and strong immediatly after a desertion In desertions ordinarily it is none or but weake p. 217 2. Ordinarily it is very high when his Saints are in greatest distresses call'd to suffer Martyrdome c. p. 218 219 3d. Concl. Thou mayest have had and again have a true assurance and full perswasion though thou for the present hast none at all p. 219 220 SERM. XIII CHAP. XIII HOw to comfort that soule that conceives it hath not true faith because it doth not feele Gods strength carrying it out to those duties and acts of grace which it ought to act A distinction of feeling It may be 1. Of Peace 221 2. Of Strength Ib. Something spoken by way of consolation to poor souls under this scruple of spirit 223 224 225 226 227 228 229 c. 1. Consid Not-feeling doth not argue a not-being p. 223 2d Consid The truth of Gods love to us is not so easily to be discerned in the very acting and working of God as in the effect of such acts and operations p. 235 236 237 3d. Consid Feeling at the best is but a deceivable or a disputable evidence p. 237 238 4. Consid No Christian feeles strength alwayes alike nor hath cause to doe it p. 239 That of God to the soule which is not seen is alwayes alike That which is seen not so Ib. Causes why God is not felt alwayes alike in the soule p. 240 1. Cause His soft goings sometimes in the cause Ib. 2. To trie whether a Christian can stand alone upon the true legges of faith without the woodden legs of sense Ib. 3. The soule may be benummed and have lost its feeling Ib. 5. Consid Gods strength may then be seen in thee when it is not seene or felt by thee p. 241 242 6. Consid It is no argument to warrant thee not to believe because thou dost not feele God carrying thee out by his armes of strength in such a manner to spirituall duties and to the acts of spirituall and saving graces as thou desirest and perhaps expectest p. 242 243 We must believe for strength as well any thing else p. 243 This diâ—â—ers from the Arminian Doctrine of free-will Ib. 5 Directions teaching Christians what to doe under this Affliction p. 244 1. Direct Find out the cause and remove it Ib. 2. Causes may be 1. Gods will Ib. Then submitting removes it Ib. 2. Thy own temper Ib. Under temptations 2. Some known sins 3. Thy expectations may be too high Ib 4. Thy wilfulnesse may be the cause These causes must be removed 1. Faith 2. Loving Expectations 3. Repentance c. 2. Direct Wait forfeeling p. 244 3 Direct Learn to live without bread on Gods Word p. 245. 4. Direct Learn to acknowledge Gods little finger Ib. 5. Direct Act contrary to thy mind Sick men must eat against their stomack p. 245 5 Reasons of Master Rutherfords why we ought to performe duties under an indisposition even against our mind p. 245 246 SERM. XIV CHAP. XIV HOw to know whether our doubtings be such as may consist with true faith in a gracious soule 5 Particulars in which the doubtings of believers differ from the doubtings of Unbelievers and Reprobates p. 248 249 250 251 1. They differ in the Principle unbeliefe is not the Principle of doubting in the Believer but Infirmity p. 249 250 251 The exposition of that place Rom. 4. 19 20. p. 250 251 252 2. They differ in the occasion from whence they arise p. 253 Severall occasions of doubting in Gods people different from the occasion of Unbelievers doubtings p. 253 254 3. They differ in the Object The Object of the Christians doubting is something in himselfe The Object of the Unbelievers doubting is ordinarily something in God p. 254 255 The Reasons of it p. 255 256 257 4. They differ in their duration and continuance p. 257 258 5 Notes concerning believers doubtings p. 259 260 261 1. They are most and strongest in the morning p. 258 2. They may be in the day time p. 259 3. If they be they are fewer and weaker The reasons of it p. 259 260 4. They are transient clouds that passe and return not p. 260 5. They have none but they conquer in fine p. 261 5. They differ in their Effects p. 262 263 The effect of Unbelievers doubting is a forsaking and declination from God p. 261 262 They commonly produce in Gods servants these five effects 1. A complaining unto God p. 263 2. A craving satisfaction from God p. 264 3. A striving against them Ib. 4. A waiting for God Ib. 5. A closer walking with and adhering unto God p. 264 265 LUKE 17. 5. And the Apostles said unto him Lord increase our faith WHen the Jaylor fell down at the Apostles feet Acts 16. 30. and said What shall I do to be saved The Apostle answers Beleeve in the Lord Iesus Christ and thou shall be saved When Ruler feared Christ saith Be not afraid onely beleeve Mar. 5. 36. When the poor man came for mercy for his son Mark 9. 32. Christs tells him If he could beleeve all things were possible to him When we pray if we can but beleeve we shall receive we shall surely not fail Many glorious things are spoken of this mother of graces that faith seems to be the whole duty of man Demosthenes was askt how many things were necessary for an Orator he answers three First action secondly action thirdly action meaning action was more than all And when a certain Prince askt a great Commander what was necessary for War He answers him three things money money money meaning that that is the ligaments and nerves of War And truely if any should ask me what is the unum necessarium the one thing necessary for a Christian I would say faith if he should ask me again I would say faith if the third time still I should say beleeve To the first pray for â—aith to the second use faith to the third grow and increase in faith Faith and beleeving is the whole duty of a Christian in a safe sence for it supposeth humiliation and it commandeth newnesse of life Preparatory qualifications are but faiths harbingers to prepare a room for faith and the works of sanctification are but faiths retinue fed from Faiths table and accordingly maintained as Faith is more or lesse strong and able to maintain them This hath made the Devil more beleaguer the castle of Faith then all the other petty holds comparatively that christian maintaineth against him That as the King of Aram 1 King 22. 31. said to his thirty and two Captains over his chariots Fight neither with small or great save onely against the King of Israel so the Devil seems to make it his great designe to fight and to have given it as his sole or chiefest injunction to the Captains of his Chariots to all his forces and all his instruments to fight neither with small nor great but onely against the King of graces
there is a waking heart though there be no waking eye the soule as well as the body in sleep is bereaved of sense wait but till the morning and the soule will confesse it seeth and hath recovered its senses again Thus for thy comfort know Christian that thou couldst not justly expect to feele alwayes alike for first God doth not dispense alwayes alike and secondly if he did dispense alwayes alike yet a benummed ashy winter-sleepy soule hath not that beauty â—or that sense which a lively healthy well-tempered clear-spring-awakened soule hath Fifthly consider That Gods strength may be then seen in thee when it is not seen and felt by thee The gracious soule is not alwayes nay is very seldome a competent Judge of it self the high Christian may often have a very low yea too low an opinion of himselfe the Christian is his own worst construing Book and especially too at some times if Paul may be judge of himself sometimes he is the least of Saints and the chiefest of sinners and unworthy to bee called an Apostle If David may be judge of himselfe Psal 22 v. 6. He is a worm and no man yea the very reproach of men So if many Christians may be judges of themselves Alas they cannot pray they cannot love God they cannot beleeve they feel nothing of the rength of God carrying them out when if standers by may be judges there is a great deale of the strength of God manifested in their hearts and carriages of their lives and God is gloriously discovered in carrying out their hearts so gloriously and sweetly and firmely for him as he doth take a true Christian and this is a sure rule that God and Gods people have far better opinions of him then he hath of himselfe now this may comfort thee when other better and more experienced Christians by thy own confession then thy self can see more in thee then thou canst feele the body in a dead swound feels no life in it selfe but all its vitall motions and functions are hindred now therefore at such a time others in the roome are Iudges of its life or death they by observing the warmth of the body the motions of the pulse or applying a glasse to the mouth of the swounding person do perceive life in the man that to his owne sense and perhaps to the sense of some others is a dead carkasse Sixthly and lastly consider that it is no Argument to warrant thee not to beleeve because thou doest not feele God carrying thee out by his armes of strength in such a manner to spirituall duties and the acts of spirituall and saving graces as thou desirest or perhaps expectest the reason of this is plain because it is my duty as well to beleeve for strength as for any thing else Sure I am Gods promises are as much for strength to act grace as for any thing else and the promises of God are the object of my Faith it is my duty to beleeve the promises I will strengthen thee saith God I will help thee and uphold thee with the hand of my righteousnesse thou sayest this cannot I believe Why because God doth not strengthen me and help me carry out my heart in an act of Faith Thus thou beggest the question the question is not whither thou oughtest to believe when thou feelest God carrying thee on to believing c. But whither thou oughtest not to believe that