A Scripture-Map of the Wilderness of Sin, Treatise · Part 2 · Chapter 23
CHAP. XXIII. Two farther particulars, dark providences on Gods part, and backſlidings on our parts, darkning our comforts; as alſo two particulars darkning our graces.
THe ſecond ſort of after-converſion darkneſſes, is,2. Dark providences as to our outward man. Darke Providences, as to our outward man, and hence we are many times bewildred, and at a loſs, as to our inward. As they (that I ſpake of) were found deſpairing before converſion, ſo theſe repining after converſion, if God lead us into a Land of ſeeming darkneſſe, it will be to us a wilderneſſe, Ier. 2.32. Surely ſaith the ſoul, I have been but deluded in ſpirituals, to think that God would ſave my ſoule, for in naturals I am at a great ſtraight, and God doth not provide for my body. If he loved me, he would never keep me ſo low, he would never ſo afflict me. Now this is Darkneſſe, for ſaith Divinitie, If he ſhould not afflict thee, ſurely he doth not love thee. Such a darke cloud of providence in Jobs outward Eſtate, makes him at a loſs for his inward hope. Hear his language, Iob. 19.8. He hath fenced up my way that I cannot paſſe, he hath ſet darkneſſe in my paths: that's the darkneſſe that I now ſpeak of, for verſ. 9. He hath Stript me of my glory; and what of that? why verſ. 10. Mine hope hath he removed: when his outward glory, his attyring glory, (for ſaith he) He hath ſtript me) is loſt, his inward hope is loſt too, becauſe his enjoyment of earth is gone for the preſent, he is at a loſſe for the hope of heaven, &c. And this is our very uſual and bewildering darkneſſe, to meaſure and account Gods inward love or hatred, from what providentiall dealing outwardly is before us, but no man knowes it thereby, Eccle. 9.4.
Gods chaſtiſements then to Gods own children,Gods chaſtiſements on his Saints, a cloud, a dark cloud. are Clouds ſo full of darkneſſe, that they are often bewildred as to Gods Inward favour, and the light of his countenance, (which they have ſometimes accounted better then life) that ſun ſets in this cloud. A cloud it is, and a dark one too, under which (without great wiſdome from above) we may ſadly loſe our ſelves, as to our comforts. But Gods chaſtiſements to his people in their owne nature are, (and ſo doth God intend them) onelyonly as Iſraels Cloudy pillar in their Wilderneſſe. 'Twas very dark, but verie uſefull. 1. For Protection. 2. For Guidance. But
1. A protecting Cloud.1. This is a darke, but a protecting Cloud. God makes thoſe providences ſerve to keepe his Saints, wherein they thinke they ſhall be loſt; what dark thoughts have many of the Saints of God had, of that authoritie and power (as if all ſhould be undoubtedly loſt under it) which God hath made our protection hitherto? croſſe providences frequently keep us out of danger. As when your child is croſt in bringing of it in from under the horſes heels, or like danger in the ſtreets. It's good for me, ſaith David, That I have been afflicted. That is, It would have been worſe, if it had not been ſo bad. It's better to be poor and godly, then to be rich and proud, by the dark cloud of poverty, God protects them from the danger of pride and vanity, &c.
2. A directing Cloud.2. Gods chaſtiſements are a darke, but a guiding Cloud, and ſuch was that to Iſrael. And my Brethren, no matter how darke it be, if God by it point thee to thy way; this is the very uſe of Gods darkeſt diſpenſations to his deare ones, Pſa. 119.67. Before I was afflicted, I went aſtray, but now I have learnt thy precepts. No matter how black the Rod be, by which thy guide points out thy way.
3. Dark backſlydings.3ly. The Third ſort of bewildring darkneſſes after converſion, are from our partiall apoſtacie, and wretched back-ſlydings. In this darke we loſe our comforts. No ſooner doth Satan turne us aſide, but he bewilders us; he turns us aſide from holineſſe, and bewilders us as to comforts. For my part, I judge it impoſſible for any, even for any Saint to maintaine ſpiritual comfort, in turning aſide to a carnal converſation. If you will adventure into the dark of ſinne, you ſhall be loſt ſadly (though not finally) in the dark of ſorrow, Mich. 7.8, 9. When I fall, I ſhall ariſe, when I ſit in darkneſſe, the Lord ſhall be a light unto me: I will beare the indignation of God, becauſe I have ſinned againſt him. From hence you may obſerve thus much.
1. That the back-ſlydings, or fall of Saints, ſhall not be unto death, as the ſinnes of the wicked, I mean to death eternall.
