The Spirit of Bondage and Adoption, Treatise 2 · Chapter 32
CHAP: XXXII. Seven other particulars of Advice in this caſe.
3 IF you find that you loſt it by ſuch or ſuch a miſcarriage of your own, you muſt ſpeedily labour by proceeding in an holy ſeverity againſt the Malefactor, to turn away wrath from you. The longer thou delayeſt, the harder it will be to recover the clear ſight of thy evidences when thou haſt ſuffered them to lye long under the dirt and duſt of ſuch ſinful pollutions. Take this courſe then.
1) Lament and bewaile both your loſſe, and the cauſe of it. When ſin provokes God to hide his face, there is a double cauſe of mourning. If a man could (notwithſtanding ſin) enjoy the ſmiles of Gods face, yet it is the duty of Gods Saints to mourn for ſin; and certainly the Saints never mourne more kindly then when the warm beams of Gods love diſtil the ſoul into tears (as they will do, and that upon this account, that it is a thing directly contrary to Gods holy nature and Law, and therefore diſpleaſing to him, though he do not alwayes teſtifie his diſpleaſure againſt it.) But now, when to this ſhall be added the actual manifestation of his high diſpleaſure in the turning away of his face from the ſouls of his dear Saints for its ſake; here certainly, their ſorrow hath a double occaſion, and they are inexcuſable, if they ſhall (in this caſe) rejoice as other people, Hoſ. 9. 1.
Thoſe perſons are vain talkers (as the Apoſtle ſpeaks, Tit. 1. 10.) who deny the Saints of God the exerciſe of ſo neceſſary an affection as godly ſorrow in ſuch a condition, which is (in effect) to expoſe them to a continual darkneſs & uncomfortableneſs under the abſence of God, ſeeing God hath profeſſed, that he will with-draw till men acknowledge their offence, Hoſ. 5. 15. and hath annexed comfort to a mourning condition, Mat. 5. 4. and promiſed to dwell with the contrite ſpirit, and to revive their hearts, Iſa. 57. 15. and 61. 2. and anointed his ſonne with the oyl of gladneſſe, in eſpecial manner, for the ſakes of them that mourn in Zion, and eſpecially confines his healing grace to brokenneſſe of heart, Iſai. 61. 1, 2, 3. putting ſo honourable a name upon it, as to own it for his chiefeſt, and moſt acceptable ſacrifices, yea to account it in ſtead of all other ſacrifices. For ſo the expreſſion imports, Pſal. 51. 17. Friends, will you lament the loſſe of your temporal evidences, and vex at your own folly in miſlaying them, or parting with them? and can you ſo eaſily bear the loſſe of eternal ones?
(2.) Repent, and do your firſt works. Except Apoc. 2. 5.the cauſe be removed, the effect will ſtill remain. Till the ſinne be removed for which God hath withdrawn himſelf, God will not returne. He that avoyds a place, becauſe of the infectious ayre, or any other inconveniency in his habitation there, will not (in reaſon) returne, till the cauſe of his removal be removed. If thou wilt have Gods face towards thee as at former times, thou muſt ſet thy face towards him as at former times. I have formerly enlarged upon that remarkable place, Jer. 31. 18, 19, 20. Where as ſoon as Ephraims heart turnes, Gods bowels are turned too. Is Ephraim a pleaſant child? &c. therefore my bowells are troubled for him, &c. It is no boot for men to bewail their loſſe, except they remove the ſinne that cauſeth it. God may ſay in this caſe as he did to Joſhua, Why lyeſt thou upon thy face? Iſrael Joſh. 7. 12.hath ſinned, and I will be with you no more, except you deſtroy the accurſed from among you. So he may ſay to thee, why doſt thou lye whining at my feet? Ʋp and deſtroy the accurſed thing, take away the ſinne that makes me leave my habitation, and I will return again: but till then I will not be drawn to rteurne by all thy prayers and tears. Mourning for ſinne, pleaſeth God no farther then it turns us from ſinne.
(3.) This and ſome other ſpecial duties, which may tend to Gods ſpecial glory, you may bind your ſelves to by vowes, Pſalm 51. 13.
