Trouble of the Mind and the Disease of Melancholy, Discourse · Part 1 · Chapter 8
CHAP. VIII.
Of Faith in Chriſt, as another Help under the ſenſe of God's diſpleaſure: And the ſeveral tendencies it hath to calm an afflicted Soul under long and ſore Tryals.
SEcond General. When you are under the ſenſe of God's Anger for your Sins, act Faith upon God and Chriſt. Faith, I may well ſay, is the Mother of all the Graces; it conceives and brings them forth, and takes care to promote their growth; it contributes Life to them at the firſt, and cauſes them to thrive and flouriſh afterwards; with this our meaner Services meet with a chearful and a favourable acceptance; and without it, not all the moſt pompous Devotions, not all the moſt tedious and painful Mortifications that we could ever practiſe, would be of any value in the ſight of God. What mighty things has this produc'd? What miraculous Triumphs did it gain? And no Hiſtory can furniſh us with an account of ſo many great and illuſtrious Heroes, of ſo many difficulties, and ſo great Victories, as the XIth of the Hebrews furniſhes us withal: Not one mentioned there, but met with great Troubles; not one there, but overcame them; and 'tis always expreſſed. By Faith they did this or that: To the moſt, Faith does appear to be an eaſie thing, having not ſeen their ſins in their odiouſneſs and their aggravations; having not much thought of the Holineſs, and Juſtice, and Majeſty of God, and of the Spiritual Law that pierces into all the depths and receſſes of the Soul: They think it a ſmall matter; but to a poor ſinner that is under the Rebukes of God, and of his own Conſcience, that is awakened with terrible Threats, and amazing Fears; that ſees vaſt multitudes of ſins within, and Hell without, there is nothing more difficult: For thus he argues; Can an holy God bear with ſo vile a Sinner: Can he forgive ſo many and ſo great Iniquities? Will he be gracious to one that has been ſo much his Enemy as I have been? Will that Love ever be ſhewed to me, which I have ſo much ſlighted and undervalued, and for my Contempt of which, God knows I now pay very dear? Will the Great Ruler of Heaven and Earth be favourable to a Worm? Will he admit a Rebel to his Preſence and his Glory? It is not eaſie to ſatisfie a mind that is ſtrugling with thoſe manifold Objections which carnal Reaſon, and Senſe, and a man's own heart ſet themſelves againſt with ſo much ſeeming ſtrength and force. But now there are ſeveral ways by which this ſo much oppoſed Faith does prevail, and obtain a Conqueſt over ſo ſubtle and plauſible Enemies as theſe are.
1. Faith quiets the Soul, by directing it to conſider the Nature, the Promiſe, and the Word of God; it takes away the ſowreneſs of out Thoughts, whereby we are apt to conclude that God is of a furious and implacable Nature; that he will never be reconciled, or have to do with Creatures ſo mean and ſo ſinful as we are. This diſcovers to us the Terms of his Covenant, the free Offers of his Mercy, Iſa. 27.4, 5. Fury is not in me; who would ſet the thorns and bryars againſt me in hattel? I would go through them, I would burn them together. Or let him take hold of my ſtrength, that he may make peace with we, and he ſhall make peace with me. His Strength, i.e. the Holy Properties of his Nature, his Goodneſs, his Unchangeableneſs, his Faithfulneſs, which he has graciouſly revealed with a deſign thereby to ſupport our Hearts. Faith guides us to the view of his Promiſes, to the Truth and Authority of the Promiſer, to his All-ſufficiency, and his readineſs to Pardon and to Save: And this indeed is hardly to be entertained: To think that when we are under the apprehenſions of his Wrath, that he is ready to forgive: For if I may judg of others by my ſelf, 'tis not ſo much his Power that we then queſtion, as his Goodneſs; not ſo much, whether he can, for that we know well enough, but whether he will give us Help: Now Faith leads our trembling Souls to the Promiſes, which are the voluntary