3 5 8 Spiritual Hearts-Eafe, ör, I. To teach itdieshot in thetnfelves,it lies not :in.any creature : Andtheréfore Godwill have' chtni wherein them feek it in him, and that they maydo it, he draws them to it by fence,they (half their prefent be deprivedofcomfort in refpeafotrietime of outwardconveniences,and inrelpe& comfort and fometimeof the lightofhis countenance !billingupon their fouls. htppinc s con= How do we know that the MoonAlineson theearth by a borrowediight a but Simile. becaufe we fee it is not alwayes alikein its light, wefee fometimes it bath a full light, and fometimes it iß'enlightnedbutby the half, and fometimes by fame little part, where we fee this difproportion that it is not alwayes alike,we knowby this thatthe light of the Moon is borrowed from fomewhat elfe, from theSun' Now how dowe know that theheart ofman is fed and relieved, :and fupported with comfort from without it felf, with borrowed and received comfort ? butby this ; Becaufe the Rate ofGods fervants in refpe& ofthe fpiritual quiet, and fatif- fa&ion,and contentment òf heart is not alwayesalike, but fometime they have abun- danceof joy,tbat they feem to be (as it were) in heaven. Sometimes they are per- plexed with many difquiets and griefs, that they''feemto be calldown to thedeep, as it is Paid of the Mariners in Pal. 507. what is the reafon of this ? but that no/le/Ti /houldglory in itfelf; that every manmight know that whatfoever he hath to make his life comfortable, and pleating to him it is fromGod that difpenfeth it tomenin that proportion as feemeth good to his own wifdom. God will have usknow that all the happinefs ofour fpirits is in their union with the chiefoffpirits,with himfelf ; and that when they are but a little feparated from him,wlten he clothbut a little withdraw himfelffrom them,they areas a thing that is dead ; how fhall we know that the branches have fapfrom the root, that it is that that makes them flourifh and grow ? but by this : Ifyou do but cut them off from the root they wither prefently. So it is with the fpirit, with the heart of man ; if God do but a little withdraw himfelf, let finbut make-a feparatioti between God andman, now a man is like a witheredbranch, he bath nothingnow to revive him becaufehe is divided from the.root: At theleaft it is with him as iris with a tree in Winter,though the'fap remains in the root ; fo though he remain in union with the root, yet the moifture is gotten into the root it felf, and doth not now infufe it Pelf into the branches ; I confefs the fervant of God that is once united to Chrift (hall) never be feparated, the union it is now, and alwayes fhall be, butneverthelefs, the lap and comfort of the Spirit, it may remain in the head, our life may be hid in Chrafl , and may not appear in us at all : And weare then in that eftate as ifwe were branches cut off, whereby it may appear, that whatfoever life andcomfort, and ftrength of heart we had, it was from Chrift, and by the influence and work ofhis Spirit. t.For presto And then for the time to come, Goddoth it to prevent fome diftempers that don. might grow on the hearts ofhis fervants if they fhould alwayes be in a like fine of r. Of Pride. fpiritual joy. Goddoth it to prevent pride, Paul wasapt tobe lift up with tholeRe. velations, therefore a menger ofSatan wirePentto buffet him. a. Of confi- And fo it may be to prevent carnal confidence in the creature, a man would be- dcnce in the gin toafcribe fomewhat to himfelf, tohis prefent condition, if it were alwayes thus creature or in with him, youknow what the Apoftle Paul faith; 2 Cor. r. so. Pre received inour habits of felves thefentence ofdeath that we might not trufl in our felve:, but in God that reti- gidCe. fed thedead; look to what end Paul receivedthefentence ofdeath,to that end Gods* faithful fervants lometimesreceive the veryfenceofdeath (as it were) and the fence of the deftitution, and want ofall fpiritual comforts for the prefent ; Why ? That they might not troll in themfelves,or in chofe habits ofgrace andcomforts they have, or in any creature whatfoever. The work ofGods fpiritin the regenerate foul, itis but a creature,a workofGod,andGod will not have men truft in any fuch thing,in what than ? In him that raifeth from the dead ; God will bring them to fuch a ftate,thatthey ¡hall teem as dead men,as deffitute of all fpiritual comforts theyhave, that they might truft in him that is able to raife them out of fuch a Rateas that,that look as he is able togive life to the dead body, fo he is able to givecomfort to the Ground, diftreffed foul,that is at that time,inthefhadow ofdeath. z,FromSatan Secondly, it conies fometimes fromSatan;and thatis thus,Satan wonderfully lets himfelf
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