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. XXXIII. The second sort of spirituall desertions, losse of comfort.

NOw I come to the other head of spirituall desertions, the eclipsing of the comfort of the soule; this is often∣times the sad case of the Saints; the sons of peace and consolation are often men of sorrows, cast from a Paradise of comfort, into a wildernesse of discom∣fort, wandring in a maze of perplexed thoughts, heavy cares, afflicting feares, bitter sorrows, and vexed with roarings and yellings of devouring beasts, yea, rent and wounded, and almost becom∣ing a prey unto them.

Before I come to treate of this mournfull state, in which the sweete streames of comfort faile, leaving the soule as a parched heath: I must pre∣mise some considerations, about the comfort of the soule.

• 1 The nature of it.
• 2 The cause of it.

• 3 The desectibility of it.

First, of the nature of it: It is a cheare∣linesse or satisfaction of the soule; the name sheweth the thing, Comfort is from a worda which importeth strength: and what is comfort, but strengthening of the heart; and it is ex∣pressed by strengthening in the Scrip∣tures. Psal. 27.14. Psal. 52.7. Psal. 104.15. 1 Sam. 23.16. Iob 4.4. Esay 35.3. and discomfort is the enfeebling of weakning of the soule, so that it can∣not walk in its way, but fals and faints: But comfort keepes her upon the wing, and maintaines, yea, increaseth her strength; it is the life of the soule: So when Naomi would expresse that Boaz should be a comfort to Ruth, she saith, He shall be the restorer of thy life, Ruth 4.15. For take away the contentment of the heart, and it dyeth: the damned live in hell, yet because it is a life with∣out comfort, they are said to dye, and their estate is reckoned a state of death; They are dead while they live; hence David calleth it quickning. Psal. 119.50. Thy Word hath quickned me: and

ver. 93. restoring of comfort to mourners is called reviving. I dwell with, &c. to revive the spirit of the hum∣ble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones. Esay 57.15. So it is said of Iacob when he heard of his Son, and saw the wagons which he had sent; The Spirit of Jacob their father revived, Gen. 45.27. Those words of Ezra are not un∣like; Grace hath been shewed, &c. that our God may lighten our eyes, and give us a little reviving in our bondage. Ezra 8.8, 9.

Comfort in a word, is that strength and life which the object contributeth to the heart: there is then a difference of comfort, according to the difference of objects. Every good thing which a man hath either in expectatiō or posses∣sion, yeelds a comfort proportionable to its worth, and a mans propriety in it; all good things in the world, are as the fence of the soule, or her fort against in∣vasions of feare, care, trouble, misery: so that as he that hath the best guard, strong and able souldiers, is strongest and safest; so the heart is so much

strengthened, as it hath of good: Then the best things yeeld the best comfort; as the freest fountaine yeelds the fullest streames. But for as much as not only the property of the object, but the pro∣priety also is the measure of comfort, therefore according to the degrees of enjoyment of God, so are the degrees of comfort; those in heaven being ful∣ly possessed of God, have a fulnesse of comfort; In thy presence is fulnesse of joy. Psal. 16.11. But the Saints in the world have but an imperfect comfort.

1 Not stable; sometimes it is gone, and a day of gladnesse is turned into a night of heavinesse, so that they com∣plaine as the Church, The joy of our heart is ceased, our daunce is turned into mourning. Lament. 5.15.

2 Not full; it is mixed with various feares and sorrows, which like waters of Marah flow into the soule. For though the object of comfort be suffici∣ent, yet the assurance and enjoyment of it is deficient, so that as the soule is com∣forted, because it hath God in a measure, so it is troubled because it wants still,

not being so sure and full of him as it desires.

There are three degrees of spirituall comfort.

1 Peace, when a man agreeth with himselfe, and is freed from that war and combustion which was within him by incursion of feares, and terrors of soul. This is a rest in the soule, a rest I say, but not from motion, but from commmotion and tumult; an uncomfortable state is a tumultuous state; My bowels boyled and rested not. Job 30.27. hee was like the Sea moving and working; it is a tempestuous condition. Oh thou afflict∣ed, tossed with tempests and not comforted. Esay 54.11. Comfort is the laying of the storme, the hushing of the winds, the stilling of the raging Sea. When a man hath comfort in God, he hath a twofold rest.

1 Mentall: While God is hid, the minde is agitated, and rolls to and fro to seek him, hunting and beating it self out in running after him, but when it seeth him, then it is quieted, and saith as David, Returne to thy rest oh my soul, &c. Psal. 42.7.

