A discourse concerning trouble of mind and the disease of melancholly in three parts : written for the use of such as are, or have been exercised by the same / by Timothy Rogers ... ; to which are annexed, some letters from several divines, relating to the same subject.

CHAP. XIII.

Shewing what is the Duty of those Persons whom God hath delivered from Melanchol∣ly, and from the anguish of their Conscien∣ces, under a sense of his Wrath, As al∣so, what a wonderful Act of Providence it is, that suffers a very sinful World to be in so great Peace! and what cause there is for all people to pray against such Diseases, whereof the Devil serves himself to their great torment and vexa∣tion. And as the Conclusion of this First Part, What is to be thought of those that are distracted with trouble for their sins; and of those that dye in great darkness as to their spiritual state.

I Should now proceed to shew how those Per∣sons that have been long under a sense of God's displeasure, and who are now come to some good hope through Grace, ought to behave themselves after so terrible a visitation: But my Discourses on the former Verses of this Psalm, and which I have published some time ago, where I mentioned what it is that we are to do

after recovery from sickness, hath in a great measure prevented my farther insisting on this Subject, as also those ends that I have now mentioned, which God aims at in these dispen∣sations; and if we make it our great care to comply with them, we answer his designs; and even those sore afflictions will be a very great mercy to us. And what I judge further necessary to be said, I shall comprise in these following particulars:

I. That we in all the following part of our Lives, value this World very little; our un∣mortified affections were the bryers and the thorns that pierced us, and multiplied our sor∣rows. Let us look upon this World and it's most admired Glories, as a poor contemptible, empty thing; for so it is indeed: The World by the cares and variety of thoughts to which it natu∣rally carries us, easily disquiets and throws us down, but it cannot with all its charms raise us up again; all its Riches cannot buy an hours Peace and Comfort; all its Honours cannot save us from the Contempt of God; all its pleasures cannot sweeten our Cup, nor all its smiles chear us when he frowns: The more we are elevated above all earthly things, the more shall we be freed from storm and tempest; and it may be true that some tell us, That the tops of those Mountains that are above the middle Region, are so quiet, that the lightest things there, lye still and are not moved: This World has been formerly, and will be still a place of vanity and vexation of spirit; we have found it to be so; always have we met with trouble.

When we loved any thing there with an exces∣sive love, alas! it was able to do nothing for us in our sore affliction; when our Consciences were in a flame, there was nothing in it that could quench our thirst; let us esteem at a low rate such an empty World as this, its Comforts are doubtful, but its Miseries are certain; its Griefs are long-lived, but its pleasures are very short.

II. When the sense of the wrath of God is removed, we must, by the remembrance of it, be fortified against the tentations of Satan; when we are tempted to distrust, we must say, I will not entertain any more hard thoughts of a God whom I have found to be faithful; when we are tempted to impatience, under some new returning cross, we must answer and say, I will not fret nor murmur any more against my Gracious and my Loving God, that will, I am sure, remember me still in my low estate, as he did heretofore; when Satan would persuade us that we are no Sons of God, be∣cause we are afflicted, or because we are long so, we must quench this dart also, by remem∣bring our dear Redeemer, who was never more beloved, than when he was most sorely tried: There is nothing that will so preserve us, as the remembrance of the kindness and the mercy of God: His peace that passes understand∣ing will keep our hearts.

III. Let our escape from such long and sore afflictions, quicken us to Duty: I do not mean by that, only to Prayer, but the performance of all those Acts of Religion, whereby we may

glorify God, and do good to Men. Let our Prayers be more fervent, our Meditations of him more sweet; and our Thoughts of him more constant and abiding. Let us take heed of all formality and unaffectedness of spirit in all our attendance upon God; Let us beware of inward and spiritual decays, and stifle and resist the first abatements and declinings of our love to God, seeing he has withdrawn his hand from us, and his dread docs not make us afraid, Job 9.13, 14. Let us draw near to him, and seek his face, and do it now with more delight; for as the Earth (as one observes; is shut and bound up by frost and cold, and putteth not forth her fruits till the warmth and heat of the Summer call them out; so the heart, under the cold affections of fear and guilt, under the dark apprehensions of wrath and judgement, is so contracted, that it knows not how to draw near to God; but when his love is shed abroad in it, then it is enlarged to the per∣formance of its duty; and the sense of mercy, and the hope of it, gives us great encourage∣ment so pray; for Prayer is the child of Faith. Let the Love of God towards us, quicken us to watchfulness, and a dayly care of our own hearts that are so treacherous and deceitful. It once was night, a doleful night with us; but seeing the day is begun to dawn, let us set upon our work with a greater diligence.

