The Silent Soul, Objections · Objection 8
Object. 8 Oh! But God hath deſerted mee, hee hath forſaken mee, and hee that ſhould comfort my ſoul ſtands afar off, how can I bee ſilent? the Lord hath hid his face from mee? clouds are gathered about mee▪ God hath turned his back upon mee, how can I hold my peace? ſuppoſing that the deſertion is real, and not in appearance only, as ſometimes it falls out: I anſwer.
Firſt, It hath been the common lot, portion and condition of the choiceſt Saints in this world, to be deſerted and forſaken of God, Pſal. 30. 6, 7. Pſal. 77. and 88. Job 23. 8, 9. Cant. 3. 1, 2, 3, 4. ch. 5. 6, 7. Iſa. 8. 17. Micah. 7. 7, 8, 9. If God deal… no worſe with thee than hee hath dealt with his moſt boſome friends, with his choiceſt Jewels, thou haſt no reaſon to complain. But
Secondly, Gods forſaking of thee is onelyonly partial, it is not total; God may forſake his people in part, but he never wholly forſakes them, he may forſake them in reſpect of his quickning preſence, and in reſpect of his comfortingPſal. 9. 4. Gen. 49. 23, 24 preſence, but hee never forſakes them in reſpect of his ſupporting preſence, 2 Cor. 12. 9. My grace is ſufficient for thee, for my ſtrength is made perfect in weakneſs, Pſal. 73. 23, 24. The ſteps of a good man are ordered by the Lord, and hee delighteth in his way. Though hee fall hee ſhall not bee utterly caſt down: for the Lord upholdeth him with his As the Nurſe upholds the little childe, &c.hand. Gods ſupporting hand of grace is ſtill under his people, Pſal. 63. 8. My ſoul followeth hard after thee: thy right hand upholdeth mee. Chriſt hath alwaies one hand to uphold his people, and another hand to embrace them, Cant. 2. 16. The everlaſting arms of God are alwaies underneath his people, Deut. 33. 27. And this the Saints have alwaies found, witneſs David, Heman, Aſaph, Job, &c.
Geographers write, that the City of Syracuſe in Sicily, is ſo curiouſly ſituated, that the Sun is never out of ſight: though the children of God ſometimes are under ſome clouds of afflictions, yet the Sun of Mercy, the Sun of Righteouſneſs, is never quite out of ſight. But
Thirdly, Though God hath forſaken thee, yet his love abides and continues conſtant to thee; hee loves thee with an everlaſting love, Jer. 31. 3. Where hee loves, hee loves to the end, John 13. 1. Iſa. 49. 14, 15, 16. But Zion ſaid, the Lord hath forſaken mee, and my Lord hath forgotten mee. But was not Zion miſtaken? yes. Can a woman forget her The very Heathen hath obſerved that God doth not love his children with a weak affection, but with a ſtrong maſculine love. Seneca.ſucking childe that ſhee ſhould not have compaſſion on the ſon of her womb? yea, they may forget, yet will not I forget thee. Behold I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands, thy walls are continually before mee. Look as perſons engrave the mark, name or picture of thoſe whom they dearly love, and entirely affect, upon ſome ſtone that they wear at their breaſts, or upon ſome ring that they wear on their finger: So, had God engraven Zion upon the palms of his hands, ſhee was ſtill in his eye, and alwaies dear to his heart, though ſhee thought not ſo. As Joſephs heart was full of love to his brethren, even then when heeGen. 42. ſpake roughly to them, and withdrew himſelf from them; (for hee was fain to go aſide, and eaſe his heart by weeping) ſo the heart of God is full of love to his people, even then when hee ſeemes to bee moſt diſpleaſed with them, and to turn his back upon them; though Gods diſpenſations may be changeable towards his people, yet his gracious diſpoſition is unchangeable towards them. When GodMal. 3. 6. puts the blackeſt veil of all upon his face, yet then his heart is full of love to his people, then his bowels are yearning towards them, Jer. 31. 18, 19, 20. Is Ephraim my dear Son? is hee a pleaſant childe? for ſince I ſpake againſt him, I do earneſtly remember him ſtill: therefore my bowels are troubled for him: I will ſurely have mercy upon him, ſaith the Lord. The Mothers bowels cannot more yearn after the tender babe, than Gods doth after his diſtreſſed ones. As Moſes his Mother, when ſhee had put him intoExod. 2. the Ark of Bul-ruſhes, wept to ſee the babe weep, and when ſhee was turned from him, ſhee could not but caſt a weeping eye of love towards him: So when God turns aſide from his people, yet hee cannot but caſt an eye of love towards them. Hoſea 11. 8. How ſhall I give thee up, O Ephraim? &c. Here are four ſeveral hows in the text, the like not to bee found in the whole book of God. I am even at a ſtand, juſtice calls for vengeance, but mercy interpoſeth; my bowels yearn, my heart melts: O! how ſhall I give thee up? O! I cannot give thee up, I will not give thee up. Gods love is alwaies like himſelf, unchangeable, his love is everlaſting, it is a love that never decaies, nor waxes cold, it is like the ſtone Albeſtos, of which Solinus writes, that being once hot, it can never bee cooled again.
