CHAP. 11

The Cases wherein God leaves us unto this Darkness.

First, three Cases extraordinary.

 

            HAVING despatched the causes of this darkness, -I now proceed to the cases wherein, and the ends for which God leaves us to such a condition. The cases are either extraordinary, or ordinary. I shall speak first of the extraordinary cases, which are three. First, what if God

will use his prerogative, in this his dealing with his children? This he may do, and (as it is thought) in Job's case he did; who is thought by some to be set up as a type among the gentiles of CHRIST at his crucifying.

            Although the Lord had cause enough against him, yet no cause is pleaded, but it is resolved into an extraordinary dealing, wherein God took a liberty to glorify himself, by singling out one of the valiantest champions, and setting him hand to hand to wrestle with the powers of darkness. None more just than Job before; none ever lived a stricter life; no man kept more in awe, and that by fearing such a desertion before-hand; which, though he "greatly feared," yet it "came upon him." And God himself, when he came to plead with Job about it, and to show him a reason of his dealing thus with him, only tells him how great a God he was, and therefore might do as he pleased, and uses no other arguments at all with him. God indeed never wants a cause, nor does deal thus where sin is not; yet, as is said of the young man, that he was blind, not "for his own sin, nor his parents," (yet not without it,) "but for the glory of God." It was an act of God's prerogative; so was it here. God has higher ends of glorifying himself in the patience, and the conquest of such a champion as Job was. And God might as well take liberty to deal thus with Job, because he could make him amends, as after-wards he did, in restoring double to him. And indeed it was but the concealing his love for awhile, to show it the more; as God even then did, in making him more than conqueror.

            A second case extraordinary is, when he intends to make a man a wise, able, and strong Christian; wise in this, which is the greatest wisdom in the world, to coin-fort others. This may seem to be the reason of this his dealing with Heenan. Heman was brought up in this school of temptation "from a youth," Psal. lxxxviii. 15. Yet in the end, when God raised him up again, this 1-eman (who lived about David and Solomon's time,) is reckoned one of the four that were next to Solomon for wisdom, 1 Kings 4: 31. So the great apostle was a man that was exposed to the same combats. He " was buffeted by SATAN," filled with " inward terrors," as well as " those without." What was this for? Not so much for any personal cause, as to make him able to comfort others, 2 Cor. 1: 4, 5. For that comfort which answers a temptation in one man's heart, will answer the same in another's. When temptations have the same wards, that key which unlocict one man's bolts, will answer to an-other's. This art of speaking peace, and words of com­fort " in season," is the greatest wisdom in the world; and is seldom learnt but in Heman's school. Temptation was one of Luther's masters. Of all abilities of the ministry, CHRIST instanceth in this, Isai. 1. 4, and calls the tongue of him that is able to speak seasonably to weary souls, " the tongue of the learned;" and therefore Job, ch. xxxiii. 23, to raise up one " whose soul draws nigh to the grave," is said to be the work of " one of a thousand:" which is easily granted, if you consider the danger of such a distress. In Scripture, it is called the "breaking of the bones," Psal. li. 8. It is also called the " wounding of the spirit:" so Solomon, "A wounded spirit who can bear? Prov. 18: 14. As the power of sin wounds, so the guilt also; and the one as incurably as the other. And it being the spirit of a man which is wounded, that which must heal it must be something dropt into the heart that may come at the spirit. And there are to be peculiar plasters to heal these wounds, because these wounds are often differing. Some objections there are, that often the most learned men never met with in books; and SATAN has devised methods, Eph. 6: of tempting souls, which he uses again and again. And a man shall hardly know these depths, and

fathom them, unless he has been in those depths himself; and then he shall see such wonders of God in those deeps, which none else ever saw; and thereby gain such wisdom as to be able to encourage others by his example to trust in GOD, and call upon him.

            The third case extraordinary is, when a man has had, or is to have from God an abundance of revelations and comforts. First, in case he has abundance of revelations from God. As, after that glorious testimony given to CHRIST at his baptism, "This is my beloved Son, then was JESUS led away to be tempted." In like manner does God often deal with the members of CHRIST. This was the great apostle's case, " Lest I should be exalted above measure, through abundance of revelations, a mes­senger of SATAN was sent to buffet me," 2 Cor. 12: 7. God had taken him into heaven, and spoken wonderful things to him; and when he comes down again, SATAN must take him to task. He had been in heaven, and heard the lan­guage of angels, and now he must hear by devils the language of hell. This buffeting, I take it, was by SATANical injections. Secondly, before God dispenses great revelations and comforts, as before great dis­tresses, he fills the hearts of his children with joy un­speakable; so sometimes before great revelations and comforts, God withdraws himself. The greatest spring tide of comfort comes in upon the lowest ebb of distress. Distress enlargeth the heart, and makes it thirst the more, whereby it is made more' capable of consolation. For that rule holds usually true, That as sufferings abound, so comforts abound also.

 

 

CHAP 12

The ordinary Cases wherein God does leave us in Darkness.

 

            WE come now to the more ordinary cases. Before I name particulars, I will premise this general rule: God goes not constantly by the same rule in the dispensation of them. So that no man can say, that in such and such cases, God will desert men. For some men he leaves for a while in darkness, immediately after their conversion. On the contrary, towards others, he never shines in more comforts than at their first conversion. Again, some he deserts upon a gross sin committed; to others he never reveals himself more than after a gross sin repented of; thereby to show the freeness of his grace. So, likewise, some that have less grace, he fills their sails at death, and they have " an abundant entrance," with full sail, into the "kingdom of CHRIST;" whereas others that have walked more strictly with GOD, have not so glorious an end. This rule premised, the ordinary cases follow. 1: In case of carnal confidence; thus Psal. 30: David had been in great distress of mind, as appears by what is said, "Though heaviness be over-night, yet joy cometh in the morning." In this sun-shine David grew confident, think­ing it would always be so with him; and so trusted in that comfort he had; as if he could never have been troubled again. "Now I shall never be removed," says he. This was carnal confidence; and GOD, to confound it, hid himself again. Now carnal confidence is either, first, when we trust to false signs of grace. This we are apt to do, to take things as infallible signs which are not. Now GOD, to discover which are false, and which are not, leaves a man; and then he will find all his false signs to leave him, and to be like reeds, that break when any stress is laid on them, and so run into his hand. Or, secondly, when we put too much confidence upon signs, though true, and trust too much to our comforts and graces. When we let all the weight of our support hang on these, God in this case, often leaves us. Or, thirdly, when we think graces and comforts are so rooted in our-selves, that we neglect, God and CHRIST for the upholding, increase, and exercise of them; then God withdraws the light of these, that we may have recourse to the spring. As too much confidence in the power of inherent grace caused CHRIST to leave Peter to the power of sin, so the like confidence causes God to leave us to the guilt of, and terrors that come by, sin.

            2. The second case is for neglecting such precious opportunities of comforts and refreshings as God has vouchsafed; as for the neglect of holy duties, wherein God offered to draw nigh to us, as the sacraments, prayer, meditation, and hearing the word. So Cant. 5: 4, 5, 6, 7, CHRIST stood at the door and knocked; that is, moved the heart of the church to perform the duties in which he uses to come into the heart and visit it. He offered to assist her, and began to prepare her heart, but she made excuses. Upon this, CHRIST went away; only he left behind him an impression of himself in her heart, enough to stir her up to seek him, in the sense of the want of him.

            3. In case of not exercising the graces which a man has; not stirring them up, when Christians are as it were between sleeping and waking; (which was the church's condition, Cant. 5: 2;) then also CHRIST deserts. To perform duties with the inward man in a drowsy frame, half awake, as it were, and half asleep; " to pray as if we prayed not; to do the work of the Lord negli­gently; this provoketh God to absent himself. And indeed there is no reason that a man should have present com­fort, when he neglects the use of present grace. Isai. Ixiv. 7, God complains, that there was " none that stirred up himself; and for this, "God was wroth." Whereas, ver. 5, " God meets him that worketh righteousness," and rejoiceth in him that rejoiceth to work righteousness. God meets such, and rejoiceth with, and draws nigh unto them; but others, that stir not up themselves, God stirs them up by terrors. " He that walks according to this rule, peace be on him," Gal. 6: 16; not else. Though comfort is not always the present fruit of righte­ousness, yet it is never without it.

