Scripture Light the Most Sure Light
[Quest.] How may that appear?
[Answ. 1] Four Demonstrations of it.
First: If Satan do therefore tempt the People of God, that he may discourage them; then have they no reason to be discouraged because they are tempted by Satan; I say, if Satan's great design, end, and aim, in all the Temptations of the Saints, be to discourage them; then they have no reason to be discouraged, because they are tempted; for then they should gratify Satan, and give him his end. Now, Satan doth tempt that he may tempt; he tempts unto one sin, that he may tempt unto another; he tempteth a man to sin against the Law, that he may make him sin against the Gospel; and what greater sin against the Gospel, than unbelieving discouragements? He knows, or thinks, such and such a person is gone from his Kingdom, and he saith, though I cannot hinder his Salvation, but he will be saved do what I can, yet I will hinder his Comfort, and make him draw heavily; and if I can but discourage him in his Duty, I shall in time make him to cast it off. His great design is to discourage, and therefore whenever any Godly man is tempted, he should say, well, through the Grace of Christ, seeing Satan's design is to discourage, my design shall be to bear up my heart and spirit against all discouragements.
[Answ. 2] Secondly: If God our Father, doth pity his Children under their Temptations; and the more they are tempted by Satan, the more they are pitied by God; then have they no reason to be discouraged, whatever their Temptatio • •• e. How is it with your own Bowels? If you had two Childre • , one that is in your house with you at home; and another that is i • . Spain, or Italy, abroad, exposed to gr • at Temp •• tions; is not your pity most towards that Child that is ab • o • d, and exposed to most Temptations? Your Love may be expressed to him that is at home, as much anoth •• 〈◊〉 but your pitying love is most to him that is abroad. As in the time of a Storm, great Rain, or Hail, if you have one Child lie in you • bo • om, or sitting upon your knee; and another that is abroad in the op • n fields; though your love in one kind, may run out to him th • t is upon your knee; yet, doth not your pitying Love run ou • more to him that is abroad in the open fields? Thus it is with God; he hath two sorts of Children; Some that are exposed to more temptations, and some that are expos • d to less; though his Grace, and Love, may run out more in one kind to them that are less tempted, yet his pitying Love, runs out most unto those that are most tempted. And upon this account you will find in Scripture, that when God saw any of his Children were to go into any Sad Temptation, he did either immediately before, in, or after, more than ordinarily reveal himsel • unto them; the more you are tempted by Satan, the more you are pitied by God: it matters not whether your Temptation be great, or small; if less, you have the less pity; if more, you have the more pity: why then should you be discouraged, although your temptations be never so great?
[Answ. 3] Thirdly: If all the Temptations of God's People, be overcome, and broken, before they do fall on them; then have they no reason to be discouraged, or cast down, because they are tempted. Now so it is, Christ was a common Person, not only in his death, but in his life; he did act, and work, and bear as a common person, as our Second Adam all along; Christus non meruit sibi; Christ did not die for himself, nor obey for himself; but he did die for us, and obey for us, and all his Seed were in him▪ as in a common person; look whatever evils Christ did bear, those he did bear for us, and we did bear in him, as in our Second Adam; and therefore, when he was tempted, he stood as a common person in his Temptations, and in him all the Saints and People of God, who are his Seed, were tempted, and in his overcoming, they did overcome; for as when the first Adam was tempted, he being a Common Person, we all were tempted in him; and when he yielded to Satan, we did all yield in him; when he was overcome, we were overcome in him; and when he did eat the forbidden fruit, all his Seed did eat in him; and every Child of Adam may now say, I did then eat the forbidden Fruit: So when Christ was tempted, all his Seed were tempted in him; and when he overcame, all his Seed overcame in him. And therefore when you read the Story of Christ's Temptations, ye are not barely to say, thus, and thus, Christ resisted for my Example; but in his resisting, I did resist; in his overcoming, I did overcome: for, as I did eat in the First Adams eating, and yield in the First Adams yielding; so I did refuse, and resist, and overcome in Christ, the Second Adams refusing, resisting, and overcoming: Thus with all the Saints, and People of God, who are the Seed of the second Adam, Christ hath not only overcome their Temptations for them, but in Christ their second Adam, th • y have overcome Satan, and made a spoil of Principalities and Powers: and therefore, why should they be discouraged, whatever their Temptations be?
[Answ. 4] Fourthly: If God hath such an over-ruling hand of Grace, upon all the Temptations of the Saints, as that they shall turn to their good; then they have no reason to be cast down, or to be discouraged, because of them. Now, God would never suffer his People to be tempted, but that he intendeth to destroy their Temptations, by their Temptations; look what is the end, and issue, of an evil, that was God's design in suffering that evil to come to pass: and this is the end, and issue of all the Saints Temptations, that thereby they are more enlightened: Tentatio dat intellectum; Temptation gives understanding; tempting times, are teaching times.
Thereby they are more humbled; For this cause (saith Paul) I received a Messenger of Satan (he speaks it twice) that I might not be exalted.
Thereby they are the more occasioned to live in God, and depend on him. Watch and pray (saith our Savior) lest ye fall into Temptation: Watching doth note our diligence; Praying doth note our dependence: And why Watch, and Pray? but, lest ye enter into Temptation.
Thereby the Grace, and Power, and Might of God in Christ, is the more discovered, and revealed to them; My Grace is sufficient for thee, saith God to Paul, in the time of his Temptation; a word which he had not heard before.
Thereby their Graces are more increased, as the Israelites were multiplied by being oppressed. Unus Christianus tentatus mille Christiani; O • e tempted Christian, is worth a thousand, saith Luther; for as the wind, and breath of the Bellows (though contrary to the fire) blows up the fire, and increaseth the flame thereof; So, though the breath of Temptation be contrary to Grace, yet thereby Grace is more increased, and raised to a higher flame. When Satan curseth, God blesseth; and when God blesseth, he saith, Encrease, and multiply.
Thereby all the Saints are made to triumph over Satan: It is a Christians Duty, not only to triumph over the World, but over Satan; therefore, saith the Apostle, The God of Peace tread down Satan under your Feet; those are words of triumph: and Paul in the name of other Christians, triumphs over Principalities and Powers; How shall a man triumph, if he never have Victory? and how shall he have the Victory, if he never fights? Therefore God leads his People into the Field, that they may sight; but in all this Fight, God stands by, Christ stands by, Love stands by; and God hath no design, but of Love, upon his Children in their Temptations.
Yea, Upon this account our Savior saith, That he doth appoint unto his Disciples a Kingdom, because they continued with him in his Temptations, Luke, 22. and shall his Disciples then lie down, and be discouraged, or complain, because they are with him in his Temptations? Surely they have no cau • e, they have no reason for their Discouragements, whatever their Temptations be.
[Object. 1] But I have been tempted long, and long, and long assaulted; yet I have no deliverance.
[Answ.] How long? as long as Christ himself? He was in all points tempted as we are, sin excepted, Heb. 4. Indeed Satan found nothing in him, no tinder to receive the sparks of his Temptations; but do but abate the sin of his Temptations, and then, in all points he was tempted as we are, even as much, and as long; for if you look into Luke, cap. 4. ver. 2. you shall find that he was at one time tempted forty days; and then when Satan left him, the Text tells us, He left him for a season, for he was daily tempting of him; and though you have been long assaulted, hath not Satan left you for a season? have you not had some intermissions, some revives, some breathing times? Job complained, that he was not suffered to swallow his spittle, he had no breathing time, as he thought: But though your Temptations have been long, and very long, yet you have had revives, Satan hath lest you for a season: And if that be true, That God hath such an over-ruling hand of Grace upon your Temptations; that your very Temptations shall turn to your Good; that thereby you are more enlightened, humbled, and your Grace increased; then the longer you are in this School, the better Scholar you shall be; the more enlightened, and the more humbled, and the more gracious; why should you then be discouraged, though your Temptations be very long?
[Object. 2] But I am tempted many times to doubt of my Child-ship, Whether I be the Child of God or no.
[Answ.] And was not Christ our Savior tempted so? There is but three particular Temptations mentioned in all the forty days of Christ's Temptation; and two of them run so; If thou be the Son of God? wherein Satan labors to draw a cloud upon Christ's Assurance, and to write an IF, upon his Child-ship, or Son-ship. Do you think to march through your Enemies Country to Heaven, and never be at a stand about your Condition? Suppose a man should travel through a strange Country which were very long, wherein he never was before, and wherein are many cross ways; would you not wonder that • e should • ravel all the way, and never be at a stand about 〈◊〉 , • ever question his way, whether right, or wrong? If you be the Child of God, you are now from home, and travelling 〈…〉 a strange Country; and do you think it is possible, 〈◊〉 • old it not be a wonder, that meeting with so many cross wai • s, you should never be at a stand about your Condition, or question your way, whether you be right or no? Give me leave to propound you a Parable: Suppose two men, one goes very brave, fares deliciously, is very merry, and full of money; yet hath no Lands, no Calling, nothing left him, no friends to maintain him, nor no honest way known to bring him in money, and yet he is full of it: The other works hard, fares meanly, goes plainly, and he is oft complaining, I fear I shall want, and miscarry, yet he hath a Calling, some Land, good Friends, and some Money: Which of these two think you, doth come most honestly by his Money? Will you not all say, the latter? For, though he hath but little, yet he works, hath a Lawful Calling, ways known for to bring it in. But as for the other, though fine brave, and looks high, yet he hath nothing to bring it in; I sear he comes not well by it. So Spiritually: there are two sorts of People in the world, One that is very confident of his Salvation, and full of Comfort, yet he prayeth not in private, reads not, meditates not, examineth not his own heart, takes no pains about his soul, but is often spending, keeping ill company, will be sometimes drunk, swear, and be unclean, yet he is very confident he shall go to Heaven: The other prays, hears, reads, meditates, walketh with all strictness in his life, and conversation, yet he is always doubting, and fearing; but through Grace he hath some Comfort: Which of these two, think you, is in the best condition, and comes most honestly by his Comfort? Will you not say, surely, the latter? for though he fears, yet he is always doing, working Heaven-ward: The other, though confident, and full of Comforts, hath no good way for to bring them in, and therefore surely his Evidence for Heaven is stolen, his Comforts are all stolen: But as for the other, though he hath but little Comfort, yet he comes truly by it. Thus it may be with you; whilst others swaggering it, and braving it out with their Comfort, and false Confidence, go to Hell, and perish everlastingly. It is a sure Rule, That God's Promise of Mercy, doth suppose our Misery; if he promise health, he supposeth our sickness; if he promise Grace, it supposeth our sin. Now, though in the times of the Old Testament, God promised much outward Blessing, yet in the times of the New Testament, the Mercy promised, is, To send the Comforter; the Spirit who shall bear witness unto our Spirits, that we are the Children of God: often our Savior saith; I will send the Comfor •• ▪ Why? but to show, that in the times of the Gospel, the People of God shall labor under doubtings, and be full of fears about their Spiritual estate; and therefore, though you do doubt of your Child-ship (which is your evil) yet your state herein, is no other than what may be the state, and condition of God's own People in these Gospel times; why therefore should you be discouraged in this respect?
[Object. 3] But I do not only doubt of my Child-ship, I am not only tempted to doubt whether I be the Child of God or no; but I labor under sad and searful temptations, I am tempted to strange, and horrid things, such as I fear to name; I am even tempted to make away myself; tempted with blasphemous thoughts, to doubt whether there be a God or no; whether the Scripture be true; and to say, that I have sinned against the holy Ghost; such, and such things I am tempted to, as my very soul and flesh doth tremble at; and have I not just cause, and reason now, to be discouraged, and cast down?
[Answ.] I confess this is sad indeed: I do not read in Scripture (though I read of many sins of the Godly) that ever any Godly man did make away himself. It is a good Speech of Austin: Sibi auferendo presentem v • tam, abnegant futuram; Men by taking away their present life, de •• themselves their future life: But because (saith Mr. Perkins ) 〈…〉 • one this, whose lives have been counted honest, 〈…〉 • lie; therefore my Sentence is thus: I dare not 〈…〉 damned, because of their former life; and I dare not say they are saved, because of their sinful death; yet for the Temptation itself, I say, if it do not come to act; as there is no Duty which a Godly man doth perform, but a wicked man may do the same, yet remain wicked; so, there is no Temptation which a wicked man may yield unto, but a godly man may be tempted unto, yet remain godly: was not Christ himself tempted by Satan, to throw himself down from the Pinacle of the Temple? yet he did it not: Only my Counsel and Advice from the Lord is; If any be troubled with such a Temptation, be sure you reveal it, and discover it presently; and as for those horrid, blasphemous suggestions which lie so heavy upon your souls, which make your heart and flesh to tremble at the rising of them. Ye have read how it was with the King of Moab, when he could not break through the Hoast of Israel, nor make them cease from following the Victory, he presented unto their view, a horrible Spectacle, sacrificing on the walls, his own dear Son, and Heir to the Crown, that so the Israelites being not able to endure the view of that inhumane sight, might give over the Victory. Thus doth Satan do; when he cannot drive a gracious soul out of the field, any other way, then he presenteth such horrid, inhumane suggestions to him, that he may scare him from the good ways of God: it is not in our power to hinder Satan from presenting these things to our thoughts. When you come into wicked, ungodly, and profane Company, if they will swear, and curse, and blaspheme, you cannot hinder them from speaking, nor yourself from hearing; you may sit down, and mourn, saying, O! what Blasphemy is here! what Cursing is here! but do what you can, they will fill your Ears with these things: Now Satan being a Spirit, he is able to present these Blasphemies to your Spirits, and you cannot hinder it: you may cry out and say, O! what Blasphemy is here! O! what a burden is this to my soul! But he can present them to you whether you will or not: and did he not present these things unto Christ himself? All these things will I give thee (saith he) if thou wilt fall down, and worship me; what greater Blasphemy can be imagined, than that the God of Heaven and Earth (as Christ was) should worship Satan; yet hereunto he did tempt our Lord and Savior: And if our God doth so order the Temptations of his Children, as that thereby they are kept from sin, have they any reason to be discouraged now by these horrid Temptations? Many a man is kept from other sins: Jerome, Luther, Magdeburgensis, and oth • rs, relate a Story of a certain Martyr, That when the Enemies could not threaten him out of his Religion; they sent a very handsome, fair, and beautiful Woman to entice him to folly; and he finding himself to be moved, and his lust begin to work, did bite off his Tongue, and spit it in her face, thinking that the pain thereof, would keep him from that fleshly lust, counting it more ease to combat with pain, than with lust, as Austin speaks, and hereby he was preserved. I do not speak of this fact to commend it, but only to show, that God doth sometimes keep his Children from lust, by pain. Now in these blasphemous suggestions, you find a great deal of pain, and if you were not in these pains, you would be lusting after other evils: God seeth what filthy, vile, lusting hearts you have, and therefore suffers these pains for to come upon you, and so you are kept from lust: Did you never know a man kept from lust by these Temptations? yea, did you never know a man converted to God by occasion of these Temptations? I have, and I think many, many poor souls that have lived in an ignorant Condition a long time, then it pleased God to suffer Satan to throw in these Temptations, these horrid Temptations, whereby they were so amazed, & startled, that thereupon, they looking into their own condition, were converted unto Jesus Christ. The more delights, & complacencies a man takes in sin, the more sinful is the sin: the more a man's flesh trembleth, & his soul is burdened under Temptation, the less sinful. Now, cannot you say in truth, Lord, though these be my greatest burdens, yet they are my least delights? Yes: Well then, be of good Comfort, the Lord doth but hereby keep you from other sins, and therefore why should you be discouraged whatever these Temptations be? As for the sin against the Holy Ghost; He never sins against the Holy Ghost, that fears he hath sinned against the Holy Ghost.
[Object. 4] But these are not my Temptations, I praise God, I am free from such: but I have other great, and strong Temptations, and have no strength to resist them: I am a poor weak person, a weak young man, or a weak young woman, and I fear I shall yield unto my Temptations; and therefore I am thus discouraged, have I not just cause and reason now?
[Answ.] No: For out of weakness we are made strong, and when we are weak, then are we strong in the Lord, saith the Apostle Paul. Possibly a man may be weak in regard of years, and yet may be strong in regard of Grace, and overcome his Temptations. In 1 John, 2.12, 13, 14. I write unto you little Children, saith the Apostle John. Children he doth call them all, for he was their Father in Christ; and at verse 13. I write unto you Fathers (saith he) because ye have known him that is from the Beginning: I write unto you young Men, because you have overcome the wicked One: I write unto you little Children, (saith he) because you have known the Father: which because it is matter of conce • nment, he repeats again at verse 14. I have written unto you Fathers, because ye have known him that is from the Beginning: I have written unto you young Men, because you are strong, and you have overcome the wicked One. There are three sorts of Peo-in the world; some that are old, and aged; some that are Children; some that are middle aged, and are called young Men, or young Women. The Aged think that they have no need to learn, they know as much as the Minister can tell them; therefore saith the Apostle here, I write unto you Fathers. Children think that they are not yet to learn, and they have time enough before them; therefore saith he, I write unto you Children. Yong persons think they should mind their Business, Trades, and Callings; therefore saith he, I write unto you young Men; and I pray mark what he speaks, words suitable to all these conditions: Old men love Antiquities, and therefore saith he, I write unto you Fathers, because you have known him that is from the Beginning: Children love to have the Fathers and Mothers Name in their Mouth; and therefore saith he, I write unto you Children, because ye have Known the Father. Yong men are strong, and are fit for fighting, and therefore saith he, I write unto you Yong Men, because you have Overcome the Evil One: What evil one is that, but Satan the Tempter? and of all others, young Men are here said to overcome the evil One; of all Men, and Women, young Persons do overcome: This time of young Men, is the overcoming time. And I pray tell me, was David an old Man when he overcame Goliath? Nay, not thirty years old. Was Joseph an old Man, when he refused, and overcame the Temptation of his Mistress? Was Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, old persons when they resisted, and overcame the Temptation of the King, choosing rather to go into the fiery Furnace than to yield? Nay, but they are called the three Children; and hath not God said, The young Child shall play upon the hole of the Asp? What is the hole of the Asp, if Temptation be not? And if you consider that Story of the Israelites Victory, which God gave them against the Amalekites, ye shall find, that they never had a more glorious Victory; so great, that they set up an Altar, and called the name of it, Jehovah Nissi, The Lord my Shield. Yet if you look into Deut. you will find, that the Amalekites fell upon them when they were weak, and weary, at Rephidim, and in this weak, and weary time, they had this glorious Victory. What therefore though you be weak, and weary, and now are in the Valley of Rephidim; yet thou mayest overcome, and have so glorious a Victory, that thou shalt set up an Altar, and call the name of it, Jehovah Nissi; The Lord my Shield.
[Object. 5] O but, I have yielded, and been overcome already in my Temptation.
[Answ.] Well, But know you not, that it is one thing to be overcome in Praelio, in the Skirmish; and another thing to be overcome in Bello, in the Battle; those that are overcome in the Skirmish, may overcome in the Battle: and let me tell you this, That you are never quite overcome, so long as you keep your weapon in you hand: when a man lieth down before his Enemy, and gives up his weapon, then he is overcome indeed; and when you lie down, and are discouraged, and give all up, saying, I will pray no more, and hear no more, and read no more, all is to no purpose; then are you overcome: but til that be, though you be overcome in the Skirmish, you may overcome in the main Battle; will you then lie down, and be discouraged? or is there any reason why a Godly man should be discouraged? No. Surely if this be true, That a man is never quite overcome till he lie down; then through Grace (every Godly man should say) I will never give up my weapon: Why art thou cast down, O my Soul? Still wait on God.
[Object. 6] But yet all this reacheth not my Case, or Condition; for I fear, that Temptations are not such Temptations as are incident unto God's People; as my sin, and spot, is not the spot of God's People; so that my Temptations are not, that they are not such as God's own Children do meet withal; and I rather fear it, because that since the time that I have set my face towards Heaven, I have met with such Temptations, as I did never feel before: Surely therefore all is not right with me; have I not cause then to be discouraged, and cast down?
[Answ.] No: For I pray, what are the Temptations of God's People, and how do they take them?
[ 1] First: When a Godly man is tempted to any sin; if he fall into it, then he is tempted again with Unbelief, to think that all is naught, even all that ever he had done before, tempted to aggravate his sin, and to despair. When a wicked man is tempted to what is evil, if he fall into it, then he is tempted to presume, tempted to excuse his sin, and to think, and say, This is but a slip, or you • hful carriage, God is merciful, and the like; and so he is tempted to presume. This usually is the way and manner of Satan, with the Godly, and Ungodly.
[ 2] Secondly: When a Godly man is tempted to what is evil; if he fall into it, the Devil then tempteth him to think, it was no Temptation, and to lay all upon himself, saying, I have done foolishly, I will go out and weep bitterly; the Devil had no hand here in it, it was all mine own. When a wicked man is tempted to what is evil, if he fall into it, he is then tempted afresh, to think it is but a temptation, and I was drawn into it by others, it was not myself, Satan tempted me, or such a one tempted me, the Woman that thou gavest me, or the Friend that was with me; and so he doth lay it on others. This is usually the way and manner of Satan with the Godly, and Ungodly.
[ 3] Thirdly: When a Godly man is tempted to what is evil, he rather startles at the Sin, than at the burden of it. When a wicked man is tempted to what is evil, he rather startles at the Burden, and at the Punishment, than at the Evil, and sin of it. And this we see clearly in Matth. 26. our Savior tells the Disciples, at verse 21. that one of them should betray him; whereupon, they were all of them astonished, and said everyone, one by one, Lord, is it I? These were good Disciples. Judas yet stirs not: But at verse 25. it is said, Then Judas which betrayed him, Answered, and said, Master, is it I? Then, When? Look to verse 24. and you shall read, that our Savior speaks of the burden, and punishment of his sin; The Son of man goes, as it is written of him; but woe unto that man, by whom the Son of man is betrayed; it had been good for that man, if he had not been born. Then Judas answered, Is it I, Lord? Then he startled. The true, and gracious Disciples of Christ, startled at the sin, when Christ did but name the sin; but Then, not a word from Judas: but when Christ speaks of the punishment, and burden of his sin, then Judas startleth, and not a word from them: So that plainly, a gracious soul startleth at the Evil of a Temptation, more than the Burden of it; a wicked man, more at the burden, than at the Evil of it. This is the way of the Godly, and Ungodly, in their Temptations.