IV. Our deliverance from such sad and terrible Apprehensions of God's Wrath, and from long and sore Tryals, should teach us to walk humbly with him. We have seen him in

the terribleness of his Majesty, we have seen the Lord of Hosts in his Glory, and such a sight cannot but make us know, that we are un∣clean, Isaiah 6.5. What have we wherein to pride our selves? The Archers have sorely shot at us; and we could not make our Bow abide in strength; God has bruised, tried, and laid us low, to shew us what was in our Hearts; and alas, we saw nothing there, but what was very bad. Such a sight as may cause us to won∣der at his Patience, and his healing-grace, and to abhor and loath our selves for ever. The time of our darkness, was a time of Provocati∣on; when we were in the Wilderness, we mur∣mured; and what a Mercy is it, that our Carkasses are not fallen, and our Souls ruined; but that the God whom we so provoked, hath given us the prospect, and the hope of Canaan after all this! Those that should have told us, when we were in Health and Peace, that we should have spoke so hardly of God when we were in our distress, that we should censure his Dispensations, and Sin so very much when his Rod, and his Stroke was upon us, we should have thought them very censorious and uncha∣ritable People; but there is no man knows how bad his heart is, till it be tried by long and sore Afflictions. Our Anguish, and our Sorrow, and our despairing Fears, caused us to do a thou∣sand things which we should at another season tremble at. And such Fools are we, that even when we are beaten in the Mortar, our folly does not depart from us. Tho God have for∣given us, yet we ought to remember our Mur∣muring,

our Unbelief, and the like Sins, with a great Self-abhorrence all our days. Isa. 38.15. What shall I say? he hath both spoken unto me, and himself hath done it: I shall go softly all my years, in the bitterness of my Soul. We have, caused many to be discouraged, many to faint, many to reflect upon Religion, because of our sad∣ness; and the dishonour that may hereby have come to God, should be matter of great Humilia∣tion to us, tho there is in the spiritual Affecti∣ons of the Religious, something that is very tremendous to the Wicked; 'tis as a Judgment to harden them, and for the falling of many, that by this means they are more fixed in their prejudices against all Religion; and by seeing those that have long pretended to embrace it, very sorrowful, they are tempted to believe there is nothing real in it, and so they go on and sin and dye. We have great cause to be humbled, not to glory in our srength, for we have found it to decay; not to glory in our Knowledg, for we have, known such Distem∣pers as have cast a Cloud upon our Under∣standing. We have been buffered by Satan to teach us, that we have need of more help to preserve us than our own. Oh! what is Man, when left of God? Nothing but weak∣ness and vanity. He withdraws man from his purpose, that he may hide pride from man, Job 33.17.

V. We must beware of a Relapse, as we must be careful to avoid all those things which may bring upon us the same bodily Diseases,

from which we are delivered; so we ought to be as careful to prevent every thing that may bring a new Indisposition and Terror on our Souls, when we are newly come out of the Furnace. Let us beware, that we do not fall again into such hot and fiery Tryals as those are, which we have felt. Let us for ever be very cautious to avoid every thing that has the appearance, or the shew of Sin. And let us for e∣ver be jealous of our own hearts, and watchful o∣ver their most secret motions, seeing they have of∣ten, alas too often, betrayed us. Let us for ever ab∣solutely deny all the most pleasing Temptations of the Devil, as remembring that he is the Ene∣my of God; and remembring withal with what Cruelty and Pride that Enemy of our Salvation insulted over us when it pleased God to leave us for a season. Let us remember how he suggested dreadful and amazing Apprehensions to us; and let us no more come near the Den of Lyons, nor play upon the hole of Asps. We have felt the Arrows of the Almighty, let us not provoke him again to bend his Bow, and to set us up for a Marke of his Displeasure. It is not long since his Waves, and his Billows went over us; oh! let us not plunge our selves again into the deep Waters, nor cause him to frown, whose Frowns we have found to be so very terrible. Psalm 85.8. God the Lord will speak peace unto his People, and to his Saints: but let them not turn again to folly. It was indeed our folly to provoke so gracious a God; it was our folly to be indifferent and careless in our holy Duties. Let the Rod that hath made us smart, for

