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But especially speak and converse with the promise; hear what the promise speaketh; the Lord by it saith, that no temptation shall overtake you," but what is common to men." 1 Cor. x. 13. Oh! say you, never any one was troubled with such temptations as I am, but saith the apostle, say not so, "for no temptation hath overtaken you, but what is common to men." You think that your temptation is extraordinary, and the truth is, that is a second temptation at the back of the first; it is a temptation to think that my temptation is extraordinary, yet say you, Oh! my condition is extraordinary, my affliction extraordinary, and my temptation extraordinary; but, says the apostle, "no temptation hath overtaken you, but what is common to men. You think that you shall never be able to bear your temptation. Oh! say you, I am a poor weak creature, my temptation is strong and great, therefore I shall never be able to bear it. But says the apostle, "God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able." Again, you think that you shall never be rid of this temptation, Oh, say you, I have been tempted thus and thus long, and no deliverance comes, nor any likelihood of deliverance, surely therefore I shall never be delivered: but the apostle saith, "God is faithful who will with the temptation, make a way for escape. He will give an outlet, open a door and window, that this smoke may go out. It may be that you see not this door, it may be out of sight; so the door of the ark was in the time of the flood, but when the ark was built, the door was built. So when Satan built this temptation, God did build a door in the sides thereof, and in due time you shall see it. But may I be sure of that, you will say? Yes, as sure as God is faithful, for he hath pawned his faithfulness for the truth of this promise. "But God is faithful," says the apostle, "who will with the temptation, make a way for escape." Oh! that that men would mind the promise more and all the words thereof. They are so hurried sometimes with the temptation, that they cannot hear the promise. But is all this true? Oh, then attend the promise, hear what the promise speaketh.

Consider also what comforts lie behind your temptations; as temptations sometimes lie in ambush behind your performances, so comforts lie in ambush behind your temptations,

and as the greatest temptations do sometimes follow the highest manifestations of God's love (witness the 3rd and 4th chapters of St. Matthew), so the greatest consolations do sometimes follow the worst temptations. When did the angels minister unto Christ, but when he had made a good dispatch of temptations? So it shall be with you also; for Christ was tempted, that by his example and issue of temptation, he might succour you under your temptation. Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and what end the Lord made with him, he had twice as much after the temptation was over as he had before; and if you ride out this storm, assuredly the good angels will come and minister to you, and your consolations shall be doubled unto what ye had before. Wherefore, my brethren, take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in this evil day, and having done all to stand; and so much for the fifth instance.

SERMON IX.

A LIFTING UP IN CASE OF DESERTION.

Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me," &c.-Psalm xlii. 11.

VI. SOMETIMES the discouragements of the saints are taken from their desertions, spiritual desertions.

And this was David's case here, for, saith he, verse 10, "As a sword in my bones, mine enemies reproached me, while they say unto me, Where is thy God?" And verse 9, "I will say unto God, my Rock, why hast thou forgotten me?" And this is the ordinary case of God's children: Oh, saith one, the Lord hath forgotten me, hid his face from me, and hath forsaken my soul, and therefore I am thus discouraged. I do not complain for want or loss of outward mercies and blessings; yea, though all the world should forsake me, I should not be much afflicted, if God and Christ were present with me: but times were, when the candle of the Lord shined upon me, when I walked, as I thought, in the light of his countenance; but now the Lord hath hid

his face from me, and hath left and forsaken my soul. Have I not just cause and reason to be cast down now, and to be much disquieted?

No. I grant, and it must needs be granted, that it is a most sad thing for a gracious heart to want the face and presence of God and Christ, to be deserted and forsaken by Christ; yea, I do not know any thing, or any affliction, that is so afflictive to a gracious heart, as this: for, take any other affliction, and though it be great, yet it is but a particular affliction, the loss of some particular good, and the putting out of some one candle, or the hiding of some one star; but if Christ hide his face, and God withdraw or hide. himself, it is the darkening of the sun, which brings an universal darkness upon the soul; and it embitters all other afflictions, for as the presence of Christ sweetens all other comforts, so the absence, or forsakings of Christ, do embitter all other sufferings, and cut off all our relief and remedy against them. So long as the face of God shines upon a poor soul, he may run to Christ, and relieve and help himself against his affliction. True, my friends forsake me, my relations forsake me, but Christ hath not forsaken me: but if God and Christ forsake, where shall a man relieve or refresh himself in this stormy day? And as those sins are greatest, that cut off our relief against other sins; so those afflictions are greatest, that cut off our relief against other afflictions. Such is this: of all afflictions, it looks the most like a judgment to a gracious soul. "O Lord (saith David), correct me not in thine anger, nor chasten me in thy hot displeasure," Psalm vi. 1. When God hides his face, and forsakes the soul, he seems to correct in anger and in hot displeasure. Herein a christian doth, as it were, combat with God himself: he fights with men sometimes, and then he is more than a conqueror, because Christ fighteth with him and in him; he fights with Satan, principalities and powers, and then he doth overcome, because Christ is with him: but oh, saith the soul in this desertion, God is mine enemy here I must fight it out hand to hand with divine anger, and what shall I do now, how is it possible that I should now escape? The truth is, this affliction above all others seems to draw a curtain over all our comforts, and to put an end unto all our spiritual joy. What birds sing in the winter time? Some

