A Gospel Glass, Treatise · Chapter 11
CHAP. XI. Their evil ſurmiſes of God.
4ly. Their evil ſurmiſes of God.EVil ſurmiſes of God is another piece of ungodlineſs found too frequently among ſome of the more raiſed Profeſſours, even ſuch as have the root of the matter in them. I ſhall the rather inſiſt on this ſin, becauſe right thoughts of God are the fuell which maintains the fire of Religion: without which it ſoon decayeth and is extinguiſhed.
1. Miſcalling his love-to-kens,Do not we miſcall Gods love-tokens? Hath not God ſent thee many love-tokens by his Spirit to aſſure thee that he owns thee and delights in thee, as his Spouſe? For thee to queſtion thy relation to him upon every turn muſt needs be grievous to him, how grievous then is it for thee to deny all his tokens of grace and love to thy Soul, and to count them but deluſions, but the works of the Infernal Spirit, transforming himſelf into an Angel of Light? To call light, darkneſs, good, evil, ſweet, bitter, the work of Chriſt, the Devils work, is ill reſented by the Lord, it goeth unto his heart. You that are Husbands, Wives, Parents, Children, cannot endure to have your love and fidelity ſuſpected upon every baſe ſuggeſtion and whiſper. Believe it God takes notice, and laies to heart all your jealouſies of him, all your baſe unworthy cenſures of him.
2. How ill are Gods Providences reſented? III reſenting Gods Providences. 1 Cor. 3.22. Rom. 8.28.Although God hath told you there is a beauty in their contexture, that things preſent and things to come are yours, that all ſhall work together for good, that your Providential loſſes, as well as your Providential enjoyments, that your changes, as well as your ſetlings, your wants as well as your abundance ſhall all be Sanctified to you: yet how few, with that bleſſed man, bleſs the Lord, Job. 1.21. Rom. 5.2, 3.when taking away? And with Paul, rejoyce, yea glory in tribulations? God aſſures you, that your ſickneſſes, reproaches, wants, ſhall do you good, yea death ſhall do you good, all ſhall be good, or do you good, all ſhall be food, or phyſick, out of the eater ſhall come forth ſweetneſs, even from Gods deſertions you ſhall have advantages, your very thorns ſhall drop honey, ſhall bear grapes, yet notwithſtanding what hard thoughts have you of God under ſuch diſpenſations? Didſt thou onelyonly accuſe thy ſelf, judge thy ſelf, abhorre thy ſelf, it were well; but in ſpeaking againſt thy ſelf, thou falleſt foul upon God himſelf by queſtioning his love from theſe providences. Deny thy ſelf what thou wilt, but beware of a denial of Gods love, and of the Spirit of grace, that hath taken up his lodgings within thee: O that all melancholly doubting Chriſtians would conſider of this (too ſeldome ſuſpected) provocation and unkindneſs of theirs towards God! O! take up, and keep up better thoughts of God, what ever his carriage be towards you. Though he ſlay you, yet truſt in him. When will you be as David, who though beleaguered with Enemies, yet kept up good thoughts of God, he doubted not of Gods pitty, of Gods favour, and protection, and therefore I will not be afraid of ten thouſands of people, Pſa. 3.6. Pſa. 27.3. v. 1.that have ſet themſelves againſt me round about. Though an hoſt ſhould encamp againſt me, my heart ſhall not fear, &c. in this will I be confident. In what? Why that the Lord is my Light, and my Salvation, and the ſtrength of my life. God hath not ſpent all his ſtores, he hath enough for me, he will not ſuffer me to be tempted above what I ſhall be able to bear, but will with the temptation make way for my eſcape. And hath not God told thee, that the mountains ſhall depart, Iſa. 54.10.and the hills be removed, yet his loving kindneſſe ſhall not depart from thee, neither ſhall the Covenant of his peace be removed? But alas! Thou canſt entertain good thoughts of God in fair weather, Mar. 4.38.but let them fall in a ſtorm: then it is, Maſter, careſt thou not that we periſh. Thou canſt truſt in God when he carrieth himſelf as a Friend, and anſwereth all thy requeſts, and granteth all thy deſires, but not ſo, when he ſeemeth an Enemy. Canſt thou with Paul ſay, I am perſwaded, that neither Death, Rom. 8.38, 39.nor Life, nor Angels, nor Principalities, nor Powers, nor things preſent, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, ſhall be able to ſeparate us from the love of God, which is in Chriſt Jeſus our Lord? Whilſt the Candle of the Lord ſhines on thy Tabernacle, whilſt thy bones are full of marrow, whilſt thou waſhest thy feet in butter, whilſt every Mordechai boweth in the gates, whilſt thou haſt dews on thy heart, meltings and enlargements in Ordinances; ſo long thou canſt keep up good thoughts of God and his love; but let the Scene be altered, let the Sun wrap up it ſelf in a Cloud of darkneſs, let the rod lie on the back, and the Arrows of the Almighty pierce the heart, and then not only grace within is queſtioned, but the love of God without. I am caſt out from before thine eyes, his mercy is clean gone. Then all men are lyars, even Samuel himſelf. But alas! how ignorant art thou of the methods of God? Heb. 12.6, 7, 8.Doth not he chaſten every ſon that he receiveth? Should not he have liberty to uſe what rod he pleaſeth, whilſt all are for thy Profit, that thou mayſt partake of his Holineſſe? Rom. 8.29. Phil. 3.20. Matth. 20.23. Col. 1.24.Might not Chriſt have had ill ſurmiſes of his Father upon higher grounds, than any thou canſt name? Who art thou to hope for milder uſage from God, than he ſhew'd to his own Natural Son? If thou art predeſtinated to be conformable to Christ, to be partaker of his ſufferings, to drink of his cup, wilt thou doubt thy filiation from thy filling up the ſufferings of Chriſt?
