Chap. 52 Six Differences between Melancholy and Trouble of conscience
and they never say any thing to heart, they never knew what it was for one half hour to be serious in their thoughts all their lives.
Many that be Sanguine, be of a light, vain spirit, and it is a heavy Judgment of God to be given over to a light vain Spirit, that considers nothing. Now when God makes use of this Particular degree of melancholy, to make men and women serious, to consider what shall become of them another day, what the terms between God and they are; what if I were now to die? and what if I were now to stand before God? then it is a good help to this work: But yet because this work is a work beyond any melancholy conceit, we shall give you in the Differences.
But yet further, it must be acknowledged, when God comes with trouble of conscience, it may be so mighty, and strong, that it may alter the body, and consume the very Spirits in the Bodies of men and women, and alter the temper of blood, it may be so strong and powerful, and so there may come melancholy in afterward; but yet there is abundance of difference between melancholy and trouble of conscience, and that will appear in these Six Particulars.
CHAP. LII.
Six Differences between Melancholy and Trouble of conscience.
Diff. 1. Melancholy may be in those that are most grossly ignorant; but trouble of conscience comes with some enlightening work. Diff.
2. Melancholy prevails on men by degrees, but trouble of conscience many times comes suddenly, as lightning. Diff. 3. Melancholy trouble is exceeding confused, but troubles of conscience are more distinct. Diff. 4. The more melancholy any has, the less able are they
to bear outward affliction; but the more trouble of conscience, the more able to bear outward afflictions. Diff. 5. Melancholy puts a dulness upon the spirits of men, but trouble of conscience for sin puts a mighty activity upon mens spirits. Diff. 6. Trouble of conscience cannot be cured the ways melancholy may.
First, Melancholy, it is many times in men and women where there is most gross Ignorance of God, and of sin, and of the things of their
Eternal Estate; it may consist with gross ignorance: Many melancholy people are most ignorant and sottish, and know nothing of the Principles of Religion: but troubles of conscience can never come without some new Light of God darted in, and settled upon the hearts of men and women; it comes always with some enlightening work of the Spirit. Melancholy is many times with a great deal of darkness within; the mind is dark where melancholy prevails, and many times gross ignorance; but never any true trouble of conscience, but God comes in with some light. And therefore if any man or woman be troubled, and say it is for sin, I put this to you; What has God discovered to you now, more than before? What Truths of God has God settled upon their hearts more than before? If they can give no further account of no other light let into them, than before, or further Truth let in upon their hearts than before; then indeed it may be suspected not to be trouble for sin; as many melancholy people have the name of being troubled for sin, and they have fears of Hell, because of dark thoughts: But 'tis not the true work of the Spirit upon the Soul, except it be with convincement of some new Light, or settling some Truth more upon the Soul than before.
Secondly, Melancholy comes by degrees upon men and women; alterations of the Body are not sudden things, the temper of men and women's Bodies cannot suddenly be altered to any extremity, but gradually, from one degree to another: but trouble of conscience comes many times as a flash of Lightning from Heaven. Many men and women have come to the Congregation with scornful spirits, profane, wicked, and ungodly; never knew what sin meant, nor
trouble for sin meant, and God has met with them in the Word, and fastened some Sentence upon their hearts so, that they fall down under the power of it: that comes just as an Arrow struck into their
Liver, and they could never get out of it, & have gone away with horrors of soul and therefore this has not been melancholy.
Certainly the humors of the Body, never so suddenly alters the Spirits of men: but when God comes to work, when the Spirit of God, and Bondage comes to work, it needs no matter before, no preparative matter, for the work of the Word is such, as it works immediately, without any preparation.
Therefore many men that understood as little of trouble of conscience as ever any did in their lives, and yet God lets some
Truth reach them, fitted to their hearts and dispositions; that he finds his own sin come to be discovered, and the man is smitten: as he in 1 Cor. 14. 25. the ignorant man that comes into the Church, and hears there the Saints prophecy, He is convinced, and falls down, and said, verily God is among them, of a truth God is in them: it is a remarkable Text: what ever he thought before; it may be he heard strange Stories of the Church of Christ, of profane Meetings,
That God's People, when they met together, they blew out the Candles, and committed Uncleanness, and Wickedness. As there be notorious lies reported abroad of such Sects in the world; for certainly there is no such Sect in the world; but such reports are raised, merely to make the Meetings of God's Saints odious in the esteem of others. As the Jesuits said, Do you but Calumniate strongly, somewhat will stick, though nothing be true.
