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THe first sort of desertion, is in regard of spirituall life and grace:
Concerning this maladie and sick∣nesse of the soule as it is reall, I will treat in this order:
First of the state, which may be thus described: Then wee are deserted of God, when he suspendeth or withholdeth the arbitrary and wonted influence of the spirit of Grace.
That I may more perspicuously ex∣presse the thing, I will take this descrip∣tion in pieces, and explaine it in the parts of it. In the description are two things that require opening.
The Act is Gods suspending, it is a ne∣gative Act, a not giving, or putting forth that which was wont to be; it is not the taking of any thing from a man which was inherent, but a denying of somthing that was assistant; it is not ataking out, but a not putting ••n: as when a cock is stop∣ped or turned, there is no diminution of water in the vessell under it, but onely no addition, the vessell is not made emp∣tier, but not fuller; or as a child when he is set downe out of his Fathers armes, is weaker, yet not by any losse of his perso∣nall strength, but by the withdrawing of his fathers help: The Father takes not
away any of his childes ability, but de∣nyeth his owne aide; so God when hee deserts his servants, withdraws himself and his Spirit, yet so, as that wee must conceive it, not to be a spoiling them of what he had planted in them, but a not conferring of that assisting Grace which he was wont to give, this will be a little more cleare in the next thing.
The next thing in the description is the object, or the thing which is with∣holden from a man in this case, which is the Arbitrary or wonted influence of the Spirit of Grace, here are three things in the object to be observed.
1. It is the influence of the Spirit of Grace. The presence of the Spirit is one thing, and the influence is another, there may be the former without the latter, the influence may be abated, but the pre∣sence never faileth. As the soule in the body is ever equall in her habitation, but not in operation, her power not acting, yet her presence continuing.
2. It is the Arbitrary influence of the spirit which is Suspended, There is a two∣fold influence of the spirit.
The necessary influence of the spirit, is never denyed, and it is that which God affoords his people.
[unspec 1] 1. God is ever present to uphold his Saints in life, that though diseases may molest them, yet their feet shall not bee moved, they shall not sinke. Psal. 66.9. As that hand of power which wrought in the creation, workes still in the preser∣vation of all things, Iohn 5.17. so the spirit workes still, and by a Divine power supports the new creature, so that it shal not fall back into its first nothing. Da∣vid found this hand of God, staying him in the midst of all his weaknesses. Never∣thelesse I am continually with thee, thou hast holden me by my right hand. Psa. 73.23. Psal. 17.5.
[unspec 2] 2. So that life being wrought by the spirit of life, never dyeth; and as the spi∣rit worketh alway to the conservation of spirituall life, so it worketh ever to the growth of grace; a Christian is ever
growing, he groweth when he seemes to himself and others to stand at a stay, yea to decline, hee groweth alway really, though not apparently, nor equally; as there are seasons in nature, so in grace; Grace hath her springs and Autumnes: but as nature is ever tending to perfecti∣on, so grace is ever ripening and increa∣sing, yea even in tentations and deserti∣tions; when God seemes to leave his people, he is about the worke of perfe∣cting the new man, as in the lopping of a tree, there seemes to bee a kind of di∣minution, and destruction, yet the end and issue of it is better growth; and as the weakning of the body by physicke, seemes to tend to death, yet it produ∣ceth better health, and more strength; and as the ball by falling downeward, riseth upward, and water in pipes de∣scends, to ascend, So the new man when it seemes to decay is still carryed on by the hidden Methods of God to encrease; the plants are as wel profited by the nip∣ping blasts of winter, which cause not onely the fruits, but the leaves also to fall, as by the warm beames of the Sun
in Summer: a Christian is a member of a thriving body, in which there is no Atrophie, but a continuall issuing of spi∣rits from the head, Eph. 4.16. Col. 2.19. every part is supplyed by the effectuall working of the Spirit of Christ, so that the influence that tends to life and growth is necessary, and certaine.
But there is another influence of the spirit which I call Arbitrary, which is given and with-held according to the pleasure of God.
This is assisting grace, or Gods gra∣tious concourse with that habituall grace which hee hath wrought in his people. I call it arbitrary, because though all grace depend upon, and flow from his good pleasure, yet in this God is free, hee hath more absolutely promised to conserve and encrease holinesse than to quicken, actuate and excite that princi∣ple of life: this he doth with great va∣riations according to his good pleasure, being more mightily present by the working and actuall aide of his Spirit to some than to others, yea more to the same man at some times, and in some conditi∣ons
than in others, sometimes the same Christian is as a burning and shining light, sometimes as smoaking flax; the Spirit bloweth where it listeth, Iohn 3. sometimes he fills the soule with fuller gales, sometimes again she is becalmed, a man hath more at one time than at another.
