OF SPIRITÚAb MINDRDNESS. 31 net so. As believers may apprehend and judge, that the ' Lord hath forsaken and forgotten them, when he hath not done so,' Isaiah xlix. 14, 15 ; so they may, tinder temptations, apprehend that they have forsaken God, when they have not done so : as a man in the night may apprehend he hath lost his way, and be in great distress, when he is in his proper road. For temptation brings darkness and amazement, and leads into mistakes and a false judgment in all things. They find not, it may be, grace working in love, joy, and delight, as formerly, nor that activity of heart and mind in holy duties, which spiritual affections gave to them. But yet it may be, the same grace works in godly sorrow by mourning, humiliation, and self-abase- ment, no less effectually, nor less acceptably to God. Such as these I separate from the present consideras tion. Secondly. There may be a decay in affections them- selves, as to their actings towards any objects what- ever ; at least as to the outward symptoms and effects of them, and on this ground, their operations towards spiritual things may be less sensible. So men in their younger days may be more ready to express their sor- row by tears, and their joy by sensible exaltation and motion of their spirits, than in riper years. And this may be so, when there is no decay of grace in the affections as renewed. But, (1.) When it is so, it is a burthen to them in whom it is They cannot but mourn and have a godly jeal- ousy over themselves, lest the decays they find, should not be in the outward, but in the inward, not in the natural, but the spiritual, man, And they will labor, that in all duties, and at all times, it may be with them as in days of old, although they cannot attain strength
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