Fourthly, Though the Lord hath hid his face from thee, yet certainly thou haſt his ſecret preſence with thee. God is preſent, when hee is ſeemingly abſent. The Pſal. 23▪ 4 Pſal. 139. Gen. 28. 16Lord was in this place, and I knew it not, ſaith Jacob. The Sun many times ſhines when wee do not ſee it, and the husband is many times in the houſe when the wife doth not know it. God is in thy houſe, hee is in thy heart, though thou feeſt him not, thou feeleſt him not, though thou heareſt him not, Heb. 13. 5. I will never leave thee, nor forſake thee, or as it may bee rendred according to the Greek, I will not not leave thee, neither will I not not forſake thee. Art thou not now drawn out to prize God, and Chriſt, and his love, above all the world? yes; art thou not now drawn out to give the Lord many a ſecret viſit,Cant. 2. 14 in a corner behinde the door, in ſome dark hole where none can ſee thee, nor hear thee but the Lord?Pſal. 42. 1, 2, 3 Pſal. 63. 1, 2, 3 yes; are there not ſtrong breathings, pantings and longings after a clearer viſion of God, and after a fuller fruition of God? yes; art thou not more affected and afflicted with the withdrawings of Chriſt, than thou art with the greateſt afflictionsCant. 5. 6. that ever befell thee? yes, Auſtin upon that anſwer of God to Moſes, Thou canſt not ſee my face and Exod. 33. 20.live, makes this quick and ſweet reply, then Lord let mee die, that I may ſee thy face. Doſt thou not often tell God that there is no puniſhmentPſal. 30. 6, 7 to the puniſhment of loſs, and no hell to that of being forſaken of God? yes; doſt thou not finde a ſecret power in thy ſoul, drawing thee forth to ſtruggle with God, to lay hold on God, and patiently to wait on God, till hee ſhall return unto thee, and lift up the light of his countenance upon thee? yes; well then, thou mayeſt bee confident that thou haſt a ſecret and bleſſed preſence of God with thee, though God in regard of his comfortable preſence may bee departed from thee; nothing below a ſecret preſence of God, with a mans ſpirit, will keep him waiting and working till the Sun of Righteouſneſs ſhines upon him. If any vain perſons ſhould put that deridingMal. 4. 2. queſtion to thee, where is thy God? thou mayeſt ſafely and boldly anſwer them, my God is here, hee is nigh mee, hee is round about mee, yea hee is in the midſt of mee, Zeph 3. 17. The Lord thy God in the midst of thee is mighty, hee will ſave, hee will rejoyce over thee with joy, hee will rest in his love, hee will joy …ver thee with ſinging. The buſh, which was a type of the Church, conſumed not all the while it burned with fire, becauſe God was in the midſt of it. It is no Argument that Chriſt is not in the Ship, becauſe tempeſts and ſtorms ariſe.