Actuating assistanceh is that by which God carrieth his people, to action and fruitfulnesse, causing that inward seede which he hath sown to bud and beare.
This, God worketh first by exciting and blowing up that latent sparke of grace in the heart; Grace is an active thing, yet needs to be excited, because of the indisposednesse of the subject in which it is; as fire though it be apt to burne, and is very active, yet when it is in wet wood, it needs blowing up, be∣cause
it meeteth with strong opposition in the subject, wetnesse of the wood which gives checke unto the active spi∣rit of the fire: and (besides this contra∣riety in us, in whom the flesh lusteth a∣gainst the spirit, so that without assist∣ance we cannot do the Good that we would. Gal. 5.17.) there is an externall impedi∣ment, Sathan assaulting with all possible quench-coales, that he may cast a damp upon the soule.
Therefore we need to bee quickned by a continuall influence;i and this God is pleased to give to his servants; Ieremie found this working of the spirit to quicken and stir up his graces which began to flagge, impatience and passion began to stifle his zeale and readinesse in his ministery, but God came in to help him, and blowed up the sparke, so that (saith he) It was in mine heart as a bur∣ning fire shut up in my bones, and I was weary with forbearing, and I could not stay. Jer. 20.9. When this is denyed, there is much deadnesse and dulnesse, and slum∣ber in the soule, that a man shall see it is not with him as in former dayes, when
the Lord was more graciously present, and assistant to him.
[unspec 2] 2. By enabling to act. It is not enough that God hath given habituall grace, or that we be excited, and come to the bud and blossome of holy desires, holy dispositions, and holy resolutions, but we need still the help of his power, that these blossomes faile not, but that we may bring forth the fruit of action; as in a tree there is a seminall vertue of bearing, yet except it be helped by the influence of the heavens, it cannot bring forth fruit. It is God that giveth not onely to will, but to doe, Phil. 2.13. There is a power of God which worketh in those that beleeve, Eph. 1.19. Col. 1.18. and according to the working of this power, is a Christi∣ans fruitfulnesse: when God is pleased to put forth his hand to take hold of him, to draw him, and enable him, hee runnes with joy and speed in the wayes of God; his affections are enflamed, his heart is prepared, and he is apt to doe good, and receive good, and walkes with delight with God; but when God shuts in his wonted mercy, then hee walkes
heavisy, and now his soule is full of complaints, I would, but cannot: there are desires, and good inclinations, but they come not to perfection; the soule conceiveth, and travelleth with purpo∣ses, and saith, I will looke to my wayes that I offend not, I will pray more, and mourne more, and doe more, but it wants strength to bring forth: therefore the godly cry for help, which they need not, if they had a sufficiency in them∣selvesi.
[unspec 2] 2. Assistance is to regulate, and order a man in doing good. This is necessa∣ry, for often there is much readinesse, and life, and aptnesse to doe good, but yet much failing in the manner of it: the same spirit therefore that directs to what wee should doe, tea∣cheth how to doe it. How often are the godly in that case, that they would faine humble their soules, and afflict them themselves, yet know not how to doe it? How often bent to other duties, yet know not how to doe them in a spirituall mannerk? What the Apostle saith of one duty is true
of all, Wee know not how to pray as wee ought, Rom. 8.26. Therefore the spirit helpeth our infirmities, and by a graci∣ous conduct, leads us, that wee walke aright; as the Master guides the hand of a young writer to write according to his copie; and as the father in leading his childe, drawes him, because he is unwilling; helps him, because hee is weake; guides him, because he is apt to lose his way, so God is said not one∣ly to draw, Cant. 1.4. Ioh. 6.44. and to help, Rom. 8.26. but to order, and direct his people, Psal. 37.23. Psal. 119.133. 2 Thes. 3.5. A Ship may be rigged, and have a fitnesse to saile, yet it wants a winde to move it, and a Pilot to guide it.
