Of Peace and Contentment of Mind, Book 3 · Chapter 17
CHAP. XVII. Of Confidence and Deſpaire.
OF theſe we need not ſay much, having ſpoken before of Hope and Feare, for confidence is the extremity of Hope, and Deſpaire is the extremity of Feare.
Confidence, which otherwiſe may be called a firme expectation, is a certainty that we conceive of a future deſired good, or of the love and fidelity of a perſon, whereby the heart is filled with joy and love.
Deſpaire is the certainty that the mind conceiveth of a future evill very odious, or of the enmity or infidelity of a perſon, whereby the heart is ſeized and in a manner ſqueazed with ſorrow and hatred.
Theſe Paſſions being ſo oppoſite yet ordinarily will paſſe the one into the other, I meane Confidence into Deſpaire; from Deſpaire to paſs to Confidence, it is rare. The ſureſt courſe to avoyd falling into Deſpaire for things of the world, is to put no great confidence in them: Moderate hopes being fruſtrated turne into moderate feares and ſorrowes. But a great and joyfull Confidence being diſappointed will fall headlong into extream and deſperate ſorrow, as they that tumble from a high precipice get a heavy fall.
One ſubject onelyonly is proper for mans entire Confidence which is God, all good, all mighty and all wiſe: Without him all things that men uſe to repoſe their confidence upon, are waves and quickſands. Men are mutable, and though they could give a good ſecurity for the conſtancy of their will, they can give none for the continuance of their life. The goods of the earth faile our expectation, or come ſhort of our ſatisfaction, or ſlip from our poſſeſſion. They will leave us, or we them. No wonder if they that repoſe their full and whole confidence in them are ſeene ſo often to fall into deſpaire. Here then the true counſell for tranquillity is to truſt wholly upon none but God; on other things according to their nature and capacity. They ſhall never deceive us if we require nothing of them above their nature.
There is a kind of Deſpaire improperly ſo called which is no more but to give over hoping a thing which upon our ſecond and better thoughts we have found either inconvenient or impoſſible. That Deſpaire will rather bring reſt then trouble to the mind. Wiſemen are pliable and eaſy to be ſatisfyed with reaſon. It is wiſedome to deſpaire and deſiſt betimes from unlikely and unfeaſable deſignes.
It is a true Deſpaire when one ſeeth himſelfe abſolutely diſappointed and excluded from the object of his chiefe love, deſire, & hope, at which the ſoul is ſmitten with ſuch a ſorrow that ſhe hates all things, yea the very thing that ſhe deſired ſo much, and herſelfe more; the ſmaller and unworthyer the object is, the more ſhamefull is the deſpaire about it, but in recompenſe it is more curable; For then one is eaſily brought to conſider in cold blood that the thing was not worthy either of his affliction or affection. But when the object is great and worthy, the deſpaire is more guilty and leſſe curable, Wherefore the worſt Deſpaire of all is when one deſpaireth of the grace of God ſo farre as to hate him, for nothing can be worſe then to hate the Soveraine good, onelyonly worthy to be beloved with all the ſoul.
Many diſtruſt the grace of God who are not therefore deſperate, though they think themſelves ſo to be. Let them aske of themſelves whether they hate God, and let them know that as long as a graine of Gods love remaines in them, there is together a graine of faith, though oppreſt and offuſcated by melancholy. For it is impoſſible that God ſhould be their enemy and their Soveraine evill, while they love him. To them this comfort is addreſt, Prov. 8.17. I love them that love me, and thoſe that ſeeke me early ſhall find me. And this likewiſe, 1 Joh. 4.19. We love him, becauſe he firſt loved us. If then we love him we muſt be ſure that he loveth us, and we muſt fight againſt the temptations of deſpaire, ſaying with Job, Though God ſtay me yet will I truſt in him. Job. 13.15. and with Iſaiah. Iſa. 25.9. Loe this is our God we have waited for him and he will ſave us; This is the Lord, wee have waited for him we will be glad and rejoyce in his ſalvation.
Confidence is good according to the goodneſſe of the ſubject that it repoſeth upon. Wherefore Confidence in God the only Soveraine good, perfect, ſolid, and immutable, is the beſt of all, and the onelyonly that can give aſſurance and content to the ſoul. He that is bleſt with that confidence is halfe in Paradice already: He is firme, ſafe, meek, ſerene, and too ſtrong for all his enemies: Pſal. 84.12. God is to him a Sunne to give him light, heate, life, and plenty of all goods; and a ſhield to gard him and ſhelter him from all evills: ver. 13. He gives him grace in this life, and glory in the next. O Lord of hoſts, bleſſed is the man that truſteth in thee.