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but Christ Jesus himself, and his church, did in their sense and feeling, take themselves to be forsaken of God, Matt. xxvii. 46; Cant. v. 6; Isa. xlix. 14; yet none that are wise will say, that these were destitute of God's love, or were ever quite forsaken, though never so much perplexed and cast down; yet, in their own feeling and sense, in the agony of their spirits, they did thus think or speak, 2 Cor. iv. 8, 9.

God has most holy and blessed ends, in many times leading and leaving his children in such straits, that they are altogether without any sense of his love.

First, It may be a just correction of them, for their not showing love to God, and because they do in part forsake him by their sins. This is therefore to humble them, and to make them know themselves, and to bring them to repentance. God may be pacified towards them in the main, yet for a time show them no countenance: as David, though his anger was appeased towards Absalom, yet for a time he would not let him see his love, for he would not let him come into his sight; that Absalom might be more humbled, and might the more detest his sin, 2 Sam. xiv. 24.

Secondly, God exercises his beloved ones with many fears, horrors, and doubts, to prevent that spiritual pride which else would be in them, and that self-sufficiency which else they would conceive to be in themselves. If they should always have a sense of inward and spiritual comforts, and should not sometimes have pricks in the flesh, and buffetings of Satan, they would be exalted above measure, and would be something in themselves, in their own opinion, 2 Cor. xii. 7. But when there is such difficulty in getting and keeping of grace and comfort, and when they find what need they have of both, and how neither can be had but from God, in and by Christ, it will make them empty themselves of all things in themselves, that they may be something in Christ. And then, when they have grace and comfort, they will acknowledge themselves to be beholden to God for the same.

Thirdly, God withholds from his children, the sense of his favour to try the sincerity and truth of their