the soule yet it layes hold if Christ will not save me saith the poor soule sure I am nothing else can to him I will go and me thinks it goes as the Messengers of Benhadad to Ahab 1 King 20. Behadad there had wrong'd Ahab and through the help of God his Army was routed and Benhadad was glad to hide himselfe in one of Ahabs Townes in an inner Chamber and sends to Ahab his servants v. 31. said to him We have heard that the Kings of the house of Israel are mercifull Kings let us put sackcloth on our loynes and put ropes about our heads and go out to the King of Israel peradventure he will save thy life so they did and said Thy servant Benhadad sayes I pray thee let me live And he said is he yet alive he is my brother the men catcht his words and they said Thy brother Benhadad and he said Go and bring him and accordingly he came and Ahab took him up into his Charriot So it is with the poor soule when the soule hath fought against God by sin the Lord overthrowes it by desertion yet it lives but dare not be seen so openly it is hidden under the dark cloud of desertion it squilks as in an inner chamber it is sensible how it hath deserved death yea ten thousand deaths But the liâ—e of grace being yet in the soule it sayes within it selfe I have heard that the King of Heaven the Lord Iesus Christ is a mercifull Christ come therefore I will send my Messengers of Faith and Prayer they shall put sackcloth-upon their loynes and ropes upon their heads and go out to the Lord Iesus Christ peradventure he will save my soule and I shall live Without question Benhadads servants went with trembling hearts and yet relied upon this as the onely meanes to save Benhadad their Master alive So the soule sends out at such a time a trembling faith and trembling prayers and yet truly relies upon Christs mercy and favour and the soule sayes to God Lord thy backsliding revolting servant sayes Let me live let my backslidings be healed let my renewed sinnes be yet pardoned Christ will say Thou art my brother and take thee into the Charret but yet thy faith trembles and thy prayer trembles And indeed there is very great reason for it if we secondly consider that the very essence of desertions is Gods withdrawing of his manifestative love from the soul that the soul though it be loved with Gods elective love in and under desertions yet it wants the apprehensions and manifestations of his love Now that which onely can keep the soule from its naturall temper of trembling is the apprehended manifestations of Christs love to it which being withdrawn the soule falls a trembling again and yet the life of grace being not extinct it still trusts yea though he kills the soule yet it trusts in him So I have done with the sixth proposition That the soule may depend tremblingly upon the Lord Iesus Christ and yet depend truly I come now to the seventh and last Proposition to shew what weaknesse and doubting may consist with true faith in the soule that I shall doe in a seventh proposition thus Thou mayest truly rely and depend upon the promises of God and upon the Lord Iesus Christ for everlasting salvation and dwell upon them and yet not be able fully and truly to appropriate and peculiarize all the promises to thy selfe and act accordingly to them at all times There are distinctions of promises and distinctions of times from whence will arise distinctions of causes which would be understood To make out this certaine truth 1. You must know that there is a distinction of promises the promises are many wayes distinguished there are generall and particular promises absolute and conditiall promises Promises that concerne some particular people as the people of the Iews and particular persons as to David and Herekiah and other of the people of God which if we should apply we should misapply to our selves I shall not meddle with all the distinctions of these promises but onely with what shall conduce now to my purpose to make out this truth I have laid down in my proposition and so I shall distinguish of two promises two wayes First They are temporall or spirituall Secondly They are absolute or conditionall First there are temporall promises which are or may be called temporall either in respect of the matter of the promise or circumstance of time limited in the promise There are some promises that were made for a certaine time and at the time expired were paid and now the bonds are cancell'd these were particular Such were many promises made to the people of the Iewes and to particular persons amongst them Now these wee must not look to peculiarize and appropriate to our selves they are done with Secondly There are temporall promises so called in respect of the things promised being things temporall for the body or estate for protection of our selves wives estates families Now for these promises thou mayst not peculiarize them and yet have true faith for salvation salvation and heaven being not the thing promised in them and besides there may be cause why thou mayest not have so good ground to rely and confidently rest upon God for the fulfilling of these promises as I shall shew you more when I come to handle the distinction of times and as I shewed you the last time in the case of David 2 Sam. 12. But secondly there is a second distinction of promises I meane of spirituall promises which it is our duty at all times to apply and rest upon yet these are either absolute or conditionall It is a note that I have before somewhere noted that the promises of Gods first mercies in a way of saving grace to the soule are ordinarily absolute I will give and I will give without any praevious conditions to be found in the soule as his promises of inlightning grace Jer. 24. v. 7. I will give them an heart to know me that I am the Lord and they shall be people and I will be their God And for the grace of humiliation Ezek. 36. 26. A new heart also will I give you and a new spirit will I put upon you and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh and will give you an heart of flesh and so for his grace by which he convinceth Ioh. 16. 8. The spirit should convince the world of sinne of righteousnesse and of judgement Now these promises are altogether absolute being the free promises for dispensations of the first graces in order to a poor soules salvation Now there are other promises of God for spirituall mercies in order to the soules salvations which are second dispensations and these are propounded with conditions as the promises of heaven for power to rely on Jesus Christ peace assurance c. Isa 55. 1. Mat. 11. 29. and again to him that overcometh will I give to drink
ch 19. 6. 7. The journey was great which he had to go the frequent Stories of the Martyrs make this good when the Lord cald them to their great service at the stake he prepared them for their double work with double comforts ravishing their soules with glory and so often that God makes many of his deare Saints live upon short commons all their life time when he brings them to the hard work of dying he gives them a glimpse of glory This is a note of a pretious Divine Rutherford Tryal of faith who gives experiences of it and it is especially when they die strong torturing deaths for alwayes it is not seen it may be they have had all comforts before and may die in conflicts God will try how they can walk in the strength of what they have had or if they have had no bread till then God will hardly call them to die without giving them a crust yet as he sweetly sayeth God walks in liberty here and will not have us to limit the breathings of the holy Ghost to jump with the hour of our dying for we may make an idol of a begun heaven as if it were more excellent then Christ By this you see in stead of much might bee said that assurances may bee weaker and stronger yet true and this will be further made good by my last Conclusion which I will but touch And that is this Concl. 