from him in fatherly wrath yet must he not yield to the weakening of his faith but rather yet more humble himself in the sense of his sins which have stirred up wrath against him and flye in to Christ and lay hold more closely upon his grace because God being offended is not pacified nor pleased save only by flying in tâ— Jesus Christ. Quest. II. Q. But what will you say unto them whose confidence is weakened whether they will or not whensoever they apprehend God angry against them and especially when they feel that God being provoked justly removeth gifts and benefits comfortable from them Ans. It is not to be doubted that the confidence of many true converts is shaken and weakened in this case but the question is what shall be said unto them We answer that they must acknowledge that they have leaned too much upon these carnal props the failing whereof maketh them to fall 2. Let them be humbled yet more because of such sins as have provoked God to change his dispensation toward them 3. Let them lean more upon the only rock of free grace in Jesus Christ offered in the Gospel for the comfort and relief of all those who in the sense of sin and unworthinesse in the sense of their ill deserving and of any measure of apparent fatherly wrath that hereafter however it fair with them they may rely upon Jesus Christ who is the only foundation to build our selves upon and whose grace is sufficient to help and uphold them who have their recourse unto him in every condition whether it be adversity or prosperity Quest. III. Q. ALbeit common benefits are not sufficient evidences of Gods favour yet new obedience of faith and fruits of the spirit are sure signes of Gods special favour bestowed only on the Elect Seing then as these signes when they are present serve much for the strengthening of faith so also when they are amissing have as great force of reason to debilitat faith yea seing faith without fruits is dead may it not be concluded where no fruits are no faith is Ans. If the question be of the universal want of all fruits of faith such as is to be found in all unrenewed men whose fruit cannot be good so long as the tree is evil whose seeming service cannot be acceptable so long as they remain unreconciled to God through Christ let the question be yielded unto But we are speaking of the true convert in whom there is a missing of the measure of formerly felt fruits and that in the time present wherein by some temptation or tryal their faith is sifted and winnowed And here indeed there is a vast difference between them that were never humbled in the sense of their sins nor led for relief from sin and misery unto Jesus Christ and the true convert who hath renounced the works of darknesse and hath fled unto Christ and consecrated himself to his service and who is set upon a new course of life hath brought forth new fruits of repentance faith love and hope and hath felt consolation in this course and now under exercise of conscience looketh upon himself as barren ground doth lament his impotency to bring forth good fruits and while he is under this exercise liveth in a sad condition blamelesse and free of scandal-giving great ods between this man and a man yet in nature We grant in the unrenewed man who is a stranger to the life of grace and true godlinesse the sentence holds No fruits no faith but as for the convert who hath had comfort in Christ and brought forth good fruits in some measure he must not reason from his present dead condition felt and lamented barrennesse to the denying of true faith in Christ or to the weakening of his saith or marring his confidence further then to acknowledge he hath leaned too much on his formerly felt fruits and hath not grounded himself wholly on Christ and the rock of free grace in him but may and should maintain his faith in Christ against his discouragment that he may be inabled to bring forth more ripe and aboundant fruits Quest. IV. Q. BUt what shall be said to humbled converts who looking to the holy Law of God and finding no fruits such as should be do passe sentence in the time of tentation upon all their works as unworthy of the name of the fruits of the Spirit and then do dispute against their own faith by the Apostles words Iam. 2. 20. faith without works is dead Ans. If the conscience do pronounce according to the truth as the mater is indeed it cannot be denied but faith without works is dead and God is greater then the conscience and knoweth all things But when the conscience is misled by a tentation powerfully pressed in by Sathan in the time of some sad affliction and appearance of Gods displeasure the testimony of the conscience is not a sufficient proof to infer so hard a conclusion for it cometh to passe oft-times that the convert who liveth blamelesly and entertaineth the love and purpose of well-doing in his heart followeth the exercises of religion constantly is not negligent in his calling and is ready upon occasion offered to let forth the fruits of love to his neighbour for all this sometimes walketh in darknesse and under desertion seeth no light as Isaiah 50. 10. In this case it may be he set all his works at nought as no wayes answerable to the Lords Law I see nothing saith he but sin in me I see no fruit of true faith in me I feel no operation of the holy Spirit in me save the work of convincing me of sin and unrighteousnesse In this case we must not give credit to the afflicted but convince him rather of his error and in special of his leaning too much weight on his works before this sad exercise fell upon him for when a convert maintaineth his faith in Christ only so oft and so long as he findeth in himself the fruits of new obedience but when he hath new experience of the power of the body of death and findeth the course of good behaviour and bringing forth good fruits to be interrupted in himself incontinent he resiles from his confidence such a man certainly giveth evidence that he hath relyed too much on his former felt righteousnesse an himself for he doth as if he durst not for sin approach unto Christ and so he falleth in Peters case who looking on his own sinfulnesse and the brightnesse of Christs Godhead shining in a recent miracle cryeth out Luke 5. 8. depart from me O Lord I am a sinfull man for Peter in this case did forget Christs mediatory office and that he stood so much the more need of Christs drawing near to him as he was a man convinced of sinfulnesse Another answer we give to this question the afflicted person must not think that he wants altogether the fruits of faith albeit he find them to be short of the
conscience and felt wrath pursuing me for sin may be clear to me by its own light and scriptural evidence albeit it being possibly the very instant of my conversion I cannot produce any fruits or evidences of my conversion past or else what shall be said of malefactors on the scaffold presently to be put to death and possibly not wakened in conscience before not fled to Christ before What shall be said of sick persons near unto death who being self-condemned do betake themselves in their last agony unto the grace of God in Christ offered to self-condemned sinners in the Gospel 2. I must put difference between a reason to prove that I have believed and a reason why I may and must now believe The reason to prove that I have believed is from the effect to prove the cause thereof to wit faith to be in me but the reason why I may now and must believe is from the cause to infer the effect that should be in me the cause of believing in Christ is Gods command to self-condemned sinners which command I must now obey left I perish and so if I find fruits I prove I have believed because I feel the love of God shed abroad in my heart and that I love God who hath freely loved me and here I reason from the effect to prove that the cause of this fruit to wit saâ—ing faith hath preceeded and is gone before Again I prove that I should believe because the offer of the Gospel and of free grace in Christs made to all self-condemned persons renouncing confidence in their own worth or works is made to me with a command to believe in the Son of God Christ Jesus for which cause I may and ought to cast my self upon his grace who justifieth the ungodly flying to him without the works of the Law 3. I must put difference between my having fruits of faith in me and my observing and finding these fruits in me for a true convert may have both faith and fruits and for the time being under tryal and temptation may be so darkened that he can see nothing in himself but sin and apparent wrath pursuing him for sin as may be seen in Ionah in the belly of the fish Ionah 2. 4. and David Ps. 51 9 10. 4. I must put difference between my perswasion that I have been and am a true convert and a sincere believer and my perswasion that I have right reason and good warrand to believe in Christ in my lowest condition howsoever then I find my self emptied of all signes of saving grace in me for the time yet my perswasion that I should in this sad condition flye to Christ and believe in him doth serve to make me consent heartily unto the offer of the covenant of grace in Christ doth serve to make way for my justification and looseth all doubts and objections of Sathan tempting me to mis-believe and to run away from Christ and the offered mercy in him 5. And last of all I must put difference between making use of good fruits brought forth by me for confirmation of my faith and my putting confidence in or laying weight on these good fruits for many true converts do here fail and do not mark the mistakes for when they find love to God and his Saints with fear and holy reverence and such other like signes of grace in their hearts and outward fruits thereof in their life then they do believe in Christ and rejoice in him but when at another time they find hardnesse of heart profanity and perversenesse of a wicked nature in themselves they are like to quite their interest in the covenant of Grace and to stand aloof from Christ like strangers when they should most be humbled and creep in to him for remission of sin aâ—d hiding of their nakednesse by his imputed righteousnesse And what is this in effect else then in the first place to lean on their works and holy disposition as if there were merit in them and then after in the next place to believe in Christ who hath furnished them those fruits whereas they should in the sense of their sin and unworthinesse first flye to Christ and firmly adhere to him by faith that out of his fulnesse they may receive grace for grace according as we are taught to do by Christ himself Ioh. 15. 5. He that abideth in me and l in him the same bringeth forth much fruit for without me you can do nothing CHAP. VII Concerning the case of the convert in some point of doctrine deluded and pleasing himself in this condition TO speak of delusion and bewitching in the general requireth a large Treatise It shall suffice our purpose to speak of it as it hath place in the point of doctrine and practice erroneous Which we describe thus Delusion is a powerfull operation of a lying Spirit whereby he obtrudes to men some noysome error in doctrine or practise contrary to true doctrine fairded over with sophistical deceits and doth perswade inconsiderate souls effectually to receive the error for truth and to defend and spread it in their rash zeal For explication of which description we say 1. delusion is a powerfull operation of a lying Spirit wherein Sathan in Gods judgment is permitted to put forth his power in lying effectually Therefore in all his effectuall delusions there is a concurring righteous judgment of God in loosing reins to the rempter that by delusion one sin in one degree may be punished by a following sin in a higher degree No wonder therefore that a lying Spirit do work more effectually when he is not restrained by the powerfull hand of God 2. We say that delusion is in some dangerous error tending to the damage of the Church and hazard of souls And this we say not as if we did think that any sin doth not draw with it the merit of death for the wages of every sin is death but because Sathan is not so busie to spred and foment such errors as are lesse perillous as he is active in such errors which do most tend to pester the Church and divert the professors of religion from the path way of saving doctrine And to this purpose he essayes all means that he may obscure and darken the truth and devise and spread abroad the most pernicious errors Mean time he is not idle in sowing and spreading lesser errors that he may stir up contention and jangling in the Church whereby precious time which should be spent for mutual edification may be idly wasted in needlesse disputes and mens minds may be prepared to receive grosser errors Thirdly we put some difference between errors in doctrine and errors in practice albeit there cannot be one error in practice whether it be in the external worship or government of the Church or in outward conversation which being stiffly maintained hath not some error of judgment and doctrine joyned with it or else it should not be contrary to sound doctrine
might weaken their faith and to rejoyce in believing and to be zealous for the Lords glory and carefull to bring forth more and more fruits of faith and love and working such other gracious works of his Spirit in his children as may more and more mortifie sin in them and perfect the image of God in his new creature This divine magisteriall and effectuall application of reall blessings belongeth to God only and is the end of all ministeriall application which is of the externall means appointed of God to be made use of by men the blessing whereof must be left to God to bestow on whom how and in what measure and in what time it pleaseth him as the Apostle doth shew unto us 1 Cor. 3. 6. I have planted and Apollos hath watered but God giveth the increase 3. The externall means which do serve unto the foresaid divine operations are 1. The doctrine of life and salvation set down in the Scripture to be heard and read by all men and meditat upon with prayer for a blessing And 2. sent ministers to whom God hath committed the word of reconciliation by whose ministery disciples may be made unto Christ out of all nations And 3. the administration of the Sacrament whereby they with their children are baptized and gathered together in severall Churches and put under the government of such Church-officers as his Testament hath appointed And 4. these Churches joyned together in the most edifying way of mutuall communion and strengthening one another in true doctrine pure worship and discipline which Gods providence doth make way for that the Kingdom of our Lord Jesus may continue and grow in the world and all his ordinances may be exercised publickly and privatly to the best advantage of the Church for perfecting of the Saints for the work of the ministery and for the edifying of the body of Christ as the Apostle requireth Ephes. 4. 12 13 14. 4. In the use of these external means and specially in the application of these three covenants prudence is required both in Pâ—stors and people to which intent and purpose these following considerations may serve 1. The remedy of every sicâ—ness of the conscience must be grounded on the doctrine of salvation set down in Scripture which doctrine 〈…〉 be known and believed by the porty 〈◊〉 before he can receive benefit thereby And 〈…〉 a prudent application of wholsom and saving doctrine may be made of necessity the party diseased must be acquâ—â—ared with the doctrine to be applyed unto him before he can make use thereof to his advantage for experience teacheth us how hardly gross ignorants can be convinced of sin add how hardly such can be comforted when their conscience is wakened with the terrours of God because they neither know from the Word of God the cause of the terrour and anxiety wherein they are nor can they be capable of the remedy of their evill except they first be catechised in the heads of saving doctrine hâ—ld forth in the Law and Gospel which instruction can hardly be given or received in a short time and howsoever a prudent Pastor must make use of time as it is offered yet when death is near to the party to be instructed how little is it that can be expected to be done 2. The order of applying saving doctrine doth not begin at the application either of the covenant of Redemption or at the covenant of Grace but he that will follow a right order must begin at the law and covenant of works under the yoke whereof we are all born by nature children of wrath And if a man apply that covenant and law to his heart and subscribe his own dittey and deserved condemnation then may he turn up his soul to Christ Jesus the Redeemer and flye to him for refuge and accept the offer which he makes in his Gospel of a new covenant of grace for pardoning of sin and reconciling unto God in himself the person who is fled unto him and for sanctifying and saving of him which covenant when a chased soul doth consent unto and layeth hold on Christ offered for relief from sin wrath death and hell then may he ascend by faith unto the covenant of Redemption and apply to himself with Gods allowance all the saving graces purchased by Christ by that covenant to all that flye unto him and believe in him 3. This order of making use of these three covenants many do not follow but they begin at the covenant of Redemption and will either be satisfied about this whether they be elected or not given to Christ to be redeemed or not which is a secret and not to be inquired into save in Gods order as we have shown or else they will not enter upon the use-making of these means which God hath appointed to bring a man to repentance and faith in Christ. This is a tentation of Sathan which if they yield unto it shall lead them either to resolute profanity with Cain or to anxious desperation with Iudas 4. There are some also who make leap-year of the covenant of works and do take no notice of their own naturall sinfulness or wrath due to them and lying on them by nature but neglecting this order do start a race and run to a presumptuous avouching of their faith in Christ and will thrust in themselves in the number of the elect given before the world was unto Christ to be redeemed and saved pretending their believing of the Gospel when they have not believed the doctrine of the law and so do turn the grace of God into lasciviousness and wantonness and go about the satisfying and fulfilling of their own lusts Wherefore it is necessary that every man who seeketh to be saved and hath resolved to follow Gods way to attain unto salvation do begin first at the covenant of works and examine himself according to the rule of the morall law how he hath behaved himself in obedience unto the first and second table and having sound a dittey great enough that he judge himself and passe sentence on himself as guilty and worthy of everlasting wrath for his sins Secondly when he is convinced of sin and deserved wrath and of his own utter impotency to deliver himself then let him flee to Christ and lay hold on the grace offered in the Gospel applying the same to his burthened conscience according to the tennor of the covenant of grace fully revealed in the Gospel And thirdly when he hath in earnest consented unto the covenant of grace and reconciliation and hath laid hold on Christ with unfaigned faith seeking in him remission of sin and renovation of life being resolved by the grace of Christ to use the means appointed of him for that end Now it is time and not till now to look up unto the covenant of Redemption and there to read his own name as it were written in the book of life and to acknowledge that the measure of repentance and
and at length that they shall wholly give themselves to religious exercises and a holy life mean time they conceive they may come in among the true converts and young beginners albeit they come not up the length which they intend but are unde the power of some beloved lusts which they cannot rid themselves of but do hope they shall betime overcome them Such men do miserably mistake the mater first in that they think their purpose of repentance and a new life bred in them by conviction of their duty to be the very grace of regeneration and begun sanctification Secondly they conceive that the lusts which do reign in themselves are common to them and all other regenerat persons of whom few or none think they want their own grosse faults Thirdly they conceive they can repent more seriously when they please and will repent after a whiles following of their beloved lusts as if repentance were not a saving grace of the holy Spirit whom they do daily provoke by their vilenesse but a work in the power of every mans free-will being once convinced of his sin Fourthly they do not consider that by the delay of repenting and turning from all sin unto God their heart is daily more and more in Gods Judgment hardened and God provoked to punish their voluntary impenitence with judicial hardness of heart that they shall never repent Such men our Lord compareth to the disobedient Son who promised to his Father he would go work in his vineyard and went not Math. 21. 30. Such men are they who know the well of the Lord but do it not and therefore worthy of double punishment Math 12. 47. The â—â—medy of this evil Christ giveth Luk. 13. 24 25 26. Strive to enter at the strait gate for many â— say unto you will seek to enter in and shall not be able Mâ—n know not how soon God may shut the door therefore men had need while it is to day not to harden their hearts psal 95. 8. 2. Other some are who being of a civil life professe and do perswade themselves that they indeed do repent and believe in Christ and by faith in him do certainly expect salvation freely of his grace If you pose any such men whether they do indeed believe in Christ they shall presently answer that they firmly do believe in him and that they never doubted but he is their sweet Saviour who died for them If you press them to speak in earnest from their heart they shall presently be ill pleased with the question and ask what cause of suspecting the sincerity of their faith and repentance can be justly alledged or what cause hath any man to suspect them or doubt of Gods favour toward them in Christ In whom should we believe say they if not in Christ Is there any other Saviour of sinners beside him If a man please to try the truth of their faith by their repentance they shall forthwith affirm that they repent day and night and have just cause so to do for in many things we sin all and why then should we not alwayes repent If they be asked of their love to God and their neighbour they shall answer after the same maner Such men are these of whom Christ speaketh that they will confidently come to him and call him Lord Lord and yet be found no wayes carefull to do the Lords will but servants to their own lusts 3. Such men do deceive themselves first by framing to themselves such carnal notions of faith and repentance and of the love of God and of saving hope and other spiritual graces as in their phantasie they conceive they do practise which conceptions are not grounded upon the Word of God Secondly they esteem the assent of their mind unto the truth commending these duties unto men as good as the performance of them and they do take the sentence of their conscience concerning the equity of such duties for the sentence of their conscience bearing witnesse of their practice and obedience of these duties and while their conscience saith why should not I do so they take that for as good as if it had said I do so but saving graces go deeper then civil carriage and to commend the duties of repentance and faith in Christ is not enough except they be put in practice also in daily sorrow for sin and hatred of it and flying to Christ daily to be washen and more and more sanctified 4. Some there are who when they have heard that a man is justified by faith in Christ only without the works of the law do imagine a faith which needeth not to bring forth any good works at all and so they take off the justified man from all necessity of following good works as far as they take off good works from being the cause of justification and do open a door to themselves to live after their own will in the lusts of their flesh conceiving that they who believe in Christ are fred not only from the covenant of the law but also from the command of the law against whom our Lord doth speak and doth cut off such libertines and turners of the grace of God into wantonnesse from the kingdom of heaven Math. 5. 17 18 19. And the Apostle to guard against this self-deceit Heb. 12. 14. commandeth to follow holiness without which no man shall see the Lord. 5. Some there are who pretending to esteem well of the offer of the Gospel and of the duty of following the means of making them partaker of the marriage-supper do yet think themselves excusable when they have much ado in their worldly callings albeit they prefer the care of their family and provision for their things out-ward unto the main work of their entertaining communion with God yea they conceive that God will allow them in so doing as Christ doth insinuat in the parable of the ghuests invited to the feast answering the invitation with I pray have me excused Luke 14. 18 19. This is a rise evil in great personages rich persons and such as are much imploved in earthly affairs such men deceive themselves first in laying down this ground with themselves that their earthly affairs the necessity whereof doth first and most sensibly appear must in the first room be cared-for and that the one thing necessar may be followed after as their civil and earthly affairs may permit Secondly they reckon gain to be godliness 1 Tim. 6. 5. for they cannot be perswaded when gain may be had that God requireth of any man to slip the occasion or to put his worldly goods in hazard by defending or following maters of religion Thirdly they think themselves so wise as they can well enough serve two Masters God and covetousnesse albeit when it cometh to the proof they will be found to serve not God but their own lusts This error our Lord refuteth and giveth warning to beware of it Matth. 6. 24. And Luke 21. 34. Take heed
they read very Fables and fained Romances which they know to be such and yet they cannot command their affections in reading of them May not then an unrenewed man give as much credit to holy Scripture and be affected with the holy history thereof without any change made of his perverse nature the wisdom whereof is enmity against God and cannot subject it self either to his law or Gospel Secondly if we consider what the power of a natural conscience can work upon the affections by just accusations or excusations for raising grief and joy therein whereof not only Scripture but also heathen writers do bear witnesse we need not doubt but the natural conscience may have the same power in a temporary believer Thirdly if we consider what the precepts of morall Philosophy hath wrought upon the Schollers of Socrates and Aristotle and other heathen Masters for the outward framing of them unto seeming vertues we need not doubt what the precepts of the morall law may work upon a temporary believer for putting a luster on his life as was to be found in sundry Pharisees without conversion and renovation of the inner man toward God Fourthly if we consider what delight is found by Schollers in the contemplation of these things which Philosophy doth treat of we may easily perswade our selves that more delight may be had in contemplation of what holy Scripture doth hold forth without making the man a new creature But when unto the natural mans foresaid seeming perfections knowledge of the mysteries of religion and the gifts of preaching and prophecying are superadded which are but movable gifts common to renewed and unrenewed men and far from being saving graces what wonder the natural man and temporary believer be puffed up with a high estimation of his own worth and hope of being received by Christ the Judge and yet be found at last to have deceived himself and unwarrantably absolved himself by his own deluded conscience as Christ giveth warning Math. 7. 21. Quest. But what can a temporary believer want coming up all the length that is now spoken of and supposed to be indued with so many seeming good things whereunto many saved Saints do not attain Ans. Every saved Saint is beaten out of self-estimation for any thing in himself beaten out of confidence in any thing he doth or can do and is humbled in his heart by the law the spiritual perfection whereof being understood killeth his natural pride Rom. 7. 9. 2. Every saved Saint is chased for refuge to flye to Christ to his righteousnesse and the riches of grace holden forth in him and every saved Saint is a new creature aiming more and more to follow the course of new obedience and drawing vertue from Christ by faith to please God and worship him in spirit Phil. 3. 3. So that his purpose and endeavour in some measure is like unto that of David Psal. 71. 10 15 16. saying I will hope continually and I will praise thee more and more my mouth shall shew forth thy righteousnesse and thy salvation all the day for I know not the numbers thereof I will walk in the strength of the Lord God I will make mention of thy righteousnesse even of thine only But the temporary believer reckoneth not for his debt and deservings with the law he is not humbled in the sense of his sins and sinfulnesse and inability to satisfie the law by himself he hath not the root of repentance in him for immediatly upon the hearing of the Gospel he receiveth the Word with joy without godly sorrow for his sins Luk. 8. 13. The temporary believer is ignorant of the righteousnesse of God by faith in Jesus Christ and goeth about to establish his own righteousnesse upon the bottom of his own blamelesse conversation priviledges of the visible Church common gifts of the Spirit and successe with prosperity all which because he is not justified by faith in Christ do not advance him above the state of the workers of iniquity Math. 7. 21 22 23. The symptoms and ordinary signs of this malady of unwarrantable self-absolution are these 1. all of this sort are well pleased with their own wayes they are not daily humbled in the sense of short-coming in duties and chased to Christs righteousnesse which may hide their nakednesse 2. They are all secure and fear no wrath but put the evil day far from them 3. They cannot be induced to any accurat examination of their own life wayes condition or estate If any man insinuate any suspicion of hypocrisie in them or if their own conscience begin to question their sincerity they cannot endure it 4. Albeit they say unto Christ Lord Lord yet they make little use of his office of mediation of his power and vertue for illumination humiliation healing and helping on to salvation 5. They look more to the seeming good things in themselves for strengthening their carnal confidence then they take notice of the evil of a body of death in themselves to drive them to Christ the only deliverer from it 6. Yea they all serve some Idol lurking in their heart they yield obedience to some reigning lust which they will not forsake for which cause Christ foretells that he will declare them to be but workers of iniquity Math. 7. 23. The causes of this evil are 1. the ignorance of the law and the utter inability yea aversenesse of nature to be subject to it the knowledge whereof might make men live all their dayes in a loathing of themselves and cut off all hope of obtaining righteousnesse by the law 2. The ignorance of that dear-bought righteousnesse of Christ and of the riches of his grace offering to impute his satisfaction to every self-condemned sinner who shall flye to him and accept his offer 3 The ignorance of the necessity of the bringing forth the fruits of faith in love and study of new obedience and sanctification by the furniture of Christ without which no man shall see God 4. The taking of a presumptuous dead faith in stead of that true justifying faith which layeth hold on Christ and worketh by love The taking of a vain groundlesse hope for that lively hope which purifieth both the heart and external conversation also 5. The comparing of themselves either with the worst sort of vile sinners or with such as are like to themselves or with the Saints in their grosse failings not judging themselves according to the law The use to be made of this doctrine is first to stir us up to take notice of that power of the soul called conscience which God hath put in every man to observe all the mans words deeds and intentions and to compare them with the law and will of God so far as it is informed and to accuse or excuse condemn or absolve smite or comfort the man as it findeth cause that we suffer not our own conscience to sleep but set it on work whilst it is time that we may know how