God will strengthen thee and carry thee out to acts of believing and loving c. But some may say What doth this differ from Free-will doctrine Can I believe unlesse God doth strengthen me to believe Why doe you call upon a man to lay hold when he complaineth that he wants hands or upon a man to walk when he tells you he cannot find that he hath any legs Mistake not Christian God hath said I will strengthen thee I will help thee and uphold thee with the hand of my righteousnesse Now I say it is thy duty to believe this promise of strength help and I confesse that it is not in thy power to believe this promise but God must strengthen thee and help thee before thou canst believe this promise that he will strengthen thee and help thee but yet I doe not call upon one that hath no hands to lay hold nor upon one that hath no legs to walk but upon one that saith he doth not feele his legs I call upon him to walk and I call upon one that doth not know and feele that hee hath hands to lay hold c. And this is sense and warrantable Divinity Faith is not sensible and visible to a Christian in the habit but only in the acts I call to thee to shew forth the habit of faith Now it shall not excuse thee from this duty that thou canst not feele thou hast any habite of Faith the habite of this pretious grace is invisible Thus have I given thee some considerations which duly weighed and considered may comfort thy soule under this perplexity I have only one thing more to doe and that is to speak a word or two of direction to such soules to shew them what to doe that they may be comforted in which I will be briefe First then by way of direction Finde out the cause and remove it the causes may bee various I cannot name them all but the great and ordinary causes may be first Gods will secondly thy own temper 1. Gods will he will not please perhaps to lead thee with so strong an arm at one time as at another hee will try how thou wilt live by faith sense is bread he will have thee not to live by bread only but by every word that commeth out of the mouth of God Now sence and feeling that is bread if this be the cause as it was in Peter thou must not dispute but submit to it 2. The cause may be in thy self it may be thou art under some violent temptations of Sathan or under the clouds and darknesses of some sinnes or corruptions or thy expectation of feeling or sense may be too high or thou mayest be wilfull and not feel when thou mayest These causes must bee removed by faith repentance endeavour obedience c. Hath sin benummed thee be humbled for this sinne and thou shalt feele Art thou in desertion believe and hope and thou shalt feele again It is a known maxime Take away the cause and the effect will cease But Secondly Wait for feeling this is is a part of thy duty in relation to this want especially caused by Gods will Is 40. 31. They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength like the Eagle Psal 27. 14. Wait on the Lord be of good courage and he shall strengthen thine heart wait I say on the Lord wait with faith and hope and patience Thirdly Learn to live upon Gods Word Man shall not live by bread only but upon every Word that commeth out of the mouth of
at this instant in the midst of all your sad doubts walk closely with God according to the rule of his word Canst thou say Though I have been afflicted very much yet have I not departed from thy judgments Bee of good comfort Christian God shall wipe these teares from thy eyes And the God of Peace shall bruise Sathan under your feet shortly Rom. 16. 20. And now I have done with such doubts and scruples as may arise in gracious soules concerning the nature and acts and degrees of Justifying Faith To God only wise be glory through Iesus Christ for ever Amen Rom. 16. 27. FINIS READER The Author desires the charity of thy heart for the whole and of thy Pen for the mending these following Errata's of the Presse IN the Epistle to the Reader read he doth not say salibus c. page 1. read when the Ruler feared p. 56. for promise read premise p. 62. for recreated read revealed p. 68. for Thou saith read Thou sayest mend the same â—ault p. 69. p. 138. for redence read credence p. 142. for this is thy tempter read this is temper p. 189 for as say they read alas say they p. 196. read the promises have such an influence in stead of have made such p. 206. for tracing me read tearing me p. 218. for God comes in with sighes read God comes in with signes p. 235. for thou sayest read thou seest p. 254. for and they read and they say p. 258. for Son read Sun ibid. for perswades his sins read perswades him his sins If there be any more they are such literall mistakes as thine eye will easily correct An Exact Alphabeticall Table of all the principall things in the foregoing SERMONS A ADherence see Reliance Application of the promises to the soule in particular must be the wonderfull work of Gods Spirit pag. 202. Three things necessary to such a particular Application p. 189. 190. 191. 192. Application of hope and of perswasion p. 202. Assent an act of Faith what it is a â—ase of Conscience about it 136. 137. 138. What Assent is What manner of Assent is an act of Faith and what not Three properties of that Assent which is an act of true Faith It is the lowest act It is not the proper act of justifying Faith We may truly Assent when we think we doe not p. 137. 138. Assent true and pretended how to be discerned p. 137. 138. 139. Assent to every particular truth not absolutely necessary to Faith p. 144. Assent to other mens judgements concerning Scripture no act of Faith p. 146. 147. Weaknesses in Assent as an act of Faith p. 136. 137. 138. c. Two Cautions concerning weaknesse of Assent p. 153. 154. Assurance what it is it is not necessary to justifying Faith p. 206. 207. Popish and Antinomians opinion about it both false p. 207. 208. 211. 212. Assurance may bee true yet weak and inconstant in degree p. 215. At what times ordinarily it is strongest p. 217. 218. What Christians ordinarily have Assurance at their death and who want it p. 219 Assurance may be sometimes quite lost though once true and it is againe recoverable p. 219. Assurance how hindred p. 220. Atheisticall and blasphemous thoughts how we may know whithen they bee our own corruptions or the Devils temptations p. 141 142. 143. 144. B Believers will be sensible of their weak faith why p. 5. 6. 7. They will and ought to strive against it for an encrease why p. 7. 8. may bee comforted though their faith bee weak p. 8. 9. They can have nothing in Godâ— Decree can hinder their heaven p. 68. They have misgiving natures p. 163. They have winter and summer times what they are p. 183. At what times they may want a power to apply temporall promises p. 185. In dark dayes they may have true Faith and yet want a power to aâ—ply conditionall promises and absolute too p. 186. 187. They must truly understand their condition if they would apply the promises particularly p. 200. They must Believe for feeling as well as any thing else p. 242. Their doubts how they differ from unbelievers doubts see Doubts They doubt not the truth of the promise p. 252. They doubt in regard of something in themselves p. 255. 257. Five Notes concerning Believers doubts p. 258. 259. 260. 261. Their doubts if past seldome return or if they do not to stay p. 266. They conquer all doubts at last they may doubt p. 124. Their doubts differ from the other doubts of unbelievers in five different Effects p. 263. 264. 265. Blasphemy against the Holy Ghost see Sinne against the Holy Ghost Blasphemous thoughts not the sinne against the Holy Ghost they may possibly not bee our own p. 96. C Charters of free-grace how slandered p. 67. 68. Christ cannot bee made rich with the â—oblers ends of our righteousnesse p. 84. Christ would have married Adam without a portion none since p. 84. He undertakes to his Father for great sinners p. 86. He was tempted to doubt of the truth of the Scriptures c. but he made the Devill run away p. 140. Clearnesse of truths to us severall wayes p. 150. 151. The Covenant of Grace was made with Christ for us p. 195. Reasons to prove it p. 195. The nature of it may comfort wounded Spirits p. 44. It is 1 Everlasting 2 Ordererd 3 Sure 4 Particular p. 44. 45. D Deniall of those truths we for the present are ignorant of dangerous p. 134. 135. What manner of deniall of truth is an ingredient into the sinne against the Holy Ghost p. 98. 99. Desertion makes Believers tremble p. 178. In the time of it Believers go to Christ but how p. 178. Desires to believe and pray how they are Faith and Prayer Mrâ— Rutherf â—pinion p. 237. The Devill proved a coward he durst not re-inforce an assault p. 142. 143 Directions for such at cannot feele God carrying them out so in his strength to duties as they desire p. 244. 245. Dispensations of free-Grace have been made to great sinners p. 46. They are made variously p. 46. 47. Two things may be gathered from the revealed difference of Gods free-Grace to Lydia and Paul in respect of Humiliation preceding Faith p. 47. 48. Doubtings may consist with Faith proved p. 124. 123. They are sinfull p. 123. They are not Faith p. 123. They may consist actually with habituall faith p. 123. Believers may Doubt or bee tempted to Doubt concerning the truth of the Scriptures p. 140. Disputing argues a weaknesse not a totall want of faith p. 160. 161. Doubtings in Believers how they differ from the doubtings of unbelievers p. 248. 249. 250. 251. 252. 253. 254. 255. 256. 257. 258. 259. 260. 261. 262. 263. 264. 265. They differ in their Principle p. 248. How Abraham doubted of infirmity p. 249. 250. That place Rom. 4. 20. concerning Abrahams doubting examined p. 249. 250. 251. Doubtings in Believers differ from doubtings in others in the occasion of