And as for you poor, tempted, doubting Souls, that labor under sad Temptations, and think it hath not been with you, as with others; have you not even found it thus? Can you not say of a Truth, Lord, My Soul hath found it thus? For after I have sinned, I have been tempted again, to doubt of my Child-ship, and to sad despair; when I have been tempted to sin, and have fallen into it, I have laid all upon myself, and said, it is no Temptation, but this is my own corruption; yea Lord, thou knowest, my soul hath been more startled at the Evil of the Temptation, than at the Burden; as for the Burden of my Temptation, I leave that to thee, take it off when thou wilt; but O that my soul were freed from the evil of it: Then be of good Comfort, it is no otherwise with you, than what may be with God's dearest Children; your spot is no other, than what may be the spot of God's own People.
And whereas you say, I fear that all is not right, because I find such Temptations now, since I have looked towards Heaven, which I did never feel before.
[ 1] Do you think that Peter ever did deny Christ before he was converted to Jesus Christ? Did David ever number the People whilst he was in the state of Nature? Do you read that the Children of Israel wanted Water, and Bread, while they were in Egypt, or that they met with so many Temptations there, as they did after God had appeared mightily to them? Was not Christ tempted, after baptized, and heard a voice from Heaven, saying, This is my well beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; Did he ever meet with such Temptations, before he was so declared to be the beloved Son of God from Heaven?
[ 2] And if God do not measure a godly man by any one Action, under any present Temptation, nor cast his everlasting condition thereby; then what reason is there, why he should be discouraged in this respect? Look into the Scripture, and you shall find, That though God doth chastise his People for their miscarriage, and change of their behavior, under their Temptation; yet he doth never measure a godly man, or cast his everlasting Condition by that. You will not measure Milk when it seeths, and wallops, but when it is cool: And God will not measure his Children by what they are, when they wallop in some Temptation; but by what they are, when they are cool, and most themselves. So he did deal with Job, Jeremiah, and Moses, and all his Children: indeed he doth not deal so by the wicked, he measures them sometimes by one carriage, and they are cast thereby, that even everlastingly they are cast thereby. Ananias, and Sapphira, lied but once to the Holy Ghost, that we read of, and Satan had a hand therein; for saith the Apostle, Why hath Satan filled your heart, that you should lie unto the Holy Ghost? yet they were cast thereby. It was but one Act that Saul did when he spared Agag, and the Fatlings, yet he was cast thereby. It was but one act that Adam did, and Eve did, when they did eat the forbidden Fruit, and Satan tempted them to it, yet they were cast thereby, and all Man-kind lost thereby, Why? Because they were upon a Covenant of Works. So, when men are under a Covenant of Works, if they miscarry but in one action, though tempted thereto by Satan, yet God may cast them thereby. Now all the wicked still, are under the Covenant of Works; and therefore though it be but one act wherein they miscarry, and they be drawn thereunto by Satan, yet God sometimes doth, and justly may cast them thereby unto all Eternity. But as for the Saints and People of God, they are not under a Covenant of Works, but of Grace, all of them are so; and therefore God deals graciously with them, not measuring them by any one carriage, under one Temptation; No, saith the Lord, it is but the time of their Temptation, I will not measure this man or woman, by what they are now; but as they are, when they are cool, most themselves, and out of Temptation: O! what a Gracious Priviledg is this! Who would not labor to get into Christ, to become Godly, to be in this Covenant of Grace! And as for you that are Godly, tell me upon all this accompt; Have you any just cause, and reason for your discouragements under your Temptations? Surely, No; whatever your Temptations be, yet you have no reason for discouragement.
[Quest.] But, what then? What shall I do that I may bear up my heart against all discouragements in this kind, that I may not be cast down, or discouraged by reason of my Temptations? I confess indeed, that there is no reason why a godly man should be discouraged in this respect; but yet it is a hard thing, to bear up against all Discouragements in time of Temptation: What shall I do in this case, that I may not be discouraged, whatever my Temptations be?
[Answ.] I will say nothing to your Natural Temper: If Temptations arise from Natural Causes, then Natural Means (as Physic) are to be used, and applied, and People should do well to be persuaded thereunto. But somewhat by way of Direction Spiritually.
[ 1] First: If you would not be discouraged under your Temptations; Take heed that when you are in Temptation, you do not expect too much from any one means of help; over expectation breeds discouragement; disappointment, doth breed Discouragement: it is not the sadness of your Condition, but Disappointment, that doth cause Discouragement. If a man be in debt, and under an Arrest; so long as he thinks he hath friends to bail him, or some Goods and Commodities to make sale of, he is not discouraged; but if he expect much from his friends, and all fail him, and his goods be seized, that he cannot have help come in at that door, nor from any other means, which he expected from, then he is quite discouraged. If a man be in the Water, wherein there is danger of drowning; so long as he can get hold of something that will bear him up, he is not discouraged; but if he lay hold of some tuft of Grass on the Bank side, and that breaks, he falls back again, and is more plunged into the Water; and if he be not scared out of all thoughts, he is more discouraged than ever. So here, In Temptation, we are as in the Water, and in fear of drowning, crying out, We sink, we sink; then we fly to some tuft of Grass, some means or other, and if that break, or fail, then we are quite discouraged: Would you not therefore be dejected, or cast down in time of Temptation; take heed that you do not lay all your strength upon one tuft of Grass; this, or that man's Counsel; this, or that particular means; but say rather, I am now indeed in the deep, and in fear of drowning, see no means of deliverance; but God's ways are in the deep, and he is infinite, he hath ways and means that I know not of; therefore though I use the means, yet I will not rest on them, and though all tufts of Grass break, and Anchors come home; yet I will wait on God.
[ 2] Secondly: If you would not be discouraged in time of Temptation, Take heed that you do not say of your Temptation, This is no Temptation. Satan tempts, first unto what is evil, and then he tempts God's People to think, that their Temptation is no Temptation: as long as a man thinks it is but a Temptation, he thinks, it will not last long, it is but a Temptation, it will not hold always, and so his heart is in some measure upheld with hope: But when Satan can persuade, that the Temptation is no Temptation, but a worser matter, then the heart sinks and dies: take heed therefore that ye do not say, that your Temptation, is no Temptation.
[ 3] Thirdly: Consider what infinite Engagements are upon Jesus Christ, to succor and relieve poor tempted souls; you can never be discouraged under Temptation, so long as you think, how mightily Christ is engaged to help those that are tempted▪ and engaged he is, many ways; Engaged by his own Temptations; for h • was therefore tempted, that he might be able experimentally to succor those that are tempted: Engaged he is, by Promise; for he hath said, he will not quench the smoking flax, yea, though it hath more smoke than fire: Engaged he is, by his Interest in you, and his Name upon you: Engaged he is, by his own Gracious Disposition; when he was upon Earth, he cured those that were vexed by Satan: Art thou now tempted? thou art now vexed by Satan; Christ is as gracious in Heaven, as he was on Earth: Engaged he is, by Office; for saith the Apostle, We have not such an High Priest, as cannot be touched with our infirmities, but was in all points tempted as we are, that he might succor those that are tempted; he is our great High Priest. When the man-slayer was pursued by the Avenger of Blood, if the man-slayer fled unto a City of Refuge, he was safe there; where he was to stay til the death of the High Priest; and when the High Priest died, then he was set at liberty. The Lord Jesus Christ is our High Priest; by whose Death we are set at liberty; and by whose Life we are all preserved: it is his Office to succor poor tempted souls, pursued by Avengers of blood: and if a good man be faithful in his Office, much more will Christ, by whom all other men are faithful. Yea, God our Father, hath erected an Office for the succoring of poor tempted souls, and Jesus Christ hath this Office; whenever therefore you are tempted, & fear you shall miscarry under your Temptation, then remember Christ, and say, O! but the Lord Jesus is in Office, he is bound by Office to succor poor tempted souls; and such a one am I; he is engaged by his own Temptation; he is engaged by Promise; he is engaged by his Interest in me, and his Name upon me; he is engaged by his own D • sposition; he is engaged by h •• Office; and therefore though I be tempted unto what is evil, yet, avoid Satan, for I shall be delivered; I am tempted, but I shall be delivered, for the Lord Jesus Christ is engaged for my deliverance: Do but think of Christ's Engagement, and you will never be discouraged, whatever your Temptations be.
[ 4] Fourthly: Think not to comfort or relieve yourself in Temptation, with mere Phylosophical, or Moral Reasons; for the Disease of Temptation, is stronger than that Physic; Temptations answered by Reason, will return again; but Temptations dipt in the Blood of Christ, will return no more, or not with such violence and success. Ye see how it is with a Candle that is blown out, it is easily lighted again; but if you put it into Water, then it is more hard to light: So, Temptations blown out with Resolutions, and Moral Reasons, do easily return; but quenched in Christ's Blood, do not so. Christ is an Universal good; Reason can hold forth but a particular good: Now there is that in an Universal Good, which will answer unto all your Ills; but as for Moral Reasons, the Tempter will say to them, Christ we know, and the Promise we know; but who are ye? It is God himself, saith the Apostle, 2 Cor. 1. Who comforteth us in all our Tribulations. Are we in the dark? Christ only can light the Candle.
[ 5] Fifthly: Be not unwilling to advise with those that have trodden the way of Temptation, though they be weaker than yourself: Christ was stronger than any Angel, yet in the time of his Agony, the Angels came and comforted him: Possibly a stronger may be comforted and strengthened by a weak hand in the time of an Agony; and Temptation-time, is Agony-time: Are you therefore tempted, and in the dark? Speak with those Children of Light, that have gone through this dark Entry of Temptation; Who knows, but that God may speak that comfort to you by a weaker hand, which you could never obtain by a stronger.
[ 6] Sixthly: But especially speak and converse with the Promise, hear what the Promise speaketh: The Lord by it saith, That no Temptation shall overtake you, but what is common to men. O! say you, never any one was troubled with such Temptations as I am; but saith the Apostle, say not so, For no Temptation hath overtaken you, but what is common to men. You think that your Temptation is extraordinary, and the truth is, that is a second Temptation at the back of the first; it is a Temptation to think, that my Temptation is extraordinary; yet say you, O! my Condition is extraordinary, my Affliction extraordinary, and my Temptation extraordinary; but says the Apostle, No Temptation hath overtaken you, but what is common &c. You think that you shall never be able to bear your Temptation. O say you, I am a poor weak Creature, my Temptation is strong and great; therefore I shall never be able to bear it. But says the Apostle, God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able. Again, you think that you shall never be rid of this Temptation; O say you, I have been tempted thus and thus long, and no deliverance comes, nor no likelihood of deliverance; surely therefore I shall never be delivered: But the Apostle saith, God is faithful, who will with the Temptation, make a way for escape. He will give an out-let, open a door, and window, that this smoke may go out. It may be you see not this door, it may be out of sight: so the door of the Ark was, in the time of the Flood; but when the Ark was built, the door was built: So when Satan built this Temptation, God did build a door in the sides thereof, and in due time you shall see it. But may I be sure of that, you will say? Yes, as sure as God is Faithful; for he hath pawned his Faithfulness for the truth of this Promise: But God is faithful, says the Apostle, who will with the Temptation, make a way for escape. O! that men would mind the Promise more, and all the words thereof: They are so hurried sometimes with the Temptation, that they cannot hear the Promise. But is all this true? O! then attend the Promise; hear what the Promise speaketh.
[ 7] Seventhly, and Lastly: Consider also what Comforts lie behind your Temptations; as Temptations sometimes, lie in ambush behind your Performances; so Comforts lie in ambush behind your Temptations: and as the greatest Temptations, do sometimes follow the highest manifestations of God's Love; witness the 3d and 4th Chapters of Matthew; so the greatest Consolations, do sometimes follow the worst Temptations. When did the Angels minister unto Christ, but when he had made a good dispatch of Temptations? So it shall be with you also; for Christ was tempted, that by his Example, and issue of Temptation, he might succor you under your Temptation. Ye have heard of the Patience of Job, and what end the Lord made with him, he had twice as much after the Temptation was over, as he had before; and if you ride out this storm, assuredly the good Angels will come and minister to you, and your Consolations shall be doubled unto what ye had before: Wherefore my Brethren, take unto you, the whole Armor of God, that ye may be able to withstand in this evil day, and having done all, to stand.
A LIFTING UP In case of DESERTION.
Sermon IX.
[Instance 6] SOmtimes the Discouragements of the Saints are taken from their Deserti • tions, spiritual Desertions.
And this was David's case here; for, saith he, verse 10. As a Sword in my bones, mine Enemies reproached me, while they say unto me, Where is thy God? And verse 9. I will say unto God, My Rock, why hast thou forgotten me? And this is the ordinary case of God's Children: O! saith one, the Lord hath forgotten me, hid his face from me, and hath forsaken my soul, and therefore I am thus discouraged. I do not complain for want, or loss of outward Mercies, and Blessings; yea, though all the world should forsake me, I should not be much afflicted, if God, and Christ were present with me; but times were, when the Candle of the Lord shined upon me, when I walked, as I though • ght, in the light of his Countenance: but now the Lord hath hi • his face from me, and hath left, and forsaken my soul; have I not just cause, and reason to be cast down now, and to be much disqu • eted?
[Answ.] No. I grant, and it must nee • s be gr • nted, That it is a most sad thing, for a gracious heart, to wan • the • race, and presence of God, and Christ, to be deserted, and forsaken by Christ; yea, I do not know anything, or any Affliction, that is so afflictive to a gracious heart, as this: For, take any other Affliction, and though it be great, yet it is but a particular Affliction, the loss of some Particular Good, and the putting out of someone Candle, or the hiding of someone Star: But if Christ hide his face, and God withdraw, or hide himself; it is the darkening of the Sun, which brings an universal darkness upon the soul; and it imbitters all other Afflictions: for, as the presence of Christ, sweetens all other Comforts; so the absence, or forsakings of Christ, do embitter all other Sufferings, and cut off all our relief, and remedy against them. So long as the face of God shines upon a poor soul, he may run to Christ, and relieve, and help himself against his Affliction: true, my Friends forsake me, my Relations forsake me; but Christ hath not forsaken me: but if God, and Christ forsake, where shall a man relieve, or refresh himself in this stormy day? And as those sins are greatest, that cut off our relief against other sins; so those Afflictions are greatest, that cut off our relief against other Afflictions. Such is this; of all Afflictions, it looks the most like a Judgment to a Gracious Soul. O Lord, (saith David) Correct me not in thine Anger, nor chasten me in thy hot Displeasure. When God hides his face, and forsakes the soul, he seems to correct in Anger, and in hot displeasure; herein a Christian doth, as it were, combat with God himself; he fights with men sometimes, and then he is more than a Conquerer, because Christ fighteth with him, and in him; he fights with Satan, Principalities, and Powers, and then he doth overcome, because Christ is with him: but O! saith the soul, in this Desertion, God is mine Enemy; here I must fight it out hand to hand with Divine Anger; and what shall I do now? how is it possible that I should now escape? The truth is, this Affliction above all others, seems to draw a Curtain over all our Comforts, and to put an end unto all our Spiritual joy. What Birds sing in the Winter time? some may, but ordinarily they do not: If you walk abroad in the Winter time, and hear no Birds sing, and one say to you, What is the reason of this deep silence? two or three months ago, when we walked in the Fields, every Wood had its several Music; how sweetly did the Birds sing then! but now they are all silent, what is the reason? You will easily answer, I, then indeed it was Summer time, then the Sun shone upon them, and • o they sang; • ut now the warming, and enlivening beams of the Sun are gone, • hey sing no more. Beloved! the Light of God's Countenance, is o • r Spring, Desertion is our Winter; show me that Sain • that is able to sing in this Winter time: I confess, it is possible for a man to • o it, and some there are; Habakkuk was one that learned • his song of Faith; but • ow few are able to sing, and rejoice, when God hides himself. No, saith the soul, two or three months ago, the Lord shined upon me, and then I could sing indeed; but now God, and Christ is gone, and so all my songs are gone, and joys are gone; and I fear I shall never see them again, or rejoice in Christ again. It is said of Mary, That when she went to Christ's Sepulcher, she wept; and though the Angel came to her, and said, Why weepest thou? yet she continued weeping: the presence of an Angel could not comfort her, Why? O! saith she, They have taken away my Lord, and I know not where they have laid him. Would it not grieve a Prince, to be dispossessed of, and to lose his Crown, to be made like an ordinary man? This Presence of Christ, is the Crown of a Christian; and therefore, when God had forsaken the Church▪ as we read in Lam. 5. she complained, verse 16. The Crown is fall • en from my Head; Why? ver. 20. Wherefore doest thou forget us for ev • r, and forsake us so long a time? Ver. 22. Thou hast utterly rejected us, thou art very wroth against us. Take away the presence of Christ, and ye set a Christian among the ordinary rank of men: and must he not needs be troubled, when his Crown is thus taken from his Head? I have read of a Religious Woman, that having born Nine Children, professed, That she had rather endure all the pains of those Nine Travels at once, than endure the Misery of the loss of God's Presence. And indeed, this Affliction of God's forsaking a man, is so great, that if a man feel it not, I even fear it is, because he is forsaken indeed. But now, though there be never so much Gal, and Wormwood in this Cup, yet the Children of God have no reason to faint at the drinking of it; no just cause, or reason, yet to faint, or be discouraged, or cast down.
[Quest.] How may that appear?
[Answ. 1] First. For the clearing of this Truth to you, ye must know, That God, or Christ, is said to forsake a man, either in regard of his Power, Grace, or Strength; or in regard of the comfortable feelings of his Love; either in re •• rd of Union, or in regard of Vision. 1. In regard of Union, He never forsakes his own People. 2. In regard of his Power, Grace, and Strength, he never forsakes them totally. 3. And in regard of Vision, or comfortable feelings, though he do forsake for a time, yet he will return again: and if all these be true, have they any reason to be much discouraged? For the first, ye know what is said, Those whom he loves, he loves unto the end. As for the Second, ye know what he saith also; I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. We are kept by the Power of God unto Salvation. And as for the Third, hath not the Lord promised, Isaiah, 54. that he will return again with advantage? ver. 7. For a small moment have I forsaken thee, but with great mercy will I gather thee: In a little wrath, I hid my face from thee, for a moment; but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee, saith the Lord thy Redeemer, ver. 8. Now ye know, that Friends are not much troubled at such a parting, which is but for a time. It is said of the Church of Ephesus, That when Paul • ook leave of them, they wept, Because he said they should see his face no more. The Saints cannot say so in regard of Christ, though they see not his face for the present, yet they cannot say, I shall see his face no more; for he will return again, yea, and return with advantage: for though he forsakes for a moment, yet with great mercy, and with everlasting kindness, will the Lord have mercy on them: What then, though you be forsaken for a moment? have you any just cause, and reason for your Discouragement?
[Answ. 2] Secondly: If Christ do therefore forsake his People, that he may not forsake them, and hath a design of Love, and nothing but of Love upon them in his forsaking; then have they no just cause for their Discouragements. Now I pray, What is the reason why God doth forsake his People for a time, or a moment? hath he any de •• gn but Love upon them? Doth he not therefore withdraw himself from them, that he might draw them to himself? Doth he not therefore hide his face for a moment, that he may not turn his back upon them forever? Doth he not therefore forsake them for a moment, that they might die unto all the world, and long after Heaven, where there is no forsaking? Doth he not therefore forsake them for a moment, that they might die unto the way of sense, and learn to live by Faith, which is the proper work of this Life? Doth he not therefore forsake them for a moment, that in this Winter of their Desertion, the Weeds, and Vermin of their sins, may be killed, and mortified? Doth he not therefore forsake them for a moment, that he may see their Love to him? In time of his Presence, we have the sense of his Love to us; but in the time of his absence, then he seeth, and we ourselves have the sense of our Love to him. Doth he not therefore forsake them for a moment, that their very Joyes, and Comforts may be more fervent, exalted, and enlarged? It is our Nature to rejoice most in a Comfort, when it is redeemed from the hand of Death, and recovered from loss: The wise men, when they saw the lost Star again, then they rejoiced with exceeding great joy; Did they not rejoice i • the Star before? Surely they did: But they rejoiced more, even with exceeding great joy, when they had found the lost Star. And this is our Nature; we rejoice most in the finding of lost mercies. Now the Lord Christ knows our Nature, and therefore, that he may raise our joy, our praise, our thankfulness, for his Presence, Face, and Manifestation of his Love, he doth sometimes withdraw them. So that in all his withdrawings, he hath a Design of Love upon our souls; have we any reason then to be much discouraged, though deserted?
[Answ. 3] Thirdly: Though it pleaseth God, to hide his Face from his People sometimes, insomuch as they are in the dark, and in a very dark Condition; yet they are never so much in the dark, but that they have light enough to work by: For what day is there in all the year, that is so short, dark, and gloomy, but a man may see to work by? Indeed, sometimes the Sun is in the Eclipse, sometimes behind a Cloud; sometimes it breaks not forth with his Golden beams, as at other times: but if the Sun be up, and it be day, a man hath always light enough to work by. Now the Sun is always up with the Saints, it is always day with them; though the Beams of the Sun of Righteousness, do not shine, yet it is always day; they are not Children of darkness; they may have a dark day of it, but though it be never so dark, they may find light enough to do the great Work which they came into the World for; which is, to believe, and trust, and stay themselves on God; this • man may do in the darkest time, when he hath no light: and therefore saith the Prophet, Let him that walks in darkness; and seeth no light, stay himself upon the Name of the Lord. What then, though you have not so much light as you would have, to refresh yourselves by; yet if you have light enough to do your Fathers Work by (and the greatest work of this Life is, to trust in God, and believe) have you then any reason for your discouragements? Thus it is with all the Saints; though they may be in the dark, and the Sun shines not out upon them, yet it is always day with them and they have light enough, when it is darkest, to do their Father • work and business by; and therefore certainly, the Saints have no reason to be cast down, and discouraged, although they be much forsaken deserted, and in the dark.
[Object. 1] But Jesus Christ hath not only deserted, forsaken, and withdrawn himself from me, in regard of Vision; but I fear also in regard of Union: not in regard of comfortable feelings only; but in regard of strength and power: and therefore I am afraid, and discouraged, and have I not cause for it?
[Answ.] No. For a man that is in the dark, is not able to judge of his own Grace, or Christ's Strength in him: Now you are in Desertion, therefore in the dark, therefore not able to judge of your own Grace, and Christ's Strength in you; yet if you can judge in this Condition, and will deal faithfully with your own souls; is there not as much of Christ's Strength, and Grace in your Lives and Conversations, as when ye had that presence which ye mourn after, excepting your enlargements in Duties? I confess indeed, that • Gracious man in time of Desertion, hath not those enlargements, as he had when God's Face shined upon him; but setting aside your enlargements, what is there in your Conversations wanting now, which you had then? and is the very want of enlargement, a sufficient reason to say that Christ is gone, and hath forsaken me, not only in regard of Vision, but in regard of Union, Strength, and Grace? We read in Cant. 5.5. That when Christ withdraws from the Spouse, there is some Mirrh left upon the ringles of the door; the Spouse ariseth, follows after him, and inquireth for him, saying, Did you see my beloved? She met with the Watchmen, they smote her, and she was willing to bear their smiting, that she might hear of Christ; she stands, and admireth at the beauty and excellency of her Beloved; White, and ruddy, the fairest of ten thousand. Now in this Desertion of yours, is there not some Mirrh upon the ringles of your heart? Do you not still stand admiring Christ, and his Excellencies? Do you not inquire after your Beloved? going to one, and to another, saying, Did you see him whom my soul loveth? Are you not willing that the Watchmen should smite you, so ye may but meet with Christ again? And will ye say then, he is not only gone in regard of Vision, but in regard of Union, Power, Strength, and Grace too? Surely you have no reason for it.
