The Case and Cure of a Deserted Soul, Chapter 19
CHAP. XIX. Directions how to retaine a divine quickning preſence with us.
THe next thing is, directions how we retaine the happineſſe of divine aſſiſtance;
1 When you have it, Direct. Acknowledge it.acknowledge it.
1 With thankfulneſſe: prize it, for it is a precious mercy, it is a multiplyed favour: With thankfulneſſe.how much have you in this one thing? All the comfort and ſweetneſs of duties, the quietneſſe and liberty from luſts, the fruit and efficacy of ordinances depends upon this; if God hold back this one mercy, all theſe are gone: conſider what a difference is in your ſelves and wayes, when you are carried in the gracious armes of God your helper, and when you are left to walk in your own ſtrength. Oh how great is Gods goodneſſe to you! hee calls upon others for the ſame things, and Conſcience ſtands as Pharaohs taskmaſters, requiring the tale of bricks, but not allowing ſtraw, it impels and preſſeth, but gives no enlargement of heart, and buffets and wounds them for neglect; as the hard Creditor that taking the poore debtor by the throat, ſaith, Pay me that thou oweſt me, but yeelds him no power to do it: thus God might deale with you alſo, for he oweth not aſsiſtance to us, but we owe obedience to him; remember we had power, and it is juſt to demand what we cannot doe, becauſe the weakneſſe that is in us is of our ſelves; we have impoveriſhed our ſelves: Therefore when in much mercy he puts forth his hand into the work with thee, be very thankfull. If the work be not done, he is no loſer; if done, and well done, he is no gainer. Iob 22.2. Chap. 35.6, 7, 8. Pſal. 16.2. But the gaine is all to thee, all the good that comes by it is to thy ſelfe.
And this alſo take into thy thoughts, it is a ſigne of great loving-kindneſſe; conſider the infinite diſtance betwixt thee and the great God; would a King ſit downe to worke for, and with a mean man in his trade, to help to maintaine him? one thing more I adde, that you have cauſe to be thankfull, becauſe by this God teſtifieth his acceptance of thee and of thy way, or elſe his hand would be farre from thee: get therefore and keepe thy heart in a thankfull plight: this is one way to continue it.
2. With faithfulneſſe.With faithfulneſſe: take heed of taking from God to ſet up thy ſelf,uIovi cuſtoditemplum, ſeque in ſinu Dei ſacravit Domitianus, quod ipſum in ſe ditione Vitelliana conſer vaſſet. Sueton. in Domitiano. Huc omne principium, huc reſer exitum. Horat. l. 3. od. 6. put not that to thy account which belongs to him; take heed of ſacrificing to thy ſtrength, or parts, acknowledge that all the excellency of all thy actions is of him. God is very jealous of his honour,xAgaſi cles extorris eſt ſactus, quod tripodem quem ipſe ludis obtinuerat, non dedicaſſet Deo. Herod. l. 1. and (as I have ſaid) oftentimes leaves his people to feele their owne weakeneſſe, becauſe they honoured not his ſtrength: If the faculties of thy ſoule bring in willingly and plentifully, offerings unto God, ſay as David, when ſo much ſtore with much freeneſſe was brought in by the people to build the Temple. Now our God we thanke thee, and praiſe thy glorious name, for who am I and what is my people, that we ſhould bee able to offer ſo willingly after this ſort? For all things are of thee, and of thine owne we have given thee; O Lord our God, all this ſtore that we have prepared to build thee an houſe for thy name, commeth of thine hand, and is all thine, 1 Chro. 29, 14.16. So the Apoſtle, when in that diſtreſſe before Nero, he was ſo couragious, did not aſcribe it to his owne ſtrength, but acknowledged that it was the Lord. The Lord ſtood by me and ſtrengthened me, 2 Tim. 4.17. It was his way to ſtrip himſelfe, and to caſt the honour of all his miniſtery, and actions upon God, By the Grace of God I am that I am, 1 Cor. 15.9, 10.ySi quid enim recti gerimus, Domine, auxiliante te gerimus: tu corda moves, &c. Proſper. and you ſee with how full a gale of Divine grace he was carryed in all his way. Learne therefore in all things, wherein the excellency and life of grace ſhines forth, to know, that as the ſtarres ſhine not by their owne light alone, but by a light which they have from the Sun: ſo thy luſtre and vigour in thy way is not of thy ſelfe, but from him who is thy life; that thou mayeſt not draw downe that to the feeding of thy pride, which ſhould be to the glory of God.zSi aquam hauris puteum corona: Fontinalia feſtus erat Dies Romae, quo in foutes coronas projiciebant, puteoſque coronabant. Varro. l. 5. de lingu. lat. foreign. what ever thou doſt, when ever thou art carryed through any ſervice, ſtill ſay as the Apoſtle, Not that we are ſufficient of our ſelves to think any thing as of our ſelves, but our ſufficiency is of God, 2 Cor. 3.5. I may ſay in a ſpirituall ſenſe, as Solomon in a naturall, Honour the Lord with thy ſubſtance, and the firſt fruits of all thine encreaſe, ſo ſhall thy barnes be filled with plenty, and thy preſſes ſhall burſt out with new wine. Prov. 3.9, 10. As by the firſt fruits they acknowledged, that all was his, and that it was not their tillage and labour, but the influence of his bleſſing, which cauſed the fields to be clad with graſſe, and ſtored with corn; ſo doe thou acknowledge that it is not any thing in thee, but all of God, that thou bringeſt forth the fruits of righteouſneſſe, and then his promiſe is to be with thee, and to make thee to abound ſtill, and to bring forth more fruit, Pſal. 73.23, 24.