Fifthly, Though God bee gone, yet hee will return again; though your Sun bee now ſet in a cloud, yet it will riſe again; though ſorrow may abide for a night, yet joyIſa. 17. 14 Pſal. 30. 5. Pſal. 40. 1, 2, 3 Pſal. 5. 11 Pſal. 42. 5, 8, 9, 11 comes in the morning. A Chriſtians mourning ſhall laſt but till morning, Micah 7. 19. Hee will turn again, hee will have compaſſion upon us. Cant. 3. 4. It was but a little that I paſſed from them, but I found him whom my ſoul loveth; I held him, and I would not let him go, &c. Pſal. 94. 19. In the multitude of▪ my thoughts within mee, thy comforts delight my ſoul. Iſa. 54. 7, 8, 10. For a moment have I forſaken thee, but with great mercies will I gather thee. In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment, but with everlaſting kindneſs will I have mercy on thee, ſaith the Lord thy redeemer; for the mountains ſhall depart, and the hills bee removed, but my kindneſs ſhall not depart from thee; neither ſhall the covenant of my peace bee removed, ſaith the Lord that hath mercy on thee. God will not ſuffer his whole diſpleaſure to ariſe upon his people, neither will hee forſake them totally or finally; the Saints ſhall taſte but ſome ſips of the cup of Gods wrath, ſinners ſhall drink the dreggs, their ſtorm ſhall end in a calm, and their winter night ſhall be turned into a ſummers day. There was a woman who was thirteen years under deſertion, which was ſo vehement, that for the moſt part of her time, ſhee was fain to keep her bed through weakneſs: A godly Miniſter, who was affected with her condition, went to comfort her, and to pray with her, but when hee came and offered to do it, ſhee ſhrieked out, utterly refuſing and forbidding him to pray with her, for ſaid ſhee, I have too many abuſed mercies to anſwer for already; yet hee would not bee put off, but prayed by her, and ſo prevailed with God on her behalf, that the next morning ſhee was delivered from all her fears, and had ſuch exceeding joy, that the like hath rarely been heard of; the Lord that had been long withdrawn from her, returned at length in a way of ſingular mercy to her. There wasSo Mris. Honeywood, Mris. Katherine Breterg, and divers others. another precious woman, who was ſeveral years deſerted, and hearing a precious godly Miniſter preach, ſhee of a ſudden fell down overwhelmed with joy, crying out, O! hee is come whom my ſoul loveth! and for divers daies after ſhee was filled with ſuch exceeding joyes, and had ſuch gracious and ſingular raviſhing expreſſions, ſo fluently coming from her, that many came to hear the rare manifeſtations of Gods grace in her, the loweſt of her pious expreſſions did exceed the higheſt that ever the Miniſter had read in the book of Martyrs. But
Sixthly and laſty, Gods deſerting, Gods forſaking of his people, ſhall many waies work for their good. As
Firſt, God by withdrawing from his people, will prepare and fit them for greater refreſhings, manifeſtations and conſolations, Pſal. 71. 11, 20, 21. Saying, God hath forſaken him, perſecute and take him, for there is none to deliver him. But ſhall this forelorn condition work for his good? yes. Thou which haſt ſhewed mee great and ſore troubles, ſhalt quicken mee again, and ſhalt bring mee up again from the depths of the earth. Thou ſhalt encreaſe my greatneſs, and comfort mee on every ſide. When Joſephs brethren were inGen. 45. 1, 2, 3, 4 their greateſt diſtreſs, then Joſeph makes known himſelf moſt fully to them, ſo doth Chriſt our ſpiritual Joſeph to his people. Hudſon the Martyr, deſerted at the ſtake, went from under his chain, and having prayed earneſtly, was comforted immediately, and ſuffered valiantly.
