A Golden Chain

The second manner of Gods forsaking his Elect is, when he hides his graces for a time: not by taking them quite away, but by covering them and by removing all sense and feeling of them. And in this case they are like the trees in the winter season, that are beaten with wind and weather, bearing neither leaf nor fruit, but look as though they were rotten and dead, because the sap doth not spread it self, but lies hid in the root. David often was in this case, as namely when he saith, ^kWill the Lord absent himself for ever? And will he show no more favour? is his mercy clean gone for ever? doth his promise fail for evermore? Hath God forgotten to be merciful? Hath he shut up his tender mercies in displeasure? Selah.

The second maner of Gods forsaking his Elect is, when he hides his graces for a time: not by taking them quite away, but by couering them and by remoouing all sense and feeling of them. And in this case they are like the trees in the winter season, that are beaten with winde and weather, bearing neither leafe nor fruit, but looke as though they were rotten and dead, because the sap doth not spread it selfe, but lies hid in the roote. Dauid often was in this case, as namely when he saith, ^kWill the Lord absent himself for euer? And will he shew no more fauour? is his mercie cleane gone for euer? doth his promise faile for euermore? Hath God forgotten to be mercifull? Hath he shut vp his tender mercies in displeasure? Selah.

1. kPs. 77.78.

¹This comes to pass, because the Lord very often in and by one contrary works another. Clay and spittle tempered together in reason should put out a mans eyes: but Christ used it as a means to give sight to the blind. Water in reason should put out fire: but Elijah when he would show that Jehovah was the true God, pours water on his sacrifice, and fills a trench therewith to make the sacrifice burn. The like appeareth in the work of grace to salvation. A man that hath lived in security, by Gods goodness hath his eyes opened to see his sins and his heart touched to feel the huge and loathsome burden of them, and therefore to bewail his wretched estate, with bitterness of heart. Hereupon he presently thinks that God will make him a firebrand of hell: whereas indeed the Lord is now about to work, and frame in his heart sanctification and sound repentance never to be repented of. The man which hath had some good persuasions of Gods favour in Christ, comes afterward upon many occasions to be troubled and to be overwhelmed with distrustfulness & grievous doubtings of his salvation, so as he judgeth himself to have been but an hypocrite in former times, and for the time present a cast-away. But indeed hereby the Lord exerciseth, fashioneth, and increaseth his weak faith. In one word, mark this point, That the graces of God peculiar to the elect, are begun, increased, and made manifest in or by their contraries.