2. But yet if they will dare to ſinne, they ſhall find darkneſſe wherein they may fall.
3. Yea, and if they fall into ſinne, they ſhall ſit, (that is) continue ſome ſad ſeaſon in the darke, and bear (not onelyonly feel) the indignation of the Lord.
4. But at length, God ſhall plead the cauſe of ſuch a ſoule, and he ſhall bring it forth unto the light, and it ſhall behold his righteouſneſſe yet againe, ſo ſaith the 9th verſ. ſo then from all put together, you may conclude how little there is in a Saints back-ſlydings, either for the enemy, or for themſelves to rejoyce in; becauſe if they fall, they ſhall ariſe; but not untill they have ſate in darkeneſſe, or born Gods indignation: and believe it, this is a wildring work for them that have taſted of his goodneſs; their pardons, and all other their comforts, may continue where they were ſtill; but the darkneſs is like to be ſuch, as that for the preſent, they can neither read the one, nor find the other. As you ſay of an Eclipſe ſome yeares agoe, is was ſo dark that you could not ſee to read, nor find readily what you looked for, although it were at full day. It's eaſie for the Eclipſe of our graces, to bring a bewildring darkeneſſe upon our comforts. And as for you that have found this, ſinne no more, leaſt a worſe thing come unto you.
Secondly,2. As to the exerciſe of our graces. There are after converſion darkneſſes bewildring us, as to the exerciſe of our graces. And verily my Brethren, this is ſad to purpoſe; a man that hath been kept in a dark dungeon, and hath never ſeen the light, 'tis not ſo much for him to be continually kept in thoſe chaines of darkneſſe; but for a man that comes out of a light Roome, to walk in darke wayes, oh! this is ſad, and ſadly dangerous. He may the ſooner ſtumble, becauſe he came from the light. Now this darkneſs the Children of light meet withall, whilſt they have too much to doe with the world, and ſecondly with this world.
1. The darke things of the world.1. The world will be as it hath ever been, an hinderance to the people of another world. Converſion indeed calls us out of the world; yet after converſion, how ready are we to be tempted back into the world? and truly as ſoon as we be in the world again, ſo ſoon ſhall we be in the wilderneſs again: I meane, ſo ſoon as we begin to walk in the cuſtome, & after the faſhion of this world: Oh Converſion for the preſent bears us up to heaven, and ſaith the ſoule, let the world go which way it will: but afterward our old acquaintance & we begin to meet again, and to parle again, and hence are our bewildrings after converſion: Satan to get us to them, makes huge uſe of darkneſſes of the world, Eph. 6.12. We wreſtle againſt the Ruler of the darkneſſe of this world. Oh! that's a bewildring darkneſſe. He had ſaid verſ. 11. Take the whole Armour of God, to ſtand againſt Satans bewildrings. Now how ſad, yet how frequent is it, to ſee the children of the light of another world,Worldly cares. bewildred in the dark things of this world? My Brethren, how doth providing for the family; yea, ſometimes for the fleſh, for pride, profuſeneſs, vanitie, luſt, &c. darkely bewilder many that paſſe for Saints, as to their due providing for another world?
Worldly delights.How do the da…k beauties of the things of this world, bewilder our affections, and make them at a loſs, as to the beauties of holineſs.
Confidences.How do our dark confidences in worldly ſupports, bring the actings of our faith to a loſſe, when they are purely called forth, and ſummoned to follow aftr God alone?
Hopes.How do our darke hopes in worldly vanities, render us loſt Creatures almoſt, when we have nothing but the anchor of ſpiritual hope to take hold upon?
How are we bewildred in the darke joyes of this world?Joyes. ſo that we little know what it is to have the joy of the Lord for our ſtrength.
Thus worldly feares, and worldly love,Feares, Love, &c. are dark principles, and the more you find of them, the more you feel we are at a loſſe for the contrary ſpiritual graces. Now the old Serpent is the Ruler of all this darkneſs; therefore he will order it the moſt politiquely that poſſibly he can, that thereby he may the more effectually bewilder poor converted ones. I have heard of a Commander, Simile.who being in the field, and in danger of being ſurpriſed by the powers and numbers of the prevailing Enemy in the ſame field, cauſed a good quantity of Powder to be caſt on the ground, betwixt him and his approaching enemy, and on the ſudden fired, that by the advantage of the darke ſmoake, he might ſecurely draw off his own men, as well as the priſoners, that he had before taken from his enemy. Thus did he, and ſo doth Satan, (the Ruler of the darkeneſſe of this world:) ſometimes he hath ſome of Gods Souldiers priſoners, and when God encounters Satan by his word, (for the weapons of our Warfare are not carnall, but ſpirituall) and is ready to reſcue his Saints, as well as to ſurprize ſome of Satans followers; this Ruler cauſes ſome of theſe worldly delights, &c. to flaſh betwixt them and God, the flaſh is but ſhort, (the pleaſure of ſinne ſoone gone) but the ſmoke continues, it darkneth the aire, and gives Satan advantage not onelyonly to carry his owne men, but too too often ſome of Gods own people off the field; that they are not at that time reſcued out of Satans power, by reaſon of the flaſhing, ſmoking, dark things of this world. Oh! what need have converted ones to walke as children of the light? Oh! what need have they, as they are Gods Souldiers, to put on the whole Armour of light?
