w often doth your spiritual
condition change on you in an hour? You cannot command one thought of God,
or act from any habit of grace, even then when you can bring forth other
gifts in exercise. Ye find that grace findeth more difficulties, more
interruptions,--therefore learn to attend the changes and motions of his
countenance.

II. When you find your heart dead, and you concluded under an
impossibility of taking hold of God in a lively manner, then, I pray you,
look unto the Lord's suspending of his influence, and let your whole
endeavours be at the throne of grace to help it. It will not be your own
provoking of yourself to your duty, but you must put yourself upon God,
that he may cause his face to shine.

III. Though the Lord's hiding his face be often a cause of our deadness,
and his desertion maketh all to wither, yet we have often a culpable hand
in it, and he hides his face being provoked so to do. One thing we may
mention, grieving of the Holy Ghost whereby we are sealed, quenching the
motions of the Spirit, maketh the Spirit cover his face with a vail and
hide it. There is here ordinarily a reciprocal or mutual influence. Our
grieving him makes him withdraw his countenance, and his withdrawing his
countenance maketh us to wither and grow barren.

IV. The most sure and infallible token of the Lord's hiding his face, is
security, and a spirit of deadness and laziness, when folk go about duties
dreaming, and do all as it were through their sleep. Therefore we may
conclude sad things on this land, that the Lord hideth his face from us.
And therefore arise, and do not settle and quiet yourself in such a
condition. The Lord is angry, needeth any more be said? No more needeth to
kind children, but the rod must follow this to make anger sensible.

AN USEFUL CASE OF CONSCIENCE

Learnedly And Accurately Discussed And Resolved, Concerning Associations
And Confederacies With Idolaters, Infidels, Heretics, Malignants, Or Any
Other Known Enemies Of Truth And Godliness.

Section I.

That There Is A Malignant Party Still In The Kingdom.

In the entry to this business, the importunity of not a few makes it
needful to speak somewhat to a question which unto this time hath been
unquestioned, as beyond all exception, that is, whether there be yet in
Scotland a malignant party? Or, whether there be at this time any party
who may and ought, in reason and Christian pruden