3. Thou mayest have had and againe have a true assurance and full perswasion and for the present have none at all I have spoken so much to this before that I shall need adde very little It is necessary to constitute the true direct act of Faith that it be a continued act and that soule never did truly rely at all that ever since it began to rely ceased to rely but for a reflex act it may be wanting even in the soule that hath had it and may have it againe if God will please to turne his face towards it nay I will question whither ever that Christian had true assurance or no that hath had it as he pretends without any intermission for so long as there remaines a Devill to tempt or a flesh to allure to sin there will be sometimes wants of full assurance yea if there were none of them both I would make it a great question whither the wise God would ever keep such a despensation of his love in a full Sun-shine to any soule though loved never so dearely I am afraid though we have much talk of Faith of assurance now adayes in the world if the Lord should come to sift the hearts of his poor creatures he would scarce finde the mustard-seed Faith of adherence 1. Overpowring temptations 2. Overgrowing corruptions 3. Naturall distempers of Melancholy 4. Divine desertions shall hinder assurance and make the act to cease and judge you then what soule it is probable shall have it an incessant constant act But I have done with this last thing and now I have shewed you what doubts and weaknesses may consist with every act of Faith in a truly gracious soule Now I should shew you from what principle these doubts arise and how they differ from the doubts of unbelieving desparing wretches The Thirtheenth SERMON LUKE 17. v. 5. Lord increase our faith CHAP. XIII How to comfort that soule that thinks it hath not true Faith because it doth not feele God strengthning it to those acts of Grace which it ought to act I Will take leave here apprehending it a seasonable place to bring it in to speak something to one scruple of conscience which doth often perplex many a good Christian and that is want of feeling of Gods love c. Ah! saith many a poore soule did I but indeed know that God and Christ were my Redeemer and portion then I think I should not need be muâ—h intreated to cast away this sadnesse and dejection of spirit but I cannot feele any such thing And this makes a Christian think that it neither doth nor may believe Now there is a double feeling for the want of which many good soules often complaine and upon the want of which they raise to themselves conclusions against believing For want of a distinction I will presume for once to coyne one There is a feeling of peace and a feeling of strength 1. The feeling of peace is when a poor Christian apprehends God appeased to its soule and feels him saying I am thy God the God of thy salvation this is that perswasion which is that highest reflex act of Faith of which I spake the last time and shewed you what degrees and abatements it might meet with in a true Believer Now this a true Christian may want though he doth feel Gods spirit carrying him on to acts of mortification and vivification c. Of this I shall not speak having spoken the last time how farre it may be wanted weakened or abated or discontinued even in Gods true and dear children 2. But there is another feeling which for distinction sake I call a feeling of strength when a Christian though he doth not feele Gods peace sealed up and assured unto his soule yet he cannot deny but hee feels his soul carryed out by God unto duties to love him to desire him to delight in him c. Now this latter feeling ought to satisfie the soul when though God doth not please as yet to apply the promise to his soule yet he feels God enabling him to apply himselfe to the promise when he feels God changing and renewing his heart and affections c. But here is that which many poore Christians want and complaine for the want of they will confesse that could they but feel God strengthening them against their corruptions and carrying out their hearts in acts of love and desire towards him c they would quiet themselves and bee very thankfull to him if he would but give them so much of the morsels of Free-grace as would keep spirituall life in them and keep their hearts from dying for want of mouth-fuls although God would not yet please to let them sit down at the banquetting table of assurance and eat of the sweet meats of that peace which passeth all understanding If God would please to give them but such sips of his flaggons as might stay them though they wanted such dishes of apples as to comfort them it would suffice but alas this they want and how can they believe c. Now all that I shall speak to a Christian in this perplexity I will reduce to these two heads 1. Something by way of Consolation And 2. Something by way of direction First By way of Consolation I should propound these few things as considerations which may tend through the blessing of God to the comforting of such souls in such streights Consid 1. That not feeling doth not argue a not being A thing may be though it be not felt it is no Logick to
Lord increase our Faith I Am discovering to you upon what grounds many Christians think they have no warrant to beleeve and rest upon Jesus Christ and labouring to satisfie such poor Christians in such cases and under such perplexities of spirit I have shewed you already two usuall causes First A too irregular eying of preparatory qualifications thinking that they are not humbled enough Or secondly A too unwarrantable prying into Gods secrets conceiving they are not elected and upon this score utterly refusing to obey that great Gospel command Beleeve to both these I have spoke something already to the latter the last day I am intended by the blessing of God and as he shall inable me to speak something this day to a third cause commonly alledged by Christians why they conceive they ought not to beleeve viz. Because of their own unworthinesse in respect of the greatnesse and multitude of their sins that have stained and possibly do yet pollute their soul Alas saith a poor soul would you have me lay hold on Iesus Christ what with my filthy hands what can such a rotten sinner that hath been so auncient in sin can I think you have warrant wheâ— I have given the Devill my youth to beleeve Iesus Christ will take the fag end of my life No no call to the young person to beleeve that is not yet withered and rotten with sin call to those that have lived honestly and civilly not to such profane wretches as I have been Now to answer this cavill Let me bend my discourse at this time and propound certain considerations which duly weighed may comfort a soul under this trouble and put it upon its work and duty of beleeving and convince it that it is its duty Cap. 4. How to satisfie a poor soul doubting whether it may beleeve or no because of its many and great sins past or its continuing corruptions and so deemeth it self unworthy FIrst of all consider Gods grace is enough for thee This scruple of thy spirit ariseth from scant streightned thoughts of rich incomprehensible grace Be convinced therefore that there is a fulnesse enough in the ocean of infinite grace to swallow up thy soul however loaded with a burthen of sin observe but how the Scripture setteth out infinite love take one place for all Eph. 3. 17 18 19. That Christ may dwell in your hearts by Faith that you being rooted and grounded in love may be able to comprehend with all Saints what is the bredth and length and depth and heigth and to know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge that you might be filled with the fulnesse of God Mark how the Apostle expresseth free grace by all dimensions are thy sins in the heighth there is an heighth of love are they in the depth there is a depth of love are they long broad are they all yet there is mercy enough in this Christ for such is his love that it passeth knowledge are they a mountain why who art thou O great mountain before Zerubbabell thou shalt be made a plain do thy sins cry up to heaven his mercies are above the heavens are thy sins more in number then the haires of thy head his mercies are more in number then the sand which lieth on the sea shore Now this is easie to be conceived if we do but conceive and know that the mercies of God are infinite God is an infinite God and every mercy of his is as inconceivable as himself is His love passeth all understanding saith the Apostle have no low thoughts Christian of the heighth of free grace which reacheth up to the heavens yea and above the heavens Is the filthy garments of thy wickednesse of a larger extent thinkest thou then the long white robe of his righteousnesse Who was made for thee righteousnesse wisdom sanctification and redemption Is the fountain set open for Iudah and Ierusalem for sin and for uncleannes so shallow that thou canst not bath in it Mistake not Christian it is a bath of capacity to hold all filthy souls be their uncleannesse what it will if they will but come and wash and be clean those that have the rottenest wounds the filâ—hiest sores the most unsound â—arkasses may fetch balm from Gilead enough to heal their wounds When Christ was upon the earth the Evangelist tells us Matth. 4. 24. They brought unto him all sick people that were sick of divers diseases and torments and those which were possessed with devils and he healed them When vertue went out from Christ to heal the poor woman 〈◊〉 â—ouched the hemme of his garment it went 〈◊〉 â—im as light goeth out of the sun that there is 〈◊〉 for what goeth out Christ never had any vertue went out of him so as by such emission he lost any How many Saints think you since old Abrahâ—m who was the father of the faithfull to this day have touched the hemme of his garment vertue went out and healed every one and yet his garments are all oily with mercy and grace still How many drops of blood have thirsty Saints had from Davids time to this hour and yet the fountain of cleansing blood hath not a drop lesse in it Grace in Christ is like the heat of the fire or light of the sun take how much you will of either you shall not rob either narrow not the breadth of incomprehensible love when thou hast measured for beleevers ten thousand yards there shall not be a nail lesse on the piece of free-grace The sea though a thing infinite will hardly be measured out by quills much lesse shall the unfadomable ocean of infinite love be measured by drops for the washing poor souls from the stains and filth of their sins The boy could tell the father he would have done emptying the sea into an hole with a spoon before he should have opened the Doctrine of the Trinity And sooner shalt thou get all the light out of the body of the sun and hear out of the fire then put Jesus Christ to pant for his breath of free-grace Oh that sinners had but as willing leggs as he hath capacious arms we see hands are washed every day and have been these thousands of years now how long can we think it would yet be should we get the dirtiest hands we could make before all the seas rivers fountains and streams in the world would be exhausted yea though they should wash seven times a day infinitely sooner Christian then the fountain of free-grace shall be exhausted with all the buckets that come to draw the water of life from it Seest thou a steeple as Pauls in London or the like of a very great heighth seest thou the highest mountain that seems to have married the clouds and sit in their lap Suppose now that mountain or steeple in the deepest place of the ocean how much wouldst thou see on it nay were another on the top of that there would not be a spier of grasse nor a
