(as he did the Mans Son in Mark 9.26.) as one dead): So that'tis no more to be reckoned compaffion, and gentleness in Satan toward the afflicted that their fits are not conftant, than it can be accounted tenderness or kindness in a Tyrant, who when he hath racked or tormented a Man as much as ftrength will bear without killing out of hand, gives over for a time, that the party might be referved for new torments. 2. These fits ufually return at fuch times as the Party afflicted feems to promife himself some little eafe, being defigned to give the greater disappointment, in intercepting his expected comforts. Sleep and Meat are the two great refreshments of the diftreffed, these times Satan watcheth for his new onfets. Job found it fo in both cafes, his Meal-times were times of trouble; Job 3.24. My fighing cometh (that is the fits of fighing return) before I eat, and my roarings are poured out like the Waters; and his Sleeping times were no better, Job 7. 13. When I Say my Bed fhall comfort me, my Couch fhall eafe my complaint: then thon fcareft me with Dreams, and terrifieft me through Visions, so that Soul chufeth ftrangling and Death, rather than Life. 3. These fears do make them feel the weight, not only of real present evils, but of all others which the imagination can reprefent to them. So that the fight or hearing of any fad thing, afflicts them with furmifes, that this will be their cafe. Hence are they full of mifgiving thoughts; fometimes they fear that they shall at last fall off From God, into fome fcandalous Sin, to the dishonour of God and Religion, as that they fhall be Apoftates, and turn openly prophanes fometimes they fear they fhall meet with fome fignaldevouring Judgment, by which they fhall one day perifh; as David faid in the like cafe, I shall one day perish by the hand of Saul: thus are they crucified betwixt their prefent burthen, and future expectations of evil.

my

6. The laft (and indeed the meaneft) Engine for the working of affrightment, is fcrupulofity of Confcience. Satan vexeth the Confcience and diftracteth the Mind,by raifing up needless,groundTe tears concerning a Mans Practice. Where the ignorance of Men, or their timerous difpofitions do encourage Satan to this enterprize, there he multiplies fcruples upon them, fo that though they affent to the doing of any thing as good or lawful, yet are they conftantly affrighted from it, by a fufpitious fear that it may be 'otherwife.

This kind of trouble takes in almoft all kind of actions, it

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extends to the way of a Mans Calling, the way of his management of it,the rates he takes, and the prices he gives for his Commodities; our every natural actions of Sleeping, Eating, Drinking, Company, Recreation, are not unconcerned. In all which the Devil affrights the timerous Conscience that (it may be) he hath offer.ded: if he buys or fells, he is difquieted with [a may be] that he hath fold too dear,or bought too cheap; if he eats or fleeps, he fears he hath been exceffive, a Sluggard or a Glutton: thus are fome Men molested in every thing they do.

Neither is this kind of affrightment to be defpifed: for though often 'tis a groundlefs fear, and fo appears to be to discerning Chriftians; yet thofe that are under this moleftation think it bad enough:Though it be not as a Rack that afflicts with violent pains, yet 'tis as thofe kinds of punishments which at firft are nothing,but by continuance do tire Men out with little-eafe, and so at last become intollerable. Befides this is a multiplying trouble; for one fcruple begets another, and by continuance of fcrupling, the Confcience grows fo weak and unfteady, that every thing is fcrupled, and the Man brought to a continual affrightment of doing wrong in every action. Neither can all Men make ufe of the remedy that is prescribed for the cure of this Diftemper, which is, That when fuch fcruples cannot be removed by Reafon, then either Men should forbear the thinking upon fuch things from whence fcruples are apt to arife, or they fhould break them down by violence, and go over the Belly of their fcruple to the performance of their 2 ur. +(Lysaction. I deny not but that fomething may be done and endeavoured this way; But any may fee that 'tis not easy for every one to do either of thefe: fo that this is also a troublesome evil, from which 'tis not eafy to be discharged.

CHAP.

CHAP. VIII.

Of Satan's third way to binder Peace by Spiritual Sadn: fs. Wherein, 1. Of the Degrees of Spiritual Sadness. 2. Of the frequency of this trouble, evidenced feveral ways. Of the difference 'twixt God and Satan in wounding the Confcience. 3. Of the folemn Occafions of this Trouble. 4. The Engines by which Satan works Spiritual fadness. 1. His Sophiftry. His Topicks enumerated and explained. 1. Scriptures Perverted. 2. Falfe Notions. 3. Mifrepresentations of God. 4. Sins how he aggravates them. 5. Lef fening their Graces: How he doth that. 2. His fecond Engine, Fear; how he forwards his defign that

way.

