Spiritual desertions discovered and remedied. Being the substance of divers sermons preached for the…

2. That God never deserts his Children so as he doth wicked men; they indeed may not always discern it, but he evermore makes a very great difference between these and those. Deserted Believers are the Children of God as well then, as when they have never so much of the light of his favour shining upon them. Nor doth he at any time so leave them, as to put them out of his favour; he loveth them still, and will never cease so to do; he careth for them, and looks after them still, and they are under that conduct, by which they shall assuredly arrive at his Kingdom in the end: That is an abiding truth, Psal. 94.14 the Lord will not cast ⟨p. 45⟩off his people▪ neither will he forsake his inheritance. Whereas wicked men are now his enemies, and he will forsake them for ever.

3. That God, in their greatest desertions, maintains the life of Grace in them. Whatever wounds their Graces may suffer, and whatsoever decays they may be under, by reason of Gods withdrawing his influence from them; though they may be in a swoon and fainting; •et they shall not be extinguished: they may still say as he, Psal. 118.17: I shall not die but live, and declare the works of the Lord. Th•re is li•e at the •oo• in the greatest Winter, when the Sun of Righteousness absents himself never so far from them. Christ's Prayer for Peter, that his faith might not fail, L•k. 22 32. shall be effectual for them too. God left David awfully, but yet not totally; they may to sense and appearance seem to be dead, but yet they are really alive; and when this Winter is over, and the Spring returns, they shall flourish again; the seed that is sown in them ever abides; and they are preserved by the power of God through' Faith unto Salvation.