being converted 2. This ground of judging of mens conversion by the maner of Gods exercising of them so as other converted Saints have been exercised before them and of judging the man to be unregenerat who is otherwayes exercised then they know any convert to have been exercised did deceive the friends of Iob who in Iobs face avowed this their error Iob 5. 1. Call now say they if their be any that will answer thee and unto which of the Saints wilt thou turn that is name any example of any upright man who hath been dealt with by God as thou art and what Saint or holy man can thou name to whom thou can compare thy self and say such a man hath suffered such things as I do This doubt doth arise from this error and mistake the afflicted doth without ground suppose that expresse examples of every particular case of the Saints is set down in Scripture It is true there are examples of many cases which may befall the godly but it is not to be expected that we shâ—ll find examples of every particular exercise of mind wherein the Saints may fall For as the Evangehst saith if all particulars were written the world could not hold or make use thereof It is sufficient that the Scripture hath set down rules whereunâ—o the Saints should labour to conform themselves and that it hath opened up the causes and remedies of all spiritual diseases and hath given so many examples as may clear the rule It is also a mistake to make the experience of the most exercised souldier a rule for every Saints exercises or to think that any man can know the variety of cases which befall the Saints for there are many whose cases are not revealed to any but laid open unto God only by prayer and are helped by faith in Christ. 3. Wherefore the afflicted must walk by rules set down in Scripture whether he find the practices thereof in Scripture or not Now this is the rule that whatsoever evil condition we fall into whatsoever tentation whatsoever pollution hath defiled our consciences we must humble our selves before God and flye unto Christ for remission of the guilâ—inesse for washing away the filthinesse thereof for breaking down the power of corruption and pulling out the roots thereof withall praising and thanking Christ who hath discovered unto us these evils and hath made them our affliction and not suffered them to break forth to the scandal of others And whatsoever calamity or temporal misery we shall fall into the Scripture hath given order unto us humbly to submit our selves to Gods dispensation and to make a good construction of Gods love and wisdom in exercising us so for by this rule Iob did walk defending his faith in Christ his living and loving Redeemer against Sathans temptations and his friends uncharitable wrangling disputations when the question was about his state whether he had ever been converted or not whether he was a wicked hypocrit or not and by so doing he over-came the temptation whereof we are now speaking And let not the afflicted lay it for a ground that by his hearing of the exercise of another like unto his condition he can be cured because no example of the exercise of another can be found so quadrant unto his condition as he could thereby take satisfaction For as in comparing of mens faces one with another such is the incomprehensible variety of the riches of Gods wisdom in framing them some difference and dissimilitude will be found betwixt face and face So in comparing of the cases of the Saints none of them can be found in all things so like one to another but some dissimilitude shall be found between them Wherefore the afflicted shall do well in every condition to draw near God and pour out his heart before him at all times for God is a refuge for us in all cases Ps. 62. 8. CHAP. XX. Wherein is solved the converts doubt whether he be converted because he doth not find in himself the infallible marks of regeneration SOme true converts sometime are in suspense doubting whether they be indeed converted because they do not discern in themselves the unquestionable evidences of their conversion and albeit they have the undoubted marks of regeneration to wit the daily conviction and acknowledgement of their sins and do flye daily by faith unto Jesus Christ and are endeavouring in some measure of sincerity to bring forth the fruits of new obedience with respect to all the Commandments concerning love to God and the brethren yet they dar not defend the sincerity of these evidences because of the discerned imperfection thereof for when they do compare these marks of the new creature with the rule they find much halting and short-coming therein In special they find their sense of sin to be but weak their faith in Christ to be weak and their failings and short-comings in the love of God and their neighbours to be many So that they scarcely dar allow these begun saving graces the name of saving graces And among other defects they reckon their not feeling of the spirit of Adoption whereof the Apostle speaketh to the converted Galatians Gal. 4. 6. Because ye are Sons saith he God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts crying Abba Father And Ephes. 1. 13. In whom after you believed ye were sealed with the holy Spirit of promise Which Spirit of promise and of adoption sealing believers they conceived was known and discerned in the Apostles time by every believers feeling in himself 2. For solving of this doubt something is spoken before concerning the imperfect fruits of faith the budddings and blossoming whereof are not despised by Christ Cant. 2. 13. and 6. 12. But that this doubt may be more fully answered let us take up the causes thereof 1. one cause is or may be this that the afflicted albeit together with the endeavour to lead a blamelesse life he be indued with the grace of prayer and looketh on God as his father yet he doth not take up this work of God in him to be the work of the Spirit of Christ illuminating his mind about duties framing his will and affections unto new obedience stirring him up to prayer and helping him in prayer but in the earnest desire he hath to find the operations of the Spirit in a larger measure of evidence he doth not mark the present operation but doth slight it as nothing or doth not esteem of it as becometh and so in his advertance raiseth and fostereth doubts in himself which do keep his faith in chains for removing of which cause let the afflicted observe the operation of the Spirit of Christ in the meanest degree for the confirmation of his own faith and comfort and thanksgiving unto God as narrowly as he doth observe in himself the first motions of sin and stirrings of corruption for his own humiliation and exercise of repentance for wrong judgment under pretext of humility doth
perfection which the Law doth require albeit he find not the fruits whensoever he would exact them albeit he find them not in that measure as he hath found them before For as trees are not to be esteemed dead or barren which bring forth fruits in due season albeit they bear not fruit in winter So faith is not to be esteemed dead which as occasion is offered bringeth forth the fruit at one time of mercy at another time of justice and equity at another time the evidence of zeal at another time of love and other vertues albeit when occasion or opportunity offereth not it doth not exercise such and such vertues yea albeit sometimes when occasion calleth for the evidencing of such and such gracious vertues the convert be somtime found in-laking or short of doing duty or guilty of doing contrary to duty faith must not be counted dead for all that Because it may come to passe that faith may be so wounded and fall sick and languish and fall in a swound that it cannot bring forth fruits till it be recovered of its sicknesse as we may see in Ionah David and Peter whose faith fainted but failed not altogether It is true they suspected they were cut off and gone when they were in hard exercise but after that they did look up to the mercy of God in Christ draw near unto him and did shew themselves alive in the Lord and to be in the state of grace Last of all we answer that the regrate of the humbled soul of its barrennesse and short-coming of bringing forth fruits as it would is no small evidence of life and sense in the inward man And of such a disposition it may be said as it is written Cant. 2. 13. The figtree putteth forth its green figs and the vines with the tender grape give a good smell For he that is fled to Christ and laments his barrennesse is a lover of doing good works and of bringing forth the fruits of the Gospel Quest. V. Q. BUt how can a man maintain his faith in Christ who after examination findeth no evidence at all of his conversion and that all his former life hath been spent in the unfruitfull course of corrupt nature and the mater is so indeed he hath lived after the course of this world a stranger to the life of God and grace Ans. Let such a mans examination and sentence of himself stand being according to the truth but this sentence of himself must not hinder him from believing in Christ or from flying to him for refuge for remission of sin for reconciliation and furniture of grace to bring forth better fruits then he hath brought forth before he hath proven against himself that in time bygone he hath noâ— been a regenerat man hath not been a believer in Christ but he hath not cut off himself from flying to Christ and believing in him for time to come for he must put diâ—ference between these two questions whether I have been of the number of sincere believers in Christ heretofore and whether I must now â—lye to Christ for time to come that I may be found hereaâ—ter and henceforth a true convert believing in Christ His former want of good fruits altogether doth prove him not to have been a believer in Christ for time by-past which is the first question and the same want of all good fruits heretofore doth answer the other question for his present duty and in time to come to wit that now except he will perish he must flye to Christ and believe in him In proving of this assertion that I have heretofore for such a space of time been a true convert I must bring forth the evidence of my faith by my works as the Apostle Iames appointeth shew me thy faith by thy works and I will shew thee my faith by my works But in proving this other assertion to wit I must now flye to Christ while the offer is made to me of reconciliation left I perish it will suffice to produce first my want of good fruits and next the commandment of the Gospel charging me to flye to Christ for refuge in time leâ—t I perish And so a man must maintain the way of believing in Christ Jesus for time to come whether he find he hath been a 〈◊〉 or a barren branch in time by-gone or not Quest. VI. Q. SEing the Apostle 2 Pet. 1. 10. commands us to make our calling and election sure by well-doing how can it be called carnal confidence which in part doth lean upon good works For seing assurance and certainty of our effectual calling is not attained unto but by reasoning from our good works that we are called effectually and are elected how do not our works support the assurance of faith concerning our calling and election and so may be leaned unto Ans. A man may make use of his good works for confirmation of his faith and yet not lean his confidence upon his works but upon the grace of God who hath called him of his free grace and made him imbrace the offer of his free grace and given unto him both to will and to do of his free grace and made him to be Gods workman-ship created of Gods free grace unto good works wherein he hath made him to walk Thus grace is by Gods word and working cleared up to the believer to rest upon without laying too much weight upon the mans work but if a man lay hold on Christ and his free grace only then when he observeth in himself such and such fruits of faith and looseth or slacketh his grips of Christ when he feels deadnesse and indisposition to good works justly we may call this a carnal confidence in his works for when he ought with Paul Rom. 7. 24 25. so much the more to flye in to Christ and his righteousnesse as he findeth the body of death powerfull in him and in-born sin strong to hinder his obedience he doth contrary wayes abate of his confidence languish and decay in his faith and look like a departer from Christ we must say he putteth carnal confidence in his own works Quest. VII Q. BUt seing it is impossible to perswade me of the truth and sincerity of saving faith in me except I do observe in me and can bring forth my good works to prove the reality of faith in me how is it possible that I should not lean weight on my good works seing the proof of my faith is by my works which proof if I have not I am at a stand I cannot prove my self to have been a true believer in Christ I cannot perswade my self that I have been and am a true believer in Christ Ans. 1. The observation of the fruits of faith in me is not the only proof of my believing in Christ for the very act of imbracing the offer of reconciliation made to me in the Gospel and flying unto Christ for a refuge when I am chased by the Law by the
strive against all impediments and God will help us to fight will give the victory and reward it for our encouragment to set upon our duty As for the other case of setting on the duty and missing of furniture to discharge it let us consider that God in this dispensation is teaching us that both the discharge of any duty and the successe thereof do not depend upon him that willeth or on him that runneth but upon God that sheweth mercy yea he teacheth us by experience that to will and to do are two distinct gifts the one whereof sometime he will give and not the other and sometime he will give both that we may learn not to limit the Lord in any case but really acknowledge that every good gift it from him that we may aim at our duty and depend on him for the blessing The fourteenth question is how to solve the doubt of the convert in another like comparison of his disposition and Gods dispensation SOme converts out of their own experience may say I being in a sad condition of heart have sundry times diligently used all means to be comforted and have wondered within my self that my pains have produced no hoped-for effect but the heart hath lyen dead like the child of the Shunamit when Gehasi laid the staff of Elisha upon him At another time I have been surprized unexpectedly with inlargement of heart with liberty of speech in prayer with peace and joy in the holy Ghost to the no small confirmation of my faith and what to think of this divers dispensation I cannot tell 2. For answer the doubt may be satisfied by observation of the Lords grace and wisdom toward his child in the first case he giveth grace to use the means and suspendeth the sensible fruits thereof to teach us 1. that he hath indeed tyed us to the use of all appointed meatis but left himself free to give the fruits thereof in what time and in what measure he pleaseth 2. He teacheth us that whatsoever benefit he doth bestow upon us in the use of the means he doth bestow them not for the using of the means but by the using of the means 3. He teacheth us that there is no inherent vertue nor effectual power in the means but that the means are the way wherein we must walk that we may find the blessing from God in using the means and not put confidence in them 4. He teacheth us whatsoever mean or instrument is made use of we should with Paul planting and Apollo watering give the glory of the increase fruit and successe unto God alone 3. As to the other case wherein the Lord doth prevent his childs using of means and giveth an answer ere he call thereby he teacheth us the same lesson to wit that what blessing God doth give he doth it freely of grace and not for works 2. He teacheth us that what blessing we expect in the use of the means he will give it not when we would nor in what measure we would but as he sees it fittest for our good and his own glory that so we should neither be frustrat of the fruit of the means using nor yet conceive the fruit thereof as a deserved reward of works but as a gift of meer grace The fifteenth question shall be about the measure of mortification or sanctification whether it be growing or decaying OFt-times true converts fall in this doubt not indeed when they are in a sensible and comfortable condition for then they seem to themselves to be growing in holinesse neither fall they in this doubt when their condition is sensibly evil as when the power of in-born sin either breaketh forth in action externally or defileth their spirit at least for then they seem to themselves to be decaying But this doubt ariseth when they are going on in their ordinary way of a blamelesse conversation without any observable change of their spiritual condition to the better or to the worse Then is it that they seem to themselves in a dubious condition and cannot say whether mortification of corrupt nature or sanctification be on the growing hand or not 2. For answer to this doubt about the measure of holinesse 1. it is not safe curiously to inquire what measure of holinesse a man hath attained for as it is not good to eat much honey So for men to search out their own glory it is not glory Prov. 25. 27. Secondly it is hard to determine the question for God useth to hide from his children especially the younger sort these operations of the holy Spirit which may in any sort weaken their endeavour in piety or softer pride in them but he discovers unto them their sinfulnesse and the imperfections of their obedience that he may set forward their repentance and laying hold on Christ righteousnesse Thirdly there is such an instability of any good condition wherein any convert may be so great variety of tentations such a vicissitude of victory of the flesh and of the spirit in their daily conflict that hardly can any man satisfie himself in the solution of this question for he who thought himself dead to the lusts of the flesh and to riches and honour may shortly find himself overtaken in the net and fall soully in the mire and be found carnal Therefore let him that stands take heed least he fall let him watch and pray least he be overcome in tentation let him study to observe the wickednesse of nature and imperfections of his best works that the righteousnesse of Christ may be in greater estimation in our eyes and we may grow in faith and love toward God drawing vertue from Christ and furniture to every good work This is the way to grow in holinesse indeed and not to be proud for any thing in us or done by us and this is the way wherein the Apostle did constantly walk Phil. 3. 14 15. 16. The sixteenth question is what the convert shall think or do in hard afflictions VVHen the convert doth fall in long-some bodily diseases and sad afflictions by unexpected and long-lasting adversity when Sathan is permitted to vex him with sore tentations when God doth hide his face for a long time from him when he exposeth him unto the cruel persecution of worldly men he cannot choose but fall in many doubts and perplexities for when God doth immediatly afflict him he readily suspecteth that God is angry at him if he louse reines unto Sathan to sift him and vex him if he answer not his supplications comfort him not readily what wonder multitude of thoughts arise in his heart The question is in this case what shall the convert think or do 2. For answer It is true the Lord useth oft-times in his deep wisdom and unchangeable love to his children to exercise them as is said and Sathan will not fail to whisper in their ear that God doth not love them in which case if the convert do not stand fast in the faith
danger we were in but it was poured into him and not only on him that he for the sins of his redeemed should suffer it sensibly and as it were drink it that the bitternesse thereof might affect all the powers of soul and body for the Scripture testifies that not only upon the sight and apprehension of this wrath and curse coming on him the holy humane nature did holily abhor it but also that he submitted to receive it upon the consideration of the divine decree and agreement made upon the price to be payed by him and that upon the feeling of this wrath this agony in his soul and bloody sweat of his body was brought on Obj. But how could the pouring forth of the Fathers wrath upon his innocent and dear Son consist with his Fatherly love to him Ans. Even as the innocency and holiness of Christ could well consist with his taking upon him the punishment of our sins for even the wrath of a just man inflicting capitall punishment on a condemned person put case his own child can well consist with fatherly affection toward the child suffering punishment therefore it is not to be doubted but these two can well consist in God in whom affections do not war one with another nor sight with reason as it falleth forth among men for the affections ascribed unto God are effects rather of his holy will toward us then properly called affections in him and these effects of Gods will about us do alwayes tend to our good and blessednesse at last however diverse one from another in themselves 9. Among the degrees of the sufferings of Christs soul we may number not only the perturbation of his mind and thoughts but also the perturbation of his affections and especially his fear for his humane nature was like unto ours in all things except sin and was indeed feared when it saw and felt the wrath of God least it should have been swallowed up by it and of this fear the Apostle Heb. 5. 7. beareth witnesse saying who in the dayes of his flesh when he had offered up prayers and supplications and strong cryes and tears unto him that was able to save him from death and was heard in that he feared Now albeit this seemeth the saddest passage of all his sufferings that he was feared for being swallowed up yet this his fear is not to be wondered at nor is it inconsistent with his holinesse for when Christ assumed our nature as hath been said he assumed also all the common and sinless infirmities passions and perturbations of our nature Now it is kindly that the creature at the sight of an angry God should tremble for we read that the rocks and mountains have trembled before God when he did let forth his terrour and it is naturall to man at the sight of a terrible object at the sight of a perill and evill coming upon him but much more already come upon him especially if the evill and perill be above all his naturall strength to tremble and fear the worst and this becometh holy nature very well to fear present death off-cutting perdition and swallowing up in the danger when God appeared angry and was hasting to be avenged on sinners in the person of their Surety what could the humane soul of Christ gather from this terrible sight but that which sense and reason did teach In the mean time there was no place here for his doubting of the issue and his escapeing from being swallowed up for naturall fear of the manly nature arising from the infirmity of the creature differs very far from the fear arising from the infirmity of faith in Gods faithfulnesse and power and naturall fear of the worst can very well stand with the strength of faith to overcome the naturall fear for as the sensitive appetite may abhor a bitter cup of medicine and cause all the body tremble for fear to take it while in the mean time the man by reason is resolved to drink that bitter cup of medicine because he confidently hopeth to help his health thereby so naturall fear in Christ to taste of the cup of wrath could very well consist with strong faith and assurance to be delivered therefrom for it is very sutable that faith should as far overcome the naturall apprehension of sense and reason naturall as reason doth overcome sense in drinking a loathsom and bitter cup of medicine And to clear this yet further that extream fear to be swallowed up of wrath could well consist in Christ with strong faith to overcome and bear out that terrible wrath Let it be considered that as it was needfull Christ should be subject to the infirmity of naturall strength that he might suffer death so it was needfull that he should have strong faith to inable him to bear out in a holy way that which he behoved to suffer for if on the one hand Christ had not been weakned and emptied of all humane strength in his flesh he could not have been humbled enough for us he could not have suffered so much as Justice did exact for satisfaction for us and on the other hand if he had not stood firm in faith and love toward Gods glory and our salvation he could not have satisfied Justice nor been still the innocent and spotlesse lamb of God nor have perfected the expiatory sacrifice for us Obj. But was he not tempted to doubt by Satan Ans. We grant that he was indeed tempted by Satan to doubt yea we shall not stand to grant that he was tempted to desperation But we altogether deny that he was tainted with sin by temptation in the least degree for the Scripture saith he was tempted in all things like unto us but yet without sin in him or yielding in any sort to any temptation And seing by the Evangelist Matth. 4. we understand that he was tempted in the wildernesse by the devil unto the most horrible sins that Satan could devise and yet was not stained or polluted in the least degree with the least measure of yielding to the sinfull temptations we need not stand to grant that he might be tempted or that he was tempted unto doubting and desperation for this was among the most notable and prime temptations whereby Satan in his impudent boldnesse sollicited the Son of God very God and man in one person even to doubt of that what Satan knew he was If thou be the Son of God saith he It is true indeed that we who are sinners by nature and corrupted in all the powers of our soul cannot be tempted tossed and troubled but therein our sinfull nature in some measure may appear and be polluted But the mater was not so with our holy Lord the God of glory who was separat from sinners for our impure nature is like to water in a pudle which being stirred doth presently become muddy and foul but the holy humane nature of Christ was altogether pure like unto clear and pure fountain
every one that thirsts come to these waters c. Isa. 55. And besides these promises which contain the condition of the covenant made to them who embrace the condition and do already believe such as is they that believe in me shall not perish but shall inherit eternall life there are also promises conditional serving to make men who profess faith in Christ to be reall and stedfast in the covenant wherein they are at least outwardly and solemnly entered such as Ioh. 15. 7 10. If ye abide in me and my words abide in you ye shall ask what ye will and it shall be done unto you and if ye keep my commands ye shall abide in my love c. And Ioh. 12. 26. If any man serve me him will my father honour and Ioh. 14. 21. he that loveth me shall be loved of my father and I will love him and manifest my self unto him Obj. Seing it is certain that the condition of the covenant of grace is not the doing of one or moe works but faith receiving Christ offered without respect to our works as any part of the condition and seing the condition of the covenant is not the having or exercising of such and such vertues but the receiving of Christ through faith unto righteousness and eternal life by the man who hath renounced all confidence in his own works how cometh it to pass that such conditionall promises are made to them that are indued with and do exercise such vertues Ans. Albeit the endeavour to work good works or the exercise of such and such vertues prescribed by Christ cannot be the condition of the covenant for then no man could close covenant with Christ till first he shall find these vertues in himself and have given proof of his constant exercise thereof yet such conditional promises are made use of after a man hath closed covenant with Christ by faith as conditions required in a true believer to evidence the sincerity of his faith And that because many make pretense of their faith in Christ and yet do turn the grace of God into wantonness and do no wayes set themselves to new obedience unto God law and are no wayes careful to bring forth fruits suitable to professed repentance but are indulgent to their vitious and fleshly lusts and in effect do renounce all endeavour to exercise good works in stead of renouncing a carnall confidence in good works Therefore God doth put the endeavour to exercise Christian vertues on all professed believers as a condition distinguishing a sincere believer from an hypocrit least any man should please himself because he is externally in the covenant of Grace while it may be as yet his faith is but a dead faith not working by love Against which sort of pretended believers Iames chap. 2. disputeth Such conditional promises are directed toward them that are outwardly already in covenant and do serve for these severall uses First that such as both profess faith in Christ and are endeavouring the duties required in such conditionall promises may acknowledge that they have obtained of the Lord grace for grace grace to believe and grace to bring forth the fruits of faith Secondly that the honest hearted may be encouraged te set upon these duties and may hope to be furnished for them out of the rich fountain of Christs grace Iohn 1. 16. Thirdly they serve to make such as believe in Christ when they feel the in-lake of any such commanded duty or the bitter root of any vice in themselves to humble themselves in the sense thereof aâ—d to flye more earnestly to Christ the Redeemer that first they may be covered with his righteousness and then from him receive the power of the holy Ghost to bring forth good fruits as he hath promised Ioh. 15. 5. If ye abide in me ye shall bring forth much fruit Fourthly they serve to make believers in Christ subject themselves to the order of the operation of the holy Ghost who giveth grace for grace and worketh one grace before another in his own order as the foresaid promises do import Fifthly they serve to stir up believers in Christ to the love and exercise of such and such vertues in the hope of the promised reward Sixthly they serve to move believers to joyn one vertue to another for certifying themselves of their own calling and election by their growth therein 2 Pet. 1. 3 4. 12. Last of all they serve to make these who are destitute and void of such qualifications and are careless to have them manifest to themselves and others that they are blind and cannot see a far off and that they have forgotten that they were in baptism ecclesiastically purged form their old sins 2 Pet. 1. 9. Obj. How can this offer of grace to all the hearers of the Gospel and the solemn making of a covenant with all that profess they do accept of the offer stand with the doctrine of election of some and reprobation of others or with the doctrine of Christs redeeming of the Elâ—ct only and not of all and every man Ans. The election of some and reprobation of others was made clear of old by Gods making offer of grace unto and covenanting with one nation only and not with any other Psa. 147. 19 20. He shewed his word unto Jacob his statutes and his judgments unto Israel he hath not dealt so with any nation anâ— as for his judgments they have not known them 2. And the offer of grace to all hearers of the Gospel and covenanting with all that profess to accept the offer do consist with the election of some only as well now as of old when God made a covenant externall and conditional with all Israel of whom the great part were not elected to life and of whom it is said albeit they were in number as the sand of the sea yet a remnant of them only were to be saved Isa. 10. 22. For by this course God was not frustrat of his purpose and fruit of his covenanting with the mixed multitude of Israelits for the Elect by faith obtained righteousness and life but the rest were blinded Rom. 11. 7. 3. This common offer of grace to all the hearers of the Gospel and the making of a morall covenant with all that do profess that they accept the offer may stand with the doctrine of Christs redeeming the Elect only no less now then of old when Christ did make offer of grace to them that were not his sheep Ioh. 10. 26. and did receive sundry in among his disciples in external covenant who did afterward forsake him Ioh. 6. 66. but yet he did save and doth save all his Elect sheep whom the father hath given unto him Joh. 10. 65. And however this doctrine soundeth harsh in the ears of many when they hear of any reprobat or not elected or when they hear that Christ did not lay down his life for all and every man but for the Elect only and proud men
