A Gospel Glass, Treatise · Chapter 4
CHAP. IV. Their miſcarriages about their Soultroubles.
IF the Spirit of the Lord have convinced men of their danger by their ſins, Miſcarriages about Soultroubles.and their own righteouſneſs; that they ſtill ſee God angry with them, and if their Souls remain under trouble and diſquiet; yet are they not guilty of ſome, if not all, of the following miſcarriages?
1. Few iuſtifie God.How few are there that juſtifie God; Few accept of the puniſhment of their iniquities, they do not clear God, as they ſhould, from all unrighteouſneſs. Commonly proud hearts ſwell and fume againſt theſe methods of God. Though the filthineſs of their hearts be laid open before them, yet they fall not down upon their faces in the acknowledgement of their unworthineſs of mercy: few charge themſelves, and acquit God. They cannot be brought to give God the glory of his righteouſneſs, if he ſhould condemn them to the pit of hell: they do not willingly and uprightly own the deſert of damnation, and charge themſelves with it, as their due portion, and moſt juſt inheritance. Lam. 3.30. Mic. 7.9. Ezra 9.13. Dan. 9.7, 8.Few give their cheeks to him that ſmiteth, as the Church did: they do not ſay, I will bear the iudignation of the Lord, becauſe I have ſinned againſt him, or with Ezra, thou haſt puniſhed us leſſe than our iniquities have deſerved, or with Daniel, O Lord! Righteouſneſſe belongeth unto thee; but unto us confuſion of face. How ſeldome do you hear Profeſſours with this Confeſſion in their mouths, Lord, I am thy creature, and thou mayſt do with thy creature what pleaſeth thee; It pleaſed thee to put thine image on me,Eccl. 7.29. Iſa. 52.3. to create me upright, but I have ſought out many inventions, I have ſold my ſelf for nought, I have preferred the Devils work before thine, and therefore thou mayſt abhor me, and give me my portion among the damned crew, and if I feel ſome ſparks of hell fire (in thy wrathfull preſent frowns) it is of thy rich patience and mercy, that they are but ſparks; if thou caſt me off for ever, it is but what I have deſerved long ago; it is of the Lords mercy, that I was not hurled from the womb or cradle to hell, becauſe of my native ſinfulneſs; but wo is me, I have provoked the pure eyes of thy glorious Majeſty dayes without number, I have been a Rebel of a long ſtanding againſt thee, my will hath been juſtling and quarrelling with thine theſe many years, and therefore if I be ſent to hell, thou art righteous and clear when thou judgeſt, Pſa. 51.4.I can blame none ſave my ſelf, if I periſh everlaſtingly, though I have many fears and ſorrows on me; yet bleſſed be God, they are not the ſorrows of hell, thanks be to the Lord, that I am not yet among the damned ones, roaring in the Pit of hell. Few believe they deſerve damnation; hence Souls are murmuring at any affliction, at the loſs of an Husband, Child, Eſtate, &c. as if God had dealt hardly with them, in depriving them thus.
How few Profeſſours, Few willingly under Soultrouble. Hoſ. 2.6. Rom. 8.15.when under Soultroubles, are willingly under them? They ſee not the advantage of having their way hedg'd up with theſe thorns. They do not receive the Spirit of Bondage. They do not accept this puniſhment; They take it not kindly at Gods hands. Their troubles are involuntary, few kindly works that I meet with among awakened and ſtartled Profeſſours; they are held in the chains againſt their will. How many are afraid of ſorrow for ſin? Some think it will ſpoyl good faces, and their beauty may he loſt through their troubles; but others think it will bring them to deſpair, and therefore farewell to ſuch a Preacher; he is too terrible for their Souls. Hence Saul muſt have his harp to divert him, the Cards muſt be taken up again, ſome merry Books, ſome Romances muſt be read, perhaps a Play may be ſeen, jovial frothy Company muſt be called in, and all this, to divert the Soul from minding its danger, leſt it be ſwallowed up of grief, or ſome unskilfull and unfaithfull Emperick ſhall be ſent for, to ſow pillows under him, that he may ſleep the quieter. Few (Daniel-like) when their cogitations much trouble them, Dan. 7.28.ſo that their countenances are changed in them, keep notwithſtanding the matter in their hearts. How few are active in their Soul-troubles? Retire, and go alone that they may ſearch the Scriptures, and ranſack their hearts in order to contrition and humiliation of their hearts? How few are gladded by any portion of Gods word, that brings their ſinfulneſs and ſelf-fulneſs to remembrance, and cauſeth any meltings of heart, and humblings of Souls under it? How do ſome Profeſſours quarrel with their Miniſters, and ſnarl at the Books, that give them trouble of Spirit?
3. Few mourn on ſpiritual accounts.How few mourn for Sin upon Spiritual accounts? That their God is diſhonoured (their good and gracious God, who hath done ſo much for them, &c.) doth not chiefly cut their hearts; Againſt thee, Pſal. 51.4.thee only have I ſinned, and done this evil in thy ſight; but perhaps they are troubled for wronging themſelves, endangering themſelves, &c. They cry as dogs: when they have done a fault, they fear the whip, and ſo they houle.
4. Few reforming and believing mourners.How many Profeſſors mourn for their ſins, yet live in the continued practiſe of them? Notwithſtanding their tears; yet their hearts are in league with their luſts: Thus, like the Scolds at Billingsgate, they are ſoon out, ſoon in again with their luſts; but few whilſt mourning for their ſins are ſollicitous and carefull which way God may have ſatisfaction for the injuries, that have been done unto him: The mourning of many Profeſſours laſt no longer than the trouble of Conſcience: as ſoon as the guilt of ſin is removed (as they hope,) their mourning ceaſeth, though the ſtrength of ſin be as greatas ever.
5. Few ſeek comfort aright.Among the multitudes profeſſing Religion, how many ſeek for grace, in order to their comfort? (Joy, Peace, Comfort, being their great end) but how few ſeek for comfort in order to grace?
6. Few mourn for unbelief.How few mourn for their ſlightings of Chriſt? (It is more natural and ſo more eaſie to mourn for ſins againſt the Law, than thoſe again Chriſt and his Goſpel;) Therefore if there be many tears ſhed for neglect of Prayer, for Theft, Perjury, &c. yet how few are found mourning for undervaluing and rejecting Chriſt and his Tenders? whoſe Soul cries out, O! how unkind have I been to Chriſt? O! that he ſhould come out of his Fathers Boſome for me, come under the Law, yea Dye for me; and yet I ſhould keep him out of dores: that the Son of God, that the brightneſs of the Fathers glory, and the expreſs Image of his perſon, the upholder of all things by the word of his power, Heb. 1.3when he had by himſelf purged our ſins, and ſate down on the right hand of the Majeſty on high, ſhould ſtoop ſo low, Rev. 3.20.as to ſtand at the door, and knock, and yet that I ſhould not let him in; break heart, break into ſmall duſt, be trembling all over for thy unkindneſſes to ſo great, ſo rich, ſo good a Friend. O wretch that I have been! What! more kindneſs to my Dog, my Cat. &c? If my Dog be whining at the door, he hath admittance, and yet thou ſhut out; O. I abhorr my ſelf in duſt before thee. I meet with few of theſe mourners.