Comfort and Counsel for Dejected Souls, Section 2 · Chapter 17 – Chapter 20
CHAP. 17.
Cure for ſoules dejected about the Covenant of Grace.
I Said, that ignorance of the Covenant of Grace, was likewiſe a cauſe (and a chiefe cauſe) of Spirituall dejection; and therefore I hinted in the uſe of the firſt Section advice to ſtudy it; I ſhall briefly offer ſomething to this here, for many times dejected ſoules cry out, They are, and may be well caſt downe, for alas they are not in that Covenant. Cauſe.Were I in the Covenant of Grace (cryes the dejected ſoule) I could rejoyce, but alas, I doubt it, and therefore I am dejected. Alas, I finde many things in that Covenant promiſed, which indeed I could wiſh; but alas! I want, and how can I thinke I am in the Covenant, when I have not the things promiſed in it in my owne ſoule, &c. But let me intreat thee a little to conſider theſe particulars in order,Cure. to cure this cauſe of thy dejection.
Firſt, The things of the …ovenant are not wrought all together; there are many particulars promiſed, as feare, new ſpirit, tender heart, &c. each of which is wrought in its time and order. It is true, the generall root of all theſe is given to the ſoule, viz. The Divine nature; but yet the particular branches ſpring up in their ſeaſon. Thou wouldeſt ſee all (O ſoul) but thou muſt ſtay the time, and thou ſhalt.
Secondly, Neither is any one particular perfectly wrought at once; a ſoft heart is a thing wrought by degrees, and to have the Law written in our hearts is buſineſſe of time; it is a long Copy, which Chriſts Spirit is writing a long time: As we are alway learning, ſo that is alway writing. Thou (O poore ſoule) wouldeſt have all together, and at once, and in truth who would not be glad (if it might be) to have it ſo; but we muſt wait, for this worke is not the buſineſſe of a day, but of our whole life.
Thirdly, Chriſt knowes who are in Covenant though we doe not; He is the Mediator of it, and he may ſee, and know that thou art in that Covenant, though thou doe not. The Father, who hath made a Purchaſe in his owne name, and his Childes, may, and doth know the Childe to be in the writing, though the Childe doe not: Chriſt your Father made the Covenant (in the purchaſe of his Bloud) on your behalfe, and ſo knowes thy name to be in it, though thou cannot ſee, nor read it there, by reaſon of thy infant age, and condition of Childe-hood. But,
Laſtly, Suppoſe it as thou feareſt, take hold of the Covenant now.
1 It is a free Covenant, reached out to poore ſinners upon tearmes of grace, Free Grace, rich grace, and not upon workes, or qualifications: It promiſeth all things, but it requires nothing but acceptance.
2 It is a full Covenant; it extends to all ſinnes, originall, actuall, great, little; to ſins of ignorance and infirmity; to ſins of preſumption and obſtinacy.
I ſay therefore, Ariſe (O caſt-down ſoule) God in the Covenant of Grace calls to rebels, and ſaith, Let them take hold of my ſtrength, that they may make peace with me, & they ſhal, Eſa. 27.5. He calls every one to come, to incline his eare, and ſaith, Hee'l make an everlaſting Covenant with them, even the ſure mercies of David, Iſa. 55.1, 2. It may be thou thinkeſt that thou haſt ſtood out too long. (It is true, a day is too long to be out of Covenant with God) but yet it is not now too late. To day if you will heare his voyce; O therefore cloſe with the Covenant now, and doe not lye caſt downe, and dejected with feares, that thou art out: But ariſe, and come in, for now (in theſe Goſpel times) even the Strangers, and Eunuch (debard in the times of the Law from the Congregation) are invited to take hold of the Covenant, and there are promiſes to this purpoſe made unto them in Eſa. 56. to which place I referre thee for a further cure in this caſe.
CHAP. 18.
Cure for Soules caſt downe upon indiſpoſition to duties.
INdiſpoſition unto good duties is oftentimes a cauſe of dejection;Cauſe. and by reaſon of it ſome are caſt downe, as conceiving it inconſiſtent with a life of grace, and acceptation with God.
Now to cure this, I ſhall apply theſe particular Plaiſters.
Firſt, Life and indiſpoſition may conſiſt together; Cure.Every living man is not lively alway: Even the Spouſe of Chriſt was ſometimes aſleep, Cant. 5.2. Even David himſelfe cryes out of ſtraitneſſe of heart. It is poſſible thy ſoule may ſometimes be as a Ship at Sea, without a full and freſh gale; I may ſpeake it I thinke, as an univerſall truth; Never was any Saint diſpoſed to duties at all times alike; and why ſhouldeſt thou be caſt downe at the common Lot, and condition of all Chriſtians?
