The Case and Cure of a Deserted Soul, Chapter 9
CHAP. IX. When a man is deſerted, the minde is more vaine, and abated in frequency complacencie conſiſtencie in holy thoughts.
THe third evill that befals the minde is vacuity and emptineſſe;Third evill in the minde, vacuity and emptineſſe when God withdrawes himſelfe, it becomes like an empty houſe without inhabitant, when the cloud of divine preſence fils his tabernacle, and the foule receives, oracles from his mouth, then a man hath ſweet converſe with him, and walks with himePedibus duntaxat terram tangentibus, foreign. Chr. hom. 3. de incompr. Dei nat., is a man with his friend, as it is ſaid of Noah, Gen. 6.9. and Enoch, Gen. 5.20. God is his centre, and he is much in purſuit of him. My ſoule thirſteth after thee, and I will remember thee upon my bed, and meditate on thee in the night watches; my ſoul followeth hard after thee, Pſal. 63. he was much in the thoughts of God; God was with himfDe Ignatio fabulatur, nomen Jeſu cordi ejus inſculptum invcniri., and he with God; when he went to ſleepe, yea, when he awakened, his heart was towards him, When I awake, I am ſtill with thee, Pſal. 139.18. yea, I am continually with thee; and what was the cauſe of it? Thine hand upholdeth me, Pſal. 73.23. an awakened heart hath God ever in ſight, I have ſet the Lord alwayes before me, Pſal. 16.8.
As water ſtriveth to aſcend as high as the head-ſpring from whence it cometh; ſo a heavenly Chriſtian, as he ſprings from above, is ever ſtreaming thither; but there are times when the minde becomes vaine, and very empty of God, and full of vanity; either being like a watch that ſtands ſtill, or like a Conduit-cock that runs at waſte; either ſleeping, and not acting, or pouring out, and ſpending it ſelfe upon things that profit not.
In this ſtate, the ſoule hath loſt much of a threefold excellency which it had.
1 Complacency in holy thoughts.
2 Frequency in holy thoughts.
3 Conſiſtency in holy thoughts.
Firſt, Complacencie: time was, when the thoughts of Gods glory and mercy, and works, and word, and of Chriſt, and other ſpirituall things,Leſſe complacencie in thoughts of God. were as honey, feeding and delighting the ſoule; meditations were great refreſhments and recreations; they were wont to fill the heart with ſweet content and comfort, adding much to all ſpirituall life, both of grace and peace; How precious are thy thoughts to me? Pſal. 139.17.Juvat immenſoſpatiantem vivere coelo. David reckoned his recourſe to, and converſe with God, among his chiefe treaſures: And indeed, what is better to man in a right temper, then from the Nebo of a ſpirituall meditation, to behold Canaan? and by heavenly mindedneſſe, to walke with Chriſt, and Angels, and Saints in heaven, to have that in a kinde of preſence by this proſpective, which is yet ſo diſtant? This I ſay peradventure, was your happineſſe, but now you are changed, and fallen from this glory, your ſoules creepe on the duſt, and ſavour not the ſweetneſſe of the things above; they hunger not ſo much after that bread of eternall life, but feed upon vanities and worldly things; you are not ſo delighted in ſlipping out of the world, and retyring your ſelves that you might be with God, nay haply, it is become a burtheneNulla res tam facilis eſt quin difficilis ſit ſi invitus facias. Sen. ep. 12. to fix your thoughts on that which was your food and life before, your minde is become heavy, the earth hath got into your hearts, and weighed them downe, ſo that you finde it hard and tedious to pully and winde them up to ſuch ſpirituall and ſetled meditations, in which formerly you have had delight: if it bee thus, it is a ſigne that God hath much withdrawne himſelfe from you.
2. Frequency, Leſſe frequency.it may be it hath been the dayly courſe of thy ſoul to viſit heaven, ſoaring on the wings of an heavenly minde, and taking her flight to God and Chriſt, as the Eagles that flie to the dead body, Mat. 24.18. thou waſt wont to finde in every place a paſſage to thy God, and wert often improving that quickneſſe of thy minde which is able to ſtep from the deepeſt dungeon to the higheſt heavens in a moment. The mind is ſo quick of foote, that it is ſwifter than the Sun, and can move further in a moment than the Sun doth in a day, and thou wert wont to ſend this winged meſſenger, and it returned unto thee like Noahs Dove with Olive branches of peace and comfort in its mouth. Indeed a Chriſtian drives two trades in the world, one is ſeene, the other is ſecret, and in this he is buſie when hee ſeemes to be vacant, and is leaſt alone, when moſt alone; when he is mured up within his Chamber, or walking in a ſolitary way, he is converſing with ſuch companions, as the world is not acquainted with, he is ſpeaking with God, and hearing God ſpeaking to him words of wiſdome, making him wiſer than the Auncient, words of reproofe piercing like a ſword, yet not to hurt, but heale, and words of comfort ſtronger than death, and ſweeter than life; yea when he ſeemes to be in the deepes of affliction, he is mounted above all ſorrowes, and his ſoule is above the clouds; when he ſeemes to be affrighted with terrors, he is drinking in the waters of life, In the multitude of my thoughts within me thy comforts delight my ſoul. Pſa. 94.19. Conſider this, haſt thou been thus filled with God, ſo converſant in heavenly thoughts, that thou waſt never long from heaven, but often looking up to the God of thy life? and how is it now with thee? art thou become a ſtranger to theſe wayes in which God and thy ſoul had formerly ſo many bleſſed meetings? art thou growne mindleſſe and forgetfull of him? it may bee drawing neare in ſome heartleſſe approach to him in the morning, but then living without him throughout the day: many gueſts come in, but God is ſhut out; there is roome for profits, for pleaſures, yea for ſinfull thoughts and evill ſuggeſtions, but none for God; if it be thus, thy caſe is more miſerable, and thou art Deſerted: for if God were ſo preſent by his Spirit as he was, He would be thy remembrancer, and bring ſuch things ſtill to thy minde as before. Joh. 14.26. hee would bee jogging and provoking to heavenly mindedneſſe.
3 Conſiſtency, when our delights are not with God,Leſſe conſiſtency. as the remembrance of him is not ſo pleaſing, ſo not ſo frequent, and not ſo conſiſtent, I ſay there will not be that ſtableneſſe of an heavenly minde, that hath beene; thoughts now are but paſſant and fleeting, not fixed and abiding, yea though conſcience ſpurre the dull minde to this heavenly worke, yet like an unwilling ſervant, it ſtayeth not at it, but is ſoone gone.