[Object. 2] But I am not only forsaken, and deserted, and want the Comfortable feelings, and manifestations of Love which I once had, and do now desire to have; but I do find the contrary tokens of God's Displeasure, manifestations of his Anger: were it only the withdrawings of Love, I might bear it; but Christ is angry, God is angry, appears to be mine Enemy, and have I not reason now to be much discouraged?
[Answ.] No: For if this hath been the condition of the Saints before you, why should you fear your state in this respect? Now look into Isaiah, 57. and you shall 〈◊〉 that God saith, I was wroth, and smote him; he did not only hide his face, but he was wroth; yea, he is not only wroth, but he smote his People too, and yet the Promise is, I will restore comfort to him, and to his mourners: Did not Job think, and say that God was angry with him, and become his Enemy? and did not Job 's Friends think that God loved them, and was their Friend, and his Enemy? yet if you look into Job, 42. you find that God was more pleased with Job, for he was fain to pray for them before they could be accepted; and know ye not, that it is Christ's usual manner to personate an Enemy, when he intends the most Friendship; to seem a stranger, when he intends the most communion. It is said, that God was angry with Moses, Exod. 4. yet even then he gave him such a Promise of mercy, as he had not before, ver. 14, 15, 16. Ye know what David's choice was; Lord, let me fall into thy hands, and not into the hands of men, for with thee is mercy: It is sometimes a mercy to be immediately chastised by the hand of God our Father: God might turn us over to the hands of men; but if God will take us into his own hand, and chastise with his own hand immediately, there is love in it. If a Prince should say to his Officers, My whole Kingdom is before you, do right, and execute Justice, and Judgment; but as for such and such a Family, if they shall commit any fault, I will chastise them immediately with mine own hand, you shall not meddle with them, I will do it myself; would not this argue love? Thus it is with the Saints in the time of Desertion, then God takes the soul into his own hand; all Creatures, and Officers of his Anger, stand by, and meddle not: in other Afflictions, God turns us over to his Officers; but in Desertion, there he doth correct immediately; and therefore though he strikes, yet there is Love at the bottom, and the more Christ doth sympathize with you in any Affliction, the less cause you have to be discouraged. Christ is our sympathizing High Priest in all our Afflictions; but the more we are like to him in any Affliction, the more he doth sympathize, and his heart let out the more unto us: Jesus Christ was in Desertion himself, and not only forsaken, but for our sakes, under the wrath and displeasure of God his Father; and therefore when he sees a soul, not only deserted, but under anger, and displeasure of God; then he saith, O! there is a soul that is in my case, and so he does most commiserate, and compassionate that person: have you then any reason to be discouraged in this respect?
[Object. 3] But this is not my case: For I am not only deserted, forsaken, under manifestations of Christ's displeasure; but I have sinned, and drawn down this Desertion upon my own soul; and therefore now it is, that I am thus discouraged, and have I not reason for it?
[Answ.] No: For God doth not always desert, and forsake his People for their sins; sometimes he doth, and sometimes he doth not; as appears by comparing the 3d and 5th Chapters of the Canticles: and it may be he doth now withdraw from you, not for your sin; and if there be but a may be of it, there is no reason for discouragement. But suppose it be so; look I pray into Isaiah, 57. again, and see what the Lord hath promised to a poor soul in this condition, ver. 17. For the iniquity of his covetousness was I wroth, and smote him; I hid me, and was wroth, and he went on frowardly in the way of his heart. Will ye say, the Lord doth not only hide his f • ce from you, but he hath smitten you? So here. Will ye say, O! but I have sinned, and drawn this desertion upon myself? So here; For the iniquity of his Covetousness I was wroth, and smote him. Will ye say, O! but I have sinned on both sides of this Desertion? I have sinned before the Desertion came, which sin was the cause of it? and I have sinned since? I have been deserted by my frowardness, and peevish carriage? So here, For the iniquity of his covetousness was I wroth, and hid me; there is sin on the one side: and he went on frowardly in the way of his heart; there is sin on the other side of Desertion: Here is sin on both sides; what then? is there any hope, or comfort, or mercy for a heart in this condition? Yes, saith the Lord, I will restore comfort unto him, and to his mourners. O! but it is not comfort that my soul desires; but I have a foul, filthy, unclean, wicked heart of mine own; O! that my heart were healed: Is there any hope of healing mercy in this condition? Yes, saith the Lord in the Text; I have seen his ways, and will heal him. O! but though I be healed, I shall sin again, and wander from God again: nay, saith the Lord, But I have seen his ways, and will heal him, and will lead him also. But I see no means, or likelihood of all this; how can it be? Yes, very well; for saith the Lord, ver. 19. I create the fruit of the Lips; Peace, peace, peace, to him that is afar off; and I will heal him again: O! what Comfort is here? what an upholding Promise is here? Can you read it, or think of it, and your heart sink before it?
[Object. 4] This is but part of my condition; for I have sinned, Christ hath forsaken me; I have sinned, Christ hath smote me, and he goes on smiting, goes on angry, goes on displeased; I have been deserted a long while, in the dark a long while; and I am so far from the light, that it doth even grow darker and darker, my condition being more sad, every day than other; every day I am more deserted, and my condition worser; have I not reason to be cast down, and discouraged now?
[Answ.] No: For when was it worst with the Israelites? They had an ill time of it all the while they were in the Land of Egypt, a dark time; but was it not worst with them immediately before their deliverance? Did not the Task-Masters then beat them? When was it worst with David? ill at all times in the Wilderness; but was it not worst with him at Ziklag, when he had lost his Wives, and his own men took up stones against him? Psal. 10. we read, that David saith, Why standest thou afar off, O Lord, and hidest thyself in the time of trouble? hiding is more, and wor • er than standing afar off. When the Sun is going down, then it seems to be far off; but when it is hidden, then it is set, and is further off: So saith David; Lord, thou art not only afar off, but even out of sight, quite out of sight, and art hidden from me; his Desertion grew higher and higher: And if you look into Psal. 13. you find, that he speaks to the like purpose; How long wilt thou bide thy face from me? how long wilt thou forget me (O Lord) forever? As hiding, is more than standing afar off; so it is worse than forgetting: For, as Musculus observes well, forgetting is but Remissio amoris; a man that loves another, may forget him, yet he may love him well; but hiding the face is, Irae testimonium, the testimony of anger; and it is as if David should have said, Lord, thou doest not only restrain thy Love towards me, but thou doest show tokens of thy displeasure, and anger, and thy displeasure riseth: So Psal. 22. ver. 1. My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? I cry in the day time, but thou hearest not, ver. 2. How can this be? saith Augustine; that God should forsake Christ in his Sufferings (for these words are spoken of Christ) when God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself? Yes, very well (saith he) for Christ was a common Person, stood in our stead, and place, and so personating of us; he saith, Why hast thou forsaken me? yea, and Lord, thou hast not only forsaken me, but my Desertion ariseth yet higher; for, I cry in the day time, and thou hearest not: But you may see this abundantly made out in Job, 30.20. I cry unto thee, and thou doest not bear me; I stand up, and thou regardest me not, thou art become cruel to me; with thy strong hand thou opposest thyself against me: Ver. 27. My bowels boiled, and rest not, the days of affliction prevented me: I went mourning without the Sun; I am a brother to Dragons, and a companion to Owls. And ver. 26. When I looked for good, then evil came unto me; and when I waited for light, there came darkness. Thus you see that it may be the condition of God's own People, to be worser, and worser; and their condition more and more dark in their own apprehensions; and therefore no reason why you should be discouraged in this respect.
[Object. 5] But my Desertions have been so long, that I fear it will never be otherwise with me; God is now gone, Christ is now gone, Comfort gone, and I fear now that Christ will never return again; and this is that which even sinks my soul: I confess, the least desertion and forsaking, is a great evil: but though I were under the greatest cloud in the world, I should bear it, if I did but think that Christ would return again: but I find in Scripture, that there is a final rejection mentioned, as well as a present desertion: the Saints, and People of God, are it may be, deserted for a time; but they are never rejected: David was deserted, but he was not rejected; Saul was rejected, finally rejected; and I fear that I am not only deserted for the present, but finally rejected, that God hath even cast me off; and therefore I am thus discouraged, have I not cause and reason for it now?
[Answ. 1] No, not yet: For first, it is usual with the Saints in affliction, to think that God is gone, and will return no more: there is no affliction which the People of God meet withal (and they meet with many) wherein they are so apt, and prone, and ready to write a [Never] upon their condition, as in this case of Spiritual Desertion. If a godly, gracious man fall sick, he doth not say presently, or conclude, I shall never recover again; if he be persecuted by Enemies, he doth not conclude presently, that he shall never be delivered: but if God hide his Face at any time, then comes out this [Never] I shall Never be delivered, I shall never be restored to comfort again. So Psal. 13. How long wilt thou hide thy face? what, forever! So Psal. 77. Will the Lord cast off forever? ver. 7. Will he be favorable no more? is his mercy clean gone forever? and doth his Promise fail forever more? This is the proper place, and ground, where this unbelieving conclusion grows; when they are in this condition, they rise to a [Never;] O! it will never be otherwise with me; Christ is gone, Mercy is gone, and I shall never see the face of God again: This is usual, and most usual with the Saints in this Condition.
[Answ. 2] Secondly: Therefore you shall observe, That when God doth give out a Promise to his Children in this condition; the Promise is so cast and laid, as may most obviate, and face this Objection, and take off our Never. Psal. 9.18. The needy shall not always be forgotten, the expectation of the poor shall not fail forever. So Psal. 103. The Lord is merciful and gracious, ver. 8. Slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy: he will not always chide, neither will he keep his anger forever. So I • ay 57. ver. 16. For I will not contend forever, neither will I be always wroth. God seeth that in this condition, his People are apt to write a Never upon their condition; and therefore that he may condescend unto their Infirmities, when he comes to give out a Promise, he doth not barely promise Mercy; but he puts in the [Ever] into his Promise, that he may take off our unbelieving [Never.]
[Answ. 3] Thirdly: If it be made out unto you by Scripture, That God, or Christ is not so gone, but that he will return again; then will you not say, surely, I have no reason for my discouragements?
Now for the clearing of that, give me leave to propound several Questions to you.
[ 1] First: Did ye ever read in all the Word of God, that a man was finally rejected, and forsaken, but an evil Spirit from the Lord did seize upon him presently? Saul was finally rejected, and the Text saith, That an evil Spirit from the Lord seized upon him; and what is the evil Spirit, but an envious Spirit? The envious man in the Gospel, is the evil man; and this evil Spirit seized on Saul as soon as God did forsake him; for an envious, malicious, persecuting Spirit came upon him against David, and the Saints with him. So when God forsakes a man finally, a persecuting Spirit enters him. When God forsakes his own Children, Satan, that evil Spirit comes to them; for when God goes, Satan comes: but there is much difference between a tempting Satan, and a persecuting Satan: tempting Satan comes to the Saints, when they are deserted; but a persecuting Satan doth not enter into them. But did ye ever know, or read of any finally rejected, but an evil, persecuting Spirit seized on them from the Lord?
[ 2] Secondly: Do you read of any in all the Word, whom God did finally forsake, that could not find in their hearts to forsake God, and his Waies? God doth not forsake us, unless we forsake him; Ye have rejected me, saith the Lord, and therefore I have rejected you. Possibly a good man may want this sense of God's Love; but then he hath the sense of his own sins: possibly he may want the feeling of his own perfection, which is Divine Love; but then he hath the feeling of his own imperfection. But I say, Did you ever read in all the Word, of any man finally forsaken, that could not find in his heart to forsake God, and the good Waies of God?
[ 3] Thirdly: Did ye ever read in all the Word, That God did ever forsake a man, who was sensible of his forsaking, and complained thereof, simply for itself? We read of Saul indeed, That when he was forsaken, he cried out, and said, God hath forsaken me, the Philistines are upon me; God hath forsaken me, but it is in order to an outward evil; the Philistines are upon me. But the Saints, when they are forsaken, are sensible of this evil, simply for itself, and think the time long, and tedious, when they are so forsaken: O Lord, saith David, how long wilt thou hide thy face from me? what, forever? But I say, Was ever man forsaken, was ever man quite forsaken of God, that was sensible of this evil, only, and simply for itself?
[ 4] Fourthly: Did you ever read in all the Word of God, That ever a man was finally forsaken, who was tender in the point of sin, who sat mourning after God? We read in the Romans, That when God gave up the Gentiles to their sins, they gave up themselves unto all uncleanness, and were past feeling. The Saints and People of God, on the contrary, in the time of their Desertion, are tender in the point of sin, and they mourn after God: When was a man ever forsaken, whose heart was in this frame?
[ 5] Fifthly: Did you ever read that Christ did finally forsake a man in whose heart, and soul, still he did leave his Goods, Furniture, and Spiritual Household-stuff? A man sometimes goes from home▪ and sometimes he doth quite leave his house. There is much difference between those two: If a man leave his house, and comes no more, then he carries away all his goods; and when ye see them carried away, ye say, this man will come no more. But though a man ride a great Journey, yet he may come again; and ye say, surely he will come again; why? Because still his Goods, Wife, and Children are in his House. So if Christ reject a man, and go away finally, he carries away all his Goods, Spiritual Gifts, Graces, and Principles: But though he be long absent, yet if his Household-stuff abide in the heart; if there be the same desires after him, and delight in him, and admiring of him, and mourning for want of him; ye may say, surely he will come again; Why? Because his Household-stuff is here still. When did, Christ ever forsake a man, in whose heart he left this Spiritual Furniture?
[ 6] Sixthly: Did ye ever know a man finally forsaken of Christ, who did long after the presence of Christ, as the greatest good? and looked upon his absence as the greatest evil, and affliction in all the world? being willing to kiss the feet of Jesus Christ, and to serve him in the lowest, and meanest condition, so he might but enjoy him? We find, that the Saints desire, above all things, to be kist with the kisses of Christ's mouth: and therefore the Book of the Camicles doth so begin, chap. 2. ver. 1. Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth; even because that is the first, and the chiefest of the Saints desires in this Life: but if Christ will not kiss me with the kisses of his mouth, saith a gracious soul, yet I am willing to kiss his feet, as Mary did. There is a time a coming, when he will kiss me with the kisses of his mouth forever; but for the present, if I can but kiss his feet here, I have hope to be kissed by him in Heaven. Now I say, Did Christ ever forsake a man finally, who did thus long after Christ himself? Can those that are forsaken, mourn after his presence, as the best thing, and for his absence, as the greatest evil in all the world? I appeal to your own Souls, and Bosoms herein; whoever you are that labor under this fear, that Christ is gone, and he will return no more; suppose that God hath hid his face from you, seems to forget you, and to be angry with you; yet in the midst of all these darknesses, Do you find an evil Spirit, an envious, malicious Spirit from the Lord, seizing upon you? Do you find, that you can find in your heart to forsake God, and the good Waies of God? Yea, rather, do you not find the contrary, though you want the sense of God's Love? Have you not the sense of your own sin? and when you want the sense of your own perfection, have you not some sense of your own imperfection? Donit you look upon this Desertion, as the greatest Affliction in all the world? Can you not mourn after God, and his Presence? Doth not Christ every foot, send in one token of his Love, or another to visit your souls? And are you not willing to kiss the feet of Jesus Christ? O yes! I must needs say; though I have fears that Christ is gone, and will return no more; yet I praise the Lord, I do not find an envious, malicious, persecuting Spirit in my soul unto the Saints, and People of God. I donit find that my heart is willing to forsake Christ, and the good ways of Christ: But I find that I can mourn for the absence of Christ simply for itself, and look upon it as the greatest affliction in the world: That I am ever willing to kiss the feet of Jesus Christ: And to be in the lowest, and meanest Condition, so he would but return unto my soul again. Yea, and I must needs say, That every foot I receive one token or other, one Promise or another, to visit me in my condition. Then be of good comfort; though Christ be absent, yet he will return again; and with great mercy, and with everlasting kindness will he gather your souls unto himself again: and thus I say it shall be with all the Saints. Surely therefore they have no reason for their Discouragements, whatever their Desertions be. Why therefore should not everyone say, Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou so disquieted within me?
[Quest.] Upon all this account I see, I have not so much reason for my Discouragement: but it is an hard thing to bear up ones heart from sinking in the time of Desertion, when God hides his face: What shall I do then (and this may be the condition of us all) that I may bear up my heart against this Discouragement, even when I am most in the dark, and Christ hides his face from me, or forsakes me?
[Answ. 1] First: Take heed that ye donit measure God's eternal Affection, by some present Dispensation. There is an Eternal Displeasure against a man; and there is a present Displeasure with a man. Eternal Displeasure, or hatred, cannot stand with Eternal Love; but Eternal Love, and present Displeasure, may stand together. A Father may be displeased with the Child for the present, and yet may love him with Paternal Love. So God may, and doth love, though for the present displeased: But when men measure Eternal Affection, by present Dispensation, then they are quite discouraged; and you will find all Discouragements in this case do arise from hence. Some there are, that do walk by particular Providences, Experiences, Words, Manifestations, and In-comes of Love; and when they have them, then they are much refreshed; and if they want them, then they are much discouraged, and say, Ah! Christ loves me not, and God is gone, will return no more; Why? Because they measure God's Eternal Love, by some present Dispensation: But if God's present Dispensations may seem to run cross to his Eternal Purpose, why then should they be discouraged, and say, he is gone forever? Now so it is, he may hide his face, he may withdraw, and deny particular Comforts, and Manifestations, yet love me eternally. O! that people would not measure God's Eternal Affection, by some present Dispensation, so should they never be much discouraged.
[Answ. 2] Secondly: If you would not be discouraged in this Condition, Take heed of letting fall any despairing, despondent, unbelieving Speeches; for the more busy, Satan is about you, in the time of Desertion, the more tedious will that time be, and more full of Discouragements. Now look, as it is with some Dog; if you let fall a Bone, or Bread, or Meat, the Dog stays, and waits still; but when he finds none, he goes his ways. So it is with Satan, when a man is in a Desertion, he comes, and saith he, this is a time for me to work, who am the first-born Child of Darkness; and this soul being in the dark, it is a fit time for me to work upon him; there he stands, and if any despairing, despondent Speeches do fall from you, Satan stays the longer; but if none fall, he goes away the sooner. Have you therefore been, or are you under any Desertion, and let fall any bones for Satan? look back, and gather them all up again, gather up these crumbs again, and mourn over them; and take heed for the time to come; for the more of these fall, the longer Satan stays, and the more you will be discouraged.
[Answ. 3] Thirdly: Be sure that you hear things indifferently on both sides. There are two Parties pleading in your souls in the time of Desertion. One that doth plead for Christ, to maintain, and bear up the Love of Christ in your heart, saying, He is gone indeed, and he doth hide his face; but he will come again, and shine upon you again. There is another Party, that doth plead the cause of Satan, against Christ, saying, He is now gone, and will return no more, you shall never see his face again. In this case, be sure that you do hear things indifferently, and let not your Ear be open to one, and shut to the other. He can never judge • g h • lie, that doth not hear both parties: Though it be no time to judge when you are under Temptation, and in the dark; yet how •• equently do poor souls judge themselves in this condition, and even judge themselves to be under Judgment, why? but because they hearken more to one side, than to the other: If Satan come, and tell them a story of God's Displeasure, they will be sure to hear that at large; but if Christ come and tell them a story of God's Love to sinners, that they hear not, or if they do, yet as a man that reads a Book to confute it, is disputing against what he reads all along; so are they also disputing against the words of the Gospel all along as they hear them; saying in their hearts, O! but, this is not made to me; it is a good Promise, but it belongs not to me, this is not my condition; and a hundred such [O! buts.] But is this equal? How is it possible, but that a man should mis-judge, and be much discouraged, when he hears thus? Wherefore, my Exhortation from the Lord is, which I beseech you in his Name to receive; Never receive any Relation from the Law, but be assured your Ears be as open for to hear the Gospel: Never receive any Relation, or Story from Satan; but let your Ear be as open to hear what Christ saith. And why should not this Exhortation be received? Had I entreated some great thing for Christ, would you not have done it? But now that I only entreat you to carry things indifferently, to have an Ear open, as well to Christ, as to Satan; will ye not yield to it? O! me thinks every gracious soul should say, Well, through Grace, I will hearken more to Christ: I confess indeed, I have heard what Satan hath said; but when Comfort hath come, I have turned away mine Ear, and have not heard; or if I have heard, I have been disputing against what I have heard, and making Objections all along: now the Lord pardon this evil to me; through Grace, mine Ear shall be more open to Christ, and less open to Satan. So do, and you will never be much discouraged, whatever your Desertion be.
[Answ. 4] In the Fourth Place: Labor more and more for to live by Faith: When God seems to be mine Enemy, saith Luther, and to stand with a drawn Sword against me, then do I cast, and throw myself into his Arms: and what better way than to venture upon God in this case? and to say, Whether saved, or not saved; whether damned, or not damned; whether Hypocrite, or not Hypocrite; I do cast myself upon God at a venture. It is the Love, and Favor of Christ, that you mourn after, and are discouraged for the want of; you cannot get a more ready, and compendious way to get this Love, than when you are in the dark, to throw yourselves into Christ's Arms at a venture; this takes, and wins the heart of Christ over to you: what! will this poor soul throw himself into my Arms (saith Christ) now I do seem his Enemy? well, then I will show myself to be his friend; and this is the proper work of this Life: as for those sights and visions of God, they are the work of Heaven; and though God give them sometimes; yet it argues more strength of Grace for to be able to live without them. Suppose two men in your work; one that must have his pay presently, his wages presently, yea, before he hath done his work: the other will not have his wages till his work be all done, and if ye offer him money, no, saith he, I will stay till all be done, and receive it in a lump together: Which of these two, is the ablest man, or which the poorest man? Will you not say, surely, he that cannot stay, is the poorest? and he that can stay longest for his wages, is the ablest man? So it is here; God hath two sorts of Servants: one that doth go by Visions, and Manifestations of Love, and are not able for to live at all by Faith, but must have sights and visions, and manifestations every day, or else they die, and murmur, or complain. And others say, O! but these sights, and visions, are for Heaven; if God will have it so, I am contented to stay til all my work be done: which of these two, is the poorest, or the strongest? Will not ye say, surely, he that is able to stay, is strongest? and he the poorest, and weakest, that is not able to stay, or to live by Faith? O! therefore labor more and more to live by Faith; and when you are in Desertion, say, Whether saved, or not saved; whether Hypocrite, or not Hypocrite, I will stay, I will wait on God, and let him come when he pleaseth. If you lay yourself at Christ's feet, he will take you into his Arms.