faith in Christ bestowed on himself now in experience hath flowed from that fountain of Gods love and free grace through Christ. Except this order be keeped a man cannot warrantably and with confidence and comfort make application of these covenants Hence it followeth that it is a preposterous and perilous course which some do follow and presse others to follow that presently upon the hearing of the Gospel every man should believe that Christ hath died for him for Christ calleth no man warrandeth no man to come to him except he first do acknowledge his sins and himself to be worthy of wrath condemnation and hell for his sins and to be utterly unable to save himself by any mean save by Christ for Luke 5. 32. Christ saith I came not to call the righteous but sinners unto repentance Neither doth Christ require of any man to believe himself to be of the number of Christs sheep for whom he laid down his life except he come by faith as a lost sinner to him and submit himself to his doctrine and discipline and pastorall care over him for Ioh. 17. 9. Christ saith I pray not for the world but for these thou hast given me out of the world and no man shall know that himself is given of the Father to Christ till first he come in the order foresaid unto Christ and when he is come to Christ resolveth to abide with him then may he say the Father hath given me to Christ and drawn me to Christ for this is the mark which Christ giveth Ioh. 6. 37. All that the Father hath given unto me shall come to me And again vers 44. No man cometh unto me except the Father draw him 3. There is an order alâ—o to be observed in the application of the graces offered in the Gospel for in the Evangel first Christ himself is offered as the only and sufficient remedy against sin and misery and next unto the person that receiveth Christ heartily all Christs benefits are promised to come to him by Christ and are to be found in and through Christ such as are Justification Adoption the indwelling of the holy Ghost love joy peace gentlenesse bounty fidelity meekness temperance and other Christian graces Gal 5. 22. for no man hath right unto Christs benefits before he be a believer in Christ. But so soon as a man in the foresaid order is fled unto Christ and hath laid hold on him by faith straight way a door and entresse is opened unto him unto the rich treasure of grace and right is given to him unto all the benefits of Christ for all the promises are yea and amen not before a man come to Christ not to a man without Christ but they are all yea and a men in Christ. 4. Therefore they wrong both God and their own selves who when they come unto the throne of grace do prescribe unto God another order of working then he hath set down in his word craving in the first place consolation and sensible peace in their conscience felt in their hearts and that God would work some such saving graces in their heart which the reprobat cannot counterfit which directions if God will take off their hand and bestow his graces on them sensibly as they prescribe unto him then they will stand oblieged to continue in the faith of Christ but if they find not their directions obeyed and their petitions in their order granted then with grief of heart they begin to complain and to pretend that they dare not approach unto God or Christ so long as these petitions are not first granted and felt to be granted This temptation doth invert and overturn the order of Goâ—s calling for Christ doth not call unto him well-doers or these that do found their faith upon their own good behaviour and lean to their own works which they desire to find in themselves before they fasten faith on Christ but Christ doth call sinners in their own sense and acknowledgment who renounce all confidence in their own works past present or to come He calleth such as are lost in their own sense and do feel themselves utterly unable so much as to think a good thought of themselves that they may be cloathed with the imputed righteousnesse of Christ and indued with the spirit of sanctification by him and Christs will is that they who believe in him abide in him and suck by faith out of him as the branches do suck sap out of the tree grace to bring forth fruits more and more abundantly for this is the order which Christ doth prescribe unto his disciples Ioh. 15. 5. He that abideth in me and I in him the same bringeth forth much fruit for without me ye can do nothing Whosoever therefore will not believe in Christ or do think it is not lawfull to approach unto him till first they find in themselves amendment of life and evident fruits of saving faith they do in effect change the condition of the covenant of grace and do suspend their faith in Christ till they find works to build upon when it were their duty the more they feel their barrennesse so much the more straitly to lay hold on Christ and hold him fast and ply him with earnest supplications to make good his promise to them who do abide in him Ioh. 15. 5. 5. It is necessary to presse every man who doth believe his justification by faith that he be carefull to observe the morall law or ten commands as the perpetuall and unchangeable rule of good works prescribed of God for Christ came not to destroy the law but to fulfill it Matth. 5. 17. He hath indeed unto believers in him dissolved the covenant of the law not only by his doctrine teaching them that by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified in the sight of God because by the law is the knowledge of sin gotten but no absolution from sin Rom. 3. 20. But also by absolving every believer in him that walketh not after the flesh but after the spirit from all condemnation Rom. 8. 1â— Mean while he hath not broken the yoke of obedience of the law from off the believer as he hath broken off the yoke of the covenant of works but by the contrair he prescribes to them who come unto him for remission of sin that they take on his yoke upon them and bring forth works of new obedience Matth. 11. 29. and this is the order which the Apostle doth prescribe Tit. 3. 8. This is a faithfull saying and these things I will thou affirm constantly that they which have believed in God might be carefull to maintain good works these things are good and profitable unto men 6. The moral precepts of the law are so to be pressed that the hearers whether un-converted or converted may by them whether in some measure obeyed or disobeyed be driven to Christ that the law may ever in some sort be a pedagogue unto Christ for before conversion
conclusions drawn there-from and by holy reasoning tye themselves to believe and obey the Word of God Rom. 6. 11. Likewayes saith he by reasoning reckon ye your selves to be deal unto sin but alive unto God through Iesus Christ our Lord. And giveth an example of this reasoning 2 Cor. 5. 14. 15. The love of God constraineth us because we thus judge c. 11. Because the Lord divers wayes according to his own wisdom exerciseth men that sometime by his long-suffering patience he leads them unto repentance sometime also by his word and rods he doth drive them thereunto therefore let the use of all exercises all temptations and afflictions and the use of all benefits and divine dispensations of providence be carefully made use of that men may so look upon Gods bounty and long-suffering on the one hand and upon their own sins and ill deservings on the other hand as they may be led and constrained in love to seek after so gracious a God and to flee for refuge unto Christ mourning for their provoking of justice so oft against themselves and in whatsoever condition of prosperity or adversity to submit themselves to God however he shall be pleased to dispose of them 12. The doctrine of reprobation must not be determinatly applyed to any particular person how wicked soever he shall for the present appear neither must the suspicion which any man may have of his own reprobation be â—ostered because particular reprobation of this or that person is among the secrets of the Lord not to be medled with whereof a man may not give out sentence before the Lord hath revealed his own decree But on the contrair all the hearers must be warned and pressed to be wary to entertain any hostile thought of God or to foster suspicions of him as implacable but rather think of him as their faithfull Creator just indeed yet mercifull long-suffering and bountifull both to the kind and the un-kind as they shall find if they will seek him for Sathan will press this temptation hard enough and foster the suspicion which he hath suggested against God in the minds of them whom God hath afflicted albeit he get no assistance by any imprudent and un-just application of the Lords Word unto this or that particular person to conclude their reprobation 13. The scope of all doctrine must be this that sinners may be humbled in the sense of their unrighteousnesse indigence infirmity and unworthinesse and being humbled may be led unto Christ believe in him and be more and more glued unto him and grow in the love of him and rest their souls upon him as God one with the Father and holy Spirit worshiping him in spirit and truth endeavouring according to their vocation to advance his Kingdom in themselves and others And to this end let neither on the one hand his incarnation nor humiliation in the dayes of his flesh wherein he was in paying the promised price of our Redemption derogat any thing to the estimation of his person who is one God with the Father and holy Spirit God over all blessed for ever Nor on the other hand his Majesty make sinners stand off or be afraid to make their adresse to him but by the contrair that the personall union of the divine and humane nature in him and his cloathing himself with the offices of Prophet Priest and King may allure all sinners who hear of him to come to him as Media-tour who will not deal with them who come unto him as a judge against them but as an advocat Surety and intercessor for them and who will save to the uttermost every one that come unto God through him Heb. 7. 25. 14. For tryall of a mans regeneration and coming rightly to Christ and growing in grace the exercise of these three duties are necessarily required to wit 1. The exercise of repentance or the entertaining in himself of the sense of his naturall sinfulnesse and infirmity to do good and of the power of inherent corruptions whereby he may be made more and more to renounce all confidence in himself and walk humbly before God 2. The exercise of faith or the daily renewed imploying of Christ for grace and actuall help in all things as his case requireth 3. The exercise of love or the endeavour of new obedience flowing from love to God and his neighbour through Christ. CHAP. IX Of the more speciall application of divine covenants for removing the impediments of regeneration VVE have spoken of the prudent application of divine covenants in generall it followeth that we speak of the curing of the sicknesses of the conscience concerning regeneration more specially Some of these sicknesses do tend to hinder regeneration that it be not wrought at all whereof we shall speak God willing in the rest of this first book Other sicknesses do tend to obscure the work of regeneration begun and to foster questions in the regenerat man and make him doubt whether he be regenerat or not or whether he be in the state of grace or not and of these we shall speak somewhat in the second book And last of all some cases and sicknesses of the conscience do tend toward the deceiving of the regenerat man about his present condition wherein he is without calling his state in question at the first and of these we shall speak in the third book 2. As for the first sort these cases which impede and altogether marr regeneration cannot easily be numbered because of the multitude of deceits whereby the unregenerat are deluded but it shall suffice for our purpose to name some of them only for examples cause in handling whereof the way of curing other like cases may be observed In handling of these cases it is not to be expected we should follow any exact method or accurat distinction of one case from another partly because many faults may be variously interwoven one with another partly because in all these cases the same faults are found after divers wayes to put forth their poyson We therefore that we may follow the easiest course shal divide all unregenerat men impeding their own regeneration in three ranks The first rank shall be of those who eshew so far as they can all examination of their own conscience least it should pronounce sentence of their state and disquiet them The second rank shall be of those who do judge themselves indeed according to the law of God but after examination do despair of any remedy The third rank shall be of those who make a slight examination of themselves and upon some slight pretence give our sentence of absolution of themselves which God will not allow 3. As to the first rank to wit of those that eshew all examination of their own conscience we shall name only seven sicknesses or impediments hindering their self-examination and passing sentence on themselves The first is gross ignorance of their naturall sin and misery and of deliverance to be had through Christ
sins wittingly and from the slighting of the admonitions of the conscience arising up to the contempt of all accusations which the conscience can lay in against him and at last boldly rising up against the conscience as it were to be avenged of it for rebukeing him by committing these same sins most frequently for which he hath been oftnest reproved by his conscience The second cause may we reckon the devil who thinketh it too little to allure men to sin and harden their heart in it and spoil them of all sense of their sin except he also draw them to renounce God and bark against him and become like the devil himself so far as he can drive them The third cause we make the holy justice of God giving over the man who contemneth the light and checks of his conscience unto a reprobat sense that being deprived of common use of reason and judgment he may run mad in his sin like the devil for if God did punish the heathen so for this sort of sinning Rom. 1. 28. what wonder he punish seven times more them who thus rebell against the light of holy Scripture yea these that do not come to this hight are punished by giving them over to strong delusions 2 Thess. 2. 11. The last but sinless cause is the deep wisdom of God who suffering such wretches to fill up such a measure of sin doth make manifest to all beholders the power and poyson of in-born sin in man and draweth forth to light the natural enimity of man against God the seeds whereof is in all men and could hardly be believed to be incident to men except it were by experience seen and found in some men For remedy of this evil it is too little that such a monster should be driven from all Church-society and given over to Sathan it is the part of the Magistrate to bind beasts and mad devils and punish them as it becometh the bearer of the sword to do for avenging of evil-doers But if the Magistrate do not his part yet let the Pastor do what in him lyeth for albeit the Scripture giveth small hope of the recovery of such vile monsters because of the stupidity of their conscience that cannot be wrought upon by man yet seing such evils have been found even in some elect as Manasseh and some of the Corinthians before their conversion 1 Cor. 6. 9 10 11. and because experience hath often found that some of this sort going to publick execution by the Magistrate have been converted and saved by faith in Jesus Christ a Pastor should not altogether despair of such vile men but essay what may be done by conference especially when God sends calamity on them or the Magistrate executs justice on them for any crime if possibly such miscreants being convinced of their perverseness may repent and flye to Christ the Redeemer of such as flye unto him For removing the fifth impediment 1. THe fifth impediment of self-examination is a false fear of no small danger to their souls if they should ripe up their conscience for by-gones for seing they feel themselves quiet they think it were unprofitable and dangerous to trouble their own peace Such persons will tell you that their faith is surely set on God and that they never had any doubt or suspicion of Gods love to them and therefore dare not trouble themselves with self-examination first because all Sermons bid them firmly trust in God Secondly because they know if they should trouble themselves with self-examination they might soon weaken their faith as they conceive Thirdly because they know the subtilty of Sathan as they say to whom if a door were opâ—ned by search of their old wayes they fear he should over-charge them with accusations and drive them to desperation as say they it hath befallen sundry who after wakening their consciences never rested till they put hand in themselves not being able to bear the torment of their conscience There are other some who nill they will they are drawn before the tribunal of Gods Judgment and their conscience beginneth to stir against them which so soon as they do perceive incontinent they interrupt the process Such a one was the heathen Governour Felix Act. 24 25. who after hearing for a little Pauls discourse of righteousness temperance and judgment to come did tremble and therefore desired Paul to forbear for the time Of this sort also are they who do with-draw themselves from Church-meetings and hearing of publick Sermons lest they should be troubled with the serious speeches of a faithfull Pastor Some are also of this sort who take the course that King Saul did take and call for a minstrel or for merry company to suppress the voice of their barking conscience or do by some such way divert their conscience from entering in judgment with them 2. The causes of this evil in the un-regenerat man may be found these four besides others more particular First ignorance of the duty of self-examination prescribed of God Ps. 4. 4. or a voluntar mis-kenning that such a duty is required of all The second cause is a fixed purpose to go on securely in their old wayes The third cause is the sense of the sweetness they imagine they do find and have found of a long time in the carnal rest and sleep of their conscience The fourth cause is a perswasion that they could not rid themselves out of the grips of their conscience nor endure the blind blowes which conscience set down on the tribunal should inflict on them which sorrow and vexation they conceive they cannot otherwayes eshew but by throwing down their conscience from the bench that he enter in no processe against them 3. When the Pastor hath to do with such a man his first care must be that this blind fear may be drawn forth to the light by shewing him that this his flying from the light and hiding himself in darkness is to no purpose and that there is no place for him to flye unto and hide himself from God Secondly let him presse the decree of God that all men must once die and then come to judgment wherein he cannot misse perpetual condemnation and endless torment from an angry Judge except he now judge and condemn himself and flye to Christ the Mediator while it is to day while Christ is exercising his Mediatory-office and is inviting all sinners to repent and calling all weary and heavy loaden to come unto him Thirdly let the Pastor shew to those fearfull persons that this their tear is groundlesse for if they minde to draw in to God they need not fear to confesse all their sins and flye to his grace which if they do not the sleep which they love to lye into is deadly because God hath said There is no peace to the wicked Isa. 48. 21. Fourthly let him presse the precepts for self-examination and judging our selves Ps. 4. 4. and trying whether we be in the faith or not
to your selves lest at any time your hearts be over-charged with surfeting and drunkenness and cares of this life No wonder then that such men profit not by the Word of God but remain fruitlesse because they are by our Lord compared to the ground that receiveth the seed among thorns Mat. 13. 22. He heareth the word but the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choaks the word and he remaineth unfruitfull 6. Some there are who having received a sufficient measure of gifts whereby they may promove the kingdom of Christ and be profitable to the society they live in by making use of their gifts do pack up all their duties in a sequestration of themselves from all businesse conceiving this way to be fittest both for God's service and their own salvation Whereupon they betake themselves to a private life in some obscure corner choosing rather to live as Monks and Eremits then to appear in publick and make use of their gifts with the hazard of toyling themselves and tossing of their estimation among beholders of them And this their resolution is backed with a pretended purpose to spend their time in reading and prayers without provoking any man to hatred or emulation against them thus they conceive they shall provide best for their own ease and safety and if withall they apprehend that they are not fitted with gifts which may be profitable to others and do think what they have bestowed upon them by God to be scarce sufficient for the carrying of themselves on in the course that tendeth to happinesse then they conceive they are well excused if they let all publick works alone without putting forth their finger to help what they see amisse We do not deny but sundry godly persons in the heat of persecution have been forced to luâ—k in a wildernesse among wild beasts during the time of the danger of whose fellowship the world was not worthy neither do we deny that age and infirmity of body may make men unfit for all publick imployment But the fault we tax is of such men as being able in Church or State to do service to God and the society they live in do for the love of their own ease hide their talent and not make use thereof for the benefit of others for if a narrow search be made of such mens resolution the fear of outward trouble in the world a declining to fight the fight of faith impatience to be at any pains and a desire to keep the estimation of their parts from the hazard of mens censure and love of their own fleshly ease will be found the fountain of their resolution But here we deal with none but such as the Apostle and Christ doth speak against to wit such as in some honest imployment for the common utility refuse to be at pains and work and therefore are not worthy of their bread 2 Thess. 3. 10. And let us hearken to Christs judgement of such men whom the world admireth for most holy Moncks in the parable of the talents he taketh up the lazy lubbart of whom we speak under the reckoning of a kâ—avish servant who because he had but one talent which amounteth to no small sum went away and hid it in the earth Mat. 25. 26. Thou wicked and slothfull servant saith he c. and ver 30. cast the unprofitable servant into outer darkness there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth The remedy is that men of parts and abilities do not yield unto their lazy humor nor to their discouragements which may foster their temptations to idlenesse but study rather to live in the sense of their obligations to God and to improve all that they have received from him for his honour and the well-fare of his people and to this end it is fit they should hearken to the counsel of judicious friends rather then lean to their own judgment over-swayed with temptations lest the Lord deciâ—her them and lead them forth with the workers of iniquity Ps. 125. 5. 7. Some are very like in all externals to the true converts so far as can be observed by beholders for they professe the true religion with others they seem to have consecrat themselves unto Christ they associat themselves unto and haunt the company of these who are in best esteem and joyn themselves alwayes with the reputed godly they seem ready prepared to bear Christs crosse and to go forth out of the city after him bearing his reproach and to be waiters upon his second coming yet inwardly they were never renewed they are not troubled with the sense of sin and sinfullnesse they do not in earnest or seriously seek after Christs righteousnesse and remission of sin through him nor worship God in their spirit These are described to us in the parable of the foolish and wise Virgins Matth. 25. the foolish were in company and outward fellowship of religion with the wise their outward conversation was without scandal as was the behaviour of the wise they had lamps of profession as the wise and were not suspected by themselves or others to be unsound they went forth in profession waiting for the coming of the Lord as the wise did and last of all no other infirmities were found in them then such as the wise Virgins were subject unto also they all fell asleep now and then nothing could be outwardly found to difference them from the wise Virgins which external likenesse as it deceived the beholders of these foolish Virgins So also it deceived themselves neither shall this personal difference be openly manifested till the Judge the searcher of hearts shall come and separat the goats from the sheep and the hypocrits from the unfeigued believers The remedy is that every one who pretend unto holinesse externally search their own hearts and inward sinfulnesse daily and flye to Christ in earnest that their nakednesse may be covered and their affections made spiritual seeking after things above and that by faith in Christ they may be filled with the unction of the holy spirit for bringing forth true fruits of faith 8. Unto the former we may joyn such as for their eminent gifts above the common sort of pious people and their abilities to conset discourse and dispute of maters of religion seem to themselves and to beholders also eminent Saints especially if they appear sharp censurers of others and zâ—alous against every least degree of sin in others but most of all if they for their enduements be fitted and called to pray in publick and preach the Gospel to others and withall do live without scandal they doubt nothing but they are high in Gods estimation as they are set up in reputation among the godly in the visible Church Now that such gifted men may deceive themselves and passe sentence in their own favours for their own absolution from any challenge which may condemn them our Lord doth fore-warn us Matth 7. 21. 22. telling us that not only many private
to prove a man to be regenerat but he must be proven also a true believer in Christ a man reconciled to God a man justified and an adopted child 2. It is necessary therefore for proving a man to be regenerat to know the right description of the regenerat man which is given by the Apostle Phil. 3. 3. We are the circumcision which worship God in the spirit and rejoyce in Iesus Christ and have no confidence in the flesh Wherein the Apostle holdeth forth the truly regenerat circumcised in heart 1. He is not sinlesse but so sensible of his sinfulnesse as he hath no confidence in himself nor any thing else in himself 2. He is not free of accusations or tentations and doubts but he flyeth to Christ for righteousnesse 3. He is not an idle and unfruitfull branch but a worshiper of God in spirit and truth 1. He is burdened with sin 2. He cometh to Christ for relief 3. He puts on Christs yoke Math. 11. 28 29. If a man have these three properties joyntly in him he is a regenerae man and may defend his interest in the state of grace and right to righteousnesse and eternall life through Jesus Christ. 3. Divine operations and saving graces which accompany salvation such as are faith repentance unto life hope Christian love to God and men for Gods cause effectual vocation justification reconciliation adoption go together in time by Gods gift but one of them goeth before another in order of nature for effectual calling goeth before faith and faith goeth before hope and before charity or love Again these graces which are given to the redeemed child of God joyntly in respect of time do not shew themselves in their evidence alike soon in time nor do they equally manifest themselves when they do appear in time And so the evidences of repentance may be discerned in not a few converts before faith in Christ do shew it self in them clearly So also love to God and his Saints oft-times may be discerned in a regenerat man before he himself dare affirm any thing of his faith in Christ. 4. Albeit there be many regenerat persons who for the present time cannot perceive in themselves any undoubted signs of their conversion yet it is certain also that there be many who to their own unspeakable comfort are assured of their regeneration and that they are translated from death to life and that they have received the spirit of adoption and earnest of eternal life as is pointed out in the experience of the Ephesians chap. 1. 14. And this is certain also that all who are fled to Christ for refuge should by all means labour to make their calling and election clear and certain to themselves 2 Pet. 1. 10. And to this purpose we are commanded to examine our selves and try whether we be in the faith or not whether Christ by his Spirit be in us or not 2 Cor. 13. 5. for otherwise except a convert know certainly the blessednesse of his own state and that he standeth in grace and favour with God it is not possible for him to give hearty thanks to God for the change of his state from being an enemy to be made a reconciled subject and child of God It is not possible for him to rejoyce in the Lord or set chearfully himself to serve God or comfortably call on God as a father to him in Christ Wherefore all who in the sense of their sins and fear of deserved wrath are fled for refuge unto Christ should deal by prayer earnestly with God that he would graciously grant unto them his Spirit by whose operation in them they may know the saving graces which he hath freely bestowed upon them of which gift of the holy Spirit the Apostle doth speak 1 Cor. 2. 12. 5. The knowledge of a mans own regeneration hath many degrees of clearnesse and assurance by reason of the variety of conditions wherein a man truly converted may be For many doubts may arise in the man regenerat which may darken his sight and hinder the assurance of saving grace granted unto him whereof sundry causes may be found and in special these four among others 1. In a man illuminat and renewed by the holy Spirit there remains a great deal of ignorance much doubting mixed with faith by reason of unskilfulnesse of the convert to examine and discern this blessed change made in him where through that cometh to passe in many young converts which will be seen in infants who have a soul indeed but do not know or perceive that they have a soul till they come to some years of discretion yea many sound Christians are oft-times at a stand about their regeneration and know not what to make of their faith or repentance especially when they feel the power of the body of death the strength of natural corruption in themselves and great indisposition for any spiritual exercise they are forced with the Apostle to cry miserable man that I am who shall deliver me Rom. 7. 24. mean time for weaknesse of their faith they are not able at the first to wrestle against discouragment and to come up unto the Apostles thanking God through Christ. 2. By the tentation of Sathan oft-times the perswasion of holy men is darkened so as they cannot see the evidences of their own regeneration clearly for Sathan sets himself to vex the Saints who are delivered from his kingdom and bonds whom albeit he know that he cannot destroy them yet he will not cease to trouble them that at least he may make them some way unfit for Gods service and marr their cheerfulness in his service and because he feareth harm from them unto his kingdom by their dealing with the unconverted to repent their sins and to turn unto God therefore he finds them work at home in their own bosome and puts them to defend themselves and to forbear to invade his subjects till they be setled themselves 3. Oft-times the Lord is offended by the sins of the regenerat and specially by their grosse transgressions for which his Spirit being grieved doth for a time cease from comforting them and doth not bear witnesse with their spirits that they are the children of God as he hath formerly used to do 4. Oft-times the Lord by suffering doubts to arise in their hearts useth to try and exercise the faith of his children and thereby to stir them up to the pursuing of the duties of piety and righteousnesse more vigorously and sincerely that after victory obtained over these tentations they may be more confirmed in their faith and more diligent in his obedience 6. It may come to passe that while the true convert doth most doubt of his own regeneration that the work of Gods special grace may be observed in him and clearly seen by others more experienced in the wayes of God and indued with the spirit of discretion The reason whereof is because howsoever the weak convert and child of light walking