2 By Gods withdrawing from his people, hee prevents his peoples withdrawing from him; and ſo by an affliction hee prevents ſin: for God to withdraw from mee is butHeb. 10. 38, 39. Chriſt the Captain of our ſalvation will execute Martial Law upon all that withdraw from their colours, &c. my affliction, but for mee to withdraw from God, that is my ſin; and therefore it were better for mee that God ſhould withdraw a thouſand times from mee, than that I ſhould once withdraw from God: God therefore forſakes us, that wee may not forſake our God; God ſometimes hides himſelf, that wee may cleave the cl…ſer to him, and hang the faſter upon him. As the Mother hides her ſelf from the childe for a time, that the childe may cleave the cloſer, and hang the faſter upon her all the day long; God ſometimes hid himſelf from David, Pſal. 30. 7. Thou didſt hide thy face, and I was troubled, I was allamort; well, and is that all? no, verſ. 8. I cried to thee O Lord, and unto the Lord I made ſupplication. Now hee cries louder, and cleaves cloſer to God than ever; ſo in that, Pſal. 63. 1, 2. O God, thou art my God, early will I ſeek thee: my ſoul thirſteth for thee, my fleſh longeth for thee, in a dry and thirſty land, where no water is. To ſee thy power and thy glory, ſo as I have ſeen thee in thy Sanctuary. Well, and how do theſe withdrawings of God work? why this you may ſee in verſe 8. My ſoul followeth hard after thee, or as the Hebrew reads it, my ſoul cleaveth after thee; look as the husband cleaves to his wife, ſo doth my ſoul cleave to the Lord, the Pſalmiſt now follows God even hardGen. 2. 24 at heels, as wee ſay▪ But
Thirdly, The Lord by withdrawing from his people, will inhance and raiſe the price, and commend the worth, excellency, ſweetneſs2 Pet. 1. 4 and uſefulneſs of ſeveral precious promiſes, which otherwiſe would bee but as dry breaſts, and as uſeleſs weapons to the ſoul. As that, Micah 7. 18, 19. Hee will turn again, hee will have compaſſion upon us, &c. and that, Iſa. 54. 7, 8. but now opened; and that, Heb. 13. 5, 6. and that, Hab. 2. 3. and that,And that, John 14. 21, 23. and that, 1 Sam. 12. 20. Iſa. 60. 19,—ult. Pſal. 5. 12. For thou Lord wilt bleſs the Righteous; with favour thou wilt compaſs him (or crown him) as with a ſhield; the Lord will compaſs the righteous about with his favour, as the Crown compaſſes about the head, as the Hebrew imports; and that, Pſal. 112. 4. Unto the upright there ariſeth light in darkneſs; hee is gracious and full of compaſſion, and righteous. And that, Jer. 3… ▪ 37. Thus ſaith the Lord, if Heaven above can be meaſured, and the foundations of the earth ſearched out beneath, I will alſo caſt off all the ſeed of Iſrael, for all that they have done, ſaith the Lord. As ſure as Heaven cannot bee meaſured, nor the foundations of the earth ſearched by the skill or power of any mortal man: So ſure and certain it is, that God will not utterly caſt off his people, no no… for all the evil that they have done; now at what a rare doth a deſerted ſou… v…ue theſe precious promiſes? well, ſaith hee, theſePſal. 119. 103. 72. v. …ſa. 19. 10 Pro. 8. 11 Jo… 23. 12 promiſes are ſweeter than the hony or the hony-comb, they are more precious than gold, than fine gold, than much gold, than all the gold in the world. I prefer them before my food, before my deligh…ul food, yea before my neceſſary food, before my appointed portion. As Alexander laid up Homers Iliads in a Cabinet embroidered with gold and pearls, ſo deſerted ſouls will lay up theſe precious promiſes in the Cabinet of their hearts, as the choiceſt treaſure the world affords. Dol…ns they ſay love muſick, ſo do …eſerted ſouls the muſick of the promiſes. That promiſe, 1 Tim. 1. 15. was muſick to Bilny the Martyr; and that promiſe, John 10. 29. was muſick to Ʋrſine; and that promiſe, Iſa. 57. 15. was muſick to another; and that promiſe, Iſa. 26. 3. was muſick to another, and that to another, Mat. 11. 28, &c. promiſes that are ſuited to a deſerted mans condition, make the ſweeteſt muſick in his car, and are the moſt ſoveraign cordials to bear up his ſpirits, that God can give, or Heaven afford, or the ſoul deſire. Deut. 32. 13. Hee made him to ride on the high places of the earth, that hee might e… the fruits of the field; and hee made him to ſuck hony out of the rock, and oil out of the flinty rock. Ah the hony, the oil that deſerted ſouls ſuck out of ſuch promiſes that ſpeak home and cloſe to their conditions!