3. Concluding thence ſadly of Gods intentions.How do ſome draw ſad concluſions from Gods Providentiall diſpenſations concerning his intentions for the future? When they loſe dear Relations, an Husband, or the Wife of the boſome gone, a ſweet Child ſnatcht away, and perhaps by inadvertency; O then no ſooner can we enter into the houſe of mourning, but we hear cries from you, O my hypocriſie! O my formality! O this is one of Gods Arrows of Vengeance! O! God is beginning his Controverſie, which will never end, till it laies me as low as Hell! Whereas you ſhould entertain other thoughts of God, viz. That now he is removing the Idols of jealouſie; now he is weaning your hearts from Creatures, that he may have all your love; he knew how much Spiritual Communion you have loſt by the company of your Relations, and now he himſelf would have more of your company; now he would have you to delight your ſelves more in himſelf; now he hath but dryed the ſtream (a weak, unſatisfying ſtream) that you may drink and drink abundantly of the pureſt Chryſtal waters, that drop from the bleſſed Fountain immediately; now God hath a bleſſed deſign of grace to prepare you for glory; he is now making the earth an howling Wilderneſs, that you may long for Canaan; he is now leaving you to naked walls, that he himſelf may fill them; he is now turning all out of doors, that you may have the more liberty to treat with his Majeſty with the leſs diſturbance, without interruption. Alas! you know not how unkind and burdenſome, yea treacherous your Friend, your Relation might have been, if continued longer to you; you know not what a diſhonour to God and to your ſelves, he might have been, if longer continued in the land of the living, and therefore to preſerve him from ſcandal, and your ſelves from heart-breakings thereby, God hath in mercy, pity, and faithfulneſs, removed him, taking him away (it may be) from the evil to come. Few put theſe Comments upon Gods Providences towards them; but commonly take all in the worſt ſenſe they can.
4. Calling Gods love in queſtion for want of Evidences.How do ſome inſtantly call in question Gods love, if Evidences be not ſeen, if they be not fairly writ, ſo as the Soul can read them? But may not the money be in the Saeks mouth, though the Brethren ſee it not for a while? Yea though the Soul hath had a welcome from God, yea many a welcome, yet how ſoon is the Soul ſo creſt-fall'n, that it is afraid to go into Gods preſence? and through the power of Satan and Melancholy, duty, yea many duties have hereby been intermitted? This provokes God exceedingly: What? When you have had his St…ffe, and his Bracelets, when you have had ſuch admirable proofs of his Love, in ſending his Son, and Holy Spirit after you, to work ſo great and glorious a change in you, coming in the ſtill voice, and whispering Love unto you, dandling you as on the knee, welcoming you again and again to the Throne of Grace, oft filling your empty Bottles, anſwering your thouſand Doubts, ſealing the Covenant of Grace, and granting and confirming to you all the Patents of Love: And yet at every turn have you doubted, whether God loves you or no? God chides Zion for this, Iſai. 49.14.Let not Zion ſay, the Lord hath forſaken, &c.
5. Concluding God no Friend becauſe Satan is an Enemy and doth tempt them.Are there not ſome good Souls (though their goodneſs lies not in this) that are apt to queſtion the Love of God to them, from the blaſphemous thoughts and injections that they are harrazed with? But what, becauſe Satan is your Adverſary, muſt God therefore not be your Friend? Becauſe Satan doth tempt you, will it therefore follow, that God doth not love you? Were we not wonderfully prone to evil ſurmiſes and diſtruſts of God, we would not make Satans Malice a ground ſufficient to doubt of the Love of God. Doth the Husband love his Wife the leſs, for that ſhe is tempted, whilſt ſhe defies the Tempter, and is burthened with his foul and daring ſollicitations?