4. But if you cannot finde any thing extraordinary in your ſelves (as to matter of ſinne) which may move God to withdraw, and the Spirit to detain from you the clear ſight of your evidences; it will yet be good to wait upon God in all duties of Religion with double diligence at ſuch a time, and to labour at adventure (in the exerciſe of thoſe duties) to affect your hearts with the farther ſenſe of your inclination to thoſe ſinnes which are more peculiarly hinted out to you before, as eſpecially active in procuring all ſuch ſad days to the people of God; to waite patiently upon God without thoſe uſual diſtempers of ſpirit, which oftentimes the people of God prolong their troubles by during this time of expectation.
5. Labour as much as poſſibly you can, to grow in ſelfe-abaſing humility, and an high prizing and pretious eſteem of Gods preſence, that thou maiſt thereby anſwer Gods expectation in his preſent cloudy walking towards thee, ſeeing perhaps he withdrawes his witneſſing ſpirit, meerely by way of prevention, as oft times he doth. God may fore-ſee the inclination of thy heart to ſpiritual pride, which thou doſt not ſee. God may foreſee that too much familiarity with him, may be apt to be anſwered with contempt on thy part; and if ſo, he may in pity and prudence withdraw the matter of ſuch a temptation before hand, as a Phyſician keeps that body low in fleſh, which he ſees inclined to evil humours, though it be not actually diſtempered by them. Now if thou cooperate with God in this deſigne (as poſſibly it may be this, he aimes at) ſurely thou wilt haſten thy deliverance from thy preſent darkneſs.
6. Labour to live by faith in the mean time. For (as I told you before in the directions to the getting of Aſſurance, ſo) I tell you now in the way of recovering loſt Aſſurance, the main work is to exerciſe an holy reliance upon God, in a condition ſo ſad and uncomfortable as this muſt needs be. This we find hath been the practice of the Saints of God in the like caſes, Pſal. 27. 13. David had been in a great ſtraight, not only in regard of his Excluſion from Ordinances, but even in the ſad concluſions which he drew thence, to the diſtempering of his ſpirit. See how he cloſeth all; I had fainted (ſaith he) except I had believed to ſee the goodneſſe of the Lord in the Land of the living. Job ſpeaks bigger words, Though hee kill me, I will truſt in him. Job 13. 15. q. d. Satan tels me, (and my own miſgiving heart many times ſeconds him) that theſe troubles will make an end of me, I ſhall never come alive out of them. Well (ſaith Job) be it ſo, lot him kill me if he will; if I were now a dying, and dropping into Hell, yet I will hold faſt for all that: he ſhall not be rid of me ſo. If I goe to hel, I'll pul him after. Our Saviour Chriſt alſo in his Agony, cryes, My God, though he were a forſaking God. This is a ſweet frame of Spirit, when God ſeemes to hold looſe, and man holds the faſter for it; God ſpurns at a poor ſoule, and he layes hold of his foot; God ſayes, Jacob, let me goe; and Jacob ſaith, no, I will not let thee goe▪ except thou bleſs me. Gen. 32. 26. The advice is plaine, Iſa. 50. 10. I urged this place before in the directions for procuring Aſſurance, and there told you that there is a parity of caſes, and ſo a proportion in the means which are to be uſed for recovery, in the ſoule that never had, and the ſoule that hath loſt aſſurance.
