Use 1. This should teach us a note of difference between those that arc
1G4 THE saint's comforts:
God's children and those that arc not. Tliose that arc his, when they are in danger, go to him. They have ever that hold hy faith, as to say, ' Yet God is good to Israel,' Jer. xxxi. 1. Others seek to escape by desperate undoing of themselves, as Saul, and Judas, and Ahilhophel, for all his strong natural parts ; and indeed such arc in most danger of such courses of all other ; for God will tread on such for their pride. Contrarily he mingles comforts, in the worst estate that his children are in, with griefs, one to humble them, the other to support them from despair; and so he sets them on a rock that is higher than they.
Use 2. Secondly, It should teach us in all extremities how to carry ourselves. We should take heed of the stream of grief, striving against it, as wo desire a note of our good estate ; take heed how we think that God forsakes us. It is an imputation unbefitting him that never forsakes his. Take heed of judging ourselves by sense. Is meat sour because one that is sick doth not relish it ? No. The fault is in his indisposition. So in such desertions, be sure thou retainest thy anchor of hope, though contrary to hope ; and therefore in the next place.
Use 3. We should answer God's deaVuuj hy our dealivfj. He works by contraries ; we should judge by contraries. Therefore, if we be in misery, hope and wait for glory, in death look for life, in sense of sin assure thy- self of pardon, for God's nature and promises are unchangeable ; and when God will forgive, he lets us see our troubles ; and therefore with resolute Job say, * Though he kills me, I will yet trust in him,' Job xiii. 15. But to come particularly, I will set down cures of such depths as may arise from several causes ; and these depths are either imaginary or real. Christians sometimes think themselves to be in depths when indeed they are not, but it is only imaginary, raised it may be fioin a melancholy distemperature of the sjnrits, which also distempers the reasonable working of the mind ; raising as false and feigned conceits of their souls as it doth in many of their bodies ; and yet these conceits have real effects, as in Jacob, who sorrowed as truly for Joseph as if he were dead indeed. Therefore for the avoiding hereof be not alone ; a friend and good company are made for such times. For the devil sets on men in such case most when they are alone, and the strongest are then too weak for him ; and believe not thine own fancy, but rather believe those that can discern us better than we ourselves can. "We know how men have been deceived thus, and therefore when we are advised thus by friends, and counselled, let us suspect that it is a motion of the devil or a fancy of thine own that thus troubles thee.
There is another depth that is imaginary, arising //ow mistahinri of rules, concluding because they have not so much grace as others, have not so much subduing and prevailing power over sin, therefore they have no grace at all, they are damned hypocrites and the like. Little do they think that perfec- tion is not attainable here, but is reserved to the blessedness of that other life heicaftcr. Little do they look to the imperfections of the best saints of God, and the great depths that they have been in ; and indeed they knovr not what the covenant of grace requires, nor perfect fulfilling of the law by cur own persons, for that was the end of the law. But the covenant of grace requires sincerity with growth ; and this is the only perfection which we can look for here.
Another depth also there is, which ariseth from the taking of the motions of the devil for those of his own corrupt nature. The baseness and unrea- sonableness of them makes them think they cannot be God's children, and have such detestable motions within them. Let such know that such shall
AN EXPOSITION UPON PSALM CXXX.
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be cast upon Satan's score. And it is a sign rather tliat sucli are none of the children of the devil, who, if they were, would suffer them to rest in quiet without vexing them.
Again, some men fall into another depth, which ariseth from an appre- hension of God forsaking them. To such I give this advice, that ihey judge not of themselves by their distemper, for a sinful conscience puts a veil some- times between God and us, hiding his favour ; which nevertheless may be as great to us then as at any other time, and it may be intended by God to drive us to him by scourging us from our wicked ways and sins, which formerly we lived in. By faith therefore pull off the vizor from the face of God ; judge not according to present appearance, but by God's nature and his promises, who hath said he will' be with ns for ever, that no temptations shall be above measure, 1 Cor. x. 13 ; judge by his nature who is unchange- able ; and thus did the Canaanitish woman see Christ's loving nature under his frowning look, who doth as Joseph, hide his love and person from his brethren out of a increasement of love, not out of any ill intent. Again, in such a case let us be sure ice trust others that are our friends rather than ourselves. I mean in time of temptation, whenas others can better discern of our health by our spiritual pulses than we ourselves, who then are blinded ; and in such cases there is the trial of faith and love.