the soul ; and by these marks we may judge of his increasing nearness or removal.]
We see, then, what is meant by spiritual deser- tion—
Let us now consider,
II. The end and intent of it —
[God intends our good in all his dispensations, unless in- deed we have provoked him utterly to abandon us ; and then he may justly cause such events as shall open a way for the exercise of our corruptions, and for the consequent hardening of our hearts : but, till he has thus given us up, he designs all his dispensations for our good. Especially, in withdrawing from the souls of his people, he has a regard to their best interests : two principal ends which he would accomplish, are, to humble, and to quicken them. — First, to humble them ; " I will go and return to my place, till they acknowledge their offence." The confession of our sins is indispensably neces- sary, as well for our good, as for God's glory: however God may desire to pardon, he cannot do it, unless we be first dis- posed to confess : it would be unworthy of his majesty, and dirctly contrary to his word. He has said, that " he who covereth his sins shall not prosper;" and that he only " who confesseth and forsaketh them shall find mercy :" and his own honour is so interwoven with the abasement of the sinner, that, when Joshua exhorted Achan to confess his sin, he could use no terms more proper than these; " My son, give, I pray thee, glory to the Lord God of Israel, and make confession unto him." Indeed the good of man is no less concerned in the humiliation of his soul before God ; for, till he be brought to a sense of his iniquities, he has no disposition to accept of mercy : he disdains to become a suppliant for it : he denies that he stands in need of it : he thinks himself affronted by the offer of it, because the offer necessarily implies, what he is utterly averse to acknowledge, namely, that he deserves punishment. This same pride remains, in a measure, in God's people after their conversion ; and though they hate it and lothe themselves for it, yet, upon every fresh sin which they commit, they are but too apt to indulge it : they still feel an unaccountable backwardness to confess their sins, even though they know that God is privy to all, and needs not any in- formation from them. When therefore God sees his people harbouring this pride in any degree, he withdraws himself from them : the more they indulge this vile principle, the more he testifies his displeasure, to shew them, that he will