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Well, then, slie yields herself to be black, but yet she is not discouraged ; she will not be set down, she is comely for all her blackness, she will to Christ still, as the verse tells us. Hence learn,
Doct. 2. Though our estate be here imperfect, yet ice must not be dis- couraged. God's children must so see their sins, and sorrow for them, as that though they be thereby sent to humiliation, yet they may retain hope of mercy. So the church does, Ps. xliv. 17, 'All this is come upon us, yet have we not forgotten thee, neither have we dealt falsely in thy cove- nant; our heart is not turned back,' &c. So Isa. Ixiii. 17, though the church was hard-hearted, yet she goes to Christ to bemoan herself : ' Oh Lord, why hast thou made us to err from thy ways, and hardened our heart from thy fear ? Return, 0 Lord,' &e. ; yet she conceives hope. This was Samuel's counsel to the people, 'Fear not: ye have done all this wickedness : yet turn not aside from following the Lord, but serve the Lord with all your heart,' 1 Sam. xii. 20, 21. And David likewise to his soul, Ps. xlii. 11, ' Why art thou cast down, 0 my soul ? and why art thou discouraged within me ? yet trust in God.' So the like is Paul's practice, Rom. vii. 24, '0 wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me?' &c. Then he answers, ' I thank God, through Jesus Christ our Lord.' Thus you see the point is plain ; now the reasons.
Reason 1 . We have a great and mighty deliverer. He loves his children in the midst of all their deformities. Like a good father, he tenders us in our weaknesses of soul and body, and as a father pities his child the more for being sick, so here he calls her for all this, ' 0 thou fairest amongst women,' &c.
2. Secondly, He is able to help them in all estates ; his grace is still sufficient, he hath present help. What needs the child be dismayed for pain, when the Father can remove it at his pleasure ?
3. Thirdly, The saints of God in all ages have gone through imperfec- tions ; they have been sick, poor, doubtful, passionate, as well as we. God hath brought them to heaven, to happiness, through all storms. Though in their life they cried, ' we are black,' we are forsaken; and why should we fear to wade through those waters where all have escaped that went before us ?
4. Fourthly, Uprightness may stand with imperfection, some gold may be amongst earth ; as the church shews here, beauty and deformity may stand together, some light, some darkness. Now God bids the upright hope, rejoice, says he is blessed, Ps. xxiii. 6.
5. Lastly, Because the effects of discouragement are too bad, as fretting, Ps. xlii. 11 ; yea, this doth not only keep out praises, but causes neglect of all ordinances, drives from God, makes one fierce, envious, uncomfort- able, impotent, &e.
Use 1. This is to humble ourselves for our weakness; for, alas! how soon are we swooning and discom-aged. Every slight affliction, corrup- tion, temptation, doth dismay and put us to silence. If storms fall, and winds blow, if flesh'stir, and Satan be busy, our faith trembles, and hearts are shaken ; we meditate, fear and suspect ourselves ; we suspect God, and shun his presence, and say in our haste ' we are forgotten ;' this is our death. Oh how unworthy Christ is this carriage ! How unlike the church in this place. She is charged with faults, upbraided with baseness, yet she holds on, she prayeth still. To Christ she runs; no affliction, no temptation, no corruption shall keep her from him, because nothing can keep him from her, as Rom. viii. 38 is at length shewed. Where is oar
100 THE church's blackness.
faith, strenf:;th, courage, patience? Where is the spirit of power, that we are so weak in every temptation ? Verily, these faintings of spirit, these despairing questions, these violent fears, do argue much weakness. Let us be humbled for this; humbled, I say, but not discouraged; for even the church sometimes, sometimes Manoah, yea, a David, have thus failed.* U.se 2. Now learn to be courageous. Are afflictions upon thee ? Be sensible of them, bo humbled in them, but never shrink from thy hold of Christ or hope of mercy. Be of Paul's resolution ; ' We are distressed,' saith he, ' but yet faint not.' See God at thy right hand, as David did, and therefore be not moved. See what is gained by affliction, ' the inward man grows.' See what is laid up for these light and short afflictions, 2 Cor. iv. 17, ' even a far more excellent and eternal weight of glory.' Art thou censured and scorned by men ? Make use of it, but not to dis- couragement. Remember Christ was despised, counted a worm, judged wicked, and then say with the church, ' Rejoice not against me, 0 my enemy, though I fall I shall rise again : When I am in darkness, the Lord he will be a light unto me,' Micah vii. 8. Art thou assaulted by Satan ? Cry with Paul, and bemoan thyself; but know therewith that God's * grace is, and shall be sufficient for thee,' 2 Cor. xii. 9 ; that he hath overcome, and therefore resolve, with Job, to receive from God what he will put upon thee, yea, to die at his feet. Job xiii. 15. Art thou led captive with thy corruptions ? Mourn with Paul, but say withal, * It is not I, but sin in me; I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord,' Romans vii. 17, 25. It is a most worthy service to give Christ the glory of his riches in poverty, of his power in weakness, grace in sin. life in death. Then we live by faith, then we shew forth the strength of the Spirit. To this purpose, first learn to know thyself, what thou art by nature, and all men else. The want of this knowledge breeds pride, discouragement, error in judgment, mistaking, misapplication of things. Secondly, know what Christ is, how lovely, how rich, how able, how true ; how willing he is to help the dis- tressed and miserable, never adding affliction unto affliction. Thirdly, see what he hath done for others, for thyself heretofore. Now lay graces by infirmities with the church here, and when the devil upbraids thee with thy maims, look on thy cures; when he sets before thee the tempestuous dark works of the first Adam, do thou oppose, and lay before thee the quiet fruit of righteousness and peace-making reconciliation and works of Christ, the second Adam, thy surety, who hath paid thy debts and satisfied divine justice to the full.