2 Cordiall: The heart sits in heavi∣nesse till it recover what it hath lost, unquietnesse abides with it, if the minde be puzled, the heart is troubled; if the Pilot be disconsolate, how are the pas∣sengers afflicted? what teares, what palenesse, what wringing, what fainting may one see there? what sighing, cry∣ing, howling, screeching may one heare? In such a troubled case is the heart, when God hides himselfe and will not be found; like Rachell weeping for her children and will not be comforted, because they are not: But when the soul seeth God then it is quiet, the cryes of the heart are stilled, her wound is hea∣led, her paine ceaseth, and all is calme.

[unspec 2] 2. Ioy: This is an higher degree of comfort; peace is negative comfort, joy is positive comfort, that is a cessation or mitigation of trouble, this is an high∣er contentment; that is like the laying of the storme, this like the breaking out of the Sun; a woman in travell, when paine ceaseth is at rest, but when a child is borne she hath joy, Iohn 16.21. A condemned man when he is pardoned,

is at peace, his feares and sorrowes cease, but if with his pardon he attaine preferment, he rejoyceth. There is a kinde of joy in peace, and so joy is the fruit of peace and rest, but still it is a far∣ther contentment than meere peace, sor∣row is turned into joy, Joh. 16.21. but first it is turned into peace; Ioy is the noone∣tide of comfort, and peace is the morning; peace is a returne to it selfe, after that it had beene tossed and driven from its de∣sired state, joy is an ascent above it self; peace is a rest within it selfe: joy carrieth the heart higher, it is a kinde of elationb, which if it be strong is called exultation, which is a kinde of valting and leaping of the mind, yea a leaping out of it selfc: peace is contentment when the heart is bounded by its condition, and is not ef∣fused, and poured out of its owne chan∣nell, as the river is when the chanell is too scant or not passable; but joy is an enlargement of the heartd: It is called

enlargement of heart, Psal. 119.32. the heart opens it self, and is filled with the thing it loves.

[unspec 3] 3. Triumph and glorying, which is joy elevated, and it consisteth in two things.

[unspec 1] 1 A victoriousnesse and magnani∣mous conquest of heart over all things; when the heart is raysed to this pitch of comfort in God, all the world is brought under a man, and the greatest evills cannot daunt; There is such a gradation as we speake of Rom. 5. We have peace towards God, ver. 1. we rejoyce in hope, ver. 2. and not onely so, but we glo∣ry in tribulation also, ver. 3.

[unspec 2] 2 A boasting and holy vaunting of heart; the word which is used by the Apostle for glorying, importeth a jet∣ting, or strutting of the neck,e it is often used by the Apostle for boastings, as 2 Cor. 9.2. Rom. 2.17.23. Chap. 11.18. 2 Cor. 10.8, &c. A man boasts when he is full of that which he thinkes excellent, and to adde worth and excellency to him; when a man counts it not onely happinesse but honor to have such a God,

and is not onely not ashamed of him, but in his account magnified by him; when he is able to hold up his spirit a∣gainst the proffers and terrours of the world, and doth professe to heaven and earth amidst all blasphemies, jealoufies, threats, sufferings, glory, which is in the world, that God is good, sufficient, worthy of all love, feare, and trust: I say when the heart comes with undaun∣tednesse and full contentment, sets God against all, this is a holy boasting of God, or in God; like that of David, I will blesse the Lord at all times, his praise shall continually be in my mouth, my soule shall make her boast in the Lord, Psal. 34.2. In God we boast all the day long, and praise thy name for ever, Psal. 44.8. Psal. 64.10.

Notes

• First, the nature of comfort.
• It is a cheareli∣nesse of soule.
• a

  Consortari
• Of, A strength of soule.
• Three de∣grees of comfort.
• 1. Peace.
• Ioy.
• b

  Gaudiū a 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Ios. Scalig in Con∣ject.
• c

  Exultatio est gaudium gestuosum, ab ex & salto. Becm∣de orig. lat. ling.
• d

  Laetus, qu. Latus. Ʋt moerore contrahimur, sic & gestimus gaudio. Sen. Laetis diffunditur per universum cor∣pus calor, ac plus foris motus ejus essertur, ut tristibus intro. Galen l. 3. de causis pulsuum. Apud Cornel. a lap. in Proverb. 17.22. Dilatatur affectus per delectationem, quasi se tradens ad continendum interius rem de∣lectantem. Aquin. 1.2. q. 33. a. 1.
• Triumph, and that in two things
• Victori∣ousnesse of spirit.
• Boasting in God.
• e

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, ab 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, ab 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Cervix.