2. Uſe his help, when he comes with excitements and enlargements of heart,Direct. Vſe it when you have it. turne not back the inſpiration of the Almighty: quenching the ſpirit is often the cauſe why God ſhuts in his Spirit. I have ſpoken of this before, but I will adde ſomewhat more here in diſcovery ſhow men ſinne againſt the Spirit. Know therefore that thou mayeſt grieve the Spirit, Grieve not the Spirit.not onelyonly by doing evill voluntarily againſt knowledge; but alſo by
omitting good.
remiſſeneſſe in good.
1. By omitting of a knowne dutie, By omiſſion of duty.when God ſheweth you what is good, and ſtands ready to helpe you, if you walke not in your way, you provoke him to leave you; and becauſe this is …n evill ſo incident unto men, through doth and worldly affections and diſtractions, I will briefly declare,
1. the ſinfulneſſe, of it.
2.For 1. It is ſinfull. It is a denying of Gods due. the fooliſhneſſe, of it.
Firſt, It is a denying of God his due, a withholding from him that which … due to him, as you are his creatures, ſovants, children, a people in covenant he comes not to you as that cruell ſovant, to his fellow ſervant, Matth. 18.28, 29. but he entreats and graciouſly moves for his owne, he forgave you all your former debts, and now though … might demand the whole, yet he is content to take it, as you can pay it; and will you now deny him? the fleſh cal… and you yeeld, the world command and you obey, yet you are not debtor… theſe, but to the Spirit, Rom. 8.12. God comes with one hand to give, as w… the other to take; and he gives more to you, then he demands of you … gives you leave to aske him what ſ… you will, Matth. 21.22. and is not b… ward to heare, He doth not turne ba… your prayer, Pſal. 66.19, 20. he n… have ſaid upon your praying to him Solomon of Adoniah; God doe ſo to … and more alſo, if Adoniah have not ſp… this word againſt his owne life, 1. King. 2.18. And if he ſhould ſhut out your prayer, what a ſad caſe would you be in? therefore be not of a withdrawing heart, to deny God: Conſider further, when you doe neglect and refuſe to doe your duty; you deny his Soveraignty, and in effect you ſay as Pharaoh, Who is the Lord that I ſhould obey his voyce? Exod. 4.3. and as thoſe rebells, this man ſhall not have dominion over us. Luke 19.14. And your denying of God in this kinde,Your denyal worſe than the denyall of of others. is worſe than when the vicked and ſuch as are forſaken of him doe deny him; for
1. they ſtand not ſo …ngaged unto God, God hath not paid ſo deare for them, You are more engaged.he hath not done that good for them that he hath done for you, they have not ſo given up themſelves to him as you have done, yet then they doe not what they know, he viſits their ſin upon their heads. God took the Kingly throne from that great King Nebuchadnezzar for his ſin, and ſo God dealt with his ſon Belſhazzar, the reaſon you may ſee, Dan. 5.22. Thou, O Belſhazzar his ſonne haſt not humbled thy ſelfe, though thou kneweſt all this.
2. You deny God in a ſinall matter.You ſtand with God for a ſmall matter, having given up your ſelves to God; if a man ſue to a woman, hetaketh it not ſo ill, that ſhe will not beſtow her ſelfe upon him, as being his w… that ſhe denyeth him ſome particula duty.