Secondly,The darkſome temptations of this age. There is a bewildring darkneſſe in this world, I mean, this Age, that ſadly caſts a black vaile over the face of the firmament of Profeſſion, which I think other Ages have ſcarce ever ſeen ſo black as we have done.A dark cloud of Levity in the things of God. Men there are that ſpeak of converſion, as if they were feelingly acquainted with what they ſay, thoſe that hear, take them unqueſtionably to be Saints, but ſaith the Proverb, Loquere ut videam; marke their converſation, and what ever their hearts be, (perhaps Jacobs Saints ſometimes from their profeſſion, dare not queſtion) or their voyces (which are plainly Jacobs;) yet their hands look ſtrangely on't, (like Eſau's.) This is a ſtrange kind of time, you can neither well call them Saints, nor yet confidently wicked perſons. Theſe are like that time ſpoken of Zach. 14.6.7. It ſhall come to paſſe in that day, that it ſhall not be light, nor darkneſſe, night nor day. Heare them ſpeake, and you would verily think they are Children of light; and obſerve their walking, and what can you call their deeds, but darkneſs? They make little conſcience what way it is that they get by, whether by right or wrong, true or falſe; little conſcience make they of a promiſe, little conſcience of paying their debts, though they be able &c. What ſhall we ſay to theſe things?
This is a lamentation, and ſhall be for a lamentation. Your plain proverb ſaith, That an handful of old courteſie, is worth an armeful of new Complements; and indeed I think it too true in Civils: ſure I am, that a good handful of old Puritaniſme, is worth many Cart-loads of new Profeſſion. It's little to me that thou canſt ſpeak of faith, or for free-grace; what care I what thou holdeſt: this is a great word, I hold this, or I hold that, as to matter of opinion; I hold that Infants are not to be baptized, and I hold that they are; I hold for the Presbyterians, and I hold for the Independents, &c. Yea, but friend, there is ſomething elſe that thou holdeſt, thou doſt not ſpeak of, thou holdeſt thy pride, and thy covetouſneſſe, and thine uncleanneſſe, and thy luſts ſtill! and what care I what elſe thou holdeſt; hold what thou wilt, as long as ſin holds thee it mattereth not much. Yea, This is a lamentation, and ſhall be for a lamentation, that ſome that were judged once to be converted, have in the dark ſmoke of prating, arguing, diſputing, wrangling, levity ſeemed to loſe the ſubſtance of Chriſtianitie. Oh ſirs, If we be chaffe inſtead of Corne, What ſhall we ſay to Jeſus Chriſt, whoſe Fan is in his hand, and he will thoroughly purge his floore, but burn the Chaffe with unquenchable fire, Mat 3.12? What ſhall we ſay to our God, even our God, (though we thinke we can ſo call him) for he is a conſuming fire? Heb. 12.29. What ſhall we ſay to our time of Pilgrimage here on earth, which is this Taskers caſting time, wherein he caſts his Corne and his Chaffe together? Now you Husbandmen know, that the Corne when you caſt, it flyeth home, and the Chaffe as ſoon as out of the ſhowel, it falls ſhort. So ſaith the Apoſtle of thoſe profeſſing Iſraelites, that had nothing but Chaffe inſtead of Corne, they fell in the Wilderneſſe, Heb. 3.17. And therefore let us feare, leſt a promiſe being left us of entering into his reſt, any of us ſhould ſeeme to come ſhort. Mark that expreſſion; If there be any falling ſhort, ſurely it will be of the Chaffe. Take heed, take heed, empty Chriſtians, leſt your ſoules fall in this darkſome Wilderneſſe, Heb. 4.1. And thus have I done with the Third meanes of our ſpirituall bewildrings, viz. DARKNESSE. There remaines the