But what need I say more? Is there not enough in the compass of your own Experience, to answer unto all your fears in this respect? When you have been in Desertion, have you not said that Christ is gone, and that he will never come again? and yet hath not Christ come again? Yea, and have you not said in the day of your Desertion, If ever Christ do return again, I will never make such unbelieving Conclusions as I have done? and hath not Christ returned after this? Now then, when Satan comes, and suggests jealousies of Christ's Love unto you, why are not you more peremptory? Why do you not say to him? this I have heard before, Satan; thou told'st me this before, that Christ was gone, and would never return again; but I have found it false, he did return, and therefore through Grace, I will never believe these false reports of Christ; Christ is faithful, I have always found him so; those whom he loves, he loves to the end; and I know he loves me, Satan, for I love him; for my love, is but the reflection of his love; I • old not love him, if he did not love me first, and through Grace, I love him; I know he loves me, because he hath changed me, and is every foot sending some tokens of love; one Promise, or another to uphold my heart; yea, I know Satan, that Christ doth love me, because thou tellest me that he hates me; and if he hath loved me once, he will love me to the end; and therefore though for the present he hides his face from me; yet I shall see his face again. Thus gather in your Experiences, and plead with Satan, or your own unbelieving hearts, according unto all these Experiences; so shall you be able to live in the time of this Desertion, and never be discouraged, whatever your desertions be.
A LIFTING UP In case of AFFLICTION.
Sermon X.
SOmetimes the Discouragements of the Saints, are drawn, From their outward Afflictions, and Relations.
So it was here with David; for, saith he, verse 3. My tears have been my meat, day and night. Whereupon, ver. 5, 6. My Soul is cast down within me: Then, ver. 7, 8. All thy billows are gone over me: Ver. 10. As a Sword in my Bones, whilst they reproach me daily: Then, ver. 11. Why art thou cast down, O my Soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? To the like purpose he speaketh in the next Psalm; Why go I mourning, because of the oppression of the Enemy? ver. 2. Then ver. 5, 6. Why art thou cast down? So that hi • ••• ard Discouragements, did arise very much from his outward Afflictions. And thus it is ordinarily with the People of God; for faith one; Never was any so Afflicted as I have been, and am: I confess, that National Calamities are very great; but besides National Miseries, I have many, and many personal Afflictions; and therefore now it is that I am thus discouraged, have I not reason for it?
No.
[Answ. 1] First: I grant, and confess, It is no new thing for God's own Children to be much afflicted: These are they that came out of great Tribulations, Rev. 7. And
[Answ. 2] Secondly: When God's People are so afflicted, they are, and will be very sensible of their Affliction; in some respects more sensible than wicked men: for the more apprehensive, a man is of God's displeasure under Affliction, the more sensible he must needs be of the burden of it. Now the Saints, and People of God, in the day of their Affliction, are more apprehensive of God's displeasure, than wicked men are, and so in some respects, are more sensible of their Afflictions. Yea,
[Answ. 3] Thirdly: As they are, and will be very sensible of their Afflictions; so they are very apt to be much discouraged, by reason of them. And therefore said the Psalmist, Psal. 143. Therefore my soul is overwhelmed within me, and my heart is desolate; Why? Read verse 3. and ye shall find the reason; Because the Enemy oppressed me. And was not J • shua thus exceedingly cast down, when a party of his men fell before the men of Ai? See how he lies on the ground, Chap. 7. and what Language he speaks; even the same, for substance, that murmuring Israel had spoken: for they said, Would God we had stayed in Egypt: And saith he, Would God we had stayed on the other side Jordan: yet Joshua, a most gracious, holy, blessed Servant of God. So that God's own People, are apt to be much discouraged, by reason of their Afflictions, and outward Sufferings. But now I say, Let a man's Afflictions be never so great, yet if he be In Christ, and have made his peace with God, he hath no reason to be cast down, or discouraged, whatever his Afflictions be: for saith our Savior, In the World you shall have trouble; but be of good Comfort, I have overcome the world: And the more a man is discouraged under his Afflictions, the less able he is to bear it. So long as a man's hand hath skin upon it, he is able to put it into the sharpest Vinegar, without smarting; but if the skin be off, it doth smart exceedingly, and he can hardly bear it. So long as a man's bones are knit together, and in joint, he may stand under a great burden; but if the Shoulder-bone be out of Joynt, who can bear a burden? And what do all our Discouragements, but dis-joint the Soul, & put the Spirit on the Rack? Discouragements make Afflictions to 〈…〉 longer: An impatient Patient, makes a cruel Physician: And the more the Child cries under the Rod, the longer the Rod is continued: What reason therefore, for our discouragements under Afflictions?
But this Truth will appear, if you consider, 1. What the Afflictions and Sufferings of the Saints are. 2. Whence they proceed. 3. What accompanies them. 4. What follows upon them, and is wrought by them.
[ 1] First: As for the Afflictions themselves, 1. They are part of Christ's Purchase for you: Look upon Paul's Inventory, 1 Cor. 3.21. All things are yours; whether Paul, or Apollo, or Cephas, or the World, or Life, or Death, or things present, or things to come: So that Death itself, the King of Terrors and Afflictions, is here reckoned amongst the Goods and Chattels, which Christ hath purchased for you, and left unto you: and if Death be yours, then all Afflictions are yours; and who will be afraid of that which is his own? 2. They are the Gift of God; To you it is given, not only to believe, but to suffer, saith the Apostle. It was the Speech of a good man, now in Heaven, being once under great Afflictions; O Lord, these Afflictions are thy Pearls, and I will wear them for thy sake. 3. They are but seeeming Evils; They are real Trials, and seeming Evils. Therefore the Apostle saith, Every Affliction seems grievous; but considering altogether, it is rather a Seeming, than a real grief: and therefore saith he, 2 Cor. 6.9, 10. We are as unknown, and yet well known: as dying, and behold we he: as chastened, and not killed: as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing: as poor, yet making many rich: as having nothing, and yet possessing all things. In which words, as Austin observes, he puts a tanqu • m, sicut AS, upon his Afflictions; as if his Sufferings, were but as Afflictions, and not Afflictions. When a man takes any Physic, he is sick withal, yet because it is but Physic-sickness, you do not call it a sickness; it is as a sickness, but not a sickness. Now all the Afflictions of the Saints, are but their Physic, prescribed and given them by the hand of their Father; and therefore, though they be sick therewith, yet it is but as a sickness, not so indeed, all things rightly weighed. When an unskillful Eye looks upon the threshing of the Corn, he saith, Why do they spoil the Corn? But those that know better, say, The Flail doth not hurt the Corn; if the Cart-wheel should pass upon it, there would be spoil indeed, but the Flail hurts not. Now there is no Affliction, or suffering, that a Godly man meets with, but is God's Flail: And if you look into Isaiah, 28. ye shall find, the Lord promiseth, under a similitude, that his Cart-wheel shall not pass upon those that are weak, ver. 27. For the Fitches are not threshed with a threshing Instrument; neither is a Cart-wheel turned about upon the Cumin; the Fitches are beaten out with a staff, and the Cumin with the Rod: God will always proportion his Rod to our strength. But though mine Affliction be not greater than I can bear, yet if it lie too long upon me (say some) I shall never be able to bear it: Nay, saith the Lord, ver. 28. Bread-Corn is bruised, because he will not ever be threshing it. But what is this to us? Yes, it is a Parable, for ver. 26. His God (speaking of the Plow-man) doth instruct him to discretion, and doth teach him. And if the Plow-man have this discretion, much more shall the Lord himself; for verse 29. This also cometh forth from the Lord of Hosts, who is wonderful in Counsel, and excellent in working. I am God's Corn, said the Martyr; I must therefore pass under the Flail, through the Fan, under the Mil-stone, into the Oven, before I can be bread for him. And if our Chaff be severed from our Graces by this Flail, have we any reason to be discouraged, because we are thus afflicted? The truth is, the day of Affliction and Tribulation, is a godly man's Day of Judgment; it is at his Judgment Day, he shall never be judged again, so as to be condemned at the Day of Judgment; Ye are judged with the world (saith the Apostle) that ye may not be condemned with the world. And when the Godly man's Affliction-Day is, he may say, Now is my Judgment-Day, and I shall never be judged again; why therefore should he be discouraged, whatever his Afflictions be?
[ 2] And in the Second place. This will appear also, if you consider, Whence their Afflictions come. If all the Sufferings of God's People do come from Divine Love, the Love of God in Christ to them, then have they no reason to be discouraged, though they be much afflicted: every Rod, is a Rod of Rosemary to them, fruits of their Fathers Love: and if you look into Heb. 12. ye shall find, both the thing proved, and the Inference: The thing is proved, at ver. 6. For whom the Lord loveth, he chasteneth, and scourgeth every Son whom he receiveth: Which he illustrates by a similitude. Suppose a man have two Sons; one a Bastard, and the other Legitimate; he will rather give Education, and Correction to the Legitimate Son, and neglect the Bastard: and saith the Apostle, verse 8. If ye be without Chastisement, then are ye Bastards, and not Sons. What then? verse 12. Wherefore, lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees: As if the Apostle should say, If all the Sufferings, and Afflictions, and Chastisements of the Saints, do proceed from Love, then have they no reason to hang down their hands, or heads. But so it is, That all their Sufferings come from Love, and therefore no reason for their Discouragements.
[ 3] Thirdly. This will appear also, if you consider, What comes with the Afflictions of the Saints. There comes much supporting Grace, much Light; much of God's Presence, Fëllowship and and Communion with Christ, in all his Sufferings. Much supporting Grace: Thy Rod, and thy Staff comforts me. God never lays a Rod upon his Children's back, but he first puts a Staff into their hand to bear it; and the staff is as big as the Rod: it matters not what your Afflictions be, great, or small, it is all one, you shall be upheld; and upholding mercy, is sometimes better, than a mercy that you are afflicted for the want of. But the Lord doth not only uphold his People under Sufferings, but he gives forth much Light therewithal. The School of the Cross, is the School of Light. Affliction is our Free-School, where God teacheth his Children, and learns them how to write, both their Sins, and their Graces. Their sins: So long as Leaves are on the Trees and Bushes, ye cannot see the Birds Nests: But in the Winter, when all the Leaves are off, then ye see them plainly. And so long as men are in Prosperity, and have their Leaves on, they do not see what Nests of sins, and lusts, are in their hearts, and lives; but when all their Leaves are off, in the day of their Afflictions, then they see them, and say, I did not think I had had such Nests of sins, and lusts, in my soul, and life. Job, 36.7. He withdraweth not his Eye from the Righteous: Verse 8. And if he be bound in Fetters, and be holden in Cords of Affliction, then he shows them their works, and their transgressions, that they have exceeded. Yea, Affliction do not only discover their sins unto them; but it is God's Plaister, thereby he doth heal the same: Before I was afflicted, I went astray, saith David. And Job, 36.10. He openeth also their Ear to Discipline, and commandeth that they return from iniquity. Yea, these Afflictions, and Sufferings of the Saints, do not only discover, and heal their sins; but do put them upon the exercise of Grace: In their Afflictions (saith God) they will seek me early. Yea, they do not only draw out their Graces; but discover their Graces too, which possibly they did never take notice of before. I have read of some foolish Youths, that sitting on the Water side, upon the Bank, and mingling their Legs together in the Water, they did not know their own Legs; but one standing by, and sm ••• g them on the knees with a staff, everyone then knew his own Legs, and pulled them up. And so it is many times; There is such a likeness between Hypocrites common Graces, and the Graces of God's Children, that the Saints do not know their own Graces; O! saith one, it is no more than an Hypocrite may have: but then God smites them with some Affliction, and so they feel, and see, and know their own Graces: and good reason for it; for when God comes, he discovers all: and when is God more present with his People, than when they are most afflicted? God useth to be at the back of Affliction. There Heaven opened to Stephen. Afflictions are the rusty Lock often times, which open the door into the Presence Chamber. When was Christ with the three Children, but in the fiery Furnace? And ye have a standing Promise for it; I will be with thee in the fire, and the water, saith the Lord. And saith the Apostle, Then doth the Spirit of the Lord, and of Glory, rest upon his Children. Yea, and as they have most of God, when they are most afflicted; so in time of their Sufferings, they have most Communion, and Fellowship with Jesus Christ in his Sufferings. Therefore saith the Apostle Peter, Chap. 4. Ver. 13. But rejoice, in as much as ye are partakers of Christ's Sufferings. The word Partaker, is the same that is used in John; Truly our fellowship is with the Father: and the same that is used in the Corinthians, concerning the Lord's Supper; The Cup of Blessing which we bless, is it not the Communion of the Body of Christ? You will all grant, that you have communion with Christ at the Lord's Supper; but the same word being used here, shows, That you have Communion with Christ in his Sufferings also; especial • , when you do suffer for him: and the greater your Sufferings are, the more fellowship, and communion you have with Christ in his Sufferings: Now then, if all this be true, That a Christian hath Experience of Supporting, and Upholding Grace; much Light; his sin discovered, and healed: his Grace exercised, and manifested: God's Presence enjoyed; and made Partaker of the Sufferings of Christ, in, and by his Afflictions; what reason hath he to be discouraged, although he be much afflicted? But so it is, That a Christian hath never more Experience of God's Upholding, Sustaining Grace: his sin is never more discovered, and healed; his Grace is never more exercised, and manifested: God is never more present with him, than when he is most afflicted: and he is never more partaker of Christ's sufferings, than in, and by his Sufferings: Surely therefore, he hath no reason for his Discouragements, whatever his Afflictions be.
[ 4] Fourthly: This will appear, if you consider, The Fruit, Benefit, End, and Issue of your Afflictions, and what they bring forth, They bring forth the quiet fruits of Righteousness, Triumph over Satan; for now poor Job may say, Satan, thou said'st, I did not serve God for naught; but now the contrary appears. Yea, They work out an exceeding, eternal weight of Glory. And if you look into Phil. 2. where we are commanded, To work out our Salvation, with fear, and trembling: you shall find, it is the same word that is used here concerning Afflictions; that they work out an exceeding, eternal weight of Glory. Now if all my Afflictions do bring me in the quiet fruit of Righteousness; make me to triumph over Satan; and work out an exceeding weight of Glory; have I any reason to be discouraged, although I be much afflicted? Thus it is with all the Saints and People of God; though their Sufferings may seem to be grievous for the present, yet they bring forth the quiet fruits of Righteousness; thereby the Saints triumph over Satan; and these Sufferings work out an exceeding, and eternal weight of Glory. Surely therefore, a Godly, Gracious man, hath no reason to be discouraged, whatever his Affliction be.
[Object. 1] But my Affliction, is not an ordinary Affliction; my Sufferings, are not ordinary Sufferings; for I have lost all my Comforts, and am stripped naked of all my former Blessings, and Relations: I have been long afflicted, and many Afflictions crowd, and press in upon me, like so many waves of the Sea: only there is this difference, the waves come, and go; but my Afflictions come, and stay; they come, and go not; they all stay upon me at once, and I see no end of my Afflictions: the Floods are risen, O God, the Water Floods are risen, and do cover my soul; yea, and these waters of Affliction are so deep, that I can feel no bottom, see no end of them: have I not just cause and reason then to be much discouraged?
[Answ.] No: For what if you have been, or would be drunk with the Comforts of your own Relations? Noah was drunk with his own Wine; and how many are there in the World, that have been drunk, even with the Comforts of their own Relations? And if God your Father see, that you have been, or would be drunk with your own Comforts; have you any hurt, that he hath taken them from you for a time? When a wise Father, sees that his Child falls in love with his Maid, one that is much beneath him; doth his Father do him any wrong, that he removes her from him, or him out of her sight? It may be the present Affection of the Child saith, my Father deals hardly by me: but will the Childs Reason say so afterwards? No, but he will rather say, at such a time I fell in love with my Fathers Servant, and if my Father had not remomoved her out of my sight, I had been lost, and undone forever. Now all the Creatures are Servants to the Children of God, and it may be, God your Father seeth that you are fallen in love with them that are much beneath you. Or, suppose that a Child be to travel some long Journey, and his Father gives him a staff in his hand; when he is abroad in the Fields, some Enemy meets him, and takes away his staff, and beats the Child therewithal; but a Friend comes in, and takes away this staff from both, both from the Child, and from the Enemy; doth he do the Child any wrong, in taking away this staff out of the hand of the Enemy? May be the Child will say, I pray Sir, give me the staff again, for it is mine; true, saith the friend, Child, this staff is yours, but you have not strength enough to use it, and manage it against your Enemy; he would wrest it out of your hand again, and beat you with it, and therefore I will keep it from you both: doth he therefore do the Child any wrong? Thus it is here: The Lord gives a Creature-Comfort into the hands of his Child, and God intends it for a staff (for Bread is the staff of Life:) but Satan comes, and wresteth his staff out of his hand, and beats him therewithal: then comes Jesus Christ, and takes it out of the hands of both; O! saith the Child of God, but I pray thee Lord, give me this Creature-Comfort, for it is my Staff: true Child, saith Christ, it is thy Staff, but thou hast not strength to wield it against Satan, he will abuse thee with it; therefore I will keep it from thee, and in due time, thou shalt have it again: Doth Christ our Lord, and best friend, do him any wrong in keeping it from him?
[Object. 2] O! but my Afflictions are not ordinary, and usual, but new, and strange.
[Answ.] You think so; but the Apostle saith, Think it not strange concerning the fiery trial, as if some new thing had befallen you. And what if God will carry you to Heaven by some back way, and let you in at some back door; hath not he promised to lead us in a way that we have not known?
[Object. 3] O! but I do not only want one mercy, but I do want another, and another; Afflictions come thick, and I see no end, I feel no bottom.
[Answ.] And was it not so with David, the Type of Christ? Psal. 40.1, 2. I waited patiently for the Lord, and he inclined his Ear unto me, and heard my cry; he brought me out also of an horrible pit; or as some read it, out of an unbottomed pit, out of the miry Clay, and set my feet upon a Rock, and established my goings. Three things here, that are most observable. 1. David was in such an Affliction, wherein he did feel no bottom at the first, saw no end. 2. Though he felt no bottom at the first, yet, at the last he did, and a Rock which God set his feet upon, and established his goings. 3. Till he did find this Rock, he prayed, and waited patiently, and he was not discouraged. What therefore though our Afflictions be as thick as any mire, that therein you do stick so fast, as you cannot get out, that you feel no bottom, see no end; yet if in this case you pray, and cry, and wait patiently on the Lord, as David did; you shall be set upon a Rock in due time, and your goings shall be also established. And whereas you say, That your Afflictions are thick, and long, and hard; How long man! What! is your Bush consumed? Do they not make you long more for Heaven? When the Apprenticeship is hard and tedious, the young man longs for the day of his Freedom. O! saith he, that I were in my Fathers House! O! that the time of my Freedom were come! So here; Long and hard Afflictions, make us long more for Heaven. Now will ye count that too long, which makes you long more for Heaven? And as for your Relational Comforts; Did God ever take away the Comfort of an outward Relation, and not make it up in the sweetness of Spiritual Relations?
[Object. 4] But this is not all my case; for I do not only want such and such Comforts, I do not barely want the Comforts, and the love of my Relations; but I feel the anger, and the smart of them; for my own familiar friends, and acquaintance are become mine Enemies; they reproach me, curse me, speak all manner of evil of me without cause; and this they do since I set my face towards Heaven: Time was heretofore, when they did love me dearly; but now they hate me, they persecute me, and do all manner of evil to me; and is this nothing? is not this a just cause, and reason for my Discouragement?
[Answ.] No: For if our worst Enemies, be sometimes our best Friends, then what reason is there that we should be discouraged, although we be much opposed? Now so it is many times; as our best Friends, are our worst Enemies, by flattering us; so our worst Enemies, are our best Friends, by making us more watchful. So many Enemies, so many School-Masters, saith one. Hath not our Lord and Savior Christ said, Our Enemies are those of our own house, they shall ever revile you, and persecute you; but blessed are you, when they do all this for my Name sake. And I pray tell me, Whether is it worser to be persecuted, or to be a Persecutor? Your Friends persecute you, speak all manner of evil, and do all manner of evil to you, even since you have looked towards Christ; and for his sake • hey do it, for his sake ye are persecuted, opposed, maligned: but you might have been the Persecutor, and they the persecuted; Which is worst? Will you not say, O! it is infinitely better to be opposed for the way of God, than to oppose? and to be persecuted, than to persecute? I would choose rather to be persecuted, than to be a Persecutor. God might have left you to be a Persecutor, and your persecuting Friends might have been persecuted by you; but now that God hath so ordered it by his Providence and Grace, that you are persecuted, and they persecutors, have you any reason to complain, or to be discouraged? Know ye not that the world hateth his own? So long as the por stands empty, and there is no Honey in it, the Bees, and stinging Wasps do not gather about it; but if once there be Honey in it, then they flock about it: And so long as you were empty of what is good, and walked on with an empty heart, no opposition was made unto you. But now these stinging Bees and Wasps flock about you; what doth this argue, but that you have gotten some Honey, somewhat that savoreth of good, and of Christ, which you had not before; why should you not therefore, rather praise God for what you have, than be discouraged under your opposition?
[Object. 5] This is not my case: For I praise God I do not meet with any opposition, or persecution from my friends, nor do I need, for my very Affliction is an opposition unto what is good, my Affliction doth indispose me unto what is good, and expose me unto what is evil, to temptations, and many sins; it keeps me from Duty, from Ordinances, and Opportunities of doing, and receiving good; and therefore I am thus discouraged under my Affliction, have I not cause, and reason now?
[Answ. 1] No: For it may be that you are mistaken here, and think that you are hindered from the Work of God, when indeed you are not, We read of Paul, that he was whipped up and down the streets like a Rogue, that he was oft imprisoned; and who would not think but that his reproaches and imprisonments, should hinder him in the work of his Ministry? But he saith, That his Sufferings turned to the furtherance of the Gospel.