fathers bosome and endear them to my fathers heart Read his Sermons observe his pains thou wilt finde a willing Saviour not excepting Publicans and Harlots from the Kingdom of God 10. Wouldst thou have more tokens of his will yet Mat. 21. 31. See him dying hanging upon the crosse dropping out his last blood breathing out his last breath stretching out his dying arms to encircle sinners should run into him breathing out the breath of free-grace i◠his very last act upon a theefe that had not an hour to live Who shall dispair who shall say Christ is not willing to save him and not blaspheme eternall love speak truth corrupt heart say thou art not willing to be saved 11. Is not this yet enough Observe him setting Ministers in his Church left thou shouldst not reade and none should tell thee the truth of his eternall love to speak out his good will in thine ears All our errand is nothing but this sinners Christ is willing to save you And as Embassadours for Christ as though God did beseech you by us we pray you in Christs stead be ye reconciled to God 2 Cor. 5. 20. 2 Cor. 5. 20. Why canst thou not beleeve his will Consider in thy Saviours will there is not onely a latitude for but an eagernesse of thy eternall salvation Why therefore doest thou say my sins are so great that God will not pardon me Beleeve O blaspheme not the God of infinite good-will But thirdly Consider That Gods eye of free-grace hath looked fauourably upon and Christs blood hath washed as filthy and polluted creatures as thou art or canst be Christ hath planted in the wildernesse The shittah tree Esa 41. 19. the mirtle and the oil-tree and hath set in the desert the fir-tree and the box and the pine tree He hath made as bad crab-stocks Esa 51. 13. as thy soul is bring forth pleasant and delitious fruits It is a note of Master Rutherfords That the dew of grace hath ordinarily faln upon the most gracelesse souls Possibly thou mayest see and finde presidents of actuall sinners born as black as the Ethiopian and that have made it their work to colly themselves with the soot of sins as much as thou hast and that have dried in sin with as long customary continuance as thou hast done yet Christ took them and washed them milk-white hast thou been an idolater a persecutor so was Manasses hast thou been unclean so was David hast thou crucified Christ so had they that were converted at Peters Sermon Act. 2. hast thou denied Christ so did Peter himself hast thou been a blasphemer so was Paul yea the chiefest of sinners yet received to mercy hast thou had seven devils so had Mary Magdalen yet purged and dispossest hast thou put off all to the last cast so did the theefe upon the crosse Lo here souls all mire and dirt that nothing could be discerned in them but filth and putrefaction their faces were so mired with sin that nothing of goodnesse could be discovered yet these are now in heaven all purified Saints in whom there is no blemish no spot all crowned spotlesse heirs of glory without the least speck of the ink of sin upon them Hast thou sinned beyond these thinkest thou it is hardly credible but suppose that free-grace hath not so far as thou canst finde any where set a stamp of love upon a soul so actually wicked as thou art before God Yet secondly There is never a Saint this day in glory that was not as seminally and habitually wicked as thou art or canst be And free-grace looked upon him in restraining the corruptions of his heart and preventing him otherwise he had run with thee to the same excesse of riot and wickednesse David was as filthy a wretch when he wallowed and tumbled in his naturall blood as thou art or canst be But to passe on to a fourth consideration which will hang upon a chain with this Fourthly If thou couldst suppose that infinite free-grace never yet did so great a work as to wash and save such a sinfull soul as thine is yet this could not in reason be a just hinderance to thy Faith because the depth of infinite love and free-grace was never yet sounded Though thou couldst truely say God never manifested his power and good will in pardoning such a creature of hell as I am yet what would follow Therefore God cannot pardon me or therefore God will nor pardon me Did ever God do his utmost Christian thousands of thirsty filthy creatures since the world began have been bringing their buckets and diving into the infinite depth of eternall love but did ever any Ethiopian soul dive so low as to bring up a stone from the bottome was ever any sinfull soul that was brought to the streams of free mercy such a capacious bucket that it could not be filled without grating upon the bottome of unfadomable love nay did ever any carry away so much for their own wants that they left the living fountain at a low water Paul brought as large a bucket as any and had as much need of a great measure of free-grace Well he plungeth himself in but doth he dive to the bottome or doth he not almost drowned in that depth of eternall sweetnesse turn head and come up again with his belly and throat and mouth full of living waters from the springs of eternall love Rom. 11. 33. And cries out 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 O the depth of the riches c. mark how he puts all the children of love upon diving into the depth but puts them out of hope of finding the bottome or top of that height and depth and length and breadth of love Eph. 3. 17 18 19 Eph. 3. 17 18 19. which passeth knowledge It is not so much to thee whom God hath pardoned as whom God will pardon is not the fountain of his love dry are the springs yet running nay can he pardon beyond the measure of his former mercies then how can thy sins be too great to be pardoned were there never such sinners pardoned Esa 43. 18 19. Behold saith God I will do a new thing in the earth I will make a way in the wildernesse and rivers in the desert therefore remember not the former things consider not the things of old not to stint the Lord by them What do you tell me saith God what I have done I can do more then ever I yet did I am not tied to presidents I can make them Fifthly There is as much reason on thy part for Iesus Christ to receive thee though thou beest as thou sayest the worst of sinners as ever there was in Noah Daniel or Job for him to receive them This is Master Rutherfords note Rut. triall of Faith p. 20. What internall cause was there thinkest thou in any spotlesse Saints of glory why Jesus Christ gave them Faith here and hath now crowned them with a crown
as every thing that hangeth upon a pin or a peg is as sure as the pin or peg on which it hangeth So that soule that hangs upon the mercy and Free-grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the rocky promises of salvation is as sure as the promise c. And thus I think I have sufficiently cleared the first thing that a Christian may have a true saving Faith yea and such a one as shall be strong and certain both in respect of the object and event that yet hath not this sublime act of Faith which is assurance I hasten to a second conclusion and all the rest of my Propositions with respect to a full perswasion that our sins already are actually and formally pardoned 2. Conclus Thy Assurance and perswasion that thy sins are pardoned may be a true perswasion and assurance though but weak or to speak more properly you may have this reflex act of faith and be perswaded that your sins are pardoned and this perswasion may be a true reflex act of faith and yet not constant in degrees Sometimes it may be weaker sometimes stronger I call the weakest perswasion wrought in the soul that its sins are pardoned a reflex act of faith for I doe not think that it is a piece of Faith necessary to the justification of a soule that it should believe that its sinnes are really and actually pardoned though it be a beame of grace that the soule should love and look after more then the world and it is and ought to bee more pretious to a believing soule then all the rocks of gold or mountaines of silver or beds of spices or ten thousand rivers of oyle yet I say I doe not take it to be an act of justifying Faith but of the justifyed soule Now this may be true in the soule though it be sometimes weaker and sometimes stronger That soule that all times is perswaded that its sins are pardoned and actually remitted is not alwayes a like perswaded of it It is a beame of Gods manifestative love which admirs of degrees Now as upon the earth in the day time there is alwayes some light though through some interpositions of clouds the light is not alwayes alike so in Christians that the Lord hath brought to this degree that they doe really believe that their sinnes are pardoned though through the sun-shines of Gods manifestative love upon their soules they for the most part think so yet they are not alwayes alike perswaded of it I doe verily believe that David generally was in this temper and who so peruses his pretious book of Psalmes will finde that he takes the pardon of sinnes for granted yet who so againe peruses the severall Psalms will easily perceive that Davids perswasion was not alwayes alike as any one may see by comparing Psal 6. and Psal 41. vers 11. you shall finde him in some Psalmes altogether singing and praysing and triumphing not a mention of a teare but in others declaring perswasion yet wants expressing confidence yet teares as in that sixth Psalme vers 1. 