The Case and Cure of a Deserted Soul, Chapter 7
CHAP. VII. When a man is deſerted, his light is darkned.
THe ſecond change which you may diſcerne in your ſelves,The ſecond change in one deſerted, is in his light. is in your light and ſight: the eye of the ſoule, that gate of ſpirituall life and death, ſuffers, and this being weakned, a man is like Sampſon, when his eyes were put outtPlerum que oculus contemplationis amittitur, & poſt per carnis deſideria hujus mundi laboribus animus ſubjugatur. Teſtatur Sampſon &c. Greg. l. 7. mor. c. 13. apud Alvar. de auxil. grat. diſput. 46. num. 2., brought into great miſery & bondage.
A four fold evill when God hides himſelfe.
1 Obſcurity.
2 Inefficacie.
3 Vacuity.
4 Incredulity.
1 Obſcurity. Obſcurity.God ſhines not into the ſoule with ſuch abundant light as beforeuIlluminatio intermittitur, intenditur, remittitur, & quis qui ſpiritum Chriſti ſenſit, negarit aliquando contingere, ut in majori, aliquando in minori luce verſetur. Camer. amic. collat. p. 55., but withdrawes himſelfe from the intellectuall part, and this cauſeth a withering and dying in the whole man: for as our light is, ſo is our life, Pſal. 119.144. Here is the root of the maine difference betwixt Chriſtians true and falſe, ſtrong and weake, one ſeeth things as another ſeeth not: A wicked man that is learned, though he ſeeme to have light, yet is in darkneſſe; for his light is not the ſame light, with the light of the Saints; and the Saints, though they ſee by a true light, yet becauſe it is weaker in ſome than others, therefore there is ſuch difference in themſelves, and in their lives: yea, in the ſame man there is great difference, according as his light variethxViſ. Gulielm. Pariſ. de retribut. Sanct. Twofold light.. It's light makes men to be what they are. This light in the Saints is two fold; as the Moon hath a light in herſelfe, and a light from the Sunne; ſo the godly have a light fixed and ſet up in them by the ſpirit, as dwelling in them; and a light which floweth from the Spirit of light, as from an externall cauſe, as he pleaſeth, and when he pleaſeth to conferre it: and as the Moone is very obſcure, if the ſtreames of the Suns light be cut off from her; ſo their habituall light is dimme and dusky, if the communicated light from heaven ceaſe. The godly, as they are made light, and are taught of God by receiving opened underſtandings, ſo are ſtill in learning, the Spirit revealing more and more the myſteries of godlineſſe.
By the way I will in a few words explaine a little this enlightning work of the Spirit.The ſpirit enlightens
There are foure things in it.
1 Removing impediments from the eye.
2 Manifeſtation of the object.
3 An application of the eye to the object,
4 Holding it to the object.
1 Removing of impediments of ſight. There may be light without in the aire,By removing impediments of ſight. yet a houſe may be darke within, becauſe the light may be kept out by ſhuts: And the Sunne may ſhine brightly, and make all things clearly conſpicuous, yet the eye, through the impediment of ſome humour, or filme oppreſſing it, may ſee but darkly; if either externall light be dammed or cut off in the medium, or internall light be hindered in the organ, there can be no cleare ſight: now as he that draweth aſide the ſhuts from before the windowes, is ſaid to make the houſe light, and he that removeth the humour or filme from the eye, to give ſight; ſo it is in this caſe which we have in hand: When the Saints are firſt tranſlated out of the ſtate and kingdome of darkneſſe, into a ſtate of light, They receive a minde to know God, 1 Joh. 5.20. and they that were blinde receive a ſeeing eye. But many filmes of luſts, and miſts of ſinfull diſtempers, are wont to darken their light, therefore God is graciouſly pleaſed to helpe their infirmities, and by his power to cure their diſtempers, as by a precious eye-ſalve. Apoc. 3.18.
2 Manifeſtation of the object: Manifeſtation of the object.aRevelatio eſt vel ex parte potentiae, per infuſionem luminis; vel ex parte objecti, & haec eſt, 1 externa per verbum. 2 Interna per ſpiritum immediate agentē in intellectum, eique intellectualiter loquentis. Baron. apolog. con. Turneb. tract. 9. punct. 6. §. 6.ſhewing himſelfe unto the ſoule. For as the beſt eye cannot ſee except things ſhew forth themſelves; ſo except he preſent himſelfe, and Jeſus Chriſt, and the things of his kingdome, we cannot know them.
There are three wayes or media of ſpirituall ſight;
The creatures,
VVord,
Sacraments.