O how is Satan gratified hereby? Conſiderations againſt evil ſurmiſes of God.He is the great Accuſer, the great Tale-bearer, that ſeperateth choice Friends: He goeth betwixt God and Saints, as a Mediatour of Differences, to accuſe Saints to God, and God to Saints, and will you any longer be Tale-hearers againſt God? Believe it, the falſe witneſs which he brings, is againſt him, who hath given you wonderful proofs of his everlaſting Love towards you. When, O! when will you complain of Satan, in the words of the Pſalmiſt? The Enemy hath perſecuted my Soul, Pſal. 143.3.he hath made me to dwell in darkneſs, like thoſe that have been long dead. It is the Enemy that vails and obſcures the work of the Spirit what he can, that you ſhall ſee it no more than a dead man can behold any company that is in the Room, Vault or Grave with him. When Satan tells you, your Graces are counterfeit, your Faith but that which a temporary may have, your Graces but moral Vertues; O! how ſoon is your Enemy credited? how much more believed than God, his Miniſters, and all the teſtimonies of Gods Love that are brought you? Hence you are one day jealous of the Kindneſs of Chriſt, another day of the Fulneſs of Chriſt, then of the Intentions of Chriſt, he means no good to me: Hence alſo you doubt of the acceptance of your Perſons, and Duties; There is a Cloud hangs over my Prayers, that they cannot paſs up: If I come to Chriſt, he will not look on ſuch a Wretch as I am. Many ſuch hard thoughts of Chriſt are ſuggeſted by Satan, and too ſoon entertained by us: Whilſt ſo, you can never thank God for any Mercy; for you doubt whether it be a Mercy to you. Can you bleſs him for life, health, and length of dayes, whilſt you have this Suggeſtion, that your account ſwells with your time? Can you bleſs God for Eſtates, Honours, Friends, &c. when you have this jealouſie, that God is fatning you as Hoggs for the ſlaughter? Can you bleſs God for Ordinances, whilſt you ſuſpect, that there is a Commiſſion given forth, that though you have eyes, yet you ſhall not ſee, &c. And that the Sun is to harden you, whilſt it ſoftneth others? Yea, how can ye bleſs God for Chriſt, when you imagine he is ſet for your fall?
By giving way to theſe Jealouſies, you dam up the Springs of Praiſe, that ſhould ſlow from your lips day and night. Hereby you will alſo be hindred from waiting on the Lord, with that free and chearful Spirit as ye ought. I cannot wait on an Enemy, as on a Friend. If I have curſed jealouſies of any man, I find no pleaſure to be in his company; and if he employs me about any thing, I goe grudgingly about it. The truth is, So long as you entertain ſuſpitions of Gods willingneſs to make you happy, Patricks Parable of the Pilgrim. P. 27, 28.and to afford you ſufficient means to make you happy, all your Religion will degenerate into a ſpurious and baſe-born Devotion. Inſtead of that free and friendly converſe that ought to be maintained between God and your Souls, you will only flatter him in a ſervile manner, and bribe him not to be your Enemy. Worſhip God you muſt, for fear of incurring his diſpleaſure, and leſt your neglects of him ſhould rouze up his anger againſt you; but you cannot entertain any chearful and friendly ſociety with a Beeing which appears in a dreſs ſo horrible to your Souls. Now between this neceſſity of coming to him, and that fearfullneſs to approach him, what can there be begotten, but a forced and conſtrained Devotion, which, becauſe you do not love, you would willingly leave, did not the dread and horrour you have in your Souls of him, dragg you to his Altars? And what are you wont to do there? Truly nothing but cry, and look as if you were going to Execution, till you can flatter your ſelves into ſome hopes, that he is moved by your cries, and forced ſubmiſſions, to lay aſide his frowns, and caſt a better aſpect upon you: But your hard thoughts of God returning, you are conſtrained to renew your ſlaviſh Devotions, that you may purchaſe another gracious look from him. In this circle do your poor Souls ſpend many dayes, and advance not one ſtep towards the New Jeruſalem. No wonder therefore if God be ſo provoked at this ſin of evil ſurmiſes. This is what I have obſerved very common among the Lords People, they will pray with ſome earneſtneſs, and perhaps have ſome confidence; that God is gracious, and will anſwer their prayers, and grant all their deſires; but no ſooner off from their knees, but (if they think of God, yet) they lay down their expectations of receiving any thing from God, and fall to diſtruſting and to renew their jealouſies of God as ſoon as they have done Praying. What? Is God yea and nay? Is he kind, when thou art on thy knees, and unkind as ſoon as off? Will God take it well from thee, that in thy duties thou ſhalt put to thy Seal that God is true, and loving, and minds thy good? And preſently take off the Seal, yea rather Seal to a parchment of the Devils drawing; that God is falſe, churliſh, and one that ſeeks thy ruine? O! whilſt there is a Devil, and a melancholy-humour to be wrought upon, I do even deſpair to ſee this curſed God-diſhonouring and debaſing ſin, to be quite rooted out of the hearts of Chriſtians; but yet it is a Provocation, and Let it be for a Lamentation.