Thus David, Psal. 42. ver. 5. Why art thou cast down oh my soul? and because doubts arise again and again, therefore he asketh the reason again, ver. 11. Why art thou cast down? David knew, the way to dissolve them, was to search into and examine the reason of them: for still when he had throughly examined them, he found them needless, & causeless, to put him into such desperate fears. The child of God is often cast into prison, […] fears and bondage, and after he hath lain long in them, and begins to read over the […], and Mittimus, he finds it to be false imprisonment, a mere trick of Satan his Jailer. For as carnal men, when they think their estate good, and that they are in the favour of God, it is some delusion, some false reasoning that is still the ground of such their opinion; as because they prosper in the world therefore God loves them, because they perform some duties, have some good motions, which grounds they cannot endure to have examined: […] contrarily, one that fears God, the ground of his apprehension that he is out of the favour of God, is likewise some false reasoning, which when examined appears to be such, and when it appear•• ⟨p. 23⟩the soul is freed out of its fears and doubts. Heman thought,1 and said that God had cast him off; and what was the reason persuaded him to think so, ver 14. Because God had hidden his face: It doth not follow Heman; a Father may hide his face from his son, and yet not cast him off. So David also reasoneth, Psal. 77. ver. 2, 3. I have sought God, prayed, and used the means, and yet I am troubled; and yet God reveals not himself: and what doth he conclude from this? ver. 7. Will the Lord cast off for ever? He thought, [if God had loved me, he would presently have heard me;] he thought his soul would not have been worse after praying: This was a false reasoning, for Psal. 70. 4. sometimes God shuts out his peoples prayers. A father may sometimes seem so angry, that he may throw away his child's petition, and yet resolve to be his father still. It were infinite to reckon up all the false reasonings, that souls in distress have: sometimes from a place of Scripture misunderstood, and misapplied;
Thus David, Psal. 42. ver. 5. Why art thou cast downe oh my soule? and because doubts arise againe and againe, therefore he asketh the reason againe, ver. 11. Why art thou cast downe? David knew, the way to dissolve them, was to search into and examine the reason of them: for still when he had throughly examined thē, he found them needlesse, & causelesse, to put him into such desperate feares. The childe of God is often cast into prison, 〈…〉 feares and bondage, and after hee hath layen long in them, and begins to reade over the 〈…〉, and Mittimus, hee findes it to bee false imprisonment, a meere trick of Satan his Jaylour. For as carnall men, when they thinke their estate good, and that they are in the favour of God, it is some delusion, some false reasoning that is still the ground of such their opinion; as because they prosper in the world therefore God loves them, because they performe some duties, have some good motions, which grounds they cannot endure to have examined: 〈…〉 contrarily, one that feares God, the ground of his apprehension that he is out of the favour of God, is likewise some false reasoning, which when examined appeares to be such, and when it appear•• ⟨p. 23⟩the soule is freed out of its feares and doubts. Heman thought,1 and said that God had cast him off; and what was the reason perswaded him to thinke so, ver 14. Because God had hidden his face: It doth not follow Heman; a Father may hide his face from his sonne, and yet not cast him off. So David also reasoneth, Psal. 77. ver. 2, 3. I have sought God, prayed, and used the meanes, and yet I am troubled; and yet God reveales not himselfe: and what doth he conclude from this? ver. 7. Will the Lord cast off for ever? He thought, [if God had loved me, he would presently have heard me;] he thought his soule would not have beene worse after praying: This was a false reasoning, for Psal. 70. 4. sometimes God shuts out his peoples prayers. A father may sometimes seeme so angry, that hee may throw away his childes petition, and yet resolve to bee his father still. It were infinite to reckon up all the false reasonings, that soules in distresse have: sometimes from a place of Scripture misunderstood, and misapplyed;
- 1Psal. 88. 14.
