The oyle of gladnesse. Or, Comfort for dejected sinners. First preached in the parish church of Banbury in certaine sermons, and now published in this present treatise. By William Whately minister there.

CHAP. VIII.

§ 1.

SO have I answered those objectiōs which are taken from our owne defects of graces: now follow more, taken from want of feeling, yea from feeling of great terrors even from God. First, I answer to that objection taken from want of fee∣ling. It may be thou thin∣kest that thou hast no feeling: but hast thou not

sometimes when thou prayest earnestly some little kinde of ease and refreshing and hope? if thou hast, why that is feeling though thou didst not know it. And I think scarce any Christi∣an can say he hath conti∣nued long to pray, but he hath had some such fee∣ling. Secondly, I answer, if thou hast had yet no feeling, thou maist have in due time, for thou ta∣kest the right way to get it. And againe J answer, David had as little fee∣ling as thou hast, when he complained,* 1.1 That his eyes

failed in waiting for Gods salvation, and that he was become like a bottle in the smoke. A man may feele no comfort in remission of his sins, and yet have his sins pardoned: for a Christian as J said be∣fore, must not live by feeling, but by faith, yea he must beleeve first, and feele after. Sence will deceive in the judging of colours and quantities, how much more in spiri∣tuall things that bee a∣bove sence. Wherefore what conclusion may be duly diducted out of Scripture, that is most

true and certaine, though a man have no feeling of it, yea though hee feele the contrary was this conclusion, I have my sins pardoned, or shall have, may be diducted out of Scripture, (for such a man as feeleth no∣thing but overwhelming griefes) thus. All that be∣ing heavy laden come unto Christ shall bee re∣freshed, but Jam heavy laden and come unto Christ, therfore I shall be refreshed and find rest to my soule. For he comes to Christ heavy laden, that in the sence of great

anguish continues to cry and pray, therefore must hee labour to support himselfe with hope, that his case shall bee good, howsoever it bee for the present, and so animate himselfe to continue praying and crying.

§ 2.

Yea but J find my selfe even weary of praying, and ready to faint & give over. I answer, so did Da∣vid too, Psal. 69. when he said his eyes did faile and he was weary of crying, and yet he cried still, and so do thou, which so long

as thou dost, thou art in none other estate then he was, and therfore in a good estate, onely so that thou wilt be content, as I said to live by faith and not by feeling. Yea but I am not alone void of all peace and comfort, but even filled with feares & terrors. I answer so was David too, in divers pla∣ces, by name Psal. 69.1. where he saith, that the waters were come unto his soule and that he stuck fast in the mire. If any say this is meant alone of danger from his outward ene∣mies. J answer, beleeve

that who can, I cannot. David was no coward, that the apprehension of a meere naturall death should drive him unto such complaints, sure there was more in it then so, his soule also was well neere overwelmed with temptations & feares of Gods displeasure as well as thine. So was he that made the 77. Psalme, he saith, my soule refused com∣fort, he neither could nor scarce would take com∣fort, yea complaines, will the Lord cast off for ever? shewing that hee had much adoe to keep him∣selfe

from sinking under despaire. So Heman the Ezrahite, Psal. 88. saith, ver. 16. Thy fierce wrath goeth over me, and thy ter∣rors cut me off, but how behaved he himselfe in these terrors? he cryed unto the Lord, and said, that in the morning his prayers should prevent him. I say then to thee, whi∣ther do thy terrors drive thee, from God, or to God? If from God, let them do so no more, and thou shalt have comfort, if to God, do so still, and that will prove thy state good.

§ 3.

And so are those ob∣jections answered, that arise from feelings. Now the last sort spring from Satans temptations. O J am laden and filled with temptations to despaire, to hurt my selfe, to bla∣spheme God, to deny God and his Word, and other most execrable things, and J have long continued in this estate. J answer, Hast thou not sins of thine owne to answer for, but that thou wilt al∣so charge thy selfe with the divels sinnes? under∣stand therefore that this

temptation is grounded upon a meere false posi∣tion, that hee who is pur∣sued and molested with hellish temptations is not Gods child, nor hath his sinnes pardoned. And know that if Satan cast in the most vile temptati∣ons (for hee can cast in temptations, as it is said, he put it into the heart of Iud. is to betray Christ) so long as those temptati∣ons be rejected & abhor∣red, they be not the mans sins, but his trialls and af∣flictions onely. For tell me, was not Christ forty daies in the wildernesse

tempted of the divell? Doubtlesse in all that space hee pursued him with all the most noy∣some temptations hee could invent, we read in∣deed of three alone, but we may be well assured, that they were above 3000. even numberlesse. It may seeme that those three are recorded, be∣cause they were most crafty and subtill: when the divell had spent all his skill & paines before to no purpose, he procee∣deth to these as his last & maine assaults; for the two former were so sub∣tilly

conveighed, that a man can scarce see, that Christ had sinned, if hee had yeelded to them, for might not hee as well make bread of stones as wine of water? and leape from the temple, as walk on the sea? But to worke a miracle at the divels suggestion (either out of doubting because hee spake against him, or of presuming because hee spake for him) this had beene a fault in Christ. And for the last it came so suddenly and violent∣ly, that it would have even carried a man away