Master Shepheard Ib. Severall directions given by Doctor Preston in this case Ib. 3. Directions given in this case p. 53 1. Consider the nature of thy sinne in 6 particulars Ib. 2. Consider the mercy of God in 3 particulars Ib. 3. Fly to God by Prayer p. 53 54 SERM. III. CHAP. III. HOw to satisfie such Christians as thinke they ought not to beleeve because they doe not know they are elected The Complaint of the troubled soule p. 56 Something spoken to it by way of promise p. 57 The truth concerning Election premised in 5 Conclusions Papists and Arminians wound truth to heale conscience by lying charmes Ib. 8. Considerations propounded for soules thus troubled p. 58 59 c. 1. Consid Faith is not an apprehension of particular Election but an application of generall promises p. 59 60 61 62 2. Consid That thy faith only can discover to thee thy Election p. 62 The Covenant is only shewed by God to his Saints p. 62 63 3. Consider the phrase of Scripture expounding how our Election may be made knowne to us p. 63 4. Thou hast no ground to conclude against thy Election but thy unbeliefe p. 64 65 5. Cons Those that God elects to the end he elects to the means p. 65 66 We must have a sense of faith before we can have a sense of our Election p. 66 6. By this stumbling as we perplexe our selves so we call Gods wisdome in question a wayes and slander the charters of free grace p. 67 7. If we will beleeve Gods decrees cannot hinder us of heaven p. 68 8. Heaven and glory are worth an adventure whether we be elected or no. p. 68 69 Sâ—RM IV. CHAP. IV. HOw to comfort poore soules that dare not beleeve because of their unworthinesse in respect of their many and great sins 7. Considerations to comfort the soule under this affliction p. 72 73 c. 1. Gods grace is full enough of heighth and length and depth and breadth Christ cannot be brought to pant for breath of free grace p. 72 73 74 75 2. Consid There 's no defect of will in God to save the highest or greatest sinners p. 76 77 78 79 There is not only power but eagernesse in Christs will to save the greatest sinners p. 77 75 Christs eagernesse to save sinners proved by 12 particulars p. 77 78 79 1. He speaks 2. He sweares 3. He pleads 4. He expostulates with us upon denyals 5. He appeales 6. He wishes 7. He professeth he knowes not how to destroy them 8. He weeps 9. He invites 10. He comes from heaven to earth on this errand 11. He dyes for great sinners 12. He sends messengers to treat and parly with great sinners p. 77 78 79 3. Consid God hath pardoned and Christ hath washed as great sinners as thou art that were so either actually or habitually p. 80 4. Consid Infinite mercy never did its utmost yet God can pardon greater sinners then he hath pardoned p. 81 82 5. Consid There is as much reason on thy part why Christ should pardon thee as there was in any of the Saints why he pardoned them p. 83 6. Consid God never married any for a portion nor refused any for want of one p. 84 7. Consid Christ shall attaine his designe in pardoning sinners more fully by how much the greater sinner thou art p. 84 85 Christ gets most glory by pardoning great sinners p. 85 1. He glorifies his power and patience and riches of mercy p. 84 2. He gets glory from them They will love much p. 85 3. Others by their example will be perswaded to turne Ib. The whole case concluded with a story out of Eusebius p. 86 87 SERM. V. CHAP. V. HOw to satisfie a soule doubting that it hath sinned the sinne against the Holy-Ghost The complaint stated 89. Something spoken to it by way of premise 90. 1. There is such a sin 90. Why it is called the sinne against the Holy-Ghost 90. 2. It is unpardonable 91. 3. Elect ones cannot commit it p. 91 This scruple proceeds from ignorance p. 91 92 12. Considerations tending to comfort the soule under this wound and to informe us concerning the nature of this sinne p. 92 93 94 95 c. 1 Consid None could ever tell what this sinne was p. 9â— Various opinions of it 92. The Schoolmen and Papists opinion of it 92 Their 6 species of it disproved p. 92 93 How bsasphemy against the Holy-Ghost may be taken p. 93 How far we may discover what this sinne is p. 94 2. Consid None can be guilty of it but such as have had a great measure of knowledge p. 94 95 3. Consid It must be a setled sinne of our owne continued in without repentance not a transient suggested thought for which we grieve p. 96 97 4. Consid Every sin against knowledge is not this sin p. 97 What manner of sinning against knowledge it must be Ib. 5. Consid A bare deniall of the truth of God with which we are enlightened and the grace of God infused into us is not this unpardonable sin p. 98 What manner of deniall of truth is an ingredient into this sin Ib. 6. Consid Every envy at and hatred of our brethren and their goodnesse is not this sin p. 99 What manner of envy and hatred is an ingredient into this sin p. 100 7. Consid It must be joyned with a totall falling away from the truth Religion and profession of Jesus Christ Ib. 8. Consid Others would complaine of it as well as thy self if thou hadst sinned this sin p. 101 9 Consid Thy complaining and grieving for it is a signe thou art not guilty of it Ib. 10. Consid The sin against the Holy-Ghost is not unpardonable in respect of Gods mercy or its greatnesse p. 102 How and why it is said to be unpardonable Ib. 11. Consid It cannot be a block for thee in the way of beleevingly because though it doth take away from thee the power yet it doth not excuse thee from the duty of believing 103 12. Thou canst not conclude thy selfe to have sinn'd this sin if thou hast sinn'd it before thy dying houre Ib. The conclusion of the Case With a generall description of the sinne against the Holy-Ghost p. 104 105 SERM. VI. CHAP. VI. HOw to satisfie such poore soules as are conceited they doe not believe when they indeed doe 2 Causes of such Complaints 1. A mistake in the nature and Acts of faith p. 108 2. A misjudging of the effects of faith Ib. 2 Things propounded in order to satisfaction to such scruples as arise from the first cause Ib. 1 Thing viz. That there are many acts and degrees of faith and every act is not required to justifying faith Ib. 2 Thing That true faith is of so good a nature that it will consist in a soule with many doubts and weaknesses Ib. Various opinions concerning the justifying act of faith Knowledge is supposed to faith no
condition that the soul should be thus and thus deeply humbled O saith a gratious soul do you set me to eye them they undo and ruine me I finde the promises of Gods giving Christ to my soul run all upon conditions of hungring and thirsting Isai 55. 1 2 3. Of being weary and heavy laden Mat. 11. 29. Of being lost and undone and this is that which I stick upon I will answer thee in this particular First T is true such is the tenor of the promises they do require hungring and thirsting c. Though not as meritorious conditions yet consider That they require no more then God hath promised to givâ— See this Zach. 12. 10. Ezek. 11. 19 20. and 36. 26 27. Where God hath promised to give that same tender broken contrite heart which other promises require the soul to have that doth apply them to it self Secondly Consider that those promises that seem to require humiliation and brokennesse of heart as conditions or qualifications call them what you will do no where require such and such a measure they require rem but not mensuram Lastly And for thy great comfort consider that those originall promises in which God hath promised to give that tendernesse and brokennesse of heart which he seemeth to require in other promises as a condition and qualification for the soul to whom of due it belongs to apply those promises I say those promises are absolute for this take but two instances Ezek. 11. 19 20. and 36. 26 27. which are much the same And I will give them one heart and I will put a new spirit within you and I will take the stony heart out of their flesh and will give them aâ— heart of flesh that they may walk in my statutes c. As if he should say they cannot walk in my statutes and keep my ordinances untill their stony heart be gone and they have an heart of flesh Secondly They cannot have this heart of flesh till I give it them And thirdly I will give it them Now sit down and eye the promises say thus It is true God doth require an heart of flesh before I can apply the promises of pardon to me but the same God hath promised to give it me and there must there can nothing be done of me in relation to that first gift God hath freely promised to prepare me to apply his salvation and to walk in his statutes by taking away my heart of stone and giving me an heart of flesh and beleeve but this that God will fulfill this free and absolute promise unto mee It is thy duty not onely to beleeve that God will pardon thee but also to beleeve that God will humble thee and not to stick upon I am not humbled enough to apply the promise but to say I will labour to apply the promises of salvation and to beleeve that God will humble me more and make good amongst others that promise to my soul that he hath made to his people that he will take away their heart of stone and give an heart of flesh c. And thus I have done with the first direction to the afflicted soul Eye the nature of God more in his covenant Secondly In the dispensations of his grace Thirdly In his promises I come now to my second direction and that is Secondly Consider the nature of humiliation and this thou mayest consider First In its originall Secondly In the manner of the operation of it Thirdly In its end The two latter I have handled at large in my considerations I propounded to comfort the soul in its affliction I will but name them First Think that thy humiliation may be as great as it should be though not so deep as others have been it may be it hath been longer Secondly It may have a more inward work Thirdly Its working is not done it will have a work as long as thou livest 2. Consider the nature of it in its end First Meditate that the end of thy humiliation is but to bring thee to loath sin secondly Leave sin and thirdly To make thee prize Christ If this be done it hath done its work But this I enlarged my self upon before 3. which should have been indeed first Consider the nature of humiliation in its originall and efficient cause which is God Zac. 12. 