Efides the troubles already mentioned under the heads of dif compofures of Spirit, and affrightments, there is a third kind of trouble which Satan gives to the Children of God, and this may for diftinction fake, be called Spiritual Sadness. These Spiritual Sadneffes are troubles raised in the Mind, relating to the Confcience, and Spiritual State or Condition of Men, They differ exceedingly from the two former forts of trouble: for, 1. These troubles wholly concern the Confcience in point of Regeneration, and Men's fuitableness thereunto; whereas fimple difcompofures of Spirit firftly relate to outward things. 2. In these the Confcience is immediately concerned, but in other troubles, the Confcience is either wholly untouched, or wounded only fecondarily, by continuance and progrefs of the difcompofure of the Spirit. 3. In thefe troubles, Confcience is the great inftrument by which the Devil works, whereas in the trouble of affrightments the Devil acted alone, the Heart being in the mean time, uncomplyant and refifting. For the opening of this trouble, Ifhall explain,

1. The

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Ames Cafe

The feveral degrees thereof. 'Tis a trouble of Confcience unduly aggravated by Satan, wherein he confines himself to the operations of Confcience. But then, as he fuggefts the troubles of Men by the voice of Confcience, fo he doth all he can to make it irregular in its actings, and exceffive in that irregularity. So that in this cafe, the Confcience is evil, and imploys it felf in that mistake, to enquire into Mens Regeneracy or Holiness, always being either a Neuter, or an Adverfary, and the Devil helps this forward all he

can.

The Apoftle in Heb. 10.22. makes mention of an evil Confcience, and that chiefly as it doth occafion fear, hindering our comfortable access to God. This the Confcienee doth when it doth not execute its office aright, either in not excufing when it ought, or in accufing when it should not; and thefe falfe accufations caufe different forts of troubles according to the variety of the matter for which it doth condemn. Hence is it that there are three degrees of trouble of Confcience, below the trouble of difpair:

1. The lowest degree is when a regenerate Perfon doth not pofitively determine the cafe of his Soul, whether he be Regenerate or not, but is only kept in fufpence betwixt Hope that he is, and Fear that he is not, the Confcience in the mean time forbearing to witness for him, though it have juft caufe to excufe him: This we may call a doubting or queftioning Confcience; and though it comes far fhort of thefe diftreffes in which fome Men are plunged upon the account of their Souls, yet is it a trouble, for their Peace is hereby hindred, and their defires of fatisfaction frustrated, which in matters of fo great concern (as are thefe of Everlafting. Life, and Everlafting Mifery ) muft be very difquieting. When the Affections are carneft, their fatisfaction cannot be delayed without trouble; for Hope deferred makes the Heart fick, Prov.13.12. not only doth it faint under its doubts, but is by that means fo weak in its Purposes that it is easily drawn to admit of greater Inconveniencies, which may lay the foundation of more perplexing diflurbances.

That the Confcience may be in fuch a Diftemper, that it will not witness for a Man, when yet it cannot witness against him, is Conf. lib.1.c.9 the obfervation of those that have treated of the nature of Confcience: Sometimes it will not make application of God's Promifcs, though it will believe, that he that forfakes Sin is regenerate, that he that truly repents fhall be pardoned; yet it will

not

not affirm for a Man, that he forfakes Sin or repents, though he really do so; or if it cannot deny that, yet it will fometimes refufe to make that conclufion which one would think would follow of it felf, by natural confequence, and fo refufeth to judge the Perfon regenerate or pardoned, though it cannot deny but that he forfakes Sin and repents. The greatness of the Eleffing, the remainders of Unbelief, the deep fenfe of Unworthiness, with other confiderations, do keep off the Heart from making (as I may fay) fo bold with the Promises; but all this while the Devil is doing his utmoft to aggravate thefe confiderations, afrighting the Confcience from that just absolution which it ought to give.

2. Another degree of Trouble arifing from an evil Confcience, is when the condition of a Regenerate Perfon is determined by Confcience (but falfly) to be very bad. I muft here (as fome Dickfon others have done) for want of better terms diftinguifh betwixt Therap.Sacra. the State of Regeneracy, and a Mans condition in that ftate, though lib. 3. c. 1. the words [ftate and condition] are used promifcuoufly the one for another. A Man may be in a Regenerate ftate,and yet his condition in that state may be very bad and blame-worthy, as not walking worthy of fo holy a Calling; as a Perfon may be a Man, and yet unhealthy or languifhing. Thus many of the Afian Churches were true Churches,and yet in a bad condition; fome lukewarm ; fome bad a name to live, and yet were comparatively dead, because their works were not full or perfect before God; and others had left their first love. To this purpofe is that of the Apostle, 2 Cor. 13.5. Know ye not your own felves, how that Jefus Chrift is in you, except èι μ à♪óye be Reproabates? where the word Reprobate is not to be taken in xui ise. the ftrict fevere fenfe for one not elected, but for one whofe converfation is not fo found and approved as it fhould be: for this relates not to their being in Chrift, but to their assurance of being in that state, which the Apoftle affirms they might know, except the fault lay in their negligent careless converfation.

This kind of Trouble then is of this nature: the Confcience doth not accufe a Man to be Unregenerate, yet it condemns him for a carriage unfuitable to the Gofpel; and this fometimes when his Actions are not abfolutely evil, but partly good, partly bad:: When the Confcience condemns the Actions as altogether finful, because of fome mixture of Infirmities, in which cafe we fhould imitate the Apoftle, in Rom. 7. who when by reason of the ren.ainders of Sin in him, he could not do the good he would, that

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