ever drive away that folly which was once bound up in our hearts. Doleful Experience, and Anguish, and Tribulation, has told us what a dreadful thing it is to sin. By the Judgments that we have groaned under, let us learn righteousness. VVe are come off the Rack with broken Bones, and with many Wounds, which our good Physician has been pleased to set and heal again. Let us not rebel against his Laws, lest we be put to the Rack again. 'Tis not in∣deed the Corruptions that are within us, that will bring us to it, unless we cherish and ap∣prove them when they entice us to what is Evil. Tho they war, if it be against the allowance of our mind, they will not interrupt our Peace with God. Let us not be secure; tho the De∣vil have left us, it may be only for a season, and he may return again with greater fury. Let us, during the comfortable quiet that we now en∣joy, be preparing our selves to resist and oppose all his Assaults for the time to come. Let us, tho we triumph through the Grace of God, remember that our Enemies are not yet fully overthrown; they are not ashamed of one de∣feat, but will rally their dispersed Forces, and come again: What did we think of Sin, when it had caused the Son of Righteousness to be cover∣ed with Clouds, that we could not see him, nor feel his vital quickning Beams for many days? What did we think of it, when it had set us on fire round about, and brought us to the very Gates of Hell; when it sunk, and overwhelmed, and terrified us every moment. Let us never henceforth begin to parley with an Enemy that

has used us after such a barbarous and cruel manner.

VI. After we are delivered from the dread∣ful Apprehensions of the Wrath of God, it is our duty to be publickly thankful. Psal. 66.16. Come, and hear, all ye that fear God, and I will tell what he hath done for my soul. 'Tis for the glo∣ry of our Healer, to tell the miserable Wounds that once pained us; and to speak of that kind hand that saved us when we were brought very low. 'Tis for the glory of our Pilot, to tell of the Rocks, and of the Sands; the many Dangers, and threatning Calamities, that he by his wise Conduct made us to escape; and to see us on the safe Shore, may cause others that are yet affli∣cted, and tost with Tempests, to look to him for help; for he is able, and ready, to save them as well as us. We must, like Soldiers, when a tedious War is over, relate our Combats, our Fears, our Dangers, with delight; and make known our Experiences to doubting, troubled Christians; and to those that have not yet been under such long and severe Tryals as we have been.

VII. The fears that we have had of God, and of his Wrath, must teach us not inordinate∣ly to fear any of those Evils that are of a lower nature. Others that have been all their days in ease and quiet; that have had no trouble of Conscience, or none for a long while together, may be afraid of temporal Evils, and inconve∣niences; but to us who have for a long time

been afraid of God himself, how flight a thing should the Wrath of Man appear! When we have been under his Displeasure that can kill the Soul, whit little cause have we to fear them that can only kill the Body? Others may be afraid of a small distress, of a little ill weather; but it does not become us to fear, who have been in so many several Storms for many months toge∣ther: when we have been afraid of Hell, there is nothing upon Earth that looks with an aspect so formidable: And if God have delivered us from the greatest Dangers, we ought to believe that he will save us from the lesser Troubles of our Life. Our Experience of so many terrible things, should fortify our minds against all future Afflictions that are not of the same kind. I shall close this part of the Verse with these two Advices.

1. If the Servants of God are obnoxious to such sad apprehensions of his Wrath; Then you have great cause to admire the Peace that is in the World: Many an one among his People is crying, The Lord hath forsaken me; His Wrath lieth hard upon me; and if all his People, if all whose Sins deserve his Wrath, should be all so sensible of it, and complaining and crying out in the like manner; oh! what a doleful Cry would that be! like the Cry that was in Sodom, when it rained Fire and Brimstone; like the Cry that was in Egypt, when they found all their First∣born slain! Oh what a change would appear in the World, if God should let out the sense of his displeasure upon all that have deserved it! this World would be like Hell it self; all Commerce

