The Spirits Touchstone, Part 9
The times wherein the Spirits teachings are moſt manifeſt.
1. In times of affliction thou art moſt of all ſenſible of the teachings of the Spirit upon thy heart. In themſelves they manifeſt nothing to the ſoul but the diſpleaſure of an angry Judge, intending to deſtroy them; but the Spirit concurring along with them, and ſhewing us the minde and will of God, they are precious cordials and purgations for the ſinne of our ſouls. If afflictions could make us hearken to the voice of God, and ſavingly inſtruct us and teach us thoſe things which concern our everlaſting peace, why do not many wicked wretches who live under the ſcourge of the Almighty all their daies? who have one wave of affliction after another upon them, learn obedience by the rod, and underſtand the minde and intent of God. Afflictions in themſelves are neither good nor evil, but accordingly as they are improved by us through the help of the Spirit according to the will of God. Now although the Spirit hath written the things of God long before upon our hearts, yet the manifeſtation of thoſe things moſt of all is apparent to us, when God doth inſtruct us by his rod, together with his Spirit, that thoſe graces which for a long time were not diſcerned by us, being preſſed down by affliction, may ſend forth a precious ſmell in the noſtrils of our God, and to the ſenſe of others. We learn by afflictions; 1. To ſee thoſe things which we never perceived to be in us before, to wit, the actings of divine grace in us, ſupporting us and carrying us along chearfully through this valley of Baca; and the actings of our ſpirit towards God again in way of filiall affection, and ſon-like obedience under his hand, being taught by the Spirit what the mind of God is concerning them. As no man knoweth the vileneſs of his heart, till God is pleaſed to let Satan have his liberty to tempt him, and his own hearts luſts to draw him aſide: So none can know the prevailings of grace upon his own heart, and the efficacy of divine teachings, and the triall and experience of thoſe things which are written upon his heart till God ſhall bring him under the fiery triall. The Spirit hath taught us that all truſt and confidence is to be repoſed in God alone, becauſe God alone is able to deliver us, and that we may thereby be quit and ſet free from all thoſe diſtracting fears which do moleſt us: Pſal. 37.5. Commit thy waies unto the Lord, that thy thoughts may be eſtabliſhed. Now our confidence in God is then moſt of all exerciſed, when all other props and ſtaies do fail us, and we caſt our ſelves under the arms of Almighty God. We know not our own ſtrength againſt the temptations of ſinne and Satan, that we are fortified with the whole armour of God,Epheſ. 6. to wit, the ſhield of faith, the helmet of hope, the breaſtplate of righteouſneſs, the ſword of the Spirit, the Spirit of prayer and ſupplication, the inward ſupport and aid of the Spirit of God, and the continuall prayers of Jeſus Chriſt interceding for us at the right hand of his Father, that our graces fail not in the hour of tribulation, till God ſhall ſmite us with his rod. By afflictions the teachings of the Spirit of God upon our hearts are moſt known to others.Rev. 14.12. Here we may reade the patience of the Saints, the ſincerity of their hearts, the power of divine grace, and the ſweetneſs of the comforts of the Spirit upon their hearts, when we ſee them cheerfully, willingly, and joyfully ſubmitting themſelves to the good pleaſure of God. 2. By afflictions we are more and more acquainted with the evil nature of ſinne which hath brought ſuch afflictions upon us, with the holineſs of God which cannot away with ſinne and ſinners, and with the exact juſtice of God againſt it, in ſo ſeverely puniſhing of it, with the benefit that comes by ſeeking Gods face, and by walking up to the light which God hath put within us. 3. The Spirit of God is very active upon the hearts of believers at ſuch a time, in rooting out the remainders of originall corruption, and in the exciting of thoſe things which he hath put within them.
2. Near the time of death. Sweet have been the diſcoveries of Gods Spirit upon the hearts of his children when they have been near the time of their diſſolution, for theſe reaſons.
1. Becauſe near ſuch a time Satan and all our ſpirituall enemies will muſter up all their aſſaults to weaken a believers faith, hope and confidence in God, eſpecially when the believer hath been a hainous ſinner formerly, and after his converſion hath fallen into ſome groſs ſinne to the wounding of his own conſcience, and to the quenching of the bleſſed Spirit for a time, though the ſin is done away by the blood of Jeſus Chriſt, and the pardon of it ſealed by the teſtimony of the Spirit, yet the devil will be pudling in this old ſore, and perſwading him to the contrary, telling him that his converſion was never reall, becauſe ſince he hath fallen ſo foully in the fleſh. The devil tempted Chriſt when he was near the time of his ſuffering, to drive him from his hope and confidence in God his Father. Saith Chriſt, The Prince of this world cometh and hath nothing in me. Joh. 14.30Chriſt was perfectly holy, ſo that no temptation could take hold of him to overcome him,☞ or to taint him with the leaſt ſinne. But we poor creatures, when the devil comes to tempt us, have ſomething in us, we have a great deal of unbelief abiding in us, we have a body of ſinne and of death, and hereupon our bullwarks would eaſily fall, our confidence in God would eaſily give place to unbelief, were not the Spirit of God which is in us, ſtronger than him who by way of eminency is in the world, 1 Joh. 4.4.to wit, the devil. Now God on the other ſide fils a believer with continuall freſh and renewed ſupplies of his Spirit, and with new experiences of his love unto him, bringing unto his remembrance all former loving kindneſſes paſt between God and his ſoul, what a great work was wrought upon him in the work of converſion? what various diſpenſations of Gods providence he hath undergone, and all to the benefit of his precious ſoul: what heavenly Soliloquies have been between God and his ſoul in private Prayer and heavenly Meditations, what reiterated conqueſts he hath had over his domineering luſts, and what ſpiritual wiſdome to diſcern the ſleights of the Devil! How often he hath had the witneſs of the ſpirit upon his heart, though for a ſeaſon the ſpirit hath withdrawn its teſtimony! What groans and ſighs, and daily complaints under the ſenſe of the burden of his ſins! What change hath been wrought upon him conſidering his vain converſation while he was in the fleſh, what experimental truths, both Theoretical and Practical for the eſtabliſhment of his ſoul in grace, have been imparted unto him, and what future hopes of glory he hath enkindled in his breſt by the operation of the ſpirit, that ſo his faith and hope might be in God alone at the hour of death!
2. To expreſs thoſe fears which are within us ariſing from that original corruption, and from that unbelief which is in the beſt of Gods ſervants, which do moſt of all ſhew themſelves at ſuch a time. A believers fears are commonly more then his hopes, when the hopes of a wicked man, and of a preſumptuous ſinner overcome all his fears. Fear it is a diſtracting paſſion filling the minde with a multitude of trembling, amazing, aſtoniſhing, tumultuating, perplexing thoughts that a true childe of God many times is in great doubts when he comes to dye; but yet the ſpirit of God will bring in at ſuch a time, ſuch ſweet experiences of Gods love to his ſoul, of what God hath done for him, that though he may not have the full aſſurance of faith which is without any doubting at all, yet he ſhall have ſufficient motives and encouragements to keep him, as from ſinking and deſpair, and upon firme grounds to repoſe himſelf in God for ſalvation upon the account of Jeſus Chriſt. Perfect love caſteth out all ſlaviſh fear, and when once the ſoul is well grounded in this principle, that God loved him in Chriſt before the foundation of the world, of which love he hath had ſome foretaſts thereof by the earneſt of his ſpirit in his heart, there is no ground left for deſpair, but for a firme belief that God is his, and he is Gods; God keepeth his ſtrongeſt arguments to oppoſe the greateſt conflicts.