[Answ. 2] When God leads a man into an Affliction, then God doth call him to another work. So long as a man is well, and in health, he is bound to go abroad, and to hear the Word; but when he is sick, then his work is not to hear, but to be patient, and quiet under the hand of God; then he is called to that other work which his Affliction doth lead him to. It may be your Affliction may hinder you from your former work, which God hath called you from; but it doth not hinder you from that work whereunto you are now called by your Affliction: And what though my Affliction doth hinder me from my former work; yet, if God will not fault me for the neglect of that, have I any reason to be discouraged because I do not do it? This is certain, That if God cal me to a new work, he will never blame me, if I lay by the former. You will not blame your Servants, if they lay by their former work, when you call them to a new: and when God leads into a new Affliction, then he doth cal to a new work.
[Answ. 3] And as for matter of Temptation, and Sin, this is certain, That, that Affliction doth never expose a man to a new sin, which doth make him sensible of his former sin. Now, as you have heard; the Afflictions of the Saints, do both discover, and heal their sins; making them sensible of them, which they were not before. And if you look into Psal. 125.3. you find a Promise to this purpose; The Rod of the wicked shall not rest on the Lot of the Righteous, lest the Righteous put forth their hand to iniquity. As it is with a Master that sets his Servant to beat the dust out of his Garment; though he cause the rod, or stick, to pass upon the Garment, yet he will not suffer it to rest so long upon the Garment, as it shall be torn thereby. Your Affliction is God's Rod, and he suffers it to pass upon your Garment; Why? That he may fetch out your dust therewith; but he will not suffer this Rod to rest so long upon you, as to tear your Garment; Lest the Righteous put forth their hand unto iniquity, saith the Text.
[Answ. 4] And if this fear of yours, be a good sign of your Grace, then why should you be discouraged in this respect? Now, what better sign of Truth, and Uprightness of heart have you, than this? That you are therefore troubled at your Affliction, because it doth expose to Temptation, and Sin; and because it doth hinder you from what is good? Do you not say so? Lord, thou knowest I am therefore afflicted under this Affliction, not because of the burden of it so much, but because thereby I am hindered from doing, and receiving good, and exposed to such Temptations; as for the Affliction itself, though it be great, yet Lord, thou knowest I should submit to it, and be quiet under it, were I not thereby exposed unto what is evil: Here now is sincerity, here is uprightness, and will you then be discouraged? nay, rather have you not cause and reason to be much encouraged?
[Object. 6] This is not my fear, or cause of my discouragement; but I am under a great, and sore Affliction; so, and so afflicted; and I fear I have brought myself into this Affliction by my sin: had not my sin been the cause of my Affliction, I should not be troubled; but O! my Affliction is great, and long, and I am persuaded that my own sin, is the cause thereof; yea, and that which aggravateth the matter is, I cannot find out what the sin is: if God would but discover it to me, I should be more at quiet; but my sin is the cause of my affliction; and I know not what the particular sin is, that hath brought me into this affliction: and have I not just cause and reason for my discouragement now?
[Answ.] No: For did not Jonah bring himself into his Affliction by his sin, and yet when did God more fully appear to him, than when he was in the Whales Belly? Did not David bring himself into his Affliction by his sin? he sinned in the matter of Uriah, and the Lord said, The Sword shall never depart from thy House: and what was the Sword of Absalom, but an Affliction which dropped out of that Threatening, brought upon him by his sin: and yet when was David's heart in a better frame? If (saith he) the Lord have any pleasure in me, he will bring me back to the Ark again; if not, let him do with me, what seemeth good in his Eyes. And when did God more fully appear to David, than under this Affliction? for he prayed, The Lord turn the Counsel of Achittophel into folly; and God heard him presently. And if ye look into Deut. 4. you shall find a standing Promise made for your Comfort in this matter; verse 25. If you shall corrupt yourselves, and make a graven Image, or the likeness of anything, and shall do evil in the sight of the Lord, to provoke him to anger; I call Heaven, and Earth to witness against you this day, That you shall soon utterly perish from the Land; ye shall not prolong your days; the Lord will scatter you among the Nations, and you shall be left few in number among the Heathen, and there you shall serve gods, the work of men's hands. But if from thence, thou shalt seek the Lord thy God, thou shalt find him; if thou seek him with all thine heart, and all thy soul. 1. Here was a great Affliction, to be driven out into another Country. 2. This Affliction was caused by their great sins. 3. Yet the Promise is, That, if from thence, from this valley, and bottom, they did seek the Lord, he would show mercy to them: And all this in the times of the Law; and is not God as gracious now in the times of the Gospel, as then in the times of the Law? And what though you cannot find out what the particular sin is, it is good to search; but sometimes it is better for a poor soul that it is not discovered: For if I be under an affliction for some particular sin, and find it out, then I am once humbled for it, and go no further: but if I find it not out, I search, and search, and so am humbled continually for many sins; and therefore I say, it is sometimes better that the particular sin is not discovered. Why then should a godly, gracious soul be discouraged in this respect? Surely he hath no reason for it.
[Object. 7] Yet there is one thing sticks with me in regard of personal Afflictions: I fear that they do not come from God's Love; were I certain that this Affliction did proceed from God's Love, then I should never be troubled; but I even see the visible Characters of God's displeasure, and anger, engraven upon my Afflictions; and therefore I am thus discouraged, have I not cause and reason now?
[Answ. 1] No: For if Affliction, do rather argue God's Love, than Hatred; then have you no reason to be discouraged. Now, though Affliction do not argue God's Love; yet I say, it doth rather argue Love, than Hatred. A man may be no Father to a Child, yet he may correct him: But if two Children commit a fault, and a man takes the one, and correct him, and let the other go; it argues rather, that he is his Father, than not. So, though Chastisements do not always argue God to be our Father; yet it doth rather argue his Fatherly Love, than not.
[Answ. 2] And is there anything in God, that is not a friend to all the Saints? When a man is a friend to another; not only his Purse is his Friend, his Estate is his Friend, his Staff is his Friend; but his Sword is his Friend. So, if God be a Friend to a man, then, not only his Love is his Friend, and his Mercy his Friend; but his Sword is his Friend, his Anger is his Friend. Now, God is a Friend to all the Saints, and therefore his very Anger, and Justice, is a Friend too. But,
[Answ. 3] In the third place: What are those visible Characters of Love, which are engraven upon an Affliction?
[ 1] First: If Affliction be a blessing to one, then it doth come from Love; and if a man can bless God under Affliction, then it is a blessing to him. Jobs Affliction was a blessing to him; Why? Because he blessed God under it; The Lord gives, and the Lord takes away, blessed be his Name, &c.
[ 2] Secondly: If an Affliction do end in our Love to God; then it comes from God's Love to us; for our Love is but a reflection of God's Love, and it doth flow from his; and if I can say, I love God never the worser for this Affliction, then I may say, God loves me never the lesser, notwithstanding this Affliction.
[ 3] Thirdly: If an Affliction teacheth the mind of God, then it doth come from Love; As many as he loveth, he chastiseth; And blessed is the man whom thou chastiseth, and teachest out of thy Law: So that if Affliction, be a teaching Affliction, then it doth come from Love.
[ 4] Fourthly: If it be laid on in measure, and imposed in due, and seasonable time, so as a man may grow thereby; then it doth come from Love. When a man intendeth to kill, and destroy a Tree, or to bring it unto the fire, he cuts it at any time, so as it shall grow no more; but if he cut it in a due time, it argueth that he intendeth it for growth. So when God pruneth, and cuts by Afflictions, in such a time as men may grow in Grace; it argues his Love.
[ 5] Fifthly: When God is especially present in Affliction, and more present in an Affliction, than at another time; it argues that the Affliction doth come from Love. Now, whoever you are, that make this Objection, and fear the Affliction doth not come from Love; are you not able to say, Thus I find it indeed, though I have been much afflicted, yet through Grace I have b • en able to bless the Lord under my Affliction, and to say, The Lord giveth, and the Lord taketh away? &c. I love the Lord never the lesser for mine Affliction; and the Lord hath taught me much in this mine Affliction; I have gained more by my sickness, than by many a Sermon; yea, and he hath cut me in due time; for if I had not met with such an Affliction at such a time, I did not know what evil I should have fallen into: and this I must needs say; I have had more of God's Presence in my Affliction, than ever I had before. Well then, be of good Comfort, though your Affliction be very grievous, yet it doth come from Love. And thus it is with all the Saints and People of God; and therefore, why should they be discouraged, whatever their Affliction be?
[Object. 8] But though a Christian have no reason to be discouraged in regard of his own private Affliction, yet, hath he not reason to be discouraged, when it goes ill with the Public? And thus it is now with us; we see how it is with this poor Nation, Troubles and Calamities from every Part, therefore I am thus discouraged; and have I not cause to be cast down, and to be much disquieted now?
[Answ.] Indeed, this is a sad thing; and O! that we could weep, day and night, and pray too, for this poor, bleeding Nation. If ever God's People, here in England, had cause to be afflicted, troubled, and humbled, under the hand of the Lord, and to run together in Prayer, surely they have reason now; yet saith the Scripture, Say to the Righteous in evil times, it shall go well with him: Did ever any Calamity come down like a storm upon a Kingdom, but God did provide some hiding for his own Children? Did he not provide an Ark for Noah in the time of the Flood? and a Mountain for Lot, in the time of the fire of Sodom? The worst that man can do, is but to kill his neighbor: Death is the worst that can fall; and what is death, but an in-let to Eternal Life unto the People of God? When the Saints in the Primitive Times, came to bear witness by their deaths, unto the Truth of Christ, then they said, Now we begin to be Christians indeed, now we begin to be like to Christ. There is a Three-fold Death: Spiritual Death in sin: Eternal Death for sin: And Temporal Death, which came in by sin. If God spare me from the two former Deaths, the Spiritu • l Death, and Eternal Death, and only inflict the Temporal Death; have I any cause to complain? Thus it is with the Saints; though they die Temporally, yet they are free from the Spiritual, and Eternal Death; and what Godly man may not say, I could not live long in Nature, and shall I now bear witness unto the Truth with this little spot of time that remains? Christ died for us, the Just for the Unjust; and shall not I, that am unjust, be willing to die for the just? The worst of all is Death; the worst of Death, is gain: When my Body is broken, may I not say (if Godly) now a poor Pitcher is broken, and shall go no more to the Well: now a poor Prisoner, my soul, is delivered, and I go home unto my Father. But if you look into Rev. 7. you shall • ind, what a glorious issue God doth give unto all his People in the times of public troubles, ver. 9. After this I beheld, and so a great multitude, which no man could number, of all Nations, Kindreds, and People, stood before the Throne, and before the Lamb clothed with white Robes, and Palms in their hands. A Robe is a Garment of Majesty, Palms are an Ensign of Victory; and saith he, I saw them with Robes and Palm • . The world looks upon my Servants as poor, and of low spirits; but saith Christ, I look upon them as under a royal, Princely Garment, in Robes, and of a Princely spirit. And though the world look upon them as discomforted, yet saith Christ here, they shall overcome, for they have Palms in their hands: but who are these? This Scripture tells, ver. 14. These are they which come out of great Tribulations, and have washed their Robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb: But why are they in white Robes, and their Robes washed? Because by their Tribulations they are washed from filth. Affliction is God's Soap; before a godly man goes into Afflictions, his very Graces are mixed with sin; his Faith is mixed, and dirtied with Unbelief, and doubtings; his Humility with Pride; his Zeal with Luke-warmness: but now, by his Tribulation, his Garments, and Robes are made white, and washed, and he shall be of a more royal spirit, and be clothed with Robes: But though the Lord make use of my Tribulations, thus to wash; yet I fear that by these public Calamities, I shall be driven from Ordinances, the Temple, and Worship of God; nay, saith he therefore at verse 15. They are before the Throne of God, and serve him day and night in his Temple. But what though we have the Ordinances, if Christ be not present with them▪ He ads therefore, And he that sits on the Throne, shall dwell amongst us. But though we have the presence of Jesus Christ, yet we may suffer much with want: true, yet verse 16. They shall hunger no more, neither thirst anymore, neither shall the Sun light on them, nor any heat; for the Lamb which is in the midst of the Throne, shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living Fountains of Water. O! but yet we may be brought in the mean while into grievous streits, and be in a sad, and mournful Condition. True, but there is a time a coming, when all tears shall be wiped away from our Eyes; and therefore he ads this at verse 17. And God shall wipe away all tears from their Eyes. How should tears be wiped away hereafter, if they were not shed for the present? Though then you do fear it now, and shed many tears, yet all shall be wiped away, and not one left. O! what gracious dealing is here! Thus will Christ deal with his People in troubleous times; and therefore though our condition in regard of the Public, be exceeding sad, and very grievous, insomuch as we have all cause to mourn, and weep; yet if you be in Christ, and have made your Peace with God, you have no reason to be cast down. And thus it is with every godly man; surely therefore, a godly, gracious man, hath no reason for his discouragements, whatever his Affliction be.
[Quest.] But what shall we do then, that we may not be discouraged whatever our Affliction be, whether Public, or Private, National, or Personal? A good man indeed hath no reason to be discouraged under his Affliction, but it is a hard thing to bear up against all discouragements under great Affliction; what shall we do in this case?
[Answ. 1] First: Either you have Assurance of God's Love in Christ, or not; if not, this Affliction shall be a Messenger to bring it to you: So look upon your Affliction; and if you have Assurance, then actuate your Assurance, reflect much on your Interest in, and your Peace with God, through Christ; put yourselves often upon this Disjunction, Either there is enough in God alone, or not; If there be not enough in God alone, how can the Saints, and Angels live in Heaven, who have no Meat, Drink, nor Cloaths there, but God alone? And if there be enough in God alone, why should I not be contented with my Condition, and comforted under it, whatever it be? What though man hate me, if Christ love me? O! labor more and more to see your Interest in Christ, and ever hold it to your Eye.
[Answ. 2] Secondly: If you would not be discouraged under your Afflictions, remember much your fellowship with Christ in his Sufferings; thus: Now by these my Sufferings, have I fellowship with Christ, in all his Sufferings; and therefore as Christ died, and did rise again; so though my Name dieth, Estate dieth, Body dieth, and all my Comforts die, yet they shall rise again. The Apostle argueth, and proves, That the Romans should die no more in their sins, Because Christ being risen from the dead, died no more; and therefore, saith he, though you fall into sins, yet you shall die no more, because you are risen with Christ. So say I; though your Afflictions be great, and seem to swallow up all your Comforts; yet your Comforts shall not be buried in them; for if Godly, you are risen with Christ, and have fellowship with him, and so die no more: When therefore Affliction comes, rejoice in that you are made partakers of his Sufferings; and say, Rejoice not over me, O mine Enemy; for though I fall, yet I shall rise again, for by my Sufferings, I have fellowship with Christ in his Sufferings, and so in his Resurrection, Comforts, and Glories.
[Answ. 3] Thirdly: If you would not be discouraged under your Afflictions, Labor more and more to be strangers to the world; and to be acquainted with the ways of God under Affliction. The Dog doth not bite, or tear, or hurt those that dwell in the House; if a stranger comes, he flies upon him, and tears him, because he is not acquainted with him: And what reason is there that men's Afflictions fly upon them, and tear them so much as they do, but because they are strangers to, and know not the way of God under them; Labor therefore to live by Faith above the World, to be a stranger to the world, and be more acquainted with the way of Affliction.
[Answ. 4] Fourthly: Consider what Christ hath born, and left you to bear: There are but two things to bear; Sin, and Sufferings. Christ hath born all your sins, will not ye bear his Sufferings? He hath born and carried the heavy end of the staff: you have not one sin to bear, and will you not then bear the Sufferings?
[Answ. 5] Fifthly: Consider also, and that frequently and seriously, what abundance of good, you, and others get, or may get by your Afflictions; God by Afflictions, lets out nothing but corrupt blood. Be of good comfort man (said one now in Heaven, to another complaining under his Afflictions) Christ will do thee no hurt in the latter end. God never whips his Children, but for their good, and doth teach both them, and others by them. I was converted (said one, telling the story of his Conversion) by seeing a man executed; for thought I, if a man be thus punished with death for breaking one of the Laws of men, what do I then deserve, who have broken all the Laws of God? Affliction sometimes teacheth the by-stander much; but especially it is teaching to yourself, thereby you see and read the fullness of God, the emptiness of the Creature, and the vileness of sin; it recalls sin past, and prevents sin to come; it quickens prayer, and enlarges thankfulness; and it may be thou mayest owe thy Conversion to some Affliction, as a means thereof; and if so much good do come by it, will you be discouraged under it? Think, and think much of the good thereof.
[Answ. 6] Sixthly: Whenever any Affliction comes, do not stand poring on the evil of it, but be sure that you look as well, and as much upon what is with you, as upon what is against you: there is no mercy which you can lose, but hath some burden with it: there is no misery that can befall you, but hath some mercy with it. When men lose a mercy, they only consider the sweetness of a mercy lost, and not the burden that they do lose withal. O! saith a poor woman, I have lost my Husband, so loving, so gracious, so helpful; but not a word of the burden that is gone withal, and so there is much discouragement. When Affliction comes, men only consider the evil, and not the mercy that doth come withal, and so they are much dejected. Suppose that a loving Father in some high room, throw down a bag of Gold to his Child, and it lights on the Childs head, insomuch as it breaketh his head, and causeth blood to come; whilst the Child feels the smart thereof, he is impatient, and froward; while he looks only upon the Leathern bag, he is not thankful; but when he looks into the bag, and sees what a great deal of gold his Father hath given him, then he speaks well of his Father, notwithstanding all the smart of his head. There is never an Affliction, but is a bag of Gold given unto the People of God; though it seem a Leathern Bag without, yet there is Gold within: so long as they stand poring upon the Leathern Bag, or attend unto the smart of their Affliction, they are not thankful, they do not praise the Lord, but are much discouraged; but if they would look into the Bag, and tell their Gold, then they would have Comfort, and not be discouraged. I tell you from the Lord, there is Gold within; look into this Bag, the Bag of Affliction, tell over all your Gold which the Lord hath given you in this Affliction, and then you will be quiet. If a mercy be taken from you, Consider the burden that is taken away too. If a misery come, Consider the mercy that doth come withal, labor ever, labor to see both together, as well what is for you, as what is against you; then will you never be much discouraged, although your Affliction be never so great.
A LIFTING UP In case of Unserviceableness.
Sermon XI.
PSALM, 42.11.
Why art thou cast down, O my Soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? &c.
[Instance 8] SOmetimes the Discouragements of the Saints, do arise, From their Employments, Work, and Service.
Either they are not called forth to work for God, as they do desire; or they do want abilities, and skill to work; or they have no success in their work. O! says one, I am a poor, unuseful, and unserviceable Creature: God hath done much for me, but I do nothing for God: others are used, and employed for God; but as for me, I am cast by as an useless Vessel, in whom God hath no pleasure; and therefore I am thus discouraged, have I not just cause and reason now?
[Answ. 1] No: For, is Family Work and Service nothing? is Relation Work nothing? There is a Three-fold Sweat, says Luther; Political Sweat; Ecclesiastical Sweat; and Domestical Sweat: A man may sweat at Family Work; and it is a great betrushment, to be betrusted with the Work of a Family: and this Work you are betrusted with.
[Answ. 2] Is it nothing for a man to be trusted with the Work of his Christian Station? The whole Body of Christ, is divided into many Members, every Member in the Body hath a work suitable unto it: the Eye doth not hear, as the Ear d • th; nor the Ear see, as the Eye doth; but every Member worketh, according to that S • ation which it hath in the Body: So, ye being one Body, are many Members, saith the Apostle; and all Members have not the same Office. Look therefore, as the Station is, which ye have in the Body of Christ, such is the Work that ye are betrusted with.
[Answ. 3] And is it nothing, for a man to be employed in comforting, relieving, and supporting others? This is so great a Service, that the very Angels are employed therein, as in a work most suitable to them: For, when the Lord would stir up, and provoke the Children of Israel to repent, he sent a Prophet to them; Judges, 6. ver. 7.8. But when he would comfort, strengthen, and encourage Gideon, he doth not employ that Prophet therein, but he sends an Angel to him, saying, ver. 12. The Lord is with thee, thou mighty man of Valor. And if ye look into the Story of the New Testament, ye shall find, That when Christ was on Mount Thabor, in his Transfiguration, then the Angels are not said to attend upon him; but when he was sweating in the Garden, then the Angels came and comforted, and ministered to him; Why? Because this is Angelical work, to comfort, relieve, and support others in the time of distress. Now, are you not trusted with this Work? How many poor, drooping, tempted, and deserted souls are there, whom you may go and administer to? And is this no Work at all?
[Object. 1] But there is a Generation Work, a Work of special employment, which God doth trust others with; as for me, I have none of this Work to do; I am a poor, useless, and unserviceable person, one that God doth not use at all; and therefore I am thus discouraged: for is it not a very great mercy, to be used, and employed for God in the world?
[Answ. 1] Yes, It is a very great mercy, and blessing (I confess) to be used in any Work, or Service for God. This was Moses his Commendation, That he was the Servant of God; Moses, the Servant of the Lord, is dead. And in this Title, David gloried more, than that he was King of Israel, Psal. 18. A Psalm of David, the Servant of the Lord: He doth not say, A Psalm of David, the King of Israel. Thus Paul, Peter, James, and Jude, do Entitle their Epistles: Paul, a Servant of Christ; and Peter, a Servant of Christ; and James, a Servant of Christ; and Jude, a Servant of Christ. Yea, and Christ himself doth glory in this Title of God's Servant: and the Father glories in Christ upon this account: Behold my Se • vant, whom I have chosen. My Servant the Branch. So that a great Priviledg it is, to be God's Servant, used, and employed for him.
[Answ. 2] The more Serviceable a man is to God, the more he doth honor God; and the more he honors God, the more he honors himself. Honor est in honorante. Those that stand before, and wait on Kings and Princes, honor themselves in honoring their Masters. So, in honoring God, a man honors himself; yea, and thereby God doth put h • nor on him: for what is honor? but Testimonium▪ de alicujus excellentia, Testifying of another's Excellency; and the more I testify of any Excellency in a man, the more I honor him. Now, when God doth betrust a man with his Work, he testifies of an excellency in him: The Lord hath counted me faithful, and put me into his Work, saith Paul: yea, the greatest greatness in this world, is to wait upon the great God: Therefore, faith our Savior of John the Baptist, Am • ngst them that are born of women, there hath not risen a greater than he, Matth. 11.11. And if ye look into Gen. 1. ye shall find, That the Moon is c • lled one of the two great Lights, ver. 16. And God made two great Lights, the greater to rule the day, and the lesser to rule the night. But though the Moon is said to be lesser than the Sun, yet it is said, to be one of the two grea • Lights: And why so? are there not other Stars greater than the Moon? Yes: but because the Moon is the most influential, and serviceable to the world, therefore it is said, to be greater than others. So that in • ods account, the more service we do in the world, the greater we are, and the more honorable in God's Eyes.
