The Case and Cure of a Deserted Soul, Chapter 14
CHAP. XIV. Cauſes of Deſertion: they are for 1 inſtruction, that nature and grace may bee better knowne; 2 the one in its ſinfulneſſe and weakneſſe, the other in its freeneſſe and neceſsity.
HItherto of the ſtate of the Deſerted Chriſtian, with the Symptomes and Signes: now I come to the third thing, the cauſes of Gods withdrawing, which are eſpecially two.
1. Inſtruction.
2. Correction.
God by withdrawing the ayde of his Spirit doth teach us the knowledge of
our natures,Deſertions are inſtructions.
his grace.
1. By this he unmasks the quality of our nature, and opens the ſtate of a man in himſelfe to himſelfe:In generall, of the quality of our nature which point of knowledge as it is moſt needfull, ſo moſt difficult: the eye of the minde being like the eye of the body, which can ſee all things but it ſelfe; But becauſe the knowledge of a mans ſelfe ſo much conduceth to his end. therefore God ſundry waies leads his people to it, and among all glaſſes, there is none that gives a clearer view of the temper, frame, and ſtate, of humane nature, than our life before converſion, and in deſertion: for then a man is moſt truly himſelfe: and as the trueſt picture is then drawne when the body is without her covering and ornaments, becauſe often the blemiſhes of the body, are hid in its adorning, and the body ſhines with a beauty borrowed from an externall dreſſe: ſo in Deſertion when a man is left moſt in his colours and ſhape, he may beſt ſee what he is.
Particularly, Deſertion makes a man ſee,In particular.
1. His ſinfulneſſe; while God is mightily preſent with reſtraining grace,Of ſinfulneſſe. bridling in and keeping downe the violence of corruption, a man cannot think it hath ſuch a power in it, or that it is ſo great: When the maſter or keeper is by the dog, or beare, his authority muzzles and chaines them up, but upon a fit occaſion, if there be none to curb them, you ſhall ſee the utmoſt of a moſt fierce and cruell diſpoſition which before lay hid. And as in a garden, ſo long as a gardiner is in it, weeding it dayly and diligently, it ſeemes faire and pleaſant, nothing appearing but wholeſome herbs, uſefull trees, good fruits, fragrant flowers, and pleaſant walks, but when the hand of the gardiner ſlacketh it ſelf, then the curſed nature of the ground will appeare, and it brings forth of her owne, and is overrun with weeds, and ſo turned from a garden to a deſart; ſo God leaves men that they may act themſelves: ſo it is ſaid, God left Hezekiah to try him, that he might know all that was in his heart. 2 Chro. 32.31.
A man would not thinke that he is ſo bad as he is, while he enjoyeth an abundant ayde of ſpirituall grace, as while the ſoule is in the body, that putrifying quality, and the filthineſſe of it doth not ſo much appeare, but when the foul hath left it, then it becomes a rotten, unſavoury carkaſſe, and a foule chanell, while it is fed with the continued iſſues and ſtreames of pure water from a clear fountaine, ſheweth not its filth, but when the ſtreames are cut off, then the foulneſſe of it diſcovers it ſelfe: If God doe but take off his hand, and cut off the influence of his ſpirit, and ſlip the collar of our vile affections, oh what monſters ſtart up, and what a cage of uncleane birds, what a den of beaſts, what an habitation of devils doe our hearts appeare to be? what a blackneſſe of darkneſſe covers the earth when the Sun is gone! yea the aire that now ſeems ſo lucid and cleare, how fild with darkned ſtormes, and fogges is it when the Sun withdrawes it ſelf? Herein is ſhame caſt upon the ſoule, and a man is made vile in his owne eyes, when he ſeeth his owne Image and complexion, and findeth himſelfe overgrowne with botches and ſores riſing from abundance of filthy humours in his ſoule; he that in the day and Sun-ſhine of quickning grace thought he had beene freed from his luſts ſhall wonder with ſhame and aſtoniſhment to ſee in the night of Deſertion what darkneſſe will appeare, and what fell and fierce luſts will ſhew themſelves, like the Lyons of the evening, raging for their prey.
2. Of weakneſſe.It diſcovers a mans weakneſſe and emptineſſe:dSolutum et liberum Deo eſt ſuos ſibi aliquando permittere, dum ſinit in iis extare humane infirmitatis argumenta, utſe noſcant etſi ſanctos eſſe, eſſe tamen homines. Camer. defenſ. de grat. et lib. arb. c. 9. now a man ſhall diſcerne by his deadneſſe, in diſpoſedneſſe, unmeetneſſe to all good; how great the inſufficiency of nature is, and how little he hath attained in grace: a childe that is carryed in the armes ſeemes tall, and when it is led by the hand of the Nurſe, and upheld, it ſeemes to have more ſtrength than it hath indeed, but being left unto it ſelfe, the great weakneſſe and feebleneſſe of it appeareth. A Chriſtian may have high thoughts of himſelf while he is ſuſtayned in his way by a divine manutenency, and carryed on with plentifull gales of auxiliary grace: but if God be pleaſed that this wind that bloweth where it liſteth, (Ioh. 3.) turn from him, he ſhall ſee, that thought himſelfe a pillar in the houſe of God, that he is but a bruiſed reed, and he that conceived himſelfe rich, Deſertion gives a fuller knowledge of grace.is poore and miſerable blinde and naked. Apoc. 3.