10. Ezek. 11. 19. 20. and sit down now and say Certainly God hath a good work begun in my soul otherwise why should sin trouble me at all or why should I be troubled that I am not troubled for my sin and now how unreasonable a thing is it for me to start from applying the promises because in my conceit I am not enough humbled It is God that hath humbled me at all and it is he that must perfect the work in my soul and surely if he sees it is not enough he will work more and he must do it if he will have it for I am not able to humble my soul Thus far my direction hath reached to help thee to ease thy self and direct thee what to do in point of meditation and consideration My third reacheth thy practice Lastly Labour after more and more humiliation Neither keep thy heart from beleeving in infidelity out of a conceit of the want of it nor yet slight and neglect it Both these rocks must be avoided as pernicious rocks for poor souls and between which there is a safe passage Let the world think what they will Sound beleever p. 104. and opinion 〈◊〉 cry down that great work Want of humilitation saith Master Shepheard is the cause of so much counterfeit 〈◊〉 Ib. p. 146. as is in the world and again saith he we shall observe if there be little humiliation there is little of Christ if much of humiliation much of Christ if inconstant humiliation inconstant fruition of Christ if reall humiliation reall possession of Christ if false humiliation imaginary fruitâ—on of Christ Therefore though I would not have thee so weep but thou should I have a spare eye to look up to the free grace of Christ yet I would not have thee so much fix thy eye upon the mercy and free grace of Christ that thou shouldst have never an eye to weep for thy sins Humiliation and Faith are two things that are consistant together That 's the last direction Labour to get the soul more humbled I know thou wilt say how shall I do that truely I might give infinite directions Ib. p. 150. but this is so ordinary a point in which so many pious men have laboured that I shall but name to you some directions that they point out as helps to the soul in this work Master Shepheard gives those helps 1. Remember whose thou art Rom. 9. 20. 2. Remember what thou art a vild wretch Job 40. 1 3 4. 3. Remember what thou hast been and how long thou hast been so and why should God choose thee 4. Remember what thou wilt be Isa
64. 6. good for nothing in his service c. Doctor Preston gives these directions vol. 4. 1. Labour to see the greatnesse of thy sin 2. To see the inability to help thy self For the first he propounds this 1. Fix your thoughts upon some great sin 2. Think of the number of thy sins 3. Make past sins present think of youth sins c. 4. Be not willing to exiâ—nuate or excuse any sin 5. Make sorrow abide upon your hearts 2. Consider the inability to help thy self 1. Think of Gods greatnesse and strictnesse 2. Of thy weaknesse and sinfulnesse And in another place he gives these directions 1. Every day search thy heart for the sins thou hast committed that day 2. Study the Scriptures they will discover your vile hearts more to you 3. Keep your hearts and wayes upright that is the way to keep them from haâ—dning 4. Bediligent in your calling 5. Remember times and sins past 6. Distinguish betwixt grace in thee and thy self of thy self Many other directions have been and may be given I will reduce all to these two or three heads 1. Consider the nature of thy sin 2. Consider the mercy of thy God 3. Run unto God Now these may be branched out into severall particulars 1. Consider sins in the filthinesse of them 2. In the greatnesse of them 3. In the multitude of them 4. In the aggravations of them 5. In the effects of them 6. In the dangerous consequence and guilt of them 2. Consider the mercy of God 1. That hath spared thee from hell so long 2. That yet will pardon thee 3. That yet will give thee heaven and glory 3. But when thou hast done all what thou canst this way these are but poor helps the surest way is to Fly to God by prayer and intreat him to work his own work So the Church Hos 14. 2. Here thou mayest plead with God First His promises Zach. 12. 10. Ezek. 11. 19 20. Secondly Thine own inability to do any thing towards this work though thou hast tried much and after all this rest upon God to such doubting Christians Now there are divers other things which lye in the souls way in relation to this also some of which I will speak something to being such as are more ordinary and as I my self have met with from some Christians either arising from their too curious inquisition into Gods hidden decrees or too much poring upon their own unworthinesse For the first of these I shall speak something to it at this time Cap. 3. How such Christians may be satisfied and comforted as think they have no warrant to beleeve because they conceive they are not elected or do not know whether they be elected or no. ALas saith a poor Christian why do you tell me of beleeving Sure I am none can be saved that is not elected I can see no ground to make me think that God hath chosen me to life before the foundations of the world nay I am confident God hath not elected me but past me over in his eternall decree Now to this trouble of spirit I will speak something first by way of promise secondly by way of consolation and direction First By way of promise It is an ill way of curing such a wound by breaking truths head to make a plaister as the Arminians Papists and Antinomians do Let me therefore first shew you what the truth is and then shew you with what considerations in a consistancy with the truth a Christian so unwarrantably by this scruple stopt in its way of beleeving may be set a going again and there will be left an even-path upon the road of truth for a troubled spirit to goe on in its way of beleeving and that both steadily and nimbly Know therefore First It is a truth That from all eternity God made choice of a particular and determinate number of persons to save them and none other nor can any be saved but those who were so elected and whosoever are so elected shall not fall away This is the truth of God which must stand firm against whosoever they be that either say there is no election or an election at random as the Arminians hold or a slippery one that is alterable as Papists hold or that it is made in time c. Secondly It is a truth That God never elected any because he foresaw they would beleeve and repent and walk holily but because he hath elected them therefore they beleeve and repent c. Thirdly It is a truth That those that are thus from all eternity elected may come to knew and particularly and fully and assuredly to know they are so elected and chosen of God Nay fourthly It is a truth That it is the duty of every Christian to strive to make his calling and election sure to labour to know that his name is written in the book of life It is that which the Apostle Peter calls for at Christians hands Nay fiftly It is a truth That there are but a very few elected and whosoever is elected shall beleeve and more then are elected neither can nor shall beleeve Many are called and few are chosen and those that are ordained to the end are ordained to the means they are created to good works These are those propositions which I desired to premise and those which the Devil and his instruments abuse to the unwarrantable perplexing of poor souls These are all the truths of God which do and shall remain true though all the world be found liars but what of all this I know none of these premises that will warrant such a conclusion as this Then I have no ground to beleeve except I knew that I were one of those few whose names God hath written in his book of eternity The Papist and Arminian and Libertines now take another course to cure the perplexed spirit and make no bones of it to stay a truth to heal a conscience To this end they have devised such charms to hang about the necks of sick souls as these are There is no such matter as any decree of election or God elects us for foreseen works and if there be an election it is not particular but the decree is entered thus at randome in the Court rolls of eternity All that beleeve shall be saved without a particular entrance of the number or names as if God had not said I know thee by name and if there be any elected they stand upon slippery ground Elected names may be blotted out or added in as if Gods book were more blotted then a Mercers shop-book Or if there be any elected yet it is impossible to know that I am elected nor can I have any assurance of my mansion-house in glory till I have taken possession of it But this is to bruise the head for a plaister for the heel On the contrary another generation maintain election to be the object of Faith and ignorantly maintain Faith to be the eye
