Three treatises, being the substance of sundry discourses

CHAP. V.

How the Soul comes to wander from God: Of divine Permission in this Case: Discou∣ragements pretended: The heart pleased with something else more then God.

1. THe first is, Divine Permission: God pleaseth to leave his people much to themselves, for ends best known to himself; and oh, what work is made when this wilde Boar is let into the Gar∣den? How doth he trample and tread down? What spoil doth he make, when he is got into the place where he most gladly would be? How did God let him in upon Job? so that his thoughts by visions in the night troubled him; how was he tost in his spirit? Solomon, how did the Devil run away with his understanding? and

carry him almost into a total forgetfulness of God, that no good man I think ever since the Creation did run so desperate a race as he did? God was rooted out of his heart, as it were, he giving himself up to fulfil the lusts of his eyes and of his mind with all his might; but in the end he cries out, Vanity of vanities, all is vanity and vex∣ation of spirit. Certainly it were better the Devil had power to run away with our estates and liberties, then with our thoughts, keeping them in captivity, and as the steers∣man of our minds ordering their motions at his pleasure. Some mens understand∣ings (by the mighty workings of these principalities and powers) are as swiftly carried to imaginations of evil, as Eagles when they fly to dead bodies, or as any creatures when they make haste to their prey. You shall see a man, when he is in this case, all his thoughts are beneath Hea∣ven, and they roul up and down the world, and pitch sometimes here, sometimes there, as things suit, but are separated from God, and he cannot get off: but as Jael strook a nail into the head of Sisera, and fastened him to the ground; so mens thoughts and minds are fastened to something in the world, that they cannot deliver them∣selves.

This is a woful day indeed, when God will not be seen; when God saith of a man, as David of Absalom, Let him not see my face. Truly if this be the condition of any, that their understandings are ridden by the Devil, and carried away from God; go to Christ, confess and humble your selves, seek his face, who is the Father of spirits, and hath command and power over Devils, that as by permission he hath suffered the unclean Spirit to enter, so by his command∣ing word he may say to them, Come forth, that your understandings may be free for their proper work; for he only can cast down imaginations, and every thing that ex∣alteth it self against the knowledg of God, and bring into captivity every thought into the obedience of Christ, 2 Cor. 10.5. Many may complain as Job in another case, Chap. 17.11. My days are passed, my purposes are broken off; even the thoughts of my heart; or as it is in the Margin, the possessions of my heart are broken off: as if a man should say, I had thoughts of Jesus Christ, I was wont to have sweet apprehensions of my Father, which took me much; God was wont to take up my Soul, and my mind was wont to be contentfully possest with the medita∣tion of him; now these possessions are gone, and broken off. Pray then as David,

Psal. 119.37. Turn away mine eyes from be∣holding vanity; or, make mine eyes to pass, that they be not held to gaze upon vanity, but that I may run with freedom the Race that is set before me, having God still in mine eyes.

2. A second cause of this great fault (not having our eyes bent and fixt on God) is Discouragements: Indeed Discourage∣ments are called, a weakening of the hands, in Jer. 38.4. Melting of the heart, Deut. 1.28. Breaking of the heart, Numb. 32.7. All to shew, that a man under discouragements is made unfit and unmeet for service.

1. Says one, I like this well, and you speak to my heart, when you speak of this eying and minding of God, and my wishes keep pace with the Rule; I am ready to say, I would it were so with me; but the work is too hard for me, I find no strength to it.

Answ. Suppose you do not; indeed commonly the best things are hard; though this be hard, yet it's a necessary work, and you must never plead necessity against Du∣ty: You are bound to it; all Law requires this. Is it hard? but is it not good? doth not the work pay you wages? My medita∣tion of him shall be sweet, saith David.

Again, You say it's hard, but not so hard

as is pretended; and all the hardship that is in it, we have brought into it; let us not then complain; though we sweat at the work, let us be willing to do it. And re∣member what I tell you, though you have lost the command you had over your spirits, yet if you be in Christ it's in part restored to you. You see how you can send out your understandings, and how they can shout out thoughts upon other things; and will you not use a command over them in this, in directing them toward God, for the beholding of him? What is the renew∣ing of your mind, but the giving it a power∣ful propensity to move towards God, and the things of God? If then you are in part re∣newed, the difficulty is in part removed: You have reason therefore, in regard of the necessity and sweetness of the work, to set your minds to it.

Besides, Your minds are swift of motion; you should not speak of difficulty, when in an instant you can start from Earth to the highest Heavens.

Again, When you look to God and Je∣sus Christ, you look to one that opens to you: If you draw near to God, he will draw near to you; If the Journey be long, he will meet you more then half way: Isai. 64. He meets them in the way that rejoyce, and work

righteousness. So that if you set to the work, you are not like to be as one that launcheth out into the deep Sea, where he sees no bounds; or like one in a Desart, wandering alone on foot; but you go forth to one, that comes forth to you.

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