3. You have found muchgood in the way.They never knew that of God, not of his way as you have done, they think it is a hard way, and that God is an hard maſter, but you have found much good. 1. A gracious aſsiſtance, God meeting you in the way with a gracious hand of help: 2. A ſweet recompence, the work hath beene your wages, it hath brought meat in the mouth;There may be ſpeciall and great finfulneſſe in omiſſion. therefore it is very ſinfull for you to withdraw from the way.
Secondly, there be other particular aggravations of theſinfulneſſe of this, reſpecting the
duty,In reſpect of the duty.
neglect.
1. In reſpect of the duty, omiſſ… becomes more ſinfull.When the duty is of, great importance.
1. When the duty is of great importance, when much hangs upon it; a 1. the dutyes of publick places, Magiſtracy, or Miniſtery, for if ſuch be neglected much evill followeth; 2, the dutyes that have greateſt influence into the life of a Chriſtian, as meditation, ſearching the heart, repentance, &c. If theſe be not done, God loſeth his due many other wayes, becauſe the ſpirit and life of other dutyes depends upon theſe; all dutyes are neceſſary, but ſome are of more importance; there are foreign, theſe things muſt be eſpecially minded, Matth. 23.23. Luke 11.42.
2. When the duty is much enforced, When much enforced.by former reſolutions, by preſent impulſions.
3. When muchgood hath come by it.When you have found much good in it.
4. When it is moſt facile in reſpect of ability and opportunity; in ſuch caſes the diſobedience of the heart is greater, When moſt facile.and ſo the ſinne alſo is greater.
2. In reſpect of the neglect: the ſin…ulneſſe is encreaſed;In reſpect of the neglect.
1. When it is extended, when volintarily a man lives in neglect of that he knoweth.When extended.
2. When not lamented, the heart being not only ſtubborne, Not lamented.but ſecure, ſenſeleſſe, impenitent, in theſe caſes this ſin becomes exceeding ſinfull, and very provoking.
2.Secondly, as it is ſinfull, ſo it is fooliſh. As you have ſeene the ſinfulneſſe, ſo caſt your eye upon the fooliſhneſſe of denying God what he calls for.
1. Againſt true reaſon.In every voluntary action, you have a reaſon that moves you,aƲoluntas eſt appetitus rationalis, foreign. Ariſt. Rhet. l. 1. c. 10. eſpecially when two wayes are ſet before you: now then conſider what it is that moves thee to withdraw thy ſelfe from that unto which thou art excited of God; what is it, the ſhunning of any evill? thinke then if the good which is in Gods way, be not greater then all evill, and if the leſſe of God, be not a greater evill, thin all the evill thou ſhunneſt: or what, is it the difficulty of the duty? think the; haſt thou not found the way ſmooth? doth not God offer his hand with the to the worke? what is the worke to the wages? or what is it to gratifie thy ſe… with ſome preſent advantage? think then if any thing can be good with out God, and if there be not a greater good in his way, and if thou maiſt not have that very thing in Gods way, which thou ſeekeſt out of it: Thus you will finde that without reaſon you deny God.
2. It is a leaving that way which wiſedome and goodneſſe direct to.God hath deviſed the beſt way for your good; his wiſdome and goodneſſe have conſpired to prepare that way which might be beſt for you, therefore to follow your owne counſells, and affections before his counſell is folly, ſee all that God hath done, looke into this viſible world, who could have by wiſedome framed and ordered every thing in that order, and beauty as all things nowſtand by his hand? yet this is the great fooliſhneſſe of the world, men thinke, they can order things better for themſelves then God hath done, and this very principle is the maine roote of all the ſtrayings of men; But ſuppoſe a ship at ſea in the windes, among many rocks, whether were it better, that the By lot, who is skilfull ſhould ſteere her, or the paſſenger who knoweth not his way? Conſider that good and evill are hardly knowne, they many times are veiled with ſuch viſages that there need wiſdome to diſcerne, and it is alwayes ſafeſt to follow the greateſt light, your wiſdome is but borrowed, it is but a drop from that Ocean of wiſdome which is a him who is wiſedome, and it was given you for this end that you might be ordered by his wiſedome, to the true and to the greateſt good; as the eye in the body was given you not to be a ſole and ſufficient guide to the body, but that by it you might be capable of the light of the Sunne without which the eye cannot ſee, therefore it is folly to be ledde by your owne ſpirits, and not by Gods.
