N00747:74
Spiritual desertions discovered and remedied. Being the substance of divers sermons preached for the help of dark souls, labouring under divine withdrawings. / By Samuel Willard, teacher of a church in Boston. ; [Four lines from Isaiah]
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
2. God doth it for the exercise and trial of their Grace. That this is one end of Gods dark dispensations to his people, we are told in, Deut. 8.16. To prove thee. And we may see the reason or ground of it in these things.
2. God doth it for the exercise and tryal of their Grace. That this is one end of Gods dark dispensations to his people, we are told in, Deut. 8.16. To prove thee. And we may see the reason or ground of it in these things.
1. God hath put his Graces into his people for exercise, in which he is to be glorified. The Creatures last end is the Glory of God: and that man may glorify him, he must have grace to do it: and he only glorifieth God by the exercise of these Graces, without which he would receive them in vain. This is the fruitfulness by which Christ tells us, that His Father is glorified, Joh. 15.8.
2. This exercise of Grace is made illustrious when it is put to the trial. Grace is like gold, which is discovered by the trial of it, both as to the reality and excellency of it: and what saith he? Job 23.10. When he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold. By these the truth of Grace is made manifest; if there be any activity in it, it will now show it self: and the strength of it will now be proved, whether it be weak or strong. When Peter was upon the waters, he exercised his faith, but so as to show that he had but little, Matt. 14.31.
2. This exercise of Grace is made illustrious when it is put to the tryal. Grace is like gold, which is discovered by the tryal of it, both as to the reality and excellency of it: and what saith he? Job 23.10. When he hath tryed me, I shall come forth as gold. By these the truth of Grace is made manifest; if there be any activity in it, it will now show it self: and the streng•h of it will now be proved, whether it be weak or strong. When Peter was upon the waters, he exer••sed his faith, but so as to shew that he had but little, Matt. 14.31.
3. Temptations are suited for this Trial. And here by Temptations I understand all sorts of afflictions. Prosperity indeed hath its Temptations in it, but the Spirit of God more peculiarly puts this title upon afflictions, because hereby we are brought into difficulty, wherein it will be proved whether God, or any other be our object of hope and trust, the Apostle therefore tells us that our manifold Temptations are for the trial of our faith, 1 Pet. 1.6, 7 Now we are in the dark, and many will say, where is your God? Besides, there are some Graces that are peculiarly suited for, and the proper occasion for the exercise of them is from an hour of Temptation, such as patience, meekness, submission, &c.
3. Temptations are suited for this Tryal. And here by Temptations I understand all sorts of afflictions. Prosperity indeed hath its Temptations in it, but the Spirit of God more peculiarly puts this title upon afflictions, because hereby we are brought into difficulty, wherein it will be proved whether God, or any other be our object of hope and trust, the Apostle therefore tells us that our manifold Temptations are for the tryal of our faith, 1 Pet. 1.6, 7 Now we are in the dark, and many will say, where is your God? Besides, there are some Graces that are peculiarly suited for, and the proper occasion for the exercise of them is from an hour of Temptation, such as patience, meekness, submission, &c.
4. Desertions belong to these Temptations. And indeed grace is never so put to the proof, as when God hides his face from us. To believe in a withdrawing God, to be following hard after him, when he seems to be going away from us; to hold him the faster, when he offers to knock our hands off; to resolve with him, Job 13.15. Though he slay me, I will put my trust in him. And him, Isa. 8.17. I will wait for the Lord, ⟨p. 39⟩who hideth his face from the house of Jacob; requires no small measure of faith: when it is with us, as it was with the Psalmist, then to say and do as he did, Psal. 22. begin ▪ argueth grace to have great vigour in it.
5. God hereby lets them know their own weakness, to humble them. When God withdraws, the corrupt part stirs: unbelief is ready to discover it self, impatience to break forth in unsuitable expressions, and carriages; the Christian who before thought, what he •ould do, if assailed, now finds himself to be at a loss, and ready to sink; see how David expresseth himself, in Psal. 77▪ begin. as if all were gone; and is made to confess that it was his infirmity, Verse 10.
6. And he lets them herein experience his own fidelity and power. When he gives them a full proof of their own weakness, and helpeth them to cry out to him for help: when with Peter, Matth. 14.30. They find themselves sinking, and call unto him for his aid, now he stretcheth out an hand▪ to them, and upholds them, and thereby wonderfully manifests himself to them. They had never known how faithful and able ⟨p. 40⟩a God he is, had it not been for such an exigency. It was when the Psalmist was Compassed with the sorrows of Death, &c. and he called upon God, Psal. 116.3, 4. that he Celebrates him with that Confession, Verse 4. Gracious is the Lord and righteous, yea our God is merciful.
