6. Lost Joy

BY ſuggeſting to the ſoule, that ſurely⁵⁴¹ his eſtate is not good, becauſe he cannot joy and rejoyce in Chriſt, as once he could, becauſe he hath loſt that comfort and joy that once was in his ſpirit. Saith Satan, thou knoweſt the time was, when thy heart was much carried out to joying and rejoycing in Chriſt; thou doeſt not forget the time when thy heart uſed to be full of joy and comfort; but now, how art thou fallen in thy joyes and comforts? Therefore thy eſtate is not good, thou doeſt but deceive thy ſelfe, to think that ever it was good, for ſurely if it had, thy joy and comfort would have continued. And hereupon the ſoule is apt to take part with Satan, and ſay, ‘tis even ſo, I ſee all is naught, and I have but deceived my owne ſoule, &c.

1. 541. 6 Device. [dropped from the edition]

THe firſt Remedy againſt this Device⁵⁴² of Satan, is to conſider, that the loſſe of comfort is a ſeparable adjunct from grace; the ſoul may be full of holy affections, when ‘tis empty of Divine conſolations. There may be, and often⁵⁴³ is true grace, yea, much grace, where there is not a drop of comfort, nor a dram of joy. Comfort is not of the being, but of the wel-being of a Chriſtian. God hath not ſo linked theſe 2 choice lovers together, but that they may be⁵⁴⁴ put aſunder. That wiſdome that is from above, will never work a man to reaſon thus, I have no comfort, therefore I have no grace, I have loſt that joy that once I had, therefore my condition is not good, was never good, &c. but ‘twill inable a man to reaſon thus, tho my comfort is gone, yet the God of my comfort abides; though my joy is loſt, yet the ſeeds of grace remaine. The beſt mens joyes are as glaſſe, bright and brittle, and evermore in danger of breaking.

1. 542. 1 Remedie. [dropped from the edition]
2. 543. Pſ. 63. 1, 2, 8. Iſa. 50. 10. 7. Mic. 7. 8, 9. Pſal. 42. 5,
3. 544. Spirituall joy is a Sun that is often clouded▪ though it be as precious a flower as moſt Paradiſe affords, yet ‘tis ſubject to ſide and wither.

The ſecond Remedy againſt this Device⁵⁴⁵ of Satan, is, ſolemnly to conſider, that the precious things that thou ſtill injoyeſt, are far better then the joyes and comforts that thou haſt loſt. Thy union with Chriſt, thy communion with Chriſt, thy ſon-ſhip, thy ſaint-ſhip, thy heir-ſhip, thou ſtill injoyeſt by Chriſt, is far better then the comforts thou haſt loſt by ſin; what though thy comforts be gone, yet thy union and communion with Chriſt remaines, though thy comforts be gone; yet thou art a Son, tho⁵⁴⁶ a comfortleſſe Son; an heir, though a comfortleſſe heir; a Saint, though a comfortleſſe Saint. Though the bag of ſilver (thy comforts) be loſt, yet the⁵⁴⁷ box of Jewels (thy union with Chriſt, thy communion with Chriſt, thy Sonſhip, thy Saint-ſhip, thy Heir-ſhip) w^ch thou ſtill injoyeſt, is far better then the bag of ſilver thou haſt loſt; yea, the leaſt of thoſe precious Jewels is more worth, then all the comforts in the world; well, let this be a cordiall to comfort thee, a ſtar to lead thee, and a ſtaffe to ſupport thee, that thy box of Jewels are ſafe, though thy bag of ſilver be loſt.

1. 545. 2 Remedy. [dropped from the edition]
2. 546. Jer. 31. 18, 19, 20.
3. 547. When one objected to Faninus, his chearfullneſſe to Chriſts Agony and ſadneſſe, he anſwered, Chriſt was ſad, that I might bemerry, he had my ſins, and I have his righteouſneſſe.

The third Remedie againſt this Device⁵⁴⁸ of Satan, is to conſider, that thy condition is no other then what hath p. 241 been the condition of thoſe precious⁵⁴⁹ ſoules whoſe names were written upon the heart of Chriſt, and who are now at reſt in the boſome of Chriſt. One day you ſhall have them praiſing and rejoycing, the next day a mourning & weeping: one day you ſhall have them a ſinging,⁵⁵⁰ The Lord is our portion, the next day a ſighing and expoſtulating with themſelves,⁵⁵¹ Why are yee caſt downe oh our ſouls? Why is our Harp turned to mourning? And our Organ into the voice of them that weep? &c.

1. 548. 3 Remedy. [dropped from the edition]
2. 549. Pſal. 51. 12. Pſal. 30. 6, 7. Job 23. 6 8 9. 30. 31. Lam. 1. 16. Mat. 27. 46.
3. 550. Pſal. 42. 5.
4. 551. Lam. 5. 15.