2 3 4. compared with vers 9. Sometimes the heavens are so cleare to gracious soules that the shinings of grace dazzle their soules so much that nothing will satisfie them but heaven Now Lord let thy servant depart in peace O that now I might dye and be incorporated into glory they are so wrapt into the third heavens that they cannot speak their joy another while it is lower water with their soules the Moones influence is not as it was David I am confident would have beene glad of an errand to have sent him out of the world to heaven Psal 34. But the good man again in the 39 Psalm prayes as heartily for his life as any poore wretch could have done that lay under an apprehension of a past sentence in hell against him 1 Pet. 1. 8. we read of a rejoycing with which believers should rejoyce even with joy unspeakable but there was not such a constant overflowing and full tide of joy alwayes sure It is a sure note that manifestative love hath its degrees and it is from a strong influence of Gods manifestative love to the soule that the soule hath such a perswasion now had I leasure I might at large here tell you at what times commonly the spring-tide of assurance flowes highest and on the contrary what may make the apprehension weaker and at what times it is ordinarily most weak 1. Commonly just upon Gods return after a long desertion and sad expectation the souls assurance is very great and its perswasion very high God turns mid-night into mid-day The soule then brings the Lord Jesus Christ into her mothers house into the chambes of her that conceived her commonly when the husband comes home after a long absence and long expectation more then ordinary tokens of love and passages of love are discerned betwixt him and the wife of his bosome Christ comes in then to make amends for his frowns and lowrings with the sweetest kisses and imbraces Mid-winter is turned into a Mid-sommer this you shall finde constantly in Davids Psalmes and so on the contrary when the soule is under desertions if there bee left yet a perswasion that though God doth hide his face yet hee doth not hide his heart yet it is but a weak and just living perswasion 2. And commonly at greatest distresse God comes in with strongest perswasions and fullest assurance as when the Christian is cal'd to Martyrdom or cal'd to dye or cal'd to do any great services that it distrusts its own strength and is ready to feare of faint that nothing but the most reviving quick and hot cordiall water can keep the soule cleane and able to undergoe that great and extraordinary service that God cals for at his hands ordinarily now at such times the Lord is pleased to come in with a fulnesse into the soul It was but yesterday you heard by my Reverend Brother that ordinarily God comes in with sighes which are evidences to sence when the soule is in greatest streights and we shall finde that Gods promise made to Abraham was often renewed to him and to Isaac and to Iacob but the diligent Reader shall observe that God pickt out that time or those times when he called his Saints to some hard work in doing of which their hearts might sink concerning the Lords promise The originall promise was in Gen. 12. 7. it was renewed to him chap. 13. v. 15. when he was to goe out of the land he scarce knew whither and leave it to others to possesse and to Isaac when he went to Gerar Gen. 26. 4. and to Iacob going down to Egypt Gen. 46. 4. At such times the children of God are to doe double work and had need of double strength and so a double subsistence when Eliah was to go in the strength of his meat forty dayes he had need eat a good meale the Angel therefore twice admonished him to arise and eat 1 Kings
Christ pronounceth such blest as hunger and thirst after righteousnesse we say in that sense a sincere desire to pray and believe Ruth p. 14â— is materially and by concomitancy a neighbour and neere a kin to beleeving and praying A verball or seminaâ—â— intention to pray beleeve love Christ do his will is in the seed of praying beleeving c. when the intention is supernaturall and of the same kind with the act as the seed is the tree we say not so of naturall intentions or desires As Abrahams sincere intentions to offer up his sonne was the offring of his son c. But I go to a third consideration Thirdly therefore consider that feeling at the best is but a deceivable and disputable evidence ofttimes conclusions grounded upon sense are false and sink in time If thou judgest thy condition by feeling thou mayest ofttimes think God doth nothing for thee though he be at that instant fully enlivening thee c. and againe think that God is at peace with thee and that hee carrieth thee out to duties c. when there is no such matter and it is nothing but the strength of natuarall parts that carrieth thee out c. Saul thought he had a great deal of feeling 1 Sam. 15. 13. when he came to meet Gods messenger he cryes out Blessed be thou of the Lord I have kept the Commandments of the Lord But yet the following part of that story will tell you that Saul was far enough off from any true feeling of peace and comfort So without question those in Mat. 7. 22. judged themselves to have a great deale of feeling of Gods strength when they had prophesied in Gods name and in his name cast out Devils and in his name done many wonderfull workes yet Christ professeth he would say to many such I never knew you depart from me yee workers of iniquity thou cryest thou dost not feele God carrying thee out in duties as many other Christians are and that which thou callest Gods spirit in them or in thy selfe may be no such matter it is not the courting of God with elegant eâ—â—â—essions that argues the strength of God assisting there is many a stammering non-sence prayer that hath more of the sweet spirit of God in it there may be a full heart though it runs not out of the lips so fast yea oftentimes the fulnesse of the heart causeth the straitnesse of the lips just as the fulnesse of the vessell may occasion the water to run slowly out of the hole for want of vent or wind The Apostle sayes that the Spirit of God helpeth our infirmities with cryes and groanes which cannot be uttered it doth not say it helpeth our infirmities with courtly expressions that cannot be paâ—alleled thou mayest when thou thinkest that God carrryes thee out with more strength and enlargement to duties call and misconstrue that to be the strength and assistance of the spirit of God which is occasioned meerly from thy owne clearenesse of naturall spirit when thou art in a little better vein of Rhetorick then thou wert Mistake not there is a distinction betwixt Praying gifts and Praying graces I observe it is said Iacob wrestled with God by vertue of strength from him subintellige This is the strength of the spirit the spirits worke is not to carry out our tongue in expressions but our heart in zeale and importunity It is not said that Iacob scraped leggs with God no he wrestled wee are but ill ludges of feeling commonly which makes feeling but a deceivable and disputable evidence Fourthly consider that No Christian feeleth alwayes alike yea perhaps hath no cause to feele alwayes aliâ—e God to the best of his dearest servants doth sometimes measure but an Ephah and sometimes but an Omer distinguish alwayes betwixt the truth of Gods love to his deare children and the actings I meane the visible actings of his love that of God which is not seene is alwayes full and certain to Christians I meane his elective love the yernings of his heart towards his deare children there is of God also that may be seen Psal 68. 