in darknesse of tentation and desertion cannot discern his own blessed state yet there may appear and be perceived in him such signes and undoubted evidences of saving grace that the prudent beholder of him under his sad exercise may in the judgment of discretion and charity declare his righteousnes and him for his state to be in grace and favour with God In these two disciples going to Emaus Luk. 24. saving faith was not extinguished albeit they were driven to suspect themselves to have been mistaken when they once believed that Christ was the promised Saviour for in that same time there appeared in them evident tokens of their unfained love to Christ for while they are troubled with suspition of their being mistaken about Christ they are very sad and sorrowfull and were regrating the sufferings of Christ and were gathering what arguments they could for supporting their faith whereby their dying faith might be supported by conference about this mater laying forth their doubts and tentations one to another 7. The precise time of begun regeneration is not alwaies observed nor known either by the regenerat man himself or by beholders of his way as experience makteh evident in many who from their infancy are brought up in the exercises of true religion in whose conversion no notable change can be observed In those the words of Christ in part are verified the kingdom of heaven cometh not with observation Such persons when they begin to examine themselves whether they be regenerat whether they be in Christ and at what time they were converted they can neither determinatly condescend upon the time of their conversion nor can they confidently speak of their conversion till after sundry tryalls and experiences they can gather proofs of their sincerity from such signs effects and marks of the work of saving grace in them as may prove that Christ hath dwelt in them of before 8. Albeit regeneration be of the same kind spece and definition in all the regenerat yet it doth admit sundry accidental differences when the conversion of such and such persons is compared for some do not stay long in the straits of regeneration or new birth but within a short space of time they are both wounded and healed are both casten down and raised up again are both slain by the Law and quickened by the Gospel Of this sort we have a past proof in some thousand converts Act 2. who by one sermon or two were converted to the faith of Christ and fellowship with the Church On the other hand experience of many doth shew they have been under the spirit of bondage a long time before they could receive the consolations of the Gospel Heb. 2. 15. Some in the beginning of their conversion are handled very tenderly and afterward fall in hard exercises of mind as we may see in David who in his youth while he was keeping his fathers sheep did passe the time in holy songs and playing on his harp but afterward he was more sharply exercised and much afflicted from time to time with the sense of divine wrath Some in sorrow and much weeping do follow Christ and study to promove his kingdom such a one was Timothy whom the Apostle exhorteth to admit a larger measure of consolation allowed unto him by the Lord that he might be the more cheerfull and couragious in the warfare whereunto he was called 2 Tim. 1. 4. Another of this sort was Heman the Ezrahit who Psal. 88. declareth that from his youth up he was so keeped under terror as he was ready to die under discouragment And in the experience of this holy man we have a proof of what was holden forth in the preceeding consideration to wit that regeneration may be begun in a man and well promoved before either himself or others can well discern it for of them who are keeped under the law and spirit of bondage it is hard determinatly to judge before faith in Christ begin to appear in them whether their exercise be the special work of the holy spirit of regeneration or not for as it may come to passe that the spirit of fear and bondage may for a time work and go no further then to convict a man and not go on to convert him So also it may come to passe that there be some wrestling of faith lying under-foot in the midst of terrors not perceived for a while of which wrestling none can well give out sentence that it is a wrestling of saving faith before faith get some victory over tentations and break forth in some evident effects In which case it is very needfull warily and circumspectly to apply the doctrine of the Gospel so as the afflicted soul may be supported with hopes of a gracious out-gate for the work of the law humbling the sinner is a fair call to come to Christ and a messenger sent by Christ to bring him up Gal. 3. 24. 9. Albeit the regenerat man in respect of the state of his person by standing in grace and favour with God fixed and unmovable as the Apostle doth shew us Rom. 5. 1 2 3. partly because the love of God manifested to the believer in Christ is unchangeable and partly because the covenant of grace through Christ is an everlasting covenant Isa. 55. 3. and partly because the saving gifts and calling of God are such as God will never repent him to have bestowed them Rom. 11. 29. yet in respect of his condition the regenerat man is subject to many changes in his life and conversation in the disposition of his mind and affections and in the exercise of his gracious habits and in the sense and observation of the grace of God in him and favour of God toward him for it may come to passe yea and oft-times doth come to passe that men who are regenerat and in the state of grace which is a notable good state may be in a very evil condition in a miserable and deplorable disposition of heart as befell the Church of Ephesus Sardis and Laodicea And it may be also that regenerat persons after their consciences are wakened and they do perceive the miserable and sinfull condition of their affections and conversation that no small doubts arise in their hearts whether their state in grace be reall or not which doubts will evanish when after the renewing of their repentance theâ—r condition is changed to the better for Christ pre-occupieth this tentation speaking to the Church of Sardis and Laodicea counselling them to strengthen the thing that remaineth which was ready to dye and not to doubt of his love toward them Revel 2. and 3. 10. These tentations whereby the regenerat man is troubled and tempted to doubt whether he be in the state of grace should be distinguished and discerned from actual doubting for there may be a temptation unto doubting without a yielding unto the temptation as we see in Christ our Lord whom the devil durst tempt to doubt whether he was
and bring the believer fled unto him on upon his way till he put him in full possession of fredom from all sin and misery But yet this felicity is brought about not all at once but peece and peece and not without conflict with the enemies of our salvation and not without use of the meanes appointed of God Wherefore let the afflicted be exhorted to take courage unto him as becometh a souldier of Christ and let him go on in the wayes of the Lord in hope and patience being assured that whatsoever God hath promised he will surely perform in that maner measure order and time and by his own appointed means as he hath set down in his holy Scriptures 6. The third practical error of the afflicted in the foresaid case is that he doth not judge rightly of his own faith nor of the fruits thereof for of his own faith he judgeth no otherwayes than of the faith of another man whileas there is a diverse way to judge of my own faith then of another mans faith for because I cannot reach to the internal acts of the soul of another man therefore I must judge only by the outward effects according to the rule that Iames giveth chap. 2. ver 10. Shew me thy faith without thy works and I will shew thee my faith by my works Yet of my own faith I may judge not only by the external effects of it which in the first closing with Christ are not yet observable possibly but also by the internal act of faith which the holy Spirit who knows the heart doth reveal unto me by making me not only heartily to embrace Christ offered in the Gospel and love him but also can make me reflect and turn back mine eye upon his own gift and grace in me according to that of the Apostle 1 Cor. 2. 12. we have received the Spirit of God that we might know the things freely given to us of God Again the afflicted doth not judge rightly of his own fruits of faith according as the truth is and as the Lord in his Word doth judge he should distinguish between the sincerity of the work and the perfection of it a work may be done uprightly and yet be imperfect he should distinguish what is Gods part in the work from that which is wrong and corrupt flowing from the remainder of sin in him These things he doth confound and doth so fix his eyes upon the defects and imperfection of his work that he seeth nothing but what is wrong when it is his duty both to observe what is wrong that he may be humbled and cast away all confidence in his work and to observe also what is good and right in his work proceeding from the grace of God in him and so praise and thank God for it in Christ who will not quench the smoaking flax Isa. 42. 3. 7. For remedy therefore of this error let the afflicted first look upon the acts of his faith both internal and external both on the elicit acts of faith and the imperat acts as they are called in the Schools and let him judge of both according to what is right and equitable that whatsoever be the measure of new obedience it may be differenced from the mixture of infirmity defects or corruption And let him not judge of his work according to the suggestions and calumnies of Sathan who alwayes condemneth so far as he can what is good in Gods children or if he cannot condemn it doth labour to have it abused Secondly let the afflicted observe the due order both in doing his duties and in judging thereof for of necessity he must first put forth an act of faith and love on Christ before he can passe judgment on it and let him first do the work commanded to the believer and then passe sentence that he may be strengthened to do moe duties and so to present them to God to be washen accepted and amended in his following service Thirdly let him carefully look unto the end which he should propose to himself in judging of his acts of faith and obedience for the end of judging our selves and our works should be to confirm our faith in Christ when we find any thing done according to the rule and to â—lye to Christ for pardon and grace if we conceive all is wrong after we have examined maters 6. The fourth practical error is that the afflicted first suffereth his faith to be wounded and weakened by Sathans tentation and then to be drawn forth to the field to give a proof of the strength of his faith in some difficile duty before the wound of faith be bound up or healed for it is a great disadvantage to enter the lists with Sathan about the fruits of faith whether they be sincere or not when faith is wounded yea fainteth and is brought in question whether it be true faith or not Now this is a special stratageme and wile of Sathan by whatsoever mean he can to hurt the faith of Gods children that he may by that marr communion-keeping with God and cut off if he can the conduit whereby the power of Christ is conveyed to the believer for making him give acceptable obedience unto God And certainly it is no lesse difficile when faith is wrested and for a time out of joynt to set about acceptable service then it is to make a man to set upon his work when his armes are out of joynt Therefore for remedy of this error let the afflicted so soon as he findeth his â—aith wounded incontinent set himself down before God humbly and acknowledge his foolishnesse want of watching unworthinesse and inability either to know how he hath grieved Gods Spirit and made open a door for the Tempter to fall in upon him or to repent the sins which he knoweth might have provoked God so to exercise him and next let him look unto God in Christ reconcileing the world to himself and lay hold on the hornes of the altar on the throne of grace for strengthening his faith that he may find help for the present need and thereafter also to walk more wisely for this is the counsell which Christ doth give to the corrupt Church of Sardis Revel 3. 2. Strengthen the thing which remaineth and is ready to die Thus may the afflicted recover strength of faith and ability to resist Sathan and furniture for bringing forth unquestionable fruits of faith CHAP. VIII Wherein the regenerat mans doubt whether he be in the state of grace arising from his unquietnesse of spirit is answered THis case is incident to many dear children of God and may befall Champions in time of sad affliction as we see in the Prophet Ps. 42. 11. and 43. 5. why art thou cast down O my soul and why art thou disquieted within me But even in time of outward prosperity or when no great affliction bodily lyeth on many who in the sense of their sinfulnesse have fled to Jesus Christ and have taken
resist and stand out nor is their appearance or hope of Gods assisting him in his conflict because God seemeth to have not only deserted him but also to have given him over in the hands of an unclean spirit to be vexed Unto this tentation we answer first that the dearest of Gods children have been exercised after this maner for even to the Apostle Paul 2 Cor. 12. 7. there was given to him a thorne in the flesh the messenger of Sathan to buffet him to keep him from pride which tentation was so strong and violent that he could not resist it by any strength in himself but was forced to flye unto God by prayer and beg strength from Christ to bear him out against the tentation and to be delivered from the power of it Secondly let the afflicted under this exercise put a difference between the sin of Sathan the tempter of him and his own sin under the tentation for the fiery darts of Sathan and suggested blasphemies are Sathans sins and not properly the sins of the afflicted to whom these wicked tentations are not pleasant but are his greatest affliction It is true indeed that tentations unto sin in some measure draw on some degree of pollution oft-times in sinfull men because it is not with us as it was with Christ for when the prince of this world came to tempt him he had no stuff of his own in Christ to work upon but when he cometh to sinners he findeth our corrupt nature and inclination to yield to his tentations as his own materials to work upon ready to be kindled by his fiery darts and yet must we still distinguish the sin of Sathan suggesting and tempting from the suffering of the poor afflicted child of God who is vexed with the tentation for if the afflicted shall own the tentation as his own sin and confound Sathans part and his own part in that exercise he is in danger to be swalloâ—ed up in the sense of the sin which is not his own but Sathans Thirdly the afflicted must put difference between sin and troublsome exercise for God is the author of trouble whereby he is about to try exercise and train the faith of his child to reach him patience and hope under his trouble but Sathan is the author of the sin whereunto he doth tempt the afflicted and shall be punished for it Fourthly let the afflicted wisely observe Sathans drift and wiles to drive him unto sin one way or other by these his horrid and bitter tentations for though he prevail not with his grosser tentations to cause the afflicted commit or consent unto that wickednesse which he suggesteth by his fiery darts yet he in some measure prevaileth oft-times by new tentations following on the back of the other for when he hath troubleed the soul of the afflicted child of God with these terrible tentations then he beareth in upon the mind of the afflicted that he hath acted or consented to these vile blasphemies and solliciteth him to impatience under this trouble and to doubt of Gods love to him and of his being in the state of grace and to suspect he is not one of the elect and to fear that God will not deliver him from these evils whereunto he is tempted Now these latter tentations oft-times prevail so far with the afflicted as he hearkens unto them yields unto them in some measure and suspects Sathans false alledgance to be too true And so these acts of unbelief impatience and discouragment become indeed the sins of the afflicted because they are not so resisted disclaimed abhorred and sorrowed for as the first sort of tentations were which do most vex the afflicted These wiles of Sathan the afflicted must beware of least he continue in or foster these ordinary sins whereinto that Sathan might cast and catch him he did lay his net in these extraordinary tentations Fifthly let the afflicted after he hath perceived Sathans wiles and malice and his own foolishnesse and weaknesse look upon the Lords wise purpose who by suffering his child so to be exercised is calling him to a deeper acknowledgment of his original sin that he may be humbled yet more before God and loath himself yet more and have Christs righteousnesse imputed to the believer in higher estimation Upon which consideration let him so presse the removing of the troublesome tentation as in the mean time he submit himself unto God and patiently endure the trouble and put repentance and faith hope and love to God in exercise following his external vocation as he is able least Sathan take advantage of him if he be idle and withal let him have such a care of his bodily health as he may be fitted the better for Gods service in his calling for we are not our own but Christs who hath bought us with a price and are bound to glorifie God both in our bodies and spirits which are the Lords 2 Cor. 6. 19 20. and therefore whether we eat or drink or whatsoever else we are about which is lawfull we ought to do it in his name aud so to glorifie him 1 Cor. 10. 30. CHAP. XII Wherein is solved the converts doubt of his conversion arising from the power of his corruption manifesting it self more after his entry upon the course of new obedience then it did before he began to repent SOme converts being yet but young souldiers in the Christian warfare when they find the corruption of their nature breaking forth more powerfully then it did before they did ingage their heart to serve the Lord do readily fall in deep discouragment and sad suspicion that the renewing grace of God was never bestowed upon them whatsoever were their purposes promises and beginnings to mortifie their lusts and affections And we must confesse that this is no small tentation for they who have renounced the service of their lusts and have consecrat their life to Gods service when they find their lusts prevail and like to reign in them no wonder they suspect their state in grace for 2 Pet. chap. 2. ver 20. it is told to us If men after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Iesus Christ they are again intangled therein and overcome the latter endis worse with them then the beginning for it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousnesse then after they have known it to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them But it is happened unto them according to the true proverbe the dog is turned to his own vomit again and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire 2. This condition indeed is perilous when after profession of repentance sin doth recover its strength again and prevail over the whole man and shew forth its victory over him in the grosse pollution of the external man But most of all is it perilous when the overcome and inslaved sinner lyeth still in his sin
things to come and the gift of working miracles and the gift of preaching the Gospel may be granted unto the unregenerat for the use and edification of the Church The observing of this difference shall teach the afflicted to esteem well of all the gifts of God which may serve for humane society or to edifie the Church but not to look upon them as evidences of regeneration for they are nothing in comparison of saving graces for if he shall study to humility and repentance toward God and faith toward Jesus Christ and love to God and his Saints and to a holy life by the grace of Christ in any measure let him esteem more of them then of all these common gifts how glorious soever they seem As also let him put a difference betwixt the judgment of charity concerning other mens estate which contents it self with probabilities and the judgment of certainty and reall verity concerning his own estate which proceeds from the operation of the holy Spirit bearing witnesse to our spirits that we are the children of God and revealing unto us what things are freely given to us of God to wit among other gifts giving unto us eye-salve to make us know that we are blind poor naked and miserable with grace leading us to buy without money or price from Christ gold tryed in the fire and garments to hide our nakednesse which is the righteousnesse of Christ imputed unto us In the judgement of charity concerning other mens estate we see nothing save what is outward and cannot pierce into their hearts which God only can and doth search but concerning our own estate we may know certainly if we search well 1 Cor. 2. 10 11 12. Wherefore that the afflicted may overcome this doubt let him leave unto God the judgment of the hearts of these hypocrits and apostats which were never humbled in 〈◊〉 sense of sin nor seriously believed in Christ but to satisfie himself concerning his own estate let him study to discern the power of sin in himself more and more and daily be humbled before God in the sense of it And the more he discern the loathsomnesse of sin in himself let him the more heartily embrace Christ offered in the Gospel and consecrat himself wholly unto him that in his furniture drawn by faith out of Christ he may bring forth good fruits and add one vertue to another and so shall he be sure that he hath passed the perfection of the unregenerat and is a true subject of the kingdom of God effectually called and elected of God unto eternall life 2 Pet. 1. 5 6 7 8. CHAP. XIV Wherein is solved the doubt of the true convert whether he be in the state of grace because some godly persons look upon him as an hypocrit SOme true converts do suspect themselves not to be true converts because some of the godly of their acquaintance whose judgment otherwayes is not to be lightly rejected not only do suspect them to be hypocrits but by words spoken of them and behaviour toward them declare their judgment of them 2. This tentation doth not a little afflict the weak in faith who of themselves are ready to call in question their own conversion and when they perceive their own suspicion of themselves to be as it were confirmed by the suspicion and testimony of some Saints howsoever rashly judging other mens hearts no wonder the tentation of Sathan questioning whether they be the children of God grow strong against them By this stratageme Sathan useth to assault the strongest in faith and to vex them at least as we may see in the exercise of Iob whose faith was mightily assaulted when his godly friends mistook his affliction and condemned him as a wicked hypocrit The like we see in the exercise of the Prophet Ps. 38. 11. when his friends stood aloof from his plague 3. For strengthening the afflicted under this tentation first let him examine himself so much the more acuratly because of the suspicion that the godly have of him after which examination if he find any measure of sorrow for sin in himself and of faith flying to Christ for relief and of endeavour to live holily righteously and soberly albeit joyned with much infirmity and manifold imperfections let him not cast away his confidence but rather strengthen what he findeth of the Lords gracious work in him although it seem to him ready to dye Secondly let him consider whether this exercise and affliction be a correction from God chastising him for his rash judgment of others whom possibly he hath wounded with such rash suspicions of them but whether he find this or not let him not despise this exercise but be humbled before God in the acknowledgment of the reliques of hypocrisie in our corrupt nature and flye unto Christ in whose mouth there was no guile that he may be cloathed with his righteousnesse head and feet and let him study unto more and more sincerity that he may approve himself to God and to discreet Judges of his conversation and let him not alienat himself altogether so far as in him lyeth from them by whose suspicions his faith and good name hath been wounded but in humility and charity toward them in the constant following of piety toward God and righteousnesse toward men labour to commend himself to all mens consciences And in so doing he needeth not stand for the rash judgment of any man for by so doing Iob was victorious over this tentation in his conflict with his friends and it is sure that men may be deceived in their judgement of other mens estate for first the ignorance of another mans heart maketh the Judge to judge what he knoweth not It is true God hath granted unto his children liberty according to his Word to judge of the actions of other men and from their actions to judge of their condition and temper in relation to those actions but to judge of their state who outwardly do what is right doth not belong to men but to God who hath reserved to himself the searching of every mans heart and only knoweth who is the upright and who is the hypocrit who is the wise and who is the foolish virgin the outward conversation of both being like one to another Again to know another mans manners ingine inclination and way of his life doth require long conversing with him comparison of his actions one with another and a prudent conjunction of all signes of his inward disposition before a discreet charitable judgment can be had of him And whosoever do judge rashly of other mens hearts do not well know their own heart or of what spirit they are in judging for many presume too much to justifie their own condition and state and make themselves to be as rules and paterns unto others and so become too too rigid censurers and severe judges of other mens conditions and state except they find it like to their own And if there be any
dissimilitude of manners or discrepance of judgment or contention about any mater then partiality hindereth a right judgment one of another and affection marreth reason many times that it cannot discern what is right Therefore let the person afflicted with this tentation turn himself to God who searcheth the reines and let him humble himself in his sight renewing the exercise of repentance and faith in Christ and let him apply to himself what the Scripture doth pronounce of these who in the sense of their sin do flye to Christ Jesus that in him they may have remission of sin and amendment of their life for so did the Prophet in the whole Psal. 17. when he had to do with his uncharitable friends and kinsfolk and so let the afflicted do CHAP. XV. Wherein the converts doubting of his being in the state of grace so oft as he doth not feel the sense of his reconciliation with God is examined and answered SOâ—e true converts are who indeed are indued with the saving graces of faith hope and charity and give evident proof of the in-dwelling of the holy Spirit in them and do rejoyce now and then in God their Saviour when his love to them is shed abroad in their heart but when a cloud cometh over their eyes and they do not feel the warm beams of the Sun of righteousnesse shining in their soul as they before have felt they are assaulted with doubting if any saving grace be in them at all and do entertain these tentations oft-times so far as to suspect and expresse in words that there is no solid faith in themselves no lively hope no christian charity no mortification of sin no purity of heart and such like if when they are thus tempted and tossed they lay hold on Christ as in their first conversion and find the sensible comfort of the holy Spirit by the word of the Gospel applyed unto them then all is well their doubting is overcome for the time they rejoyce and praise God But if the Lord shall delay for his own wise ends to renew their sensible consolations and to renew the earnest-penny of their inheritance forthwith they begin to doubt again and to hearken to Sathans suggestions and to suspect that their former feelings were but temporary and not the special operations of the holy Spirit and at length break forth in many sad complaints And in a word they do not maintain the work of saving grace in themselves longer then the sun shine of spiritual felt consolations abideth with them And albeit their exercise be no wayes so hard as was the Prophets Psal. 77. yet they fall out in the same complaint which the Prophet expresseth ver 7 8 9. Will the Lord cast off for ever and will he be favourable no more is his mercy clean gone for ever doth his promise fail for evermore hath God forgotten to be gracious hath he in anger shut up his tender mercies 2. For clearing of this case two diseases may be perceived in the afflicted which is here described The one is this the afflicted setteth himself to live rather by sense then by faith and doth put his faith on work of set purpose that he may obtain or recover consolation shortly but if his desire be not shortly granted he maketh not use of the formerly felt consolations to strengthen his own â—aith when consolation is withdrawn The other sicknesse is this the afflicted doth not take up the nature of saving graces nor perceive the beauty thereof except in the sun-shine of sensible divine approbation thereof he doth not take up the right definition or description of saving graces for saith is to him nothing if it be not a full perswasion except he can pour forth tears alwayes he thinks he doth not repent except he find a joyfull expectation of Christs coming in glory he thinks his hope not lively and so of charity and patience temperance righteousnesse and holinesse if he do not find them in some eminent measur as they may nearâ—by stand before the law the afflicted of whom we are now speaking thinketh he hath nothing of saving grace in him We grant that this sicknesse is very rare and few they are that are troubled with it yet where it appeareth it must be speedily cured but with great circumspection cured for the earnest desire he hath of feeling the sweet sense of the joy of the holy Ghost must not be disallowed but commended to him and he taught to cry as it is said Cant. 2. 5. Stay me with flaggons comfort me with aples for I am sick of love yet with holy submission unto Gods will for time maner and measure 2. He is also to be commended that in his trouble he goeth to God in Christ not altogether without faith which he putteth forth in active exercise thereof by confession of sin by supplication and otherwayes but here is he to be reproved that while he is actually exercising faith love hope c. he reckoneth all he doeth to be nothing no faith no hope c. because it is not in such a measure as he would 3. He is to be commended that he doth aime at the highest degrees of faith love hope patience mortification of sin and practice of holinesse and all commanded vertues but here he faileth that he counteth all as nought when consolation and sensible approbation of what he hath is not felt for here he despiseth the day of small things and unthankfully mis-regardeth the lower degrees of these saving graces which notwithstanding are bought to the redeemed by the same price wherewith the highest degrees are bought to wit with the precious blood of Jesus Christ. 3. Wherefore let the afflicted consider first that the will of God revealed requireth of us that we walk by faith and under the sense of our sinfulnesse and afflictions whatsoever hold fast the covenant of grace in Christ Jesus and by adhering unto him hold up our heart and entertain spiritual life in us Secondly let him consider that this way of living by faith and dependence on the word of Gods grace doth please the Lord well for without faith it is impossible to please him and thus living by faith in him doth give more glory of truth grace mercy and constancy unto God then when we suspend the glorifying of him till we find the sense of consolation from him for if we believe in God only because we find the consolations of his Spirit our faith in that case is weak and leaneth more upon the pledge and sensible evidence of his truth bestowed upon us then upon his promise without a pledge for no man will refuse to give credit to a man upon a pawn but God is worthy to be credited upon his word without a pawn yea when his dispensation seemeth contrary to his promise Thirdly let him consider that the Lord useth to give sensible consolations not only to help our faith in the time of consolation but also to help our