The fourth Remedy againſt this Device⁵⁵² of Satan, is ſolemnly to conſider, that the cauſes of joy and comfort are not alwayes the ſame. Happily thy former joy and comfort did ſpring from⁵⁵³ the witneſſe of the ſpirit, he bearing witneſſe to thy ſoule that thy nature was changed, thy ſins pardoned, thy ſoule reconciled, &c. Now the Spirit may upon ſome ſpeciall occaſion, bear witneſſe to the ſoul, that the heart of God is dearly ſet upon him, that he loves him with an everlaſting love, &c. and yet the ſoule may never injoy ſuch a teſtimony all the dayes of his life again: Though the ſpirit be a witneſſing ſpirit, it’s not his office every day to witneſſe to believers their intereſt in God, Chriſt, Heaven, &c.

1. 552. 4 Remedy. [dropped from the edition]
2. 553. The ſpirit doth not every day make a feaſt in the ſoul, he doth not make every day to be a day of wearing the wedding robes.

Or happily thy former joy and comfort, did ſpring from the newneſſe and ſuddenneſſe of the change of thy condition; for a man in one houre to have⁵⁵⁴ his night turn’d into day, his darkneſſe turn’d into light, his bitter into ſweet, Gods frownes into ſmiles, his hatred into love, his hell into a Heaven, muſt greatly joy and comfort him. It cannot but make his heart to leap, and dance in him, who in one houre ſhall ſee Satan accuſing him, his owne heart condemning him, the eternall God frowning upon him, the gates of Heaven bar’d againſt him, all the creation ſtanding armed at the leaſt beck of God, to execute vengeance on him, and the mouth of the infernall pit open to receive him. Now in this hour, for Chriſt to come to the amazed ſoule, and ſay to it, I have trod the Wine-preſſe of my Fathers wrath for thee, I have laid down my life a ranſome for thee, by my blood I have ſatisfied my Fathers Juſtice, and pacified his anger, and procured his love for thee; by my blood I have purchaſed the pardon of thy ſins, thy freedom from hell, and thy right to Heaven, &c. Oh! how wonderfully will this cauſe the ſoule to leap for joy?

1. 554. A pardon given unexpectedly into the hand of a malefactor, when he is on the laſt ſtep of the ladder, ready to be turn’d off, will cauſe much joy & rejoycing; the newneſſe and ſuddenneſſe of the change of his condition, will cauſe his heart to leap and rejoyce; yet in proces of time much of his joy will be abated, tho his life be as dear to him ſtill, as ever it was.

The fifth Remedy againſt this Device⁵⁵⁵ of Satan, is, to conſider, that God will p. 243 reſtore and make up the comforts of his people; though thy candle be put out,⁵⁵⁶ yet God will light it againe, and make it burn more light then ever; though thy ſun for the preſent be clouded, yet he that rides upon the clouds, ſhall ſcatter thoſe clouds, and cauſe the ſun to ſhine, and warm thy heart, as in former dayes, as the Pſalmiſt ſpeakes,⁵⁵⁷ Thou which haſt ſhewed me great and ſore troubles, ſhalt quicken me againe, and ſhalt bring me up againe from the depths of the earth. Thou ſhalt increaſe my greatneſſe, and comfort me on every ſide. God takes away a little comfort, that he may make room in the ſoule for a greater degree of comfort. This the Prophet Iſaiah ſweetly ſhewes,⁵⁵⁸ I have ſeen his wayes, and will heale him, I will lead him alſo, and reſtore comforts unto him, and to his mourners. Bear up ſweetly oh precious ſoule! thy ſtorme ſhall end in a calm; and thy dark night in a ſun-ſhine day; thy mourning ſhall be turn’d into rejoycing, and the waters of conſolation ſhall be ſweeter and higher in thy ſoule, then⁵⁵⁹ ever; the mercy is ſurely thine, but the time of giving it is the Lords: wait but a little, and thou ſhalt find the Lord comforting thee on every ſide.

1. 555. 5 Remedie. [dropped from the edition]
2. 556. Hudſon the Martyr deſerted at the ſtake, went from under his chain, and having prayed earneſtly, was comforted immediately, and ſuffered valiantly. So Mr. Glover, when he was within ſight of the ſtake, cryed out to his friend, he is come, he is come, meaning the comforter that Chriſt promiſed to ſend.
3. 557. Pſ. 71. 20, 21.
4. 558. Iſa. 57. 18.
5. 559. See alſo the 126 Pſal. 6. v. and the 42 Pſal. 7, 8.