            4. In case of some gross sin committed against light unhumbled for, or proving scandalous, or of old sine long forgotten. I will give instances of each particular. First, for some gross sin committed against light. An instance for this is David, whom we find frequently com­plaining thus, "My soul cleaveth unto the dust, and is even at death's door. His soul melted, and Was dis­solved;" all the powers of it failed at the sense of God's wrath, even as wax melts before the fire. Ordinarily, we find in Scripture no such eminent desertion, but we find the cause of it not far off, if we read on. " Remove from me (says David,) the way of lying." He points to the sore of his heart, wherein his grief lay, 1 Sam. 21: 2. David roundly tells two or three lies together, when he fled from Saul, and came to Abimelech; who fearing to harbour him, asked why he was alone? He answered, "That the king had commanded him a business;" there is one lie: and that the king had commanded him "secresy in it;" there is another: and because " my servants" should not know it, " I have sent them away" to several places; there is a third: and again, ver. 8, " I have not brought my sword, because the king's busi­ness required haste:" there is a fourth lie. David went on here in a course of lying; they were all made, and deliberate lies; which being gross sins, sins against light, and having been some while continued in by him, which therefore he calls a " way of lying," lay heavy on him long after. Therefore he entreats God to take the load of it off: " Remove from me the way of lying." It was the load thereof which lay so heavy on him as to press his soul " to the dust of death." So for the second par­ticular: In case a man be not thoroughly humbled for sin, and it be not confessed; or, if when we committed it, we had shifts to keep us from thinking it to be sin; or to be heinous; or were doubtful whether it were a sin or not, and so were loath to acknowledge it to be a sin; as it is likely David did in the case of his murder of Uriah, (it was but the chance of war, says he, that cut him off;) God in this case brings him to the rack, Psal. xxxii.: (it is thought that psalm, as well as the 51st was made upon that occasion.) These sins being known, and become scandalous, David was to confess publici.y>. But he was loath to come to this. God in this case, lays his- hand so sorely on him, that his " natural moisture was dried up;" (for in men troubled in conscience, their trouble of mind casts their bodies often into as great heats as men that are in burning fevers,) and this was without intermission, "day and night;" and thus he lay " roaring," like a malefactor on the rack; he cried out for mercy to GOD, yet because not with a broken heart; God therefore accounted it but as "roaring;" that is, the voice of a beast, rather than of a man. And why was David put to the rack thus? He would not confess, and humble himself for his sin; " I was silent; and yet roared," ver: 3. A broken-hearted confession might have saved all this torment. But when in the end he said, " I will confess my sin," ver. 5, and resolved once to lay open all that sin of murder and adultery in the circumstances of them, then God pardoned him. And yet after that, as appears in the 51st psalm, God did not yet "restore the joy of his salvation" (for there he prays for it in the sense of the leant of until he had publicly confessed this also, and thoroughly humbled himself.° So, when the incestuous person had committed that sin, I- Con 5: 1, 9, for which, as then he was- not humbled, St. Paul bids them " deliver such a one to SATAN," to the tormentor to terrify him, and afflict his spirit. And thus, when that Corinthian was excommunicated, and given up to him, did SATAN deal with him.

            Yea, and thirdly, this God sdoes not only presently after the sins are committed, but sometimes a long while after yea, after that God has pardoned them also in our consciences, as well as in heaven. Thus, though Job questionless, had humbled himself for the "sins of his youth," and had assurance of the pardon of them, yet God " rote bitter things against him" many years after, and " made him possess them," as himself speaks. In like manner may the guilt of those sins revive, which long before had- been pardoned. After the commission of some new act, or forgetfulness of the old, God may let them loose upon us afresh.

            The reason why gross sins, especially if committed against light, when not confessed thoroughly, after many years, cast us into such desertion, is, because therein we rebel against God's Spirit; and that Spirit does deal with us as we with him. If you grieve Him, he grieves you; if you rebel against Him, he fights against you as an enemy. When men go about to extinguish the light of direction, which God had set up in their hearts, God puts out the light of comfort, and so leaves them to darkness. But especially then, when our hearts are so full of guile that we plead they are not sins, or extenuate them. If a man keeps a sin concealed, and will not be convinced of it, nor bring it forth by confession, God in that case, brings him to the rack. And if it be that any of our old sins revive, and cause these terrors, it is because we began to look on them as past and gone, and thought we needed not to humble ourselves any more for them; -making account they are so buried as that they will never rise again; whereas the remembrance of them should keep us low, and humble us all our days. We are apt to think that time wears out the guilt of sins; but to God they are as fresh as if they had been committed yes­terday; and therefore nothing wears them out but re­pentance. Great sins forgiven must not be forgotten.

            5. In case of a stubborn spirit under outward afflic­tions, when we will not stoop to God. This may he part of the case mentioned Isai. lvii. 16, where GOD, alleging the reason why he contended with a poor soul, gives an account of it, ver. 17. You see where the quarrel began: " for the iniquity of his covetousness I was wrath;" that is, for some inordinate affection. He mentioneth not a gross act of sin, so much as some lust harbored; for which God began to be angry, and to show the effects of that his anger in smiting him: haply with some outward cross first; " I was wroth, and smote him:" and when that did no good, God began to be more angry, and t& hide himself. "I hid my face:" and this he speaks of inward affliction, which he also called', ver. 16, " con-tending with the soul," and so far leaving it as that the "spirit was ready to fail." And he further intimates the cause of all this, "he went on frowardly in the way of his heart." When outward strokes will not take us off, God deserts our spirits, and wounds them. When the heart remains stubborn under other strokes, he has no-way left in his ordinary course, but to lay strokes on his spirit, and wound that. And this yoke is like to break and tame him, if any will; for this he cannot bear. Out-ward afflictions man's natural spirit and stubbornness may bear; "the spirit of man will sustain its infirmities," but in this, " the spirit fails in them," ver. 16. Other afflictions are but as taking some stars of comfort out of the firmament, when others are still left to shine to them; but when God's countenance is hid, the sun itself is darkened, and so a general darkness befalls them.- And therefore then the heart is driven to GOD, and broke off from all things else, and then God delights to comfort a man again. "I will restore comfort to him," ver. 18.

            6. In case of deserting God's truth, and not professing it, and appearing for it when he calls us to do it. In thin case he left many of the martyrs; many of whom, espe­cially till Queen Mary's days, and some then, deserted the truth for a while, and God deserted them. And there is equity in this dealing of God with us: that, as when we are ashamed of CHRIST, the punishment fitted to it is, that CHRIST will be ashamed of us: so, when we will not witness for GOD, there is no reason his Spirit should witness to us.

            7. In case of unthankfulness for the light of God's countenance, and freedom from those terrors which others are in, (which is a sin Christians are apt to run into;) for, as Hos. 2: 9, in case of their being unthank­ful for outward mercies, God took those mercies away, and restored them not again till they esteemed them better; so does God deal likewise in spiritual assurance, light, and comfort.

 

CHAP. 13

The End for which God leaveth his Children unto this
Darkness.

 

            Now let us come to those ends which God may have in this his dealing with one that fears and obeys him. And one may be, to let us see whence spiritual comforts and refreshings come; that God alone dis­penseth them how and when he pleaseth; that we may know that it is the "Lord that formed the light, and creates darkness, evil and peace;" and that as "afflic­tion riseth not out of the dust;" so neither does comfort out of our hearts. God will let us see that our hearts are nothing but darkness; and that to cause any spiri­tual comfort, is as much as it was to create light at first; therefore he says, "I create the fruit of the lips, peace;" which can no way more fully be manifested than by sometimes withdrawing that light. Why does he some-times assist us in prayer, and fill the sails; and some-times leave our hearts empty? Is it not that we may learn that lesson, Rom. 8: 26, " that it is the Spirit that helpeth our infirmities;" and that we of ourselves "know not what, nor how to ask?" This lesson we are slow in learning; nor are we easily brought to acknowledge our dependence on God. In like manner, for the same end, does he sometimes hide, and sometimes reveal himself, to show that he is the immediate fountain of happiness, " the God of all comfort," 2 Cor. 1: 4, that so we might know whom to thank, whom to depend on, whom to go to for comfort; it being as difficult a thing for us to go out of ourselves, and from the creatures, for comfort to God alone, as to go out of ourselves to CHRIST alone for righteousness. Hereby also we see, that though we have

never so many outward comforts, yet the comforts of our spirits depend on God alone. For if He in the midst of them, withdraw himself, they all prove but miserable comforters.

            Another end God has in deserting us, is to make trial of our graces, and a discovery of them. God's end in leading his people through the "great wilderness, where no water was," was " to prove them;" and the same end has God in suffering his people to go through this barrenness and darkness. This is conceived to have been his end in deserting Job; to chew what strong patience was in him. There are many gracious dispositions which have not opportunity to discover themselves but in a time of desertion. Some of those which are the highest acts of grace, would never appear but in such a time.

            It were needless to go over all particular graces: I will only instance in that glorious grace of faith, which in this trial does more than all graces else. In all the varieties of conditions we pass through, it is of import­ance to us; in desertions it does wonders; standing like Sampson, encountering and conquering alone, when there is none to help. This is certain, there is no grace GOD,tries more than this grace of faith. "Ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations, that the trial of your faith being much more precious than of gold which perished), being tried in the fire, might be found to glory, praise, and honor;" that is, both to the honor of GOD, who is believed in, and also of faith itself, which is the most glorious grace a Christian has; which God loves to try, that the glory of it may appear. Now of all temptations, none try faith more than this of darkness and of terrors. Other temptations strike but obliquely at it; but these strike at that which. is the immediate aim and object of it; namely, that God is a believer's God. These speak the direct contrary to what faith endeavors to appre­hend, and that directly, and not by consequence only. Again, other temptations are easily answered, whilst the assurance of God's favor remains unshaken. Thatanswers them all, and shakes them off as Paul the viper off his hand. But when that shall begin to be questioned, (as in this case it is,) who is able to stand?

            Again, in these conflicts of faith with desertions, con­sisteth the heighth of our Christian warfare. This is the highest pitched battle upon which all is either won or lost; for in these a man encounters with God himself, apprehended as an enemy. God called out Job to try him by fighting a single combat with SATAN, and he became (as I may so say,) too hard for SATAN alone; then God joined against him also. Now, then, in that he bore this shock, and yet stood, this argued the strength of faith. It is said of Jacob, " that by strength he had power with God." It argued strength indeed. And this is done by faith, by the power whereof (God's power rather supporting it,) a man relies on God w.1elr all his dealings would argue he had forsaken a man; that though God put on never so angry a countenance, yet faith can read love in his angry looks, and trust God beyond what he sees; it being the " evidence of things not seen." Then faith goes wholly out of itself, asnseeing nothing in itself but barely a capacity of mercy, and "plenteous redemption," which it knows to be in God. Thus faith is a miracle of miracles; for it is founded, as the earth, upon mere nothing in itself, and yet bears the weight and stress of sins, of the devil, yea, of God himself. This i the faith which we must live by, when all comforts fail, and which "is to honor and glory at the appearing of JESUS CHRIST."