Fourthly, By Gods hiding his face, and withdrawing himſelf from thee, thou wil… bee inabled more feelingly, and more experimentally to ſympathize with othersHeb. 5. 2 and to have compaſſion on others that are or may bee in the dark, and forſaken of God, as now thou art. Heb. 13. 2. Remember them that are in bonds, as bound with them; and them which ſuffer adverſity, as being your ſelves alſo in the body. It is obſerved of the Bees, thatPlin. Nat. Hiſt. lib. 11. cap. 17 when one is ſick, they all mourn; and of the Sheep, that if one of them bee faint, the reſt of the flock will ſtand between it and the Sun, until it bee revived; in the natural body, if one member grieve, and is in pain, all ſuffer with it; when a thorn is got into the foot, how doth the back bow, and the eyes pry, and the hands go to pluck the thorn out; none ſo compaſſionate towards deſerted ſouls, as thoſe who have been deſerted and forſaken of God themſelves. Oh! they know what an evil & a bitter thing it is to bee left and forſaken of God; and therefore their bowels, their compaſſions run out much to ſuch, yea moſt to ſuch; they know that there is no affliction no miſery, no hell, to that of being forſaken of God.
Anaxagoras ſeeing himſelf old,Plutarch, and forſaken of the world, laid himſelf down, and covered his head cloſe, determining to ſtarve himſelf to death with hunger; but alaſs! what is it to bee forſaken of the world, to a mans being forſaken of God? were there as many worlds, as there bee men in the world, a man were better bee forſaken by them all, than to bee forſaken of God: There is a great truth in that ſaying of Chryſoſtome, Chryſoſt. ad Pop. Antioch. Hom. 47. & in Mat. Hom. 24.viz. That the torments of a thouſand hells, if there were ſo many, come far ſhort of this one, to wit, to bee turned out of Gods preſence with a non novi vos, I know you not, Mat. 7. 23. The ſchools have long ſince concluded, that paena ſenſus, the pain of loſs, is far greater than paena damni, the pain of ſenſe: what a grief was it to Abſolon to ſee the Kings face clouded? and how ſadly was Eli and his daughter affected with the loſs of the Ark, which was but a teſtimony of Gods preſence? but Oh how much more is a Chriſtian affected and afflicted with the loſs of the face and favour of God? the remembrance of which makes his heart to melt, and his bowels to yearn towards thoſe whoſe Sun is ſet in a cloud.
Fifthly, Hereby the Lord will teach his people to ſet a higher price upon his face and favour, when they come to enjoy it. Cant. Auſtin ſaith, Lord, I am content to ſuffer any pains and torments in this world, if I might ſee thy face one day; at ſuch a rate did he prize the face of God.3. 4. It was but a little that I paſſed from them, but I found him whom my ſoul loveth; I held him, and I would not let him go, &c. No man ſets ſo high a price upon Chriſt, as hee that hath loſt him, and found him again. Jeſus in the China tongue ſignifies the riſing Sun, and ſo hee is, Mal. 4. 2. eſpecially to ſouls that have been long clouded. The poor Northern Nations in Strabo, who want the light of the Sun for ſome months together, when the tearm of his return approaches, they climb up into the higheſt mountains to ſpie it, and hee that ſpies it firſt was accounted the beſt and moſt beloved of God, and uſually they did chuſe him King; at ſuch a rate did they prize the return of the Sun: Ah! ſo it is with a poor ſoul, that for ſome months, years, hath been deſerted, Oh how highly doth hee prize and value the Sun of Righteouſneſs, his returning to him, and ſhining upon him! Pſa. 63. 3. Thy loving kindneſs is better than life, or better than lives, as the Hebrew hath it, divine favourChaimi. is better than life, it is better than life with all its revenues, with all its appurtenances, as honours, riches, pleaſures, applauſe, &c. yea it is better than many lives put together. Now you know at what a high rate men value their lives, they will bleed, ſweat, vomit, purge, part with an eſtate, yea with a limb, yea limbs, to preſerve their lives. As hee cried out, give mee any deformity, any torment, any miſery, ſo you ſpare my life. Now, though life bee ſo dear and precious to a man, yet a deſerted ſoul prizes the returnings of divine favour upon him, above life, yea above many lives; many men have been weary of their lives, as is evident in Scripture and Hiſtory; but no man was ever yet found that was weary of the love and favour of God; no man ſets ſo high a price upon the Sun, as hee that hath lain long in a dark dungeon, &c. But