[Answ. 3] Thereby also, we are kept from the dint of Temptations; idleness breeds Temptation: Our Vacation is the Devils Term; when we are least at work for God, then is Satan most at work about us. By doing nothing, men learn to do evil: yea, Idleness is the burying of a living man.
[Answ. 4] Great and good Employment, is the Mercy promised. That can hardly be a small mercy, which the great God doth promise; promised Mercies, are the swee • est Mercies. Now th • Lord promiseth, Isaiah, 58.18. That if thou draw out thy soul to the hungry, &c. The Lord shall guide thee continually; and they that shall be of thee, shall build the old wast places: thou shalt raise up the Foundations of many Generations, and thou shalt be called the Repairer of the Breaches, the Restorer of Paths to dwell in. Here is Employment, and Betrustment promised.
[Answ. 5] The more useful, and serviceable a man is to God, the more apt and ready God will be, to pardon his failings; not only the failings of his present employment, but of the other part of his life also. What a great failing was that in Rahab, to say, the Spyes were gone, when she had hid them in the top of her house: yet the Lord pardoned this failing to her; Why? Because she believed, and was useful, and serviceable unto God's great design in that her day. And if ye look into Numb. 〈◊〉 ye shall find, That though Aaron and Miriam, were both engaged in the same sin and evil, of envying and murmuring against Moses, yet the Lord spa • ed Aaron, when he struck Miriam with a Leprosy. But why (saith Abulensis ) was not Aaron smitten with the Leprosy as well as Miriam? what, because he was not so deeply in the Transgression as she was? No; for verse 1. it's said, Then spake Aaron and Miriam; not as if she were put on by him: Or because that Aaron confessed his sin, as she did not? No, for so did Miriam also, for she was a good woman: Or because that God owed Aaron a punishment till afterwards? No, for that appears not by the Text; but he was the High Priest, and if he had been smitten with Leprosy, it would have brought his Ministry under some contempt, the Work of the Lord would have ceased for a time also, and though he failed in this thing, yet he was otherwise, a very useful and serviceable man; and God would show his aptness and readiness to pardon such, rather than others.
[Answ. 6] If a man be employed for God in any special Service and Work, the Lord will not only pardon his failings; but if he be faithful in his Work, God will bless him, and set a Character of Love and Favor upon him. What a Character of Love did the Lord set on Caleb and Joshua: Of all men in Scripture, it's said of Caleb, that he followed the Lord fully; and this Character God himself did set upon him, Numb. 15.24. But my Servant Caleb, because he had another spirit with him, and hath followed me fully, &c. But why did God own, and dignify Caleb thus? Even because he was faithful in that Work, Service, and Employment which God did call him to.
[Answ. 7] Yea, The Serviceable man, is the only man who doth live, and speak when he is dead; I mean for God: Some are very active and serviceable for the Devil; whilst they live, they write and print wanton filthy Books; and they speak while they are dead, but it is still for Satan. Others are very active and serviceable for God, while they live, they write and print works of Faith, and Holiness; and they also speak when they are dead: as it's said of Abel, Who being dead, yet speaketh; but how doth he speak now? The Apostle tells us, Heb. 11. by Faith, By which 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , It relates unto 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , Faith. Well, but what cast of Faith did he do? He offered a more excellent Sacrifice than his Elder Brother, which was the work and Service of his day: So that the Serviceable man, is the only man who doth speak when h • is dead. Surely therefore, it is a very great Priviledg, and Mercy, to be used, and employed for God in his Work and Service. Yet if God will not use me, why should I be discouraged, or complain? Is not God free? and may not he employ whom he pleaseth? Shall the poor Potsheard say unto him, why doest thou lay me by? What if God will cross hands, and lay his right hand on another's head, and his left hand on mine? Shall I think to direct and order the hands of God's Providence, as Joseph would have altered Jacob's? I • not his Work his own? and may not he put it out unto whom he please? and if I complain thereof, is not this my pride? Proud men scorn their own employment, and envy at others. It's a mercy indeed to be employed for God; yet if God will not trust me with his Service, as I desire, why should I be discouraged? Yet I may be God's Servant. For,
[ 1] First: The Service of God is twofold: Somtimes it is taken for some special Employment, which a man is called forth unto: And sometimes it is taken for our ordinary Obedience unto God's Commandments. In the first sense, it is used often in Numb. 4. and frequently in the Old Testament called, The Service of the Tabernacle of the Congregation. So in the New Testament also, Rom. 15.31. That my Service may be accepted. In the second sense, it is used, Rom. 12.1. Which is your reasonable Service: So also, Revel. 2.19. I know thy work, Charity, and Service. This latter Service, is the saving Service, that Service, whereby in special manner we are called God's Servants: and in that respect we may be serviceable to God, though not in the former.
[ 2] Secondly: As for the Service of special Employment, that is also various: Somtimes God doth cal a man to one kind of Service, sometimes to another. He hath several ways of employment; he employed Moses one way, in giving out the Law; and h • employed Ezra another way, in restoring of the Law: Both were employed, but their Employments were very different. In 1 Sam. 30. we read, that when David fought against the Amalek • tes, to recover his Wives, and substance, some of his men stayed and tarri • d by the Stuff, to preserve that; and saith David, verse 24. As his part is, that goeth down to the Battle; so shall his part be, that tarrieth by the Stuff, they shall part alike. Now it may be, you are one of those that stay by Christ's Stuff, being employed in some lower and meaner Service; Christ hath a care of you; and though you stay at home, yet you, even you shall have part in the Spoyl, as well as those whose work and employment is more honorable.
[ 3] Thirdly: Yea, though God do lay me by for the present, yet he may use me afterward: God did make use of Joseph, but he first laid him by; God did make use of Moses, but he first laid him by; God did make use of David, but did he not first lay him by? And if Barnabas, the Companion of Paul, were the same person with Barsabas (as some do verily believe (though the Syriac Translation is plainly against it) because the Name of bo • h was Joses, or Joseph, as appears by comparing Acts, 1.23. with Acts, 4.36. And because this Joses, was not called Barnabas from the beginning, but named Barnabas by the Apostles, Acts, 4.46.) If, I say, Barnabas were the same with Barsabas, then it appears plainly, that God doth not always lay a man by, to use him no more; for what abundance of service Barnabas did, the Book of the Acts doth declare; yet he was first laid by in the choice that was between him and Matthew, for the lot fell on Matthew; yet Barnabas is sent out afterwards by the Church, Acts, 11.22. and by God himself, Acts, 13.2. and much Service he did do for God: So that though God do lay me by for the present, yet he may use me afterwards.
[ 4] Fourthly: And if a man may be employed for God in some special Service, yet may go to Hell when all is done; and a man may not be employed, and yet go to Heaven afterward: then why should you be discouraged, because you are not so employed? Now what think ye of those which ye read of in Matth. 7. they say at the last day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy Name, cast out Devils in thy Name, and done many wonderful works in thy Name? Works, and great works, and many, and wonderful, they did, and all in the Name of Christ; yet he will say to them, Depart from me, for I never knew you; or I know you not. Yea, did not our Savior Christ say concerning Judas, I have chosen twelve, and one of you is a Devil? A Devil, yet an Apostle; what greater Work, Service, or Employment, than the Work of an Apostle? yet possibly a man may be an Apostle in regard of Employment, and a very Devil in regard of Life. On the other side, how many good and gracious men are there in the world, who were never used, or called forth unto any special Service, such as are now in Heaven, and shall be so unto all Eternity? What then, though you be not employed, or used as others are; yet surely you have no just cause or reason to be discouraged in this respect.
[ 5] Fifthly: And if it be the property of a good man to rejoice in the Service of others; then why should you be discouraged, because others are employed, and you not? A Godly man doth mourn for another's sin, as well as for his own, because he mourns for sin as sin, and as a dishonor unto God: So he rejoices in the Service of another, as well as in his own, becau e he rejoices in the work itself, and • ec • use God is honored. You would have God's Cart to be driven through your Gate, Why? is it not because you may have some Toll thereby? Paul said, However, Christ is preached, and therefore I rejoice; and if Christ's work be done, whose hands • oever the work comes through, why should you not rejoice? And if it be, our Duty to rejoice, then surely you have no Scripture ground and reason for your Discouragement in this regard.
[Object. 2] But I am not discouraged, because I do want Employment, or Service; I have more work lies upon my Shop-board, than I can turn my hand unto: but I have a great deal of work to do, and I have no skil to do it: O! I want Abilities, I want Sufficiencies, I do want Endowments; therefore I am thus discouraged, and have I not cause and reason now?
[Answ. 1] No: For God's greatest Works, are not always done by the greatest Parts, and most choice Abilities. G • deon did a great Work for God in his Generation, yet saith he, Judge. 6.15. O my Lord, wherewith shall I save Israel? behold my Family is poor in Manasseh, and I am least in my Fathers House: As if he should say, if this great work be done, it must be done by some strong and potent Family, or P • rson; but as for me, I am the least in my Fathers House, and my Fathers House is the least in Manasseh; yet saith the Lord to him, I will be with thee, and thou shalt smite Midian as one man. I have read in Scripture, that the People have been too many, and the means too strong for God to work by; but I never read that it was too small, or weak for God to work by: God saith, Who hath despised the day of small things? And if he will not have us to despise the day of his small things, surely he will not despise the day of our small things. Did not the weakness of the Apostles, overcome the strength of all the world? Who doth not see what weighty Buildings God hath sometimes laid upon our Laths? He is able to make as great a hole with his Needle, as with our Bodkin.
[Answ. 2] Our best Abilities for God's Work, are from the breathings of the Spirit of God. Water is weak in itself, but when the Wind blows upon it, how strong is it. So, if the Spirit of God breath upon us, we are strong, though in ourselves as weak as water: Not by might, nor by strength, but by the Spirit of the Lord, saith Zachariah. And if ye look upon that great Service of the re-building of the Temple, when they came out of Babylon, ye shall find, That so long as they went forth in the strength of outward Powers, the Command of Cyrus, and the like, they were much hindered, and the Enemies then caused the Work of the Lord to cease; but when the Lord stirred up the Spirit of Haggai, Zechariah, Zerubbabel, and others to build, then they went on, and prospered; Why? Because they went forth in the strength of the Spirit of the Lord; not in the strength of man's Command, or of their own Abilities.
[Answ. 3] Though the Work of the Lord, be carried on, not by Might, nor by Strength, but by the Spirit; yet this Spirit doth not always breath and work alike: Christ sent out his Disciples for to preach, to cast out Devils, and by the Spirit of the Lord, they did preach, and cast out the Devils; yet they had not then received so great a measure of t • e Spirit as afterwards, when he breathed on them, saying, Receive ye the Holy Ghost; yea, and though he did thus breath upon them when he left them, yet they did not then receive in so great a measure of the Spirit, as afterwards; for they were still to wait for the Promise, that is, the Spirit, Acts, 1. so that though God will carry on his own Work by his own Strength, and by his own Spirit, yet the assistance thereof, is not always alike; sometimes it is more, and sometimes it is less; even where it falls in truth and power.
[Answ. 4] But though the Spirit doth not always work alike, yet if God cal you to any Work or Service, you shall have so much assistance as is needful for you; only you must know, that Dabitur in hora, it shall be given in that hour, it shall not •• e cold and stale by you; but when you come to use it, then it shall be given out unto you, more or less, but sufficient. Before Moses came to his work, he complained of want of Abilities, his stammering Tongue, and want of El • quence, &c. but when he was warm at his work, and was engaged in it, then we read of no such Complaints: God's Call, is our Wal and Strength. Go in this thy might, saith God to Gideon; and what Might was that? the verse tells you, it was the might of his Call; for says the Lord in the next words, Have not I sent thee? Judges, 6.14. Our Might then, is in God's Call, not in our own Abilities; and a little warm assistance, is better than much cold and stale ability.
[Object. 3] But I fear the Lord hath not called me to this Work, but that I am an Intruder into the Work of the Lord, because I do want Abilities.
[Answ. 1] Nay: But if the Lord do sometimes cal a man first, and doth furnish him with Abilities afterward, then you have no reason to make such Conclusions. Now ye know how it was with Saul; God did first call him, and then he gave him another Spirit; he had not that other ruling Spirit, before he was called to rule, but after. So the Apostles were first called to their Office, and then Christ did furnish them with Abilities, Who hath made us able, or meet Ministers, not of the Letter, &c. When were they made meet, or able? what! before they were called! No, but afterwards. God's Call is not like to man's, man's Call doth always presuppose abilities, God's Call doth sometimes bring them.
[Answ. 2] And if God's Porters, whom he hath set to keep the door of Opportunity, do judge you able, then are you to rest in their Judgment; A large, and effectual door is opened, says Paul. God hath a door, wh • ch when he calls a man to work, he doth then open to him: this Door is kept by certain Porters, whom God hath appointed to keep the same, and if they judge, that you have abilities, then are you to rest, and acquiesce therein; for though I am to judge of mine own Grace, and not another; yet others are to judge of my Gifts and Abilities, and not myself. Some will judge o • their own Gifts, and of others Graces; this is evil, but in reference to work, and external Service, others are to judge of mine Abilities, and not myself; as I am to judge of mine internal Grace, and not another. Accordingly, Luther counseled Spalatinus, who having many sad thoughts of leaving his Ministry: This is, saith Luther to him, a Diabolical Temptation, and you know not now, why you are afflicted with it; we which are Spectators, know it better, therefore you ought rather to trust us, than yourself, who in the Lord, before the Lord, yea, the Lord by us, doth exhort you to go on in your Work, unto which he hath called you. So say I now to you, you doubt of your Call, because you do want abilities; but do those Porters judge you able, who are set to judge? then are you in this case, rather to rest in their Judgment, than in your own. Now God's Porters have judged you meet for his Work, and have opened the door of Opportunity to you; and therefore you have no reason to be thus discouraged in this respect; only remember this, That the weaker your Legs are, the faster you must hold on the hand of free Grace.
[Object. 4] O! but I fear that I am not called to this Work, but that I am an Intruder, because I meet with so many difficulties in my way.
[Answ. 1] Do you meet with Difficulties in your way? What virtue, or virtuous Action is there, but hath some stone upon it? Nulla Virtus sine lapide; there is no virtue, but hath some stone or other that is rolled upon it: As Christ himself had a stone rolled on him, so every Work of Christ, and Truth of Christ, and way of Christ, hath one stone or other that is rolled upon it. Yet ye must know, that there is a Pearl lying under that Stone, and the heavier the stone is, the more precious is the Pearl; the harder the Nut, and Shell is to crack, the sweeter is the Kernel; and in due time Christ will send his Angel to roll away the stone from your Work, and his Service, and that before you are aware: When the Women said (as being at a stand, and not knowing what to do) Who shall roll away the stone? Then did the Angel come, and rolled it away for them, before they were aware of it. Peter had the Brazen Gates opened for him, when he came to them; they did not stand open before, but when he came at them, then did they open to him: And if you go on in your way, and work which God doth lead you to, the Brazen Gates which are now shut against you, shall then open to you; if, I say, you go on in your work in way of Faith, as following the Conduct of the Lord.
[Answ. 2] And if God's clearest Call to a work, have always been followed with the greatest difficulties, then have you no reason to question your Call in regard of Difficulties. Now I pray tell me, when Moses went to bring the Children of Israel out of Egypt, had not he a clear Call for that? yet what abundance of difficulties did he meet with in his way to • t? And when the Jews came out of Babylon, did they not meet with many Difficulties? Some at their coming out? some in their way? some at the building of the Temple? yet had they not a Call, and a clear Call thereunto? Without all doubt they had Surely then, you m • y have a Call, and a clear Call to your Work and Service, yet you may meet with many difficul • ies in your way, and therefore have no reason to be discouraged in this respect.
[Object. 5] But I am not troubled, afflicted, or discouraged in regard of my Call; for I am persuaded that God hath called me to his work and Service: But I am most unserviceable, I do not do that work and Service which I am called unto; I lie like a dry log, or chip, in the family and place where I live: O! I am most unserviceable, and therefore I am thus discouraged.
[Answ.] That's ill indeed; for every good, and gracious man, is a serviceable man, more or less, he is serviceable in his Place and Condition: Onesimus before converted, was unprofitable; but being converted, now profitable, says the Apostle. A good man in Scripture, is compared to those things that are most profitable: Is the wicked compared to the green Bay-tree, which doth bring forth no Fruit? the g • dly is compared to the Olive Tree, which is all profitable, the Fruit profitable, the Leaves, Bark, and the Tree profitable: Is a wicked man compared to the Goat? a good man is compared to the Sheep, and what is in a Sheep not profitable? its Flesh is profitable, its Wool profitable, its Skin is profitable, yea, its very dung is profitable: and such a Sheep was Paul, nothing in Paul not profitable and serviceable: will ye instance in his Jewish and Natural Privileges? he makes use of them, Phil. 3. to advance the righteousness and knowledge of Christ, yea, All these (says he) I count as dung and dross in regard of Christ. Will ye instance in his Conversion to Christ? he doth make use of that to convert others, and to establish others, by frequent telling the story of it to others. Will ye instance in his Parts, Gifts, and Learning? he makes use of his Hebrew sometimes, sometimes of his knowledge in the Heathen Poets, sometimes of his knowledge in the Roman Customs. Will ye instance in his friendship, acquaintance, and interest in men? th • t he makes use of wi • h Philemon, from Christ, in the case of Onesimus. Will ye instance in his Afflictions? he doth make use of them to persuade his People to their Duty; I Paul, a Prisoner of Christ, do beseech you, &c. Will ye instance in his Temptations? he doth make use of them, and tells the Corinthians, how he was buffered by Satan. Will ye instance in his Sins? he doth improve them also for the Advancement of God's Grace, I was a Blasphemer, &c. saith he, but I obtained mercy. Thus ye see there was nothing in Paul not profitable, he was all over serviceable, and profitable; and if ye be one of these Sheep, you will be serviceable and profitable in your Place and Condition, more or less. I remember the Speech of a Martyr when he came to die, and to be burnt for Christ, O! said he, Thus long have I grown in the Orchard of Christ, and have born some Fruit, though not much, yet some; and now that I grow old, and dry, and can bear Fruit no longer, shall I be taken and thrown into the Chimney to make a fire for the warming of others: what a great mercy and blessing is this? Ye know what Solomon saith, Whatever thou findest in thine hand to do, do it with all thy might: and what Jeremiah sai • h, Cursed is he that doth the Work of the Lord negligently. Art thou therefore, unprofitable, unserviceable? then have you cause to be humbled. Yet even in this respect, you are not to be cast down, or discouraged. For, Either you are unserviceable, because you want abil ••• es, or because ye want will, and heart thereunto: If you say yo •• • t Abilities, I have spoken to that already: If you say you are unwilling, and do want heart thereunto, then why do you thus complain? He that complains of his own unserviceableness, is no • unwilling to serve the Lord: But you complain, and say, O! I am most unserviceable, therefore you are willing, and have an heart to serve; and if you can speak in truth with Samuel, and say, Speak Lord, for thy Servant is ready to obey, then you are not unwilling to serve the Lord. Now cannot you say thus in truth? Yes, through Grace, I am able to say, Speak Lord, for thy Servant is ready to obey. Surely then you are not unwilling, this your unserviceableness doth not arise only from your unwillingness, and want of heart; and therefore you have no just reason to be discouraged in this respect.
[Object. 6] But this is not the matter which doth pinch with me; for according to my poor Abilities, I have labored, and have been truly willing to serve the Lord in my Generation; but I labor, work, and take pains, and all in vain; I labor, and have no success in my labor; I work, and have no success in work; I serve, and have no success in my Service; and therefore I am thus discouraged, have I not cause and reason now?
[Answ. 1] No: For possibly you may be mistaken in the matter of success, you may have good and great success, and not know thereof. There is a time when the Seed doth lie dead under the clods; and saith our Savior, Unless the Seed dies, it abides alone. Should the Husbandman complain in this time, that he hath no success in his sowing? If the Devil do oppose by the World without, and assault you with Temptations within, it argues that there is good success, though you know it not. Now, donit the World oppose you? and donit the Devil assault you with Temptations, discouraging you for want of success? Yes that he doth; then there is some good success, though for the present it be hidden from your Eyes. This is a certain sign, said Luther to Spalatinus, That your Work is neither ungrateful to God, nor unprofitable to the Church, in that you are troubled with these Temptations; for if it were unpleasing to God, you would rather long after it, as they do that run before they be sent. Whereas Satan, when he finds such as are truly sent by God, and pleasing to him, he makes them a weary of their work, by these, and the like Temptations.
[Answ. 2] And if God's own dearest Children have sometimes labored, or toiled all their night, or day, and have caught nothing, then no new thing doth befall you, in case you want success. Now ye know, and have read how it was with Noah, an hundred and twenty years he preached to the old World, and not one soul was saved, but his ow •• • ily, eight persons in the Ark. Did not Jeremiah also toil in his day and night? and what did he catch? Read what he says, Jer. 6.29. The Bellows are burnt, the Lead is consumed of the fire the Founder melteth in vain; for the wicked are not plucked away▪ Reprobate Silver shall men call them. Yea, doth not Christ himself say, Isaiah. 49. I have labored in vain, I have spent my strength for naught? And do you think to fare better in this case than Noah, Jeremiah, Christ himself? I confess the want of success in our work, is a great Temptation, even one of the greatest Temptations; yet if God will have me lay out my strength in vain, why should I be discouraged? The good Physician doth not lose his Fee, though the Patient die, nor shall you lose your Reward▪ though ye have no success.
[Object. 7] Yet this is not the thing which doth trouble me; for I acknowledge that I have been entrusted with many Services, and God hath called me to them; I have been willing thereunto, and have had some good success, but when I look into the Scripture, I find that some have been employed in way of Judgment, as Nebuchadnezzar; others in way of Mercy, as Nehemiah, &c. Some again have been employed in way of mercy to others, as Cyrus, and Judas, but not in Love and Mercy to themselves: Others have been employed in way of Mercy to themselves, and others too, as Paul, and Peter, &c. Now I fear, that either I have been employed in away of Judgment, or that I have not been employed in a way of Love and Mercy to myself, but for others; and therefore I am thus discouraged and cast down, have I not just cause and reason now?
[Answ.] No: For if God have employed you, and trusted you in his Service, in a way of Love and mercy to yourself, as well as to others, then you have no reason to be discouraged in this respect. Now, when doth God employ a man in a way of Love and Mercy to himself, as well as for others good?
[ 1] When a man's heart is thereby drawn out with Love to God: That which ends in Love, comes from Love; that which ends in your Love to God, came from God's Love to you. So in outward Blessings; if they end in your Love to God, then they came from God's Love to you; So in the matter of Afflictions, if I do love God the more by them, then did they come from God's Love to me. So also in the matter of Employments; if you do love God by them, and they do end in your love to God, then they came from God's Love to you.