7. And herein he also helpeth others of his Children. One such experience is of great use to many, when they are in a like case. We are advised, Heb. 6.12. To be followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises. God hath recorded such experiences for our admonition, direction, and encouragement. Hereby also he makes such a Christian to be fit to help others at a dead lift, by communicating of their own experiences, for this reason Christ gave that advice to Peter, Luk. 22.32. When thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.
8. And the tendency and issue of all this, is to advance their glory. This is Gods design concerning his Children in all their Temptations, and so in this of Desertion, 1 Pet. 1.7. That the trial of your faith, may be found unto praise, honour, and glory. Those very Providences in which God seems to disregard his people, ⟨p. 41⟩are yet a part of his counsel, by which he guides them to glory, Psal. 73.14. with […] and he will so manage them by his wisdom and power, that they shall in the event add to the weight of their Crown, 2 Cor. 5.17.
8. And the tendency and issue of all this, is to advance their glory. This is Gods design concerning his Children in all their Temptations, and so in this of Desertion, 1 Pet. 1.7. That the tryal of your faith, may be found unto praise, honour, and glory. Those very Providences in which God seems to disregard his people, ⟨p. 41⟩are yet a part of his counsel, by which he guides them to glory, Psal. 73.14. with 〈…〉 and he will so manage them by his wisdom and power, that they shall in the event add to the weight of their Crown, 2 Cor. 5.17.
3. And God doth it many times for prevention. Not only to reclaim them from those sins which they have fallen into, but also to preserve them from falling into Sin afterward; and that these do greatly serve to this end will appear, if we observe.
1. That Gods Children are in danger of being drawn into sin; they live in a world of Temptation, and they carry about with them a body of death: there are the remains of Concupiscence in them, by which they are ready to take the impression of such Temptations as are offered to draw them aside; for which reason Christ hath given us that as a petition in our addresses to God, Mat. 6.13. lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. A Child of God is never free from this hazard as long as he lives in an evil wo•ld, and hath a flesh in him ••uing against the spirit.
1. That Gods Children are in danger of being drawn into sin; they live in a world of Temptation, and they carry about with them a body of death: there are the remains of Concupiscence in them, by which they are ready to take the impression of such Temptations as are offered to draw them aside; for which reason Christ hath given us that as a petion in our addresses to God, Mat. 6.13. lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. A Child of God is never free from this hazard as long as he lives in an evil wo•ld, and hath a flesh in him ••uing against the spirit.
2. By Sin they obstruct the progress of the work▪ of their Generation. There is a work that God hath called them to; but sin is no part of it, but contrary to it; and not only so, but every sin, especially such as are more bold, deadneth them, and renders them unfit for the business they are engaged in; a Believer whilst under the efficacy of any lust, is not progressive, but regressive; however God can make it serve to his after faster growth: David was thus all the while he lay under his sin.
3. The corruption in them oftentimes abuseth the comforts of Gods presence to presumption and carelessness. Such is our weakness whilst we are here, that we can bear but a little of the new wine of Consolation. We are like children, who, if cockered by their Parents, grow saucy and licentious. This was Davids case in our Context: God had made his mountain strong, and he thereupon grow secure, and believed himself to be out of danger, and that made him to grow wanton, & remit of that care and watchfulness over himself that became him.
3. The corruption in them oftentimes abuseth the comforts of Gods presence to presumption and carelessness. Such is our weakness whilst we are here, that wa can bear but a little of the new wine of Consolation. We are like children, who, if cockered by their Parents, grow sawcy and licencious. This was Davids case in our Context: God had made his mountain strong, and he thereupon grow secure, and believed himself to be out of danger, and that made him to grow wanton, & remit of that care and watchfulness over himself that became him.
4. Hence God useth such desertions to make them the more careful and fearful ⟨p. 43⟩for the time to come; these become a close lesson unto them, to let them see what an egregious folly it is for them to abuse their fathers kindness, and familiarity; this becomes a memento to them as long as they live, and they can hardly out grow it, but it giveth them an item, when at any time a temptation offers it self: it was doubtless such an experiment as brought David to that resolve, Psal. 39.1. I will take heed to my ways, that I sin not; and by this means there is more close communion afterward manifested between God and them.
4. Hence God useth such des•rtions to make them the more careful and fearful ⟨p. 43⟩for the time to come; these become a close lesson unto them, to let them see what an egregious folly it is for them to abuse their fathers kindness, and familiarity; this becomes a memento to them as long as they live, and they can hardly out grow it, but it giveth them an item, when at any time a temptation offers it self: it was doubtless such an experiment as brought David to that resolve, Psal. 39.1. I will take heed to my ways, that I sin not; and by this means there is more close communion afterward manifested betweeen God and them.
4. To what degree this desertion may arrive?
A. We may take this brief account of it.