Well, what ever thoughts they had of the Assemblies of the people of God (for it is like the Heathens had strange thoughts) but when he came in, and heard what was done, he is Convinced, and Judged, and the secrets of his heart came to be discovered; the text said, The man falls down and Worships God, and reports God is among them.
So many people hear great Relations of such Men, and such Preachers, and Sermons, and they go to hear what they can say, and
what they do; and may be go with an intention to scorn; as I have known some, come and sit close to a Pilar, and with an intention to jeer, and scorn, but before they have been gone, God has darted some truth into their conscience, and they have been struck with the word, and gone away with terrors in their conscience, this cannot be melancholy. As Paul, when God converted him, God comes and meets him, with light from heaven, and strikes him from his horse, and he stands trembling, and cries out, Lord! What wilt thou have me to do? There is a great deal of difference between this and melancholy.
A Third difference is this, melancholy is exceeding confused, they are exceeding Confused in their thoughts, and the trouble of their
Spirit: And many times they have troubles, and sinkings, but they can give no account of it at all; yea, their troubles be beyond their ground, the grounds that they be troubled about, are very confused, that they understand them not themselves; but troubles of conscience are a great deal more distinct, and there the soul seeth ground for the trouble beyond the trouble. As in Melancholy, the trouble is beyond the ground of trouble; so in affliction of conscience, the ground is beyond all trouble; I am troubled indeed▪ but I see cause to be troubled more; and this is a great part of many mens trouble, That they can be troubled no more.
A Fourth Difference is this, The more melancholy there is in any man or woman, the less able are they to bear any outward affliction that befalls them: but the more trouble of conscience, the more able shall they be to bear afflictions that befalls them.
Those who feel the trouble of sin heavy, do account all other afflictions light: but melancholy people do feel all afflictions heavy, they cannot bear the least cross, their hearts are ready to sink upon any thing, and the more melancholy increases, the more weak are their spirits, and the less able to bear any cross. But now, trouble of conscience, the more sin, and the heavier the burden of sin lies
upon the Soul, the more slight thoughts has the soul of outward crosses.
Alas, it may be he hears of some that have some grievous diseases in their bodies; Oh said he that is troubled in conscience, Oh if it were no worse with me than so, it were but a flea bite, but it is another manner of matter: if God would change my trouble, I could easily bear that.
As Francis Spira has this expression, Oh! (said he) were I but released, and set free, as before, from trouble of spirit, my thinks I could scorn all the threatnings of cruel Tyrants, and with undaunted resolution bear all torments: So that the height of this trouble makes the other less. It was a good Speech of a reverend
Divine of our times, when he heard any impatient under afflictions; he used to say thus, Surely the Reason why affliction is heavy upon you, is because sin is light. Those that be impatient under afflictions, it is a•sign sin is light, because afflictions are heavy; troubles of conscience would make all afflictions light, Melancholy will not.
Fifthly, A principal Difference above all that has been named is this, Melancholy does mightily dull the spirit of any man or woman wheresoever it prevails it makes them heavy, and dull, and inept:
But now, trouble of conscience for sin, it puts a mighty quickness in men, it puts an activity, another manner of activity and stirring in the spirit than ever was before. You shall have many men and women sit dully under a Minister many years, under the word, and never act; but when God comes to stir, and awaken conscience for sin, their Spirits be active and stirring then, in another manner than they were before. Whereas poor people, overwhelm'd with melancholy, they sit moping, and heavy, and dull, and lumpish, and no activity of spirit at all; but trouble of conscience for sin, is as fire in his bones. As Jeremiah said, He would speak no more in the Name of the Lord; but the word of God was as fire in his bones, and made him active and stirring.
So trouble in conscience makes them active and stirring; now they can pray, they could not pray before; now they be active, and working.
As Acts 9:11 When God troubled Paul, the text said, Behold, Paul Prays: Go said the Lord to Annanias to Saul, Behold he prays: as if Paul never prayed in all his life before. Certainly you that cannot pray, that never prayed, but read a prayer, or prayers your mothers taught you; you cannot Pray: but if ever God troubles your consciences for sin, then you will Pray, as if you were in heaven, Oh mighty Prayers then, Oh for Christ, Oh Pardon of sin, and Peace.