3. Assistance is to corroborate, and fortifie in some eminent difficulty: As suppose a man mightily assaulted by some strong lust, armed with occasion, opportunity, and Sathans strong po∣wer, in such a case God is wont to un∣derprop and shoare up the soule with strong aide: also how should a bruised reed stand against such a
blastm? As a father when he seeth his childe like to be devoured by some ra∣venous creature, makes supply of the childes weaknesse by his own strength. The Apostle Saint Paul was in some great temptation, Sathan had shot some arrow at him, but God suffered him not to fall, but told him, His grace should be sufficient for him, 2 Cor. 12. At another time Sathan tooke up other weapons, assaulting him with the ter∣rours of troubles, and of death, hee brought in an Emperor against him, whose power and majestie hee thought might have daunted him, but God was a pillar of strength to him, that hee was not moved: All men left him, but God did not leave him, The Lord stood by me, and strengthened me, 1 Tim. 4.17. In Afflictions also this assistance is wont to be afforded, and in hard seasons. The same Apostle also found God here; he was put to many an hard shift for his living; he passed through nakednesse, and hunger, and thirst, and want, which
was able to have broken the heart of a man, but saith the Apostle, I am able to doe all things through Christ that strengtheneth me, Phil. 4.13. Thus God is wont to stand by his servants in hard brunts; but when he comes not with supplyes and aid; they faile and faint; temptations overcome them, distresses overwhelme them, difficulties daunt them. Thus wee see what that arbitra∣ry influence of the spirit is: but there is another thing to be observed, that De∣sertion is a suspension of the arbitrary influence which wee were wont to enjoy. For note, there is a twofold influence, or assistance.
The extraordinary is, when in some extraordinary case, God comes in with more abundant help, leading the soul in triumph over all assaults, mightily corroborating; not onely valiantly to withstand them, but also gloriously to conquer them. This as it commeth up∣on extraordinary occasion, so it ceaseth
usually with it: and the ceasing of it is not Desertion.
[unspec 2] The ordinary assistance, is that which usually a man hath in the course of his life; when this is abated and with∣drawne, then a man is deferted. When a man is not what he was wont, not so cheerfull, ready, constant in doing good, when hee doth not, nor can doe as hee was wont, as time hath beene, when hee lived more with God, but now his heart is fallen from that hea∣venly communion with him; he could formerly mourn bitterly in the remem∣brance of his finnes, but now the heart is frozen, and cannot relent; he could have prayed with much affection, and holy boldnesse, but now the heart is cooled, weakened, straitned, indispo∣sed, &c. When it fares thus with a man, he is Deserted.
But here I will adde a few Adver∣tisements to guide the judgement in this point of Gods withdrawing his assi∣stance.
1. God never denyeth it wholy to a faithfull soule: though some degrees of
divine help be denyed; so that the soul languish in a sort, and sinke into a state of deadnesse and dulnesse; yet there is life, and that both habituall and actuall. Gods clock never stands, there is no such deliquium gratiae, no such swoun of the new man in which all acts do cease. It may be so ill with a Christian, that he may fall from his first love in the acts of it, in a great measure. Apoc. 2.4, 5. He may be much impaired, that there may leeme to be but the remaines of what was before, and these remaines also may be ready to dye, Apoc. 3.1, 2. But God will not quite depart, he will keepe the root, and the seed of God shall remaine in him, 1 Ioh. 3.9. Yea and the husband man is ever in some mea∣sure dressing, and pruning, and watering the branches of his vine, Iohn 15.2. Esay 27.3. So that though they may beare lesse fruit sometimes, yet at all times they beare some; a Christian may doe lesse, but still he doth something; for though he may lose some help from God, yet not all.
If hee cannot beleeve with that ful∣nesse
of assurance, and joy as before, yet he can pray; or if he cannot pray as he hath done, yet he can sigh, and groan, and mourn. As a spring under ground, if it be stopped in one place, breaks up in another; so the Spirit of Grace, if it be stopped in some parts, yet it shew∣eth it selfe in others. Though the sunne yeeld not an equall comfort to the plants, yet a constant comfort; it retires sometimes in part, never wholly; yea God often withholds his quickning virtue from some one grace, for the per∣fecting and quickning of another: hee sometimes leaves faith in a poor estate, so that it may be much darkened and clouded with unbeliefe and Atheisme; to raise up feare, to awaken to watch∣fulnesse; to enrich with spirituall pover∣ty, that the soule may mourne more se∣riously, and seeke more earnestly after God: sometimes he takes off his hand that held downe some present lust, and suffers it to shew it selfe in monstrous shape and rage, to pull down pride, and advance humility, and put the soul more to seek to be strong in God.
[unspec 2] 2. It is not every degree of suspension of assisting grace, that layeth a man in this forlorne estate, as one forsaken of God; but Desertion is an eminent abate∣ment of it: so that there is an eminent de∣cay of affection and fruitfulnesse, and an eminent, increase of darknesse and lust. As a child cannot be said to be forsaken of his father, when hee abateth some∣what of the height and fulnesse of his maintenance, but when he keeps from him things necessary, suffering him to wander up and downe, to goe ragged and torne, pinched and wasted with hunger and cold, and not relieving, though the sonne sue and entreat him to pitty him; Then you may say God hath deserted you, when he leaves you under the pressures of unbeliefe, and the power of corruption, and yet though you cry and call, supplyes are restrai∣ned, and you are suffered to walk in the valley of the shadow of death.