are gone, they sing no God's countenance is our Show me that saint that is I confess it is possible for

may, but ordinarily they no not. If you walk abroad in the winter time, and hear no birds sing, and one say to you, What is the reason of this deep silence? two or three months ago, when we walked in the fields, every wood had its several music; how sweetly did the birds sing then, but now they are all silent: what is the reason? you will easily answer, Aye, then indeed it was summer time, then the sun shone upon them, and so they sang; but now the warming and enlivening beams of the sun more. Beloved, the light of spring, desertion is our winter. able to sing in this winter time. a man to do it, and some there are. Habakkuk was one that learned this song of faith; but how few are able to sing and rejoice when God hides himself. No, saith the soul, two of three months ago the Lord shined upon me, and then I could sing indeed; but now God and Christ is gone, and so all my songs are gone, and joys are gone, and I fear I shall never see them again, or rejoice in Christ again. It is said of Mary, that when she went to Christ's sepulchre, she wept; and though the angel came to her and said, "Why weepest thou?" yet she continued weeping, the presence of an angel could not comfort her. Why? Oh, saith she, "they have taken away my Lord, and I know not where they have laid him." Would it not grieve a prince to be dispossessed of and to lose his crown; to be made like an ordinary man? This presence of Christ is the crown of a christian; and therefore when God had forsaken the church, as we read in Lam. v., she complained, verse 16, "The crown is fallen from my head." Why? verse 20, "Wherefore dost thou forget us for ever, and forsake us so long a time?" Verse 22. "Thou hast utterly rejected us, thou art very wroth against us." Take away the presence of Christ, and ye set a christian among the ordinary rank of men and must he not needs be troubled when his crown is thus taken from his head? I have read of a religious woman, that having borne nine children, professed that she had rather endure all the pains of those nine travails at once, than endure the misery of the loss of God's presence. And indeed this affliction of God's forsaking a man, is so great, that if a man feel it not, I even fear it is because he is forsaken indeed. But now,

though there be never so much gall and wormwood in this cup, yet the children of God have no reason to faint at the drinking of it; no just cause or reason yet to faint, or be discouraged, or cast down.

How may that appear?

1. For the clearing of this truth to you, ye must know, that God, or Christ is said to forsake a man, either in regard of his power, grace or strength, or in regard of the comfortable feelings of his love, either in regard of union or in regard of vision. 1. In regard of union he never forsakes his own people. 2. In regard of his power, grace and atrength, he never forsakes them totally. And, 3. in regard of vision, or comfortable feelings, though he do forsake for a time, yet he will return again. And if all these be true, have they any reason to be much discouraged? For the first, ye know what is said, John xiii. 1, " Those whom he loves, he loves unto the end." As for the second, ye know what he saith also, Heb. xiii. 5, "I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee." "We are kept by the power of God unto salvation," 1 Pet. i. 5. And as for the third, hath not the Lord promised, Isaiah liv., that he will return again with advantage? Verse 7, " For a small moment have I forsaken thee, but with great mercy will I gather thee: in a little wrath I hid my face from thee, for a moment; but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee, saith the Lord thy Redeemer," verse 8. Now ye know that friends are not much troubled at such a parting, which is but for a time. It is said of the church of Ephesus, that when Paul took leave of them they wept, "because he said they should see his face no more." The saints cannot say so in regard of Christ; though they see not his face for the present, yet they cannot say, I shall see his face no more, for he will return again, yea, and return with advantage; for though he forsakes for a moment, yet with great mercy, and with everlasting kindness, will the Lord have mercy on them. What then, though you be forsaken for a moment, have you any just cause and reason for your discouragement?

2. If Christ do therefore forsake his people, that he may not forsake them, and hath a design of love, and nothing but of love upon them in his forsaking; then have they no just cause for their discouragements. Now I pray, what is the

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