faith when the consolations are withdrawn from us and we are put to hard exercise wherein it is our duty to glorifie our God for his truth and grace whereof we have sometime had confirmations by felt consolation and patiently to wait till he restore unto us the joy of his Spirit for if in the want of sensible consolation we shall put aspersions upon the Lords work and graces bestowed upon us and call them in question we shall be found in so doing more carefull of self-satisfaction then to do the duties which God requireth of us Fourthly let the afflicted learn so to describe and define every saving grace of faith repentance hope love and mortification of sin as the description may take in the meanest measure of those graces for it is hard to say that there is no sound faith where there is not a full perswasion for the hungry looking of a trembling sinner unto Christ must not be excluded from being an act of faith it is hard to restrain the exercise of repentance to the sheding of tears for many other signs of repentance may be found where these are seldom such as is the hatred of sin striving against all tentations unto it and flying from all occasions which may insnare the believer in Christ in trespasses Fifthly let the afflicted distinguish between faith and sense of joy both are Gods gifts but the grounds of faith whereupon we are commanded to rest our selves should be rested on constantly whatsoever dispensation of joy or grief we shall meet with and this is our perpetual duty but sense is at Gods free dispensation to give and withdraw and restore at his pleasure and is a movable benefit which the Lord as his wisdom seeth expedient for our good doth give and continue withdraw and restore diminish or augment And therefore the afflicted is bound by duty still to believe and rejoyce in believing And to have the joy of sense also he may lawfully study but ought not to suffer his faith to be weakened by the want of it as the Prophet doth teach us Ps. 42. 11. and 43. 5. and 88. Last of all let the afflicted be posed upon his conscience if he dare condemn his flying to Christ in the sense of his sins as no act of faith or if he dar deny his hunger after renewed consolation and beholding of God with joy as reconciled in Christ to be an act of love to God and of communion with him Therefore let him confesse with the Psalmist Ps. 77. 10. This my doubting is my infirmity I will remember the years of the right hand of the Lord. CHAP. XVI Wherein is solved the true converts doubt of his regeneration because he seemeth to himself not to grow in grace by the use of the means appointed for his growth SOme true converts are brought to suspect their own regeneration because in the using of the means leading to sanctification and salvation sundry complain and say I do not perceive the Lords blessing on my pains and diligence I grow not in the knowledge of things spiritual my faith doth not grow by hearing nor reading of the Word of God nor by meditation of it I do not prevail in wrestling against my in-bred sin and corrupt nature neither by prayer nor fasting and therefore what shall I judge of my state but that it is like I am not converted and renewed For if I were indeed converted and reconciled with God I conceive it should fair otherwayes with me then it doth 2. In this case the true convert is in hazard of growing slack and careless in the use of the means and to grieve the holy Spirit by prescribing unto him and limiting of him unto such a measure of profiting in the use of the means and making him know how far he had profited and advanced in the course of sanctification Yea there is danger lest in this case the convert not only become cold-rife in the exercises of piety but also turn loose in his conversation and follow the allurements of the world having so far hearkened to the temptation as to think it in vain that he hath washen his hands in innocency as Ps. 73. befell the Prophet 3. For removing of this doubt the afflicted hath reason to check himself for hearkening so far unto the temptation as to joyn with hypocrits in his complaint Isa. 58. 5. Wherefore have we fasted say they and thou â—â—st not wherefore have we afflicted our souls and thou â—ikest no knowledge But because nothing doth more trouble the afflicted then his suspicion of his own hypocrisie let the causes be searched from which his suspicion doth arise One of them may be this that in the use of the means the eyes of the afflicted are more and more opened to perceive the power and poyson of his natural corruption more clearly then he perceived before And this deciphering of sin more and more doth hinder him to see the growth of his light and the growth of his hatred against manifested sin joyned with the overturning of his own high imaginations and native pride Another cause may be this that the true convert hath promised unto himself in the use of the means more and greater benefits spiritual from God then he doth by experience find which because he doth not find he thinketh he hath not profited A third cause may be this that the Lord is about the purging of him from practical errors such as are the high estimation of his own diligence in the use of the means as if there were some sort of merit annexed unto the works prescribed to the convert by the Lord or as if the use of the means had in them some force and efficacy in producing such effects in him as the convert hath expected or as if the Lord had oblieged himself to blesse sensibly diligence in the use of the means to the diligent mans satisfaction 4. Therefore first let the afflicted continue in his diligence and bewar of the foresaid practical errors let him humble himself before Christ that he may draw more vertue out of him by faith and by so much the more as he â—indeth sin himself and not profiâ—ing in the use of the means let him lay the faster hold on the covenant of grace and on Christ offered therein for giving righteousnesse and sanctification Secondly let him set upon the exercise of every duty with prayer that he may follow the duty in Christs name with his eye fixed on Gods grace and after the discharge of the duty let him look to Christ that from him he may have the blessing for without Christ we can do nothing acceptably nor with profit Last of all let him not esteem lightly of the effects of his diligence as if he did no wayes profit but when he hath rightly considered maters if he find the least fruit following his using of the means let him give the glory of it to God in Christ the giver thereof and humbly put up
his lamentation for his short-coming in duties unto God by prayer for this is the way to make progresse in faith and repentance and humility and submission of his will unto God in the use of the means and let him thank the Lord that from day to day he is keeped from scandalous out-breaking CHAP. XVII Wherein is solved the converts doubt whether he be regenerat because he seemeth to himself to follow religion and righteousnesse from the common operation of Gods working by morall swasion and not from the special operation and impulsion of the holy Spirit THere are some true converts who have profited so far in the amendment of their life and conforming their conversation unto the rule of Gods Word that the yoke of Christ is become easie to them and their delight is to be frequently about the exercises of religion and works of righteousnesse and yet sometime they are troubled with suspicion whether the work of regeneration in them be solid because any thing they do may be done as they conceive by temporary believers in whom no sound renovation of corrupt nature will be found I find nothing in me saith one of the effectual motion of the holy Spirit but all by way of morall swasion by imitation of others by education as may be found in the unrenewed disciples of morall philosophy for as they by frequent actions do acquire habits wherewith being indued they discharge moral duties more easily and with delight So I by discharging acts of religion and acquainting my self with them daily do seem to my self to have acquired a facility and delectation in religious actions and works of righteousnesse toward my neighbours 2. This case we grant is very perilous and subtilely coloured by Sathan to deceive and weaken the true convert for it is true what power hath been seen in morall philosophy among Pagans to put a luster on mens civil conversation must be also granted to Theology among professed Christians because divine threatnings and promises for procuring outward reformation of a mans life are more apt to prevail with a man then all morall philosophy and it is true also that education by parents and imitation of good men is of great force morally to perswade a man to the following of the outward duties of religion and to a civil conversation Wherefore it is no wonder to see a true convert doubt of his own regeneration when he compareth external duties discharged by himself with the external duties discharged by others whose heart he cannot see but must judge charitably of them and yet can neither be clear determinatly to affirm all such to be true converts nor to affirm himself to be a true convert so long as he suspecteth that as some others reformation So also his own reformation may prove no better then from morall swasion which may be â—ound in a man unregenerat 3. For lousing of this doubt and strengthening of the faith of the true convert let him examine himself whether in the conscience of his natural sinfulnesse and sense of his own unworthinesse and inability to deliver himself from the power of sin wrath and misery he hath fled and from time to time doth flye to Christ according to the tenor of the covenant of grace to be justified sanctified and saved by him and doth follow the exercises of religion and righteousnesse in obedience to the commands of God If his conscience answer him that so he doth then first let him look upon his doubting of his state as the subtile tentation of Sathan and that he may be strong against this tentation let him renew the acknowledgment of his sins and sinfulnesse of his weaknesse and unworthinesse and renew also his consent to the covenant of grace in Jesus Christ and his purpose to obey the commandments of God in the strength of Christ for by this means he shall gain the entry into his refuge where-from Sathan was drawing him by furnishing doubts and weakening his faith Secondly having casten his anchor within the vail and setled his faith on Christ Jesus let him now maintain his former course so far as truth will suffer that his former course of life in following with delight the exercise of religion and righteousnesse did proceed from the holy Spirit and let him consider that it is not a sufficient reason to call in question the infused habits of saving grace because supernatural habits infused immediatly by the Spirit of Christ are entertained augmented and confirmed by frequent acts and daily exercise no lesse then natural or morall habits are which are acquired by exercise And this is clear from Scripture wherein are many exhortations to put faith love repentance patience c. in frequent exercise that these gracious habits may grow strong as the Apostle Peter doth speak 2 Epist. 1. chap. ver 5 6. c. Thirdly let him put a difference in judging of his own conversation and the conversation of others of whose principles and ends of outward godly carriage he cannot judge as he can do of his own for a man in nature unregenerat or a temporary believer may make profession of true religion and outwardly go on in a blamelesse conversation with this opinion that by his works he shall please God and procure salvation to himself But the true convert shall be found a renouncer of confidence in his own works a man sensible of his own sinfulnesse and imperfections who hath fled and resolveth still to adhere to Christ for righteousnesse and salvation through him the finding whereof in any measure after examination may solve the converts doubt for a man in nature cannot so hate sin and follow holinesse as to renounce confidence in his holinesse and slve unto Christ for righteousnesse Fourthly let the afflicted convert consider that the Lords dealing with his children both by morall motives and by effectual perswasion unto the obedience of faith may and doth very well concur and agree together neither is the special operation of the holy Spirit with any reason to be suspected because he sweetly leadeth on his child by way of counsell without the childs observation of any notable impulse making him to overcome strong tentations unto sin whereunto he is naturally inclined for the more victorious grace is over corruption the efficacie of the Lords grace is the more conspicuous and that obedience is most pleasant to God wherein corrupt nature maketh most opposition Therefore in this case here presupposed let him stand to the defence of his faith in Christ and go on cheerfully in the way of righteousnesse against Sathans tentation solliciting him to doubting and discouragement which counsell if he follow he shall find by experience that he hath made use of the shield of faith and gotten the victory not without the special operation and impulse of the holy Spirit CHAP. XVIII Wherein is solved the true converts doubt whether he be regenerat because he findeth not self-denyal in the measure which is requisite in converts
SOme true converts are found who having for a time injoyed pâ—eace of conscience have called their conversion in question by occasion of hearing or reading some sermon of some zealous Preacher pressing the marks of true and sincere conversion and making self-denyall and loving of God for himself the main marks of conversion and without circumspect and wise difference put by him betwixt legall perfection and evangelical sincerity pressing self-denyal and the loving of God abstractly further then any Saint doth attain unto in this life Whereupon some tender souls do fall in question with themselves whether they be among the true and sincere converts because they know that our Lord requireth self-denyall in every person who will follow him and doth condemn them all for unbelievers who seek glory of men and not the glory which is of God And because the Preacher possibly hath made the loving of God for his benefits to be too too mercenary and hath pressed without respect to benefits that God must be loved for himself therefore the weak convert beginneth to be troubled as if he were not a true convert at all saying what shall I think of my self and of my following of Christ seing I feel so little of self-denyall in me seing I have loved Christ for my own good and many a time in my best actions I have sought the commendation of men in my heart and I have been ill pleased when I did not obtain it 2. For solving of this doubt we grant that every man who will follow Christ is bound to deny himself And true it is there is nothing more difficile then to forsake our own carnall wisdom and estimation of our own worth works and abilities how small â—oever Neither is there any more dangerous evil then in the discharge of Christian duties to seek or accept our own glory and the applause of men for he that in this point doth foster his natural corruption certainly doth not in so far favour these things which are Gods but serveth his own flesh Therefore because the reliques of this and all other sin do remain in the regenerat the Lord by variety of exercises setteth his children daily to learn this lesson over and over for mortifying their corrupt lusts It is their duty therefore when any spark of this evil of self-seeking doth appear to cast themselves down humbly at Christs feet and confesse the sin lest some spark of wrath break forth upon them from the Lord. For the end of this exercise yea and the reason of the Lords not removing fully in-dwelling sin is to humble us and send us to Christ least if he should otherwayes deal with us we should grow proud and not make such use as becometh us of Gods free grace and Christs righteousnesse imputed to the believer mean time we must not yield to Sathans tentation coloured with pretense of Scripture as if Christ had discharged us to seek any good from him to our selves or to love him for the good which he hath purchased to us and which he from time to time bestoweth on us for when Christ requireth of us to deny our selves he requireth indeed the renounciation of our own carnall and corrupt lusts and confidence in our own wisdom worth and works But he doth not require of us to renounce the sanctified love of our own well-being or the seeking our sanctification consolation and salvation in him alone for the love of God and of his glory is the main end of all our desires and the seeking that God would glorifie his own grace and truth in his promises to us by sanctifying comforting and saving us is a subordinat mean unto Gods glory yea the more we seek our righteousnesse consolation and salvation in God through Christ the more we glorifie God and do say in substance of God that he is the fountain of all felicity and that he is good and faithfull to grant all good things to such as believe in him and do seek grace for grace from him 3. It is true that we should love God above all things and love him more then our selves and love him though he should slay us but it is true also that the more we love him for any cause the more we esteem of him the more we magnifie and glorifie him and what is love to and seeking of God but the acknowledgement of our own emptinesse and his all-sufficiency and what is our seeking communion with him but a refounding of our selves into the fountain whence we have our being that he may be glorified in our being and fully well-being And so our spiritual love of God for himself and for the goodnesse which is let forth in doing good to us is not mercenary love but is the acknowledgement of his perfections and of his grace to us to whom he will be our God in Christ even all in all to us in him As for seeking of mens applause whensoever whether upon receiving of any benefit or discharge of any duty the corrupt lust of vain glory doth mix it self which cannot but obscure and hinder the shining of his glory which should be aimed at in all things by us incontinent upon the first motion of this our sinfull corruption perceived let out sin be humbly acknowledged and confessed unto God the searcher of the heart and let supplication in our spirit be made unto him to pardon our sin and mortifie the bitter root of this and all other evils in us CHAP. XIX Wherein is solved the doubt of the true convert whether he be indeed converted arising from this that he knoweth no child of God so hardly exercised as he is SOme converts are who by the light of the Law of God are brought to the acknowledgment of their sin and misery and by the doctrine of the Gospel are brought to seek their relief in Christ and have taken on his yoke and submitted themselves to his discipline and yet fall in question whether they be converted because they do find such inequality in their conversation and such changes in their condition and variety of tentations as they can find no example of the like in Scripture and where it pleaseth them to be free with their Pastor or confident Christian friend do fall out in questions if ever they have read in Scripture any like unto them in such and such particulars as they please to condescend upon and if their Pastor or Christian friend shall give them some example in the Scripture of Gods children so exercised they are ready to find such differences between the case of the godly in Scripture and their case as they cannot receive satisfaction And if possibly it be told them that their caâ—e is not singular but such as hath befallen sundry of their Christian acquaintance in this present age yet they cannot receive satisfaction for all this but still do insist that their case is not like to any of the godly Whereupon they foster the suspicion of their not
grace of God the man made a believer in Christ then the absolute promises of making a new heart and of writing the Law of the Lord therein Ier. 31. 31. and Ezek 11. 19. and all the promises of saving graces set down in holy Scripture do all of them belong to the believer in Christ in whom all the promises are yea and amen as if his name were set down 4. As to his doubt arising from his weak and infirm application of the promises let the afflicted consider what God hath already wrought and is a working in him by way of application for first God hath granted to him the use of the meanes with others in the visible Kirk so that it may be said unto him in this respect as it is Esa. 5. 4. what could be done in outward means and offer-making of grace which is not done Secondly God hath drawn more near unto him and hath illuminat his mind about his sinfull state in nature and about the way of delivery by faith in Christ and yet more hath inclined his heart to accept of the offer of Christ and make answer to the call as David did When thou saidst seek my face my soul answered thy face O Lord will I seek Psal. 27. 8. Thus God hath applyed Christ and the promises of the Gospel to the afflicted and hath made the afflicted to flye unto Christ offered in the Gospel and to apply him unto himself that hitherto the afflicted hath no reason to complain of not application of Christ and his promises on Gods part nor yet of begun-application on the afflicted's part Where is theâ— in-lake then I answer the defect is first in the afflicted who hath not duly considered the passages of Gods gracious approaching to him and drawing of the man to himself in Christ another defect is that the afflicted upon groundlesse mistakes doth not lay claim to Christ and to all the promises of grace for righteousnesse and salvation in him and that because he is not so clear of his right unto and interest in Christ as he can lay claim confidently unto the same 5. For clearing of the afflicted in this his right and warrant confidently to apply Christ and all the promises of the Gospel let him consider first the dreadfull sentence of the curse and condemnation of all them that do not believe on Christ Ioh. 3. 18. He that believeth in Christ is not condemned but he that believeth not is condemned already because he hath not believed in the only begotten Son of God Secondly let him consider the largenesse of the Gospel wherein grace is offered to all and every believer Ioh. 3. 16. God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life He saith whosoever without exception lest any man who desireth to believe in Christ should doubt that he shall be received and made welcome Thirdly let him mediate upon the wonderfull mystery of the incarnation of the Son of God who that he might ransom and redeem his people from sin and misery hath assumed humane nature into the union of person with his divine nature and given a perpetual pawn and pledge of his hearty willingnesse to reconcile justifie sanctifie and save to the uttermost every one who shall come unto God through him whereunto his mediatory Office and cloathing himself with most sweet relations of Prophet Priest and King to all his followers doth hear abundant witnesse Fourthly let him hearken to the quickening and comfortable invitations which by his Spirit speaking in Scripture he uttereth in the ears of all to whom the Gospel cometh with a joyfull sound Ho every one that thirsteth Isa. 55. 1. to 10. Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy loaden Mat. 11. 28. We are Embassadors for Christ as though God did beseech you by us we pray you in Christs stead beye reconciled to God 2 Cor. 5. 20. And whosoever will let him take the water of life freely Rev. 22. 17. Fifthly let the afflicted consider what answer he will give to the expresse command of God 1 Ioh. 3. 23. This is his comandment that we should believe in the name of his Son Iesus Christ and love one another as he hath commanded us For this commandment being directed to all the hearers of the Gospel chargeth every one without exception first to examine seriously their life by the rule of Gods Law that thereby they may be convinced of their damnable state in nature and made to acknowledge their sin and misery and inability to help themselves Secondly having examined and acknowledged their natural lost condition they are commanded to flye to Jesus Christ that by faith in him they may be delivered Thirdly that having fled to Christ they should evidence their faith by love to Christ or God in Christ and their neighbours especially such as are of the household of faith In which commandment both the order of applying Law and Gospel is set down and the necessity of believing in Christ upon the warrant of this clear command so that whosoever is a hearer of the Gospel and doth not in this order flye unto Christ he is inexcusable even the wicked and worst of men And much lesse excusable is the afflicted convert of whom we are now speaking who already hath acknowledged his lost condition without Christ and knoweth that there is no hope of relief except by faith in Jesus and hath fled to Christ and dare not depart from him if this man shall stand here and not relye on Christ and rest his soul upon him confidently what excuse can he make If he do object that his name is not written in this command 1 Ioh. 3. 23. it hath no force to impede his faith for neither is his name written in any of the ten commands of the morall Law and yet he findeth himself tyed to the obedience of every one of them and why is he not tyed also to this sweet command of the Gospel of grace as well as to other commands this command being given forth as the last declaration of Gods will for relief of them who acknowledge that they by the law are condemned wherefore let not the afflicted any more pretend the difficulty of applying Christ and his graces offered in the Gospel seing it is presupposed he hath fled to Christ and dare neither depart from him nor for the pretended scruple draw confidently in unto him but let him check and chide himself for not haunting Christ and conversing with him in heaven in that humility and confidence which the Word of the Lord doth allow unto him and commandeth him to take up and hold fast CHAP. XXII Wherein is solved the doubt of the true convert concerning his conversion arising from the observation in himself of presumption and security in his prosperity and of his misbelief in adversity THere are some true converts who albeit they are neither idle nor
