Spiritual refining

To Answer this: First, it cannot be denied, but that even a sanctified person ¹may be in great darkness, and heavy blackness of soul, that he cannot but judge himself for the present to be a Reprobate and a Cast away; to be an hypocrite, and all that he had done, in hypocrisy. David sometimes casteth forth despairing words in his Psalms about his condition, as if he had no hopes of God: Heman the Psalmist complains of the terrors of God, that made him even distracted thereby, Psalm 88. 15. This is no new thing, for a child of light to lye and walk in darkness; for a child that is heir to a great inheritance, to be in the dark close womb, knowing nothing of it. God hath wise ends in this, both in reference to the persons themselves, that are thus exercised, to humble them, and to keep them low; as also to teach wicked men, that if Godly men be thus scarcely saved, where shall the wicked appear? Although wicked men for the most part suck poison hence; and God maketh this an heavy stumbling-block to them; that they conclude the contrary, as if it were godliness, and the too much following of Sermons, and the means of Grace, made them so. But oh miserable deluded souls, to fall at such stones, and to harden themselves in wickedness by that, which should indeed humble them. But to direct the tempted soul in this matter: First he must give up himself to the instruction and information of others, who are godly and wise; for he being in a temptation is not fit to judge, nor can he pass righteous judgement. A man in the dark cannot see his face in the glass, nor in muddied and turbulent water. Thou art sick, and we see Physicians themselves, though never so wise, will yet hardly venture to be their own Physicians in dangerous diseases, but require the assistance of others; Christ himself had an Angel to help him; The same word [Greek or Hebrew], in the Scripture is both to exhort and comfort, because comfort is not received in a gracious heart, but by frequent and daily exhortations. Do not then regard thy own thoughts, and thy own determinations. Its ⟨p. 399⟩said Abraham staggered not through unbelief, Rom. 4. 20. That implieth, that there are temptations, which do as it were give a man a great blow in the head, making him dizzy and staggering. Now as a man in such an unexpected blow knoweth not what he doth, nor understandeth himself;