Seven uses of it
Reason 1. For the Spirit of God is in them, and where it is, it is stronger than hell, yea though the grace be but as a grain of mustard seed.
Reason 2. Again, As there are depths of misery in a Christian, so in God there are depths of love and of wisdom.
Reason 3. Thirdly, Faith, where it is, unites the soul to Christ, and to God through him, and draws down divine power—to lay hold on the almighty power of God by true and fervent prayer,—at whose rebuke the waters of affliction flee away, Ps. 77:16; and so the stronger the faith is, the stronger is the delivery, for it is of a mighty power, enabling us to wrestle with God, as Jacob did. Thus when we lay hold on God, and God on us, what can drown us?
Reason 4. Fourthly, It is the nature of God's working to be by contraries: in his works of creation, making all things of nothing; in his works of providence, he saves by little means from greatest dangers. That he might bring us to heaven, he suffers us to go down even into hell, to see our worst estate, to humble us; and it may therefore be a cause why many men lie long in afflictions, even because they come not low enough to see their sins and need of help.
In glorifying our mortal bodies, he first brings them to the grave, that they may rot and corrupt, and so be refined and moulded anew.
Seven Uses of It Use 1. This should teach us a note of difference between those that are God's children and those that are not. Those that are his, when they are in danger, go to him. They have ever that hold by faith, as to say, 'Yet God is good to Israel,' Jer. 31:1. Others seek to escape by desperate undoing of themselves, as Saul, and Judas, and
Ahithophel, for all his strong natural parts; and indeed such are in most danger of such courses of all other; for God will tread on such for their pride. Contrarily he mingles comforts, in the worst estate that his children are in, with griefs, one to humble them, the other to support them from despair; and so he sets them on a rock that is higher than they.
Use 2. Secondly, It should teach us in all extremities how to carry ourselves. We should take heed of the stream of grief, striving against it, as we desire a note of our good estate; take heed how we think that God forsakes us. It is an imputation unbefitting him that never forsakes his. Take heed of judging ourselves by sense. Is meat sour because one that is sick doth not relish it? No. The fault is in his indisposition. So in such desertions, be sure thou retainest thy anchor of hope, though contrary to hope; and therefore in the next place, Use 3. We should answer God's dealing by our dealing. He works by contraries; we should judge by contraries. Therefore, if we be in misery, hope and wait for glory, in death look for life, in sense of sin assure thyself of pardon, for God's nature and promises are unchangeable; and when God will forgive, he lets us see our troubles; and therefore with resolute Job say, 'Though he kills me, I will yet trust in him,' Job 13:15. But to come particularly, I will set down cures of such depths as may arise from several causes; and these depths are either imaginary or real. Christians sometimes think themselves to be in depths when indeed they are not, but it is only imaginary, raised it may be from a melancholy distemperature of the spirits, which also distempers the reasonable working of the mind; raising as false and feigned conceits of their souls as it doth in many of their bodies; and yet these conceits have real effects, as in Jacob, who sorrowed as truly for Joseph as if he were dead indeed.
Therefore for the avoiding hereof be not alone; a friend and good company are made for such times. For the devil sets on men in such case most when they are alone, and the strongest are then too weak for him; and believe not thine own fancy, but rather believe those that can discern us better than we ourselves can. We know how men have been deceived thus, and therefore when we are advised thus by friends, and counselled, let us suspect that it is a motion of the devil or a fancy of thine own that thus troubles thee.
There is another depth that is imaginary, arising from mistaking of rules, concluding because they have not so much grace as others, have not so much subduing and prevailing power over sin, therefore they have no grace at all, they are damned hypocrites and the like.
Little do they think that perfection is not attainable here, but is reserved to the blessedness of that other life hereafter. Little do they look to the imperfections of the best saints of God, and the great depths that they have been in; and indeed they know not what the covenant of grace requires, nor perfect fulfilling of the law by our own persons, for that was the end of the law. But the covenant of grace requires sincerity with growth; and this is the only perfection which we can look for here.
Another depth also there is, which ariseth from the taking of the motions of the devil for those of his own corrupt nature. The baseness and unreasonableness of them makes them think they cannot be God's children, and have such detestable motions within them. Let such know that such shall be cast upon Satan's score. And it is a sign rather that such are none of the children of the devil, who, if they were, would suffer them to rest in quiet without vexing them.
Again, some men fall into another depth, which ariseth from an apprehension of God forsaking them. To such I give this advice, that
they judge not of themselves by their distemper, for a sinful conscience puts a veil sometimes between God and us, hiding his favour; which nevertheless may be as great to us then as at any other time, and it may be intended by God to drive us to him by scourging us from our wicked ways and sins, which formerly we lived in. By faith therefore pull off the vizor from the face of God; judge not according to present appearance, but by God's nature and his promises, who hath said he will be with us for ever, that no temptations shall be above measure, 1 Cor. 10:13; judge by his nature who is unchangeable; and thus did the Canaanitish woman see
Christ's loving nature under his frowning look, who doth as Joseph, hide his love and person from his brethren out of a increasement of love, not out of any ill intent. Again, in such a case let us be sure we trust others that are our friends rather than ourselves. I mean in time of temptation, whenas others can better discern of our health by our spiritual pulses than we ourselves, who then are blinded; and in such cases there is the trial of faith and love.
There is another sort of depths, and these are before conversion; and thus was Paul troubled, 'Lord, what shall I do?' and thus was
Manasseh. Let such consider the commandment, to humble them and cast themselves on Christ and his promises, considering the end of Christ's coming was to save and seek such as are lost.
Use 4. And if any one shall find himself already escaped such depths as are formerly mentioned, let him take comfort to himself, as being thereby evidently proved to be the child of God; for that is utterly impossible, that nature should overcome such difficulties, and to that end let him reason after this sort, God's children go to him in depths.
I go only to him in depths, therefore I am God's child; for to have the spirit of prayer to go to God in time of trouble, it is a work of the Spirit; a natural man hath it not, Job 27:9, 10.