Ah how unwilling are we to surrender to the Lord the Loan which he lent us! to be disquieted by troubles when at ease in our enjoyments! How unwelcome are the messengers of affliction to the best men! we are ready to say to them as the Widow to Elijah, What have I to do with thee, O man (O messenger) of God, art thou come unto me to call my sin to remembrance, and to slay my Son? 1 King. 17. 18. And this ariseth partly from the remains of corruption in the best souls, for though every sanctified person is come by his own consent into the Kingdom, and under the government and Sceptre of Christ, and every thought of his heart de jure, and of right must be subjected to him, 2 Cor. 10. 5. yet de facto the conquest and power of grace is but incomplete and in part, and natural corruption like Jeroboam with his vain men riseth up against it, and •auseth many mutinies in the soul, whilst grace like young Abijah is weak handed, and cannot resist them. And partly from the advantage Satan makes upon the season to irritate and assist our corruptions: he knows that which is already in motion, is the more easily moved. In this confusion and hurry of thoughts he undiscernedly ⟨p. 260⟩shuffles in his temptations. Sometimes aggravating the evils which we fear with all the sinking and overwhelming circumstances imaginable. Sometimes divining and fore-casting such events and evils, as (haply) never fall out. Sometimes repining at the disposes of God as more severe to us than others. And sometimes reflecting with very unbelieving and unworthy thoughts upon the promises of God, and his faithfulness in them, by all which the affliction is made to sink deep into the soul before it actually comes. The thoughts are so disordered, that duty cannot be duly performed. And the soul is really weakened, and disabled to bear its trial when it comes indeed: just as if a man should be kept waking and restless all the night with the thoughts of his hard journey which he must travel to morrow, and so when to morrow is come, he faints for want of rest, mid-way his journey.
Ah how unwilling are we to surrender to the Lord the Loan which he lent us! to be disquieted by troubles when at ease in our enjoyments! How unwelcome are the messengers of affliction to the best men! we are ready to say to them as the Widow to Elijah, What have I to do with thee, O man (O messenger) of God, art thou come unto me to call my sin to remembrance, and to slay my Son? 1 King. 17. 18. And this ariseth partly from the remains of corruption in the best souls, for though every sanctified person is come by his own consent into the Kingdom, and under the government and Scepter of Christ, and every thought of his heart de jure, and of right must be subjected to him, 2 Cor. 10. 5. yet de facto the conquest and power of grace is but incompleat and in part, and natural corruption like Jerob•am with his vain men riseth up against it, and •auseth many mutinies in the soul, whil'st grace like young Abijah is weak handed, and cannot resist them. And partly from the advantage Satan makes upon the season to irritate and assist our corrupt•ons: he knows that which is already in motion, is the more easily moved. In this confusion and hurry of thoughts he undiscernedly ⟨p. 260⟩shuffles in his temptations. Sometimes aggravating the evils which we fear with all the sinking and overwhelming circumstances imaginable. Sometimes divining and fore-casting such events and evils, as (haply) never fall out. Sometimes repining at the disposes of God as more severe to us than others. And sometimes reflecting with very unbelieving and unworthy thoughts upon the promises of God, and his faithfulness in them, by all which the affliction is made to sink deep into the soul before it actually comes. The thoughts are so disordered, that duty cannot be duly performed. And the soul is really weakned, and disabled to bear its tryal when it comes indeed: just as if a man should be kept waking and restless all the night with the thoughts of his hard journey which he must travel to morrow, and so when to morrow is come, he faints for want of rest, mid-way his journey.
