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. V.

Answering some Objections; and of the further doleful state of a deserted Soul; and whence it is that God is pleased to suffer a very Tempestuous and Stormy Night to come upon his Servants in this World.

Obj. 1. YOƲ make a great deal of noise and pother about desertions, and God's for∣saking of the soul; and it is nothing in the world but Fancy or Imagination, and the whimsies and the fumes of Melancholly.

Answ. It is no new thing for us to hear such Language from Atheistical and Prophane People; from men that are covered with ignorance and sloth: With ignorance, because they know not the ways of God and his dispensations; and sloth, because they will not search into the Me∣thods of his Government. To grant them for once, that it is Imagination, it is not the less tormenting because it is so; for a Man that strongly imagines himself to be miscrable, is truly miserable; if a man think himself un∣happy, he is so, whilest that thought remains: But then they would do well, could they but once obtain of themselves leave to consider a little; they would find reason to suspect their own foolish Objections. Who was a Man, as ap∣pears by what we read of him, more distressed with the sense of God's Anger, than David? yet

he was of a Musical and a pleasant Temper, of a Ruddy and a Sanguine Constitution. Do they think that such a great Prince as Job was, was led meerly by humour and by fancy, when he complains so much of the Arrows of the Almighty? Or, that Heman, Asaph, and many others, were men of no clear understandings? It is their ignorant Pride that makes them to talk so boldly of the Judgments of God which they do not understand; but if ever their Con∣sciences be awakened with a sense of guilt, they'll find, in what I have now discoursed, something more terrible than Fancy or Imagi∣nation.

Obj. 2. You take a way to discourage men from all Religion. If it be such a mournful business, it is better to let it alone, and to rejoyce and to be merry, and to take our ease and our plea∣sure. Go by your selves to Heaven, if you will, we'll joyn our selves to more chearful Compani∣ons; we see those that are gay and brisk, that know no sorrow while they live, and that dye in peace: and to their Assembly we will unite our selves. In Answer to this, I desire such to consider, That it is not our Religion that is the Cause of our sorrows; but our wandrings and our deviation from it. If we were always obe∣dient, we should have an Eternal day; our hea∣venly Father chastises us because we are unduti∣ful; and he does not delight to grieve the Children of Men; and even in these necessary Corrections, he carries on a profitable design for our future and final good. 'Tis true, this 〈2 pages missing〉〈2 pages missing〉

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is nothing but anguish of Conscience that draws up a process against it self, that presents it self as before the Tribunal of God, without hope of pardon or escape; and the weight of Moun∣tains would not be a load so heavy as this; it is a night wherein we are kept waking with our danger, whether we will or not. Wicked men, tho they have as great a burden, yet are not sen∣sible, they feel not the bitterness of sin; they are like fishes bred in the Sea, that tast not the saltness of the water; they are like swine, that find something agreeable to their meaner appe∣tites, even in that which is most nauseous to other Creatures. When they sin, they feel not the weight of it, for it is their nature to do amiss; their iniquities are like waters, that are not hea∣vy in their own Element; as Intellectual joy is most refin'd, pure and durable; so is the trou∣ble of the mind of all others most troublesome. Job 6.2, 3. Oh that my grief were throughly weighed, and my calamity laid in the balance toge∣ther; for now it would be heavier than the sand of the Sea, therefore my words are swallowed up.

2. 'Tis attended usually with great pain of body too, and so a man is wounded and distrest in every part. There is no soundness in my flesh, because of thine anger, says David. The arrows of the Almighty are within me, the poyson whereof drinketh up my spirit, Job 6.4. Sorrow of heart contracts the natural spirits, makes all their motions slow and feeble; and the poor afflicted body does usually decline and wast away; and therefore, saith Heman, My soul is full of troubles, and my life draweth nigh unto the grave. In this inward