24. They have seen thy goings O God even the goings of my God in the Sanctuary Gods goings in a poor soule are sometimes very visible to a gracious soule but sometimes his goings are more secret and invisible yet he is alwaies going in acts of love and grace to his poore fervants only his goings are more mysterious and dark God sometimes goes a meere foot pace just sets one foot before another in them and towards them sometimes hee goes faster and more strongly in them and apparently towards them First Gods soft going in the soule may sometimes bee a cause why the soule cannot feel Peter had no reason to feel the strength of God alike when he shamefully denied his Master in the high Priests Hall as when hee durst venture to walke on the Sea towards him Secondly God withdrawes some degrees of his strength sometimes to try whether a Christian can stand upon the true legs of Faith as well as upon the wooden legs of sense the mother withdrawes her hand sometimes to see how the child can goe without trusting to the feeling of her hand guiding and supporting it Thirdly another cause may be in the Christian why he cannot feele God carrying him out to acts of his grace in his strength alwayes alike The soule may possibly have lost its feeling the benummed member doth not feele In sicknesses and deseases of the body Nature may sometimes bee so much infeebled that sometimes the party affected falls into a dead swound wherein he is deiprved for a time not only of the use of his understanding reason and memory but also of his sense motion and vitall functions So it may be with a Christian sin or the violence of some temptations of Sathan may bee such that the Christian cannot feele any thing the soule cast into a swound and deprived of all the spirituall faculties of it faith love life c. no wonder the soule for the present doth not feele the leg of the soule is asleep the whole soule is benummed how should it feel but let it alone a little as such body if not quite dead will quickly returne to its sense again and live and feele and move c. so likewise will the gracious soule quickly come to recover its life and sense and motion againe though the soule seemes to the judgement of sense to have no sap or principle of life in it yet consider it is winter-time with the soule stay but till the spring and summer while the frost hath done nipping and discolouring and the soule will have its sap visible and recover iâ—s beauty againe there is fire in the soule though it be caked up in the night wait but till the morning that the ashes be blown away you shall see the fire of Gods spirit is not extinguished in the soule I sleepe saith the Spouse but my heart waketh
querie as Where is thy God become Let your Honour lift up your head The day of your redemption draweth nigh The Lord Jesus is pulling out his handkerchief laced with love to wipe all tears from your eyes and hastning to bow the heavens and come down to Gather his Saints together even those that have made a covenant with him vvith their lips and translate them from this valley of tears to that place where they shall hunger and thirst no more but be satisfied with his likenesse who is the brightnesse of his Fathers glory I humbly beg your Honours pardon for my presumption Your Honours former honouring me with the acceptation of some former labours hath emboldned me and I know your Ladiships spirit is so low that it can rejoyce in stooping to take a message from the Prince of glory though from the mouth of his meanest Embassador In which confidence I humbly offer these worthlesse indeavours to your Ladiships hands and with my humble supplications at the throne of Grace for your Honours progresse in Grace here and happinesse in Glory here after I rest Your Honors most devoted servant in the work of the Lord Iesus JOH COLLINGS From my study in Chappel-field-house in Norwich Aug. 17. 1648. To the Christian Reader especiallie such an one as walks with a troubled Spirit FOr thy sake Dear Heart were these Sermons composed preacht and now made publike The world this day abounds with treatises and excels former times in the Spirituality of the penmen who have written powerfull and practically Some there are that have made it their work to Plant These have led souls up the stairs to Iesus Christ shewing them the way to the land of Glory such have been our Shepheard and Hooker with divers others Others God hath set to build and as he used the other chiefly as his porters so he seemeth to have used these as the Grooms of his chamber appointed them to set out the excellency of the Lord Iesus Christ to them that are sick of love These have led souls from chamber to chamber shewing them all the chambers of free grace and making it their chiefest work to set out the Bridegroom in his glory and exalt the Riches of free mercy The work of the first was to dresse the Bride The second discover the Bridegroom in his wedding Robes A third sort have had their work allotted them to shew Christians how to keep house with Iesus Christ These have directed Christians how to walk closely with Iesus Christ of that number have been our Bolton and Burroâ—ghs and Sibbs and Downham A fourth sort have been Gods weeders making it their work to deliver poor souls from the snares of the Devil and the truth of God from those errours which this age hath brought forth And no wonder if in greater plenty then former times in regard we have had a summer so wet with showers of grace in the dispensations of Gospel-mysteries excelling the drinesse of former times A fifth sort there have been though a scanter number that have attended upon Christs hospitall indeavouring to heal the wounds of bruised spirits In this way have our Downham and Bolton and Sedgwicks and Sibbs laboured in part I have laboured to rank my self in the latter number offering to thee some Receits for the staying of thy soul if sick of love If there be any thing in this Treatise spoken to thy souls particular wants Let God have the glory and the Author thy prayers Sure I am to some of those in whose ears they were delivered they were As apples of Gold in Pictures of silver Think not there is any vertue in these lines they are but as Elishaes staff to the face of the dead childe Possibly thou mayest from hence discover how irrationall the temptations of Sathan are if once duly weighed Use these poor meditations with faith and prayer and possibly Christ may honour them so far as to make them instrumentall for the clearing the way of thy faith and establishing thy souls peace Truly Reader it was not my own but others opinion of them which hath made them publike If by removing a block out of thy way they but quicken thy pace to Iesus Christ if by removing or preventing thy doubts they adde but a dram to thy faith it shall be mâ—â—crown if they but discover to thee the evenues of Gods wayes which the Devil and thy and my base heart would make rugged I have my end who desire nothing from them but a giving glory to God in helping on the peace of thy soul My intention is to make a further progresse I have sent this but to usher the way and to see if this age can like any treatise that quarrels not in cholerick disputes nor smells of novelties It is a sad Age Christian in which we live while most of our time is spent in Tithing mint and Annis we neglect the weightier things of God law Disputing opinions hath eaten up the Religion of Christians we are all too apt to spend more time in examining our Brethrens Tenets then in searching our own hearts How much of our times How many of our Books are spent in quarrelling for the Ius Divinum of a Church-government which is but as the mint and Annis to the weightier things of Gods Law Yet am I not of so loose principles as to think The Government of the Church a meer circumstance nor can I think that form of Government worth taking up in a street that for the essentials is not to be found in the word of God Iuxta secundum are terms I understand not Every Truth of Christ hath the brightnesse of a star in its forehead but of these stars some differ from others in glory Reader thou shalt see here a great deal of the poor creatures weaknesse but his strength must be perfected in weaknesse whose work it is to stay up the hearts of them that relye upon him Search the Scriptures see if these things be true which thou here meetest with if they be receive them for truths sake and use them as an handkerchief to wipe the tears from thine eyes I have endeavoured neither to darken them with misty expressions nor yet to paint them with beauteous vermilion-language I had rather they should take thine heart then thine ear and be rather an object of thy meditation then admiration I remember that true speech of Hierom in his Epist ad Nepotianum instructing him how to preach Docente te in Ecclesiâ non clamâ—r populi sed gemitus suscitetur lachrimae auditorum laudes tuae sint Sermo Presbyteri scripturarum sale conditus sit Nolo te declamatorem rabulam garrulumque sine ratione seâ— mysteriorum peritum Sacramentorum Dei tui eruditissimum Verba volvere celeritate dicendi apud imperitum vulgus admirationem sui facere indoctorum hominum est Nihil tam facile quam vilem plebeculam indoctam concione linguaeque volubilitate