2. Gods withdrawing of himſelfe gives a fuller knowledge of his grace; 1. In the freeneſſe of it: when a man ſeeth the depths and worlds of wickedneſſe in his nature, Of its freeneſſe.and diſcerneth what a loathſome Sepulchre, and receptacle of rottenneſſe his ſoule is, now he ſtands wondring, that ever he ſhould obtaine this mercy, that the Spirit of eternall life ſhould be given to him, he wonders to ſee God take ſuch a briar to plant in his owne houſe, yea to graffe it into that true Vine, his beloved Son, that the waters of life ſhould run in ſuch a channell ſo full of filth, that ſo great a God ſhould come under ſo baſe a roofe, and ſuch a dunge on and den of devils ſhould become the Temple of the Holy ghoſt. 1 Cor. 6.
2. Needfulneſſe.The neceſſity of graceeIdeo quiſque noſtrum bonum opus ſuſ cipere, agere, implere, nunc ſcit, nunc neſcit, nunc delectatur, nunc non delectatur, ut noverit non ſuae facultatis, ſed divini muneris eſſe, vel quod ſcit, vel quod delectatur, &c. ideo ſanctis ſuis alicujus operu juſtitiam non tribuit, vel certam ſcient am vel victricem delectationem, ut cognoſcant non a ſeipſis, ſed ab illo ſi eſſe lucem, quâ, &c. Aug. de. peccat. merit. et remiſ. l. 2. c. 19. and of a continuall ſupply of ayde; this is ſure, a Chriſtian lives in a continuall dependance, and hath not a ſufficiency in himſelfe; all our ſtocke would be ſoone ſpent, if we had not continuall ſupplies from heaven; our fulneſſe is not in our ſelves, but in our head: ſuppoſe a veſſell (cracked and apt to loſe all it receiveth) ſet to the conduit cock, it hath now a fulneſſe from the conduit, and while that runs it cannot be empty, but if the cock ſhould ceaſe to run, the veſſell would ſoone be emptyed: thoſe that are in Chriſt live, but it is Chriſt that liveth in them, Gal. 2.20. our life is not ſo much in our ſelves as in him; our life is ſaid to be hid in him, yea, he is called our life, Col. 3.3, 4. In the naturall body the members have life in themſelves, yet we know the life of every member is not ſo much in it ſelfe, as in the heart and head, and this appeares, becauſe if there be a failing of ſpirits either vitall or ſenſitive, all the body ſinkes; and hereby we are taught the neceſſity of the grace of God, becauſe if that be withdrawne, we wither as a blaſted arme of a tree; oh how wofully doth the goodly fabricke both of an enriched heart, and an heavenly converſation come tumbling downe, if God withdraw the props of ſupporting and aſſiſting grace?fVoluntas ſine te quid agit, niſi quo procul exulet a te, praecipites ſemper calles, & devia motu ingreſſura ſuo niſi feſſam tu bone & aegram ſuſcipias, referas, foveas, tuearis, honeſtes, &c. Proſper. God by his ſpirit doth lead and draw the heart to him, but when this bias is taken off by which the heart was wheeled up the hill, it is carried with great ſwiftneſſe downe, ward to ſinne and the world. Davids fallings had taught him this leſſon, to ſee a need of a ſtronger ſupport than his ownegforeign. Chiyſoſt. hom. 12. ad Antioc., therefore prayed, Hold up my goings in thy paths, that my foot-ſteps ſlip not, Pſal. 17.5. yea, and he acknowledgeth God to be his ſtrength, and ſtay, and rocke, and he that doth eſtabliſh his way, and carry him in it; I am continually with thee (but whence was it?) thou haſt holden me by my right hand, Pſal. 73.23. My ſoule followeth hard after thee, (what enabled him?) thy right hand upholdeth me, Pſal. 63.8. Thus then God for this end ſometimes ſuſpends the workings of the ſpirit of power from us, that we may ſee a neceſſity of grace, and know where the fountaine is, and that all is of God, that ſo we may depend upon him, and not reſt in our ſelves, and aſcribe all to him, and nothing to our ſelves.
The ſecond end of deſertion is correctionhDilectione non odio non ſtudio nocendi, ſed deſiderio ſanandi, Aug. ep. 48. Poenâ emendatoria non interfectoria t. 1. de lib. ar. l. 3. c. 25.; deſertion is out of love, and though it be grievous for the preſent, yet the fruit is good, like the lopping or winter ſeaſon, to the tree which makes for its ſtrength and growth.
I will inſtance in ſuch ſpeciall ſins, which bring this heavy rodde upon the ſoul.