of the soul reading its name written in Gods book from all eternity an apprehension of our particular election c. But as these do unwarrantably wound tender consciences so the other are bad chirurgions to heal such wounds If I mistake not we shall finde cordials enough to refresh such swooning spirits without buying them at so dear a rate as the â—ale of a dram of pretious truth Therefore leaving these premises to be held and maintained as the sure pillars of eternall truth I come in the next place to propound some considerations that may comfort and satisfie poor souls thus unwarrantably troubling themselves salva veritate Dei the head of truth yet remaining without a wound or scar That is my next work and to that end consider First Thou sayest If I knew I were one of those that God had elected then indeed I had some ground in order to my salvation to relye upon the promises but unlesse I be elected such reliance will be rather a fond and unwarrantable presumption then a warranted and well-grounded Faith First Consider Christian That Faith is not an apprehension of particular election but an application of generall promises Thou art mistaken without any ground in the object of true Faith Christ calleth upon all to whom the Lord Jesus Christ is preached Isai 55. 1. 2. in his Gospel 1 Ioh. 7. to beleeve He every one that thirsteth come and buy Iohn was sent to bear witnesse of the truth Ioh. 6. 29. that all men through him might beleeve Joh. 6. 29. Christ layeth it as a duty upon all the people That they should beleeve on him whom God had sent Now can we imagine that the meaning of Christ was that they should beleeve that all of their names from eternity were in the Court-rolls of eternity The Gospel obligeth all that hear it to beleeve but doth the Gospel lay an obligation upon any to beleeve a lye Faiths object is the promises of the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ It is Faiths work in the soul not to close with the decree of God and to bosome that but to close with the promises and imbrace them It is Faiths work to eye Christ in a particular apprehension through the prospective of a promise not to eye Christ as the souls faviour through the mystery of Gods predeterminate purposes Heb. 10. 23. Let us hold fast the profession of our Faith without wavering Hebr. 10. 23 well but upon what grounds the next words tell us For he is faithfull that hath promised the sure word not the sure decree of God is the object of our justifying Faith Now where hath God left thee such a line of promise as this Thou shalt be elected to glory or I will elect thee to glory God hath said I will pardon I will heal I will ease you and these words God calls thee to rest upon as sure and faithfull words God hath said He that beleeveth on the son Joh. 2. 36. hath everlasting life but he hath never said He that beleeveth in my decree hath everlasting life Indeed if our election were that which were to be the first thing to be beleeved it were something to scruple a Christian and it would be enquired into how we should know that we are elect for it is necessary that we have some certainty of knowledge of that which is to be beleeved that it should be evident to us but there is no such matter The promises of the Lord Jesus Christ are our object which not being particular but generall make our way smooth As for example we have a promise Ioh. 3. 16. Joh. 3. 16. Whosoever beleeves in him shall not perish but have eternall life This promise now it is thy work to beleeve viz. that beleeving in him I shall not perish but have everlasting life Doest thou say how shall I know this promise is made to me what ground hast thou for that question when as in the promise there is no restriction Whosoever beleeves The writing runs To all persons to whom these presents comes what should they do beleeve in the Lord Iesus rest and relye upon the Lord Jesus Christ for eternall life The generall promise is by thee particularly to be applyed Come unto me all ye that are weary and heavy laden saith Christ and I will ease you This is now thy duty to come unto Christ but sayest thou I cannot come I do not know I am elected Christian does Christ say Come unto me all you that are elected and I will ease you No he saith Come unto me all you that are weary Mat. 5. 29. Suppose a man had an intention to give to such a particular number of persons such a quantity of money and were resolved with himself to give to none other but those yet should make a Proclamation that whosoever came to him acknowledging their poverty Simile he would relieve in the mean while secretly with himself determining ☜ not to give a penny to any but those whose names he had in his book and who should come and knowing that none of the rest would come but be too proud to come and take it were it warrant enough for any to refuse coming upon this score I hear he hath made a book and though he makes a generall offer yet he will give but to a few persons and for my part I do not think I am one of them If he wil send me word I am one of those whose name is in his book I care not though I go It is thy case Christian apply it in secret wilt thou not beleeve and go to Christ because thou doest not know thou art particularly elected fear lest for this cause salvation be denyed thee But so much for the first Secondly Consider That thy election cannot be known to thee till thou doest beleeve Papists say It cannot at all 〈◊〉 known assuredly to thee till thou comest to see thy name in heaven thy self but that is false but this is truth that till thou doest beleeve thou canst never know whether thou beest elected or no. The eternall decrees of God are only demonstrable to us a posteriori from the effects who hath ascended up unto heaven at any time to search the records of eternity First Ioh. 6. 46. All that is recreated of God is by the Son Ioh. 6. 46. No man hath seen the father save he which is of God he hath seen the father Nor can any thing be known of the father Mat. 11. 27. but by the Son Mat. 11. 27. Now where hath the Son revealed the fathers secret decrees any where when there was but a question concerning the time of those great things mentioned Mat. 24. 36. Mat. 24. 36. ver 1. Christ tells them ver 36. Of that day and hour knoweth no man no nor the Angels nor the Son Mark 13. 32. but the father onely Whether the Son as man did not know Gods
Lord increase our Faith I Am discovering to you upon what grounds many Christians think they have no warrant to beleeve and rest upon Jesus Christ and labouring to satisfie such poor Christians in such cases and under such perplexities of spirit I have shewed you already two usuall causes First A too irregular eying of preparatory qualifications thinking that they are not humbled enough Or secondly A too unwarrantable prying into Gods secrets conceiving they are not elected and upon this score utterly refusing to obey that great Gospel command Beleeve to both these I have spoke something already to the latter the last day I am intended by the blessing of God and as he shall inable me to speak something this day to a third cause commonly alledged by Christians why they conceive they ought not to beleeve viz. Because of their own unworthinesse in respect of the greatnesse and multitude of their sins that have stained and possibly do yet pollute their soul Alas saith a poor soul would you have me lay hold on Iesus Christ what with my filthy hands what can such a rotten sinner that hath been so auncient in sin can I think you have warrant wheâ— I have given the Devill my youth to beleeve Iesus Christ will take the fag end of my life No no call to the young person to beleeve that is not yet withered and rotten with sin call to those that have lived honestly and civilly not to such profane wretches as I have been Now to answer this cavill Let me bend my discourse at this time and propound certain considerations which duly weighed may comfort a soul under this trouble and put it upon its work and duty of beleeving and convince it that it is its duty Cap. 4. How to satisfie a poor soul doubting whether it may beleeve or no because of its many and great sins past or its continuing corruptions and so deemeth it self unworthy FIrst of all consider Gods grace is enough for thee This scruple of thy spirit ariseth from scant streightned thoughts of rich incomprehensible grace Be convinced therefore that there is a fulnesse enough in the ocean of infinite grace to swallow up thy soul however loaded with a burthen of sin observe but how the Scripture setteth out infinite love take one place for all Eph. 3. 17 18 19. That Christ may dwell in your hearts by Faith that you being rooted and grounded in love may be able to comprehend with all Saints what is the bredth and length and depth and heigth and to know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge that you might be filled with the fulnesse of God Mark how the Apostle expresseth free grace by all dimensions are thy sins in the heighth there is an heighth of love are they in the depth there is a depth of love are they long broad are they all yet there is mercy enough in this Christ for such is his love that it passeth knowledge are they a mountain why who art thou O great mountain before Zerubbabell thou shalt be made a plain do thy sins cry up to heaven his mercies are above the heavens are thy sins more in number then the haires of thy head his mercies are more in number then the sand which lieth on the sea shore Now this is easie to be conceived if we do but conceive and know that the mercies of God are infinite God is an infinite God and every mercy of his is as inconceivable as himself is His love passeth all understanding saith the Apostle have no low thoughts Christian of the heighth of free grace which reacheth up to the heavens yea and above the heavens Is the filthy garments of thy wickednesse of a larger extent thinkest thou then the long white robe of his righteousnesse Who was made for thee righteousnesse wisdom sanctification and redemption Is the fountain set open for Iudah and Ierusalem for sin and for uncleannes so shallow that thou canst not bath in it Mistake not Christian it is a bath of capacity to hold all filthy souls be their uncleannesse what it will if they will but come and wash and be clean those that have the rottenest wounds the filâ—hiest sores the most unsound â—arkasses may fetch balm from Gilead enough to heal their wounds When Christ was upon the earth the Evangelist tells us Matth. 