Engagements of God, whereby he has obliged himſelf to do us good; which are the product of his Love, and which convey a quickning power and virtue to the Soul: it ſhews us alſo the foundation on which all theſe Promiſes rely, even that Jeſus Chriſt, in whom they are Yea and Amen, i. e. very certain and very true; and he is the ſame, yeſterday, and to day, and for ever, Heb. 13.8. Faith makes us humble, and conſequently patient; it empties the Soul of all proud and lofty thoughts; it ſees that it it has nothing of its own whereon to truſt, and therefore depends on God alone; it diſcovers his Relations as a Creator, as a Father; and produces acts in the mind ſuitable to theſe comfortable Titles, 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, who is the health of my countenance, and my God. Suitably to that in Iſa. 50.10. Who is among you that walketh in darkneſs, and hath no light? let him truſt in the name of the Lord, and ſtay upon his God. i. e. If he be without any reviving ſenſe of the Love of God, any ſight of his own Grace, and I may add, without any hope of Deliverance and Salvation? for the leaſt hope carries with it ſome light, tho it be very feeble, and almoſt undiſcerned: Now for a man to caſt his Anchor in the dark, and to truſt when he hath no viſible foundation for his Faith, is a work of labour and of difficulty. The Name of God in this caſe, is a great relief; and that Name is proclaimed, 24 Exod. 4.5. The Lord God, merciful, gracious, long-ſuffering, abundant, &c. So that as Dr. Goodwin ſays, Child of Light, p. 126. When a poor Soul in diſtreſs is not able to ſay, I ſee ſuch or ſuch ſigns, or any evidence in my ſelf, whereby I can conclude, That God is my God, or Chriſt my Saviour; tho I know nothing by my ſelf whereby I can challenge any preſent Intereſt; yet becauſe Grace and Mercy is his Name, and our Righteouſneſs his Son's Name, therefore I do caſt my ſelf upon both for Pardon and Favour; thereupon my Soul relies, ſtays, and abides, and from theſe it will not be driven. Two things concur to this Truſt; firſt, that there is Free Grace, Good Will, and Mercy in God, and that Jeſus Chriſt is appointed and made to be our Righteouſneſs. And 2dly, That I am capable of, and may come to have an Intereſt in both theſe; and that tho there be nothing in me which may challenge an intereſt in them, yet there is nothing that excludes me; whereupon I caſt my ſelf upon God for both, and there reſt.
2. Faith will greatly help us, as it gives us a right underſtanding in the nature of thoſe long and ſevere Afflictions, whereby we are apt to conclude, That God is angry with us; it will ſhew us, that there is nothing in them new or ſtrange; it will carry our minds beyond the preſent ſmart, and ſhew light beyond the darkeſt Cloud; It will teach us to judge of God, not by that which is preſent, but by that which is to come; not by what we feel, but according to his own promiſe; it will ſhew us by a delightful manifeſtation, the period and concluſion of God's Deſign, and cauſe us not to judg of his works by the firſt rough, and leſs amiable draught. Faith will ſhew us, That Anger and Love may very well conſiſt together; and that the ruder blows that make us groan and ſigh, may be to poliſh and to fit us for his Heavenly Temple. This will hold us up, when our ſenſe is puzzled, and our feet are like to ſlide; it ſets before our eyes not only the firſt corrections, that are painful to the fleſh, but the end of the Lord, and that he is (Jam. 5.11.) very pitiful, and of tender mercy: It ſhews us the Juſtice and Equity of God's proceedings, that there is nothing in them but what is highly reaſonable and neceſſary, even when they ſeem to be ſevere: That they are needful to keep us from wandring, and to prevent our ſleeping the ſleep of Death: And that thoſe heavy Croſſes that tire and weary our Spirits, may be ſent to promote our Eternal Reſt: And that the deepneſs of our Groans here, may cauſe us hereafter to ſing louder Hallelujahs.
