» Ps. Ixxi. 20, 21, and xlii. 6, 7, 8 ; Isa. liv. 7, 8 ; Micah vii. 18, 19 ; Cant, iii 4 ; Ts. Izzxiv. 11 J &c.
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doth not this age, as well as former, furnish us with many instances of this kind ?^ Doubtless many there are among the precious sons and daughters of Zion that have lost this pearl of price, and after waiting, weeping, and wrestling, have found it again ; therefore be not discouraged, O sighing, losing souls ! In the loss of temporals, it is a great support to men's spirits that their loss may be made up, and why should it not be so in spirituals also?
The fourth support to keep tlieir hearts from sinking and breaking that have lost that sweet assurance that once they had, is, seriously to consider that your loss is no greater, nor no sadder, than what the Twblest and the choicest saints have sustained, as you may see by com- paring the scriptures in the margin together.^ Those that were once the worthies of this world, and are now triumphing in that other world among the princes of glory, have lost that sweet assurance and sense of divine love and favour that ouce they enjoyed; therefore let not your spirits faint and fail. In temporal trials it is a comfort and a support to have companions with us ; and why should it not much more be so in spirituals ? Acts xvi.
The Jifth support to bear up their spirits that have lost that sweet assurance that once they had, is for them to remember, and seriously mind, that though they have lost assurance, yet they have not lost the blessed breathings and sweet influences of the 8pirit upon them. Wit- ness their love to Christ, their longing after Christ, their fear of offending Christ, their care to please Christ, their high esteem of Christ, and their mourning for the dishonours that by themselves or others are done to Christ, &c.^ A man may enjoy the warmth, heat, and influence of the sun, when he hath lost the sight of the sun. David had lost his assur- ance, he had lost the sight of the sun ; and yet he enjoyed the warmth and influences of it upon his heart, as is evident in Psalm li.
Though thy sun, 0 Christian, be set in a cloud, yet it will rise again, and in the interim thou hast and dost enjoy the warmth and influences of the sun ; therefore sorrow not, mourn not, as one without hope. Those warm influences that the Sun of righteousness hath now upon thy heart, are infallible evidences that he will shine forth and smile upon thee as in the days of old ; therefore let thy bow still abide in strength, Ps. xlii. 5, 7, 8, 11.
The sixth support to keep their hearts from fainting and sinking that have lost that sweet assurance that once they had, is seriously to consider, that it will be but as a day, but as a short day, before the loss of thy assurance shall be iniade up with a more clear, full, perfect, and com- plete enjoyrfient of God. Ere long, O mourning soul, thy sun shall rise and never set, thy joy and comfort shall be always fresh and green ; God shall comfort thee on every side, it shall be night with thee no more, thou shalt be always in the bosom of God, Isa. Ivii. 18-20. Ps. Ixxi. 20, 21, 'Thou which hast shewed me great and sore troubles shalt
1 Glover, and many others, yea, a cloud of witnesses, might be found to testify this truth. [Glover : Clarke, as before. — G.]
2 Ps. XXX. 6, 7, and li. 12 ; Job xxiii. 8, Q ; Isa. viii. 17.
< « Cant. iii. 6 ; Micah. vii. 7-9, compared, Isa. viii. 17, 1. 10.
530 HEAVEN ON EARTH. [ROM. VIII. 32-34.
quicken me again, and shalt bring me up again from the depth of the earth. Thou shalt increase my greatness, and comfort me on every side.' The day is at hand, O perplexed soul, when thou shalt have smiles without frowns, light without- darkness, day without night, wine Avithout water, sweet without bitter, and joy without sorrow.
The year of jubilee is at band. Thou now sowest in tears, thou shalt shortly reap in joy ; yea, ' everlasting joy shall be upon thy head,' and ' sorrow and sighing shall flee away,' therefore faint not.'
The third question is this, viz., What means must souls use to recover assurance when it is lost ?
I shall give a few short answers to this question, and so draw to a close.
First, If thou wouldst recover assurance, then thou must labour diligently to find out that sin, that Achan, that hath robbed thee of thy wedge of gold, of thy assurance.^ Surely it is not for infirmities, but enormities, that God hath put out thy candle, and caused thy sun to set at noon. Surely thou hast been feeding, I say not tasting, of forbidden fruit, that God hath stripped thee of thy robes, and taken the crown from off thy head, and turned thee out of paradise. But this i.s not all.
Therefore, in the second place, weep much, mourn much, over the Achan, over those wickednesses that have turned thy day into night, thy rejoicing into sighing, &c. David doth thus in Psalm li., and God takes him up from his knees, and restores to him ' the joy of his salvation.' Though God be displeased with your sins, yet he is well- pleased with your tears.' The promise is, that he will ' revive the spirit of the contrite,' Isa. Ivii. 15. It is said of Adam that he turned his face towards the garden of Eden, and from his heart lamented his fall. Ah ! losing souls, turn your face towards heaven, and from your hearts lament your fall, lament your loss. Nothing puts God to it like peni- tent tears. No sooner doth Ephraim weep over his sins, but the bowels of God are stirring towards him, and God cannot hold but he must pro- claim to the world that mourning Ephraim, bemoaning Ephraim, is his dear son, his pleasant child, and that he will ' surely have mercy on him ; or, as the Hebrew hath it, Rahhem arahhamenu, ' I will have mercy, have mercy on him,' or, * I will abundantly have mercy on him,'* Jer. xxxi. 18-20. When our hearts are set to weep over our sins, God will so act in ways of love towards us, that it shall not be long night with our souls. God will never suffer them to be drowned in sorrow that are set upon drowning their sins in penitential tears. The Jews
* Lev, XXV. ; Ps. cxxix. 5 ; Isa. xxxv. 2.
» Austin eaith, Humanvm est peccare, diabolicum pergeverare, et angelicum resurgere, it is a human thing to fall into sin, a devilish to persevere therein, aod an angelical or supernatural to rise from it.
' Rev. ii. 4. 6. When ancient Rome was heathenish, if the malefactor brought to be whipped fell upon his knees at his feet whom he had offended, it was held a sin if he suffered him to be whipped.
* It is an excellent expression of Basil, It grieves, it irks, it is tedious to our most munificent, great, glorious King. If we ask anything little of him, he would have us ask great things of him.
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