            And as desertion makes for the trial and discovery of graces, so it is a means sanctified to increase them. It is a means to bring more assurance and establishment. 1 Pet. 5: 1O, " The God of all grace, after you have suf­fered awhile, stablish and strengthen you." Ide knew they could not be settled till they had suffered in this, or some other kind. The tree roots itself the more it is shaken: " comforts abound the more sufferings abound." That light is clearest and strongest that arises out of darkness, because God creates it. Those things which men doubt of most, God gives the greatest evidence of in the end. It also trains you up to fear God more, and to obey him more. Fearing GOD, and obeying him, most eminently and sensibly appear in that state, Heb. 5: 8. CHRIST himself "learnt obedience by what he suffered." The yoke tames the wildness in beasts, and makes them serviceable; and so do these the stubbornness of a man's spirit. Again, it serves to set believers' hearts on work to pray more and more earnestly. The apostle's buffet­ings made him pray thrice. So CHRIST, "being in an agony, prayed more earnestly;" and being in fears, he did lift up "strong cries." So Heman, by reason of his terrors, was a man much in prayers: Psal. lxxxviii. I, " I have cried day and night before thee." Lastly, it causetll them to prize the light of God's countenance the more, when they again obtain it; and to endeavor, by close walking with God as "children of light," to keep it.

 

CHAP. XIV.
The Use of what path been said.

 

            IF those that fear God and obey him are exposed to such a condition as has been described, then " who is among you that feareth not the Lord, nor obeys the voice of his servants?" You that live in known sins, and in omission of known duties, which God's servants, your ministers, tell you, you ought to perform; that pray not with your families; who make not conscience of your speeches nor dealings; " where shall you appear? If the righteous be thus scarcely saved;" if such darkness befall them that are "children of light," what is reserved for you that "love darkness more than light?" And if this befalls them for not stirring up the grace which they have, what shall come to you that are void of it? And not only so, but despise it? If this befalls them for not humbling themselves for old sins, though long since committed; what will befall you for going on to add new to the old with greediness? If to them, for neglecting the opportunities of drawing nigh to God; what to you for neglecting the offer of grace, and trampling under foot the blood of CHRIST? All you that think there is no hell; or if there be, that it is not so dark as it is usually painted, look upon Heman ready to run dis­tracted through terrors, and to give up the ghost every moment, Psal. lxxxviii. Look upon David lying on the wheel, and the Spirit of God " breaking his bones," when otherwise he had all outward things at will.

            My brethren, God's people may find pains beyond those of the stone, gout, and tooth-ach. The falling of God's wrath on the conscience is more than the dropping a little scalding rheum on a tooth; and yet these are but a taste of that cup which you that obey not, must drink off to the-bottom, even to eternity, Psal. lxxv. 8: " There is a cup in the hand of the Lord, and it is full of mixture;" that is, all the bitter ingredients in the world are in it. And here indeed " God pours out the same;" that is, in this life some few sprinklings of it fall from the top of the cup, which good men taste, as experience plainly shows: "but" the bottom, "the dregs thereof, all the wicked of the earth shall drink and wring them out:" the vials of it, which will never be emptied, shall be poured forth upon them, even to the utmost drop. If holy men may be thus shut up in darkness, what dark­ness is reserved for you? even as Jude says, ver. 13, " blackness of darkness; darkness where is weeping and wailing, and gnashing of teeth. Blackness of darkness," because there is not one beam of comfort that shines in to all eternity. For this is not for a moment, or a few years, but for ever. You " that live many days in pleasure here, and rejoice in them all, remember the days of darkness, for they are many," says Solomon, Eccl. 11: 8. " Many," indeed " Days!" an eternal night, that shall know no end.

            II. Who is among you that fears the Lord, and is trans fated out of the state of darkness, and yet never was in this darkness? You that have been free from those terrors of conscience, which yet souls that fear God and have obeyed him more than you, have suffered: and like-wise you, who, though you enjoy not much ravishing joy, yet " being justified by faith have (a solid) peace with God; " and so walk in freedom of spirit, in the use of God's ordinances, and the performance of holy duties; let me out of this doctrine give all of you this great instruction: to take notice that such kind of troubles there are that befall God's people beyond what you have experience of. Many there are that think not so. Job's friends did not, and therefore censured him. And this is a necessary instruction.

            1. Because this very knowledge of it does prepare men for such a condition, if it should befall them; and there-fore to prepare them for afflictions whom he wrote to, the apostle bids them "not think it strange concerning the fiery trial," 1 Pet. 4: 12. For if they be strange to any, then, if they befall them at any time, they are the more grievous. If some strange disease befall a man, which he never heard of before, it amazeth a man, and makes him desperate. But if he has heard that such and such have had it, and have recovered; this helps to assuage the bitterness of it.

            2. Take notice of it, that you may be kept more in dependence upon GOD, and that you may fear him more. Men that know not any afflictions, beyond what they see with their eyes; nothing beyond loss of friends and credit, often fear God less; and when they come to part with any of these for GOD, are less willing than those that have been more severely tried. But when they shall know that God's wrath is beyond Pharaoh's wrath, as Moses knew it, who yet in the vast apprehensions of the greatness of it, cries out, Psalm xc. " Who has known the power of thy wrath?" Then they will obey God and fear him, more than they would all the kings of the earth; as Moses did, " not fearing the wrath of Pharaoh," Heb. 11: 27. When men enjoy a confluence of all worldly comforts, and think their mountain strong, well built with wife and children about them, with riches, health, and honors, they think they are then more out of danger of God's wrath than other men; and are apt to say, " Soul, you have goods laid up for many years:" but know that GOD, without taking either thy goods, or thy soul_ away, can in this life put thy spirit into such a condition, that you wouldst give all the world for a moment's ease; when all other comforts shall be to thee but as the white of an egg, as Job says. As be has joys the world gives not, so he has afflictions time world inflicts not. Therefore fear him more than the loss of all; obey him rather than keep all: for God can meet with thee in the midst of all. So he met with David, though a king, and then all his wives and kingdom could not comfort him, till God " healed the bones that he had broken."

            3. Learn not to censure others when they are in this con­dition. You walk in the light, and you seest another in the dungeon; yet he may be dearer to God than thou. It was Job's friends' fault, who, having not had experi­ence of such a condition in themselves, concluded he was an hypocrite. If you thus judge, then (as Asaph says,) "you condemn the generation of the just."

            4. " Pass your sojourning here in fear; for even our God is a consuming fire." Keep the heart in awe with the knowledge of such a state. This kept Job in awe and made him so strict all his days. Read the thirty-first chapter throughout, and you shall see what a righteous man be was, and then see the reason of all, ver. 23, "Destruction from the Lord was a terror to me;" and to the same purpose also, chap. 3: 25, he says that " he had always feared that which now had befallen him."

            5. Lastly, be thankful that God spares thee. Haply thy body is weak; and if he should fall on thee as on others, it would destroy thee. But consider that you hadst a stone in thy heart as well as any other: God has cured it by gentle draughts, and so dissolved it, and carried it away; when he has cut others, and put them to much pain in taking it out. Oh! be thankful! You that are healthful and have strong bodies, are you not thankful when you see others sick of the stone, tooth­ach, or gout, whereof you are free? And ought you not to be much more so for the healthiness of your spirits, when others roar all day as on the rack? Oh! be thankful that is not so with you!

            III. "Who is among you that feareth the Lord, and hath been in darkness," but now walk in the light again? You who have been in the dungeon, and have been set free again, learn your duty also. 1: Thank our Lord Jesus CHRIST, and love him the more; for you have tasted

what he did for you; you know how bitter the cup was which he drank, and therefore must needs love him more. You also have more experience of God's power and faithfulness, and what a miracle God has wrought in raising you up again; " He has shown you wonders among the dead," as Heman speaks: be thankful.

            2. Learn to pity others in that condition. Who can do it better than you that have had experience of the like? If you hear of any soul in distress, it is expected of you to pray for him more than of another. CHRIST learnt to pity us in all our infirmities the more, by bearing our infirmities himself. To that end God raised you up that you might be able to comfort others with the comforts you have received; and might pray for them. Therefore Isaiah lvii. 17, when any poor soul is smitten, GOD, as is there said, is moved to restore him again for his mourners' sakes, as well as his own.

            3. Declare what God has done for you. You have been in hell; warn others from coming there. "Know­ing the terror of the Lord, persuade men." If the rich man had come from hell, what stories would he have told his brethren? Tell you the like. You have seen the "wonders of God in the deeps;" now you are ashore, tell men of the rocks, and shelves, and storms they are like to meet with in such and such courses. David says, when his bones were healed again, " then he would teach sinners God's ways."