3. Faith will greatly help us, as it both diſcovers and fortifies us againſt the Power of Satan and his Wiles, tho theſe deſigns of his are inviſible, and ſo very little known, and yet the more dangerous for being ſo. In thoſe doleful Troubles that I my ſelf have experienced; in all thoſe terrible Reflections, and overwhelming Fears, I was not ſenſible of any Agency of Evil Spirits, but that all my Thoughts and my Fears were the product of my own mind; though I am now apt to believe. That ſome of thoſe ſtrange Thoughts that I now and then had of God, and thoſe ſudden Terrors that pierced my Soul, muſt have had in them ſomething of the Cruelty and Malice of Satan, they were ſo very terrible. I do verily believe, That people do very much wrong both the Devil and melancholly people, in calling the unavoidable effects of their diſeaſe, the temptations of Satan; and the Language of that diſeaſe, a compliance with them: They do both aſcribe to the Devil a greater power than he hath, and vex the diſeaſed perſon more than they need to do: For tho' I do not queſtion, but that Evil Spirit, through the permiſſion of God, is the Cauſe of many painful ſickneſſes that come upon our Bodies; yet there are alſo many ſuch that are the reſult of a diſordered motion of the natural Spirits, and in which he hath nothing at all to do. But as 'tis the Common Cuſtom of Cruel and Barbarous perſons, to ſet upon the weak, and to trample on thoſe that are already thrown down; ſo 'tis very frequent for the Devil to take occaſion from our bodily indiſpoſitions, to attack and moleſt our Spirits, which are bereaved even of that force which they uſed to have, when the Houſe in which they dwelt was at eaſe, and free from thoſe diſabilities that they are always under at ſuch ſeaſons: For 'tis then night with us, and in the night thoſe Beaſts of prey do range abroad, which kept their dens during the brightneſs of the day; but however it be, whatſoever agency there is of Evil Spirits in our troubles, either upon our underſtandings, our paſſions, or our imaginations, this Grace of Faith will unveil their deſigns, and baffle all their Stratagems. Epheſ. 6.16. Above all, take the ſhield of faith, wherewith ye ſhall be able to quench all the fiery darts of Satan. And that this is ſo very neceſſary, appears by Luke 22.31, 32. Satan hath deſired to winnow you as wheat; but I have prayed that thy faith fail not. There is nothing againſt which that Engineer of Hell levels his Batteries with a greater fury; there is nothing can lay us open to greater danger, than either downright unbelief, or the weakneſs of our Faith. And Faith not exerciſed, is like Weapons of War lying by us, they ruſt, and are no way ſerviceable. For whileſt this remains in exerciſe, we perſevere in our Watch; and the God, whom it ſhews us looking on, comes to our aſſiſtance in every time of need; as alſo does that Redeemer who has Conquered the Devil by his Death and Reſurrection, and at whoſe glorious name thoſe Evil Spirits tremble and are afraid.
IV. Faith will greatly help us under the apprehenſions of God's diſpleaſure, as it leads us to the conſideration of Chriſt as Crucified. See Dr. Owen, on Pſal. 130. p. 279. It is eaſie indeed, to learn the notion of Faith; but a thing of more difficulty to experience the efficacy and the power of it: For a Man to have a ſight of that within him, which would condemn him, and for which he is troubled, and at the ſame time to have a diſcovery of that without, which will juſtify him, and to rejoyce therein, is that which he is not led unto, but by Faith in the myſtery of the Goſpel. If we pore upon our own Qualifications, Duties, Evidences, and the like, we ſhall, by a continued circulation of uneaſie thoughts, but increaſe our own trouble; the imperfection and the faultineſs of all that we have done, or are able to do, will fill our minds with perplexity and diſtreſs; the Holineſs and the Spirituality of the Law of God will kill our moſt forward hopes: Our beſt way therefore is not to fit ſtill, where we are bewailing our miſeries, and the ſadneſs of our Caſe; but to ariſe, and to run to the City of Refuge that is before us; when we are wounded with the ſenſe of Sin, with our weeping eyes and with our grieved hearts to look up to Chriſt, of whom the Brazen Serpent was a Type: When the burthen of our iniquities finks us down, and makes us groan, we muſt go to him, in whom the weary and the heavy-laden find reſt. To that Goſpel, which as it reveals and manifeſts abundance of Sin in us, does at the ſame time manifeſt Righteouſneſs in Chriſt; while the one terrifies us with the fear of Hell, the other will refreſh us with