in times of apparant danger to rely Ib. Because dangers are obvious to sense The object of faith is out of sight p. 168 Promises where the flesh is concerned where sense failes are harder to be relied on then promises meerly relating to the soule p. 167 168 2. The soule may have more cause to feare Gods fulfilling of promises for this life then it hath or can have to feare the fulfilling of promises for eternall life p. 169 The reason of it p. 169 170 SERM. X. 6. COnsid A Christian may hang tremblingly on the promises and yet truly p. 171 Severall causes of a believers trembling sometimes p. 173 174 c. 1. Cause The deep apprehension of their misery proceeding p. 173 2. Cause The holds that have already deceived the soule p. 174 3. Cause The distance of the promise to sense and the generality of them p. 175 176 4. Cause Desertions p. 177 Whence ariseth trembling in desertion viz. from the sense of sin occasioning this desertion Ib. 2. Cause Why the Believer trembles in desertion is because the very essence of desertions is the withdrawing of the shinings of Gods love which onely can keep the soule from trembling p. 177 178 179 7. Consid Thou mayest truly rely upon Christ and the promises and yet not be able at all times fully and truly to appropriate and peculiarise them to thy selfe p. 180 Severall distinctions of promises and times to be observed for the clearing up the consideration p. 181 182 183 184 2. Distinctions of promises instanced in Temporall Spirituall Absolute Conditionall p. 180 181 1. Temporall promises made to particular Persons and Kingdomes must not be appropriated they are canceld bonds p. 184 2. We may truly appropriate Spirituall promises though we cannot for the present particularly apply temporal bodily promises p. 185 186 What promises are absolute what conditionall p. 181 182 A Distinction of times must be observed there is a difference betwixt the Saints Winter and Summer p. 183 What are the soules Winter and Summer 〈…〉 Ib. The truth of the consideration in certain conclusions 1. Particular promises must not be expected to be peculiarised our name is not in the bonds p. 184 2. At sometimes possibly we may not be able to appropriate temporall promises Ib. Certain such times exprest p. 184 185. 1. A time of extreme want and penury 2. In the darke day of desertion 3. In a misty day of Melancholy 4. In a black day of bodily afflictions 5. It doth not argue a nullity of true faith in spirituall promises not to be able to believe with a speciall faith the promises for this life at any time p. 185 3. Conc. For those that are conditionall promises in darke times the soule may not be able clearly and fully to apply them rest upon them and peculiarly apply them and yet at the same time truly dwell and rest upon them p. 186 4. Conc. In darke times the truly believing soule though it can give no reason for it may not be able to apply the most absolute peculiar promises as its peculiar portion p. 187 This must be cleared by considering what is required for a soule to be able to rest upon any promise as its peculiar portion p. 188 189 SERM. XI A Progresse in the former subject Three things requisite to be found in that soule that peculiariseth any promise so as to say this is my portion p. 189 1. There must be a clear understanding of the promise Ib. 2. A clear understanding of our own condition Ib. 3. A mighty and particular working of God upon the soule Ib. A misunderstanding of the person to whom the promise is made or of the matter of the promise may be a cause of thy non application p. 190 2. Rules for the understanding of the promises in order to our particular application of them p. 192 1. Generall promises are to be particularly applied and particular promises are to be generally applied p. 192 This rule enlarged in 3 branches and opened p. 192 193 2. Rule Whatsoever promises thou findest in the word of God made to any particular Church or People for spirituall and soule mercies we may still apply to the present Church though not the same and any member therof p. 193 3. Things to confirme this 1. God is immutable p. 194 2. The promises were made to them not as such and such people but as Gods people Ib. 3. The promises were made to Christ and the covenant of which they are branches were made to him and his heires p. 195 Many reasons of Master S. Rutherford to prove that the promises and the covenant was originally made to Christ personall not Christ mysticall p. 195 196 Master Rutherfords Distinction of a Covenant and Promises made to Christ some to him alone some part to him and his p. 196 197 What they are in their distinction p. 197 A 3d. rule for the understanding of the promises Conditionall promises require not that we should fulfill the conditions required p. 197 198 199 The 2d thing required to make the soule particularly apply the promises viz. A cleare understanding in the soule of its own condition p. 200 201 The 3d thing required to make the soule particularly apply the promises is a constant wonderfull working of the power of God upon the soule p. 202 This may be sometimes more sometimes lesse p 202 203 SERM. XII CHAP. XII COncerning those weaknesses that may in a gracious soule accompany the bighest act of faith viz. Assurance and how to satisfie the soule that scruples its faith because it cannot be assured at all or if at all yet weakly and inconstantly Severall Conclusions to comfort the soule under troubles of this nature 206 207 208 209 1. Conc. Thou mayest have a true and certain faith and such a one as will richly save thee and yet have no assurance of thy salvation p. 206 Various Opinions concerning Assurance p. 206 207 How farre perswasion comes into justifying faith p. 206 207 208 The 2 former distinctions concerning perswasion repeated and enlarged Ib. Master Burges his 3 Reasons why our sins are not actually and formally pardoned from eternity but onely when we believe p. 209 A fourth reason added to his p. 209 The 4 formerly mentioned conclusions concerning perswasion againe repeated and demonstrated p. 210 211 2. Other Conclusions concerning assurance added and proved p. 211 212 1. That it is false that the Papists say no particular assurance can be procured or ought to be looked after 2. It is as false that Antinomians say that there is no true faith without a fulnesse of perswasion Faith without Assurance may be 1. Saving 2. Strong 3. It may be certain p. 212 213 It is certain in respect of the 1 Object p. 214 2 Event p. 215 2d Concl. Thy assurance may be true though weak and inconstant in degrees p 215 216 What times ordinarily assurance is most strong p. 217 1. Ordinarily it is very high
them he saves We say no for even the works of Gods spirit of grace acting in us are our works and salvation is not of works but of grace And this Evangelicall lesson is hinted to us even in the Ceremoniall Law The Lord commands a yearly day of atonement Levit. 16. for the sins of the holy Place To prove this I might instance in all those Text of Scripture of which the Epistle to the Romans and Galatians are especially full and so the Epistle to the Ephesians which treat concerning the Doctrine of Justification and clear it not to be of works neither internall nor externall but of grace But I will instance but in one Titus 3. 5 6 7. But after that the kindenesse saith he and the love of God our Saviour toward man appeared Not by works of righteousnesse which we have done but according to his mercy he saved us by the washing of regeneration Mark ye by it not for it Gods mercy and free-grace is the ground of the souls acceptation and therefore consider upon what principle thou runnest that concludest I have not yet been enough humbled for to be accepted as if thy humiliation were the reason and ground of Gods acceptation Indeed we ought never to think that we are enough humbled yet we ought alwayes to think that humiliation too much and that sense of our sins too much which hinders Faith for it destroyes its end Therefore why art thou thus troubled Christian with this conceit that your Faith is no Faith because before it you wept not just so many tears It is Faiths work to beleeve and apprehend the souls acceptation before God Now Gods acceptation as you have heard is never for the souls humiliation and therefore what should hinder thy Faiths working in apprehending thy acceptation before God because thou art not accepted for this work any more then any other Nay Secondly Thy humiliation is not a ground of Faith Thou doest not therefore apply Christ because thou art so and so humbled Put case that a great Prince should be willing to bestow his son in marriage upon a poor peasant onely saith he I will make this term or condition that when you come to marrie him you shal come in sackcloth to shew what ye are he shal give you a better garment afterwards wil any one say that this maids coming to the marriage arraied in sackcloth is a ground of her so rich mariage or will any say it is a meritorious condition that she deserveth such a match to come so attired Surely no the ground of all is the Princes delight in her this is the ground of his taking her to wife and yet the King commanded that attire So the Lord saith Poor vild wretch I will give thee my Christ in marriage but thou shalt come weeping to shake hands with him weeping for thy sins he shall afterwards take off thy sackcloth garments Can any say that this is either a meritorious cōdition or a ground of acceptation or Faith