4. 24. They brought unto him all sick people that were sick of divers diseases and torments and those which were possessed with devils and he healed them When vertue went out from Christ to heal the poor woman 〈◊〉 â—ouched the hemme of his garment it went 〈◊〉 â—im as light goeth out of the sun that there is 〈◊〉 for what goeth out Christ never had any vertue went out of him so as by such emission he lost any How many Saints think you since old Abrahâ—m who was the father of the faithfull to this day have touched the hemme of his garment vertue went out and healed every one and yet his garments are all oily with mercy and grace still How many drops of blood have thirsty Saints had from Davids time to this hour and yet the fountain of cleansing blood hath not a drop lesse in it Grace in Christ is like the heat of the fire or light of the sun take how much you will of either you shall not rob either narrow not the breadth of incomprehensible love when thou hast measured for beleevers ten thousand yards there shall not be a nail lesse on the piece of free-grace The sea though a thing infinite will hardly be measured out by quills much lesse shall the unfadomable ocean of infinite love be measured by drops for the washing poor souls from the stains and filth of their sins The boy could tell the father he would have done emptying the sea into an hole with a spoon before he should have opened the Doctrine of the Trinity And sooner shalt thou get all the light out of the body of the sun and hear out of the fire then put Jesus Christ to pant for his breath of free-grace Oh that sinners had but as willing leggs as he hath capacious arms we see hands are washed every day and have been these thousands of years now how long can we think it would yet be should we get the dirtiest hands we could make before all the seas rivers fountains and streams in the world would be exhausted yea though they should wash seven times a day infinitely sooner Christian then the fountain of free-grace shall be exhausted with all the buckets that come to draw the water of life from it Seest thou a steeple as Pauls in London or the like of a very great heighth seest thou the highest mountain that seems to have married the clouds and sit in their lap Suppose now that mountain or steeple in the deepest place of the ocean how much wouldst thou see on it nay were another on the top of that there would not be a spier of grasse nor a
sufficieut to constitute this sin it may be a persâ—cution out of ignorance as Pauls was and God pardoned it 1 Tim. 1. 13. It must be first an hatred of and opposition against the truth and godlinesse of such men Not when thou malicest godlinesse because it is in him that hath done thee a personall injury but when thou malicest and hatest a man because he is holy and loves the truth of God and lives before God strictly Secondly It must be with a secret desire to extinguish and spoil the credit of God and his truth When a wretch is mad to see Gods name exalted and to see the truth of God prosper and would fain spoil all its market Thirdly And it must be an opposition to the truth that to the wretch is known and he is convinced that this is a truth of Jesus Christ yet he hateth a person because he entertains it and walks accordingly and seeketh how to cut off him and the truth such manner of malice was the Pharisees malice Mat. 12. 31. Yet alas saith a poor Christian Since I have received the Holy-ghost and tasted his guifts I have sinned thousands of sin renewing them every day c. From what hath been already said That this sin must be an opposition a knowing wilfull open malicious opposition to the truth of Christ were enough to answer this But consider Seventhly It must be a totall falling away from the truth Religion and profession of Iesus Christ Heb. 4. 6. Many are the Saints failings this must be a totall falling from all grace and holinesse When a man clear leaves all manner of profession of holinesse and falls into all manner of wickednesse Now darest thou accuse thy heart of this Christian or doest thou sometimes slip but presently renew thy covenant made with God by a seasonable repentance praying crying bettering thy life and conversation c. Never fear this sin it hath many drâ—ms of the weight of hell in it more then thou complainest of Eighthly It is not probable saith Master Rutherford That thou shouldst be guilty of that sin against the Holy-ghost and none but thy self complain of it It ordinarily breaketh out into prodigious acts of wickednesse it is no chamber closet sin though it be hatcht in thy heart yet it goes into the mouth and defiles that that sinner with that reviles and raves and blasphemes Christ and commonly it shews it self further the sinner with Iulian persecuteth the Saints whom his heart knows are Saints with fire and sword didst thou ever do any of these things Christian mistake not thy self be humbled for thy sins and failings but transgresse not by despairing without a cause Consider further Ninthly If thy sin that thou complainest of so to be the unpardonable sin as thou unwarrantably thinkest be a trouble and a grief of heart to thee thou mast be sure that it is not that sin that thou takest it for Heb. 4. 6. It is impossible saith the Apostle that they that commit it should be renewed again by repentance The meaning of which place is not that if they do repent yet it is impossible that they should be pardoned that were to put a lye upon the promises of the Gospel But it is impossible that ever they should repent to be renewed Aus T. 10. Ep. de Verbis Domini 11. p. 45. This makes Saint Austine determine finall impenitency to be the unpardonable sin when the wretch abusing the mercy of God that should leade him to repentance according to the hardnesse of his heart refuseth repentance and treasureth up wrath against the day of wrath Now though I do not think with Saint Austine that this is the whole formality of that sin nor yet with Aquinas and the Papists that it can be properly called a species of that sin yet I think with almost all sober Divines that it is an undoubted consequent of that sin God after the commission of that sin by any poor wretch giving him over to a blindnesse of minde and a finall hardnesse of heart that he cannot repent But like Esau If he seeks repentance carefully with tears yet he finds it not Now if thy sin be a trouble and grief of heart to thee thou mayst be assured it is not that sin for the undoubted consequent of that is an hardnesse of heart and a reprobacy of minde Tenthly Consider The â—in against the Holy-ghost neither in respect of it self and its own greatnesse nor yet in respect of the power of Gods mercy is unpardonable Be it never so great it is not infinite as the mercies of thy God are It is indeed a scarlet sin But scarlet sins to the returning penitent may be pardoned Isai 1. 16. Isai 1. 16. It is unpardonable say some in respect of Gods will God can but he neither ever did nor will pardon it for it is a sin of malice directly against pardoning mercy Gods mercy would be stained in the pardoning of it Secondly It is unpardonable say others and those the most In regard that it is impossible that the sinner should repent and beleeve without which there is no hope of pardoning mercy from any Gospel promise And this is questionlesse true for God hath said Perditio tua ex te Thy damnation O Israel is of thy self not of me Though a poor wretch be damned for this sin yet he may proximately thank the hardnesse and impenitency and unbeleef of his own heart not Gods will But yet further consider Eleventhly That this can be no sufficient excuse for thee for not beleeving becâ—use though it doth take away from thee the power of beleeving yet it doth not excuse thee from the duty of beleeving Beleeving is a Gospel duty it is a law enjoined to all every one is called to it Ioh. 3. 16. Mat. 11. 29. Isai 55. 1 2 3. Yea salvation is proffered to all those that do beleeve in the Lord Jesus Christ doth the Gospel any where say Come you that have not sinned the sin against the Holy-ghost come and beleeve and you shall not perish No surely it calls to all be you what you will let your sins be what they can how many how great soever they can come beleeve and you shall not perish It is unwarrantable then to disobey a Gospel precept upon a beleeving the temptations of thine enemy the Devil or the groundlesse suggestions of thine own spirit Lastly Consider If thou hadst sinned that unpardonable thou couldst not by any infallible demonstration conclude thyself guilty of it before thy dying day and hour How wilt thou demonstrate it from thy hardnesse of heart and going on in unbeleef thou must do it so or no way for though thou beest a malitious persecutor and hater of God and goodnesse yet according to the tenour of the Gospel promises if thou repentest and beleevest thou art forgiven now if this hardnesse of heart joined with thy malice and unbeleef be not finall it is no infallible effect of
