How it is, that there may be partial desertions of Spiritual Grace in the Souls of Gods dearest Children, but never totall nor final ones. [ 1362]
AS it was with Sampson, when his locks were cut off, his strength was gone; and therefore though he thought to go out, and do great things as formerly he had done, yet by woful experience he found there was no such matter; he was be∣come even as another Man. So it is with the best and dearest of Gods Children,* 1.1 When God is gone, their locks are cut, their strength is gone, as not lying in their hair, but in their head; yet this is but a partial, a temporary, not a total and final desertion of divine assistance and Spiritual Grace in the Soul: For God may forsake a Man in respect of his quickning presence, and leave a Man to such barren∣nesse, flatnesse,* 1.2 deadnesse of his Spirit for a time, that the Soul cannot pray, hear, meditate, do any thing as formerly it hath done; And God may forsake a Man too in respect of his comforting presence,* 1.3 he may eclipse his joyes, damp his comforts,* 1.4 withdraw the beams of his Countenance, and leave him in da••kn••sse and trouble;* 1.5 yet for all this God never forsakes such a Man in respect of his supporting presence, then it is, that in the saddest condition, in the darkest night, in the stormiest day, the Soul hath support from him; As he told S. Paul, so he tells all Men, all of the election of Grace, all that love and fear him; His strength shall be seen in their weaknesse, and his Grace is sufficient for them, i. e. suffi∣cient to bear them up in the tryall, and sufficient to bring them out of all tryalls whatsoever.