A Divine Cordial

God is just in all his withdrawings: we desert him▪ before he deserts us^*: We desert ⟨p. 45⟩God when we leave off close communion with him; when we desert his Truths, and dare not appear for him; when we leave the guidance and conduct of his Word, and follow the Ignis fatuus of our own corrupt affections, and passions. We usually desert God first, therefore we have none to blame but our selves.

1. *Tu me non deseris nisi prius ego te deseram. Austin.

Desertion is very sad; for as when the light is withdrawn, darkness follows in the air▪ So when God withdraws, there is darkness and sorrow in the soul. Desertion is an Agony of Conscience, as Alstead calls it; God holds the soul over Hell; Job 6.9. The Arrows of the Almighty are within me, the poison whereof drinks up my spirits. It was a custom among the Persians in their wars (as Drusius notes,) to dip their Arrows in the poison of Serpents, to make them more deadly: Thus did God shoot the poisoned Arrow of desertion into Job, under the wounds whereof, his spirit lay bleeding. In times of desertion the people of God are apt to be dejected, they dispute against themselves, and think that God hath quite cast them off; therefore I shall prescribe some comfort to the deserted soul. The Mariner when he hath no star to guide him, yet he hath light in his Lantern, which is some help to him: So when the poor soul is sailing in the dark of desertion, and wants the bright morning star, I shall lay down four Consolations, ⟨p. 46⟩which are as the Mariners Lantern to give some light.