and when he could not have the first place in his fathers blessing contented himself with what portion in the earth he could have beside Therefore let the afflicted labour to understand well the nature of the covenant of grace and the several articles thereof and let him consider that there is no advantage to be had by excluding of himself from that covenant but that if he will be saved in every condition he must draw near to Christ and lay hold on him for remission of sin and fresh furniture of grace for every duty for it is good alwayes to draw near to him because he will destroy all them that depart far from him Ps. 73. 27. CHAP. XXVI Wherein is solved the true converts dâ—ubt whether he be regenerat because he findeth himself not only far from the measure of holinesse which he observeth to have been in the Saints commended in Scripture but also short of the measure which some of his acquaintance have attained unto SOme true converts are who in the time wherein they are about to strengthen their saith by all means do fall in comparision of themselves with other converts in the mater of their faith love endeavour and attainment of an holy conversation and finding themselves very short of that measure which not only Saints commended in Scripture have attained unto but also short of what sundry of their acquaintance have gained and given proof of sudainly are overtaken with a sad suspicion that they may be found none of the number of true converts as for example when they read what David saith of himself in the Psalmes and namely in the hundred and nineteen Psalme they seem to themselves so unlike the copy he hath cast unto them so far short of that affection to the Word of God of that faith of that diligence of that sincerity of that patience of that fortitude in afflictions and delectation in God which the practice of this servant of God doth hold forth that they are ashamed to assume the name of a visible Saint or faithfull servant of God And for the same reason do forbear under this exercise to apply unto themselves the precious promises made to the faithfull servants of God in the Scripture What am I saith the afflicted that I should presume to intrude my self in the number of the Saints what am I that I should apply to my self what is promised to true converts and sincere servants of God Were I such a one as this person or that person is I might then for my consolation apply promises made unto such Saints but now I cannot apply their priviledges except for conviction of my conscience that I am justly for my unlikenesse unto them secluded from the promises made unto them and those that are like unto them 2. For lousing of this doubt we must acknowledge that the comparison of our selves with the rule of perfection holden forth in the Scripture is to be aimed at by all and the comparison of our selves with the eminent servants of God who have attained a great measure of growth in holinesse is very profitable if it be prudently managed For the first comparison teacheth us what we should endeavour to attain and the other teacheth us what may be by the grace of God attained unto even in this life Again both these comparisons do serve to humble us before God when we perceive our selves not only short of perfection which cannot be fully attained unto in this life but also short of these degrees which may be attained and have been attained by others in this life we cannot choose but think the more meanly of our selves and put down the sailes of self-estimation Thirdly this sort of comparison is profitable to make us more uprightly renounce all confidence in our own inherent righteousnesse and flye for refuge to the righteousnesse of Christ obedience and satisfaction imputed unto all that believe in him according as the example of the Apostle Paul who renounced all confidence in his priviledges performances sufferings and inherent righteousnesse counting them all but dung that he might win Christ and be found in him not having his own righteousnesse which is of the law but that which is through the faith of Christ the righteousnesse which is of God by faith Phil. 3. 8 9. 3. But this sort of comparison is dangerous and hurtfull when it tendeth to discouragment when it maketh us think little of the measure of Gods grace granted unto us when it makes us heartlesse in the course of obedience and hopelesse that we shall attain unto the measure whereunto the Saints have attained 4. Wherefore let the afflicted strengthen the thing which remaineth and is ready to die Rev. 3. 2. let him beware lest he quench the smoaking flax or break the bruised reed wherein he hath Christs help to look unto Isa. 42. 3. Again let the afflicted consider that there are divers degrees of saving faith divers degrees of the measure of sanctification and growth in grace for some are old men some young and strong men and some babes in Christ and that the same duties in the same measure are not to be expected from the tender and weak beginner which are required of the strong and experimented souldier 3. Let the afflicted remember that nothing is given nor promised nor done unto the Saints in Scripture or in latter ages for any merit or worthinesse in them but altogether of free grace and so much the more should this be remembred as this doubting of the afflicted arising from comparison of his condition with the measure of sanctification in others doth presuppone the contrary as if God did deal with his children according to the worthinesse of their persons and merit of their good works which is a false supposition for why doth the afflicted cast down his courage and weaken his faith and confidence in God but for this very cause that he counteth himself a much more unworthy man and of lesse merit before God then those Saints were or are with whom he hath compared himself 4. Let the afflicted by so much as he doth preceive himself more unworthy and more sinfull then those Saints with whom he hath compared himself thrust himself the more into the bosome of rich grace let him so much the more lay hold on the imputation of Christs righteousnesse and cover his nakednesse therewith and employ Christ by faith so much the more that out of his fulnesse he may receive grace for grace and be made able by his Spirit to bring forth more abundant fruits and come up nearer unto conformity with Christ and the examples of renouned Saints 5. Let the afflicted consider that we must live by rules set down in Scripture aiming sincerely at obedience of holy precepts albeit we have not yet come up unto the practice of the rule in that measure which others have attained unto CHAP. XXVII Wherein is solved the true converts doubt whether he be in the blessed state
from Sathans insinuations and crafty suggestions or his more discovered and open assaults that there is no businesse we can go about wherein this crafty hunter shall not dig a pit or lay a snare to intrap us no affliction nor difficulty wherein he shall not study to keep us back from making Christ our refuge our helper and deliverer and that therefore we must take heed to obey the warning of the Apostle Ephes. 6. 10 11 12 13. Finally my brethren be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might put on the whole armour of God that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil and so forth to the end of the Chapter CHAP. XXX Wherein are some mixed cases spoken of whereunto the true convert is subject and so may fall to doubt of his conversion or interest in Christ. THere are beside the cases whereof we have given some examples and instances other cases also which we may call mixed cases the causes whereof are partly natural partly spirituall wherein the true convert may be afflicted with both bodily and spirituall distempers melancholious humors abounding in the body and Sathan busie to stir himself in these distempers to the weakning the faith of the convert may take advantage to vex the child of God 2. These bodily distempers are common both to the unrenewed and to the regenerat for God hath not exeemed his children from diseases of the body for the righteous and the wise and their works are in the hand of God no man knoweth either love or hatred by all that is before him all things come alike to all there is one event or accident which may befall to the righteous and to the wicked to the good and to the clean and to the unclean to him that sacrificeth and to him that sacrificeth not as is the good so is the sinner and he that sweareth as he that feareth an oath Eccles. 9. 1 2. Saul the King of Israel in his melancholious fit may by the instigation of an unclean spirit changing himself into an angel of light fall on prophesieing in the midst of his house while he is about to murther David 1 Sam 18. 10. and experience hath shewed that some lying in grosse sins who while they were themselves and in their wits were found very rude and ignorant in maters of religion and things divine but sometimes sudainly falling in a melancholious exâ—asie and rapture they could rehearse a number of passages of Scripture and seemed to pray and to bring a number of arguments in their praying as if they had been wrestling with God for mercy of which Scriptures or words of prayer they had neither sense nor memory when they came to themselves after the melancholious extasie was over which sit lasted sometimes an hour sometimes two or thereby all which time they neither did hear nor see the wittnesses sitting by and beholding the spectacle On the other hand experience hath shewed how far Sathan may abuse and hath abused the phantasie of some holy persons in the height of sharp feavers and frensies and what speeches against God and their own souls by his instigation they have uttered We have an example in Iob who in his hot feaver and painfull boils like a man distracted cryed out that God was turned an enemy to him that he did shoot all his arrows against him whereupon in his distemper he cryed for death and cursed the day of his birth most bitterly Of which expressions when he is challenged by his uncharitable friends and judged to be nothing but a wicked hypocrit he excuseth himself that when he spoke these words he was not himself but in a roving distemper Iob. 6. 26. Do ye imagine to reprove words and the speeches of one that is desperat which are as wind 3. But our purpose here is not to discourse of melancholy in general nor what may befall in common to the godly and the wicked in melancholious fits for this doth require a larger Treatise and the concurrence both of Physicians and Divines We purpose only to speak to what the true convert is obnoxious unto and when we speak of mixed cases wherein both the distemper of the body and brain do concur with the temptation of Sathan we do not take notice of any light distemper of body and mind which suddainly cometh and is soon removed or which the privat diligence of the child of God in the use of the means may and useth to overcome Neither do we meddle with phrensies and madnesse which so bereaveth the man of the use of common reason that he cannot understand or make use of wholsome advice and counsell from the Scripture or rightly conceive truth when it is told unto him for in such a case the Physician only is to be called to deal with the diseased not excluding the prayer of the Pastor and Christian friends for him But we are to speak concerning more moderat distempers wherein the afflicted may lay forth his tentations and propound the reasons which seem to fortifie his doubts and to dispute of them receive reasonable answers to his objections as they are offered unto him And in a word such a condition of the mans mind as maketh him ready to hear and follow the advice both of the Physician and the Pastor as his need requireth Now it is not our that the imagination of these who are of this midle sort of distemper doth ordinarily fain to its self sad and terrible things and being fired with melancholious humours and tentations of Sathan mixed therewith useth to represent to its self Gods hot displeasure death condemnation and hell as it were before their eyes so that it is no wonder that for the the time they doubt whether they can possibly be in the state of grace But in special this seemeth most heavy unto them that their conscience in the mean time doth write bitter things against them and double upon them the deserved sentence of condemnation casting up the particular sins possibly repented of and pardoned as meriting rejection from God And here mainly is the stick 2. In discerning and curing such cases there is great need of wise circumspection For first information must be had of the afflicted's condition so far as his friends and familiars can furnish 2. The cure of his wound must be tenderly gone about as the Chyrurgian useth to do when he is to deal with the aple of a mans eye 3. Whatsoever seem at the first it shall be safest for the comforter of the afflicted not to speak peremptorily of the mans state or condition yea nor to judge within themselves determinatly about him 4. But it shall be saâ—est to hear the afflicted patiently to lay out his own condition more or lesse confusedly in moe or fewer speeches as he is able to expresse it 5. What is further to be searched after by prudent interrogations let it be pumped up so far as conveniently may be 6.
sorrow indeed Thirdly let difference be put between grief of mind or heavinesse in affliction and anguish of conscience for sin committed For a man may have a grieved mind and a quiet conscience at one time Fourthly let difference be put between our sinfull sicknesse of indisposition to spiritual duties for which we should be humbled and Gods dispensation for the time partly chastiseing us with a lesse and more sparing measure of ability for these duties and partly teaching us thereby to make better use of Christs offices for pardon of sin for helping and healing our infirmities then we have made Fifthly let difference be put between Gods part and Sathans the worlds and corrupt natures part and the part of the new creature Gods part is ever wise holy just and gracious tending to bring his children unto a good and better condition Sathan the worlds and the flesh or corrupt natures part is to procure and hold on and make worse an evil condition and the part of the new creature is variable as it falls forth in the battel against the flesh which lusts against the spirit and it against the flesh so that neither of them have the victory alwayes till the warfare be ended and grace be crowned with glory for and through Jesus Christ our Lord These differences being observed the conscience may discern between a good or evil condition so much the better 6. One and the same convert may observe in himself if not all yet the vicissitude of the most notable changes of a spiritual condition as may be seen in some especially of his Ministers of whose exercises he is to make use for the consolation of his afflicted people which Ministers may say with the Apostle 2 Cor. 1. 6. Whether we be afflicted it is for your consolation and salvation which is effectual in the enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer or whether we be comforted it is for your consolation and salvation 7. Sundry converts may be diversely disposed and exercised about the same evil or spiritual disease for one under the observation of his evil case may wrestle against it and not call his own blessed state in question another under the same disease may fall in question and doubt whether he who is in such a condition may be a true convert or not and his person in the state of grace or not yea one and the same convert in the beginning of his ill condition while he first entereth in conflict with his evil condition may for a time look upon himself as a true convert notwithstanding of his present ill condition but afterward when he findeth his evil condition to remain and not likely to be removed he may fall in doubt about the state of his person whether he be a true convert or not In which case let him make use as is said in the former Book 8. The variety of changes of the conditions of the true convert ariseth from the variety of the causes thereof As for example 1. sometime in the warfare between the flesh and the spirit the new creature prevaileth sometime corrupt nature and both of them prevail sometime more sometime lesse whence vicissitude of changes of condition cannot but follow 2. Sometime Sathans temptations setting on in his assaults more or lesse furiously or more or lesse subtilly do make diversity of conditions as Sathan is more or lesse wisely resisted 3. Sometime the Lord hideth his countenance from his child more or lesse sometime in adversity sometime in outward prosperity as his wisdom findeth it meet for the welfare of his beloved children 9. Sometime the conscience doth discern an evil condition and doth give forth a right sentence about it In which case let use be made of the ordinar remedy of sin and misery As 1. let the afflicted search into the causes which have procured his evil condition as the Lord after prayer shall furnish light 2. Let him acknowledge his sin and ill deserving and the Lords holy wise and righteous dispensation 3. Let him grow in humiliation and in diffidence of his own wisdom ability and righteousnesse 4. Let him renew the exercise of his faith in Christ for pardon of sin for mortifying the roots of it and for letting forth his helping hand for ability to make him watch over his own heart and wayes and to bring forth good fruits 10. When the converts conscience faileth in right judging of its own ill condition 1 it either taketh an ill condition to be good and in this case it is silent and saith nothing but lyeth secure and well pleased without cause or 2. it judgeth a good condition to be altogether bad or at least not so good as it is indeed or 3. it doth not distinguish a good or ill condition simply from a condition partly good and partly evil or 4. it stands in doubt what to judge of the mans condition being uncertain what to pronounce of it till light dispell the mist and confusion wherein it lyeth for the time Let us instance some cases and examples in every one of these four kinds CHAP. II Wherein is handled the case of such as are fallen from their first love and are well pleased in this case The first rank shall be of some cases wherein the conscience of the convert is deceived by judging the mans evil condition to be good enough IT cometh to passe sundry times that the renewed man seemeth both to himself and others also to go on in bringing forth external fruits of new obedience when in the mean time his love to Christ is much abated and cooled toward him in comparison of the fervency which in his first conversion he had whence it cometh to passe that his works in his calling are discharged without that eye and affection toward Christ which sometime he carried toward him for in the beginning of his conversion when remission of sins reconciliation with God and the blessed change made in his state through Christ was green and fresh in his present sense how dear Christ was unto him cannot be expressed but this fervor oft-times doth cool when his wonted estimation of Christ is not entertained as appeareth in the Galatians who at their conversion were carried with such a measure of love toward Christ that if it had been possible they would have plucked out their own eyes and given them to the Apostle Paul for Christs cause Gal. 4. 15. and yet this love did soon cool both toward Christ and the Apostle It cometh to passe also oft-times that the renewed man contenting himself with the seal of the holy Spirit and the consolation which once he felt resolveth to go on in the discharge of Christian duties in his calling and either doth not observe this cooling of his love to Christ or layeth it not to heart but pleaseth himself in this condition as sufficient to carry a converted man to heaven And so usually three faults do concur in this sicknesse The first is
a notable defection from aiming at the measure felt in his first love at his conversion for we speak not here of daily distempers which the convert doth mark and mourn for and is about to have healed by bringing his wounds unto Christ to be cured in the exercise of faith and repentance daily The second is the not observing of this decay of love or the mans ignorance of his duty to entertain communion with Christ in the sense of his daily sins wants and wounds for the removing and curing whereof Christ is to be loved daily no lesse then at the man his first conversion The third is the mans being well pleased with this condition so long as his conversation is blamelesse whereof we have an instance in the condition of the Ephesians Rev. 2. whose labour in the work of the Lord zeal against hypocrits patience in troubles for Christs cause is commended by Christ. But he reproveth them first because they had left their first love and did not only come short of the measure of their first love but did not lay to heart this sin did not repent it or take course to have that measure recovered thou hast left or laid down thy first love that is 1. thou hast remitted and come short of that measure of love which formerly thou had 2. Thou hast not been displeased with thy self in this thy defection 3. Thou hast laid aside the care of recovering the measure of thy former love This condition is very dangerous as is manifest in the experience of the Galatians who falling from their first love did cast themselves open to superstitions and errours and in danger to be cut off from Christ by their defection from the faith of the Gospel once received The reasons for which we say this defection in love is dangerous are three the first is this the greatest measure of love to Christ and rejoycing in him is lesse then his excellency and merit at our hands doth deserve If therefore we shall slide from our duty in aiming to hold up this measure of love to him which we have once attained and cease to grow therein because his new mercies are daily letten forth upon us from day to day in effect we judge our first love hath been too too vehement and so Christ is lightly esteemed of as if he were not still to be loved withall our mind heart and strength The next reason is this when love to Christ to his Ordinances and sanctified ones beginneth to relent and cool incontinent the external exercises of religion and righteousnesse begin to fall short of this principle of love and to go on more and more slowly and so peece and peece to decay for as when a tree is smitten in the root it may retain for a time green leaves but after a time it withers and neither â—eareth ripe fruits nor leaves So also in the exercise of plety and righteousnesse if love toward God our Redeemer and delection in his service and obedience inwardly be diminished it may readily come to passe that the very outward works yea and the profession of duties due to Christ be taken away also and this is the judgment wherewith Christ doth threaten Ephesus I will come upon thee and remove thy candlestick out of his place except thou repent Rev. 2. 5. The third reason is because Christ who is altogether lovely and love it self the very Son of the Fathers love is a jealous God and cannot long indure not to be met with love from them to whom he hath manifested his love Therefore he doth make hast to correct this slighting of his love and to manifest his wrath against these that lye still well pleased with themselves under this condition I will come unto thee quickly saith he and remove thy candlestick Rev. 2. 5. 2. That the conscience of the true convert who is lying in this condition or is declining from his former measure of love may discharge its duty more easily and solidly it is needfull that the man being convinced of his fault first consider how reasonable it is that he should return to his first love or formerly felt measure of it for the forgivenesse of his manifold sins wherein he lay before his conversion for the translating of him from darknesse to the glorious light of Christs Kingdom should never be forgotten the proof which he hath gotten by his conversion that Christ hath loved him and given himself for him should be alwayes called to minde with hearty affection the great need of Christ wherein he standeth for renewed pardon of sins for furnishing him with his Spirit to mortifie the deeds of the flesh and to bring forth more ripe and abundant fruits of new obedience should bind him to abide and grow in his love Secondly let him consider how usefull and profitable unto us is fresh green and growing love unto him for love to him makes us frequently to think of him frequently with delight to speak of him to seek after more and more near-communion with him to have our conversation with him in heaven where he sits at the right hand of the Father and to live in heaven where our love is more then where we sojourn in this world Love makes us love what he loveth and hate what he hateth love sharpens our desires after God in Christ kindles and inlarges our affection toward him as the beginning of the 63. Psalm doth make evident And if the Lord shall seem to with-draw himself love makes the true convert follow hard after him Ps. 63. 8. Love makes â—old to encounter all difficulties and troubles which may meet 〈◊〉 in the course of following after him much water cannot quench love in Gods service love keeps a man 〈…〉 strong and stout against his enemies in 〈…〉 patient in profession sincere in pursuing duties 〈…〉 all conditions submissive and after evidencing of his affection with the Psalmist Ps. 116. 12. to â—ay with the same Psalmist What shall I render to the Lord for all his benefits toward me Ps. 116. 12. Thirdly 〈…〉 convert who is begun to cool in his love to Christ 〈◊〉 to remembrance what a felicity he felt when he entertained love to Christ when the loving kindnesse of the Lord was better to him then his life and sin was more formidable then death when Gods Commandments were not grievous but the joy of his heart when Gods Word seasoned and sanctified his bitterest afflictions Fourthly let him consider at what a losse he is of many spiritual comforts whereof he hath deprived himself and in how many sins of omission at least he hath fallen since his declining from his first love and what miseries he hath drawn upon his own spirit at least if not also temporal chastisements joyned therewith and after comparison of his condition when his love was servent with his present condition since his fall from his sometime-measure of love let him humble himself before Christ and flye in unto his rich
grace as a true penitent and let the fear of wrath in case he set not himself to recover what he hath lost hold him up to his duty for this is the remedy which Christ himself doth prescribe Rev. 2. 5. 7. CHAP. III. Concerning the converts sinfull conniving at and tolerating of the errors and transgressions of others THe Law of love toward God and our neighbour layeth a tye on us to procure and promove the well-fare and good of all men according to our place and power and to hinder the provocation of God and sins of our neighbour according to our place and power And to this end the Lord hath said Levit. 19. 17. Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thine heart thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy neighbour and not suffer sin upon him â—ains answer to God saying Am I my brothers keeperâ—s doth not beseem the child of God and yet some of the Lords renewed children in some cases do seem to themselves to have done their duty sufficiently if they for themselves professe the truth and do in their own personal carriage what they conceive to be right albeit they toleart others to professe teach and practise what is false and dangerous and pernicious to themselves and others This fault may befall not only Magistrates and Pastors Parents and Masters of families Children and Servants but also be found in all and every one who do defend or excuse such an ungodly and dangerous toleration which may provoke God to wrath and insnare many in a course of sin The pretences excuses and deceits whereby men delude themselves in this sin are the same which the Patrons of loose and licentious toleration of every error in religion do make use of to wit that mens consciences must be free in the mater of religion and no wayes be urged to use all means which may give them right information and restrain their expression and practice which may infect pervert or insnare others among whom they live for say they Gods people must be a willing people and God only is Lord of the conscience and a curbing of mens profession and practice serves not to make men religious but hypocrits also and such like other pretences but no excuse of this sort can justly hinder any who is in any place of authority or power or relation to be active or concur to extinguish the incendiary fire which may devour the house of God and Kingdom wherein they live for whosoever have power over others and do not put forth their power to curb and represse those who lay a stumbling block before others do not only not impede the growing contagion and infection of the body wherein they live but also in effect do countenance protect and promove the spreading of the contagion of error wickedness which they do tolerat yea and private persons who do not lament the sins of such as do destroy themselves and infect others and do not mourn for the sins of them also who should represse the contagion do make themselves accessory to these spreading evils It is true many excuses might here be aâ—ledged which we leave to those who have answered the objections of ungodly toleration but the truth is the fear of wordly inconveniences oft-times doth more prevail for giving way to licentious toleration then the fear of sin and wrath of God doth prevail for dischargeing of duty This was the sin of the Church of Pergamus which did not take order with and represse the seducers of the Lords people and their followers within their jurisdiction Rev. 2. 14 15. I have a few things against thee because thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam who taught Balack to cast a stumbling block before the children of Israel to eat things sacrificed to idols and to commit fornication So hast thou also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans which thing I hate This was the sin which Christ did reprehend in the Church of Thyatira Rev. 2. 20. I have a few things against thee because thou sufferest that woman Jesabel which calleth her self a Prophetesse to teach and seduce my servants to commit fornication and to eat things sacrificed to idols 2. For remedy against this evil 1. let us verse our selves well in the Law of the Lord revealed in holy Scripture that we may know well what are the duties which God requireth of every man in his station and what vices he forbids lest we mistake vertue for a vice or vice for a vertue 2. Let us beware of rash censuring and licentious carping at mens infirmities as the Apostle Iames giveth commandment My brethren be not many Masters knowing that we shall receive the greater condemnation for in many things we offend all 3. Let us earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered to the Saints Iude v. 3. lest seducers draw away the Lords people from the truth of Christ. 4. Let every one consider his station place and power given to him and prudently go about the amending of other mens faults and his own also for otherwayes a good duty may be marred in a mans hand by imprudent managing thereof 5. Let a man resolve to meet with difficulties in curbing false doctrine and scandalous practices and as a wise Wariour to behave himself so as he may obtain the promises which Christ hath promised to the victorious Rev. 2. 17. 26 27. For it is much better to displease man for his good and others then to displease Christ and make our selves partakers of other mens sin and judgment and the true convert will easily make the choice CHAP. IV. Concerning the case of the true convert falling asleep in carnal security under guilâ—tnesse of fleshly pollutions and dreaming himself to be in no ill condition SOmetime the flesh so far prevaileth against the renewed work of the spirit in converts that not only they are overtaken in a fault Gal. 6. 1. but also are as it were taken captive and led away for a time by the lustâ— of the flesh and nearby recalled unto the servitude of some wicked concupiscence In which condition it is possible they lye sleeping a long time till God waken them out of their deadly lethargy And this condition alas is very oft to be found to the dishonour of Christian profession in these that have begun to live blamelesly and have fallen back to the filthy pudle of their old conversation whereby they draw upon themselves and their families Gods wrath and sad â—udgments Of this disease we find there were not a few to be found in Corinth 2 Cor. 12. 20 21. 2. The causes of this fearfull condition are manyfold and cannot easily be condescended upon for many defects and wicked motions of the heart do usually concur with the neglect of duty and commission of actual sins against the diâ—â—ction of the conscience at least without the remorse of conscience and true repentance before this fearfull condition fix it self on a man