Sixthly, Hereby the Lord will train up his ſervants in that precious life of faith, which is the moſt honourable, and the moſt happy life in all the world. 2 Cor. 5. 7. For wee walk by faith, and not by ſight. The life of ſenſe, the life of reaſon is a low life, a mean life; the life of faith is a noble life, a bleſſed life; when Eliſha demanded of the Shunamite2 King. 4. 15, 16 what hee ſhould do for her, whether hee ſhould ſpeak for her to the King, or the Captain of the Hoaſt? ſhe anſwered, I dwell among my people, that is, I dwell nobly and happily among my people, I have no need to make any ſute to King or Captain; and this ſhee accounts her great happineſs; and indeed it is the greateſt happineſs in this world to live much in the exerciſe of Faith; no man lives ſo free a life, ſo holy a life, ſo heavenly a life, ſo happy a life, as hee that lives a life of faith; by divine withdrawings the ſoul is put upon hanging upon a naked God, a nakedIſa. 50. 10 Chriſt, a naked Promiſe; Now, the ſoul is put upon the higheſt and the pureſt acts of Faith, viz. toChap. 63. 15, 16 cleave to God, to hang upon God, and to carry it ſweetly and obedientially towards God, though hee frowns, though hee chides, though hee ſtrikes, yea though hee kills. Thoſe are the moſt excellent andJob. 13. 15 Faith acts in the moſt kingly way when it hangs upon a killing God. heroick acts of faith that are moſt abſtracted from ſenſe and reaſon; hee that ſuffers his reaſon to uſurp upon his Faith, will never bee an excellent Chriſtian; Hee that goes to ſchool to his own reaſon, hath a fool to his ſchool-maſter, and hee that ſuffers his faith to bee overruled by his reaſon, ſhall never want woe, where reaſon is ſtrongeſt, faith uſually is weakeſt, but now the Lord by forſaking of his people for a time, hee makes them skilful in the life of faith, which is the choiceſt and the ſweeteſt life in this world. But
Seventhly, By divine withdrawingsPſal. 22. 1, 2 Chriſt was onelyonly forſaken in regard of his humane nature, not in reſpect of his Godhead. you are made more conformable to Chriſt your head and huſband, who was under ſpiritual deſertion as well as you, Mat. 27. 46. My God, my God, why haſt thou forſaken mee? There is an hidden Emphaſis in the Hebrew word, El ſignifies a ſtrong God, Eli, Eli, My ſtrong God, my ſtrong God; the unity of Chriſts perſon was never diſſolved, nor his graces were never diminiſhed; in the midſt of this terrible ſtorm, his faith fortifieth and ſtrengtheneth it ſelf upon the ſtrength of God; My God, my God; yet in reſpect of divine protection, and divine ſolace, hee was for a time forſaken of his Father▪ and if this bee thy caſe, thou art herein but made conformable to thy Lord and Maſter, nay, thou doſt but ſip of that bitter cup, of which Chriſt drank deep; thy cloud is no cloud to that which Chriſt was under. But
Eighthly and laſtly, By theſe tranſient and partial forſakings,Pſal. 71. 20, 21 the Lord will exceedingly ſweeten the clear, full, conſtant and uninterrupted injoyments of himſelf in Heaven to all his people. Ah! how ſweet and precious was the face and favour of the King to Abſalom, after hee had for a time been baniſhed, and at length reſtored to his royal favour again? Oneſimus departed from Philemon for aPhil. 15. ſeaſon, that he might receive him for ever: ſo the Lord departs from his people for a time, that they may receive him for ever; hee hides himſelf for a ſeaſon, that his conſtant preſence amongſt his children in glory, may bee th… more ſweet and delightful to them, &c.