3. The kinds of fainting. (1.) There is a fainting which causeth great trouble and dejection of spirit. (2.) There is a fainting which causeth apostasy and defection from God and the cause of religion.
[1.] There is a fainting which causeth dejection and ti-ouble ; this is spoken of Heb. xii. 5, ' My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, neither faint when thou art rebuked of him.' There are the two extremes, slighting and fainting. Now this is a fault in the children of God, to be much perplexed in their troubles ; but yet this may be inci- dent to them, religion heightening their sense of evils, and their vehe- ment desires of the comforts of God's presence increasing their trouble.
[2.] There is a fainting which causeth defection and falling off from God, out of cowardice and carnal fear, and casting off the profession of Chi'istianity when they find it troublesome ; they grow weary, incline to apostacy : this is not incident to the children of God : Kev. ii. 3, ' Thou hast borne, and hast patience, and hast laboured, and hast not fainted,' not given over the cause of God. There is a fainting which is a slacking or remitting somewhat in our spiritual course, when men begin a little to relent, and to give way to coldness and lukewarmness, and do not keep up their former zeal and fervency or diligence in heavenly things. This may befall sometimes the servants of God, abate somewhat of their former forwardness, Eph. iii. 13, when either they suffer themselves, or those who are primarily instrumental in the work of the gospel are cast into a suffering condition. And there is a fainting which makes totally and finally to abandon the ways of God : Gal. vi. 9, ' He shall reap in due time, if he faint not.' There it is not taken for some remissness, which may befall the best of God's servants, but a total defection.
4. The considerations which may preserve us from fainting.
B56 SEKMONS UPON PSALM cxix. [Ser. LXXXIX.
[1.] It argueth that you are lazy, love the ease of the flesh, have small strength, if you faint upon every appearance of difficulty and trouble : Prov. xxiv. 10, ' If thou faint in the day of adversity, thy strength is small/ Sinners are not discouraged with every inconveni- ence occasioned by their sin, but can deny themselves for their lusts' sake ; and shall we be soon discouraged in God's service ?
[2.] Others that have borne far heavier burthens, do not sink under them. The Lord Christ : Heb. xii, 3, * For consider him, who endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied, and faint in your minds.' Nay, many of his precious servants : Heb. xii. 4, ' Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin.' If against sin, are we only to praise their courage, never show our own ? or do we think to go to heaven without conflicts, when it doth cost them so dear ?
[3.] We have given counsel to others : Job iv. 5, * But now it is come upon thee, and thou faintest ; it toucheth thee, and thou art troubled.' It is an easier matter to instruct others than to carry it well ourselves. The well will give counsel to the sick, and those that stand on land direct those that are apt to sink in deep waters. But should not we remember these things ourselves ?
[4.] God promises to moderate the afflictions of his people, and to sweeten the bitterness of them, to take off the oppressing weight of their troubles, lest their souls faint : Isa. Ivii. 16, ' For I will not con- tend for ever, neither will I be always wroth ; for the spirit should fail before me, and the souls which I have made.' The consideration of man's infirmity and weakness, unable to hold out, causeth the Lord to stay his hand ; he will not utterly dishearten and discourage his people that wait for him. A good man will not overburden his beast.
[5.] When reason is tired, faith should supply its place, and we should hope against hope, Eom. iv. 18 ; for faith can fetch one con- trary out of another, and get water out of the rock, as well as out of the fountain. When probable means miscarry, then it is a time for God to work ; and faith should bear us out when sense and reason cannot.
[6.] Give vent to the ardour of your desires in prayer : Luke xviii. 1, ' He spake a parable to them, to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint ; ' and Jonah ii. 7, ' When my soul fainted within me, I remembered the Lord, and my prayer came in unto thee, into thine holy temple.' Keep up the suit, it will come to a hearing one day ; though it be long ere God ariseth to the judgment, yet then make sure work of it.
[7.] By waiting upon God we learn to wait more: Isa. xl. 31, ' They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength ; they shall mount up with wings as eagles ; they shall run, and not be weary ; and they shall walk, and not faint' Eternal blessings eyed and prepared for will support a fainting soul in the worst evil : 2 Cor. iv. 16, ' For this cause we faint not ; though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.' The greatest troubles cannot make void our hope, if our spiritual state increase and our eternal hopes thrive.