3. You croſſe your hopes.You croſſe your hopes and prayers, for it is in vaine to aske or expect any good, but in the way of good:bThis is to doe as thoſe, foreign. Diog. apud Laert. l. 6. Beat… quippe vult eſſe etiamſi non ſit vivendo ut paſsit eſſe. Quid eſt ba… voluntate mendacius? Aug. de Civitat. Dei l. 14. c. 4. apud Camd. collat. Amic. God that undertakes to ſave you, hath ſhewed you the way; now if you refuſe the way, you refuſe your owne good, Pſal. 73.24. Thou ſhalt guide me by thy court ſells, and ſo bring me to thy glory.
4 You refuſe to doe what you muſt doe, You muſt doe it at laſt.when God ſpeakes he will not bee denyed; if you ſtand out now, he will have it out another way, he will have it out in repentance, and mourning, and though now thy heart be not bowed to doe thy duty, he will make thee repent thy folly, before he will put up ſuch diſobedience.
Secondly, you ſin againſt the Spirit,Secondly, ſin not againſt the Spirit by doing leſſe then you ſhould. when you doe leſſe then is clearly due, when you doe not as Caleb who followed the Lord wholly. Numb. 14.24. Joſh. 14.14. When like ill debtors you pay ſomething, but not the whole: Thinke not that it is enough for you to be doing good, for you may as well ſin in doing good, as in doing evill; Leſſe is done.and indeed a good man ſins more in good then in evil: Now note that the deficiency of a man in doing good is from a twofold ſpring.
1. Inſufficiency of ſtrength.1 From inſufficiency.
2. Malignity and ſinfulneſſe of heart.
In the former you are like a ſick man that cannot do what he would,2 Malignity. Theſe differ. in the other like an idle man that will not doe what he can: The difference in theſe two is.
1 That when a man comes ſhort out of weakneſſe, there is a preſent willingneſſe, his heart yeelds all, he conſent… fully to the demand of God, and grieve that hee cannot doe what hee would. Rom. 7.
2 It is not imputed unto ſin: God will not charge the defect upon ſuch as are his, becauſe they are not under the Law, but under Grace. Rom. 6.
But voluntary neglects he will require at your hands: It is certain all the other Churches were found defective, and did not all they ſhould as well as Epheſus; but this was that which brought Epheſus under the rod, becauſe ſhe did not what ſhe could, but was voluntarily deficient.Sinfull defect. Apoc. 2.4.
And a man may be defective two wayes.
1 By doing leſſe for quality then h… ſhould, Doing leſſe for quality.not putting ſo much into his duty as belongs to it, or not beſtowing the coſt that he might; but being ſlight formall, heartleſſe, &c. this is like unto their ſin in Mal. 1.14. having in the flocke a male, they offered a corrupt thing, this provoked God unto indignation, yea to execration againſt them, God lookes for what we can, Deut. 6.6. Eccleſ. 9.10. ſo David ſaith he did, I have prepared with all my might, &c. 1 Chron. 29.2. Common ſtuffe will ſerve for an ordinary houſe, but if it be for a palace for a King, then ſilver and gold and great art is uſedcPlut. de profect. vir..
2 By doing leſſe for quantity then we ought: Leſſe for quantity.God ſtands much upon quantity, becauſe all our ability is from him, and to curtaile his ſervice is a diſhonour to him, for it detracteth from his greatneſſe, and ſheweth what little reſpect the heart beares him, when it puts him off with halfe, ſhort, lame, and curtailed duties; we are wont to frame our actions and cariages towards men in a way proportionable to their quality, our deportment unto a King is ſuch as may declare a ſtamp and impreſſion of his Majeſty in the heart; God is ſenſible of this diſeſteeme: ſee how hee pleads with them. Mal. 1.8. If ye offer the blinde for ſacrifice, is it not evill? And if ye offer the lame and the ſick, is it not evill? Offer it now unto thy Governour, will he be pleaſed with thee or accept thy perſon, ſaith the Lord of hoaſts? and ver. 14. Curſed be he that having a Male, &c. For I am a great King ſaith the Lord of hoaſts, and my Name is dreadfull among the heathen. And again, if God ſhould not bee ſtrict in the quantity of his ſervice, religion in time might come to nothing, it would be ſo leſſened and nibbed, that in time there would ſcarce bee any memoriall of a God, or any honour done unto him.
Here by the way let me take liberty to anſwer two Queſtions.