the hope of Heaven. The Blood of Jeſus does extinguiſh the Wrath of God; and as it does make us ſafe, it does alſo make us holy; for it cleanſes from all iniquity: This is the ſhelter and the healing of a Soul that is in danger and diſeaſed. How many Souls have caſt their Anchor in the dark, when all comfort has fail'd them for many days; and have obtained ſupport and relief, by ſaying, That if they periſh'd, they would periſh at the feet of Chriſt. And he that is the Lamb of God, ſo full of meekneſs and of pity, is too gracious to let any periſh there. As a Prieſt he died for his Enemies: He is a meek King; tho' he be upon a Throne of Majeſty, and a place of Joy and Glory, yet he will admit mourners into his preſence. He is a King of poor and afflicted perſons, and a Prince of Peace; and as he hath Beams of Majeſty, ſo he hath Bowels of Compaſſion. What Mercy may we not expect from ſo gracious a Mediator, that took our Nature on him, that he might be Gracious? Let us therefore go to God by Chriſt, who has ſatisfied his Juſtice by his Death; and who, without him, is to us Sinners as a conſuming fire: Let us go boldly to his Throne, in the name of Jeſus, and we ſhall find that the God of whom we were afraid, will become our Friend; and we ſhall experience him to be better to us than we ever thought he would have been. Our unbelieving hearts, whilſt they are ſuch, will be full of darkneſs and of trouble; but upon our Faith, the Storm will ceaſe, and the Morning will begin to dawn upon us; and inſtead of that wrath which we feared, and had deſerved, we ſhall find there is Mercy with the Lord, and plenteous Redemption, Pſal. 130. The firſt thing that a convinced awakened ſinner thinks of, is his own danger, and how he may avoid the Wrath of God, and what it is that he muſt do in order to it; now it is not to be accompliſhed by pompous, ceremonious Services, not by external mortifications, nor by offering the fruity of his Body for the ſin of his own Soul; but by Faith in Jeſus Chriſt and his Death, by the means of which God is become propitious and favourable to us. And the firſt view that as (one ſays) an humble Soul is to take of Chriſt, is, of his being a Saviour, as made a Sin and a Curſe, and obeying to the death. And Chriſt muſt be conſidered, not only with reſpect to the Excellencies of his perſon; but as cloathed with his Garments of Blood, and the Qualifications of a Mediator and a Reconciler; and this renders him the fit object of a Sinners Faith. If we think of God, without thinking of Chriſt, he is vaſtly terrible and amazing to us; but in and through him, thoſe otherwiſe-overwhelming apprehenſions become very pleaſant and comfortable to us. Let us honour the Love that he hath ſhewed in him with admiring thoughts, and never have low, nor mean apprehenſions of his Grace. Chriſt is near unto God, and pitiful to us; able to help us, and moſt willing to do ſo; for thoſe that come unto him, he will in no wiſe caſt out. He will not upbraid us for our former follies; he will not encreaſe our grief; but when he ſees us once lying at his feet, and waſhing them with the tears of an unfeigned humiliation, he will raiſe us up, and bid us be of good cheer.
V. Faith will remove the troubles that we have from the ſenſe of God's diſpleaſure, by conveying to us that life and ſtrength from Chriſt, which will enable us to ſubdue all our ſpiritual Enemies, Phil. 4.13. It will bring him to us; and when he is in our Veſſel, let the Waves threaten us with never ſo formidable a noiſe, we are ſure not to be caſt away: And all the Spectres that afright us, will vaniſh, if we do but hear him once ſay, as to his Diſciples, It is I, be not afraid. This Grace will unite us to Chriſt, and communicate to us of his Power in the ſeveral meaſures that we need; and without his aſſiſtance, long and ſore afflictions will tire our Spirits, and deſtroy our Hope. He is neceſſary for us; for he has a perfect knowledg of our Enemies, of their Force, their Policies, and their Deſigns; He has by his own Combat learn'd to Fight, and by his Experience can teach us to get the Victory; neither the multitude, nor violence, nor obſtinacy of our Enemies, can hinder the Succeſs, and the glory of his Triumph. Col. 1.11. He prayeth that they might be ſtrengthned with all might; becauſe as we have to do with divers Enemies, and are ſick of divers Infirmities, we have need to receive not one or two kinds of ſtrength, but many different ones:*Vide Daille in loc. For as in nature you ſee the ſtrength of Bodies is different, one reſiſting one thing, and yielding to another; one has the virtue to repulſe the force of one Element, but not