This muſt needs be a ſpecial way: For,
1. This frame of Spirit ſpeaks ſtrength of faith. A ſmall ſtrength will ſerve to hold one that is willing to ſtay, but when a ſtrong man putteth out all his ſtrength to wreſt himſelfe out of a friends importunate embraces, it had need be more ſtrength then ordinary that holds him, or fetcheth him back then. This is that by which the ſtrength of Abrahams faith is diſcovered (in another caſe:) he was (ſaith the Apoſtle) ſtrong in faith, [he was mightily enabled by faith] what to foreign.doe? to believe he ſhould have a Sonne when he was paſt all probable hopes of one. Rom. 4. 18, 19, 20. And thus it is in thee, it is an evidence of ſtrong faith, when thou canſt ſay, let my heart tell me never ſo much, God hath caſt me off, and there is no help for me in God; yet I will not let goe my confidence, and the hold that thereby I have upon him; here is ſtrong faith. See Mat. 15. 24, 25, 26. The womans faith was admired by Chriſt upon this account, that ſhe would play the dogg, and fall at his feet, when he rated her away. O woman (ſaith he) great is thy Faith. Perſons are apt to think that Aſſurance of Gods love, when a ſoule walks in the clear light of Gods countenance, and lives high thereupon, is a ſtrong faith. But, I tell thee friend, there is more ſtrength by far in that faith that depends upon God in darkneſſe and deſertion, that truſts when a man can ſee no light. The truth is, the life of Aſſurance is (in a ſort) a life of ſenſe and feeling, and it is rather a life above faith, a life of enjoyment. Faith is the evidence of things not ſeen, ſaith the author to the Hebrews, Heb. 11 1. Aſſurance (in proper ſpeech) is the firſt fruits of heaven, and it's life is a life of ſenſe and fruition, not of faith. As the Apoſtle ſaith of hope, in this Chapter, Hope that is ſeen, is not hope, ver. 24. So ſay I of faith; faith that is ſeen, is not faith. Faith is a friend made eſpecially for a time of diſtance between the ſoul and its comforts; and is appointed as a meanes to derive the benefit of them to the ſoul, during that ſtate of diſtance.
2 Beſides, 'tis no wonder if God be taken with the actings of faith in ſuch a ſeaſon, ſeeing ſtrength of faith gives glory to God. Rom. 4. 20. And he cannot long withdraw from a ſoul that ſo much glorifies him upon ſo little encouragement. I may ſay to thee as Chriſt to Thomas, Hold this courſe and thou art a bleſſed man. Others ſee, and believe. But bleſſed are they that have not ſeen, and yet believe. Joh. 20. 20.
3. Beſides, (laſtly) this frame of ſpirit muſt needs keep down many of thoſe murmuring, deſpairing, and (in a ſort) blaſphemous miſapprehenſions concerning God and his promiſes, which length of ſoul-troubles is apt to plunge a man into. And certainly, the leſſe iniquity there is breaking forth in our deſertions, the ſooner they will be over. Now faith, in ſuch a ſeaſon, maintaines good thoughts of God, and defends him, and takes his part againſt the calumnies of Satan. And God that ſees and knows this, (therefore) how can he but take this kindly? If an husband abſent himſelfe a while from a wife, and ſhe be ready, upon every whiſper of ſlanderous goſſips, to ſuſpect her husbands fidelity in his abſence, and give out ſpeeches tending that way, can it be expected that any husband ſhould take pleaſure in ſuch a wife? Wil he not rather chuſe to ſtay away ſtil, and be ſuſpected for ſomthing (as we ſay) rather then live under conſtant ſuſpicions for no cauſe? But when the heart of an husband may be ſecure of this, that his wife is confident of his faithfulneſſe, and her heart quietly reſts in him, abſent as well as preſent, let ſuſpicion ſuggeſt what it will, ſurely, he cannot but be exceeding tender of ſuch a wife, and much taken with her company. God ſees your jealouſies of him in darkneſſe, and obſerves how apt you are to cenſure him in his abſence. Doe not thinke this is the way to bring him back againe. He will make you entertain better thoughts of him, ere he returne.
Queſt. But how ſhall I exerciſe faith in deſertions? What ſhall I believe?
A. Believe (in general) moſt things that ſeem moſt contrary to thy preſent ſenſe, and moral probabilities. For in ſoul-troubles, the fancy is the principal part poſſeſt by diſtruſtful imaginations, and Satan in that, fortifies himſelfe againſt all the power of thoſe truths that might be means of conſolation to the ſoul. And therefore the way to get out of them, is to believe the quite contrary to thoſe apprehenſions which we are moſt apt to cloſe with.
More particularly.