distress, we find our strength decay and melt, even as wax before the fire; for sorrow, that is an ingrateful languor of the soul, darkneth the spirits, obscures the judgment, blinds the memory, as to all pleasant things, and beclouds the lucid part of the mind; causes the lamp of life to burn weakly: In this troubled conditi∣on the person cannot be without a countenance that is pale, and wan, and dejected, like one that is seized with strong fear and consternation; all his motions are sluggish, and no sprightliness nor activity remains. Prov. 17.22. A merry heart doth good, like a Medicine; but a broken spirit drieth the bones. Hence come those frequent complaints in Scripture: My moisture is turned into the drought of Summer: I am like a bottle in the smoke: wy soul cleaveth unto the dust: my face is foul with weeping, and on my eye-lids is the shadow of death, Job 16.16. Job 30.17, 18, 19. My bones are pierced in me, in the night season, and my sinews take no rest; by the great force of my disease is my garments chan∣ged. He hath cast me into the mire, and I am become like dust and ashes. Many times indeed the trouble of the soul does begin from the weakness and indisposition of the body. Long affliction, with∣out any prospect of remedy, does in process of time begin to distress the soul it self. David was a man often exercised with sickness, and the rage of enemies; and in all the instances almost that we meet with in the Psalms, we may ob∣observe that the outward occasions of trouble, brought him under an apprehension of the wrath of God for his sin, Psal. 6.1, 2. and the reason given, ver. 5, 6. all his griefs running in∣to

to this more terrble thought, That God was his enemy; as little Brooks lose themselves in a great River, and change their name and nature; it most frequently happens, that when our pain is long, and sharp, and helpless, and unavoida∣ble, we begin to question the sincerity of our estate towards God, tho at its first assault we had few doubts or fears about it. Long weak∣ne s of body makes the soul more susceptible of trouble, and uneasie thoughts.

I would have more largely insisted on the troubles of a deserted soul, but that I find them so excellently described by Dr. Gilpin in the second part of his Learned and Experimental Treatise of Sa∣tan's Temptations, and to that I must refer my Reader; as not knowing any other Book that does with so much exactness and truth set forth these inward and Spiritual afflictions. I now proceed to enquire why God suffers such a night, so tempestuous and so frightful, to come upon his servants?

1. That they may be conformable to Christ. As they are tempted and distress'd, so was he; as it is with their souls a season of darkness, so was it also with his holy soul, that was full of amaze∣ment under a sense of God's wrath; tho he ne∣ver despaired indeed, as many of his servants are apt to do under the violence of sorrow, Isa. 53.3. He was a man of sorrows, and acquain∣ted with grief: When he was so sadned for our sakes, 'tis reasonable to think that we should sometimes taste of the bitter cup, and not al∣ways rejoyce and be at ease. If God spared not his only Son, why should we expect to feel no∣thing

thing but what is very mild and gentle? And our Lord has told us, The world shall rejoyce, but you shall be sorrowful, Joh. 16. from v. 20. to v. 22. The sufferings of Christ were to give a satisfaction to the Divine Justice; ours are not to be lookt upon with such an eye; by these terrors and desertions we learn to value and esteem the love of Christ, who was pleased to redeem us when it cost him so very dear, and who was pleased not to decline the field of Battel, tho it was not to be managed without vast labour, and a mighty pain. And says the Apostle, Rejoyce, in as much as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings, 1 Pet. 4.13.

Secondly, Another reason may be, Because our fall and our ruin came by pleasure. A delight it was, tho a very short one, that made our forefather Adam Apostatize; and it is equitable that we should be cured by something contrary to that which occasioned our disease, seeing our joys are dangerous; he makes our grief and sor∣rows to be healthful and Medicinal.

Thirdly, 'Tis a very proper season wherein to be sorrowful. Among all the other excellent ap∣pointments of Providence, this is one, That there should be a time to weep, Eccles. 3.4. There is in this weeping-night nothing strange or un∣couth; all our fathers have in some respect passed under a Cloud, and a Cloud that has dis∣solved in rain, and which has given to the good Pilgrims much trouble as they went along. 1 Pet. 2.6. Now for a season ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations. 'Tis no more strange to see mourning in the Church on Earth, than

to see storms or snow in Winter; every thing is beautiful in its season; and so this affliction is. The night is useful to the world, tho not so pleasant as the day; our sickly state will not admit us to have nothing but what is grateful to our pallats; the wise God therefore, many times, instead of very pleasant things, confers the best upon us; we must allow the Great Master of the Family to maintain its order, prosperity, and welfare by his own methods; to chastise us when, and how, and as long as he pleaseth; for his strokes, tho very smart, yet are still very just; and it is in order to some better thing that he designs for us, that at the present we are made to grieve; for grief, as one observes is an im∣perfect passion, not made for it self, but for some higher use; as also, all the rest of the declining affections are; as Hatred for Love, Fear for Con∣fidence. and the like; and so Sorrow for Joy, unto which it is subservient; as launcing and searing are not for themselves, but for ease and remedy; and a bitter potion is not for sickness, which it may cause for a time, but for health; so Sorrow is made for Joy, and Joy is the end of Sorrow; and God, we may be sure, will have his end.

IV. To shew his own Soveraignty both in affli∣cting and comforting. He causes such a Prince as Job to sit upon a Dunghill, in anguish and trou∣ble, whilest another sits in unclouded Glory on the Throne. He pulls down one, and sets up an∣other; and does whatsoever he will in Heaven or Earth; 'tis the withdrawing of his Spirit

that is an occasion of mourning to the soul; and he variously acts upon it; for tho he deny not what is absolutely necessary to the being of the Christian; yet he many times does not vouchsafe to give what would make it very comfortable; he upon wise Reasons does many times suffer the hearts of his people to be over∣whelmed with sorrow, when he could make them brim-full of joy; as in nature he lets the Earth gape for thirst, when he could immedi∣ately refresh it with seasonable showers. Who in all this mysterious variety of his Administra∣tions, can say unto him, What dost thou? Some Countries are desert, barren and forsaken, burnt up with scorching heat, and fill'd with Beasts of Prey; and others are inhabited and fruitful, and greatly blessed, and he sees fit to have the parts of his Dominions thus qualified. Some does he draw with the sweet savour of his Oint∣ments; they perceive nothing but what is grate∣ful and refreshing; but others he sorely terrifies with the greatness of his Power, his Holiness and Majesty; and they never eat, nor live with pleasure. The Captain of our Salvation causes some of his Soldiers to meet with much more formidable dangers than others do; they have more sweat, and fatigue, and toil, and painful duty, tho he will be sure himself to help them when they are ready to give way; the manner of his dispensations to his servants is various, both in life, and at death. Some are chastned all the day long, and with sore pain upon their beds too, whilest others have no pain at all; some go drooping to the Grave, bowed down with his

displeasure, whilest his favour and his gracious eye makes others to go smiling thither. Enoch and Elias had a pleasant Removal from the world; very short, and very glorious was their passage hence; but the most part of men groan a long while before they are called away; and then he does it to shew his own Power, that when the wound appears to be desperate, he can give a cure with a word. When the night is fullest of horror, he can bring the reviving day. When the storms are highest, he need but say to the waves, to our doubts, and our fears, Be still, and immediately there is a calm: What is not a God, and so great and so good a God able to do! He that produced from a meer Chaos, this beautiful and pleasant World, need only say to us in the middle of our doleful darkness, Let there be light, and it shall be so. Job 5.18. He maketh sore, and bindeth up; he woundeth, and his hands make whole; in acknowledgment of this Sove∣raign Ability it is that David prays, Psal. 51.8. Make me to hear joy and gladness, that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice. Why so? had not Nathan told him, That his sin was pardon∣ed? Yes; but all the testimonies of men are no∣thing without the inward witness of the Holy Spirit. God has committed to men the admini∣stration of his Word, but reserves the Spirit to himself; that Spirit which gives consolation to our hearts, and peace to our Consciences. When Mary and Martha were in sorrow for their Bro∣ther's death, 'tis said, Joh. 11.19. Many of the Jews came from Jerusalem to comfort them; but they received no comfort till Christ himself came thi∣ther.

Notes

• Natural History of the Passi∣ons, p. 152.
• Dr. Gil∣pin's Trea∣tise of Temptat: Part 2. p. 296.
• Dr. Har∣ris's Serm. p. 277.