Secondly, It is a mercy thou art not quite dead to duty. Many a ſoule is ſtarke dead to prayer, ſtarke dead to the Word, &c. and it is Free Grace, thou art at worſt but indiſpoſed, better is the crawling Snaile then the dead Elephant; And it is a more bleſſed ſtate to be a creeping worme (though with much indiſpoſition) in the way of duty and life; then a skipping heart (though with much agility) in the way of ſinne and death.
Thirdly, Though thy indiſpoſedneſſe be ſad, yet thy trouble for this is ſweet. Note.Bleſſed is the ſoule that mournes for diſpoſition to evill, and indiſpoſition to good. Time was, when thou couldeſt live, and not be troubled at a totall neglect of duty; it is a mercy that now thou loveſt it ſo well, as that thou art grieved that thou canſt doe it no better. But,
Fourthly, Conſider thy acceptance with God doth not depend upon thy doing of duty, nor upon thy livelineſſe and diſpoſition in doing; no, it depends ſolely upon his grace. You are accepted in the beloved, as it is in that precious place, Eph. 1.6. Both thy perſon (notwithſtanding its faults) and thy performances (notwithſtanding their failings) are alwayes accepted in Chriſt, he hath made us accepted in the beloved; marke it, it is not thou, but God that makes thee (I ſay, MAKES thee) not thy ſelfe that makeſt thy ſelfe accepted; yea, and this is in the Beloved (not in our duties, or diſpoſitions) but in the BELOVED, i. e. in Chriſt Jeſus. I tell thee, poore ſoule, couldeſt thou doe well, and with never ſo much life and diſpoſition out of Chriſt, it were nothing. And contrary, though thy doings be poore, thy diſpoſition poore, all poore, yet thou and all thine are accepted IN THE BELOVED.
Fifthly, It is the office of Chriſt to preſent all thy performances to God, and to procure acceptation in his bloud. He takes away all thy failings, and indiſpoſitions, and he preſents all to the Father well.Minde this. Duties goe never from Saints to God as they come out of their owne hands, but as they goe through Chriſts.
Laſtly, Chriſt (O dejected ſoule) will cure thy indiſpoſedneſſe; Hee'l inlarge thy heart, and inliven thy ſpirit, and then ſhalt thou not only walke, but run the way of his Commandements, when he ſhall inlarge thy heart, as it is, Pſal. 119, 32. The Spirit is a Spirit of life, power, ſweetneſſe, inlargement, and this Spirit he hath promiſed.
So that theſe things ſucked by meditation may afford cure, and comfort to thee (O dejected ſoule) who art caſt downe under the ſence of indiſpoſition to duties.
CHAP. 19.
Cure for Soules caſt downe upon want of incomes.
BUt alas, ſayes ſome other ſoule! I doe, but in vaine; I doe not complaine of indiſpoſition to (though I might urge that) but of want of income in duty. Cauſe.See the thing as it is ſtated, Sect. 1. cap. 9. I confeſſe, it is ſad to be as the parched ground, alway gaping, and never to have drops from above. Cure.But yet (O ſoule) let me intreat thee to minde a few things in this caſe.
Firſt, Divine income is not alway the ſame; Peradventure thou haſt not ſo much now as formerly, it may be ſo; for,
Firſt, God gave thee much at firſt to incourage thee, as a beginner; which he doth not alway to all. Vſually, it is in Gods Houſe as it is in ours, at firſt comming of a Servant, the Maſter is a little more familiar then afterward. At firſt comming God might give much to welcome thee, and to ingage thee, but now thou haſt been long in his houſe, he mindes thee as much as formerly, though he hint it not ſo often. Beſides,
Secondly, God may with-hold incomes to try thee, whether thou ſerveſt him for LOVE, or for the LOAVES: Many ſerve Chriſt not for himſelfe, but for themſelves; rather for the penny of income, then for reſpect to him. Now Chriſt may with-hold incomes to try thee, and therefore be not caſt downe for want of them, leſt thou give him ground to ſuſpect thee; but conſider,
Secondly, It is Chriſts Prerogative (if he will uſe it) to make us ſerve for nothing. The Pſalmiſt ſpeakes it to the Kings Daughter, of Chriſt, He is thy Lord, and worſhip thou him, Pſal. 45.11. He muſt be worſhipped as a Lord, becauſe of his greatneſſe, though hee ſhould not give any income, or wages. Yet,
Thirdly, He doth waite to give income in its ſeaſon. There are times when incomes will be moſt ſweet, and Chriſt doth waite for thoſe times: Chriſt ſaid to his Mother, Woman, what have I to doe with thee, Joh. 2. He knew there would by and by be a fitter ſeaſon to doe that which ſhe deſired, then at that time; your time (ſaid Chriſt) is alwayes, my time is not yet come, as it is, Job. 7, 6. O remember (dejected ſoule) Chriſt waites to be gracious; his income ſhall be when fitteſt for thee.