(1) Believe this condition is good for thee; yea, ſo good, that thou mighteſt be much the worſe, if it were not for it. This is an hard matter to perſwade ſouls in ſuch a condition to believe. But the Scripture affirms it Rom. 8. 28.
(2) Believe that God loves thee never the worſe for this dealing with thee; that when he thruſts forth his foot to kick thee, he puts forth his hand to embrace thee; that when he calls thee dog, he owns thee for a ch…ld never the leſſe for that. This is an hard leſſon too, but take it from Heb. 12. 6.
(3) Believe, that if God could tell what other courſe to take to do thee good, he would not afflict thee this way. For (ſurely) as he doth not afflict willingly, Lam. 3. 33. and therefore forbears the rod altogether, till he cannot tell what to do more to do his people good, Jer. 9 7. So he never chuſeth one affliction before another, but upon the ſame exigency and neceſſity. And therefore believe this is the moſt proper Phyſick for thy conſtitution of all other, becauſe ſo wiſe and indulgent a Phyſician chuſeth it for thee.
(4) Believe that he will not hide himſelf from th… alwayes. I cannot tell how to commend to thee (abſolutely) a belief that hee will return to thee in this life, as formerly. Thou maiſt perhaps gheſſe whether he will or no, by the preſent ſtrong prejudices that Satan casts into thee againſt it; a diſtempered ſpirit, as thine is, is ſeldom ſtrongly poſſeſſed or haunted with a true fear; and therefore (as I ſaid before) cujus contrarium verum eſt, is a good rule for thee moſt commonly to judg by. That which Satan and thy own miſ-giving heart moſt ſtrongly endeavour to faſten upon thee, (if the Word do not clearly back it) 'tis ſafeſt to believe the contrary thereunto.
Thou mayſt gheſſe at it (alſo) by thy ends why thou deſireſt the light of Gods countenance here, which the more ſpiritual they are, and remote from ſelf, the more confident thou maiſt be of re-enjoying it here. Are thy ends theſe, that thou maiſt glorifie God more on this ſide the grave; ſtrengthen others by thy experiences, draw others to God by the diſcovery of the ſatisfactions that thou findeſt in his wayes? Theſe were Davids ends, and David recovered out of ſuch a condition as thou art in, by preſſing Gods return to him, upon theſe grounds, Pſal. 51. 12, 13, 14. And Hezekiah, Iſai. 38. 18, 19.
Thou maiſt gheſſe at it, by the judgments that carnal men make of thy condition: By the uſe that they are apt to make of thy troubles, to reproach Religion, or the like.
Bp thy freedom from notorious ſcandalous ſins ſince converſion.
By the ſtream of the prayers and deſires of the people of God for thee; God doth not uſually gratifie his enemies, or deny his friends in ſuch things as they put much weight on.
By the conſiderableneſſe of thy condition towards the furtherance of the peace or diſquiet of other Saints of God, who look upon thee as a blazing Star, portending ſome great thing or other towards them and their condition, and reſolve to judg of themſelves by thy caſe, &c.
But theſe things I look on as no ſufficient grounds of a particular faith in this thing. Neither do I know any Scripture that will bear the weight of ſuch a particular confidence, except with theſe limitations.
That if God ſee and judge that thy comfortable condition will be more for Gods glory, thy own good, and the ſpiritual benefit of others, it will returne again; otherwiſe thou haſt no ground to expect it, whatever grounds thou thy ſelfe haſt to think ſo. And this I affirm, becauſe it is a thing not abſolutely neceſſary to thy ſalvation, or Gods glory, or the good of others: he can carry thee to heaven in the dark, and work holy ends of his own upon others, out of it alſo, though thou dy without comfort.
And yet I muſt add, that divers of Gods Saints have been confident of this; as David Pſal. 27. 13. and 42. 5, 11. and 43. 5. I ſhall yet praiſe him who is the health of my countenance and my God. And the Church, Micah 7. 8, 9. When I fall I ſhall ariſe, he wil bring me forth to the light, and I ſhall behold his righteouſneſſe. Though (as to the grounds of that confidence) I confeſs I am ignorant.