            4. Take heed of what may prove the fuel of such a condition. The devil may come and cast you into your old fits if he find the same materials to work upon, into your uncleanness, lying, or unjust dealing, as before. You know what brought David to his broken bones. Likewise take heed of performing duties formally, or coldly, and of resting in them, which are but as a hollow tooth, as Solomon speaks, that is broken; these may cause the tooth-ach again. Take heed of sinning against light. If the devil found no such things in you, he would not trouble you. So also get small doubts an­swered; let them not he neglected; they may come in together one day and make an army; though several, and apart, as they now rise in your consciences, you can despise and neglect them.

            IV. Who is among you walking in darkness that yet fears to offend God as much as hell, and endeavors and desires to obey him in all things, as much as to go to heaven? Such when they find God withdraw, call God's love in question; especially if they were in the sun-shine before, but now "sit in the valley of the shadow of death." God is gone, light is gone: God answers them neither by vision, nor by prophets; neither in praying nor in hearing; and therefore they think he has for­saken them, cast them off, yea, will never be merciful. But whoever you are, poor souls! you err, " not knowing the Scriptures," and the manner of your GOD, to think that he has cast you off; when he is but returned to his place, that you may seek him more earnestly. So it is that you are always in the extremes: if he shines on you, then you think, "your mountain shall never be removed:" if he hides his face, then, " he will never be merciful." And yet I blame you not for being troubled; for when he " hides his face, the creatures all are troubled," Psalm civ. 29. God would have you lay it to heart when he is angry. It were a sign you had no grace that you made not him your portion, if you could bear his absence and not mourn. But though you should lay it to heart, so as to mourn under it; yet you should not be discouraged. We are not the same to-day that we were yesterday: but «CHRIST is the same to-day, yester­day, and for ever." To say that he has cast you off because he has hid his face, is injurious to him: " In a little wrath have I hid my face for a moment; but with everlasting kindness will I remember thee." I have but hid my face, not cast thee out of mind; and though in anger, yet but a little anger; and not long neither, but for a moment; and all that while I am not unmindful of thee, I remember thee; and this with kindness everlasting.

            But you will say, " If this desertion were but for a moment, it were something; but mine has been for many years." This life is but a moment; and God has eternity to show his love in; time enough to make amends for a few frowns; sufficiency to do it, everlasting kindness. Remember what is said in another case: though he bears long, yet he comes speedily; that is, though long in our eyes, yet speedily in his, who has all time before him.

 

CHAP. XV.

Directions for those who are deeply troubled.

 

            For their sakes who are deeply troubled, I will pre-scribe some directions how they are to behave themselves in such a condition, so as to come more comfortably and more speedily out of it. For it is in these long and great sicknesses of the sou], as in those of the body, men are kept the longer in them, for want of right directions and prescriptions.

            1. Take heed of rash, desperate, impatient speeches, or wishes. Such you will be forced to recal again with sorrow. Many a poor soul, after they have had strong hopes that heaven is theirs; yet when the sorrows of hell compass them, are apt to say, they shall be cut off by God's hand, swallowed up of SATAN, and everlastingly destroyed. This they say in their haste too often. So David, when in doubt about that promise made him, Psalm lxxvii. says, " God will never be merciful." What a desperate speech was this? that what a man sees not at present he should conclude would never be. But he acknowledgeth his error in it: " it was my infirmity," ver. 1O, thus to speak. So Job, though for awhile, at the beginning of the storm, he was calm and quiet in his spirit, and therefore, chap. 1: ver. 22, it is said, that " in all this;" that is, so long, "he had not charged God foolishly;" yet when the drops of God's wrath began to soak into his soul, he curseth the day of his birth; and wisheth God would cut him off; for which speeches God in the end steps out, taking him up for them; chap. xxxviii. 2, " Who is this (says he,) that talketh thus?" Oh! take heed ye, whose souls are in distress, of such wishes or speeches as these, Oh! that God would cut me off! that I were in hell, and knew the worst! Take heed, I say. When a man is sick and raves, whereas otherwise those about him would use him gently, they are forced to hold and bind him; impatiens eegrotus crudeleni medicunz facit, an impatient patient makes a physician cruel. God would deal more gently with thee, but for such impatiencies. Say not that your graces are no graces, or that he will never be merciful. You abuse him when you do so; therefore take heed of it.

            II. Yet make diligent search. Let an inquisition be set up in thy heart, and make an inquiry into two things. First, what might be the true cause, which provokes God thus to leave thee, and hide himself from thee: and, secondly, what is the main reason which causes thee to fear, and thus to call all into question? These are two distinct things. For though God has just cause to leave us to this trouble; yet often the thing that troubles us is a mere mistake. It is therefore necessary to inquire into both.

            First, examine what is the true cause that provokes God thus to leave thee. So Lam. 3: 4O, " Let us search and try our ways." This was spoken by the church in desertion, as appears by the former part of the chapter. And to help yourselves in this, go over the cases which have been propounded. Have you not been confident in false signs? or rested too much on true, to the neglect of CHRIST, and God's free grace? Didst you not neglect to stir up thy own graces? Go over all those cases before-mentioned. Some one or other of them will be found to be the cause. This is necessary; for till the cause be known, the heart submits not; neither will the trouble cease, till that which provokes God to lay it on be confessed and forsaken. And if it be a particular sin that God aims at, then usually God uses the horror for, and the guilt of, that very sin to afflict thee; so that then it is easily found out. David easily knew what it was for which God broke his bones. For his very sin was it that was the iron mace, the instrument of God's executing it upon him: "My sin (says he,) is ever before me;" it was ever in his eye. Indeed, in outward afflic­tions it is more difficult to find out the cause why God afflicts, (unless sometimes you may, through God's wise-disposing hand, find and read the sin in the punishment; they so resemble one another, that a man may say, This cross lay in the womb of such a sin, they are so like.) But in those inward distresses, that sin which moveth God to afflict, God often uses to terrify a person; to cast a man into the distress and to keep him in it; it is both the cause and executioner also. But in case you can not find out the cause, as Job, it seems, did not; and Elihu did suppose he might; follow his counsel till God show thee the cause; say unto GOD, " That which I see not teach you me, and I will not offend any more;" and if you findest it, say also, " I have borne chastise­ment for such a sin, I will never offend any more." Till then God will not let thee go.

            The second thing to be searched into is, What is the chief reason which makes thee call in question whether God be thy God? This is usually some false reasoning or misapprehension; some mere mistake, some device and sophistry of SATAN. Therefore take thy soul aside, and seriously examine it, why it is thus troubled? what reason, what ground you have to think that God is not -thy God? And then examine it whether it be a true ground. As the apostle bids us, " give a reason of our faith;" so ask you of thy soul, the reason of its doubt­ing. Heman thought, and said, that God had cast hint off: what persuaded him to think so? Because God had hidden his face. It does not follow, Heman; a father may hide his face from his son, and yet not cast him off. So David also reasoneth, Psalm Ixxvii. 2, 3, " I have sought GOD," prayed, and used the means, " and yet I am troubled," and yet God reveals not himself: and what does he conclude from this? ver. 7, " Will the Lord cast off for ever?" He thought, If God had loved me, he would presently have heard me. This was false reason­ing. A father may sometimes seem so angry, that he may throw away his child's petition, and yet be his father still.

            It were infinite to reckon up all the false reasonings that souls in distress have fallen into; some being an­noyed with blasphemous thoughts, though they arc their greatest affliction, yet have thought they have sinned against the Holy Ghost, misapplying Matt. 12: 31, that " blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall never be for-given;" whereas that place is meant only of those who openly and maliciously said CHRIST had a devil, and wrought his miracles by the power of the devil. So some, because they have sinned after being enlightened and tasting the good word of GOD, think they shall never be renewed, by reason of that place, Heb. 6: 4; whereas the apostle speaks of a wilful and total falling away, both from the power and form of religion. So because some hear there is a time, after which God offers grace no more, fear their time is also past; but without ground. For though it be true, God does so with many that hear the gospel; yet the word gives us no certain rules to, judge he has done so by any of us. It is good to fear lest you should provoke him to it, but you have no sign to fear he has done so with thee. And indeed herein lies the main and first business to be done in raising up a troubled soul, namely, to find out the ground of their doubting, and to examine the truth of it and confute it. If a man be falsly imprisoned, or cast in a suit at law, what does he to remedy it? He seeks to find out the error in the writ: so do you search out the ground of thy trouble: go to some spiritual. lawyer skilled in soul-work; keep not the devil's counseW he opposeth nothing more than making your doubts known.

            III. The third direction I give to such is, that they hear and consider what makes for their comfort, as well as what makes against them. Such as are in distress through SATAN's temptations, have their hearts so deeply possessed with the misery of their states, that as the people of GOD, Exod. 6: 9, " Through the anguish of their hearts they listen not" to the good message brought them; nor believe that so good news can be true of them. Many are so strongly prepossessed, and so out of hopes, that they reject all that is spoken for their com­fort; so that they will not so much as cast a thought upon any thing that may be an occasion of comfort to them. This was David's infirmity; " My soul refused' to be comforted," says he. He spilt all the cordials that were brought him. He was not only void of comfort, but refused it. What? bring me promises? (will such an one say,) you may as well carry them to one in hell. This sullen, desperate obstinacy is a thing you ought to take heed of; for hereby you take SATAN's part, and that against those you ought to love so dearly, even your own souls. But, as they said, " Let Baal plead for himself;" so let SATAN plead his own cause; do not you. Hereby also you forsake your own mercies; you give up your own right, and are so befooled as to plead against your own title, your own interest in the best things you can have interest in. You give up your portion bequeathed you in your Father's will, which you ought to maintain, and you trust to lying vanities, the sooth-say-ings and fortune-tellers, as I may call them, of SATAN and your own hearts.

