[5.] Despairing and distrustful thoughts of God. David, after all his experiences, said, 1 Sam. xxvii. 1, ' I shall one day perisli by the hand of Saul.' He had a particular promise and assurance of a kingdom, and had seen much of God'o care over him ; yet after all this, David doubteth of t'le word of Ood . so Ps. xxxi. 22, ' For I said in my haste, I am ci!t off from befn-e thii:e eyes ; ' God hath no more care and tliought of me ; and this at that very time when deliverance was com- ing—' Nevertheless thou heardest the voice of my supplications when I cried unto thee ; ' so Ps. Ixxvii. 7, ' Will the Lord cast off for ever ? and will he be favourable no more ? Is liis mercy clean gone for ever ? doth his promise fail for evermore ? ' Questions, to their appearance, full of despair ; yet there is some faith couched under them. Will the Lord cast off? it implieth the soul cannot endure to be thrust from
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him. Will God be favourable no move ? it implieth some former experience, and desire of new proof. * Is his mercy clean gone for ever? doth his promise fail for evermore?' Faith makelh some defence, he hath a conscience of sin ; I have deserved all this, but God is merciful ; will not mercy help ? But to appearance despair carries it from faith.
[6.] Not only despairing thoughts do arise, but atheistical thoughts, as if there were no God, no providence, no distinction between good and evil : Ps. Ixxiii. 13, ' Verily, I have cleansed my heart in vain, and washed my hands in innocency.' When there is so little enjoyed, and the flesh is so importunate to be pleased, we question all.
[7.] Questioning our interest in God by reason of the cross. Our Lord hath taught us to say, ' My God,' in the bitterest agonies ; but few learn this lesson: Judges vi. 13, 'If God be with us, why is all this befallen us ? ' Sometimes we question the love of God because we have no afflictions, and anon, because we have nothing but afflictions, as if God were not the God of the valleys, as well as of the mountains. Well then, if all these distempers be incident to the afflicted, there is great need of faith, which is the proper cure and remedy for them. If we had faith, we would be more submissive to God and meek to men, constant in waiting without using ill means, or yielding to distrustful, despairing thoughts and atheistical debates.
3. There is need of faith because of our duty under troubles, and that equal temper of heart that is necessary for the right bearing of them. There are two extremes, slighting, and fainting, and they are both prevented by that exhortation : Heb. xii. 5, ' My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him.' To despise them is to think them fortuitous, and to bear them with a stupid and a senseless mind, not considering and understanding that they come from God, that their end is repentance, and their cause- is sin ; or if we understand these things, we do not lay them to iieart, or regard God's chastising hand, so as to make a right use of our sufter- ings. A sense we must have of our Father's displeasure. W"e owe that reverence to his anger as that we should humble ourselves ; as Miriam : Numb. xii. 14, ' If her father had spit in her face, should not she be ashamed seven days ? ' Men cannot endure to have two things despised, their love and their anger. Their love : when David thougiit his kindness despised by Nabal, he in his fury resolved to cut ofl" all thosethatpissedagainst the wall, 1 Sam. xxv. 36 ; and Nebuchadnezzar, when his anger was despised, he was in a rage and said, ' Heat the furnace seven times hotter.' Now faith keepeth us from slighting the hand of God ; it seeth the hand of God in the affliction. The world ascribeth things to blind chance, but faith seeth God in it ; for an invisible hand can only be seen by faith : Job v. 6, ' Affliction doth not come out of the dust, nor trouble s[)riug out of the ground.' It doth not come b}' chance, nor by the stated course of nature, as all things grow in their season, but it hath a cause from above ; a wise God hath the ordering of it. The other extreme is that of fainting. To faint under these is to be weary of our profession, and to incline to apostasy, because our sufferings are numerous, and of long continuance. Therefore faith and patience are necessary for us, Hel). vi. 12, tb.at we may hold out with
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God, and keep up a holy confidence. The former principle is of use here too ; God hath the whole <;niding and ordering of the affliction, and while the rod is in his hands, there is no anger in his heart ; he is a wise God, and cannot be overseen ; he afflicteth no more than is needful : 1 Sam. ii. 3, ' For the Lord is a God of knowledge ; by him actions are weighed ; ' he weighs every drachm and scruple of the cross. And he is a jnst God, and afflicteth us no more than is deserved : Job xxxiv. 23, ' He will not lay upon man more than is right, that he should enter into judgment with God.' Man can never commence a suit or have a just pretension to except against his pro- vidence. He is a good God — ' He doth not afflict willingly, nor grieve the children of men,' Lam. iii, 33, but as a tender father, hath tears in his eyes when the rod is in his hand. It is only what our need and profit requireth ; therefore faint not. Well then, there is need of faith.