And (let me adde once more that) there are Promiſes even in this thing, which (although we muſt interpret with the forementioned limitations, yet) may be great encouragements to us to ask in faith, and grounds upon which we may comfort our ſelves even in the preſent exigency with ſome intimations of an hope of releaſe. Iſai. 57. 16. is an excellent place, and hath relation to this life, becauſe of the reaſon that is annexed, I wil not contend for ever, lest the ſpirit ſhould fail before me, &c.
And laſtly, (let me add) Few of Gods Saints ſurely, have dyed without ſenſible returnes of Gods love and favour to their ſoules, in ſome competent meaſure, enough to beare up their ſouls againſt deſolating tentations.
But (however) ſuppoſe thou have no certain ground to believe a returne of comfort here; yet believe that thou ſhalt ſee his face in glory hereafter, and that no troubles ſhall be able to ſeparate from Gods love, though they may from the ſenſe of his love, Rom. 8. 35, 38, 39. And eternity of enjoyment is a duration large enough to make up the want of God here.
(5) Believe, that the likeliest time of reenjoyment of his countenance, is, when thou art moſt in danger of being ſwallowed up of deſpair. And truly; when the violence of temptation doth moſt importunately put the ſoul upon deſperate thoughts, againſt all the ſtrength of Meditation, prayer, reſolutions to the contrary, then is deliverance at hand. Cum duplicantur lateres, venit Moſes, ſay the Rabbins; Moſes, the Deliverer, comes when the Iſraelites bricks are doubled. Mans extremity fits God with the beſt opportunity, to advance his own glory in his deliverance. In the Mount of the Lord it ſhall be ſeen, Gen. 22. 14.
Object. True (may a ſoul ſay) a man that can yet lay claim to God, may believe all theſe things, and rely upon them: but how ſhall a ſoul act faith in ſuch a condition, that questions his intereſt, as much as ever he did; ſuch an one as is beaten off from daring to lay any claim to God at all?
Anſ. This is a weighty Queſtion, and therefore I muſt not let it go without an anſwer. And the Anſwer is briefly this, Suppoſe that thou art Godleſſe (as yet) in all thy ſoul troubles; (take (for once) the divels ſuggeſtion, and thy own hearts deceitful colluſion for true) and what then? Are there no encouragements given to perſons that want a preſent intereſt in God? How comes any (then) to get an intereſt in God? Is it not by laying hold on him under ſome Scripture encouragement? The abſolute promiſes (as we uſually call them) of the firſt grace and acceptance in Chriſt, belong to any that can lay hold of them. Friend, begin again, and lay hold upon ſuch Promiſes as thou didſt at firſt faſten upon, and do not let them go. And never diſpute whether thou haſt an intereſt or no: But if thou think thou haſt not, labour to get an Intereſt by laying hold on them. Tell Satan and thy deceitful heart, that God never ſayes, I will give a new heart to you, provided you be in Chriſt; or I will give you Chriſt, upon condition you be firſt in Chriſt. Were not this an abſurd condition? Were it not a contradiction? Doth Chriſt ſay, Whoever comes to me, I will in no wiſe caſt out; (that is) if he be in me before he comes?
Object. Yea, but thou wilt ſay, All theſe Promiſes are conditioned by Gods Decree of Election; and if I be not in Chriſt (by Election at leaſt) none of them belong to me.
Anſw. True; that is, thou ſhalt never have the
1. Real and actual benefit of them. None can have grace, but whom God hath given to Chriſt. As many (and as many only) as the Father hath given to Chriſt, ſhall come to him, Joh. 6. 37. But yet thou haſt a Legal Right, ſuch a right as will ground a plea in the Court of Heaven, from the general Termes in which they are delivered; and thou canſt not exclude thy ſelf, nor can the Devil or thy own miſgiving heart exclude thee juſtly, except thou or he could ſee Gods book of Life and Death. Plead then the Plea God hath put into thy mouth, and in ſo doing God will ſhew thee thy intereſt in them from eternity, by giving thee aſſurance of thy preſent actual title to them, in his own time and way.