Then there is another manner of acting, and stirring of his spirit, in Prayer; than ever was before. But melancholy, will not do it; but makes a man heavy, and dull, in the very act of prayer.
There is a notable example of the actings of Spirit in troubles that come from sin, whereas the other makes them dull: 'tis that in the Book of Ezra, Chap. 9. vers. 3. and 5. Verse 3. And when I heard this thing, I rent my garment and my mantle, and plucked off the hair of my head, and of my beard, and sat down astonished This you will say made him dull; mark what follows: Verse. 5. And at the evening sacrifice I arose up from my heaviness, and having rent my garment and my mantle, I fell upon my knees, and I spread forth my hands unto the Lord my God, and said, Oh Lord my God, I am ashamed and blush to lift up my face to thee my God, for our iniquities are increased over our heads, and our trespasses are grown up to the heavens, &c. There mark the Prayer Ezra makes at the evening
Sacrificed when the time was come that he should stir and seek God, then his Spirit was mighty active, and stirring, though he were astonished before. If it had been melancholy, his heart would have sate still then.
So that trouble of conscience puts life into the Soul in Prayer. And so it makes the soul active in meditation and contemplation;
melancholy people be dull, and heavy, and know not how to meditate, nor what to meditate on.
Those troubled in conscience, Oh what quick thoughts have they about God, & Christ, and eternity, and the law, and sin; and their souls work about such objects, that they can have no help unto from their bodies and senses, and yet their spirits are raised higher than before, in their workings… And so when they come to hear the Word, Oh how active be their spirits; in catching of the word, and at every truth.
I appeal to you that are troubled, what difference there is between your spirits now, and what they were before you were troubled for sin, before you came to the Congregation, to see and be seen, and wondered what men meant to be so earnest; and now, you mark every truth, and catch hold of every sentence, and mark the mind of God, and understand what is said: before you came and heard, and never understood what was meant by such and such things; you saw the Minister earnest, but you could not conceive what the man meant in his earnestness, but now you see what he means in his earnestness, and understand what weight is in those truths, you hear revealed: this is somewhat like, when the spirit is thus moved, and acted in Prayer, and Pearing. And in Conference, when you were in Conference with good men, before, Conference about good things was dry, and a dull thing, and you savored not the things conferred on, but presently were asleep: but now, if you come where there is Conference of God and his Word, and Christ, and the like, your mind closes with this. If you were only melancholy, this would make you more dull and heavy, but this makes you more lively and active, therefore there is a great deal of difference.
Lastly, Trouble of conscience cannot be cured as Melancholy is.
Melancholy many times is worn out with time, and Physic cures that, and outward comforts and contentments cures that, but trouble of conscience is a wound of a higher nature. As Francis Spira said, when they brought Physicians, and thought it trouble of body;
Alas poor men, they think to cure me by physic: Ah it is another manner of malady, and must have another manner of medicine than plasters and Drugs to cure a fainting Soul and Spirit for sin.
Conscience must have Gospel Antidotes; therefore you that thought you had trouble of conscience for sin, and you are now eased, or perhaps not so much troubled now as before; look back what cured you, how comes it to pass you be less troubled than before? has time worn it away? such a Sermon, and such apprehensions of such a truth, darted into you mightily, and troubled you; you had such troubles, but what has cured you? many times one can give no account but this, Sure time has worn it away; if so, then it was not a right trouble.
So it may be you took physic, your body was troubled before, now it is lively, and more blood in your veins, more spirit now, and may be now your affliction is taken away, and this has cured you: if there be no other trouble than this, certainly you know not what trouble of conscience means, at least not in a saving way; either it was not trouble of conscience at all, or else it is not cured aright, but as the thorn that lies rotting and rankling in the flesh; a thorn when it first gets in, puts one to a great deal of pain; perhaps if it be let alone, the pain will be over for the present; but it lies rankling, and will put you to pain afterward, if it be not cured: So of trouble of conscience for sin, and if nothing have cured it, but these things, it is like the thorn in the flesh, and will trouble you afterward.
There is another manner of Cure, for it is the greatest thing God can do to comfort a troubled conscience, it must be the blood of Christ applied by the holy Ghost; it must be a plaster made of the blood of Jesus Christ, and applied by the holy Ghost to Cure this. And therefore I beseech you consider what has been said about this
Argument; and as the Psalmist said, Blessed is the man that wisely considereth of the poor, so I say blessed is the man and woman, that wisely considereth of these troubles; in this, dont cast it upon your