Christ inviting sinners to come to him for rest

CHAP. XLVII.

Showeth that believers are often under inward affliction, and spiritual desertions.

Sheweth that beleevers are often under inward affliction, and spiritual desertions.

I Shall now speak of the rest that Christ gives unto the soul in regard of inward afflictions, those inward afflictions are spiritual desertions, that is, when the Lord shall be pleased to absent himself from the souls of his people, and leave them in such darkness of spirit, though they be believers, & have interest in Christ, yet they may be left for a time by God, so as their spirits will be extremely afflicted with sorrow, and fear, and trouble, because of Gods absence from them, and indeed, there is no affliction like to this affliction, there is no condition so restless as this condition is. Now this is that that every one is not acquainted withal, carnal people think that these afflictions are only conceits, imaginations, and melancholy, but the saints know what these afflictions are, that they are the most real afflictions in the world, these spiritual desertions, for God to withdraw himself from his people. We read of such an affliction that a godly man was much exercised withal, and that was Heman that was the penman of the 88. Psalm, you read it in the title, it was a song or Psalm for the sons of Korah ⟨p. 369⟩To the chief musician upon Mahalath Leannoth, Maschil of Heman the Ezrahite a Psalm of Heman. Now this Heman was one of the greatest men exercised with desertions upon the face of the earth. If you read this Psalm at your leisure, you shall find; that though he was a man very Godly yet exceedingly exercised with spiritual desertions and afflictions, the Lord withdrew the comforts of his spirit from verse the first, saith he, Oh Lord God of my salvation I have cried day and night before thee. verse the 3. My soul is full of troubles and my life draweth nigh unto the grave. verse the 4. I am counted with them that go down into the Pit. I am as a man that hath no strength, free among the dead, &c. verse the 7. Thy wrath lieth hard upon me, and thou hast afflicted me with all thy waves. What a strange expression is this of a godly man? And then there is outward afflictions mingled with spiritual afflictions, verse the 8. Thou hast put my acquaintance far from me, thou hast made me an abomination unto them, I am shut up and I cannot come forth. verse the 9. My eye mourneth by reason of affliction verse the 13. But unto thee have I cried Oh Lord, and in the morning shall my prayer prevent thee.