Satan is called, The ruler of the darkness of this woi'ld, Eph. vi. 12. i. e. his kingdom is supported by darkness. Now, there is a two- fold darkness, which gives Satan great advantage ; the darkness of the mind, viz. ignorance; and the darkness of \he condition, viz. trouble and affliction. Of the former the apostle speaks chiefly in that text ; but the latter also is by him often improved to carry on his designs upon us. When it is a dark hour of trouble with us, then is liis fittest season to tempt.
That cowardly spirit falls upon the people of God when they are Jowii and low in spirit as well as state. Satan would never have de<
A TOKEN roPx MOURNERS. 647
sired that the hand of God should have been stretched out upon Job's person, estate, and children, but. that he promised himself a notable advantage therein, to poison his spirit with vile thoughts of God. '*• Do this (saith he) and he will curse thee to thy face.""
What the Psalmist observes of natural^ is as true of mctapJtorical darkness, Psal. civ. 20. " Thou niakcst darkness, and it is night, " wherein all the beasts of the forest do creep forth, the young lions " roar afteV their prey.""
When it is dark night with men, it is noon-day with Satan ; i. e. our suffering-time is his busiest working-time ; many a dismal sug- gestion he then plants, and grafts upon your affliction, which are much more dangerous to us than the affliction itself.
Sometimes he injects desponding thoughts into the afflicted soul ; " Then, said I, I am cut off from before thine eyes," Psal. xxxi. 22. and Lam. iii. 18, 19. " My hope is perished from the Lord, remem- " bering my affliction, and my misery, the wormwood and the gall."
Sometimes he suggests liard thoughts of God, Ruth i. 20. " The " Lord hath dealt very bitterly with me." Yea, that he hath dealt more severely with us than any other. Lam. i. 12. " See and be- " hold, if there be any sorrow like unto my sorrow, which is done " unto me, wherewith the Lord hath afflictfed me in the day of his " fierce anger."
And sometimes murmuring and repining thoughts against the Lord ; the soul is displeased at the hand of God upon it. Jonah was angry at the hand of God, and said, " I do well to be angry, even " unto death," Jon. iv. 9- What dismal thoughts are these ? and how much more afflictive to a gracious soul, than the loss of any outward enjoyment in this world.
And sometimes very irreligious and atheistical thoughts, as if there were no privilege to be had by religion, and all our pains, zeal, and care about duty, were little better than lost labour, Psal. Ixxiii. 13, 14. " Verily I have cleansed my heart in vain, and washed my " hands in innocency ; for all the day long I have been plagued, " and chastened every morning."
By these things Satan gets no small advantage upon the afflicted Christian ; for ^beit these thoughts are his burden, and God will not impute them to the condemnation of his people ; yet they rob the soul of peace, and hinder it from duty, and make it act uncomely under affliction, to the stumbling and hardening of others in their sin : beware therefore, lest by your excess of sorrow ye give place to the devil ; we are not ignorant of his devices.
Consider. 15. Give no way to ecccessive sorrows upon the account of affliction^ if ye have any regard to the honour of God and religion^ which will hereby be exposed to reproach.
If you slight your own honour, do not slight the honour of God and religion too; take heed how you carry it in a day of trouble; many
648 A TOKEN FOR MOmNERS'.
eyes are upon you. It is a true observation that a late worthy * author hatli made upon this case : ' What will the Atheist, and what ' will the profane scoffer say when they shall see this? So sottish ' and malicious they are, that if they do but see you in affliction,
* they are straightway scornfully demanding, Where is your God ?
' But what woidd they say, if they should hear you yourselves un- ' believingly cry out, Where is our God ? Will they not be ready
* to cry, this is the religion they make such boast of, which you see ' how httle it does for them in a day of extremity : they talk of pro- ' mises, rich and precious promises ; but where are they now ? Or ' to what purpose do they serve ? They said they had a treasure in ' heaven ; what ails them to mourn so then if their riches are there ?'
O bev/are what you do before the world ; they have eyes to see what you can do, as well as ears to hear what you can say : and as long as your carriage under trouble is so much like their own, they will never think your principles are better than theirs. Carnal worldlings will be drawn to think, that whatever fine talk you might have about God and heaven, your hearts were most upon the same things that theirs were, since your grief for their removal is as great as theirs.
They know by experience what a stay it is to the heart, to have an able, faithful friend to depend upon, or to have hopes of a great estate shortly to fall to them ; and they will never be persuaded you have any such ground of comfort if they see you as much cast down as they that pretend to no such matter.
By this means the precepts of Christ to constancy and contentment in all estates, will come to be looked upon (like those of the stoics) only as viagnifica verba, brave words ; but such as are impossible to be practised ; and the whole of the gospel will be taken for an airy notion, since they that profess greatest regard to it, are no more helped thereby.
O what a shame is it that religion should, in this case, make no more difference betwixt man and mAn ! wherefore shew to the world (whatever their common censures are) that it is not so much your care to differ from them in some opinions, and a little strictness, as in humility, meekness, contempt of the world, and heavenly-minded- ness; and now let these graces display themselves by your cheerful, patient deportm.ent under all your grievances.
Wherefore hath God planted those excellent graces in your souls.'' but that he might be glorified, and you benefited by the exercises of them in tribulation : should these be suppressed and hid, and nothing but the pride, passion, and unmortified earthliness of your hearts set on work, and discovered in time of trouble, what a slur, what a Avound will you give to the glorious name which is called upon by you ? And then if your hearts be truly gracious, that will pierce you deeper than ever your affliction which occasioned it did.
* M. M, his apjyendix to Solomon $ prescription, p. 1, 2.
A TOKEN FOR MOUIINERS. 649
I beseech you, therefore, be tender of the name af God, if you will not be so of your own peace and comfort.
Consider. 16. Be quiet, and hold your peace, you little know hozo many mercies lie in the womb of this ajfliction.