and Business would immediately fail; for what heart would men have to trade, to buy, or sell, if they did not know, but the very next moment they might be in Hell! It is one of the mighty Acts of Providence that maintains so great a Calmness in a very sining-World. For if he were not infinitely patient, if he should open the eyes of all men to see his unspeakable Maje∣sty, Holiness, Glory; and their Offences, and their Deserts, and their nearness to Destruction, and then suffer them, as he justly might, to be tortured with their guilty Thoughts, to be tempted, and overcome, and to sink into de∣spair, oh what Lyons and Tygers would men be •• they would tear themselves, and one ano∣ther. All, the Stilness of this Earth would be turned into Rage; all its Joys would be turned into gloomy Sorrows; and all its Laughters into Weeping and Wailing, and gnashing of Teeth; and all the Inhabitants thereof would be in An∣guish, and; curse their God and King. The most are for the present under insensibility; they do not see whither they are a going, nor feel the horrors that they are capable of: they are treasuring up wrath, and it is his goodness that it does not immediately fall upon their heads in burning drops: there is but a thin Parti∣tion between this World, that has in it so many several pleasant Objects, and that World of fla∣ming Torture, where all is dismal and uncom∣fortable; and if the Curtain were drawn aside, and men could look into that fiery Furnace, and the Wicked did apprehend that they were going thither, oh what consternation, what amazement,

what paleness would be seen on every Forehead that is now most proud and listed up 〈◊〉〈◊〉.

2. Pray to God that you may not fall into such Diseases, whereof Satan is apt to make very great advantage: and also pray that Satan may not be suffered to bring such sickness upon you as will indispose you for the Service of your Maker. It is of long and severe Afflictions that the Devil makes great use; and they do in their own nature lead to impatience, and murmur∣ing, and hard thoughts of God; and therefore they may be earnestly, but always with submis∣sion, prayed against: And tho, if you be natu∣rally melancholly, all the Prayers in the World will not change your: Temper; yet by them that black Humour may be kept from tyrannizing over you, as it hath done over many thousands: pray against all such Diseases as are not common to Men; and which being unknown cannot be relieved; and which by affecting your natural Spirits, may cause you continually to think, and with tormented anxious thoughts, so that you shall be a terror to your selves, unable to fol∣low your Calling; and yet by not affecting you so visibly as other Diseases do, expose you to the uncharitable Censures of your Friends, and to the Reproach of thers: as also may we pray against such Afflictions as do disturb our Rea∣son, that we cannot think, nor exercise our Fa∣culties as we used to do; as it is lawful to pray for the removal of Afflictions; Job 20.22. So also to desire, That his stroaks may not be over-heavy upon us; and that he would remember our frame, and how we are but dust. If we have been in

Diseases that have overwhelmed us, it is our duty to pray, and to use all imaginable care, that we do not fall into the like again; and to pray for others, that they may never fall into any such; for of all other Distempers, there is none so insupportable, and so terrible. When we beg new Favours of God for our selves, we must remember others, and wish that they may never feel what we have felt. Beggars (as one ob∣serves) when they crave an Alms, frequently use this for a Motive; That the Person of whom they beg, may be preserved from that misery whereof they themselves have had woful Expe∣rience. If they be blind, they say, God bless your. Eye-sight: If Lame, God bless your Limbs: if undone by casual burning, God bless you and yours from Fire. So we may say to our Redeemer; Lord, mayst thou never be put to fresh Agonies by the deep Distresses and Agonies of thy poor bleeding Servants: And to you that are good, we may say, The Lord pre∣serve your peace; The Lord bless you, and make his face to shine upon you; the Joy of your Lord be your strength; the Lord give you the sweet hopes and foretaste of Heaven; and we wish that you may never drink so much Wormwood and Gall as we have drunk; that you may ne∣ver see, and know, and feel such Terrors, and so much of Hell as we have felt. It is our duty, as I have said, to pray against such Diseases which have an influence for the most part upon the mind: though it would be a thought very Atheistical, to imagine, that all inward horror of Conscience comes from bodily distress; for

God, to whom all things are naked and open, can make immediate impressions of his Wrath upon the Soul, that shall fill it with sudden amazement and trouble; yet I verily believe, that of all the Christians that are under dreadful fears of Wrath, and in long Terror, there is not one in twenty but whose inward trouble comes ei∣ther from a Melancholly Temper, or from a multiplication of sharp and severe outward Affli∣ctions; and from these the Devil takes an op∣portunity to throw his fiery Darts, and to put them all into a flame. Those that know how great Temptations attend long-continued Affli∣ctions, will heartily pray against them; to which I shall only add two Questions, and so conclude this First Part.

Quest. If the Anger of God be but for a mo∣ment, what shall we think of those with whom he is angry to their dying day, and who dye in apprehension of his displeasure?

