USE III.—To those that have been in darkness, and are now recovered out of it
5. Lastly, be thankful that God spares thee. Haply thy body is weak; and he knows that thou art but flesh, and so stirs not up all his wrath: if he should fall on thee as on others, it would destroy thee.
But consider that thou hadst a stone in thy heart as well as any other.
God hath cured it by gentle draughts, and so dissolved it and carried it away; whenas he hath cut others, and bound them, and put them to much pain in taking of it out. Oh, be thankful! You that are healthful and have strong bodies, are you not thankful when you see others sick, and lie bedrid, roaring of the stone, toothache, gout, whereof you are free? And ought you not to be much more for the healthfulness of your spirits, (cheerfulness being the marrow of them,) whenas others are sick, as the expression is, Isa. 33:24, for want of assurance that their sins are forgiven? Others roar all day as on a rack, and are distressed almost out of their wits, and even themselves are a burden to themselves. Oh, be thankful that it is not so with you!
USE III.
To those that are translated from darkness into light, and yet never thus walked in darkness Who is among you that feareth the Lord, and hath been in darkness, but now is out of that eclipse, and walks in the light again? You who have been in the dungeon, and have been set free again; who have had the wounds of your spirit healed, your souls raised from the nethermost hell, when they 'drew nigh to the grave, and have found a ransom,' Job 33; learn your duty also:— 1. First, to be thankful to God and Jesus Christ, and to love the more; for you know and have tasted what he did for you. You know how bitter a few sips of the cup was which he drank off and took down,
and therefore must needs love him more. You also have more experience of God's power and faithfulness, and what a miracle God hath wrought in raising you up again: he hath 'shewn you wonders among the dead,' as Heman speaks; be thankful. Thus David, in Ps.
116:3, 4, compared with ver. 1, 'I love the Lord.' And why? 'The sorrows of death compassed me, the pains of hell gat hold upon me; I found trouble and sorrow; I was brought low, and he helped me.'
2. Secondly, learn to pity others in that condition. Who can do it better than you, that have experience of the like? If you hear of any soul in distress, it is expected of you to pray for him more than of another. Christ learned to pity us in all our infirmities the more, by bearing our infirmities himself, Heb. 4:15. To that end God raised you up, that you might be able to comfort others with 'the comforts you have received,' 2 Cor. 1:4, and might pray for them. Therefore,
Isa. 57:18, when any poor soul is smitten, God, as it is there said, is moved to restore him again, for his mourners' sakes as well as his own.
3. Thirdly, declare what God hath done for you. You have been in hell: give warning to others from coming there. 'We, knowing the terror of the Lord, persuade men.' If the rich man had come from hell, what stories would he have told to have scared all his brethren!
Tell you the like. You have seen 'the wonders of God in the deep;' now you are ashore, tell men of the rocks, and shelves, and storms they are like to meet with in such and such courses, of uncleanness, worldliness, &c. David says, when he would have once his bones that were broken healed again, that 'then he would teach sinners God's ways,' Ps. 51.
4. Fourthly, take heed of what may prove the fuel of such a condition.
The devil may come and cast you into your old fits if he find the same