Fourthly, It will argue a choyce frame of ſpirit in thee (and therefore I mention it, to preſſe it on thee) to doe duty, notwithſtanding thou want income. To worke without wages, argues a love to the Maſter we work for; a mercinary ſpirit wil doe for pay, but a gracious childe-like ſpirit will pay its ſelfe in its doing, and continue praying, hearing, receiving, &c. even without any income. But,
Laſtly, To cure thy dejected ſoule, who art troubled for want of income; Know, that in Heaven thou ſhalt have income for all. The Maſter called the Servants at the evening, and gave then, to each his penny. O conſider thou ſhalt ere long have income to the full, when thou ſhalt enter into thy Maſters joy; when thou ſhalt reſt from thy labours, thy income ſhall follow thee; when thou ſhalt come to Abrahams boſome (and there thou ſhalt come, dejected ſoule, as poore a Lazarus, as thou art) then thou ſhalt have every prayer, every ſigh, every groane come to remembrance, and ſay, now thou haſt all that which we went out for.
Rouſe up therefore, O caſt-downe ſoule, God is a good Maſter, you ſhall not labour in vaine: Be not dejected, but be ſtedfaſt, unmoveable, alway abounding in the worke of the Lord, for as much as you know your labour is not in vaine in the Lord, as tis, 1 Cor. 15. laſt. why then ſhould you be caſt downe for lacke of income.
CHAP. 20.
Cure for Soules caſt downe upon inſultation of Satan and enemies.
I Remember another cauſe I mentioned of dejections, was the inſultation of Satan and enemies; many ſoules are dejected at this, that Satan (and his inſtruments triumph over, as it is at large ſhewed before.
Now to cure and comfort thoſe,Cure. let me intreate dejected ſoules to minde, and remember theſe inſuing things.
Firſt, Satan will inſult without ground: Hee'l ſay to David, Where is his God, and hee'l but if to Chriſt, concerning his being the ſonne of God. Sathan is an impudent enemy, who will bragge, and triumph againſt a ſoule for nothing. It is the nature of a Dogge to barke, a Lion to roare,Woolfe. a Wolfe to howle; and it is the nature of Sathan to inſult: Be not therefore caſt downe at it.
Secondly, Though Sathan inſults, Chriſt is a friend, and loves us ſtill; even at that time that Sathan inſulted, and buffeted Paul, Chriſts grace was ſufficient. Should the Childe be caſt down for the inſulting of the Groome, or the Scullion, when he is beloved of his Father, as his Heire? What, though Satan ſay, Where is thy God, thy hope, &c. mayeſt not thou (O ſoule) ſay, My God, and hope is in Heaven ſtill. All the Devils in Hell, and men on earth, ſhall never, can never ſeperate between thee and thy God; neither Principalities, nor Powers, nor Life, nor Death, nor any thing can ſeparate, &c. Triumph (O ſoule) in that, Rom. 8.35.37. though Sathan inſult, be not thou caſt downe.
Thirdly, The time ſhall come, when thou ſhalt tread upon thy inſulting enemy, and when he ſhall be aſhamed for all his inſultations. Remember (O caſt downe ſoule! (the God of peace will (though thou canſt not) and that ſhortly, tread downe Sathan under your (even thy) feet, Rom. 16.20. Chriſt will take thee by the hand, and owne thee in the preſence of God, Angels and men, yea and Devills too; And then thy enemy (Sathan) ſhall ſee, who ſaid where is thy God, even then he ſhall ſee thy God as thine, and be confounded for all his inſultation over thee.
Laſtly, (for wicked men,) who now it may be deride and ſcoffe at thee, be not dejected for them. Becauſe the day will come when they will wiſh they were as thou art. When they ſhall as much admire at thy happineſſe, and wiſdome, as now they ſleight thy ſtate, and thoughts; when God ſhall bring thee forth to light, and thou ſhalt behold his righteouſneſſe. Then ſhall all thy enemies ſee it, and be aſhamed, which ſaid where is the Lord thy God; Then ſhall they licke the duſt like a Serpent, and ſhall fear, not only becauſe of the Lord our God, but alſo becauſe of thee, as it is in that Excellent Scripture. Mich. 7.9.10.17. which ſcripture if thou read ſeriouſly and act faith upon. I dare aſſure thee of cure for this cauſe of dejection: viz. inſultation of Sathan and enemies.