before he was aware, to give but one bow for such a reward. Now sure if Christ might be thus tempted forty daies, then any Christiā maybe like∣wise tempted as many moneths, as many yeers. Tell me therefore, dost thou not oppose those temptations by the word of God, and when thou canst too, by prayers, at least by secret groanes & inward sighs? Are they not most bitter to thy soule, even more untast∣full then gaule & worme∣wood, and wouldst thou not rather then any thing

be rid of them? Canst thou then bee so ill con∣ceited of God as to feare that he will impute them to thee, know that they be only thy miseries not thy sins, and this will be a good meanes to rid thee of them. For tell me, hadst thou a child, which some wicked fel∣low should locke into a roome that he could not get out, and there should tell thy child, thy father is a rascall, a villaine, a knave, a theefe, a miscre∣ant, curse him, wish him hanged, wish him dam∣ned, cut his throat, and

the like, but the childs heart and haire riseth at the hearing of these words, he abhors them, & him that utters them, and would if hee could cut out his tongue that useth them. What now wouldst thou thinke of this child? specially if thy selfe shouldst have put them both together, meerely to trie how thy child would behave himselfe in such a case, or for some other like purpose. Surely thou wouldst not love thy child one jot the worse; nay rather much more

for this triall. Now doe but conceive that God is as just & mercifull as thy selfe wouldest be, for this is thy case directly and none other; or think that some filthy fellow had surprized thy wife in a roome by her selfe, and there should solicite her with shamefull words & gestures, which shee did repell with disdaine, cry∣ing out to thy selfe that wast within hearing to come and helpe her, wouldest thou account thy wife lesse honest for this? and not rather com∣mend her honesty the

more for this. Even so it is betwixt thy selfe and Satan, and therefore such and none other shall the Lords sentence bee of thee.

§ 4.

Yea but I have yeel∣ded to some of these vile thoughts, I have yeelded to them, and how then shall I do? I answer, the multitude and violence of them did sometimes so tire thee, and put thee out of breath and strength as it were, that thou couldest not give a loud and earnest, but alone a faint and

whispering, nay, & here∣upon Satan hath made thee beleeve that thou didst yeeld, but know that it is one thing to yeeld to a temptation, an other thing to bee over∣wearied and tyred with it, that a man is not able to make such sensible re∣sistance as he did once. If a strong and sturdy fel∣low, full of lewd desires, meeting with an honest but weak woman, should so long wrestle with her, till she were quite out of breath and could scarce speake or stirre any lon∣ger, and in that her wea∣rinesse

should use some unfit gesture to her, were shee the lesse chast wife for that, in the censure even of the most jealous husband? So then, that that thou callest yeel∣ding, was not yeelding, but an inability through faintnesse, to make resi∣stance. § 5. But say thou had styeelded to som evil, even most loath some for a little time, being over∣tired with resisting: Hast thou not now recalled & recanted thine yeelding, dost not thou now abhor thy selfe for yeelding, crave pardon of it, and

resolve never to do it, nor yeeld to it hereafter any more? Sure if some var∣let should by much im∣portunity, intice thy ser∣vant, to let him into thine house that he might rob thee, or do thee hurt, and after many repulses at last, should bee so over∣laide by importunity, that he should consent, & promise to do it; but so soone as ever the fellow was gone, should abhorre it, and refuse to put it in practise, and with teares in his eyes, come tell thee what had passed, craving pardon, wouldst thou not

forgive him? wouldst thou cast him out of thine house? There have been Princes so mercifull, that when some have beene inveigled to conspire their death, but after have repented, & of their own accord revealing the conspiracy, have submit∣ted to their mercy, could and did shew them mer∣cy, and will not God bee more mercifull then ever man was or can be? Bee not therefore disheart∣ned because of thy long temptations, and some∣times sodaine yeeldan∣ces. This the Lord can

and will passe by, and much more then this.

§ 6.

So have I answered the chiefest of those tempta∣tions and objections which I could meete with, that are used to hin∣der the Saints from com∣fort in perswasion of the remission of their sins. It is your part that would be comforted, to conti∣nue meditating, praying, conferring, labouring to informe your judgement aright in these things, which in doing, you shall not loose your labour. He

that shall come, will come and will not tarry. The night shall passe, and the day shll arise: If any say, J have long waited for comfort, and finde it not. I answer, so did Da∣vid, as J said above, but resolve to waite still on Christ, and to continue striving for comfort though you perceive Lit∣tle good effect for the time, for the more slowly it commeth to you at the first, the more fully it shall abound in you at thelast. If faith cannot comfort you, let hope. If you cannot say God hath

pardoned me, yet say J hope he will, and so su∣staine your selves. And that hope, which purgeth your hearts, driveth you to prayer, sets you at de∣fiance with all sinne, and makes you esteeme highly of Christ, that will support you, and bring grounded and plentifull comfort in the end. Those of you bre∣thren, therefore, that have throwne them∣selves downe, pulled down their proud hearts, and tumbled their faces in the dust before the Lord: Irequire them to

yeeld unto God the glo∣ry of his mercy, and to Christ the glory of his merits, and to goe away comforted, at least reso∣lute to labour for com∣fort, with assurance that they shall have it, for hee that said, will performe it, Blessed bee they that mourne for they, shall bee comforted.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Psal. 119.82, 83.