let the convert thus mistaken after his experience felt that he hath been carnally confident not be discouraged as if his confidence which he seemed to have placed on God were altogether vain and in no degree spiritual but let him first be humbled before God and submit himself to the Lords rod let him acknowledge the wisdom justice and mercy of God who hath removed this prop of carnal confidence and reduced him from going astray to depend more on God then he hath done 2. Let him strengthen his faith in Christ according to the renor of the covenant of Grace and that so much the more as he finds his own unrighteousnesse in following and relying on creature-comforts to have been great 3. Let him set his affections upon things spiritual which are above the earth and to be found in Jesus Christ who is at the right hand of the Father Col. 3. 1. 23. and to loose his estimation and affection from these things that are on earth 4. Because this sicknesse is not well observed except in the time of adversity let the afflicted person approvâ— himself in the point of sincerity of adherence unto God by his trusting in God now when he wanteth means and creature-comforts as Iob did who in this condition blessed God for the giving of the benefits and blessed God at the removing of them from him Iob. 1. 21. For by so doing he shall learn both to have and want and in every condition to be content as the Apostle was taught Phil 4. 12. and this is for the first sort of carnal confidence The other sort of carnal confidence is that which too much leaneth to some apparent measure of the operation and fruits of the holy Spirit observed by the convert in himself and this sicknesse may be taken up and perceived chiefly by comparison of the converts stronger confidence of the love of God toward him so long as he can find evidencâ— signes of his regeneration and work of the holy Spirit 〈◊〉 himself with â—is weaker confidence of the love of God toward him under the cloud of descrtion or under some powerfull temptation when these evident signes of his conversion are darkened or do not appear so clearly unto himself as they did 〈◊〉 In which case his confidence is greatly weakned and his faith not a little shaken with doubting In both the one and the other condition the câ—venant of Grace standeth fixed and the promises of the Gospel remain the same and the convert still adhereth to the covenant and claimeth interest in Christ more or lesse confident Whence cometh then this difference between his former confidence which was strong and his weaker confidence now in the change of his case being brought low Certainly it proceedeth from the smiting of the pillar whereupon his former confidence was too much fixed for whensoever the mist is cleared up and he findeth the livelynesse of the work of grace in himself his confidence convalesceth and returns to it 's former strength as it seemeth to him and when his graces are darkened he falleth in a languishing weaknesse of faith This sicknesse is so frequently incident to the Saints that few shall be found who are not again and again overtaken in it for how few are they who are not much more confident when they find a heart freely poured forth in prayer when they injoy the peace of God in their heart when the love of God is shed abroad in their heart when they find the consolations of the holy Spirit when they observe the â—ruits of the holy Spirit in themselves when the candle of the Lord shineth in their soul and the tokens of Gods savour toward them are manifest and on the other hand when they find their spiritual condition changed when darknesse falleth on their spirit when they find themselves unfit for worship and unable to do service but most of all when they perceive tokens of fatherly wrath against them super-added unto the foresaid evils in this case who is he that beside the inevitable perturbation of mind incident to those who are strongest in faith doth not find a diminution of his former confidence and a conflict with temptations fears doubts and difficulties which diminution and abating of his confidence in his tryals and inward exercises doth evidently prove that in his best condition he hath laid too much weight upon on the mutable disposition of his soul and hath not so stucken to the Word of Gods grace through Jesus as became him 2. That this sicknesse may be the more easily cleared and cured it is expedient to answer some questions which being discussed may inform and edifie the afflicted Question 1. THe first question which the afflicted may propound is this Seing the signes of Gods favour manifested in the bestowing and continuing of common benefits and gifts outward and inward do certainly serve to confirm a mans faith in God is it not very reasonable to say that the signes of Gods wrath manifested in the removing of those benefits do certainly serve to debilitat and weaken a mans faith Ans. 1. Signs of Gods favour and signs of Gods wrath are not inconsistent because God can carry love and favour to a man and be angry at him also for the present ill disposition wherein he is for love and fatherly wrath are not opposit and inconsistent but love and hatred are inconsistent 2. Let it be granted that any signes whatsoever of Gods favour may be made use of by the convert for strengthening of his faith yet it must not be granted that the taking away of those signes of favour should be made use of for weakening of a mans faith For many things may encourage a man to do his duty which being removed must not discourage him or justly hinder him to do his duty 3. There is a great difference between the man who never found any other sign of Gods favour beside prosperity in common benefits and the man who beside common benefits hath felt a work of grace upon his spirit bringing him unto the sense of sin and chasing him to Christ and making him to take on his yoke The first sort of men can neither from the having nor wanting or removal of common benefits conclude eh is loved or hated for so are we taught Eccles. 9. 1 2 No man knoweth either love or hatred by all that is before him all things come alike to all c. But a man of this sort hath reason to judge that the sending on him adversity and wakening of him out of a flâ—shly and deadly security doth speak more of Gods favour to him then his prosperity did And this other sort of men who have felt a work of special grace on their hearts may make use both of their prosperity and adversity for confirmation of their faith 4. Put case that a convert chased unto Christ in the sense of his sin and resolved to bear Christs yoke upon him shall find common benefits taken back
sealed with the spirit of promise Ephes. 1. 11. As it is not sufficient to prove that wholsom water given to a feaver-sick person is not a wholsom drink because the cooling refreshment by it endureth but a short while So it is not sufficient to prove that consolation and joy given to a sorrowfull sinner seeking favour through Christ is not solid and true joy because it stayeth but a short while It is sufficient that it hath stayed so long as was needfull for after the word of promise was believed the joy was sent to ease the afflicted souls present grief and to give him earnest that full and lasting joy should be given in due time unto him When the messenger hath done his commission let him return to his master As the sheet let down in the vision from heaven to Peter after it had served for Peters instruction it was taken up to heaven again Act. 10. The Spouse in the Canticle knew by experience that her spiritual joyes would not last long and therefore chargeth the daughters of Ierusalem that they waken not her beloved till he pleased 5. Another objection is this If my joy had been solid saith the afflicted it should have brought forth better fruits then it hath done but joy spiritual as I then called it did degenerat into a carnal security and I was not the more holy by it To which objection the answer may be this the blame of this is not to be laid on spiritual joy but upon the abuse of this mercy by ingratitude for this gracious blink of felt favour negligence in the use of means to entertain this sense by sleepinesse of conscience and other sins and namely the laying too much weight upon this sense and not fixing the heart by so much more upon the word of promise when felt consolation may be withdrawn is a just cause for spiritual joy is not given to any to build upon its continuance but to make the convert hold the confirmed word of promise so much the faster when for the exercise of faith comfortable feelings are withdrawn The spouse in the Canticle after a feast of this kind falleth a sleep and giveth slight entertaining to the Bridegroom when called upon by his word for which she is chastised by his withdrawing of his comfortable presence Cant. 5. 1 2 3. c. But let us put the case that the felt joy of the spirit were not abused yet is it not unusual for God to withdraw consolation and to send trouble and anguish on the soul of his dear child to try his faith and train him on to hold the word of his grace in the hardest condition he can be into as he did exercise Iob and Ieremie the Prophet Ier. 20. and the Psalmist Ps. 77. In which condition to suspect that the consolation and joy of the spirit speaking to the heart by his word is not his gracious operation or is a delusion cannot but exceedingly grieve the Lord and give him cause to chastise this suspicion with desertion 6. But how may I know saith the afflicted that my joy was solid and was indeed the gracious operation of the holy Spirit For answer 1. If this joy was given to him when or after he was lamenting his sins and fearing wrath deserved and flying unto Christ offered in the Gospel he hath reason to reckon that joy to be such as the Word of the Gospel doth promise and approve 2. If during the time of his sweet feeling of peace and joy through Christ he found his faith in God and love to Christ confirmed and strengthned if the Word of the Gospel was in more estimation with him if his heart was inlarged to blesse praise and thank God for manifesting himself in Christ reconciled if the purpose of following after holinesse was renewed in him he hath no reason to suspect his joy and comfort 3. If after the removing of this sweet feeling he is going on in the study of holinesse believing in Christ how heavy in heart soever he may be by affliction and tentation he may be assured his sometime felt joy of the Lords Spirit was solid and his present suspicion thereof to be an evidence of his infirmity and of a tentation from Sathan This was the way how the Psalmist wrestled out of his sad condition Ps. 77. CHAP. XIV Of the converts suspecting that his zeal for God and against the sins of others hath been fleshly severity and imprudent temerity IT cometh to passe that they who love God sincerely and cannot endure the out-breakings of the wicked do sometimes transgresse the bounds of moderat zeal and being overtaken in some miscarriage for which being rebuked by their friends or by them in power censured or civilly chastised do in stead of moderating their zeal in time coming grow more slack and remisse in their zeal suspecting themselves inclined to unreasonable severity and rashnesse and ready to be esteemed haters of mens persons by those among whom they live as in some by-gone experience they have already felt And upon this occasion the tentation of Sathan falleth on tending to extinguish the fervency of true zeal required in all true converts And here there is danger lest true zeal grow cold and the convert become luke-warm both in curbing sin in others under his charge and in pursuing duties in his own person In which sicknesse he may be the better pleased with himself by so much as his friends and others do commend him for his moderation and prudence as they shall call it 2. As to the remedy of this evil there is no doubt but that may befall true zeal which is common to other vertues of which there is none so perfect but some in-lake or excesse may be observed in them And therefore as it is without reason to go back from pursuing duty in the exercise of other vertues because imperfections therein are remarkable from time to time So is it without reason to grow luke-warm in zeal which may render a man loathsome unto Christ Rev. 2. 3. Wherefore let the convert take heed what the Lords Word doth require of him in his calling and labour to discharge his duty towards others so as he may be found both zealous and prudent that in the expressions of his zeal against sin meeknesse and love to the offender may be manifested 2. To this intent let the convert carefully take heed to entertain these three properties of commendable zeal which are 1. The fear of God 2. Humility of heart 3. The love of his neighbour for the fear of God will not suffer the convert to depart from his commandments Humility of heart will make the man modest in his expressions and the love of his neighbour will make him mix meeknesse and compassion toward sinners with his zeal against offences This is the right seasoning of zeal which the Apostle calleth the zeal of God according to knowledge CHAP. XV. Of the converts suspecting his aiming at circumspect
wayes darkened and the application of promises is very weak 2. When Sathan by his tentations obscures the truth which should strengthen faith the convert finding himself in the mist may be at a stand till his sight be cleared up and he freed from the tentation 3. The sincere convert in the conscience of his own imperfection and consideration of the deceitfulnesse of the heart is wary and suspicious that he may be easily deceived and take historical or temporal faith for true saving faith and so doth readily lay hold on Sathans suggestions against the sincerity of his â—aith 4. In the conflict which his faith oft-times hath with mis-belief strengthened by Sathans tentations he finds himself now and then foiled by yielding unto the suggestion of Sathan as Davids experience teacheth may befall both the elder and younger souldiers Ps. â—â—6 11. I said in my haste all men are lyars meaning Samuel and other Prophets who promised to David in Gods name he should be King 5. In the fight of faith some infirmity is alwayes manifested and the convert is forced to acknowledge that his faith is not so strong as he supposed it to be before the fight whereupon he is ready to suspect his fight in faith to be a fainting and decaying in faith 6. Sometime the convert by giving way to sin doth grieve the holy Spirit and provoke him to withdraw his comfortable testimony which he gave in former time to the convert which bringeth him into suspicion of the sincerity of his faith which seemed to himself sound and unfained before 2. This case is both troublesome to the convert and dangerous for till it be cured it groweth like a rageing feaver and sets upon the vital power of justifying faith and at least hindereth the exercise thereof not a little For remedy whereof let the afflicted convert put difference between an infirm faith and felt infirmity in faith fighting for albeit the convert in the conflict of faith against tentations to mis-belief do feel infirmity yet is not his faith to be accounted infirm simply because whatsoever infirmity he feels in his fight yet his fighting against tentations proveth his faith to be so much the stronger as he resisteth mis-belief and cleaveth closer to Christ. 2. Let him consider that the Lord suffereth his child to be exercised with tentations of set purpose to humble him and empty him of all confidence in his own wisdom righteousnesse and strength that he may gather strength in his fighting by Scripture holden up to God in prayer and so wax valiant in fight as believers have been helped before Heb. 11. 34. 3. Let the convert put difference between faith and a setled perswasion for setled and full perswasion excludes all dubitation for the time But saving faith may may be where doubting is and unbelief is felt as the father of the possessed child in his prayer to Christ maketh manifest Lord I believe saith he help my unbelief 4. Let him put difference between dubitation suggested and faith striving to overcome dubitation for dubitation bewrayeth infirmity of faith but striving against dubitation doth evidence life and vigour in faith to be present and is acceptable service to God 5. Let him put difference between the doubting of the truth of the promise and the weak griping of it for he that doubts of the truth of the promise is Iam. 1. 6 7. like a wave of the sea and can expect nothing But he that layes hold on the promise with a trembling hand and striveth to hold it fast against doubting may expect to obtain 6. Let him put difference between his suspicion of the failing of his faith and the right judging of it for in the mean time of his fighting and fear of failing he goeth on in exercise of faith fearing to succumb yet resolute not to depart from Christ In the love and estimation of whose grace he goeth on and groweth longing for the victory and for a nearer felt fellowship with him which if he did observe and consider his judgement should be rectified Last of all let him put difference between a hasty apprehension of the failing of his faith and a fixed opinion that his faith is but fancy for a strong souldier may be surprized on a suddain as David Ps. 31. 22. and Ps. 116. 11. and Ionah 2. 3 4. do furnish instances who shortly after did gather their courage and entered the lists afresh and became victorious against their tentations unto misbelief Therefore let the wrestler be of good courage for nothing can prove the sincerity of his faith more then his wrestling against distrust and his looking towards Christ through all the clouds which hinder his sight and his sorrowing for his unbelief for his weak holding grip of the covenant of grace and for his inability to glorifie the truth of the Gospel and rich grace of God offered in Christ Especially when he considereth that the Spirit of Christ commendeth the exercise of faith with variety of temptations for a mater of great joy Iam. 1. 2 3. CHAP. XIX Concerning the converts straitning his charity toward others more then he did at the first time of his conversion conceiving his former larger charity was unwarrantable folly ALl converts must agree to Christs saying Ioh. 13. 35. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples if ye have love one to another No man doubteth of this his duty in general but sundry make question about the exercise and expression of their charity for some conceive that their former charity in the mater of judging of others and in the mater of affection to others and in the mater of actual expression of their charity hath been ill bestowed toward unworthy and ill-deserving persons And this they reckon to have been folly and therefore do resolve to dispose of their judgement affection and good deeds more prudently then they have done that their charitable estimation affection and expression actual shall be drawn forth toward the worthy and well-deserving disciples of their acquaintance thus they condemn for folly what was right indeed The main pretenses of reason for their resolution are two The first is because they perceive many whom they judge wise and godly to exclude from the number of believers or disciples of Christ all in whom the evident signs of regeneration do not appear and so do think they may draw the circle of their charity in strait and narrow bounds and may shun to keep Church-fellowship in the pure Ordinances of Christ with any save approven visible Saints The other pretense is because they have found themselves oft-times deceived by those of whom sometime they have entertained good thoughts and no small estimation 1. As for the first pretense it belongs to the question of the constitution of visible Churches whether it be founded upon visible Sanctity or evidences of Regeneration or upon visible entering in the external covenant of Grace and profession of subjection to the
be grosly scandalous for with such we are forbidden to eat 1 Cor. 5. 11. Ans. This place pertains to the exercise of the key of discipline and execution of the censure of excommunication judicially pronounced by the Church as ver 12. following doth declare And this as it doth not cut off natural duties of parents or children or parties married one to another So it can well consist with charity toward the excommunicat who in order to his salvation should be thus dealt with that he may be humbled and brought to repentance And so doth the Apostle give warrand for when he hath given order to excommunicat such as walk disorderly 2 Thess. 3. 14 15. he subjoines for keeping charity to the excommunicat person saying Count him not as an enemy but admonish him as a brother 9. Obj. But I saith he have been mistaken and deceived oft-times when I esteemed charitably of some loved them dearly and bestowed not sparingly on those who proved afterward unworthy of such respect and dealing Ans. Our Lords words may satisfie this objection promising whatsoever is done to a disciple in name of a disciple shall not want a reward Thou therefore needs not count thy self deceived in this respect But if thou by rash intruding thy self to judge better or worse of the mans inward condition hath deceived thy self be more wise in time coming For remedy of this evil 1. let not the convert mistaken in the point of charity be feared to be mistaken and hindered from exercise of his charity because he knoweth not the sincerity of the mans profession There are relations enough between him and the party toward whom charity is to be exercised such as bonds natural civil ecclesiastick and spiritual obliging to the duty 2. Let him be sparing in judging of his neighbour even within himself and far more in expressing his judgment of him to his prejudice 3. Let him rather judge this that he lay no stumbling block before his feet which may hinder him in a good or harden him in an evil course Rom. 14. 13. Let him not be rigid and censorious in aggreging every sinfull infirmity in his neighbour for this is forbidden Iam. 3. 1 2. In a word let a convert beware to alienat any man from making use of his charity whether by injust suspicion of him or inhumane dealing with him or imprudent speeches of him but rather let his whole carriage toward all in every case be such that a patent door may be for mutual giving and getting good one by another CHAP. XX. Concerning the converts mistaking his condition because of felt in-lake in his charity and love to God and men HItherto we have spoken of two sorts of the converts mistaking of their condition and have given some instances of their being well pleased with themselves in an evil condition and some instances of their being displeased with themselves in a good condition It follows that we give some instances of a third sort of mistaking in the converts complaining of his condition as if it were altogether evil when indeed his condition is partly good and partly evil and the first shall be of those who do lament their condition because they cannot be affected with the sense of their sins nor with the sense of Gods benefits and favours bestowed on them as they should cannot be affected with the sense of threatened judgments as is required and cannot be affected with the sense of the miseries and mercies dispensed toward others and cannot come up to the obedience of the Apostles precept to rejoyce with them that rejoyce and to mourn with them that mourn which doth so afflict them as they reckon this their condition altogether evil and are near unto discouragment because of their apprehended hardnesse of heart 2. For remedy of this evil 1. let the convert consider that the hardnesse of heart whereof he complains is not that hardnesse of heart which the Scripture calleth hardnesse of heart For the Scriptures do not charge any man of this sin who lamenteth his sinfulnesse but those who do not acknowledge their sins and go on in them when they hear them reproved mis-regarding what God saith commandeth commendeth or threatneth Mean time we do not deny but those in-lakes whereof the convert doth complain are sinfull defects of duty and inclinations of corrupt nature unto hardnesse of heart But we deny that this defect lamented is charged in Scripture for hardnesse of heart 2. Let the convert consider the difference between the evil whereof he complaineth and the good gift of God pointing out that evil unto him and making him to dis-allow it and lament it and he shall find his condition not altogether evil but such as he hath cause to be humbled in himself for it and also to blesse God for discovering this defect and making him lament it 3. Let him consider that his lamenting his coldrise affection to God and his small compassion toward men is good and commendable for this lamenting the defect beareth witnesse of his will and desire toward the duty and in effect is a part of the exercise of repentance and of begun renovation of his heart 4. Let him consider that there may be made good use of this condition both for the exercise of humility because of felt defects of needfull graces and also for the exercise of faith in Christ by application of his imputed righteousnesse which hideth the nakednesse of felt defects and drawing vertue from Christ to sanctifie and renew the heart more and more 5. And last of all let the convert under the sense of this defect in his affection study to bring forth the effects of those affections that is to say let him go about to do the work of a lover of God in having respect to all his commandments and to do the work of a compassionat affection toward men in misery of soul or body and so what seems to him in-laking in his heart shall be found forth-coming in his hand and actions for the greater glory to God and edification of his neighbour CHAP. XXI Concerning the converts despising of his own exercises of religion because of his felt vanity of mind therein ALI true coâ—verts do agree in this principle that God should be worshiped in spirit and truth and that the more a man strive to be sincere and upright in his worship the lesse can be comport with the sin which doth hinder his worship When therefore a true convert doth perceive in himself so great levity of his thoughts that in the very time of hearing Sermon praying to God or singing of Psalms his mind runneth out to think of naughty and profane things impertinent idle and foolish maters unworthy of his thoughts at any time but most untimous and sinfull in the time of divine service he is so displeased with his condition that he condemns all the service and devotion he is about for the time and cast it away as altogether polluted and
and for ever but for a short time and that he keepeth love to them constantly albeit he do hide the tokens of his love sometime and dispose of the acts of his love as he seeth sit for the advantage of the work of grace in them Let him put difference between desertion and the gift of discerning of the desertion for albeit desertion be of it self a sad visitation yet the sight and observation of it testifieth Gods presence with his child giving eye-salve and light and thereby doth not only teach that wound to be curable but also that the Physician is begun the cure of it by pancing and lancing the wound 3. Let him not count it a desertion when God in any service whereunto he puts his child emptieth him of all conceit of his own ability that he may open his mouth wyd and be filled for this emptying of the convert is the very fitting of him for fresh supply from Christ to go about the service in Christs strength and furniture which the Apostle felt by experience 2 Cor. 12. 10. When I am weak saith he then I am strong Poverty of spirit and hunger and thrist for righteousnesse are not to be counted desertions 4. Let him observe the degrees of Gods presence no lesse then the degrees of his absence as the Psalmist did when he recollected himself Ps. 73. 23. after the tentation which troubled him was overcome Neverthelesse I am continually with thee Thou holdest me by thy right hand and ver 26. my flesh and my heart faileth but God is the strength of my heart and my portion for ever 5. Let him put a right construction upon Gods dispensation believing alwayes that God doth what he doth for good to his afflicted subject whether he draw forth by his desertion the latent-corruption of the heart as he did to Ezekiah 2 Chron. 32. 31. or whether to prevent out-breaking of corruption as he did to the Apostle 2 Cor. 12. 7. 8 9. or whether to exercise his faith love and patience and to sharpen his prayer as he did to the Psalmist frequently And therefore let him in the observation of whatsoever degree of desertion humble himself before God flye in more closely unto Christ and patiently wait upon the change of his conditon in the use of the means and following the duties of his calling as the Lord shall enable him for this is the counsell of the Lord Isa. 50. 10. Who is he among you that feareth the Lord that obeyeth the voice of his servont that walketh in darknesse and hath no light let him trust in the name of the Lord and stay upon his God And this much sufficeth for instances of the third sort of the converts mistaking his condition CHAP. XXVIII Concerning cases wherein the convert is in doubt what to determine about his condition IT resteth that we speak of the fourth sort of cases of the conscience of the convert wherein he is at a stand and in doubt what to determine of his present condition 2. In these doubtfull cases the convert is not properly deceived as in the former ranks of cases it is presupposed of him because in this sort of cases the convert doth not positively determine the question wherein he is fallen but standeth in doubt what to resolve upon 3. Cases of this sort pertain to the mind and judgement of the convert and if his judgment be cleared by loosing of the question incontinent he is satisfied and quiet 4. It is necessar for the converts clearing that he form the question rightly and to this end 1. let him consider his case and condition in himself so accuratly as he can 2. Let him ingenuously lay forth the question or doubt he hath before his Pastor or Christian friend acquainted with cases of conscience and ask their judgement what to think of or what to do in such a case The reason why he must examine narrowly his own condition before he speak of it to another is partly because otherwayes his doubt or question may prove frivolous and unworthy of an answer partly because the convert after examination of his case and prayer unto God may find satisfaction to his doubt and partly because if his doubt remain the question may be the more clearly propounded and so receive the more clear and speedy answer for his satisfaction 5. Of this sort of questions we shall propound some examples and give some resolution unto them whereof use may be made when such like questions shall occur The first question shall be concerning confusion of mind IT cometh to passe sometime when a convert is upon examination of his own estate or condition that such a mist and darknesse falleth on his mind and such a croud and throng of thoughts within him that he can discern nothing but mist multitude of thoughts and darknesse and confusion The question is what shall he think or do for removing of this confusion of thoughts and darknesse of mind Ans. This case befalleth converts frequently and therefore had need to be the more carefully cured Which cure that it may the better go on let the afflicted renew the examination of his former behaviour and see if he can find out the meritorious cause thereof in himself for this case oft-times is the castigation of the afflicted for his former negligence and omission of duties or slight discharge of religious worship yea it may be found possibly that the afflicted hath been so carelesse in keeping his heart in the fear of God that he hath involved himself too far in earthly and thorny affairs or hath exceeded in the use of things lawfull or by some corrupt communication hath grieved the Lords spirit and so hath drawn on some desertion and with-drawing of illumination from him 2. This case may also fall out from some present perturbation of mind and passion whereby his reason is so taken up for the time that it cannot discharge its duty as cometh to passe usually in anger or fear or grief or some such like passion as may be seen when a man is injured by his neighbour or doth meet with some damnage or is put in fear of some imminent evil coming on him or findeth sharp pains of body or some such like cause perplexing him The question is what shall he think of this condition Ans. If the afflicted shall examine how he is fallen in this case and shall in consideration of his weaknesse be humbled before God by prayer he shall not want clearnesse of mind and directions from God what to do and how to behave himself in ordering of his conversation aright Ps. 50. 23. for the Lord gives wisdom liberally to all that ask it of him in faith Iam. 1. 5. and this his present condition giveth him an errand to God The second question is concerning the convert who most part walketh heavily THere are some true converts who after examination of themselves cannot deny but their heart is toward the wayes of God