[unspec 3] 3. Desertion is not to be judged by an indisposednesse, and deadnesse partiall, but universall. Not all suspension of grace makes this mournfull state; for
as I have shewed, sometimes God hides himselfe from one part for the quick∣ning of another, and may be most abun∣dantly present, where he seemes in great measure departed, as I shall shew here∣after. But when a man is overgrowne with deadnesse, which spreads over the whole man, that a man is now lesse in af∣fection, lesse in action, yea unmeet, un∣willing, unapt to all good, and the means of good, being abated in all his former life and lustre, then he is deserted; there maybe indisposednes to fome duties, frō sundry causes, but when a man is lesse in all, then he is in this wofull state.
[unspec 4] 4. Not every interruption of commu∣nion with God, not every present di∣stemper and indisposednesse, argueth God to have withdrawne himselfe: There may be cold blasts, stormie wea∣ther, troubled aire, darke clouds in the spring, yea in the summer season. A man cannot conclude from some pre∣sent chilnesse, or benummednesse of spi∣rit, or from some stormes of impetuous lusts, that he is deserted. The deadness of a deserted soule is not a transient, but
an abiding deadnesse; not a slumber, but a sleepe; not a fit, but a state of spirituall benummedness. As a mother is not said to forsake her child, that goeth away and returnes quickly; so Desertion is not a present short abatement of Gods quickning presence, but a continued cessation for some space of time: it may be long.
The first kind of de∣sertion is a suspension of the arbi∣trary and customary influence of the spi∣rit of grace
Here note, 1 The act, suspensiō, a negative act, not ta∣king away, but not gi∣ving, &c.
2 The ob∣ject, 1. not the pre∣sence, but influence of the spi∣rit.
2 Not in∣fluence which is necessary to
Sustenta∣tion.
Augmen∣tation.
But the ar∣bitrary in∣fluence, which is
Assisting grace.
Cum nullū agens secun∣dū agat nisi in virtute primi, sitque caro spiritui perpetuo re∣bellis, nonpo∣test homo li∣cet jam gra∣tiam conse∣quutus, per seipsū••perari bonū et vi∣tare peocatū, abs{que} novo auxilio Dei ipsum moventis, dirigentis, et protegen∣tis, quamvis alia habitualis gratia ad hoc ei necessaria non est. Vid. Aqui. sum. 1. 2ae. q. 109. d.g. Cumel. varias disput. t. 3. disput. 2. conclus. 1. & dub. 1. conclus. 2. optime Parisiens. c. 1. de tent. & resistent. & Alvarez de auxil. grat. disp. 88. num. 6, 7. &c. 1. By exciting.
Which is 1 to actu∣ate.
〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. Odys. 3.
By ena∣bling.
Quid stul∣tius quam orare ut fa∣cias quod in potestate ha∣beas? Aug. de nat. & grat. c. 18.
To regu∣late and direct in working.
Remanet quaedam ig∣norantiae ob∣scuritas in intellectu secundū quā (ut etiā di∣citur Rom. 8.) Quid oremus si∣cut oportet nescimus; propter va∣rios enim rerum even∣tus, & quia no sipsos non perfectè cognoscim{us}, non possum{us} ad plenum scire quid nobis expe∣diat, ideo necesse est ut à Deo diri∣gamur & protegamur, qui omnia novit, et om∣nia potest. Aqui. sum. 1.2ae. q. 109. a. 9.
3. To cor∣roborate in difficulties
Cum via dura fuit; jam tum mihi currere visus,— plus homine est. Vas fragile mentis no∣strae, quo gratiae the∣saurus con∣tinetur, gra∣vioribus tētationibus saepe con∣cussum, tan∣dem frange∣retur, nisi auxilits di∣vinis fulc i∣retur. Greg. de Valent. t. 2. disp. 8. q. 1. pun. 6. Dei est eum qui stat sta∣tuere ut per severanter, stet, & eum qui cadit restituere. Concil. Trid. sess. 6 can. 13. & 22. ibid. vide etiam plura. ibid. & apud Aqun sum. 1. 2ae. q. 109. a. 10.
Assisting grace, I ex∣traordi∣nary.
Ordinary.
Note, 1. it is never wholly denyed.
Desertion is onely when the abatemēt of life is e∣minent.
When the deadnesse is univer∣sall.
When the deadnesse abides on the heart.