The Case and Cure of a Deserted Soul, Chapter 33
CHAP. XXXIII. The ſecond ſort of ſpirituall deſertions, loſſe of comfort.
NOw I come to the other head of ſpirituall deſertions, the eclipſing of the comfort of the ſoule; this is oftentimes the ſad caſe of the Saints; the ſons of peace and conſolation are often men of ſorrows, caſt from a Paradiſe of comfort, into a wilderneſſe of diſcomfort, wandring in a maze of perplexed thoughts, heavy cares, afflicting feares, bitter ſorrows, and vexed with roarings and yellings of devouring beaſts, yea, rent and wounded, and almoſt becoming a prey unto them.
Before I come to treate of this mournfull ſtate,Firſt, the nature of comfort. in which the ſweete ſtreames of comfort faile, leaving the ſoule as a parched heath: I muſt premiſe ſome conſiderations, about the comfort of the ſoule.
1 The nature of it.
2 The cauſe of it.
3 The deſectibility of it.
Firſt, of the nature of it:It is a chearelineſſe of ſoule. It is a chearelineſſe or ſatisfaction of the ſoule; the name ſheweth the thing, Comfort is from a wordaConſortari which importeth ſtrength: and what is comfort, but ſtrengthening of the heart; and it is expreſſed by ſtrengthening in the Scriptures. Pſal. 27.14. Pſal. 52.7. Pſal. 104.15. 1 Sam. 23.16. Iob 4.4. Eſay 35.3. and diſcomfort is the enfeebling of weakning of the ſoule, ſo that it cannot walk in its way, but fals and faints: But comfort keepes her upon the wing, and maintaines, yea, increaſeth her ſtrength; it is the life of the ſoule: So when Naomi would expreſſe that Boaz ſhould be a comfort to Ruth, ſhe ſaith, He ſhall be the reſtorer of thy life, Ruth 4.15. For take away the contentment of the heart, and it dyeth: the damned live in hell, yet becauſe it is a life without comfort, they are ſaid to dye, and their eſtate is reckoned a ſtate of death; They are dead while they live; hence David calleth it quickning. Pſal. 119.50. Thy Word hath quickned me: and ver. 93. reſtoring of comfort to mourners is called reviving. I dwell with, &c. to revive the ſpirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones. Eſay 57.15. So it is ſaid of Iacob when he heard of his Son, and ſaw the wagons which he had ſent; The Spirit of Jacob their father revived, Gen. 45.27. Thoſe words of Ezra are not unlike; Grace hath been ſhewed, &c. that our God may lighten our eyes, and give us a little reviving in our bondage. Ezra 8.8, 9.
Comfort in a word,Of, A ſtrength of ſoule. is that ſtrength and life which the object contributeth to the heart: there is then a difference of comfort, according to the difference of objects. Every good thing which a man hath either in expectatiō or poſſeſſion, yeelds a comfort proportionable to its worth, and a mans propriety in it; all good things in the world, are as the fence of the ſoule, or her fort againſt invaſions of feare, care, trouble, miſery: ſo that as he that hath the beſt guard, ſtrong and able ſouldiers, is ſtrongeſt and ſafeſt; ſo the heart is ſo much ſtrengthened, as it hath of good: Then the beſt things yeeld the beſt comfort; as the freeſt fountaine yeelds the fulleſt ſtreames. But for as much as not only the property of the object, but the propriety alſo is the meaſure of comfort, therefore according to the degrees of enjoyment of God, ſo are the degrees of comfort; thoſe in heaven being fully poſſeſſed of God, have a fulneſſe of comfort; In thy preſence is fulneſſe of joy. Pſal. 16.11. But the Saints in the world have but an imperfect comfort.
1 Not ſtable; ſometimes it is gone, and a day of gladneſſe is turned into a night of heavineſſe, ſo that they complaine as the Church, The joy of our heart is ceaſed, our daunce is turned into mourning. Lament. 5.15.
2 Not full; it is mixed with various feares and ſorrows, which like waters of Marah flow into the ſoule. For though the object of comfort be ſufficient, yet the aſſurance and enjoyment of it is deficient, ſo that as the ſoule is comforted, becauſe it hath God in a meaſure, ſo it is troubled becauſe it wants ſtill, not being ſo ſure and full of him as it deſires.
There are three degrees of ſpirituall comfort.Three degrees of comfort.
1 Peace, 1. Peace.when a man agreeth with himſelfe, and is freed from that war and combuſtion which was within him by incurſion of feares, and terrors of ſoul. This is a reſt in the ſoule, a reſt I ſay, but not from motion, but from commmotion and tumult; an uncomfortable ſtate is a tumultuous ſtate; My bowels boyled and reſted not. Job 30.27. hee was like the Sea moving and working; it is a tempeſtuous condition. Oh thou afflicted, toſſed with tempeſts and not comforted. Eſay 54.11. Comfort is the laying of the ſtorme, the huſhing of the winds, the ſtilling of the raging Sea. When a man hath comfort in God, he hath a twofold reſt.