this sin how wilt thou know it is finall before thou diest canst thou not yet repent and beleeve strive then Christian God may give thee power and call thee in at the eleventh hour V. Aust T. 10 Ep. 11. de Verbis Domini p. 46. copiose just at thy dying hour as the theef upon the crosse which if he does thou hast unjustly and cruelly condemned thy self and belyed thy own soul To â—umme up therefore all in a word You hear Christians beleeving yet remains your great duty It stands firm beleeve and you shall be saved You have seen one block more thrown out of your way I have shewed you this temptation or suggestion cannot hinder where by the way you have accidentally heard something of the nature of this unpardonable which being well understood by Christians will be enough to satisfie Christians against this doubt And from all that hath been said concerning this You may gather this discription of the sin against the Holy-ghost which is consonant to the sense of most sober and Orthodox Divines concerning it and conteins the marrow of what most of our Divines have said concerning it Take it thus It is for a man that hath been first enlightened by the Holy-ghost A Discription of the sin against the Holy-ghost With secondly Fundamentall Gospel truths Thirdly 1. A subjecto Distinctly Against first knowledge And secondly Deliberation Thirdly Directly Fourthly From the degree Freely and wilfully Fifthly Openly Sixthly A causa procreante Maliciously Seventhly Desperately Without any provocation but the corrupt wickednesse of his own heart drawn out occasionally upon the making known of some Divine Evangelicall fundamentall truths or propagating of them he himself being convinced that they are the truths of God In his heart to envy the credit of the truth amongst others and out of his malice to God From the acts of it whose the truth is and to the truth because it is true to blaspheme and revile the truth of God and oppose it in others malitiously and to blaspheme those gifts of the Holy-ghost From the object of it and that truth which he had formerly been convinced of and received From the end of it and to set himself in such malicious opposition against it as to desire and do what in him lies to spoil the credit From the consequents of it and extinguish the light of the truth and destroy the friends of it because they are so and in this wickednesse to go on making a generall defection from God and the wayes of God and maliciously persisting in such opposition without any repentance and finally perishing in it despairing of Gods mercy if at any time he should have any kinde of remorse This I conceive is a full description of it which if such Christians as ordinarily complain of this burthen would learn they would quickly finde their complaint groundlesse If any yet remain unsatisfied in I shall refer them to a little but full Book concerning this subject called A Discourse of the sin against the Holy-ghost composed by Master Bradshaw in which they shall finde as much as can be said upon this subject Here I shall break off And now I have done with answering the Scruples of those that think they ought not and pretend they dare not beleeve Either 1. Conceiting they are not enough humbled Or 2. Because they do not know they are elected Or 3. Because they conceive themselves unworthy Or 4. Upon a conceit they have sinned the unpardonable sin against the Holy ghost I should now come to a second note of a weak Faith which is a fear of a false Faith which is ordinarily a note of a true Faith O they are confident they do not beleeve so many are their doubtings so little is their perswasion and assurance so weak the actings of their graces are but of this hereafter SERM. VI. LUKE 17. 5. Lord increase our Faith I Am still upon the work of removing such obstructions as hinder the work of Faith in the soul I have done with those of the first sort viz. such as are praevious that make the soul stumble at the threshold while it conceives it may not and pretends it dare not beleeve I am now come to a second sort that are gone a step further then these they will tell you that they are convinced beleeving is their duty and their great duty and the duty for the omission of which they fear they shall perish But they cannot they do not beleeve they may cheat themselves with a presumption but they want such a certainty of perswasion and such a fulnesse of assurance as is requisite to true Faith they are full of ignorance and weaknesses c. Cap. 6. How to satisfie those that are conceited against the work of Faith in their souls viz. against the truth of it NOw for satisfaction to such Christians let us search out the cause of such complaints I conceive there may be a double cause 1. A mistake in the nature and acts of Faith 2. A misjudging of the effects of Faith First The complaints of such a soul which yet all this time truely beleeves may arise from a mistake concerning the nature and acts of Faith and therefore the way to satisfie it will be rightly to inform it concerning them and to this end I shall but propound to such a soul to consider these two things 1. That there are many acts and more degrees then one of true saving Faith 2. That true Faith is of so good a nature that it will and may dwell with many doubtings and weaknesses in a poor soul These two things cleared I trust many souls will be satisfied for commonly the mistake is grounded upon ignorance conceiving there is no Faith but Faith of assurance and that Faith comes to be no Faith if but a dram of doubting be mingled with it c. Consider therefore I say First That true Faith hath severall acts and severall degrees A fulnesse of perswasion is not the least act or degree of Faith no not of true justifying Faith There are notes under that Ela. There is great quarrelling concerning the nature and essence of true justifying Faith some will have it to be a bare knowledge Thus saith the Apostle The devils beleeve and tremble Some will afford us a little more and tell us that Faith consists in an assent but beyond this they will not stride some in too full opposition to these denying any certainty of perswasion and assurance to be have described Faith by an assurance and full perswasion which is the highest and not the direct but the reflex act of Faith when indeed the very essence of justifying Faith lieth betwixt these in an act of adherence to and reliance upon Jesus Christ To Faith we grant a knowledge is required of Gods word But this we say is rather supposed to Faith then an act of true justifying Faith First The lowest act of Faith
an act of the minde and is an hidden and mysticall act which we cannot weigh in any scales to try whether it be full weight yea or no here 's the trouble of many Christians ask them whether they rest and rely upon Jesus Christ for salvation yea or no they will tell you they cannot think they do yet they will confesse that if they do not rely upon him they rely upon nothing their sinnes and duties their morality and civility they have utterly disclaimed and will cry out of these as menstruous clothes and filthy rags yea and confesse that they would not they durst not sin against God for a world yet they cannot think they rest truly upon Christ for salvation though they will confesse they desire it and hope they do it and they make the Law of Christ the rule of their lives and they have a secret soule-enflaming love to Christ but because they cannot understand the secret mystery of the internal act therefore they will not they cannot flatter their souls into a faith and apprehension that they do truly beleeve when indeed there is no act of the mind the nature of which and truth of which we can discover from the knowledge of it clearly in it selfe but must be forced to examine the truth and falshood of it by the effects and it must be the infinite and rare work of God to perswade our sense of the truth of our faith may it not be possible think you to finde one that is beautifull very beautifull and yet all her friends shall not perswade her that she hath any beauty at all we may have that which we will be not known of The woman hath seen her face in a false glasse or doth not know what beauty is and therefore will not be perswaded by other mens eyes to rectifie her owne judgement So it is with Beleevers they may have a beautifull face of faith and yet not thinke so Secondly A Christian may have a true faith and truly rely upon Christ and really think he doth not at all trust and rely upon Iesus Christ Sense in a Christian may not onely have a mist cast before its eyes but have its eyes clearly put out Suppose a man had put up a Petition to the King for some place of honour and trust this Petition lyes unanswered a great while at last the King answers this Petition and grants that place or dignity to him the Subject being at a distance from the Prince may have this place or honour conferred and yet not know of any such matter but verily beleeve his Petition lies like a cast paper hath he not his dignity because he knows it not Christians are misjudging creatures and too ready to suspect their owne happinesse they may call their resting and beleeving presumption their faith boldnesse The Hypocrite calls his drosse Gold his Alchymie Silver and the self-suspecting Christian is as ready on the other hand to call his Gold Brasse and his Silver Lead It is a rare thing to finde a Christian that will look his gracious face in a true Glasse the modest creature is afraid he should be proud if hee should look upon his beauty Heaven may bee hid under the dark and cloudy apprehensions of a terrible dismall hell Christ may be saying in Heaven Thou art saved Thou art saved while thou art saying upon earth O I am