Consider Christian wert thou never so much humbled thou couldst not say I will therefore beleeve because I am humbled Humiliation is a necessary antecedent to Faith 〈◊〉 ground of Faith Let 〈◊〉 that therefore be a stumbling block to thee which cannot be a pillar and foundation to thee if thy Faith cannot stand upon it let it never stumble upon it And thus I have done with the second thing I propounded which was to propound such considerations to such souls as were under this temptation as might comfort their hearts and strengthen and stablish them Onely I beseech you remember to whom I have been speaking all this while not to hard-hearted stony souls but to broken and humbled souls not to those that regard not to get their souls humbled at all but to those that are humbled that they can be humbled no more and that groan under the hardnesse of their own hearts not to those that presume to apply their hot boiling lusts and corruptions to the blood and wounds of Jesus Christ flattering themselves with a notion of Faith and conceiting they do beleeve but to those that are humbled though they cannot have a good thought of themselves I would not be misunderstood to have spoken one word to slight the work of humiliation or to cherish that licentious novell Doctrine that there is no need at all of it and a Christian shall not need regard it but what I have spoken hath been not for dead men what should they do with cordialls but for dying fainting swooning Christians not for them that consider their sins too little but for them that so dim their eyes with poring on them that they cannot see the absolute covenant of God and the free-grace of Christ and lay hold upon the promises of life There is an extream on either side the sober Christian avoids either and keeps the mean So I have done with the second thing I propounded viz. to propound some considerations which might comfort the afflicted soul under this affliction and strengthen it to resist this temptation For without question as the Devil hath a designe upon many a soul to run it upon a rack of presumption and carry it on in a blind notion of Faith so he hath a designe upon some souls to wrack them upon the sands and sink them in a pit of despair The Devils devouring voice to souls is either There is no need of humiliation or there is no humiliation enough I come now to the last thing which I propounded which is to give some directions to such souls as are burthened with this affliction and groan under this temptation how to demean themselves and what to do I will reduce all that I shall speak by way of direction to these heads First Eye the nature of the covenant and grace and promises of God more Secondly Eye the nature and cause of humiliation more Thirdly Labour to get thy heart more humbled First of all Eye the nature of God declared in the free dealings out of his grace to thee This I shall enlarge in three instances 1. Eye Gods covenant and the nature of that 2. Eye Christs grace and the nature of that 3. Eye the Promises and the nature of them First Eye the nature of God in his covenant more The cause of this affliction is Christians too much eying and poring upon their sins and themselves the penitent beleever ought to have two eyes one to look downward another to look upward This is that which David comforted himself with when he considered his own unworthinesse and the unworthinesse of his house 2 Sam. 23. 5. Although my house be not so with God yet he hath made with me an everlasting covenant ordered in all things and sure for this is my salvation and all my desire although he maketh it not to grow David though a man according to Gods own heart yet had a wicked house Absolom had slain his brother rebelled against his Father
lay with his Fathers concubines Amnon had defloured his sister c. Now David looking upon this personall unworthinesse both of his own person and of his children was humbled for it and in sadnesse of heart saith Although my house be not so ordered with God c. Not so ordered as it should be not ordered according to the mercies that I have received from God Yet see how he casts up another eye and views the covenant of God yet saith he The Lord hath made with me an 1. Everlasting covenant 2. Ordered and 3. Sure for this is my salvation c. Christian do thou the like thou porest upon thy self and readest a great deal of personall unworthinesse seest thousands of sins the least of which might damn thee and damn a world seest much mercy bestowed upon thee by God and all mercies abused by thee to the dishonor of God yet comfort thy self by eying Gods covenant and say Although my heart although my life be not so ordered with God although my soul be not so humbled before God yet the Lord hath made with me an everlasting covenant and a sure covenant the covenant of peace and grace with my soul was from eternity and therefore free and without cause in the creature I had neither an hard heart nor a soft heart when God made that covenant with me and it is a sure covenant as God never made a covenant with me for the softnesse and tendernesse of my heart so neither will he cast me off for the hardnesse of my heart and it is a covenant ordered in all things He hath made a covenant with me as to give me salvation so to give me such an heart as he requires of me in order unto my salvation and for this is my salvation I shall not be saved for the worthinesse of my house nor for the worthinesse of my person nor for the tendernesse of my heart but because he hath made a covenant with me Here is the ground-work here is the cause of my salvation Thus Christian eye 1. The eternity of the covenant 2. The surenesse of the covenant 3. The freenesse of the covenant 4. The particularity of the covenant God hath not made his eternall covenant at random with those souls that shall be broken hearted and shall beleeve No saith David he hath made with me a sure well-ordered everlasting covenant the other is Arminian and licentious Doctrine God hath made a covenant with thee and an everlasting covenant with thee and a sure covenant with thee eye this and say Well though my heart be not so humbled before God as it ought to be though my soul be not so broken though my whole man be not so ordered yet God hath made with me in particular an everlasting covenant sure well-ordered and for this is my salvation Secondly Eye the nature of God and Iesus Christ in the dispensations of his grace more The truth of it is the covenant the eternall covenant that God hath made with sinners is but a declaration of his grace but I conceive there may be a difference conceived between Gods declarations of his grace and his dispensations of his grace though that every dispensation of grace be a declaration of his grace yet every declaration of his grace is not a dispensation Declations of Grace may be generall Dispensations of grace are particular God declared his grace and love to mankinde when he made that promise The seed of the woman shall break the serpents head But now he made a dispensation of his grace when he gives a gracious soul power to draw out its part in this promise Now doest thou sit troubled that thy soul is not thus and thus humbled not enough brought low c. eye the dispensations the particular dispensations of Gods grace Consider to whom God hath made dispensations of his grace 1. In what manner God hath dispensed and revealed the dispensations of his Grace Sit down and think of the Saints of God that God hath dealt out his saving grace too and thou shalt finde them the most worthlesse and vile wretches To Paul the persecuter the blasphemer so hard-hearted that he could spill the blood of the tender-hearted Saints of God yet this Paul the Lord humbled and dealt out his grace to To Manasses so hard-hearted that he filled the land with innocent blood that nothing would humble but a gaole and shackles and setters yet this Manasses tasted of the divine dispensations of grace 2. Consider in what manner God hath dispensed his grace and revealed the dispensations of his grace to these poor creatures Indeed I am apt to beleeve that of all those Saints in Scripture not one saw Christ without a weeping eye a mourning heaâ—â— but yet this is certain that God hath not in his word set out to us the like humiliation of Lydia as of Paul and of the Gaoler Though I am of M. Shepheards minde that Lydia was humbled as well as Paul yet I conceive there are two things that we may gather for a souls comfort from the holy Ghosts so variously setting down Gods dealings with those souls whom he hath brought home to himself so fully and deeply expressing the sorrows of some as of Paul and Manasses and the Gaoler and so tacitely concealing the sorrows of others as of Lydia or so moderately revealing of them as concerning those converted at Saint Peters Sermon concerning whose humiliation we have onely this upon record that they were prickt at the heart I say I conceive there are two things that we may gather from it for a souls comfort under this affliction First That Gods dealings in this particular are not alike with every soul that he humbleth some more and deeplyer some lesse for his own end Which I hinted you before Secondly I conceive we may gather this from that various dealing of the holy Ghost in the word of God in expressing Gods way with his people viz. That it is Gods will that souls should not stumble upon this rock and stick here we are not yet enough humbled not thus and thus humbled we ought to look for some but not to stick at the want of the same measure of humiliation which some of the Saints of God have had Consider these things Christian weigh the reason of Gods so various dealing with his converts and various expressions of his dealing with them in his revealed word and let this comfort and direct thee and raise thee up say with thine own heart My soul why should these thoughts hinder thee from going on Gods dealings with all his converts is not alike and God would have in the same even manner surely have revealed the sorrows and humiliations of all his children as of any if he would have had me stumbled at this and made this a block in my way to him Thirdly Eye Gods nature in his promises Mark how the promises run whether absolutely oâ— conditionally and if conditionally whether upon this