            IV. The fourth direction is, to call to remembrance what formerly has been between God and you. The remembrance of former things does often uphold, when present sense fails. This David practiced, in the like case when his soul had refused comfort; yet, in the end, he began not only to be willing to listen to what might make for him, but set himself on work to recall to mind, _ to " consider the days of old," Psalm lxxvii. " I considered (says he,) the songs in the night," that is, that joyful communion he had enjoyed with GOD, and " I communed with mine own heart, and made diligent search," to see if no grace formerly had been there, and if a grace at present were there; he searched into what might comfort him, as well as into the causes that might provoke God thus to deal with him. In this way remember God's gracious dealings with you; God remembers them to have mercy on you; and why should not you remember them to comfort yourself? Therefore, Heb. 6: 9, 1O, " We hope (says he,) better things of you, for God is not unrighteous to forget your labor of love, namely, to reward you; and therefore he calls upon them in like manner, Heb. 10: 31, " to call to remembrance the former days" to comfort them; how they held out when their hearts were tried to the bottom: when shipwreck was made of their goods; good names, and all for CHRIST; yet they made not shipwreck of a good conscience. And if you dost thus call to re­membrance things of old; and yet can find no comfort at first from them; yet have recourse to them again and again; for though they comfort not at one time, they may at another; that it may be seen that God comforts by them, and not they alone of themselves.

            V. If former signs remembered bring thee no comfort, then renew thy faith and repentance: set thy heart to believe and repent afresh as if you hadst never yet begun. Cease to reason about thy former faith and re­pentance, and set upon believing and repenting anew. Say, suppose my faith and repentance have not been true hitherto; I will now endeavor after such as is true. Lord, I cast my soul on all thy mercies afresh; I desire now an heart perfect with thee; to part with every sin, to submit to every duty, to set up God and CHRIST as my aim in all. This of all directions I commend to you, as a special means to dissolve these temptations. Take it, practice it; it is a tried one; and it is that which at last the church comes to, Lam. 3: 4O, " Come, let us try our ways, and turn to the Lord;" that is the last way and course she takes. When nothing but hypocrisy and unbelief appear to thee, to be in thy heart, do you groan after the contrary sincerity, and let SATAN say his worst. And this direction I the rather prescribe, because, in time of temptation about assurance, it is the usual course of some to spend all their thoughts upon what formerly they have had; laying out all their time and cost in new trials about their former title, and when they have been cast again and again, yet still do nothing but read over old evidences again and again.

            But know, that though this is not to be neglected; yet you are not so to look back to your former faith and repentance as to forget to practice new. This is the best tray, the shortest cut, and requires as little pains: thou may with as little charge get a new leaae, as prove the old one good; yea, you may cut the knot sooner by new faith, than untie it by reasonings and disputings.

            And the truth is, in the end you must come to this, for God's great end in deserting is, to put you upon renewing your faith. and repentance. Therefore begin to do it soon. And whereas you thinkest, that by this you may prejudice thy former title; it is not my meaning that you should utterly give up thy old faith and repentance as counterfeit; my advice is to forbear pleading it for a time, and rather to renew it; and then the comfort of thy old repentance will come in. " If any man," says CHRIST, " will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine whether it is of God." As the best way to know the truth is not to spend all the time in disputing about it, but to practice it, which puts an end to controversies in men's hearts; so the best way to acquire the comfort of former grace, is to add the practice of believing and repenting anew. This baffles the devil, and gets advan­tage of him. This puts him upon a new reply, and indeed nonplusseth him. For what can he say to it? He must now prove you art incapable of grace, that you shall never repent, which all the world and devils in hell cannot prove.

            VI. And if in this case he urges, (as usually he doth,) that all will be in vain for time to come, as well as it has been for time past: then sixthly, stand not now disputing it, but be peremptory and resolute in thy faith and turning to GOD, let the issue be what it will. Faith is never nonplussed. Job vows he " will trust him, though he should kill him," Job xxxi. 15. So do You, whether he will damn or save thee, do what he will with thee, cease not to cast thyself upon him for mercy, Go you on to use the means diligently and constantly; and be so much the more diligent. Fear and hate sin still, pray day and night, as Heman did when he thought him-self cut off, Psalm lxxxviii. ver. 1, " I have cried day and night, though I be as one you remembers no more." Suppose you findest no delight in the ordi­nances, yet use them; though you art desperately sick, yet eat still; take all that is brought thee; some strength comes of it. Say, let me be damned or saved, I resolve to go on. And there is good reason for it. For if you should leave off to serve the Lord, then you art sure to be damned; but by this other way you may in the end prevail. " Who knows but God may be merciful?" So Esther, " If I perish, I perish," And so the lepers; see how they reasoned in a desperate case, 2 Kings 7: 3, 4, " If we go into the city we are sure to die, for the famine is there; if we sit still, we die also. Come ( let us fall into the hands of the Assyrians, if they save us alive, so; if they kill us, we shall but die." So reason thou:' if I cease humbling myself, praying, attending on the means, I shall certainly perish, I will therefore rather go on to do all these as I can; and if God saves me, a sinner, so; if not, I can but be damned.

            VII. Let the child of light that walks in darkness " trust in the name of the Lord." Being thus resolved to turn to GOD, and to go on to fear and obey him, you may confidently stay upon the name of GOD, when you have nothing else to rest upon. To one who re-solves to fear God and obey him, the name of God is an all-sufficient prop and stay to rest on, when he sees nothing in himself, nor any promise in the word belong­ing unto him. The name of God alone is here opposed to all other means of support. So that when the soul shall look into itself with one eye, and glance over all the word of God with another; and yet shall see not any one grace in the one, nor promise in the other which it may rest upon, yet then looking upon GOD, and con­sidering what a God he is, and what he says of himself, the sole consideration of what he knows to be in God may support him. This it is to stay upon his name.

            By the name of God two things are meant. First, those glorious attributes, especially of grace and mercy, whereby God has made himself known to us, Ex. xxxiv; 5, 6, 7, &c. The Lord has proclaimed his name; " The Lord GOD, merciful, gracious, long-suffering, abundant in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, for-giving iniquity, transgression, and sin, and will by no means clear the guilty." Secondly, JESUS CHRIST, as he is set forth to be righteousness to the sons of men, Jer. 23: 6, "This is the name wherewith he shall be called," or made known to us, " The Lord our Righteousness," that is, JESUS CHRIST, who is GOD, has righteousness in himself for us, which may be made ours. So that when a poor soul in distress is not able to say, I see an evidence in myself, whereby I can say, God is my GOD, or CHRIST is mine; yet, because I see free grace enough in GOD, and righteousness in CHRIST, which I (being a sinful man, and not -a devil,) am therefore capable of, and may come to have an interest in, though I know nothing in myself whereby I can challenge any present interest. And because grace and mercy is his-name, and our righteous­ness his Son's name; therefore I cast myself upon both, for pardon and favor, and thereupon my soul leans, stays, and abides. So that these two apprehensions meeting in the heart, help to make up this resting upon his name; namely, first, that there is such grace in God; and that JESUS CHRIST is appointed to be our righteousness: and, secondly, that I am capable of an interest in both these; and that though there be nothing in me, which may challenge an interest in them, yet there is nothing that excludes me; whereupon I cast myself upon God for both, and there I rest.

            The name of God; that is, God's attributes, and CHRIST's righteousness sufficiently and adequately answer all wants and doubts; all objections and distresses we can have, or can be in; whatsoever our want or tempta­tions be, he has a name to make supply. For example; consider every letter in his name, mentioned Ex. xxxiv. 5, 6, and it answers to some temptation. Art you in misery and great distress? He is merciful; " the Lord., merciful;" the Lord, therefore able to help thee; merciful, therefore willing. Yea, but you wilt say, " I am unworthy, I, have nothing in me to move him to it." Therefore he is gracious; now grace is to show mercy freely. "Yea, but 1 have sinned against him long, for many years; if I had come in when I was young, mercy might have been shown me." To this he says, I am long-suffering.’ If Yea, but my sins every way abound in number, and it is impossible to reckon them up; and they abound in heinousness; I have committed the same sins again and again." His name also answers this ob­jection; he is abundant in goodness; he abounds more in grace than you in sinning; and though you have been false again and again to him, and broken all cove­nants, yet he is abundant in truth; better than his word; for he cannot to our capacities express all that mercy that is in him. " Yea, but I have committed great sins, aggravated with many and great circumstances; against love, against knowledge, and wilfully." He forgives iniquity, transgression, and sin; sins of all sorts. "Yea, but there is mercy thus in him only for a few, and I may not be of the number." Yes, there is mercy for thou-sands; and he keeps it; treasures of it he by him, and are kept, if men would come in And take them. Object what you can, his name will answer thee. Necdest you comfort as well as pardon? He is both Father of mercies, and God of all comfort; that is his name, 2 Cora 1: 3. Needest you peace of conscience? He is the God of peace. " Yea, but I have an heart empty of grace, and full of corruptions." He is God of all grace to heal thee, as well as of peace to pardon thee. Needest you wisdom and direction? He is the Father of lights. Is thy heart inconstant and full of double-mindedness? He is unchangeable also. Thus all objections that can be made may be answered out of his name.

