſe up the ſecond time. And yet this muſt have ſome limitations; for a good man may be ſeized with a violent Diſeaſe, and ſuddenly dye, of whom we ought not to ſay, that he died by the Wrath of God. 2. When there is no Mercy diſcernable in the Croſs, but only what is evil. 3. When one Evil makes way for another, and none are ſanctified. 4. When the Affliction brings ſome ſpecial Sin to remembrance; and when Sin it ſelf deprives us of a Mercy; when Intemperance brings Sickneſs, Ambition Diſgrace; Covetouſneſs and an over-eager Deſire of Riches, Poverty. But then, even great Croſſes are in Mercy, 1. When God does not afflict us only, but teaches us at the ſame time. And 2. When we can be thankful for that Comfort which we have loſt, that is, if it be outward; for I ſee not how any perſon can be thankful for. Deſertion while it remains upon him; for that were to thank God that he is departed, or that he has reſtrained the manifeſtations of his Love; which no man is obliged to do. 3. When all our Loſſes are made up in God, and in the Graces of his Spirit.