Now doth not experience ſhew, that you ſee more of God in theſe at one time, then at another? and one maine cauſe of this difference and inequality in apprehending God, is the different manifeſtation of himſelfe. The ſame ſermon is as a cleare viſion unto one, unto another as a riddle, God ſhining to one in his ordinance, and not unto another: unto ſome The Goſpel is hid, and the light of it doth not ſhine unto them, 2 Cor. 4.3, 4. but unto others in the preaching of the ſame Goſpel, God that commands light to ſhine out of darkneſſe, ſhines in their hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God, in the face of Ieſus Chriſt, verſ. 6. yea, and as he manifeſts himſelfe by an habituall light, ſo by an actuall, by which his people ſee all things more clearly at one time than at another; it's ſometimes day with them, and ſometimes night.
3 In this enlightning, there is an application of the eye to the object. Application of the eye to it.The ſpirit, as in other parts of the new man, ſo in this, gives both habituall principles, and inward diſpoſitions, and alſo draweth thoſe diſpoſitions into act; both a ſeeing eye, and the ſeeing of the eye; both the power and the act, are from the ſpirit. As in the body the eye hath a fitneſſe in it ſelfe to ſee, but yet the faculty or power, and the act of ſeeing is from the ſoule, for the ſoule actuates every part: all our conceptions and apprehenſions of ſpirituall things, are formally the acts of the renewed minde, but originally they are from the ſpirit, which ſtirs up and ſtrengthens the minde to worke, and directs it in working.
4 Holding the eye to the object: that it may not ſlip and wander from it;Holding the eye upon it. naturally our thoughts are very vaine and ſcattered, and never more unſetled, then when they are pitched on that which is good: and this giddineſſe and inſtableneſſe of our mindes, is a great impediment to our full comprehenſion and underſtanding of ſpirituall things, as I ſhall have occaſion more to declare anon. Now the ſpirit comes with aſſiſtance to the tottering and ſtraying ſpirit of his people, and holds their eye, and ſtayeth their thoughts upon their objects, that the ſoule may drinke down knowledge more fully; tranſient views let in but little light.
Thus you ſee what this influence of the ſpirit is upon the minde of the godly, and by this you may better conceive, how darkneſſe & dimneſſe befals the Saints in the time of deſertion: there muſt needs be an abatement of brightneſſe of underſtanding, where the mind is left clogged with fogs and miſts of luſts; luſts doe darken the minde, as mud doth the water, and as duſt doth the aire; and as glaſſe, the fouler it is the leſſe light it hath in it: Bleſſed are the pure in heart, for they ſhall ſee God; not onelyonly hereafter; but here in the world, Matth. 5.8. The ſecret of God is with them that feare him, Pſal. 25.14. Prov. 3.32. A good underſtanding have all they that doe his commandments. Pſal. 111.10. But when the heart is infected with pernicious luſts, they corrupt the minde, ſeducing, deceiving, and diverting alſo from all ſerious ſtudy of, and enquiry into things ſpirituall.
In like manner, when God doth not preſent himſelfe, and things ſpirituall, how can it be, but a man ſhould be in much darkneſſe? nothing can reveale God but himſelfe; as the Sunne is not ſeene but by her owne light; and when God hideth himſelfe, all things are hid; he ſeeth leſſe in ſinne, in grace, in Chriſt, in the Goſpel, in all things, that ſeeth leſſe of God; as when the Sun is clouded, all things are proportionably clouded and obſcured.
Againe, if God actuate not, and ſtir not up the minde to enquire after him; and to behold him, it will be but as the eye of the body in the time of ſleepe, which ſeeth nothing till it be awakened.
And laſtly, except God faſten and fix the minde upon himſelfe, and other ſpirituall objects, it will be wandering, and he that goeth from the Sunne, goeth into darkneſſe. This is the firſt of thoſe evils forenamed, which befals the minde in a time of deſertion, it is darkned, though it have light ſtill, yet not ſo much, though it ſee as much as it did extenſively, yet not intenſively, as a weake eye may ſee as many things as a better eye, yet it ſeeth not ſo fully and clearely; you may know all things that you have knowne, but yet not i… that cleare and ſpirituall manner; yet note, that habituall light is not impaired but thoſe beames of light which God is wont to caſt into the ſoule, are leſſened. And when it is thus with you, that you have declined in your acquaintance with God, and in your apprehenſion of the ſinfulneſſe of ſinne, the beauty of holineſſe, the excellency of Chriſt, the preciouſneſſe of the covenant, you have cauſe to ſit downe and weepe, for you have not ſo much of God in you as you have had.