Ans.  It is true, while the soul is in that case, it cannot act a strong and lively faith; yet it can act a weak and a sickly faith; and a weak faith and a sickly faith can lay hold on an enlivening Christ, and so bring in more strength and life to the soul.  If the soul be so weak as that it cannot grip, yet it can look to him that can quicken the dead and hath helped many a poor soul before out of a dead condition:  or if it cannot do so much as look, yet it may give an half-look, and lie before him who waiteth to be gracious; and sustain itself if it can get no more, with a maybe he shall come.

3.  But further, it may be asked, what can the soul do, when, after all this, it findeth no help or supply, but deadness remaining, yea, and it may be, growing?

Ans.  The soul in that case must lie at his door, waiting for his salvation, and resolving, if no better may be, to die at his door, and leave no approved means or commanded duty unessayed, that it may recover its former vigour, activity and strength.  And while the believer is waiting thus, he is at his duty; and this may yield him peace, and he may be sure that he shall never be ashamed, Psalm xxv. 3; lxix. 6.  Isa. 1. 18.

CHAPTER XXII.

HOW CHRIST IS TO BE MADE USE OF AS OUR LIFE, IN CASE OF HEARTLESSNESS AND FAINTING THROUGH DISCOURAGEMENTS.

There is another evil and distemper which believers are subject to, and that is a case of fainting through manifold discouragements, which make them so heartless that they can do nothing; yea, and to sit up, as if they were dead.  The question then is, how such a soul shall make use of Christ as in the end it may be freed from that fit of fainting, and win over those discouragements:  for satisfaction to which we shall,

1.  Name some of those discouragements which occasion this.

2.  Show what Christ hath done to remove all those discouragements.

3.  Show how the soul should make use of Christ for life in this case; and,

4.  Add a few words of caution.

As to the first, there are several things which may give occasion to this distemper; we shall name those few: 

1.  The sense of a strong, active, lively, and continually stirring body of death, and that notwithstanding of means used to bear it down and kill it.  This is very discouraging; for it made Paul cry out, “Woe is me, miserable man, who shall deliver me from this body of death?” Rom. vii. 24.  It is a most discouraging thing to be still fighting, and yet getting no ease, let be victory; to have to do with an enemy that abides always alike strong, fight and oppose as we will, yea, not only is not weakened, far less overcome, but that groweth in power, and prevaileth.  And this many times affecteth the hearts of God’s children and causeth them to faint.

2.  It may be the case of some, that they are assaulted with strange temptations and buffettings of Satan that are not usual.  This made Paul cry out thrice, 2 Cor. xii.; and if the Lord had not told him that his grace was sufficient for him, what would he have done?  Hence some of his cry out in their complaint, was there ever any so tempted, so assaulted with the devil, as I am?  Sure this dispensation cannot but be much afflicting, saddening and discouraging.