to guard it ſelf from another: So in a manner is it in the Souls of Men; ſuch a Man will free himſelf from the temptation of one ſin, that will not be able to defend himſelf from another; ſuch a Man will reſiſt the temptations of proſperity, whom adverſity will overthrow; ſuch an one will bear troubles for a while, whom the length or tediouſneſs of them will overcome; and if one of our Spiritual Enemies ſucceed againſt us, we are undone for ever: Therefore, as the Apoſtle ſays, we have need to have recourſe to Chriſt, who can furniſh us with skill and ſtrength, to defeat whatſoever ſtands in the way of our Peace, or our Salvation. To have one on our ſide that has returned from the Field of Battel as a Conqueror, is a mighty encouragement and privilege: Such is our Lord, he is a Victorious and a Triumphant Saviour, he will not leave his Conqueſts incompleat, for he goes on Conquering and to Conquer; and the glory of his enterprizes has not fill'd him with diſdain or contempt of the poor and needy; for he that is the King of Zion, is, as I ſaid before, a meek and lowly King. By Faith in Chriſt we obtain his Spirit, which by opening our eyes, will ſhew us that Fountain of Living-waters, where we may both quench our thirſt, and waſh away our filth. This Spirit will take away the ſting of guilt, and ſweeten the Croſs that was very bitter to us; and when our Lord is come to help us, when we know that he is afflicted in our affliction, that yoak which gall'd us before, will become as an Ornament about our Necks; and when we have the pardon of our ſins, and the hope of God's acceptance, that affliction that we thought a burthen too heavy for us to bear, will become light and eaſie to us. Out of the devourer ſhall come forth ſweetneſs. From thoſe very fears that overwhelmed us, ſhall ſpring glorious hopes; and thoſe hearts which a ſlaviſh fear of the Wrath had contracted, ſhall be enlarged with a ſenſe of his Goodneſs and his Love; and we ſhall not look upon him as an Enemy, but as a Friend; not as a Judge, but as a Father. Iſa. 33.14. The inhabitants ſhall not ſay, I am ſick: the people that dwell therein ſhall be forgiven their iniquities. Alas! when God leaves us, the ſmalleſt danger terrifies us, the leaſt Dart of Satan makes an impreſſion on our ſpirits; the leaſt trouble ſinks ſuch low, ſuch inconſiderable creatures are we: But if the Lord be with us, if Chriſt be on our ſide, neither the Law, nor Sin, nor Death can hinder us from bidding a defiance to all that is againſt us, 2 Cor. 15. 56, 57.
VI. Faith will give us relief under the apprehenſions of God's diſpleaſure (or our Sin, as it will ſhew us the period and concluſion of thoſe miſeries which we now are groaning under; our Senſe will tell us, that our Troubles are tedious and very long; but our Faith will rectify our Judgment, and ſhew us, that tho' we have been, in heavineſs, yet it is but for a ſeaſon; our Senſe makes us think our night of weeping very long; but Faith ſets the morning before our eyes: And indeed, when that comes, the time of ſorrow will appear to have been very ſhort; our Weeping will bear no proportion with our Joy; nor our Groans with our Hallelujahs: The luſter of our Crown, and the glories of our Triumph, will make us to forget the Blood, and Sweat, and Labour of the Combat, tho' whil'ſt here below we thought it hard. Faith will wipe away our Tears, and cauſe us to take a further proſpect, and to ſee where they now are that were mourners once as well as we. Job is no more wondred at upon a Dunghil by his Friends, but ſhining with glory in the Higheſt Heaven. Heman is no more diſtracted with terrors; but infinitely pleaſed with the ſight and enjoyment of his God. There is Aſaph alſo ſinging praiſes to him, tho' he thought, and was afraid that his Mercies were clean gone, and that he would be favourable no more. Faith will ſolace your drooping ſpirits, by cauſing you frequently to remember, that tho' God is angry, yet it is but for a moment; and that tho' you have now four Grapes, yet they are only to prepare you for a better reliſh of the Joys above; it is this that ſets our feet upon a Rock, and produces in our fainting Souls a ſecret ſupport and hope, that tho' it be night with us for the preſent, yet that it will not always be ſo. Rev. 3.21. To him that overcometh will I grant to ſit with me on my throne, even as I alſo overcame, and am ſet down with my father on his throne. The dangers and diſtreſſes on the way, will make us better to like our home. All the years of our Life, tho' ſpent in ſore afflictions and anxieties, will be but a very little ſpace, when we are Landed at our haven of Joy and Immortality.