It is the greatest display of spiritual folly to put any
confidence in a holy frame of mind. A frame is a certain heavenly
disposition of the soul. Now, to rest on anything in ourselves is, to
destroy ourselves; for the noblest attainment is to go wholly outside of
ourselves and rest only on Christ. If I do otherwise, I provoke him to
remove, by placing the effect of his presence in the place of himself, and
then my mountain, which I thought stood so firm, is immediately removed; God
hides his face, and I am troubled.
Heavenly frames, and glorious manifestations, I should
seek, not to rest upon—but to be refreshed with. Christ may come into a
frame—but I ought to beware lest I keep the frame, and let Christ go, who is
to be sought for himself, found in himself, in the promise, in his
unchangeable love—and not in a frame.
To have a cold, insensible heart, is a comfortless
condition. But to have Christ, who always brings melting of heart, and a
revival of graces with him—is good, and is a prelude of the happiness to
come. When I prefer the attendants to their prince, and beg these when I
should honor him—this is the way to make him withdraw his visits, and refuse
to come again until I confess my folly. Hence am I chastened with so many
changes in my soul; sometimes standing on Mount Pisgah—then groveling in the
valley of Achor; sometimes walking in the light of his countenance—then
going mourning without the sun; sometimes admitted with boldness to his
throne of grace, where he fills my mouth with arguments—then finding a cloud
spread on his throne, that my prayer cannot pass through, nor I order my
speech by reason of darkness. All this to chasten my folly, and make me
adore his sovereignty, who comes and goes at his own pleasure. Of such a
place, and such a time, one may say, It was Bethel—the house of God, and a
time of love. But neither the Bethel of God, nor the time of love—is to be
the confidence of the soul, whatever comfort it may afford. The God of
Bethel, the God of unchangeable love, is to be the strong tower to which
every believer must always resort. To live by faith, is more noble and more
safe than to live by sense.
Now, in these things, God teaches me to esteem him more
than anything from him; to esteem the enriching hand which gives, more than
the gift that enriches; yes, to depend more on his permanent promise, than
on his passing presence. For, though the one should be pleasant, like the
voice from the excellent glory on the mount of transfiguration, yet the
other is the more sure word of prophecy, of inspiration, to which at all
times we should betake ourselves.
And this we should remember, that the continuation of
that ravishing frame of soul (a gale of which sometimes the favorites of
heaven feel blow through their mind,) is reserved for the happier state
above: But it should occasion the extreme sorrow, if we send away our
Beloved, who is willing to abide with us "until the day breaks, and the
shadows flee away." This I may learn—that it is good to hold him in the
promise, whatever be the condition of my soul. O deplorable imperfection!
When he is absent, despair begins to appear; when present, spiritual pride
is ready to spring up. But while he in wisdom comes and goes, it keeps my
soul in exercise, going forward and backward, to the right hand and to the
left, in quest of him, restless until I find him.
Thus the soul is prevented from sitting down on a sinful
security, or falling asleep in the arms of downy delusion, perhaps to awake
no more. Yes, this exercising of my soul keeps every grace active; his
coming hinders me from falling in the low dungeon of despair, whence I might
come up no more; and his going away prevents my climbing the slippery
precipice of spiritual pride, whence I might fall and break all my bones.
I desire, both in temporals and spirituals, to make the
dear prophet's triumph of faith mine! "Though the fig tree should not
blossom; though my graces should seem languid and low; though darkness
should sit down on my soul; though he should keep back his lovely face;
though my soul should forget her prosperity; though, when I pray and cry, he
should shut out my prayers; though Satan should roar at me, temptations
rendezvous against me, corruption rage within me, and hell gape for me; yet
I will rejoice in the Lord, I will rejoice in the God of my salvation."
Yet I plead that your presence may cheer me in the
wilderness; for if your presence goes not with me, I shall never be able to
go hence. But may your Spirit dwell within me, and seal me to the day of
redemption. Then my joy in believing shall be turned into an ecstasy of
beholding the God-man, in all his amiable perfections; then frames of soul
shall be sinless, holy, and pitched to the most elevated height of rapture
and delight; then I shall praise without interruption, and adore without
distraction!