1 Mentall: While God is hid, the minde is agitated, and rolls to and fro to ſeek him, hunting and beating it ſelf out in running after him, but when it ſeeth him, then it is quieted, and ſaith as David, Returne to thy reſt oh my ſoul, &c. Pſal. 42.7.
2 Cordiall: The heart ſits in heavineſſe till it recover what it hath loſt, unquietneſſe abides with it, if the minde be puzled, the heart is troubled; if the Pilot be diſconſolate, how are the paſſengers afflicted? what teares, what paleneſſe, what wringing, what fainting may one ſee there? what ſighing, crying, howling, ſcreeching may one heare? In ſuch a troubled caſe is the heart, when God hides himſelfe and will not be found; like Rachell weeping for her children and will not be comforted, becauſe they are not: But when the ſoul ſeeth God then it is quiet, the cryes of the heart are ſtilled, her wound is healed, her paine ceaſeth, and all is calme.
2. Ioy: Ioy.This is an higher degree of comfort; peace is negative comfort, joy is poſitive comfort, that is a ceſſation or mitigation of trouble, this is an higher contentment; that is like the laying of the ſtorme, this like the breaking out of the Sun; a woman in travell, when paine ceaſeth is at reſt, but when a child is borne ſhe hath joy, Iohn 16.21. A condemned man when he is pardoned, is at peace, his feares and ſorrowes ceaſe, but if with his pardon he attaine preferment, he rejoyceth. There is a kinde of joy in peace, and ſo joy is the fruit of peace and reſt, but ſtill it is a farther contentment than meere peace, ſorrow is turned into joy, Joh. 16.21. but firſt it is turned into peace; Ioy is the noonetide of comfort, and peace is the morning; peace is a returne to it ſelfe, after that it had beene toſſed and driven from its deſired ſtate, joy is an aſcent above it ſelf; peace is a reſt within it ſelfe: joy carrieth the heart higher, it is a kinde of elation bGaudiū a foreign Ioſ. Scalig in Conject., which if it be ſtrong is called exultation, which is a kinde of valting and leaping of the mind, yea a leaping out of it ſelf cExultatio eſt gaudium geſtuoſum, ab ex & ſalto. Becmde orig. lat. ling.: peace is contentment when the heart is bounded by its condition, and is not effuſed, and poured out of its owne channell, as the river is when the chanell is too ſcant or not paſſable; but joy is an enlargement of the heartdLaetus, qu. Latus. Ʋt moerore contrahimur, ſic & geſtimus gaudio. Sen. Laetis diffunditur per univerſum corpus calor, ac plus foris motus ejus eſſertur, ut triſtibus intro. Galen l. 3. de cauſis pulſuum. Apud Cornel. a lap. in Proverb. 17.22. Dilatatur affectus per delectationem, quaſi ſe tradens ad continendum interius rem delectantem. Aquin. 1.2. q. 33. a. 1.: It is called enlargement of heart, Pſal. 119.32. the heart opens it ſelf, and is filled with the thing it loves.
3. Triumph and glorying, Triumph, and that in two thingswhich is joy elevated, and it conſiſteth in two things.
1 A victoriouſneſſe and magnanimous conqueſt of heart over all things; Victoriouſneſſe of ſpirit.when the heart is rayſed to this pitch of comfort in God, all the world is brought under a man, and the greateſt evills cannot daunt; There is ſuch a gradation as we ſpeake of Rom. 5. We have peace towards God, ver. 1. we rejoyce in hope, ver. 2. and not onelyonly ſo, but we glory in tribulation alſo, ver. 3.
2 A boaſting and holy vaunting of heart; Boaſting in God.the word which is uſed by the Apoſtle for glorying, importeth a jetting, or ſtrutting of the neck,eforeign, ab foreign, ab foreign Cervix. it is often uſed by the Apoſtle for boaſtings, as 2 Cor. 9.2. Rom. 2.17.23. Chap. 11.18. 2 Cor. 10.8, &c. A man boaſts when he is full of that which he thinkes excellent, and to adde worth and excellency to him; when a man counts it not onelyonly happineſſe but honor to have ſuch a God, and is not onelyonly not aſhamed of him, but in his account magnified by him; when he is able to hold up his ſpirit againſt the proffers and terrours of the world, and doth profeſſe to heaven and earth amidſt all blaſphemies, jealoufies, threats, ſufferings, glory, which is in the world, that God is good, ſufficient, worthy of all love, feare, and truſt: I ſay when the heart comes with undauntedneſſe and full contentment, ſets God againſt all, this is a holy boaſting of God, or in God; like that of David, I will bleſſe the Lord at all times, his praiſe ſhall continually be in my mouth, my ſoule ſhall make her boaſt in the Lord, Pſal. 34.2. In God we boaſt all the day long, and praiſe thy name for ever, Pſal. 44.8. Pſal. 64.10.