The like may be fully showed in his Son's name; in whom God has made himself strong to show mercy and bestow all good things. Whose name is adequate to. God's name; of as large extent in worth and merit, as God's heart is in his purposes of chewing and bestowing mercies? Whose name has an all-sufficiency in it to supply all our wants and desires, and satisfy all scruples? Consider his name in Isaiah 9: 6, compared with 1 Cor. 1: 3O. Would we have peace of conscience, and the guilt of sins removed? He is the Prince of peace, and is made righteousness to us. Are we in depths of dis­tress? Are there terrors within, and terrors without, out of which we see no redemption? He is the mighty GOD, able to save to the utmost, being made redemption to us. Want we grace and his image to be renewed in us? He is the everlasting Father; a Father, to beget his likeness in us, and everlasting, to maintain it. for ever, when it is begun; and he is made sanctification to us. Want we wisdom to guide us? He is the Counsellor, and is made wisdom to us. All we want he has; even as all he has we want. And further, although we not only want all these, but very much of all these, his name is also Wonderful. For such he is in all these; able to do beyond all our expectations, even to astonish­ment.

If the soul desires more particular satisfaction in point of justification, which consists in the pardon of sins, and acceptance with God; that other name of his, " The Lord our Righteousness," will answer all objections and doubts. For if that righteousness of his satisfied GOD, who is "greater than our hearts," it may satisfy our hearts much more. The righteousness of his life and death is not only avvburpov, an adequate sufficient ran­som, but there is plenteous redemption in it; yea, to superfluity, as the apostle's. phrase implies; vireesAsQvxre, 1 Tim. 1: 14, that is, overfull, more than would serve the turn, and that to pardon his sins, who was " the chief of sinners." He elsewhere ehallengeth all the powers of sin, hell, and darkness to appear in this dispute, and undertakes to answer them all out of this one position, f' CHRIST has died," Rom. 8: 39, which is in effect the pray unto GOD, and stay themselves upon it; unto them God cannot deny it, for it is theirs. So that the name’of the Son of God also is all-sufficient to answer all objections.

            The mere name of God is support enough for faith; because it is for his name sake, and his Son's name sake, that he does all he doth; and for nothing in us, but merely for what is in himself; so Tsai. xlviii. 9, " For my name sake will I defer my anger." So also Ezek. xxxvi. 22, 32, " For my name sake, and not for your sake:" and Isai. xliii. 25, " I am he that blotteth out thy transgression for my own sake, and will not remember thy sins." For this " he blotteth out transgression," and pardoneth. And if it be for his name sake he does all he doth, and fulfilleth all promises made to us: then when you seest nothing in thyself to which any promise is made, nothing which may appear to be any argument or motive that he will pardon thee, then trust you in his name; that because he is GOD, and has mercy in him, therefore he will do it.

            This then may direct poor souls in distress, what to venture all upon; upon what ground to hazard labors, endeavors, and all, even upon his name; when they see nothing in themselves to which any promise be-longs. Your own hearts may fail, but God's name and his Son's name rested on, will never fail you. Lean on these, not by halves, but trust perfectly (as the apostle says) on that mercy you hear is in GOD, upon that grace revealed. Throw and cast your whole souls, your whole weight upon it. He only "has perfect peace, whose mind is staid on God." Have not half thy soul upon that " rock which is higher than You," but get all upon it, and when all shall fail, renew thy faith on his name. Thereon rest, there die. To this purpose may that of Solomon serve, Prov. 18: 1O, " His name (says he) is a strong tower; the righteous flee to it, and are safe." Now what end is there, and use of a tower in a city? When all the out-works are taken, the walls scaled, all same with this,’ The Lord our  righteousness: who therefore (says he) shall condemn?"

            What can be alleged either in the heinousness of sin in the general, or in any of thy sins in particular, unto which an answer may not be fetched from the righteous-of CHRIST's death and life? Is it that sin is an offence against the great God? Is not his righteousness the righteousness of Jehovah? " Jehovah our Righteous­ness," who is the mighty God? Is the glory of this great GOD, and all his excellencies debased by us in sinning? And will not the emptying of his glory, whose name is the "brightness of his Father's glory," satisfy and make amends? Are our sins the transgression of the holy and righteous law in every part of it? What? Did not Jehovah, who made and gave that law, to make him-self our righteousness, make himself under the law? Gal. 4: 4; and, to make up a full righteousness, fulfil every part of it? Rom. 8: 3, 4. Is it thy continuance in sin, and the number and repetition of thy sins that amazeth thee? " Allfulness dwells in him," who is our righteousness, and has dwelt in him longer than sin in thee; and the righteousness of our Messiah is everlasting righteousness; the merit of which an eternity of sinning could not expend, or make void. And is all this righ­teousness laid up for himself only, or for any other sort of creatures, so that you might never come to have an interest in it? No: the top of our comfort is, that our righteousness is one letter of his name; and that our names are put into his. For us it is, and ours it is or­dained to be: as much ours, to save us trusting upon it, as his own to glorify him. Ours; not for himself: he had no need of it, being God blessed for ever. Ours, not the angels': neither the good, (for they are justified by their own:) nor the bad, (they are put out of God's will for ever.) But ours, who are the sons of men; and among them, theirs especially, who are broken, lost, whose souls draw near to the grave, and that come and fortifications forsaken, the houses left, then a tower holds out last, and is a refuge to flee to. So when the devil beleaguers thee round, and encompasses thy soul, and the comfort of every grace in thee is taken from thee, and you art driven from, and art forced to forsake all other thy holds and grounds of comfort, then flee to the name of the Lord, as thy city of refuge. Say, There is mercy in thee, Lord, and that is thy name. And there is righ­teousness in thy Son, and that is his name. I am directed to trust in thy name in time of need. Here rest, and catch hold as on the horns of the altar, and if you diest, die there.

            VIII. The eighth direction is, to wait upon GOD, thus trusting in his name, in the constant use of all ordinances and means of comfort. Waiting is indeed but an act of faith further stretched out. It is a continuing to believe on GOD, and to look for help from him, with submission, though he stays long ere he comes. Waiting is an act of faith resting on God; and an act of hype expecting help from him; an act of patience, the mind quietly con-• tenting itself till God does come; and of submission, if he should net come. Therefore says the church, being in this very case, " It is good to hope, and quietly to wait for the salvation of the Lurch" It is good indeed to do so; for God will afflict the less, ease you the sooner, comfort you the more when he does come; and in the mean while it enables you to possess your souls, and to be yourselves; and to do otherwise, to be impatient, or to give over looking for the Lord, as Ahaz did, is the greatest folly that can be; for as Job says, Job 12: 14, " If he shut up, there is no opening;" all the world cannot let you out. He keeps the keys of the dungeon, and you must stay his leisure, and he stays hut for a fit time to let you out, Isai. 30: 18, " He will wait to be gracious to you, for he is a God of judgment," a wise and judicious GOD, and knows the fittest times and sea-sons. And that he stays so long, is not out of want of mercy; for he waits and longs to be gracious; but hadoes it out of judgment, and his wisdom sees not yet a fit time. He is grieved that you are not yet fit for mercy, that his mercy would not yet be exalted if he should show it, till you further see your misery; and therefore, says he, " Blessed are all they that wait for him." And as he now waiteth to be the more gracious to thee, so he did heretofore, a long while wait for thee, that you wouldest begin to turn to him and say, When' will it once be? You madest him stay thy leisure, in turning from thy sin; why may he not make thee stay his, for the pardon of it? And indeed the escaping hell in the end is so great a mercy, that it is worth the waiting for all thy days, though you endure an hell here, and gettest not a good look till the very last gasp. Therefore put thy mouth in the dust, and wait quietly.

            And waiting thus, go on to use all the means of grace more diligently, more constantly, though you fiudest no good by them. Omit no ordinance God has appointed for thy comfort and recovery; as in a long sickness, you still use means though many have failed, as the woman who had the bloody issue, spent all upon physicians, in the use of means for her recovery. That trouble of mind does only hurt you, which drives you from the means. Therefore the devil endeavors nothing more than to keep such souls from the Word, from good com­pany, from the sacraments, from prayer, by objecting their unprofitableness unto them, and that all is in vain, and that they do but increase their condemnation. You profit much if you learn no other lesson in the use of the means, but that you are of yourself most unprofitable; and that unless God teacheth you to profit, no good is done, and so learnest to depend upon God in the ordi­nance.

            And again, though you should forget all you hear, and should seem to reap no benefit by it, yet hear; for some secret strength is gotten by it. And as for increasing your condemnation, know that utterly to neglect the means is greater condemnation. Therefore read, pray, meditate,

hear, confer, receive the sacraments, forbear not these your appointed meals. Indeed when the body is sick ye use to forbear your appointed food; but when the soul is sick there is more need of it than ever. All these are but meat and medicine, food, physic, cordials, and all. Use reading the Word; the Scriptures were written for our consolation; therefore read them much. Attend on preaching, for God creates the fruit of the lips peace, Receive the sacrament often; those days are sealing days; go you and confess thy sins, write over thy pardon, put in all you knows by thyself, bring it to CHRIST to set his seal to it. Only take this caution, that you trust not to the use of the means, but unto God in the means. To think, Oh! I shall have comfort by such a man, or at such a time, in such an ordinance; this often dasheth all. So believe in God as if you used no means, and yet as diligently use the means, as if your confidence were to he in them.