[ 2] When God doth employ a man in his Service, in a way of Love and Mercy to him, then he doth more or less acquaint him with his design therein; and if God do acquaint me with his design in his Work, then he doth employ me in a way of Love to me. He employed the Assyrian as a Rod in his hand, to scourge the People of Israel; but they knew not God's Design, they went on upon their own design: therefore saith the Prophet Isaiah, in the Name of the Lord, Cap. 10.6. I will send him against an Hypocritical Nation, howbeit he meaneth not so; neither doth his heart think so: But it is in his heart to destroy Nations, not a few. The Lord employed Peter to open a door to the Gentiles in the Conversion of Cornelius, and though he knew not God's design at the first, yet he did fully know it afterwards; for says he, and the rest, Now hath God also to the Gentiles, granted Repentance unto Life.
[ 3] When a man is employed in a way of special Love to his own soul, he hath high thoughts of his Employment, but low thoughts of his own actings under it; therefore said John the Baptist, I indeed baptize you with Water; but there is one comes after me, he shall baptize with the Holy Ghost, and with fire, whose shoo-latchet I am unworthy to unloose. But though the Employment of Corah, Dathan, and Abiram, was good and honorable, yet they had low thoughts thereof, and high thoughts of their own actings, Numb. 16.3. for said they to Moses, and Aaron, Ye take too much upon you, seeing all the Congregation are holy: as if they should say, we are as good as you: Why so? even because they were not employed in Mercy to their own souls, but for others good.
[ 4] He that is employed, and used in a way of Love and Mercy, is very tender of the Name of God, and doth so act and work as the Name of God may not suffer, or be defiled by him. Thus it was with Ezra, though the Enemy lay in his way to Judea, yet he would not ask a Convoy of the King; for says he, I was ashamed to require of the King a Band of Soldiers, and Hors-men, to help us against the Enemy in the way, because we had spoken to the King, saying, the hand of our God is upon all them for good that seek him, and his wrath is against all them that forsake him. Now Ezra was a good man, a man that God did call forth to this Employment, not only out of Love to others, but to himself; and thus did he act for God, being more careful of God's Name in the work, than of their own safety.
[ 5] When a man is employed in a way of Love and mercy to his own soul also, then he doth grow in Grace whilst he is ex • rcising of his Gift. A man that exerciseth a Gift for the good of others only, grows in Parts, and in Pride also: But a good man grows in Experience, and so he doth grow in Faith; he meets with difficulties, and deliverances, so he doth grow in Faith; God discovers himself to him in the way, so he still grows in Faith, Love, and Holiness: God gives him a Promise when he sends him forth (as he did give • o Joshua, Chap. 1.) this he looks much upon, and goes forth in the strength of, and so as he uses his Gift in his work, he doth grow in g • ace thereby; but the other doth not.
[ 6] He makes no great ou • ward bargain of God's Service, neither doth he labor to pocket up much for himself. God employed Moses in a great Work, but where do you read of any great Estate that he got for himself? We read of Joshua, That when he had brought the Children of Israel into Canaan, and divided the Land by Lot to them, then when he had served others, in the last place he did serve himself, and that in no great matter. What did Nehemiah get by his Service? not as the former Governors did, Why? Because he feared the Lord. So then, if a man be employed in way of Love and Mercy to himself, he doth not make his Employment a shooing-horn to his own Preferment: 'It is enough for me, my Masters work is done, saith he; neither doth God use to pay them all their wages here, whom he employs in mercy to themselves. But as the Merchant, if he have to deal with a stranger for a less Commodity, he pays him down presently; but if with a friend for some great priced Commodity, he takes time, and doth not pay down his money presently. So, if God have to do with a stranger, as Nebuchadnezzar, he will pay him wages presently; but if God deals with a friend, whom he employs in mercy to himself, then he doth put off his full payment til afterwards.
[ 7] He doth God's work without any great noise or notice of himself, like Christ; He lifts not up his voice in the street: and as the Angels in Ezek. 1. His hands are under his wings; he hath four hands to work with, but they are not seen, they are under his wings: Let your Light so shine before men (says Christ) that they may see your good works, not yourselves, and glorify your Father, not yourselves. As it is with the Fisher, so with him; he shows the bait, but hides himself; he holds forth the word of Truth, but not himself; though he have four hands to work with, yet they are all under his wings, hidden; but says Jehu, Come and see my zeal for the Lord of Hosts. This is another difference.
[ 8] If God do use and Employ a man in a way of Love and Mercy to himself, he is willing to be used, and contented to be laid by, and to 〈…〉 more. Another man is not so, if he have been used 〈…〉 • ng, he thinks he must be used in other things, and 〈…〉 cannot b • ar it that God should lay him by, and use ano •• . Thus i • was with S • ul, he could not be conte •• 〈…〉 should use David. But when God told Eli, that he 〈…〉 , and his House by, he answered, Good is the Word of 〈◊〉 Lord; for he was a good man, and one whom God had • sed 〈◊〉 Love and Mercy to him • elf, and so when God had done wi • h him, he was con • ent there •• th.
[ 9] He th • t is • red and e • ployed in way of Love and Mercy to himself, will do the Work o • the Lo • dfully, though he do his own works by halfs. Caleb did his own work by half • , and the Work of God • ully; for he was used in Mercy to himself and others. Jehu did the Work of the Lord by halfs, and his own work fully; for though he was u • ed in Mercy to some, and Judgment to others, yet not in Love to himself.
[ 10] When God doth use a man in a way of Judgment, he hath ordinarily more skil at pulling down, and destroying what is man's, than in setting up, and building what is God's. But when God doth use him in a way of Love and Mercy to his own soul, he hath a dexterity in, and a heart to the setting up of what is God's; witness Jehu on the one hand, and Nehemiah on the oth • r hand. How is it therefore with thee? Hast thou a skil at pulling down what is man's, and no skil, nor heart, to set up what is God's? Hast thou been employed, and used in God's Service, and have you done your own work fully, and God's work by halfs? Art thou not contented to be laid by, and that God should use another? Doest thou make a noise in the work, and thy hands not under thy wings? Hast thou made a goodly outward Bargain of the Lord's Work? and his Service as a shooing-horn to thine own ends? Hast thou not grown in Experience, Faith, and Holiness by this work? but in Pride rather? Hast thou not been very tender of the Name of God in thy Service? nor been acquainted with God's Design? nor thine heart drawn out the more to love the Lord? Then surely God hath not used or employed thee in Love and Mercy to thine own soul: But if thine heart have been drawn out with Love to God by thy very Service, and Employments, and thou hast been in some measure acquainted with God's Design in that Service, and hast been very tender of the Name of God, and more willing to hazard thyself, than to defile his Name, and hast grown in Grace by the exercise of thy Gifts, and hast made no Bargain of the Lord's Service, but hast had thy hands under thy wings, and hast not done God's Work by halfs, and now after all, art contented that God shall lay thee by, and make use of others; then surely the Lord hath used and employed thee in a way of Love and Mercy to thine own Soul; and therefore why shouldest thou be discouraged in this respect? Certainly you have no just cause, or true reason for it.
[Quest.] But suppose that the Lord either shall not use me in his Service, or if he do, that difficulties and oppositions press in upon me, or that I meet with no success in my work according to my desire, what shall I do, that I may be able to bear up my heart against all discouragements in this kind?
[Answ. 1] First: In case, that God do not cal you forth to any work, or special Employment; Then,
[ 1] Consider that you have now the more time to mind your own soul, and to attend to your own Condition. Some are so employed, that they have not time enough to pray, read, meditate, examine their own hearts, and to look into their own Condition: yea, though a man's work do lie in the Ministry, 'tis possible that he may so mind his public work, as to neglect his private. But now, if thou hast no public Employment or Service, then you have the more time for to spend upon your own soul, the more time to converse with the Lord in private, and to look into your own Condition.
[ 2] And if you be not called forth to work, and yet are willing to work, you shall be paid for that work and service which you never did: As some men shall be punished for those sins which they did never commit in the gross act, because they were willing, and had a desire to commit the same: so some shall be paid for that work and service for God, which they never did perform, because they were willing to have done the same. Now, is it not a great mercy to be paid for that work which I never did? Such is the Priviledg of all those that are not called to Service, and yet are willing to it.
[Answ. 2] Secondly: In case, That you are employed in God's Work and Service, and difficulties press in upon you; Then,
[ 1] Consider, That the greater the Difficultie is, the greater shall your Obedience be in carrying on the Work; and the more you do follow after Duty, and redeem it from the hand of Difficulty, the greater shall your Comfort and reward be, when all is done.
[ 2] And the more that any Service, Work, or Duty, is oppressed with difficulty, the more assistance may you expect from God; his assistance, help, and income, is given out much, according to the difficulties which we do meet withal. If the difficulties be small, then his assistance is less; if the difficulties be great, then is his assistance greater. Now what matter what the difficulties are, so long as my assistance is suitable? This is God's way with his, he doth proportion his assistance unto our impediments: and therefore if your difficulties be great, and more than ordinary, then may you look for great, and more than ordinary assistance: O! what a Comfort is this!
[Answ. 3] Thirdly: In case that you work, and serve, and toil, and do take nothing, having no success, or not so comfortable as you desire; Then,
[ 1] Consider this, That the less success you have, the more are you free from envy: It's an hard thing for a man that works not, not to envy him that works; and for him that hath no success, not to envy him that hath great success: of all men in the world, the successful man is the most envied. The Heathens had this Notion amongst them, which they applied to their gods; and therefore when Polycrates, King, or rather Tyrant of Samos, prospered so abundantly in all that he undertook, Amasis the King of Egypt, his Friend, and Confederate, wrote thus to him: That thou doest well, and prosper, is no small joy to me; but I must tell thee plainly, That these great, and overflowing Successes, do not please me, who know full well the Nature of the gods, how envious they are: 'It is my wish concerning myself, and the like I wish for all my Friends; sometimes to prosper, and sometimes to miscarry; and in this Vicissitude rather to pass my life, than without any alteration to prosper; for I never yet could hear of any who having thus prospered long, did not at the last, end in universal destruction. Which he imputed to the envy of their gods; for their gods were Devils; and indeed, what is the Reason that the successful men in any kind are the most envied by the world; but because the Devil (who is the envious one) doth provoke thereunto. Yet always so it is, That success doth raise envy: Hast thou therefore been at work, and hast had no success, then shall you be the more free from envy.
[ 2] Hereby also you are kept from that great Tentation of resting on your own Labors: As we are very apt to rest on our Duties, Sufferings, and Enjoyments; so we are very apt to rest on our own Labors and Employments. That we may not rest on our Duties, God doth sometimes suspend our Duty, or our heart in it: that we may not rest on our Spiritual Enjoyment, God doth sometimes suspend that also. So here. What is the reason that God doth put the Sentence of Death upon our Employments, or doth suspend their success, but that we may be kept from resting on our Labors? Were our Labors more successful, we should rest more upon them, but by want of success we are weaned from them. This is Comfort even in the want of Comfort.
But in this case, Why should not that comfort and support us, which did comfort and support Christ himself? Isaiah. 49.2. ye read of his Call to his Work; The Lord hath called me from the Womb, from the bowels of my Mother he hath meant • on of my Name: Here's his clear Call to work, ver. 2. ye have his Divine assistance, And he hath made my mouth like a sharp Sword, in the shadow of his hand hath he hid me, and made me a polished shaft in his quiver. Then verse 4. ye have his want of success expressed in many words: Then said I, I have labored in vain: Is that all? No: I have spent my strength for naught: But is that all? No: And in vain, again. Then at verse 6. God the Father comforts him ag • inst this di • couragement; And he said, It is a light thing that 〈◊〉 shouldst be my Se • vant to raise up the Tribes of Jacob: I have given thee for a light to the Gentiles. Though thou hast li • tle success in this work amongst the Jews, thou shalt have great success in a greater. But wherein doth Christ comfort himself in this case of no success in his work amongst the Jews? That ye have in verse 4. Surely my Judgment is with the Lord, and my work with my God. Whatever Judgment men do make, it matters not much, for my Judgment is with the Lord, and my Work with my God. I have done the work which God gave me to do, and therein I have approved myself unto God; and therefore though I have labored in vain, and spent my strength for naught, yet I have Comfort in my work, for my Judgment is with the Lord, and my Work with my God; I have not lost my Labor, for my Work is with God. And thus may you also comfort yourself in the want of success; true, I have labored in vain as to others, but not in vain to myself; I have lost my labor as to others, but not as to my God; for my reward is with God, and though I have spent my strength for naught in regard of men, yet my work is with my God; and in all this work I have approved myself unto him; and therefore whatever the success be, yet will not I be discouraged▪ for my Judgment is with the Lord, and my work with my God.
And thus I have done with this Eighth Instance, whereby it doth appear that a good man hath no reason, or cause to be discouraged in regard of his Work, or Service, however it may fare with him therein.
A LIFTING UP In case of Discouragements DRAWN From the Condition itself.
Sermon XII.
[Instance 9] SOmetimes the Discouragements of God's People are drawn, from their Condition, the Condition itself.
O! saith one, My Condition is exceeding sad, both for Soul, and Body; there is no Condition that is like to mine: my Affliction, and my Condition, are twisted, and woven in together; my Affliction, Misery, and my Calamity, are seated in my very Condition: they do not only grow upon my Condition, but are in the Condition itself, and therefore I am thus discouraged; have I not cause, and reason for it?
[Answ. 1] No: I will grant, and must confess, it's possible that a Godly man's condition in regard of outwards, may be very bad, Cum been sit malis, et male bonis; when it goes well with those that are bad, and ill with those that are good, I am strongly solicited to believe there is no God, said the Heathen: but we have learned better Divinity than this. A man's Condition may be very bad, and yet the man himself may be very good, and God may be good to him. Yea,
[Answ. 2] It's possible that a godly man's Condition in regard of the world, may be worser than the Condition of a wicked man; for what else is the meaning of the Parable of Dives, and Lazarus? Jacob was driven out of his Fathers house, and lodged in the open fields in the night, whilst wicked Esau, profane Esau, staid at home, and lay in his warm bed: ye do not read that ever Esau did serve so hard a Service in Laban's house, as Jacob did, nor are ye able to parallel Esau 's misery with Jacob 's; yet saith the Lord, Jacob have I loved, and Esau have I hated. So that it is possible for a good and godly man's Condition, in regard of the world, to be worser than the condition of the wicked. Yea,
[Answ. 3] It is possible that a godly man's Condition, may be worser in regard of outwards, after his Conversion, worser I say, than before his Conversion. Grace is fain, sometimes, to wear Sins Cloaths; and a gracious man, sometimes, doth wear the punishment of that sin, which he committed before his Conversion. What think you of Paul? do you read that ever Paul before his Conversion was put into the stocks? that he was whipped up and down the streets like a Rogue? that he was imprisoned? that he was stoned by his Country-men? But after his Conversion, he was so used. In the beginning of that 19. Chapter of the Acts, he breatheth out threatenings against the Saints, and goes out to kill the People of God; but no sooner is Paul converted, but the Jews sought to kill him: So that I say, poss • bly a gracious man's Condition, in regard of outwards may be worser, at least for a time, than it was before he was converted, and drawn to God.
But now, Take a godly man's Condition, and though it be never so sad, yet there is no reason why he should be discouraged, or cast down because of his Condition, in itself considered. For,
[ 1] By way of Demonstration. First: If his Condition be carved out unto him by the hand of his Father, who is of infinite wisdom, and love; then he hath no reason to complain, or to be disquieted. Now look into Psal. 16. see what David saith of Christ, and Christ of the Saints, at verse 6. My lines are fallen unto me in a pleasant place; yea, I have a fair Heritage, or a goodly Heritage; Why? (verse 5.) The Lord is the portion of mine inheritance, and of my cup. Three Things are most considerable here. First, These words are plainly spoken of our Lord and Savior Christ, and of his great Sufferings, as appears by verse 10. For thou wilt not leave my soul in Hell, neither wilt thou suffer thine holy One to see Corruption. Men, and Brethren (saith the Apostle in Acts, 2.29.) Let me speak unto you of the Patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his Sepulcher is with us unto this day; therefore being a Prophet, and God had sworn unto him, that of the fruit of his Loins according to the Flesh, he would raise up Christ to sit on his Throne; he seeing this before, spake of the resurrection of Christ. At verse 27. of the 2d chapter, ye have the same words that you have here in Psal. 16. Thou wilt not leave my soul in Hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption. So that plainly, the words of the Psalm are spoken of Christ, and of his great Sufferings. But now in the Second place; Though his Sufferings were very great and many, yet saith he, My lines are fallen unto me in a pleasant place, and I have a goodly Heritage; But why so? The Reason is (in the Third place) in verse 5. The Lord is the portion of my Inheritance, and of my Cup; the Lord, my Father, saith he, hath drawn out my lines for me, he hath measured out my condition, and the Lord himself is my portion, and the portion of mine Inheritance. Thus now, may every godly man say; My lines are fallen unto me in a pleasant place, yea, I have a goodly Heritage; Why? for the Lord is the Portion of mine Inheritance, and of my Cup; Surely, therefore he hath no reason to be discouraged, whatever his Condition be. Again,
[ 2] Secondly: If a man do not live upon his Condition itself, but upon his call into his Condition; then he hath no reason to be discouraged in regard of his Condition itself. Now as our Lord and Savior Christ said, Man lives not by Bread, but by every Word of God; so say I, Man lives not upon his Condition, but upon God's Call into his Condition; and if God cal a man into a Condition, he will maintain him in it: therefore you find those two go together, in Psal. 16. Thou maintainest my Lot; at the latter end of verse 5. And my lines are fallen to me in a pleasant place. And thus it was with the Children of Israel, when they went through the red Sea; it is said, The Waters stood like a wall on each side of them: ye never read before, of a wall of water, and yet then the waters were as a wall unto them; a strange kind of Wall made of Waters; but saith the Text, The Waters were as a Wall, stood as a Wall on each side of them. Beloved, God's Call, is our Wall; which will bear off, and bear up ones heart under troubles, and discouragements. O! • aith a gracious soul, what abundance of opposition do I meet withal in my Condition; but yet the Lord hath called me into this Condition, and therefore I am quiet, I am contented, I am satisfied; I confess I did not think to have met with so much Affliction in my Condition as now I do; but God hath called me into it, and therefore I have Comfort. Thus it is with all the Saints, they are led by God's Call into their Condition, and they can show their Patent, they can say, here is my Call. Now, if a man do not live upon the Condition itself, but upon God's Call into his Condition; and God doth cal his People into whatsoever condition they are; then they have no reason to be discouraged by reason of their Condition. Again,
[ 3] Thirdly: If there be no Condition that a godly man can fall into, but there is some mercy that is mixed with it, and Jesus Christ hath paid for that too; then a man hath no reason to be discouraged, whatever his condition be. Now you know what Solomon saith; Shall a living man complain? is not a living Dog, better than a dead Lyon? Some Mercy still that is mixed with Misery, and Jesus Christ hath paid the Reckoning; godly men have nothing to pay, not anything to pay. Suppose you were invited to a great Feast, and some of the Dishes were not so well dressed or cooked up, as you desire; would you find fault? would you complain? No; Why? Because this feast doth cost me nothing: the Master of the Feast may find fault, but I am a Guest, and it cost me nothing, and therefore I have no reason to complain. Beloved, the Lord Jesus Christ, is the great Master of the Feast, and of all the Comforts which you have, and he hath paid all your reckoning, there is nothing for you to pay; and if you bring in your Prayers, your Tears, your Obedience, as matter of Payment, they will not be taken; • o, saith Christ, I have paid all myself, witness these empty Purses, these empty Veins of mine; as for you, O my Friends, ye are welcome, but you have nothing to pay, not a penny, not a fa • thing. I say, there is no condition that a godly man can fall into, but there is some mercy that is mixed withal, and Christ hath paid the reckoning for the mercy too; surely then, the People or God have no reason to be discouraged by reason of their condition.
[Object. 1] But (will some say) I am in a poor, low, mean, base, and despised condition, and therefore I am thus disquieted; as for those that are in a prosperous estate and condition, they may well bear up their heads, and be of good comfort: Rich men indeed, and those that are in a prosperous condition, have many opportunities of serving God, publicly, and privately, which a poor man hath not; they have time to frequent the Ordinances in the week, to converse much with God in private, whilst the poor man is fain to be at work for his living, and glad he can get his living too; there is no man knows the misery of a poor condition, but those that are in it: and such is my condition and, therefore I am thus discouraged; have I not cause and reason for it?
[Answ.] No: for whosoever you are that speak, or think thus; Do you know what the burden of Prosperity is? You see a Town sometimes upon the side of a Hill, and you say, what a fine Town is there, what pleasant Meadows are about it, what excellent Woods, what clean Waies unto it: Thus you speak at a distance: But when you draw near unto this Town, and go through some of the Lanes, you find them very dirty, and then you say, I did not think at a distance, that there had been such a dirty Lane about this Town; I saw nothing but fine, and clean Meadows when I was at a distance, I did not think there had been such dirty passages to it. So, when you look upon Prosperity at a distance, you think there is no dirty Lanes, no foul Passages to it, and from it; but when you come near unto it, then you find many a dirty passage, and you say, O! what dirty sloughs are here? The Truth is, the more Prosperous (I speak now of outward Prosperity) a man's Condition is, the more opportunities he hath, of doing, and receiving good. But if you look into Numbers, 4. you shall find, That every opportunity of Service carries a burden with it; and therefore the Service of the Levites, is often, and in many verses of the Chapter, called a burden: I will name but one, which is the last; According to the Commandment of the Lord, they were numbered by the hand of Moses, everyone according to his Service, and according to his Burden: Service, and Burden, do here go together; Burden, and Service; Service, and Burden. And now poor soul, is it a burden to you, that you are freed from a burden? hath not our Lord and Savior Christ said, and do you not find it in Experience, That the poor receive the Gospel? is not a living Sprig of a Tree, better than a dead Arm? The poor Hen (you know) so long as she lives, is upon the Dunghil, and there she is scraping, and picking up her living; but when she is dead, then she is brought unto the Masters Table. The Hawk on the contrary, while he is living, is carried upon the Fist, and upon the Arm, and hath good flesh, and provision made for him, and a house to sit in; but when the Hawk dieth, then he is thrown out unto the Dunghil. So in this case; so long as a poor, godly man is living here, it may be he is upon the Dunghil, and picking up his living, a little, and a little; but when he dieth, then he is brought into his Masters presence. But the rich, ungodly man, when he dieth (though while he lived, he had great provision) yet then he is thrown out unto the Dunghil, and comes no more into his Masters Presence. O! you that are godly, though in a low condition, would you then change your condition with the wicked? The lower your Condition is, the higher is your Obedience; if you submit unto the work of your Condition, this is Angelical Obedience: for the Angels, though in order of Nature, they are above Men, yet at the Command of God, they are ministering Spirits unto Men, attend, and look to Men, that are much below them in Nature: and the lower the work is, that they do in tending Men, the higher is their Obedience to God. So say I; The lower the work of your Condition is, the higher, and more Angelical, is your Obedience in submitting unto your Cond • tion, and to the work thereof. Luther said; A poor woman knitting of a pair of stockens in a way of Faith, doth a greater work, than Alexander did in conquering the World. It was the Speech of a good man that is now in Heaven; The more Riches, the more Debts: for if a man be not in Christ, all his present Riches will be future Debts; he will wish, O! that I had had less of them, O! that I had had never a penny. And I pray tell me, who have most Promises in Scripture? the Poor, or the Rich? the Oppressed, or the Oppressor? the High, or the Low? He that is most exercised, hath the most Promises; and a low Condition, is an excellent Commentary upon those Promises. When the Sun shines, ye see not the Stars; but in the night, the Stars appear. So, whilst Prosperity shines upon us, we do not see the Promises; but when the night comes, Adversity comes, a dark and low Condition comes, then we see those Promises which we saw not before. But suppose that a Father hath two Children, and to one he gives a brave Garment, saying unto him; Child, take, and wear this Garment; but there is all thy Portion, I shall give thee no more. The other he gives a mean Garment to; but saith he, Child, be contented, it is nor thy Portion; thy Brothers Garment is his Portion; but though thy Garment be mean, it is not thy Portion, I have a good Inheritance for thee: Will not this latter Child be contented? will he be discouraged think you, because he hath not so brave a Garment as the other hath? Why, take a wicked man, and though he have a braver Garment, yet it is all his Portion, his Portion is in this Life, there is all thou shalt have, saith God, there is thy Portion. But now, as for a godly man, though he have a mean Garment, yet it is not his portion. O! you that are godly, will you then be discouraged, because you have not so brave, and fine a Garment as another hath? Consider, that the Lord himself is your Portion.
