7. Add to this the advantage which others may receive, by seeing our behaviour under affliction. We find by experience, example frequently makes a deeper impression upon us than precept. And what examples have a stronger influence, not only on those who are partakers of like precious faith, but even on them who have not known God, than that of a soul calm and serene in the midst of storms, sorrowful yet always rejoicing: meekly accepting whatever is the will of God, however grievous it may be to nature: saying in sickness and pain, _The cup which my Father hath given me shall I not drink it_? In loss or want, _The_ Lord _gave: the_ Lord _hath taken away: blessed be the name of the_ Lord!
V. 1. I am to conclude with some inferences. And, first, How wide is the difference between _darkness_ of soul and _heaviness_? Which nevertheless are so generally confounded with each other, even by experienced Christians! Darkness, or the wilderness-state implies a total loss of joy in the Holy Ghost: heaviness does not; in the midst of this we may _rejoice with joy unspeakable_. They that are in darkness have lost the peace of God; they that are in heaviness have not: so far from it, that at the very time _peace_ as well as _grace_ may _be multiplied unto_ them. In the former, the love of God is waxed cold, if it be not utterly extinguished: in the latter it retains its full force, or rather increases daily. In these, faith itself, if not totally lost, is however grievously decayed. Their evidence and conviction of things not seen, particularly of the pardoning love of God, is not so clear or strong as in time past: and their trust in him is proportionally weakened. Those, tho’ they see him not, yet have a clear, unshaken confidence in God, and an abiding evidence of that love, whereby all their sins are blotted out. So that as long as we can distinguish faith from unbelief, hope from despair, peace from war, the love of God from the love of the world, we may infallibly distinguish _heaviness_ from _darkness_.
2. We may learn from hence, secondly, That there may be need of _heaviness_, but there can be no need of _darkness_. There may be need of our being in _heaviness for a season_, in order to the ends above recited: at least, in this sense, as it is a natural result of those _manifold temptations_, which are needful to try and increase our faith, to confirm and inlarge our hope, to purify our heart from all unholy tempers, and to perfect us in love. And by consequence they are needful, in order to brighten our crown, and add to our eternal weight of glory. But we cannot say, that darkness is needful, in order to any of these ends. It is no way conducive to them: the loss of faith, hope, love, is surely neither conducive to holiness, nor to the increase of that reward in heaven, which will be in proportion to our holiness on earth.
3. From the apostle’s manner of speaking we may gather, thirdly, That even heaviness is not _always_ needful. _Now, for a season, if need be_: so it is not needful for _all persons_; nor for any person, at _all times_. God is able, he hath both power and wisdom, to work when he pleases, the same work of grace, in any soul, by other means. And in some instances he does so: he causes those whom it pleaseth him to go on from strength to strength, even till they _perfect holiness in_ his _fear_, with scarce any heaviness at all: as having an absolute power over the heart of man, and moving all the springs of it at his pleasure. But these cases are rare: God generally sees good to try _acceptable men in the furnace of affliction_. So that manifold temptations and heaviness, more or less, are usually the portion of his dearest children.
4. We ought therefore, lastly, to watch and pray and use our utmost endeavours to avoid falling into darkness. But we need not be sollicitous how to avoid, so much as how to improve by heaviness. Our great care should be, so to behave ourselves under it, so to wait upon the Lord therein, that it may fully answer all the design of his love, in permitting it to come upon us: that it may be a means of increasing our faith, of confirming our hope, of perfecting us in all holiness. Whenever it comes, let us have an eye to these gracious ends, for which it is permitted, and use all diligence, that we may not _make void the counsel of_ God _against ourselves_. Let us earnestly _work together with him_, by the grace which he is continually giving us, in _purifying_ ourselves _from all pollution both of flesh and spirit_, and daily _growing in the grace of our_ Lord Jesus Christ, till we are received into his everlasting kingdom!
The End of the Third VOLUME.
Footnotes.
1 ‒ _De mortalitate._
2 ‒ _Carnis & corporis multa ac: gravia tormenta._
3 ‒ Gen. i. 26, 27.
4 ‒ Eph. iv. 24.
5 ‒ Gen. i. 31.
6 ‒ Gen. iii. 8.