damned I am damned The Angels may be keeping holy-day for thee there while thou art keeping Fridayes here There may be joy in heaven for the same cause and at the same time for which and in which there may be sorrow on earth thou mayest have more friends in Heaven then thou knowest of Christ at that very time may be pleading hard at Heavens Barre for thee while thou art thinking he is reading an Enditement against thee thou mayest at that time have Christ in thy armes when thou thinkest he is as far from thy soule as Heaven from Hell Fâ—om hence will follow Thirdly Thou mayest question and doubt whether thou doest truly rest or no and yet truly rest Disputing argues weaknesse of the act and want of sense but not a totall want of the act This is lesse then the other but I have mentioned it because I have found this to be the temper of many Christians pinch upon that piont ask them whether they wholly rest and rely upon Christ for salvation they dare not tell you they think they do not nor they think they doe but they cannot tell what to think they kâ—ow not whether they do or no though they dare not conclude the falshood and nullity yet they dare not assert the reality and verity of any act of Faith in their soules they live at great incertainties and this makes them think they do not beleeve They are sure disputing is no beleeving To this I answer in this conclusion That thou mayest make a question whether thou beleevest or no and yet truly beleeve It is true disputing is no beleeving but though they be not things of the same nature yet they are not so ill neighbours but they may dwell under the same roof of the soule First Thou mayest doubt whether thou beleevest or no and yet beleeve this is not a question about the object of faith in which thou mayest for all this remaine unshaken but meerly about thy act of faith thus disputing thou dost not dispute whether the promise be true or no but whether thou art as thou shouldest be perswaded of the truth of it and dost as thou oughtst rest upon it for a word of truth and yet some disputes and doubtings about the object are not inconsistent with faith as I have shewed before It is a soule-destroying opinion which some Libertines have hatched in these dayes that a Christian ought not to question the truth of his Faith Such an unbeleefe shuts not men out of Heaven nor argues a nullity of Faith Paul was wrapt up into the third Heaven whether in the body he could not tell or whether out of the body he could not tell yet without question Paul was wrapt up in the body if wrapt up at all The Beleever may be in the like doubt concerning his Faith that S. Paul was concerning his rapture and yet have reall true Faith though we ought not to content our selvs with it yet we may know for our comfort that we may go disputing our faith to Heaven and many a one hath such an hot dispute with his own soule that his death is forced to prove the Moderator when he receives his end of his Faith even the salvation of his soule And thus I have shewed you in three particulars how the Christian may doubt concerning his resting and relying upon Christ and yet truly rely 1. He may question whether he truly relies or not 2. He may not be able to affirm nor think that hee doth truly relie yea further he may through a misjudging himselfe think he doth not rely
and notwithstanding all this truly and really rely and rest Now these kinds of misgivings may arise from severall causes God may please for his ends to keep the soule in darknesse to keep it humble and to keep it in a strict way of adherence c. But I shall rather meddle with the subordinate and instrumentall causes and assigne three or foure causes The first may be blindnesse and ignorance there may be yea is a great deale of darknesse in the soule there was a thick darknesse surprized Adams understanding when he fell and this still clouds all the children of Adam we are not able to discerne or judge of the nature of the internall acts of the minde we cannot come to a certaine knowledge of them as they are in themselves but as I said before must judge them by the effects the soule doth not understand what affiance is and this makes her question whether she doth rely or no and not think she doth being never ready to think well of her selfe A second cause may be the Devils temptations such winds will make strong houses shake sometimes It is Satans great designe to keep the soule from beleeving and if he cannot keep the edifice of Faith from being built in the soule yet he will keep it if possible from standing sure Luke 22. 31. Simon Simon saith Christ Satan hath desired to winnow thee like wheat the word signifies to shake up and downe as in a fan wheat is used the kernells scarce ever lie still Satan is almost alwayes shaking the Christian by the shoulders he desires to winnow them and as with Iob because he had no power over his life he executed his power to the utmost upon the comforts of his life So he deals with the soule because he hath no power over the life of Faith therefore he will execute his power to the utmost over the soul that it may never come to have the comfortable sense of Faith and no wonder if when he brings his rammes to batter the poor mud wall of a Christian shakes especially considering how smooth an Orator he is to perswade and how subtill a Sophister he is to prove Even as it is as easie with a good Logician to make a poor simple creature beleeve so as he cannot deny that the Sun doth not shine so it is an easie thing with the Devill to perswade the soule that it doth not rest and rely when indeed it doth especially if we consider Thirdly What a misgiving nature and suspicious frame there is ordinarily in the hearts of Beleevers They are alwayes fearing and suspecting lest they should not doe their duty they know that in many things all sinne and they are afraid lest they should cozen and deceive themselves now when Satan takes a flint and a steele and falls a striking and he meets with such a box of ready dry'd tinder no wonder if hee quickly strikes fire Besides A fourth cause may be melancholy cloudy vapours that for the present the soule is darkned with and can see nothing with a cleare sight but is like a man in a phrenzie And a fifth cause may be a Christians wilfulnesse when the Christian will take no evidence of his faith by the effects of it The best evidence that we either have or can have of the truth of our faith and of our justification is the effects of Faith now if it comes to this that the soule will not take any evidence of the truth of the act of Faith but onely under the Broad Seale of Heaven the apprehension and assurance and full perswasion of it the soule may live without comfort a great while if with Thomas it must see the wounds and holes Now here 's many a good soules condition he questions the truth of his Faith we come to him and tell him could there be such an hungring and thirsting after the Word that thy eare is unsatisfied with hearing unlesse thou didst beleeve this was the word of God and rest upon it as the Word of truth Could there be such a care to please Christ and a feare of offending him to be found in thy whole life and conversation if thou didst not rely upon him for salvation Could there be such a willingnesse to part with all thy estate for Christ and rather then thou wouldst deny him or not enjoy him in his Ordinances if thou didst not rely upon God as thy portion No the soule will not look upon this as a sufficient evidence but cryes out All this an Hypocrite may doe sanctification is imperfect mine is hypocrisie No would God seale it to me then I would beleeve it Now where this is found the soule may for a long time sit in darknesse and see no light yea it may be go down to the grave in its owne thoughts like Erasmus hanging betwixt Heaven and Hell But I proceed Fourthly Thou mayst not at all times trust with alike confidence and yet at all times truly trust The truth of trust and affiance is one thing the degrees of it another the truth of Faith never grows more or lesse the degrees of Faith do as the least drop of water is water so the least dram of faith is faith as much as the highest degree of it This the experience of every Christian will tell you sometimes they will say I think if the Devill had hold of me I could trust God for Heaven Though hee kills me saith Iob yet I will trust in him that was not Iobs temper alwayes and yet without question Iob did alwayes beleeve Paul was not in the same temper Rom. 7. that he was Rom. 8. 38. Peters crying Master save me or else I perish did argue his faith was under water more then his head Davids temper Psal 27. 1 2 3. was not the same with his temper 1 Sam. 27. 1. In the first he would not bee afraid of an Host encamping round about no though the Host consisted of ten thousand Psal 3. 6. But in that place 1 Sam. 27. 1. tells us hee was afraid of one Saul and that after many experiences So a poor Christian is ready to think O I do not truly trust and rely upon God c. Sometimes I think if I had not a bit of bread nor a drop of water yet I would not feare my faith should be like that Hab. 3. 17. Another time my heart is so farre from it that though I have for the present enough yet my base heart can hardly keep from covetousnesse sometimes I think that if God would take me away in a massacre I should not yeeld my blood with a repining word another time I so doubt of my interest in Christ that I should not know how to dye upon my bed but am crying Lord take me not away with the wicked Christian thus thou mayest be David Psal 3. would not be afraid of his soules going out of his body if ten thousand swords were ready to cut out a passage for