            IX. Above all things pray, and get others to pray for you; for God often restores comfort unto such, at the request of mourners for them, Isa. Ivii. IS. But yet es­pecially be earnest in pouring forth your complaint your-self; for though the speaking of friends may somewhat further your suit, yet it must be wrought out between God and you in private; and his good-will must be ob­tained by wooing him in secret. This counsel the apostle gives you, << Is any afflicted? let him pray." And be-cause of all afflictions else, this needeth prayer the most; therefore David pens the 1O2d psalm on purpose; not for his own use only, but for the use of all others in the like distress; as appears by this title of it: " A prayer for the afflicted, when he is overwhelmed, and pours out his complaint before the Lord."

            When at any time therefore, thy sins and God's wrath meet in thy conscience, then pour forth thy soul, lay open and confess thy sin. When thy case is as Job's was, Job 10: 15, 16, 17, that you art full of confusion, so full that you thinkest thy heart could hold no more; and yet itincreases, and he fills thee fuller yet; then do you pour out thy complaints to him, as he pours confusion into thee; and when he hunts thee, as Job there complains, like a fierce lion, fall you down and humble thyself like a poor and silly lamb. If you diest, die at his feet, mourning, bleeding out thy soul in tears. And when he hunts thee up and down, and pursues thee with blow after blow, follow you hard after him wherever he goes, with complaint after complaint. And when yet he leaves thee not, but again and again returns, (as some read it) after some intermission, and shows himself terrible to thee day after day, night after night; yet do you look in the like manner again and again towards his holy temple, as Jonah did: and when he begins to bring in new sins, new indictments against thee, (as it is Job 10: 17,) thou. renewest thy witnesses: and when you thoughtest he had done with thee, he enters into new quarrels and reckonings long since past and forgotten, (as it is in the same verse) changes and war against thee, vicissitudes and armies of disquietments; and when one army is overcome, a new one appears in the field; then fall you down, and say as Job at last dotlr; I have sinned, I have sinned, what shall I do unto thee? What shall I do unto thee? O you preserver (not destroyer) of men. These and these abominations I have done, and I cannot now undo them; and what shall I do to obtain thy favor? Alas! you can do nothing that can satisfy him. Only " confess thy sin, accept thy punishment. Complain you not; put thy mouth in the dust," Lam. 3: 29, 3O. Be still; say not a word; but only such whereby you utterest thy complaints, and dost acknowledge thine own desert of ten thousand times more. Say as in Micah 7: 9, " I will bear thine indignation, for I have sinned against thee." Bear witness still to every stroke, that it is not only just, but also less than you have deserved, and that it is his mercy you art not consumed, and cut off by every blow. The higher he lifts up his hand to strike, the lower let thy soul fall down. Humble thyself under his mighty hand. And still kiss the rod when he has done, and then take up words of pleading for thyself (it is for thy life) desiring him to' remember what he has been ever thinking of, even from everlasting, thoughts of peace and mercy to us-ward, and the number of them can-not be told. Plead You, What are become of all thy thoughts of mercy? Are they restrained? What? Are all now on the sudden forgotten; which you have been thinking on so long? Ask him if he has forgotten his own name; to be gracious and abundant in kindness. Say, you have notice given thee of an infinite and all-sufficient righteousness in his Son, laid up in him, and that by his own procurement, whereof his Son never had, nor can have any need himself: and for whom was it then appointed? but for the sons of men; those who are weeny, wounded, sick, broken, lost. These his Son has put into his will, who still lives to be his own executer. And say further to him, It is come to thine ears, that his Spirit is the Comforter, a God of comforts, and that his Son has bought them all, and is anointed with this Spirit on purpose to pour him forth into the hearts of those that are wounded and sick, and broken; the whole they have no need of them.

            If it be said unto thee; " Yea, but you art most un­worthy:" answer, But he professeth to love freely. If the greatness of thy sins be objected against thee; plead you again, that plenteous redemption is with him; and say, If God has not enough to pardon me, I am content to go without. If it be objected that you art ungodly, say, That you believest on him that just/ieth the ungodly. If God puts thee off, (as CHRIST a while did the woman of Canaan) and says he has no need of thee; say, that you have need of him, and can no longer live without him; for, in his favor is thy life, and, that without it you art undone. If he seems to rebuke thee, and ask; How darest you press thus to him who is the High and Lofty One? A sinful man to him, whose name is holy? say, You have heard himself say; " Thus said' that High and Lofty One, whose name is holy; that he dwells with him that is of a contrite spirit, to revive the heart of the humble," Isa. lvii. 15.

            If still he does pursue thee, and his wrath he heavy on thee, ask him, what is it he aims at? Is it to have the victory, " and overcome when he judges?" Freely tell him, I am willing to give it thee, to yield to thee, to stand out with thee in nothing; but am content to submit to thy commanding will in all things, and to thy condemn­ing will also, if you so please; and that it will be just if you condemn me: I will justify thee, whilst you art condemning me; and at the latter day, you shall need no other judge against me than myself. Only beseech him to consider what honor it will be to him to pursue thy stubble, and to break a poor dried leaf, that crum­bleth under his fingers; to break a reed that is broken already. Say, you art not a fit match for him, and he has said, " He will not contend for ever," Isa. lvii. 16, especially when he sees any to lay down their weapons, as you art content to do.

            Or ask him, Lord, is it that you aimest to have glory out of my eternal condemnation? It is true, you may; you may have glory out of my death and destruction, who never yet hadst it out of my life. But I desire thee to consider this before you thrustest thy sword into me, that you have already sheathed it in thy Son's bowels. You may show as much power in overcoming thy wrath, as in venting it; yea, and have greater glory. Plead, I shall never be able to satisfy thee, though you should throw me down to-hell: you may cast me into prison, but I can never pay the debt: and what profit will there he in my blood? Therefore, if satisfac­tion to thy justice be thy end; you may better accept that which thy Son has made, and so you shall be sure to be no loser by me. Thereby you wilt not only receive the glory of thy justice, but show the riches of thy grace and mercy also, and so double the revenue of thy glory in me.

            Or, is it (Lord) that that you aimest to have moan obedience from me than heretofore you halt had? Plead Lord, this is the way to disable me for service; for while I suffer thy terrors, I am as one among the dead, listless not to thy business only, but to all things else; distracted with terrors, so that the powers of my soul are scattered, and cannot attend upon their duty; and besides this dis­traction in my spirit, it consumes my strength also, dries up my bones and moisture. Say, " When you rebukest man for sin, you Inakest his beauty to consume away as a moth. Oh! therefore spare me, that I may recover my strength, before I go hence and be no more seen." And withal put him in mind, that if he should go on thus to deal with thee, as you should not be able to do him much service, so neither to do any long, for that will cut short thy days. Say to him, " How long wilt you hide thyself? For ever? Shall thy wrath burn like fire? Remember how short my time is." I have but a little time here allotted me, though none of it should be shortened. And for that little time I have to live, the more joy I have, the more service I shall be able to do thee, (" for the joy of the Lord is our strength." Neh. 8: 1O,) and more acceptably also, for " you loves a cheerful giver." Intreat him to restore thee to the joy of his salvation, so shall you be able to do him more service in a week, than in a year now, (long trouble of mind being as long sicknesses, which make all performances weak.)

            And if it-be objected against thee, that if you should be trusted with such assurance, you wouldst turn it into wantonness; reply, that if he pleases, he can prevent that, by preparing thy heart for these cordials, so that they shall work kindly on thee; by writing the law of love to-wards him in thy heart, which, when his love shed abroad shall join therewith, will constrain and strengthen to obedience: and say, that though you have indeed a stub-born and self-loving heart, yet he can make his loving kindness overcome it, for it is " stronger than death,"

            And if through all these discouragements, thy condition prove worse and worse, so that you can nc;t pray, but art struck dumb when you comest. into his presence, make signs; groan, sigh, sob, chatter as Hezekiah did, bemoan thyself for thine unworthiness; and desire CHRIST to speak thy requests for thee, and God to hear him for thee. " CHRIST is an advocate with the Father," nor was ever cast in any suit he pleaded. See what himself says, Jer. xxxi. 18, 19, 2O, " Ephraim is my son, my pleasant son," and yet he began to " speak against him," as sharp words as ever he has done against thee; as if he meant never to have mercy on him: upon which Ephraim falls a "bemoaning himself," (as I have taught thee to do) and acknowledgeth it was justly done, having " been a bul­lock unaccustomed to the yoke." Ephraim began to be ashamed, not able to look up, and seeks after repentance; and that from him, without whose help he was not able to turn to him: " Turn you me, and I shall be turned;" and to challenge him and his love: " You art the Lord, my God. Well! says GOD, though it be long since " I spice against him," and I have suffered him long to be plunged in misery, "yet I remember him still:" his tears, his sighs, were never out of my mind; and though he thinks I had forgotten him, yet I remember him, and " my bowels are troubled for him," as much and more than he is for himself; and I can forbear no longer, " I will surely have mercy on him."

