Comfort & counsell for dejected soules.: Or a treatise concerning spirituall dejection. In which is handled, 1 the nature 2 the working 3 the grounds 4 the remedies of spiritual dejection. And in which is held forth, satisfaction to some particular cases, and generall advice for any soule who is cast downe. Being the heads and sum of divers sermons preached to a particular congregation from Psalm 42. last. By John Durant, preacher of the Gospel, and pastour of a church of Christ in Canterbury.

CHAP. 2.

Satisfaction to dejected soules, labouring under the feare of the truth of grace.

BUt alas! say some, who are cast downe, our doubts are not so much about a worke of grace; As about the truth of grace. I doubt (saith a soul) whether my grace be true;* 1.1 some worke I have had, and something is brought forth, but I question whether it be not counter∣feit.

Albeit this fear bee almost the same with the former,* 1.2 yet because I find some dejected soules making it a distinct doubt. I shal therefore speak distinctly to it. And in order to the satisfaction of a soule cast down, and discovering its selfe in this feare, I shall offer two things, viz.

Something

• 1 More generally,
• 2 More particularly.

First, More generally, I desire such dejected soules, as are troubled about this fear, to con∣sider 3 things.

First, Consider, counterfeit grace doth not use to suspect it selfe, neither is it willing to be tryed. He that doth evill commeth not to the light; nay, he hateth the light, as tis John 3.20. But he that doth truth, commeth to the light, &c. Sure∣ly it may secretly hint that thy grace is currant, sith thou desirest its tryall: were thy grace counterfeit (as thou suspectest) it would desire concealement, at lest, it would not put thee on to suspect it.

Secondly, Consider, its a mercy to have a sus∣pecting spirit. Many soules are deceived, and damned for want of this. Satan lyes secure un∣der an imperfect, and pretended worke of grace. You read of a spirit of slumber in the Scripture. God hath given some up to the spirit of slumber, Rom. 11.8. There are foolish Virgins, who presume, and sleep, and sleeping perish. Christs spirit where it is, is a spirit of fire and burning: Now fire that tryes, Christs spirit is like a re∣finers fire: Its a mercy to have the spirit of re∣fining, and trying; whereas its a judgement to be selfe-confident, not at all suspicious, It ar∣gues the spirit of slumber. But▪

Thirdly, Consider, tis possible for one truly gra∣cious to conceit that his grace is but counterfeit. As children conceive brasse is gold, so sometimes they conceit gold to be brasse, Its strange to ob∣serve the strength of conceit, especially in depth of Melancholly. Peradventure oh soule thy fear is but conceit! Surely we see sometimes Hypo∣crites, conceiting in their joyallity, that their counterfeit grace, is true. And why may wee

not thinke? (nay, by experience we find) some∣times, truely gracious hearts conceiting their grace is counterfeit. But these considerations are onely general▪ Therefore,

More particularly, that I may satifie such dejected fouls, as doubt the truth of their grace, I shall lay down these conclusions.

First, Many souls doubt the truth of their grace because of their wrong way of tryall. There are false Touch-stones, which may make pure gold suspitious, as well as make brasse appeare as gold. To instance, its a false and deceiving way of tryall, to try the truth of grace by conquest. My meaning is, to conclude that my grace is not true, because I am sometimes conquered by corruption; its a wrong way of conclusion, and a false touch-stone of tryall. Paul had truth of grace, and yet sometimes he was conquered, and carryed captive, and sold (slave-like) by sinne, Rom: 7.14. So likewise a constant equall undaun∣tednesse, in owning of Christ,* 1.3 and cleaving to truth, is a false touch-stone, or fallible way of tryall. Tis true the righteous is bold as a Lyon; but this is not at all times alike. Peter had truth of love to Christ; and yet he was not so undaun∣ted alwayes: His deriall is knowne well e∣nough. So that now (to apply this to our pur∣pose) it may be (Oh dejected soule) thou tryest thy grace the wrong way. Thou sayest thou art conquered oft; and led captive many times; Bee it so, thy grace may be sound for all this. Those that scome the Turkish power, may sometimes bee (slave-like) in his

Gallies: And a loyall subject of Jesus Christ, may be sometimes overtaken, and taken, and sold Paul-like under sin. But

2 In judging the truth of our grace, we should ra∣ther eye its quality, then its quantity. As now faith, the truth of that is seen, rather in its quality, then in its quantity. There may be a faith big enough to remove mountaines, and yet FALSE (as is deduci∣ble from, 1 Gor. 13.2.) And there may be a faith no bigger then a graine of mustard seed, and yet TRƲE. Little faith, and true faith, may go to∣gether. Peradventure O soule thou art grieved to see thy grace so little, and that makes thee feare tis false: but know this thy feare is foolish. The least dust of gold, is gold; and the least grain of grace, is grace. In judging thy grace (O de∣jected soule) know thou shouldest eye its qua∣lity, not its quantity. And in order to this,

Thirdly, know, That grace is true which is diffusive. I would aske thee O soule! (that doubtest thy grace is counterfeit) whether it be diffusive yea, or no: though it be little, doth it spread it selfe? Is thy little in head, and heart too? Hypocrites have much in the head, little in the heart. But see O soule, doth not thy little spread; Is it not leaven? doth it not leaven thee all over? Is it not in thy will? thou wouldest: and doth it not spread to thy desire? thou desi∣rest: And because thou canst not, doth it not leaven thy sorrow? Is not that sower (or rather sweet) dost not grieve because thou carst not doe, as thou wouldest and desirest? Do not O soule murder thy selfe: I meane kill thy com∣fort

by not witnessing to the truth. Cannot you see, and say, your little grace is diffusive. Surely if it be, you need not doubt its truth, and you should not say tis counterfeit.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Case.
• * 1.2

  Satisfacti∣on.
• * 1.3

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, and ver. 23. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. i. e. captivated or lead in∣to captivi∣ty, as by a C••nquer∣our; and sold in a market.