Fifth case. How may a Christian work his heart into a resigned frame unto the will of God, when sad providences approach him, and presage
2385 DIVINE CONDUCT; OR, great troubles and afflictions coming on towards him?
For the right stating and resolving of this important case it will be needful to show, 1. What is not included and intended in the question; 2. What it doth suppose and include in it; and, 3. What helps and directions are necessary for the due performance of this great and difficult duty.
1. Negatively. It must be premised, that the question doth not suppose the heart or will of a Christian to be at his own command and disposal in this matter; we cannot resign it and subject it to the will of God whenever we desire so to do; the duty indeed is ours, but the power by which alone we perform it is God’s: we act as we are actuated by the Spirit. It is with our hearts, as with meteors hanging in the air by the influence of the sun; while that continues, they abide above; but when it fails they fall to the earth. We can do this, and ail things else, be they ever so difficult, through Christ that strengthens us,” Phil. iv. 13; “but without him we can do nothing,” John xv. 5. He doth not say, Without me ye can do but little; or, Without me ye can do nothing, but with great difficulty; or, Without me ye can do nothing perfectly; but, Without me ye can do nothing at all. And every Christian hath a witness in his own breast to attest this truth; for there are cases frequently occurring in the methods of Providence, in which, notwithstanding all their prayers and desires, all their reasoning and strivings, they cannot quiet their hearts fully in the disposal and will of God; but, on the contrary, they find all their endeavours in this matter to be but as the rolling of a returning stone against the hill; till God say to the heart, Be still; and to the will, Give up, nothing can be done.
(2.) Affirmatively. Let us consider what this case doth suppose and include in it, and we shall find,
[1.] That it supposes the people of God to have a foresight of troubles and distresses approaching and drawing near to them. I confess it is not always so, for many of our afflictions, as well as comforts, come by way of surprises upon us; but oftentimes we have forewarnings of troubles both public and personal, before we feel them: as the weather may be discerned by the face of the sky; when we see a morning sky red and lowering, this is a natural sign of a foul and rainy day, Matt. xvi. 3. And there are as certain signs of the times whereby we may discern when trouble is near, even at the door; and these forewarnings are given by the Lord to awaken us to our duties, by which they may either be prevented, Zeph. ii. 1,2, or sanctified and sweetened to us when they come. These signs and notices of approaching troubles are gathered, partly from the observation and coilation of parallel Scripture cases and examples, God generally holding one tenor and steady course in the administration of his providences in all ages, 1 Cor. x. 6, partly from the reflections Christians make upon the frames and tempers of their own hearts, which greatly need awakening, humbling, and purging providences; for let a Christian be but a few years or months without a rod, and how formal, earthly, dead, and vain will his heart grow! And such a temper presages affliction to them that are beloved of the Lord. Lastly, The ordering and disposing of the next causes into a posture and preparation for our trouble, plainly premonishes us, that trouble is at the door. Thus, when the symptoms of sickness begin to appear upon our own bodies, the wile of our bosom, or our children, (which are as our own souls,) Providence herein awakens our expectations of death and doleful separations: so when enemies combine together, and plot the ruin of our liberties, estates, or lives, and God seems to loose the bridle of restraint upon their necks, now we cannot but be alarmed with the near approach of troubles, especially when, at the same time, our consciences reflect upon the abuse and non-improvement of these our threatened comforts. a pr —————
[2.] The case before us supposes that these premonitions and forerunners of affliction do usually very much disturb the order, and break the peace of our souls; they put the mind under great discomposure, the thoughts under much distraction, and the affections into tumults and rebellion.
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 of men! We are ready to say to them as the widow to Elijah, What have I to do with thee, O thou man (O messenger) of God? art thou come unto me to call my sin to remembrance, and to slay my son?” 1 Kings xvii. 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 must of right be subjected to him, 2 Cor. x. 5, yet 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 causeth many mutinies in the soul, whilst grace, like young Abijah, is weakhanded, and cannot resist them; and partly from the advantage Satan makes of 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 shuflles in his temptations; sometimes aggravating the evils which we fear with all the sinking and overwhelming circumstances imaginable; sometimes divining and forecasting such events and evils, as, haply, never fall out; sometimes repining at the disposals of God, as more severe to us than to 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, midway on his journey.. ee