USE II.—To those that are translated from darkness into light, and yet never thus walked in darkness
USE II.
To those that are translated from darkness into light, and yet never thus walked in darkness Who is among you that fears the Lord and is translated out of the state of darkness, and yet never was in this darkness of desertion which I have described unto you? You that have been free from those terrors of conscience, which are beyond all the miseries the world hath,—for as the joy of the Holy Ghost is unspeakable and glorious, so these terrors are unutterable and unsupportably grievous,—which yet souls that fear God and have obeyed him more than you, have been made the anvils of; you that have been dandled, cockered, and fed with sweetmeats, had into the wine cellar, and have had all the Trinity to sup with you, John 14:23, Rev. 3:20), when others have eaten 'gall and wormwood,' as it is, Lam. 3:19; and likewise you who, though you enjoy not much ravishing joy, and 'peace which passeth understanding,' yet, 'being justified by faith, you have' a solid 'peace with God,' Rom. 5:1; and so walk in freedom of spirit, in the use of God's ordinances, and in the performance of holy duties;—let me out of this doctrine give all such this great instruction: To take notice that such kind of troubles there are that do befall God's people beyond what they have experience of. Many there are that think not so; Job's friends did not, and therefore censured him. And this is a necessary instruction:— 1. For this very knowledge of it doth prepare men for such a condition, if it should befall them; and therefore, beforehand to prepare them he wrote to, for afflictions, the Apostle bids them 'not think it strange concerning the fiery trial,' 1 Pet. 4:12. For if they be strange to any, then if they befall them at any time, they are the more grievous. As if some strange disease befall a man which he had never
heard of before, no physician hath skill in, it amazeth a man, and makes him desperate; but if he hath heard that such and such have had it, as well as himself, and have been recovered, this something helps to assuage the bitterness of it to him. Job's trial was a strange trial to his friends, and therefore you see how unskilfully they go about to heal it, and so left the sore worse than they found so, he that to prepare you for it, it is good to take notice that such a condition there is. In like manner also, in 1 Cor. 10:13, for the same end, the Apostle says of other kind of trials, that 'nothing had befallen them but what is common to man.' There is a great relief in that, that it is common, and others have been in the like.
2. Secondly, also, take notice of it, that you may be kept more in dependence upon God, and that you may fear him more whilst you live in this world. Men that know not any afflictions in this life beyond what they see with their eyes and feel in the outward man, nothing beyond loss of friends and credit, these do often fear God less, though truly; and when they come to part with any of these for God, are less willing,—as when they must endure a cross rather than sin, are apter to choose sin rather than affliction,* as Job says,—but when they shall hear and know that God's wrath is beyond Pharaoh's wrath, as Moses knew in who yet in the vast apprehension of the greatness of it, cries out, Ps. 90, 'Who hath known the power of thy wrath?' then they will obey God and fear him more than they would all the kings of the earth, as Moses did; 'not fearing the wrath of Pharaoh,' Heb. 11:27. When men enjoy a confluence of all carnal worldly comforts, and think their mountain strong, well built, with wife, children, about them, and riches, health, and honours, they think they are then more out of God's danger than other men, and are apt to say, 'Soul, thou hast goods for many years;' but know, that God, without Liking either thy goods away or thy soul away, can in this life put thy spirit into such a condition of darkness as thou
wouldest give all the world to have a moment's ease, when all other comforts shall be to thee but as the white of an egg, as Job says. As he hath joys the world gives not, so he hath afflictions the world inflicts not. Therefore fear him more than the loss of all, obey him rather than to keep all; for God can meet with thee in the midst of all: so he met with David, though a king, and then all his wives and kingdom could not comfort him, till God would 'heal the bones that he had broken.'
3. Thirdly, take notice there are such troubles, and learn not to censure others when they are in this condition. Thou walkest in the light, and thou seest another in the dungeon; he may be dearer to God than thou. It was Job's friends' fault, who, having not had experience of such a condition in themselves, concluded that he was a hypocrite. If you thus judge, then, as Asaph say, 'you condemn the generation of the just,' Ps. 73:13, 14. And herein Satan also is gratified, the strict ways of grace scandalised. If God use his children thus, 'Curse God and die,' says Job's wife; and so the foolish men and women of this world.
4. Fourthly, 'pass your sojourning here in fear, and serve him with fear,' 1 Pet. 1:17; for even 'our God is a consuming fire,' Heb. 12:29.
Keep the heart in awe with the knowledge of such an estate. This kept Job in awe, and made him so strict a man all his days. Read the thirty-first chapter throughout, and you shall see what a righteous man he was, and then see the reason of all: ver. 23, 'Destruction from the Lord was a terror to me. And to the same purpose also, chap.
3:25, 26, he says that 'he had always feared that which now had befallen him,' whereof the distress of his spirit was the greatest evil; this he feared might befall him when he had most assurance.