[Object. 2] O! but I praise the Lord, I am not in a poor, and low, and base Condition, my Condition is full enough; but I am in an unsettled Condition, I am never settled in my Condition, sometimes in one Condition, and sometimes in another; could I be but set led, though I had the lesser, I should be contented; but my Condition is never settled, and therefore I am thus disquieted, and discouraged, have I not some reason now?
[Answ. 1] No: For I pray, what settlement would yon have here in this world? The best Estate of men, is altogether vanity; Is there any settlement in vanity? Verily (saith the Psalmist) the best estate of every man, (or, every man in his best estate) is altogether vanity; so you read it: But in the Hebrew it is, Every man standing, Omnis homo stance, as Montanus gives it, every man in his most settled Estate, so the word signifies; Verily every man in his most settled estate, is altogether vanity.
[Answ. 2] But suppose that your Condition be more unsettled than any others; if God hath no design but Love upon you in your unsettlement, then surely you have no reason to be disquieted because of this. Now I pray, why doth the Lord suffer the Condition of his People to be so unsettled in the world, but that they may settle upon himself? O! saith a gracious heart, I see there is no abiding place here, therefore I look for one that is to come, that hath a Foundation: had I been settled in the world, I should never have been fixed upon God himself; but being unsettled in the world, I learn to settle upon God himself: God doth therefore carry his Children from Vessel to Vessel, from Condition to Condition, that their filthy scent may not remain. Beloved, there is no condition here below, that is able to grasp, or hold the Love of God to his Children; every Condition is too narrow a Vessel to hold the Love of God in, and therefore God doth lead his People into several Conditions, that so he may have the suller vent for his Love: So long as you are in one Condition, you do not see, or observe your own self, and carriage therein, and therefore God leads you into a new Condition, that you may see what you did in your former Condition. For Example: When a man is in health, he doth not then observe his own carriage in the days of Health; therefore God leads him into sickness, and when he is sick, then he doth observe what his carriage was while he was in health; then saith he, how wanton was I, how worldly was I, how vain was I, when I was in health: But when a man is sick, then he doth not observe his carriage in that Condition; therefore God's leads him into health again, and when he is in health, then he seeth what his carriage was while he was sick; and then saith he, how froward was I, how impatient was I when I was sick. I say, a man doth not observe the present carriage of his soul in his present condition, and therefore God leads him into a new Condition, and then he sees what his carriage was in the old condition. Philosophy tells us, That if a sensible Object be laid close to the Organ of Sence, there will be no sensation; as if a Book be held close unto your eye, you will not be able to read a letter; but hold it at a convenient distance, and then you may read it all. So here; so long as a man is in a condition, and that is held close unto him, he doth not see his own carriage therein, but at a distance he doth; wherefore the Lord doth remove him to some distance from his former condition, and so he sees, and observeth what he was, and did therein. It is an easy thing for a man to sing when the Psalm is set, a Child can do it; but it requires some skil to begin, it requires some singing skil to turn readily from one tune to another; but when the Psalm is begun, everyone can go on then. A poor weak Horse can go on in the Road, so long as he keeps the same way; but when he comes to turn out of that way into another, then he stumbles; it requires some strength in a Horse to go readily over the Cart-wracks, to go readily from one way into another, this requires strength. So every poor, weak man, may go on in the same way, and in the same condition, this requires no great store of strength; but to carry the sameness of heart towards God in variety of Conditions, this argues strength, this requires skil: What therefore if the Lord will lead you from one condition to another, and so draw out your skil, and strength, and hath no design but of Love upon you, will you then be discouraged? Thus it is with all the Saints; surely therefore they have no reason to be cast down in this respect.
[Object. 3] O! but I am not so much troubled about my outward Condition, as about the condition of my Soul, the Lord knows my Souls Condition is very sad; for sometimes I am under the Ordinances, and sometimes not; sometimes I can stir out to an Ordinance, but sometimes oppositions keep me at home; I am not under a settled Ordinance; and when I am under the Ordinance, I get little good thereby; I hear, and I do not remember, my heart is hard, and dead, and dull, and it is little that I profit, and therefore I am thus discouraged; have I not cause, and reason now?
[Answ. 1] No, not yet. For • i • st: As for your want of Ordinances, if God lead you to the want of an Ordinance, he will make the very want of an Ordinance, to • e an Ordinance to you. When the Children of Israel came into the Land of Canaan, where there was ordinary food, then Manna ceased; but when ordinary food could not be had, as in the Wilderness, then they had Manna, Bread that was baked in the Clouds, then they had Angels Food immediately from God; and immediate Mercies that come immediately out of the hand of God, are the sweetest Mercies. God doth always give some opportunities of good unto his People; either of doing good, or receiving good; and the less opportunity they have of receiving good, usually the more opportunity they have of doing good: what though your hand be empty of receiving opportunities? yet if your hand be full of doing opportunities, have you any cause to be discouraged? God knows how to give the comfort of an Ordinance in the want of an Ordinance. When Jonah was in the Whales belly, he prayed; and in his prayer, he looked towards the Temple, though he was absent from it, and the Lord heard his prayer. And Beloved, if the Lord do remember your carriage, labor of Love, Longings, Groanings, Mournings after the Ordinances, as much when you want them, as he remembers your enlargements under them; then you have no reason to be discouraged in this respect. Now look into Psal. 132. and you shall see how David presseth the Lord to remember him, verse 1. Lord, remember David, and all his afflictions; he was in great Afflictions, and he desired the Lord to remember him; but under what Notion would he have the Lord remember him? why saith he, remember him? How he sware unto the Lord (verse 2.) and vowed unto the mighty God of Jacob; surely I will not come into the Tabernacle of my House, nor go up into my Bed; I will not give sleep to mine eyes, or slumber to mine eye-lids, until I have found out a place for the Lord, an Habitation for the mighty God of Jacob. He wanted the Ordinance, and his heart was restless after it; and now he desires the Lord to remember him for this. So that I say, God will in a special manner remember your carriage; labor of Love, longings, and groanings after Ordinances when you want them. O! but though the Lord do remember us in due time; yet what shall we do in the mean time? Mark what follows; at verse 6. Lo, we heard of it at Ephratah, we found it in the fields of the woods; What is that? Lo, we heard of it at Ephratah; we heard of it, that is, we heard of the Ark (which he had spoken of before) and the Habitation of the mighty God of Jacob. We heard of it at Ephratah; as if he should say, it was commonly reported, and thought, that the Lord would settle his Ark, and his House, and Habitation at Ephratah, at Bethlehem, a plentiful place; but now we have found it in the fields of the Wood. Now we find that the Lord will settle his House, and his Ark at Jerusalem, which is compassed about with Hills full of Woods; in the Fields of the Forest have we found it. Beloved, our eye is all upon Ephratah, upon Bethlebem, upon the plentiful place; but the Lord doth so order things in his Goodness, that when he brings his People into the Woods, the Fields, the Forest, there they find his Ark, his Presence, and his Habitation in the midst of it. And what godly man is there, whom God hath called at any time from the Ordinance, but he may say thus; Lo, we heard of it at Ephratah, but we have found it in the Fields of the Woods; and if you do not find the Presence of God, and the Ark of God, and his Habitation at Ephratah; yet if ye find him in the Fields of the Woods, in the barren Forrests; have you any cause to complain? No surely you have not. O! but I am in a plentiful place for the present, I am at Ephratah; I am not in the barren Fields, I am under plentiful and precious Ordinances; but I do not remember, I hear, and I remember not.
[Answ. 2] Secondly: Therefore ye must know, That as for your want of Memory, there is an Head-Memory, and there is an Heart-Memory: Some have an Head-Memory, whereby they are able to give an account presently of all they have heard, in their due order; but they want an Heart-Memory to suggest the things to them when they should use the same: Some again have an Heart-Memory, so as they can remember the things when they should use them; but they have no Head-Memory. Now if you can remember the things as you are to use them, though you forget the words and Method, have you any cause to complain 〈◊〉 •• ugh the words heard, do depart from you, yet your heart 〈◊〉 • e kept sweet by the hearing of them. Water is often poured into a Vessel, and runs out presently yet it keeps the Vessel sweet. So now, though you hear, and hear, and hear again, and you cannot remember, and the things heard do not stay by you as you desire, yet your soul may be kept sweet thereby.
[Answ. 3] Thirdly: As for your Deadness; It is some life, to feel ones own deadness; for there is a Death, and a Deadness, as I may so speak. There is a Life, and a Liveliness; a man may be alive, and yet not lively, as a sick person: So a man may be under some deadness, and yet not be dead unto death. There is a deadness that is opposite to liveliness; and there is a deadness that is opposite to life. Now you complain, O! my heart is dead, my heart is dead, this argues that it is but a deadness that is opposite to liveliness, else you could not feel your own deadness. A man that is stark dead, cannot feel that he is dead; I say therefore, in that you feel your own deadness, it argues, that it is but a deadness that is opposite to liveliness, and not that deadness that is opposite to Life itself; and if you be alive in opposition to death, though you have a deadness in you that is opposite unto liveliness, have you any reason to be quite discouraged, and cast down? The Trades-man complains that his Trade is dead, and you complain that your heart is dead; this argues that your Trade is there, and that your Trade is in the matter of your heart.
[Answ. 4] Fourthly: As for your unprofitableness, and unfruitfulness under the Means and Ordinances, ye know that there is a difference between Unfruitfulness, and less Fruitfulness; the good Ground brings forth Fruit, in some thirty, in some sixty, in some an hundred fold; thirty is less than sixty, yet this is not unfruitfulness; sixty is less fruit than an hundred fold, yet this is not barrenness. A good man may be less fruitful than another, or th •• he was formerly, yet he may be fruitful; and it may be thus with you. But suppose you cannot profit under the means, and be indeed unfruitful; yet there is a great deal of difference between the unfruitfulness of the good Tree, and the barrenness of the barren fig-tree. 1. Though a good man be unfruitful, yet he is very sensible of his unfruitfulness, O! (saith he) there is not a more barren, vile, wretched, unprofitable heart in all the world than mine: 'tis not so w th the barren soul. 2. Though a good man may be too unfruitful, yet he doth not cumber the ground; the barren fig-tree doth, Luke, 13. that is, he doth eat out the heart of the soil from others, & doth hinder others; he is a cumber to the place & family where he grow and lives: the good man is not so, but though he is unprofitable in his own eyes, yet in truth he is profitable to the souls of others. 3. Though a goo • 〈◊〉 doth not profit so much as he should and would, yet he is 〈…〉 that any means should be used with him for his profit and growth, even to be digged about, and dunged: And I will dig about it, and dung it. Upon which words, saith Bernard; Non refugit faeditatem medii, qui expectat facunditatem animae: Dung is a means unsavory, and he that desires the growth of his Grace, will not refuse the foulness of the means, that means which to flesh and blood is unsavory. 4. Though a good man may be very unfruitful, yet God will not cut him down, he will prune him, and cut him in such a time as he may grow thereby, but he will not cut him down. But the barren Fig-tree, he will cut it down; cut it down, saith the owner, why should it cumber the ground any longer? But however it be, Art thou unfruitful, unprofitable under the means? then have you cause to be humbled: Humble yourself therefore before the Lord your God, yet be you not di • couraged.
[Object. 4] O! but yet this is not my case only; for I do not barely complain of my unprofitableness under the Means, and Ordinances (though that is much) but I fear that my Spiritual condition is not right; and if my spiritual condition be not good and right, after I have lived thus long under such searching means, and Ministry, I fear it will never be right: I do not read in all the Scripture that ever an Hypocrite was converted; Publicans and sinners I read of, but I do not read of an Hypocrite converted; and having lived under the means of Grace thus long, if now my c ndition be unsound, then I am an Hypocrite, and indeed this I fear, and therefore I am thus discouraged; have I not cause and reason for it?
[Answ. 1] No: For though you have lien long under the means of Grace, and are not converted, yet there is hope, there is hope concerning this. When our Lord and Savior Christ rose from the dead, the stone was rolled and removed away: and when the Lord Christ doth raise up a poor soul, he will roll away the stone, though it be as heavy as death, though it be as heavy as Hypocrisy, though the stone be as heavy as Hell itself; yea, Christ will roll away the stone though it hath lien long upon you. And I pray, what think you of Paul? was not Paul an Hypocrite before his Conversion? Woe to you Scribes and Pharisees, Hypocrites, saith our Savior; and saith Paul concerning himself, concerning the Law, I was a Pharisee: our Savior saith, that the Scribes and Pharisees were Hypocrites; and Paul saith concerning himself, he wa • a Pharisee, and yet he converted. There is one Hypocrite then converted, and you may read of orhers.
[Answ. 2] But is not this usual with God's own Children? do they not speak it sometime out, th • t they are but Hypocri es? I am but an Hypocri •• e. Ye read of that blessed Martyr, Mr. John Bradford, that being in Prison, and writing to a friend, he Subscribes his Letter thus; Yours in Christ, a m • st unprofitable, ha • d-hearred, mi enable sinner: And another Letter he subscribes thus; Yours in Christ, a very pa nted Hypocrite, John Bradford. Some here are, that think their souls are sincere and yet they are most unsound: Some again think they are un • ound, and yet they are most sincere.
[Answ. 3] But to come a little nearer, and yet I must but touch upon it, Did ever Hypocrite long, and mourn after the Pre • ence of Go • in Christ, as the best thing i • all the world? Did ever Hypocrite dwell, and abide in the work or private examination of his own soul? Did ever Hypocrite love Grace, better, or more than Gift? o • that most, which is the most Spiritual, most savory? Did ever Hypocrite desire Peace, & Comfort for Grace sake, & not rather Grace for Peace sake? Do H • pocrites ord • narily think they are Hypocrites? where do you find that in the Scripture, that H • pocrites ordinarily think they are Hypocrites? If H • pocri • ie be a man's burden, it is not his condition: Did ever any Hypocrite walk contrary to himself, to his former self? when men were truly converted they did. So you read of Zacchaeus, before he was converted he was a gr •• Oppressor, and a covetous man; but being o • ce converted, saith he, Lord, behold, the half of my goods I give unto the poor; and if I have wron • ed any man, I' • e restore fourfold; here he walks contrary to himself. So the Jailor, before he was converted, he imprisoned the Apostles, and whipped them till the blood ran down upon their backs; but being converted, he hath them into his hou • e, sets meat before them, and washeth th • i • wounds; he walks contrary to his own former self. So Paul, before he was converted, he persecuted the Saints, and the Gospel; after converted, then he did preach the Gospel, which before he persecuted: thus he walked contrary to his former self. I have read, or heard of a young man that was given much to jeering, and scoffing; and his Mother being godly, he would frequently jeer, and scoff at his own Mother; it pleased God at the last to work savingly upon him, and then he would never come into the presence of his Mother, but he would fall down upon his knees, not in the morning, and evening for a blessing; but whenever he came into the presence of his Mother, he would fall down in a reverential way upon his knees, til she bid him stand up. I do not commend the action, but I speak this to show, That when a man is converted, and turned to God, then he will walk contrary to himself. Now, whoever you be that make this Objection, Have you not found it thus in your own souls? I appeal unto you, Cannot you say thus? Indeed it is little I enjoy of God here; but the Lord knows, I do long, and mourn for the presence of God i • Christ, as the best thing in all the world; and I am much in the examination of mine own heart in private, when no eye doth see me; and I do desire those things most that are the most Spiritual, and the most savory, those my soul closeth most with; and I do not desire Grace for Comfort, but I desire Comfort for Grace: and Ah Lord, thou knowest I have gone up and down fearing for many years together, that I have been an Hypocrite; I have sat down weeping, and said, O! I am an Hypocrite, I am an Hypocrite, Hypocrisy hath been my burden indeed. And Lord, thou knowest, I do now walk contrary to my former self; before the Lord was pleased to work upon me, so, and so, and so I lived; but now, through Grace, I do walk contrary to my former self: Then Soul, be of good comfort; for though there may be many failings, for which you should be humbled, yet do not say that thou art an Hypocrite; thy condition is, or may be, very good: wherefore go in Peace, and the Lord comfort thee.
O! but (will some say) this is not my case yet; for I do not only fear that my condition is unsound, but I am afraid that I am concluded under it, and it will never be otherwise; for there are but some few Elect, and chosen ones that shall • e saved to all eternity, it may be one of a hundred, or one of a thousand; and things are now cast in time according to God's Decree before time. Indeed, if this were true, That Christ died for all, for all particular men, and that Christ intendeth to save every particular man, as the Doctrine of some is, then I should have hope; but I have heard that this Doctrine is not true, and that Christ did not die for all men, with intention to save every particular man, and therefore seeing that few are under Election, one of an hundred, or two of a thousand; I fear that I am none of them; and therefore I am thus discouraged, have I not cause and reason now?
[Answ.] No: For though this Doctrine be true, That there is a certain number of Elect Persons, who are but few comparatively, and that there is no such thing as General Redemption; yet this is no way prejudicial to the rise or growth of your Comfort.
[ 1] As for Election: It is true indeed, that there is a certain number of Elec • • ersons, whom God hath chosen to Grace and eternal Glory, before the Foundation of the World was laid; for the Apostle Paul saith expressly, Ephes. 1.3. That we are chosen in Christ before the Foundation of the World; he doth not say, blessed be God, who hath decreed to choose us, but who hath chosen us; nor doth he say, who hath chosen All, but US, where some ar • chosen, others are left; nor doth he say, who hath chosen us upon foresight of our Faith or Holiness, but that we may be holy, Holiness being the fruit of Election; and if ye look into Matth. 25. ye shall find that those who stand at Christ's right hand at the day of Judgment, unto whom he saith, Come ye blessed inherit the Kingdom, are such for whom the Kingdom was prepared b • fore the Foundation of the World.
[ 2] Now this number of Elect Persons is certain, and unalterable; for the Foundation of God standeth sure. And as the Schoolmen observe, If a man that is predestinated to life, could be damned, then the Will of God might be altered; for when he doth predestinate a man to life, he wills his Salvation; and when he damns a man, he wills his Damnation; and therefore if those that are predestinated to life, can be damned, then the Will of God may be altered, which is impossible; for his Will is like himself, unchangeable.
[ 3] As the number of Elect Persons, is certain, and cannot be diminished, nor augmented; so the Lord doth certainly know all those persons, for their Names are written in the Book of Life, and the Lord knows who are his, that is, saith Mr. Baines, God only knows his Collectively; no Man or Creature doth in this sense know who are God's.
[ 4] But though God only knows by himself, who those are that are approved for his, yet a man may know that he is one of those Elect; for if I see myself set apart from the world in time, then may I know that God hath separated me from others before time; and if I have chosen God for my Portion, then may I know that God hath chosen me, for we chu • e him, because he hath chosen us first: and if I love God in time, and believe on Christ, then I may know that he hath loved me, and given himself for me; for all our Grace is but a reflection of his Grace. If you see the Prints and Characters of the Seal upon the Wax, you know the Seal hath been set upon it, though you did not see when it was done. Of this mind was that blessed Martyr, Mr. John Bradford (with whom Mr. Fox doth join, in his Annotations upon Mr. Bradfords Faith.) Thus do I wade (saith he) in Predestination, in such sort as God hath opened; I begin with Creation, from thence I come to Redemption, so to Justification, and so to Election: We must judge of Election by that which cometh after, that is, by our Faith, and belief in Christ; not th • Faith is the Efficient Cause of our Election, but the Effect rather, and the Cause certificatory, or the cau e of our Certification, whereby we are brought to the knowledge of our Election; and to this purpose doth the Apostle exhort us to make our Calling and Election sure; Give all diligence (saith he) to make your Calling a • d Election sure: I • seems then, 1. Tha • t • ere are some who are E •• cted. 2. That a man may know, and • e assured of his own E • ection. 3. That the way to know this, is not to begin a loft, but to begin below with our Vocation; and therefore the Apostle puts Election last, saying, not make your Election, and your Vocation sure; but make your Call • ng and your El • ction sure.
[ 2] As for Universal Redemption, ye • ust know, That Christ did indeed die for all men: but it's nowhere said, That he died for all the particular men of the world with intention to save them, which is the thing in question: but that he died for all, that is, both Jew and Gentile, is very true; and if ye look into Scripture, and observe how, when, and upon what occasion this Speech came in, you will easily see this is the meaning of it. In the times of the Old Testament, Christ is not said to die for all; but he bare the sins of many, Isaiah. 53. not of all, but of many: and so whilst Christ lived, preaching only to the Jews, and commanding his Disciples not to go into the way of the Gentiles, it's said, He gave himself a ransom for many; not for all, but for many: but when the Apostles preached to the Gentiles, then it's said indeed, and not before, That Christ died for all, Why? Because they held forth Christ to the Gentile, as well as to the Jew: And therefore if ye look into 1