2. The decree of Election is the Divels uſual common place, whence he draws his moſt effectual Arguments of trouble and diſquiet to the Saints of God. And thou may'ſt (if by no other mark) diſcover the roaring Lyon by his paw, in this common beaten path, and haunt of his. And ſo much the more palpably is he to be diſcovered, by the peremptorineſs of his ſuggeſtions in this kind: when ever you find your ſelves under a ſtrong and preremptory perſwaſion of your non-election you may be aſſured, the Devill hath an hand in it. Becauſe the Spirit of God never peremptorily diſcovers to any man his reprobation. For if he ſhould, he would defeat his own ordinances and motions upon the hearts of ſuch men, and by conſequence be the proper Author of all ſuch ſinne, as is the proper iſſue of ſuch a deſperate concluſion.
7. Ceaſe diſputing over thy evidences, and turn diſputing into praying. The longer thou diſputeſt in this caſe the more thou wilt entangle thy ſelf. Hardly ever did a ſoul in deſertion, recover his aſſurance, by diſputing over his evidences. Satan is ſo ſubtile a Diſputant, that he will perplex an Argument, when it is cleareſt. He is a juggler, that can caſt a miſt before the eyes of Saints many times, even by clear day-light, much more can he do it by candle-light or ſtar-light. But of this more hereafter.
8. Set upon a ſerious endeavour of advancing in holyneſſe. If thou canſt not enjoy the face of God, yet, in his abſence, make much of his picture; follow the work of mortifying corruptions, and growing in grace. It is true, it is an hard matter to make any conſiderable progreſſe in holineſſe, as to the practice and exerciſe thereof, in a day of deſertion: but a man may grow in the principles and grounds from whence holineſſe is derived into the practice.
A man may fortify his reſolutions, and lay new engagements upon his heart to the practiſe of holineſſe, when God ſhall give him enlargement.
A man can do little work in the night, yet he may contrive and methodize his work, and conſider, and reſolve what to do, when the day appears. And God will the ſooner come again, when he finds there is ſo much preparation made for him. When David had ſet his heart and houſe in readineſſe, Pſalm 101. he expects a viſit from God. O when wilt thou come to me! ver. 2.
Gods promiſe herein may be our encouragement. To him that ordereth his converſation aright, will I ſhew the ſalvation of God. Pſ. 50. ult.
9. (And laſtly) be induſtrious in comforting others. In diſcourſes with others under ſoul-troubles, labour always to defend Gods cauſe againſt Satans. See what thou canſt …ay to others, on Gods behalfe; how thou canſt anſwer their objections, ſatisfie their doubts, encounter their tentations. As he that teache…h another, teacheth himſelfe; ſo he that ſupporteth, comforteth another, may find himſelf ſupported with his ſupports, and comforted with his comforts ere he is aware.
Thoſe doubts and objections, which are ſeemingly unanſwerable, when a man deales with them in his own heart, wil appear many times very ſlight and inconſiderable, when urged by another. We are all apt to admire that in our ſelves which we ſlightly eſteem in others, from ſelf-love: and are no leſſe apt to terrifie our ſelves with thoſe fancies which we eaſily ſee to be ridiculous in others, through the confuſion of our ſpirits, and the miſt that Satan caſts before our eyes. Now when a ſoul finds that pleading for God againſt his own doubts in another, He is able to deal with them ſuccesfully; hee will ſee cauſe to reflect upon himſelf; and ſay, Why ſhould not I yeild to the evidence of that Truth, which I expect ſhould ſatisfy another? Why ſhould not I follow mine own counſell? Why ſhould I not conquer Satan in mine own, as well as anothers behalf? If I expect the cordialls I adminiſter to another, ſhould cure mine own diſtemper in him, why ſhould I not try their efficacie upon my ſelf, in the ſame caſe? Theſe directions being duly followed, will (in Gods time) recover thee that Aſſurance, which Satan, or thine own corruption, and Gods juſt diſpleaſure have deprived thee of. And thus much for the ſecond Theſis.