whether the believer perceive his absolution or not for the time 4. There is a sensible intimation of this sentence unto the believer joyned with peace and joy which the Apostle calleth the shedding abroad of the love of God in the heart Rom. 5. 5. and the sealing of the holy Ghost stamping the heart with holinesse Ephes. 1. 13. The first three makes the absolution of the believer certain whether the believer thinks so or not but the fourth which is the sensible intimation of this sentence doth make the believer both sure and joyfull As justification is taken passively four things may be distinguished in the believer justified The first is his actual receiving of Christ offered in the Gospel for a perfect remedy of sin and misery The second is the Lords judicial setling of the general sentence of absolution upon the believer as if he had spoken to him by name as he did to the Apostles Ioh. 15. 3. Now are ye clean through the word I â—ave spoken unto you that is you are clean from the guilâ— of sin by my absolving of you The third is the believers observing in a reflect act of his conscience that he hath fled to Christ for absolution and therefore justified indeed The fourth is the feeling and observing of the testimony of the holy Ghost bearing witnesse with his spirit that he is a child of God absolved from sin and wrath The first two of these to wit the act of faith receiving of Christ and of the right made by Christ to the believer in him of his absolution may be in and on the believer without the other two to wit his observation of the act of faith and the felt intimation of this worlâ— of grace by the holy Spirit 2. For solving of the doubt then as justification is actively taken as proceeding from the immanent act of Gods eternal purpose and decree to justifie the believer it is no more the actual justification in this life of which we are speaking then the immanent act of Gods eternal purpose to raise the bodies of believers in Christ and to glorifie them in soul and body can be called the actual resurrection of their bodies and glorification of both soul and body in this life But the transient act of justification in a judicial way which is the Lords judicial sentence of absolution of the believer declared by his Word set down now in holy Scripture it is indeed and formally the believers justification and is judicially terminar upon every believer in the act of his conversion whether the believer doth clearly perceive his own conversion or be in suspicion of his being reconciled and justified And this may be made to appear if we compare the condemnation of the unbeliever with the absolution of the believer fled to Christ Ioh. 3. 18. As he that believeth not in Christ is condemned already because the curse of the law and condemnation pronounced in the Scripture by God the soveraign Judge stands against him so long as he doth not believe in the only begotten Son of God And this sentence standeth fast whether the unbeliever take notice of this sentence or not whether he do apply it to himself or not do find grief for it or not So the believer in Christ is relaxed from condemnation and absolved and hath right unto eternal life and begun possession of it albeit for the time of his infancy tentation trembling and fear it be not so albeit he doth not perceive the blessed change of his state nor doth lay to heart as he might the words of Christ judicially pronouncing the sentence comprehending him as certainly as if his name were expressed Ioh. 3. 18. He that believeth on him is not condemned and ver 36. He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life and Ioh. 6. from ver 37. to 41. Hence we conclude that the formal act of justification of a man fled to Christ is to be found in the written sentence of the judge absolving every believer and the man we speak of There is another transient act of God in an actual revelation of justification wherein the holy Ghost openeth the eyes of the believer to behold and perceive the gift of saith already bestowed on him Of this speaks the Apostle 1 Cor. 2. 12. And after that the holy Ghost hath pointed out his own grace bestowed on the believer he followeth his work by giving remarkable peace and joy as earnest of life everlasting whereof the Apostle speaketh Ephes. 1. 13. In whom ye also trusted after ye heard the word of truth the Gospel of your salvation in whom also after ye had believed ye were sealed with the spirit of promise which is the earnest of our inheritance Therefore he that desireth to have the intimation of his justification after flying for refuge unto Christ for relief of felt sin and feared wrath must read his absolution in the Gospel as well as he hath read before that his condemnation in the law Unto which sentence of absolution let him hold fast in his daily endeavour after sanctification The fifth question is how to satisfie the convert who findeth himself pursued for his sins after remission believed and is brought in question what to judge of his case MAny converts have fallen in Iobs case and seemed to themselves to possesse the sins of their youth Iob 13. 26. For after conversion and felt reconciliation they find the sins they did repent of and did believe to be forgiven through Christ objected to them afresh pursued with sharp accusations and signs of wrath joyned therewith Their reconciliation and righteousnesse through Christ they purpose to hold fast their old guiltinesse and sentence of their conscience writing bitter things against them they cannot deny The pinch is here either the remission they did believe is null or the challenge is unjust do they reason with themselves the nullity of their remission they dare not admit and the just ground of challenge they cannot deny and the doubt what to think of this case they cannot shun not seeing how these things can consist and stand together 2. For answer to this doubt these four things must be distinguished and how they may all consist one with another must be timously considered The four things to be distinguished are 1. the reconciliation of a convert with God 2. the remission of the reconciled mans sins freely gifted unto him by God 3. a renewed bitter accusation raised by Sathan against the reâ—iled convert 4. The holy and wise dispensation of God permitting ordering these renewed accusations of his child by Sathan for the tryal and exercise of his faith and growth of his repentance and other good ends Now for the consistence of these four we need not doubt but the accuser of the brethren can cast up to us forgiven sins and bear upon us that they are not forgiven Nâ—ither need we doubt but God in wisdom and love to his children may suffer Sathan to
and faith in him and so saveth the believer 1 Ioh. 1. 9. and 2. 1. 7. As for the last objection taken from the impossibility of knowing taking notice of or confessing every sin wherewith we are daily polluted or from the impossibility of putting repentance and faith in exercise about every particular sin we answer first that the children of God notwithstanding of this impossibility acknowledged by them have sought and obtained renewed remission of their innumerable sins Ps. 40. 12. and Ps. 19. 12 13. 8. Secondly such as are justified by faith upon confession of such sins as they know and do remember are accepted of God as if they had confessed all their sins particularly because he that hath no mind to deny or excuse any sin in himself but is willing to open up his heart to God in sincerity and to canfesse every particular if he were able he hath presented a contrite heart before God which is a sacrifice acceptable to God Ps. 51. 8 9. Ps. 32. 5. and this much also Christ doth teach us speaking of the Publican who made a short and general confession of his sins in sincerity and went home justified Luk. 18. 13 14. Thirdly it is not impossible for a watchfull conscience to observe daily as many particular sproutings from the root of in-born sin as may humble him daily and bear down all confidence in his own righteousnesse and furnish to him mater for exercise of repentance and faith in Christ. And this lesson the Lord did teach his people under the Law by the twice offering sacrifice every day morning and evening that his people observing daily the running issue of corrupt nature might daily have their recourse by faith unto the lamb of God that takes away the sins of his own people and hitherto we are directed to look Is. 45. 22. and 1 Iob. 2. 1. Mean time on the one hand let us beware to lay any sort of merit upon our daily exercise of faith and sorrow for sin in our repentance otherwayes we should be found offerers unto God of satisfaction from us and not suiters of remission of sins from God and on the other hand let us beware to be discouraged albeit we do not find daily the renewed intimation and sense of remission but as we apply the Law to our selves in the exercise of repentance So let us apply the sentence of absolution pronounced in the Gospel in favours of every penitent soul that flyeth to Christ for refuge The tenth question shall be concerning spiritual dispositions of mind and qualifications which may be joyned with or separat from the special work of true conversion and saving grace THe Apostle Heb. 6. 4 5 6 9 10. tells us of sundry qualifications which may be found in unconverted men and also he tells us of better things which do accompany salvation and are sure evidences of regeneration Of the first sort there are among others these five 1. A legal conviction of the vilenesse of sin and vanity of the world 2. A renouncing of unlawfull pleasures joyned with a refraining even from lawfull and allowed wordly delights 3. A natural desire of salvation and of sanctification that they may be saved 4. A purpose to live righteously holily and soberly in this present world 5. An outward change of maners and conversation so far as they may be blamelesse before men These and such like qualifications may make a fair show in the flesh and yet may be found to be not only in true converts but also in such as are strangers from the life of God such was the Apostle Paul before conversion such was Israel Rom. 9. 31. Which followed after the law of righteousnesse and did not attain to the law of righteousnesse Who being ignorant of Gods righteousnesse did and going about to establish their own righteousnesse did not submit themselves to the righteousnesse of God Rom. 10. 3. Of this sort are such of the Papists who go about to be justified by their own works and do but mock at the imputation of Christs righteousnesse calling it blasphemously a putatious or conceited righteousnesse not considering that the Pope and his servants do reckon the imputation of the righteousnesse and merits of men and of the superfluity of the Saints righteousnesse by reason of their works of supererogation to be worth a great sum of money as they find their merchants Concerning these five qualifications some converts especially such as desire to see the evidences of saving grace in those with whom they will joyn in the society of Church-membership may make question what to think whether they be saving graces or common operations of the Spirit 2. For answer we must distinguish between a mans judging of those qualifications in himself and his judging of another in whom these qualifications appear to be for a man judging of himself may attain to a clear and certain discerning of saving grace in himself as the Apostle giveth us to understand 1 Cor. 2 11 12. In which case of our judging of our selves this much may be said that if a man find in himself those qualifications joyned with faith in Christ for righteousnesse and eternal life and is seeking furniture from Christ to bring forth fruits of his faith in new obedience he may be quiet and be out of doubt of saving grace in himself for unto such a person the description of a true convert may safely be applyed Phil. 3. 3. We are the circumcision c. And pre-suppose he hath observed these qualifications in himself before he hath observed his closing with Christ or his application of the offer of reconciliation through him he neither needeth nor should trouble himself or others with questioning whether such and such qualifications in him before his fixing on Christ were the common or special operations of the holy Ghost for seing the kingdom of heaven cometh not with observation alwayes it is hard to determine of the first beginnings of the working of saving grace by the holy Spirit because saving faith hath in it the substance of historical dogmatical and temporary faith And therefore when both saving faith and historical dogmatical and temporary faith may produce belief of the law and convince the man of sin and wrath due for sin and produce the belief of the Gospel also without application of the offer of reconciliation how shall a man determine whether these effects were produced by vertue of dogmatical and temporary faith or by vertue of saving faith untill the time that the humbled sinner flye in unto Christ and seek to draw furniture from him for new obedience of the law of love toward God and man and so put difference betwixt saving faith and that faith which may be in an unregenerat aud unreconciled man But when the man is come up to apply Christ and cleave unto him for righteousnesse and life and furniture to carry him on the way unto salvation it is not his wisdom to dispute whether these
from the body of this death and while he searcheth how it cometh to passe that such a body of death lodgeth in the children of God and so powerfull relicts of sin remain in the justified man he cannot satisfie himself considering that God doth hate sin and maketh the new creature hate it also which God could easily take away in a moment in the day of the converts reconciliation and justification 2. For answer to this question if a reason of Gods permission of the relicts of sin to remain in the Saints all the dayes of their life be asked after a reason superiour to the most holy will of God to permit it can none be given nor should it be sought after But to quiet our minds in this case these following considerations may suffice 1. it is the will of the Lord our God our wise and loving Physician to renew and restore his image in his children piece and piece till it be brought to perfection in all the lineaments parts and degrees thereof and to heal our sinfull sicknesses and infirmities not in an instant but by little and little as he seeth fit this way of bringing his work to perfection by degrees he keeped in the creation of the world which he did not perfect in a moment but in six dayes So also the seed that is casten in the ground every year he doth not bring forth to maturity for mens use in lesse time then some moneths He doth not form infants in the womb and bring them up to their appointed stature and strength in lesse time then a number of years And for the relicts of sin how odious and loathsome soever they are in themselves yet he can in his deep wisdom make use thereof in a most holy way for the good of penitent converts for as it was fitting that a difference should be put between the militant Church on earth and the triumphant in heaven So it is the Lords wise will to exercise his militant children in conflicting against sin and misery in this life that the next life and triumph over sin death and hell may be the sweeter when it cometh and more desired till it come 2. Secondly as the Lord after sub-duing of the Canaanites did not forthwith cast them altogether out of the holy land but suffered a multitude of them to live for the exercise of the Israelites with warfare and for teaching his people by their own experience that the victory which they had obtained over the Canaanites was not purchased by their sword or bow but was given unto them from the Lord of hostes who led forth their armies and prospered them So doth he not abolish the relicts of sin in his Saints in this life after their conversion that they may know that the victory which they have received over the devil the world and the flesh in their conversion is not to be ascribed to the power of their own free-will but unto God only For if the renewed convert cannot over-come the relicts of the broken forces of his spiritual adversaries within him which his renewed will would most earnestly expell how can he give the glory of his victory over the devil and the world in his conversion unto the power of his corrupt and unrenewed free-will 3. Thirdly it is required of all that come unto Christ that they deny themselves take up their crosse daily and follow him and to make them so do strong motives are daily furnished from the feeling of the relicts of sin in our selves for how can a renewed convert look upon his own ignorance errors folly and vanity of his mind perversenesse of his will impotency to good and propension unto all sin and not loath himself and so be forced to flye to Christ the Redeemer for relief 4. The remainder of sin being an adversary to all vertues doth furnish work to all the habits infused by God for the daily exercise thereof according as inborn sin doth put forth it self to the hinderance of faith love hope patience temperance c. but in special it serves to bear down pride and to foster humility for this doth the experience of the Apostle shew 2 Cor. 12. 7. Least I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelation there was given to me a thorn in the flesh 5. Nothing doth more manifest the infirmity of the strongest souldiers of Christ then the power of inborn sin brought forth in the conflict against the new creature No sharper spur to prayer and imploring of Gods help then the felt power of the remainder of sin this also doth the experience of the Apostle teach us 2 Cor. 12. 8. For this thing I besought the Lord thrice that it might depart from me 6. How much the endurance of this conflict with the remainder of sin doth serve to manifest the greatnesse of the Lords power and largenesse of his grace towards his weak souldiers whom he upholdeth and comforteth in this conflict the answer which the Lord giveth to the Apostles prayer maketh manifest 2 Cor. 12. 9. And he said unto me my grace is sufficient for thee for my strength is made perfect in weaknesse 7. We are slow to believe dull to apprehend and learn that which the Word of God tells us of the uglinesse of the body of sin the perverse wickednesse of corrupt nature the filthinesse of the flesh the wiles and deceitfulnesse of the old man and the enmity of our corrupt nature against God Therefore in and by the frequent and renewed conflicts now with one lust then with another we are forced by experience to learn the lesson more and more solidly and believe the truth of the Lords Word speaking of sin that is in us and to ingage our selves to prosecute the mortification of sin unto the death 8. The renewed experience of the power of sin in our flesh should make us so much the more vigilant against it and daily to put on the whole armour of God Because we must fight not only with the flesh but also with principalities powers and spiritual wickednesse which take advantage of the sin that naturally dwelleth in us Ephes. 6. 11. 12. Put on the whole armour of God for we wrestle not with flesh and blood to wit only 9. The conscience of the remainder of sin dwelling in us serveth to move us to pity and to have compassion on the children of Adam and meekly to restore our weak brethren who are overtaken in any offence as the Apostle doth teach us Tit. 3. 2. Shewing all meeknesse to all men For we our selves also were sometime foolish disobedient deceived c. Gal. 6. 1. Brethren if a man be overtaken in a fault ye which are spiritual restore such an one in the spirit of meeknesse considering thy self lest thou also be tempted 10. Last of all the permission of the reliques or sin to remain in true converts all the dayes of their life doth serve to decide the great controversie between
and not from the special operation and impulsion of the holy Spirit 322 18. Wherein is solved the true converts doubt whether he be regenerat because he findeth not self-denyal in the measure which is requisit in converts 326 19. Wherein is solved the doubt of the true convert whether he be indeed converted arising from this that he knoweth no child of God so hardly exercised as he is 329 20. Wherein is solved the converts doubt whether he be converted because he doth not find in himself the infallible marks of regeneration 331 21. Wherein is solved the doubt of the true convert whether he be indeed converted because he cannot confidently apply to himself the promises of the Gospel 335 22. Wherein is solved the doubt of the true convert concerning his conversion arising from the observation in himself of presumption and security in his prosperity and of his misbelief in adversity 341 23. Wherein is solved the doubt of a true converts regeneration arising from some false rule applyed without reason to himself 344 24. Wherein is solved the converts doubt of his own conversion because he hath found the deceitfulnesse of his own heart and dare not trust it any more 347 25. Wherein is solved the doubt of the true converts conversion arising from his breach of the covenant of Grace as he conceiveth 351 26. Wherein is solved the true converts doubt whether he be regenerat because he findeth himself not only far from the measure of holinesse which he observeth to have been in the Saints commended in Scripture but also short of the measure which some of his acquaintance have attained unto 355 27. Wherein is solved the true converts doubt whether he be in the blessed state of grace because he findeth himself frequently in an evil condition 358 28. Wherein is solved the doubt of the true convert concerning his regeneration because he findeth the power of the body of death in the pollution of the imaginations of his heart vigorous and powerfull 362 29. Shewing how to quench the fiery darts of Sathan and resist his sinfull suggestions whether of shorter endurance or of longer continuance 364 30. Wherein are some mixed cases spoken of whereunto the true convert is subject and so may fall to doubt of his conversion or interest in Christ. 369 BOOK III. 1. COncerning some premises 376 2. Wherein is handled the case of such as are fallen from their first love and are well pleased in this case 383 3. Concerning the converts sinfull conniving at and tolerating of the errors and transgressions of others 387 4. Concerning the case of the true convert falling asleep in carnal security under guiltinesse of fleshly pollutions and dreaming himself to be in no ill condition 390 5. Concerning the converts pleasing himself in his luke-warm condition 393 6. Concerning such converts as lean unto the props of carnal confidence and please themselves in this condition 395 7. Concerning the case of the convert in some point of doctrine deluded and pleasing himself in this condition 410 8. Concerning the converts conscience mistaking vice for vertue and pleasing himself in this condition 425 9. Of the case of conscience dealing treacherously under preâ—ense of liberty of conscience 431 10. Of such as do please themselves in a condition not pleasing God because they conceive they can pray well under any condition 439 11. Of the converts esteeming the peace of God to be but a carnal security 442 12. Of the case of a convert taking some acts of justifying faith to be high presumption in his person 445 13. Of the condition of the convert fearing that the joy of the holy Ghost which he hath felt be found only to be either the joy of speculation common to temporal believers or a meer delusion 449 14. Of the converts suspecting that his zeal for God and against the sins of others hath been fleshly severity and imprudent temerity 454 15. Of the converts suspecting his aiming at circumspect walking shall be found in him scrupulosity 456 16. Concerning the converts suspicion that his softness of heart is nothing but a natural disposition to weep upon any occasion 459 17. Concerning the converts suspicion that all his devotion is but lip-labour which is not joyned with a tender and melting heart and with Gods sensible approbation 461 18. Concerning the converts looking upon the fight of his faith as if it were the failing of his faiâ—h 466 19. Concerning the converts straitning his charity toward others more then he did at the first time of his conversion conceiving his former larger charity was unwarrantable folly 469 20. Concerning the converts mistaking his condition because of fâ—lt in-lake in his charity and love to God and men 474 21. Concerning the converts despising of his own exercises of religion because of his felt vanity of mind therein 476 22. Corcerning the converts discouragement for felt want of ability to do the duties commanded whereunto his renewed will is very beut 479 23. Concerning the converts imprudent censure of himself for felt ingratitude 480 24. Concerning the converts imprudent censure of himself for his felt impatiency in bearing lesser troubles after his patient bearing of greater troubles 484 25. Concerning the converts mistaking his case for want of such a submission unto Gods exercising of him as he would have 485 26. Concerning the converts mistaking of his condition because of temptations 487 27. Coucerning the converts mistaking his condition when he doth observe some degrees of Gods deserting him 491 28. Concerning cases wherein the convert is in doubt what to determine about his condition 493 To the Reader BE pleased to take notice that Book 3. Chap. 2. Page 383. these words The first rank shall be of some Cases wherein the Conscience c. should be joyned with the words following and of the same Character with them as being the beginning of the said Chapter and no part of the title thereof Likewise in numbering the Pages thou wilt find after 256. in the next Page 235 for 257. Any other mistakes that occur as in the mis-placing changing defect or superfluity of Letters Figures or Notes of distinction be pleased to pardon seing there will be few or none of any moment FINIS
of the love of God through Christ in all his tentations he cannot stand out in the conflict Therefore that he may guard and strengthen his saith first let him seek wisdom from God to expound the Lords dispensations toward himself by the word and working of God in his children set down in the holy Scripture in exercising of whom by affliction he hath discovered the corruption of their nature the bitter fruits of sin and promoved the work of the mortification of sinfull lusts that are in the world to wit the lust of the eye the lust of the flesh and pride of life and taught them humility meeknesse patience temperance and compassion toward others in affliction Secondly let him set his affections on things spiritual and on our blessed Redeemer Jesus Christ who is at the right hand of the Father making intercession for all them that call upon him that they may be saved alwayes remembering that as the Law is a pedagogue to lead us and draw us unto Christ So affliction is a pedagogue to lead us to the Law and to Christ the end of the Law for righteousnesse and life Thirdly let him learn in examination of his own condition accuratly to distinguish the Lords part exercising him with trouble for tryal and training him on in the obedience of faith as for his own glory so for the good of his afflicted child and Sathans part in cruelty craftinesse and malice tempting and and vexing him and his own part who hath deserved much more affliction then is come upon him which considerations may keep him from fretting and murmuring in his trouble how heavy soever it be Fourthly let him put difference between sinning and suffering of trouble that he may choose to endure affliction rather then by sinning draw on much more trouble 3. But if the afflicted convert seem to himself deserted of God in respect of the speciall operations of the holy Ghost let him be of good courage he is not altogether deserted who can observe the decaying of saving graces from the measure he hath found before he is not altogether deserted who loveth communion with God and longeth after it and can go to God and regrat his desertion as a sad affliction for if our loving Lord Jesus Christ hath withdrawn himself out of the sight of his afflicted child yet hath he persumed his own foot-steps with the unction of his own Spirit that he may quicken and kindle his childs love and desire toward him This regrated desertion is but in part not altogether yea it is not a reall but a seeming desertion The Lord resteth in his love albeit he hide the effects of his love for a time He preserveth the habits of saving grace as his own seed in the afflicted heart albeit he do not alwayes draw them forth unto action if he withdraw the sight of saving graces yet he augments the estimation of them and langour to find the Lord working in him If the afflicted observe well he shall see the hand of the Lord in some part of his works so that in his hardest condition he may say with the Psalmist Ps. 73. Neverthelesse I am continually with thee thou holdest me with thy right hand 4. If it shall please God with immediat afflictions from himself to suffer not only Sathan to fight against the faith and consolation of his child but also to super-add a fiery tryal of his faith by cruell persecution for righteousnesse let him still for all this be of good courage because in all such battel 's the Lord of hostes shall be with him who will not suffer his souldiers to be tempted above their strength but with the tentation will give an issue that they may escape and will furnish strength to them that they shall overcome for he hath laid up a crown of righteousnesse for all them that keep the faith and at last will give it to all that love the coming of our Lord Jesus Wherefore let the afflicted convert humble himself under one or all these exercises and not doubt of his condition seing it is agreeable to the Scripture and lot of the Saints 5. It is true that all affliction to the flesh for the present is a bitter potion but yet reached forth to the patient by the hand of our Physician and heavenly Father It is a fire but will not consume the burning bush it is a furnace but will not destroy any mettal but drosse only it is a labour but shall in due time bring forth the quiet fruits of righteousnesse it is a rough fyle but the more sharp it be it shall so much sooner rub away the rust of the vessel of grace make the soul of the penitent more bright and by the blessing of God render him more humble in his thoughts more fervent in prayer mor constant in the faith more strong to bear whatsoever burthen shall be laid on him more desirous to grow in all vertue more carefull to keep communion with God more innocent in his conversation more clean in his conscience and at last more blessed Let not then the afflicted convert regard the labour he is put to but look to the fruit reckon the worth of healing and not the bitternesse of his potion let him not look to the pain of the affliction but to the fatherly love of God chastiseing him who expressely hath told us that he chasteneth all whom he loveth lest they perish with the world let him not shift the battel but set his eye on the crown and go on in the way of God how many soever his tribulations shall be for as the outward man by trouble doth decay So the inward man is renewed daily for the Apostle who who was most acquaint with such exercise hath for incouragment of all who are under the crosse said Our light affliction which is but for a moment worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory while we look not at the things which are seen but at the things which are not seen for the things which are seen are temporal but the things which are not seen are eternal 2 Cor. 4. 17 18. The seventeenth and last question shall be about the relicts of sin in the Saints in this life THe remainder of sin doth often-times drive true converts to many doubts for when carnal lusts and sinfull passions seem to be subdued and in a good measure mortified incontinent upon the least occasion as dying ashes when sulphureous pouder is cast upon them they kindle and are inflamed and when their spirit is most willing and ready to do good corrupt nature standeth up and maketh opposition so that the coâ—vert cannot do the good he would yea such is the power thereof that oft-times it forceth him to the ill he would not In which warfare being oft overcome he is so weary that he falleth out with the Apostle in his lamentation Rom. 7. 24 crying O miserable man that I am who shall deliver me