2. Did God record these examples for my imitation, or for my warning ? Are they not set up as sea-marks, "that I might avoid the rocks upon which they split ? 1 Cor. x. 6. " Now these were our
480 HOW TO KEEP THE HEAUT FIIOM DESPERATE CONCLUSIONS.
*' examples, to the intent that we should not lust after evil things, *' as they also lusted/"*
3. Am I willing to feel what they felt for sin ? O, I dare not follow them in the ways of sin ! quia me vest'iga terrent ; Lest God should plunge me into the deeps of horror, into which he cast them.
Thus learn to keep your hearts in the hour of temptation to sin.
Season 10. " The tenth special season to keep the heart with all « diligence, is the time of spiritual darkness and doubting, when it is ' with the soul as it was with Paul in his dangerous voyage, neither
< sun, nor moon, nor star appears for many days: When by reason ' of the hidings of God's face, the prevalency of corruption, and the *■ inevidence of grace, the soul is even ready to give up all its hopes ' and comforts for lost; to draw sad and desperate conclusions upon ' itself; to call its former comforts vain delusions ; its grace hypo-
* crisy. When the serene and clear heavens are overcast with dark
< clouds, yea, filled Avith thunders and horrible tempests, when the ' poor pensive soul sits down and weeps forth this sad lamentation, ^ " Mv hope is perished from the Lord l'' Now to keep the heart ' from*^sinkino- in such a day as this, to enable it to maintain its own
* sincerity, is a matter of great difficulty. The tenth case then will ' be this :'
Case 10. How tlte people of God, in dark and doubting seasons, mayJceep their hearts from entertaining such sad conclusioris about their estates, as destroy their peace, and unfit them for their duty. There are two general heads to which the grounds of doubting our sincerity may be reduced. (1.) God's carriage towards the soul, either in the time of some extraordinary affliction, or of some long and sad desertion. Or, (2.) The souPs carriage towards God : And here it usually argues against the truth of its own graces, either (1.) From its relapses into the same sins from which it had formerly risen with shame and sorrow. Or, (2.) From the sensible declining of its affections from God. Or, (3.) From the excess of the affections to- wards creature-comforts and enjoyments. Or, (4.) From its enlarge- ments in public, and often straitenings in private duties. Or, (5.) From some horrid injections of Satan^ with which the soul is great- Iv perplexed. Or, lastly. From God's silence and seeming denial of its long depending suits and prayers.
These are the common grounds of those sad conclusions : Now in order to the establishment and support of the heart in this condition, it will be necessaiy,
1. That you be acquainted with some general truths, which have a tendency to the setiJement of a trembling and doubting soul.
2. That you be rightly instructed about the forementioned par- ticulars, which are the grounds of your doubting.
The general truths requisite for poor doubting souls to be ac- quainted with, are these :
tlOW TO KEEP THE HEART FROM DESPERATE CONCLUSIONS. 481
1. That every working' and appearance of hypocrisy doth not presently j^rove the person in whom it is, to be an hypocrite. You must carefully distinguish between the p7'csence and predominancy of hypocrisy : There are remains of deceitfulness in the best hearts ; David and Peter had sad experience of it ; yet the standing frame and general bent of the heart being upright, it did not denominate them hypocrites.
2. That we ought as well to hear what can be said for us as against us : It is the sin of upright hearts sometimes to use an over-rigid, and merciless severity against themselves: They do not indifferently consider the case of their own souls : It is in this case, as Solomon speaks in another, Prov. xii. 7. " There is that maketh himself *" rich, and yet hath nothing; and there is that maketh himself poor, " and yet hath great riches."'' It is the damning sin of the self-flattering hypocrite, to make his condition better than it is : And it is the sin and folly of some upright ones, to make their condition worse than indeed it is. Why should you be such enemies to your o^vii peace? To read over the evidences of God's love to your souls, as a man doth a book which he intends to confute ? Why do you study to find evasions, to turn off those comforts which are due to you.'^ It is said of Joseph, that he was minded to put away his espoused Mary, not knowing that that holy thing which was conceived in her, was by the Holy Ghost : And this may be your case. And a third truth is this:
3. That many a sainthath charged and condemned himselffor that^ which God will never charge him with, nor condemn him for. " Why " hast thou hardened our hearts from thy fear," (saith the church) Isa. Ixiii. 17. and yet the verse before manifests, that their hearts were not so hardened : Godly Bradford wrote himself an hypocrite, a painted sepulchre ; yet doubtless God acquitted him of that charge.
4. Every thing which is a gi-ound of grief to the people of God, is not a sufficient gi-ound of questioning their sincerity. There are many more things to trouble you, than there are to stumble you : If upon every slip and failing through infirmity, you should ques- tion all that ever was wTought upon you, your life must be made up of doubtings and fears : You can never attain a settled peace, nor live that life of praise and thankfulness, the gospel calls for.
5. The soul is not at all times Jit to pass judgment upon its own con- ditien : To be sure in the dark day of desertion, when the soul is be- nighted ; and in the stormy day of temptation, when the soul is in a hurry, it is utterly unfit to judge its estate; " Examine your hearts " upon your beds, and be still," Psal. iv. This is rather a season for watching and resisting, than forjudging and determining.
6. That every breach of peace with God, is not a breach ofcove^ nant xmth God. The wife hath many weaknesses and failings, often grieves and displeases her husband; yet in the main is faithful, and truly loves him : These failings may cause him to alter his carriage, but not to withdraw his love, or deny his relation. " Return, O " backsliding Israel, for I am married unto you."
482 now TO keep the heart fiiom desperate conclusions.
7. Lastly, Whatever our sin, or trouble be, it should rather di^ive vs to God, tlianfrom God, " Pardon my sin for it is great,'' Psal. XXV. 11. Suppose it be true, that thou hast so and so sinned, that thou art thus long and sadly deserted : Yet it is a false inference, that therefore thou shouldest be discouraged, as if there were no help for thee in thy God. When you have well digested these se- ven establishing truths, if still the doubt remain, then consider what may be replied to the particular grounds of these doubts. As,