The Saints Delight, Chapter 5
CHAP. V. Two Caſes of conſcience reſolved.
BUt here are two Caſes to be put.
Caſe 1 1. Whether a regenerate perſon may not ſerve God with wearineſſe?
Anſw. 1 Anſw. Yes, but 1. this delight in God is not wholly extinct. This laſſitude and wearineſſe in a childe of God may ariſe,
From the in being of corruption, Rom. 7.24. 'Tis not from the grace that is in him, but the ſinne; (as Peters ſinking on the water was not from his faith, but his fear;) yet I ſay ſtill a regenerate perſons will is for God, Rom. 7.15. Paul found ſometimes an indiſpoſition to good, Rom. 7.23. yet at the ſame time he profeſſeth a complacency in God, ver. 22. I delight in the, Law of God in the inner man; one may delight in muſick, or any recreation, yet through wearineſſe of body be for the preſent dull'd, and indiſpoſed; a Chriſtian may love Gods Law though ſometimes the clog of the fleſh weighing him down, he findes his former vigour and agility remitted.
Anſw. 2 2. I anſwer, that this faintneſſe and wearineſſe in a regenerate perſon is not habitual; 'tis not his conſtant temper; when the water ebbes a while it is low-water, but there is ſoon a ſpring-tyde againe: it is ſometimes low-water in a Chriſtians ſoul, he findes an indiſpoſition and irkſomneſs to that which is good, but within a while there is a ſpringtyde of affection, and the ſoule is carried full ſaile in holy duties; 'Tis with a Chriſtian as with a man that is diſtempered; when he is ſick he doth not take that delight in his food as formerly, nay, ſometimes the very ſight of it offends, but when he is well he falls to his meat again with delight and appetite; ſo, when the ſoule is diſtempered through ſadneſſe and melancholy, it findes not that delight in Word, and Prayer …erly, but when it returnes to its healthful temper again, now it hath the ſame delectability and cheerfulneſſe in Gods ſervice as before.
Anſw. 3 3. I anſwer. That this wearineſſe in a regenerate perſon is involuntary; he is troubled at it; he doth not hug his diſeaſe, but mournes under it. He is weary of his wearineſſe. When he findes a heavineſſe in duty, he goes heavily under that heavineſſe; he prays, weeps, wraſtles, uſeth all means to regain that alacrity in Gods ſervice as he was wont to have. David, when his chariot-wheels were pull'd off, and he did drive on heavily in Religion, how oft doth he pray for quickning grace? Pſalme 119.25, 37, 40, 88. When the Saints have found their hearts fainting, their affections flagging, and a ſtrange kinde of lethargy ſeaſing on them, they never leave till they have recovered themſelves and arrived at that freedome and delight in God as they were once ſencible of.
2. The ſecond Caſe is, Caſe 2 whether an hypocrite may not ſerve God with delight? I anſwer, he may; Herod heard John Baptiſt gladly, Mat. 6.20. and thoſe that faſted for ſtrife and debate, did delight to know Gods wayes, Eſay 58.2. An hypocrite may, out of ſome flaſhy hopes of heaven, ſhew a delight in goodneſſe; but yet it is not ſuch a delight as is found in the regenerate; The hypocrites delight carnal.for his delight is carnal. A man may be carnal while he is doing ſpiritual things; 'Tis not the holineſſe and ſtrictneſſe in religion that the hypocrite delights in, but ſomething elſe; he delights in prayer, but 'tis rather the ſhewing of gifts he looks at than the exerciſing of grace. * He delights in hearing, but 'tis not the ſpirituality of the Word he delights in; Cor. 2.14 foreign.not the favour of knowledge * but the luſtre. When he goes to the Word preached, it is, that he may rather feaſt his phancy, than better his heart; as if a man ſhould go to an Apothecaries ſhop for a pill, only to ſee the gilding of it, not for the operative vertue. The hypocrite goes to the Word to ſee what gilding is in a Sermon; and what may delight the intellect. Hypocrites come to the Word as one comes into a garden to pluck ſome fine flower to ſmell to, not as a child comes to the breaſt for nutriment. This is rather curioſity than piety. Such were thoſe, Ezek. 33.32. thou art to them as a very lovely ſong, of one that hath a pleaſant voice, and can play well on an inſtrument. The Prophet being eloquent, and having a pleaſing delivery, they were much taken with it, and it was as ſweet to them as a fit of muſick, but it was not the ſpirituality of the matter they ſo well liked, as the tunableneſſe of the voice It was a ſharp, yet ſeaſonable, reproof of Chryſoſtom to his auditory. This is that (ſaith he) which is like to undo your ſouls, you hear your Miniſters as ſo many minſtrels to pleaſe the eare, not to pierce the conſcience *Chryſoſt.. You ſee an hypocrites delight in Religion is carnal; 'tis not the being nouriſhed up in the words of faith *1 Tim. 4.6.which he mindes, foreignbut the eloquence of ſpeech, the rareneſſe of notion, the quickneſſe of phancy, the ſmoothneſſe of ſtile; he ſtrives only to pluck from the tree of knowledge. Alas (poor man) thou mayſt have the ſtar-light of knowledge, and yet it may be night in thy ſoul.