Answ. It is very true, his Servants may dye in these Circumstances: And it is to their poor Souls a very uncomfortable Passage; it is very sad to the Servants of God, for of such I speak, to go to Heaven, speaking in one sense the Lan∣guage of Hell: 'Tis a mysterious, and a very deep transaction of Providence, that is wise and good, though it be not understood; but many a Believer, even at last, in his dejected appre∣hensions, thinks himself an Heir of the Curse, that finds himself to be an Heir of Glory. Ma∣ny a time, as one said once by a Person dying

in trouble, the Sun sets in a Cloud, and yet arises in a marvellous Light: or as Mr. Dod said once to a Minister that ask'd him what he could say to one going out of the World, and had no Com∣fort; What, answered he, will you say to the Son of God himself, who, when he was dying, complained he was forsaken? It is, as I mentioned before, sad to the Person himself, and sad to his Rela∣tions, whom he takes his leave of in such doleful Expressions: His sorrowful departure may bring some of them also down to the grave in sorrow; but yet they may, after all their mourning, meet with joy in the great day; and their mutual sorrows at their parting may encrease their joy when they meet again: many an one dyes with a dreadful sound in his ears, as if he were a Reprobate, and a Cast-away, whom God will bless; and who, immediately after his dissolution, shall hear a comfortable Sentence: many an one does Satan pursue, and hunt like a Bird upon the Mountains, who shall arrive safely at his Eternal Home; where neither his Malice, nor his Spite, shall ever enter. Many an one wanders about here, like Noah's Dove, finding no rest, whom God will take into his Ark: And though he seem to be fallen into the very Belly of Hell, yet shall rise again in a blessed Immortality: And those Eyes which were closed with tears, shall in peace see the Lord: We must not judg such Persons, whose Troubles continue to the last moment of their Lives; for if they have been holy in their Con∣versation, they shall enter into rest; tho by a way that is very dark and frightful: Moses by the

Displeasure of God against him for his Provo∣cation, dyed, and came short of that Canaan which he very much desired to possess; but when he was in Heaven, he was fully satisfied; and in his God he met with all that he before could desire.

Q. 2. But suppose a person be distracted with the terrors of the Lord, and dye in that woful condition, the Anger of God towards such an one seems to be very great; And how is it consistent with his Promise, That all things shall work together for good to them that love him? A distracted person can exercise no Grace, can∣not think of God aright, cannot commit him∣self to Jesus Christ, nor put his soul into any fit posture, by Faith and Patience, for his Lord's coming.

Answ. This has a relation to the former Question; and what I then said, may give some answer to this; and indeed, all terror long con∣tinued in a sense of God's displeasure, is at∣tended with distraction. What Man can have his eyes opened to see God against him as he thinks, and to see Hell, as he thinks, preparing for him, and yet have calm and quiet thoughts! It must needs fill him with horror and confusion, it must needs eclipse his Reason, and put all his Apprehensions into an inexpressible ferment, to see himself so like to perish; He can mind nothing else, nor think of nothing else but his danger and his misery; this always returns, this always perplexes and overwhelms him.

I have met but with one that ever handled this Question, and because of his Judgment, his Learning, and the good report that he has in the Churches of Christ, I will give you the substance of his Answer.

1. This may be for the good of others. Is there not many a lesson that such as are not so af∣flicted, may learn from so sad a Providence? May not they learn more to admire the Goodness and the Mercy of God to them, that they are not in the like case? And it is so far good to the person himself, tho he discern it not, that he is used as an Instrument to promote the Glory of God.

2. It may (as he says) do him the same good as Death will; i. e. deliver him from the evil to come, from the beholding of such Sor∣rows on the Church, or on his Friends, as would have been a daily torment to him, and on which being deprived of the use of his Rea∣son, he cannot reflect with so great a grief as o∣therwise he would have done. Or,

3. By this means the Wise God may have prevented his falling into many such Sins and Temptations as might have been very hurtful to others, and have more defiled his own Soul: And who knows but this may be the case of the distracted Person? See Mr. Richard Allen's God∣ly man's Portion, p. 62, 63.

Thus, Reader, we have been travelling as through a Wilderness of Fiery Serpents: You have, as I may so say, born me company, whilst I have been shewing you how God leads his Children through a Desart, and the House of Bondage: And I hope it has not been without some profit to some poor Troubled Souls, for whose sakes especially I have so long insisted on this Subject. In the following Part shall, with God's Assistance, lead you to the brighter side of the Cloud; where you will not meet with things very Doleful, but very Pleasant.