            X. Lastly, having done all this, rest not in ease, but healing; not in ease of conscience, but in healing of con-science. You that are troubled in mind, think not your states to be good, simply because you cease to be troubled; but only then when the issue of your trouble is healing to your spirits, by some sound ground of comfort; and when guidance in God's ways, and inore close and steady walk­ing with and waiting upon God is the issue of it. For God may slack the cords and take you off the rack when yet he has not pardoned you. A traitor who was cast

into the dungeon, and had many irons on him, may be let out of the dungeon, and have his irons taken off', and have the liberty of the tower, and yet not have his pardon; nay, usually before execution they use to take the irons off. Thus it is with many. I thank GOD, says one, I have had much trouble of mind, such and such sins terri­fied me, and I could not sleep for them; but now I am well, and they do not trouble me. Yea, but is this all? You have cause to fear that thy irons are but taken off against execution. It is with men in point of justification, as of sanctification. A man that has had a strong lust stirring in him, if he has gone a year or two, and finds it not to stir, he therefore thinks he is utterly freed from it, which yet may be but a restraint of it, not killing of it: so it is often in this trouble of mind, which arises from the guilt of sin. Because a man finds not those doubts and terrors in his heart as he has done heretofore, there-fore he presently thinks all is well; when it may be merely a truce, not a peace; a laying down of arms only for a while, to make greater preparation against the soul after-wards; a little enlargement in prison, not a pardon.

            That you may further conceive the meaning of this; in different men there is a wide difference, both in the main cause of their trouble, and also in the issue and removal of it. One man's trouble is for the present smart he feels in sin, and out of fears that he shall endure these tortures for ever. Another man's trouble (though it has often all in it, vet the chiefest of his trouble is a further thing) it is not only the smart of sin, but also the filth, the foul­ness, the offence of it done to GOD, that wounds him; neither is it only the want of pardon, which troubleth him, but the want of God's favor, the want of seeing his face. His desire is to live in his sight, and to have God- to be his God.

            Now such as the wound is, such also is the remedy. Therefore, the one being but troubled with the smart of sin, take that load off, and he as pleasant as ever, it being present ease that he seeks; or at the utmost, but pardon of sin, that he may be free from the fears of undergoing that for ever, the earnest whereof he feels in his conscience now. And hence the remedies such men often have re-course to, are unsuitable; they are but like rattles to still children with. They run to merry company, or to music, as Cain to " building cities;" and so put off the terrors of their conscience. Or they run to a formal performance of duties; even as poor souls under Popery, when they were stung by the friars' sermons, they set them penances and good deeds to be done, which stilled them awhile, and for them they thought they should have pardon: so men run now to holy duties with the same opinion they did then, as bribes for a pardon, " What shall I give, (says he in Micah) for the sin of my soul?"

But the wound of the other being deeper, not the sting of sin only, but the poison of it; not the smart, but the offence done to God; not the fear of his wrath, bits want of his favor; therefore accordingly ease from those ter­rors pacify not him; no, not simply peace with God. He says not only, " Oh! miserable man that I am; who shall deliver me from this death only?" but " who shall de-liver me from this body of death?" If news were brought him that God would pardon him, and call him to a reckon­ing for any sin, and no more were spoken to his con-science, he would still be troubled, till he had assurance of his good-will also. If it were said, God will indeed pardon thee, but he will never love thee as he did, you must not come into his sight; this would grieve the soul more than the other would content it, and he would be everlastingly troubled. Ease, pardon, knocking off his bolts, content him not till he enjoys communion with GOD, t ill he sees his face in his ordinances. If the want of the sense of communion with GOD, and absence from him disquiets a man, then the heart rests not till it has found its well beloved.

 

CHAP. 16

Some Observations from the Whole.

 

            Upon the whole I observe, that though " it may befall one" that fears God to walk in darkness, " yet but to few." He says, " who is among you?" He singleth such out of a crouch There are those that walk in the light of God's countenance to their death, end never knew what terror of conscience meant. But when he speaks of those that " fear God and walk in darkness," such an one is "one of a thousand;" of such an one he says, "who is among you?" Pew have experience of such a condition. Job had friends, who certainly were good men, (for Job was to pray for them, and God said he would hear Job for them;) and they, as is likely, knew many good men besides Job; yet when this befell Job, it was so strange to them, that they thought him an hypocrite, as never having themselves felt, or heard of the like in others. When CHRIST was to go into his agony, he would riot have many of his apostles so much as witnesses of it, much less to feel the like; he takes but two or three.

            I. The first reason of this is, because though all God's people are fighting men, and men of valor, yet he has but a few champions; therefore calls but a few out to fight single combats with SATAN; though he exercised' them all in lighter skirmishes, yet not to fight such bloody battles. " Seest you not my servant Job, there is none like him?" Him God will venture into the field, but others he will not.

            2. As he has few champions fit for such an encounter, so he has variety of temptations to exercise his withal; he has poverty and ill report, and cruel mockings, loss f goods, crosses in friends; and some have enough to do to Struggle under one of these; and seldom all hcfall one; owe spirits are so weak, that they would faint, and not be able to sustain themselves; and God never suffers any to be " tempted above what they are able," 1 Cor. a. 13. Some men's bodies are weak, and if God should " rebuke them long for sin," they would be brought to nothing; and he " remembers they are flesh, and stirs not up all his wrath." Some men God has present use of in their callings, which if they were distracted;vitll terrors, they were unfit for.

            3. God usually inflicts thus but in case of extremity, when he meets with a very froward heart. Lesser afflic­tions work with the most of ois through his blessing; mercies work, disgrace works, poverty works; and as " he does not willingly afflict," so not unnecessarily. He puts not men into the dungeon for every fault; and therefore there are few long exercised this way. Think not therefore you Vast not true faith because you wert never terrified as some have been. As some have true faith and sound peace, who yet have not " joy unspeak­able and full of glory;" so some have sound humiliation, who never knew terrors of conscience. You sec we may often preach such things, as concern but a few in a con­gregation. There are but a few walk long in darkness, yet to such CHRIST does preach; yea, and for such dots God give gifts, the tongue of the learned. Therefore, as we must not defraud one poor soul of its portion, because none else partake of it; so the rest are not to think!much, but stay till their portion come; and if any one poor soul has had his state discovered, all the rest are to be thankful.

            I observe, secondly, that those few who walk in dark­ness, and yet fear and obey him, "God and CHRIST has an especial eye unto, and care of. You sec he singles them out, as it were, from all the rest. " Who is among you?” Isa. Lxvi. 2, “All these fixings have my hands made, but to this man will I look that is poor and broker and trembled' at my word;" that is, t bough all things and persons else in the world be my creatures, and so to have a care of them all yet to him all I look, that is in such a state, as if there were none else in the church. It is the office of CHRIST so to do. "The Spirit is upon him on purpose to open the prison to them that are bound," shut up in this dungeon; " to appoint to them that mourn, beauty for ashes; the oil of joy for mourning; garments of praise for the spirit of heaviness." He is the Shepherd, and will take care of all his sheep. But of whom espe­cially? " The lambs" that are weak; " he will gather them with his arms, and gently lead the ewes with young," those that are traveling and bringing forth, as those under terrors are. He will not over-drive them. He is that " good Shepherd," that will, as he has promised, Ezek. xxxiv. 16, " Seek out that which was lost, and bring again that which was driven away, and bind up that which is broken, and strengthen that which was sick." He names all casualties that befall them, because he helps in all miseries; yea, and after they have been bewildered " in a cloudy and dark day, he will find them out and deliver them." And if his office would not move him to it, his love would; for he is a " merciful and pitiful High-Priest," Heb. 4: 15; and was "in all points tempted as we are;" and especially, in agony of spirit, therein he drank deepest of any, and therefore is fitted to pity us therein; and the more any is troubled, the more CHRIST is touched. " In all our afflictions he is afflicted. Since I spoke against him (says he) I remember him still, there-fore my bowels are troubled for him," Jet.. xxxi. 2O. When a child is sick, the mother is more troubled, and careful about it, and her mind more upon it, than on all the house besides.

            Notwithstanding this, all that are in darkness, think that of all men else, God regards not them. Sion said, "God has forgotten me," Isa. xlix. 15. So David, " God has forgotten to be merciful." Because they find their hearts hard to GOD, they think that his is so to them. Because they can find no love in their hearts to GOD, they think he bears none to them. But CHRIST you see especially in-quires for such, and overlooks all others. You afflicted soul, whoever you art, God has " graven thee on the palms of his hands," Isa. xlv. 16. Every sigh of thine goes to his bowels, " I will dwell with him," says GOD, that is broken, to revive his spirit." He is very nigh to such a one. And are God's eyes upon us any more when we are in trouble of spirit, than on any other? Then let our eyes be upon him: " We cannot tell what to do, but our eyes are towards thee." Let our eyes be towards him for help, as of those that looked on the brazen serpent. Let our eyes be towards him for service, " as the eyes of hand-maidens are on their mistress." Look not to men, nor to credit, but on God in all we do, as if there were none else in the world, to approve ourselves unto.

            I observe, lastly, in that which he speaks of those his children that are in darkness, he chooseth rather to de-scribe them by fear and obedience, than by any other grace; that when the children of God are under terrors, the most eminent grace that does appear in them, is fear-fulness to offend GOD, and willingness to obey him: other graces may be stirred, but these are most eminent, and therefore he mentioneth these for their comfort. Several occasions draw out several graces. When the sunshine of God's favor melts the heart, then love and obedience thence proceeding, are most eminent, and also godly sorrow. So Mary wept much, and loved much," for much was forgiven her." On the contrary; when the sense of God's love is withdrawn; and fears and terrors shed abroad in the heart, then fear and obedience show themselves. There-fore " he that is poor and contrite, and trembleth at the Word," are joined, Isa. Ixvi. 2, even he that trembleth at every command and threatening, and is fearful to transgress. When the soul is possest most with displea­sure for sin, and apprehensions of wrath, then it feareth most, and then fear works accordingly against that which may displease. Hence the apostle says, " Seeing our God is a consuming fire," Heb. 12: 2O, " let us serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear."