The case and cure of a deserted soule, or, A treatise concerning the nature, kindes, degrees, symptomes, causes, cure of, and mistakes about spirituall desertions by Jos. Symonds ...

CHAP. XXVII. Motives to seeke recovery, taken from necessity.

SEcondly,* 1.1 as your recovery is possible, so when you feele a decay of spiri∣tuall life, this is no state to berested in;

• for it is sinfull.
• for it is hurtfull.

1 It is sinfull.* 1.2

[unspec 1] 1 Consider what becomes of that pre∣cious talent, * 1.3 and trust of worth which lyeth in your hands? doth it not lie dead by you?

[unspec 2] 2 Where are you in such a case, * 1.4 are you not sleeping in Meshek and in the tents of wickednesse? is not thy heart gone out from the presence of the Lord? are not other Lords in Christs throne? is not thy way a way of spirituall whoredome, robbery, disloyalty, &c? are not other gods set up in the temple of the living God? are not you found with Saul against David? are you not departed and gone afar off?

[unspec 3] 3 Either you know that it is thus or ••it; if not, then what stupidnesse, * 1.5 what carelesnesse, not to misse him who is your Lord, your husband, your father, your life? if yea, then to rest without him, is to despise him highly; what do you but chuse Egypt and her calves, be∣fore Canaan and the arke, and presence of the Lord? What doe you but set God, his Son, his Spirit in the dust, to be trampled upon by every vanity, and every base lust? to cast off the yoke of Christ, to serve the beast••; yea, to cast downe the crowne of Christ, and to make his throne the foot-stoole of his enemies?

2 It is hurtfull,* 1.6 and it must needs bee hurtfull that is sinfull.

[unspec 1] 1 it cuts off the comfort of the soule; * 1.7 ••he Sun shines not bright when the ayre ••s full of cloudes, and the Spirit is not a comforting spirit, where it is not a quick∣••ing spirit; you may enjoy for a time some contentment in the creature, but ••hen these trees shall wither, when these fountaines shall cease, or be im∣bitered, then what will you doe? you

cannot finde comfort in God, w•••• you are far from him.

[unspec 2] 2 All things are dead when you 〈◊〉〈◊〉 dead: * 1.8 a dead man loseth with himse•••• all things, and all things die to h•••• when he dyeth in himselfe.

[unspec 1] 1 When you are in this case, your 〈◊〉〈◊〉 ceptive and active power is weak•••• you cannot so well comply with 〈◊〉〈◊〉 meanes of life, there is a great unsut••∣nesse; as water that is frozen is no•• capable of impression, nor so ap•••• move as before, a weak man can•• live upon his food, as he was wo•••• the wheeles of a Clock that are ••l••∣ged with dust cannot run well; th•••• must be some fitnesse in the recipien•• joyne with the agent; wet wood 〈◊〉〈◊〉 not enkindle so soon as dry woo•••• living heart will finde that to be effe•••• all, which a dead heart findes but 〈◊〉〈◊〉 shadow; those promises, those ••••∣cies, those duties, those though•• which raise others with much po•••• are but as the blasts of winde upon 〈◊〉〈◊〉 rocks to you, those meanes which 〈◊〉〈◊〉 as the waters of Nilus, which ma••••

••••e land rich in fruits, are to you but as ••inter showres, which bring up no∣••••ing.

[unspec 2] 2 The power of God is the life of all, though you had as much life as an An∣gell, and had the food of Angels, yet ex∣cept God be in it, you will not thrive: the ordinances are called the power of God. Rom. 1.16. 1 Cor. 1.24. be∣cause they are the instruments of his ••ower: now we know the power of the ••nstrument depends upon the agent; the plough is fit to cut the ground, but the skill and strength of the husband∣man must guide and move it: if the An∣gell of Gods presence move not in these waters, they will not heale; All meanes are nothing, it is God that giveth the en∣crease. 1 Cor. 3.7. therefore there is no safe resting in such a state without God.

[unspec 3] 3 The heart groweth worse and ••orse: * 1.9 as the dead body groweth more and more corrupt; this should awaken you; if you get not, you lose.

Consider 1. What a change this is: you did converse with God, and now

with devils, you were Christs freemer, now drudges to Satan and your lust•• you had Eagles wings to soare alo•••• and now you are like the Serpent that creeps on his belly and licks the dust thy soule was beautifull as a pleasan•• palace for the King of kings, and no•••• it is a dungeon of darknesse, a sepulchre•• a prison, a den of uncleane spirits; 〈◊〉〈◊〉 the vast difference that is betwixt a•• man enjoying God, and a man forsake••; and to this consider, that it growe•••• worse and worse, your bondage en•• creaseth, your lusts grow, the palla•••• groweth more ruinous, the dungeo•• darker the den fuller, all goeth downe•• ward, worse and worse.

2 Your case groweth more incurable 〈◊〉〈◊〉 the heart groweth harder, the min•••• blinder; Satan is ever working, he lo••∣seth no time, and you may be carried out so far into an ocean of sins, and mi∣series, that it will be hard recovering land againe; the continuance of sinne leaves so deep a dye, as sometimes will not out till death; when the temple was sorely wasted and spoiled and lay

••••ng in ruines, though in time it was built up againe, yet the second temple was not like the first; therefore you hurt your selves much by carelesnes: stir up & awaken your selvs, be not willing∣ly worse and worse, suffer not that to a∣bide, which when it hath entrenched it selfe, will not without much difficulty be beaten out againe, and when you have wearied your selves, it may bee you will not be able to raise your spi∣rits to their old vigour; diseases hanging long, leave often such impression, that nature seldome gets up: the fire of the second temple some Jewes say was not like the fire in the firsti 1.10.

[unspec 4] 4 You may have a worse time to seeke unto God then now: if age, if sicknesse, * 1.11 if captivity, if poverty, if any misery come, then it will be an ill time to finde thy heart so out of frame to have banks to mend, when you have lesse time, esse help, lesse strength, and when also he winds are high and the seas un quiet

breaking in upon you, is to be taken i•• an ill time: consider this, you must be better ere you dye, you must build u•• the ruinous house within; if you neglect these times of rest, you may be forced to do it in a hard time, when you must work by day, and watch by night, car∣ry a toole in one hand, and a weapon 〈◊〉〈◊〉 the other; if you have a journey 〈◊〉〈◊〉 take, you will take the fittest season, now is your summer, walk in the ligh•• while you have it; now you have th•• help of strength, health, friends, ordi∣nances, prosperous estate; you will find when these are gone it will be a sa•• thing to have this work to doe.

[unspec 5] 5 God will fetch you in, * 1.12 if you come not, he will shake thy soule with feares, and drop bitternesse into thy spirit, o•• send outward afflictions upon thee to vi∣sit thy carelesnesse upon thee. Physici∣ans (they say) in the cure of the Lethar∣gie, doe sometimes put the patient into a feavour; when Ephesus lay in such a stupified condition, Christ came with a sharp medicine, I wil come unto thee quick∣ly, & fight against thee, &c. Apoc. 2.4, 5.

afflictions will stir you: when God lay∣••th on the rod, you will feele that it was a bitter thing to neglect him, then your heavy eyed and sleeping consci∣ence shall hit you home, and as the yong Lions roare and yell, so shall the thoughts of your hearts fill you with a cry like unto that of the Propher, Hast thou not procured this unto thy self in that thou hast forsaken the Lord thy God, when he led thee by the way? Jer. 2.17. and now it will put you in minde of running to your pleasures and sinfull vanities, as the Prophet doth; Now (saith he) what hast thou to doe in the way of Egypt, to drink the waters of Sihor; or what hast thou to doe in the way of Assyria, to drinke the waters of the river? thine own wick∣ednesse shall correct thee, and thy backsti∣dings shall reprove theek 1.13: know there∣fore, and see that it is an evill thing and bitter, that thou hast forsaken the Lord thy God, and that his feare is not in thee. ver. 18, 19. My brethren, if the word will not, the rod must; learne then to a∣voide blowes; if counsell draw you, you ••ay escape, but the rod is for the back

of fooles; if you come not in, expe•• some sad messenger; God will do•••••• Absalom with Ioab, who set fire on i•• corne, because hee came not when he sent for him. 2 Sam. 14.29, 30, 3•• Therefore while the season is calne put forth, and seek to regain what you have lost.

6 God is not well pleased when he•• witholdeth himselfe; when he estrarg∣eth himselfe, and is not with you, it is a signe that hee is angry. Remember those words of Moses, Numb. 14.4, 42, 43. When you goe to fight again•••• the Canaanites and Amalekites, your lusts and tentations; you cannot prosper. Because ye are turned away from the Lord, therefore the Lord will not be with yo••. And how doth the Church bewaile the displeasure of God against her? Thou hast cast us off and put us to sham, and goest not forth with our armies. Psal. 44.9. It is true, that sometimes out of his soveraignty and absolute dominion•• he may doe this, but yet the thing in i•• selfe is a signe of disfavour, therefore i•• is not safe to abide in such a case; le••

then your relation to him, the knowledge of his power, the sweetnesse of his fa∣vour, your love to him, the kindnesse which he hath shewed you, put you up∣on a study of reconcilement, that you may enjoy your former happinesse, and his ancient loving kindnesse.

According to the presence of God with you,* 1.14 the proportion and measure of spi∣rituall life will bee; as the more the plants have of the Sun, the more they thrive. All the efficacy of ordinances, and all the activity of grace depends upon this: as the house of Obed-Edom was blessed and all that pertained to him when the Arke the signes of Gods pre∣sence was with him, 2 Sam. 6.11, 12. so great prosperity of soule is there where God hath his abode, and where he puts forth his power and spreads his quickning vertue upon the soule: were it not an happinesse to be inriched in grace, and to have your grain of mustard seed growing up unto a tall tree? Awa∣ken your selves and fall to thinking of this matter,* 1.15 why are you willing to live so poorely that might live like Princes?

and to creep with the snaile, when you might mount as Eagles? let me sug∣gest a few incentives to quicken your spirits.

[unspec 1] 1 If you have but little, you can doe but little,* 1.16 for nothing can exceed the spheare and compasse of its ability; much grace makes strong to worke, and abundant in working; a full spring makes a full streame, much grace gives much wil∣lingnesse, and as your willingnesse is, so is your strength; I say not that strength and willingnesse are alway equall, for I know a godly mans will is beyond his power, and he cannot doe what he would. Gal. 5.17. but yet by how much the more the heart is prepared, by so much the more it is enabled; the greatest part of the impotency and deadnesse of unregenerate men is this, that they are unwilling and averse unto God, and dis∣affection bindes them as in chaines, that they cannot walke with God; and the strength of a godly man lyeth most in his will: what is the strength of lusts in others, but the will? what is the strength and courage of a souldier but a strong

will? what is the bounty of a liberall man but a large will to doe good? This will be then your advantage, you will doe more when you have more, and the more you doe, the greater will your re∣ward be; He that soweth sparingly shall reape sparingly, and he that soweth bounti∣fully shall reape bountifully, 2 Cor. 9.6. Every man hath a large field to sow in, for the world is as a field to every man; therefore get much into your garners, that you may now sow much, and reape much when the harvest commeth.

[unspec 2] 2. Your works will be more perfect and compleat, if you have much; * 1.17 every thing workes as it is; there is a great difference betwixt the worke of a child, and of a man; When I was a child I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a childe, but when, &c. 1 Cor. 13.11. Actions are the births of habits; and the childe will carry the likenesse of the Father; if the spring be affected with an ill quality, so will the streames also; a man that hath but little of his trade and art, cannot make compleat worke, but his worke will carry a print

of the weaknesse of his skill. A famous Painter comming to his friends house, and not meeting with him, would not leave his name, but with his pencill drew a line, and bad the servant shew his master the line, and when he came home and saw it, he knew whose hand it was. The Apostle tooke care to raise up the bounty of the Corinthians to such a height, that something might be done that might be excellent and honourable, 2 Cor. 9.5. So that all that you do wil be more mature and excellent: by how much the more grace you have, and the more perfect your actions are, the better will your reward be, they shall have more praise with God: and your desire should be, that all be done exactly.l 1.18

[unspec 3] 3. * 1.19 The more grace is raysed in you the sweeter will your way be; and that,

[unspec 1] 1. Because there will be a greater agreement betweene your spirits and your worke, and rule; what is the cause of that wearinesse in dutym 1.20, and backwardnesse to it, but a disproportion betweene you and it? when your hearts are more pre∣pared you will be as a smooth bowle in

a smooth way which runneth with much ease and few rubbes.

2. There is a sweetnesse in doing good, and the more you are able to doe the more sweetnesse you have; the deeper you digge, the more treasure you shall finde; every action spiritually perfor∣med casteth a reward upon the soule, it is like the pressing of grapes, his labour droppes in that which is better than wine: the waies of God are as beds of spices, the more you walk in them, the more they requite you with sweet de∣lights and inward refreshments; all the waies of wisedome are waies of plea∣santnesse, Prov. 3.17. Here motion is rest, as in the heavens, their perfection is their motion; Gods waies are large, the soule is most free and at greatest li∣berty in them.n 1.21

[unspec 4] 4. The lesse grace the more corrupti∣ons; this is the nature of contraries which admit no middle thing, * 1.22 to partake of either, that where one is not, there the other is, and the losse of one, the more of the other, as the lesse light in the ayre, the more darknesse; now so farre

you are miserable as you are sinfull; it is not immunity from calamities, but from sinne which makes happy: and what calamity is not upon him that hath many and strong corruptions? thinke of all evills in the world, and you shall finde them meeting in such a one; his lusts are all evills, and containe all in their bowells, feares, sorrowes, wants, warres, chaines, wastings, sick∣nesse, &c.

[unspec 5] 5. The greater measure of grace, brings in more comfort,* 1.23 little grace will bring but little joy.

[unspec 1] 1. The soule is not so capable; much grace makes capacious; a little vessell cannot receive much;* 1.24 a small candle cannot give much light: The same pro∣mises are sweetest to the heart that hath most of God; the same food is sweeter to a healthfull strong man, than to a sickly, weake man; the godly here have the same objective happinesse with the Saints in heaven, but not the same sub∣jective happinesse; they are more hap∣py in heaven, because they are more ca∣pacious and take in more of God.

[unspec 2] 2. The lesse grace, the lesse evidence of truth, and of Gods favour; as a letter written in small and imperfect letters is not so legible as that which is written with more full characters;* 1.25 you will be troubled to spell Gods love out of weak and low graces; what is grace but a seale and stamp of God upon a man? the more visible the seale is, the more assurance it yeelds; when a plant is in the sprout, you can hardly discern what it is; but when it riseth up into a tree, it sheweth it selfe fully: gold in the Oare cannot be discerned by every eye; but when the earth and drosse is taken away, then it is apparent; in a cloudy night the little starres are hid, but the greater are more easily seene.

[unspec 3] 3. Comfort is usually given as a re∣ward; they that are very holy,* 1.26 and walk much with God, in much love and hea∣venly mindednesse, do usually exceed others in comfort; Acts 9.31. They being edified walked in the feare of the Lord, and the comforts of the Holy Ghost. Though sometimes the best and chiefe of the Saints come short in comforts,

yet I say, that they have cause more than others, and it is by accident that they rejoycenot; either they mind not what they have received, or they are under a darke cloud of unbeliefe, which cuts off the light of joy from them; but whose fault is it? the promise lyeth faire for them, and they have a greater ad∣vantage to beleeve than others, because with the promise they have a pledge.

[unspec 6] 6. That little which you have, is for this end left defective,* 1.27 that labouring with meekenesse you might seeke continually for more: God hath so orde∣red the conditions of his people, that he will have them live in a perpetuall dependance, and come daily to the throne of grace for almes; and more encourage your selves, for God is on the giving hand, the dayes of the gospell are dole-dayes, he hath reserved better things for his people now, than he gave in former daies; the Church of the Iewes was a child in Minority, and had lesse, Gal. 4.1. But in these times hee promised to poure out his spirit more abundantly, Ioel 3.28. Which though

it was literally fulfilled, and more emi∣nently in the comming of the Holy-ghost upon them, Acts 2.17. yet it extends it selfe unto all the Church unto the end, Acts 2.39. So the Apo∣stle acknowledgeth an abundance of grace upon the godly afterward. 2 Cor. 8.7. Ephes. 1.8. Tit. 3.6. These times are also times of affliction and trouble, and God is wont in such times to give much of himselfe, therefore seek to abound, and to this end, labour to recover your selves, and to gaine the good presence of God with you, which you have lost.

Notes

• * 1.1

  2. Motive. It is not to be rest∣ed in.
• * 1.2

  1. Because it is sinful.
• * 1.3

  Talents lye dead.
• * 1.4

  Where are you?
• * 1.5

  If you know not your case, [unspec 1] it is stupid∣nesse, if you know and yet restit is wickednes.
• * 1.6

  Secondly, it is hurtfull.
• * 1.7

  Comfort cut off.
• * 1.8

  All things dead. Nil misere vivit me moriente mihi.
• * 1.9

  The heart groweth worse.
• i 1.10

  Ignis super altare cuba∣bat sicut 〈◊〉〈◊〉,quia vis ejus extincta erat, at in priore templo, erat igni•• ist•• sicut le••. C••naeus de rep. Hebr•• l. 1. c. 14.
• * 1.11

  You may have worse times for seeking of God.
• * 1.12

  God will fetch you in if you come not.
• k 1.13

  Peccatum est spiritui sancto locus quasi diale∣cticus, & medium ad conclusio∣nem contra peccantem. Vid. Paris. de libel. divin. c. 25.
• * 1.14

  3. Motive. As Gods presence with you is, so is your life.
• * 1.15

  We should not be con∣tent with little.
• * 1.16

  Because if you have but little, you can doe but little.
• * 1.17

  Your workes will bee more perfect.
• l 1.18

  Perfectum esse nolle de∣linquere est. Hieron. Epist. 1. de vit. solit. laude.
• * 1.19

  Lesse sweete.
• m 1.20

  Lassitudo est deficien∣tia virtutis moventis. Scalig. de subtil. ex∣ercit. 76.4.
• n 1.21

  Libertas voluntatis est amplitu∣do &c. Gi∣bieuf. de li∣bert. Dei & creaturae l. 1. c. 1. Iniquitas ar∣cta est, sola innocentia lata est. Aug apud eund.
• * 1.22

  More cor∣ruptions.
• * 1.23

  Much grace brings much com∣fort.
• * 1.24

  It makes the soule capacious.
• * 1.25

  It gives more evi∣dence.
• * 1.26

  Comfort is the re∣ward of grace.
• * 1.27

  The end of what you have is to put you to seek more.