an act of the minde and is an hidden and mysticall act which we cannot weigh in any scales to try whether it be full weight yea or no here 's the trouble of many Christians ask them whether they rest and rely upon Jesus Christ for salvation yea or no they will tell you they cannot think they do yet they will confesse that if they do not rely upon him they rely upon nothing their sinnes and duties their morality and civility they have utterly disclaimed and will cry out of these as menstruous clothes and filthy rags yea and confesse that they would not they durst not sin against God for a world yet they cannot think they rest truly upon Christ for salvation though they will confesse they desire it and hope they do it and they make the Law of Christ the rule of their lives and they have a secret soule-enflaming love to Christ but because they cannot understand the secret mystery of the internal act therefore they will not they cannot flatter their souls into a faith and apprehension that they do truly beleeve when indeed there is no act of the mind the nature of which and truth of which we can discover from the knowledge of it clearly in it selfe but must be forced to examine the truth and falshood of it by the effects and it must be the infinite and rare work of God to perswade our sense of the truth of our faith may it not be possible think you to finde one that is beautifull very beautifull and yet all her friends shall not perswade her that she hath any beauty at all we may have that which we will be not known of The woman hath seen her face in a false glasse or doth not know what beauty is and therefore will not be perswaded by other mens eyes to rectifie her owne judgement So it is with Beleevers they may have a beautifull face of faith and yet not thinke so Secondly A Christian may have a true faith and truly rely upon Christ and really think he doth not at all trust and rely upon Iesus Christ Sense in a Christian may not onely have a mist cast before its eyes but have its eyes clearly put out Suppose a man had put up a Petition to the King for some place of honour and trust this Petition lyes unanswered a great while at last the King answers this Petition and grants that place or dignity to him the Subject being at a distance from the Prince may have this place or honour conferred and yet not know of any such matter but verily beleeve his Petition lies like a cast paper hath he not his dignity because he knows it not Christians are misjudging creatures and too ready to suspect their owne happinesse they may call their resting and beleeving presumption their faith boldnesse The Hypocrite calls his drosse Gold his Alchymie Silver and the self-suspecting Christian is as ready on the other hand to call his Gold Brasse and his Silver Lead It is a rare thing to finde a Christian that will look his gracious face in a true Glasse the modest creature is afraid he should be proud if hee should look upon his beauty Heaven may bee hid under the dark and cloudy apprehensions of a terrible dismall hell Christ may be saying in Heaven Thou art saved Thou art saved while thou art saying upon earth O I am damned I am damned The Angels may be keeping holy-day for thee there while thou art keeping Fridayes here There may be joy in heaven for the same cause and at the same time for which and in which there may be sorrow on earth thou mayest have more friends in Heaven then thou knowest of Christ at that very time may be pleading hard at Heavens Barre for thee while thou art thinking he is reading an Enditement against thee thou mayest at that time have Christ in thy armes when thou thinkest he is as far from thy soule as Heaven from Hell Fâ—om hence will follow Thirdly Thou mayest question and doubt whether thou doest truly rest or no and yet truly rest Disputing argues weaknesse of the act and want of sense but not a totall want of the act This is lesse then the other but I have mentioned it because I have found this to be the temper of many Christians pinch upon that piont ask them whether they wholly rest and rely upon Christ for salvation they dare not tell you they think they do not nor they think they doe but they cannot tell what to think they kâ—ow not whether they do or no though they dare not conclude the falshood and nullity yet they dare not assert the reality and verity of any act of Faith in their soules they live at great incertainties and this makes them think they do not beleeve They are sure disputing is no beleeving To this I answer in this conclusion That thou mayest make a question whether thou beleevest or no and yet truly beleeve It is true disputing is no beleeving but though they be not things of the same nature yet they are not so ill neighbours but they may dwell under the same roof of the soule First Thou mayest doubt whether thou beleevest or no and yet beleeve this is not a question about the object of faith in which thou mayest for all this remaine unshaken but meerly about thy act of faith thus disputing thou dost not dispute whether the promise be true or no but whether thou art as thou shouldest be perswaded of the truth of it and dost as thou oughtst rest upon it for a word of truth and yet some disputes and doubtings about the object are not inconsistent with faith as I have shewed before It is a soule-destroying opinion which some Libertines have hatched in these dayes that a Christian ought not to question the truth of his Faith Such an unbeleefe shuts not men out of Heaven nor argues a nullity of Faith Paul was wrapt up into the third Heaven whether in the body he could not tell or whether out of the body he could not tell yet without question Paul was wrapt up in the body if wrapt up at all The Beleever may be in the like doubt concerning his Faith that S. Paul was concerning his rapture and yet have reall true Faith though we ought not to content our selvs with it yet we may know for our comfort that we may go disputing our faith to Heaven and many a one hath such an hot dispute with his own soule that his death is forced to prove the Moderator when he receives his end of his Faith even the salvation of his soule And thus I have shewed you in three particulars how the Christian may doubt concerning his resting and relying upon Christ and yet truly rely 1. He may question whether he truly relies or not 2. He may not be able to affirm nor think that hee doth truly relie yea further he may through a misjudging himselfe think he doth not rely
pardon of our sins and of a pardon past and done c. I have already shewed you that the essence and marrow of justifying Faith consists in the soules rolling it selfe and relying upon God for eternall salvation not in the soules assurance that God is its God in the soules goings out not in its commings in in its direct act not in its reflect act And therefore our Divines make a distinction betwixt a soules application of its self to the promise and a soules application of the promise to it selfe and grant that there may bee in the soule a certainty of Faith in respect of the object though not an assurance of Faith in respect of the subject Wee will a little enquire how perswasion comes into the nature of justifying Faith There is a double distinction which I have noted before and shall here repeat would be observed concerning this perswasion First there is a difference betwixt a Perswasion and a beleeved Perswasion on a full Perswasion Secondly there is a great deale of difference betwixt a perswasion eying the future and relating to the present There may be in a gracious soule a perswasion though he sayes he is not perswaded There is a great deale of difference betwixt Faith and the Sense and feeling of Faith as I shall shew you more hereafter Secondly there may be in a soule a certain perswasion though not a full perswasion In all Faith there is a perswasion but in all Faith there is not a full perswasion the word in Scripture translated full perswasion is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 4. 21. It is said that Abraham was fully perswaded it is put in opposition to doubting of unbeliefe being so saith the text hee staggered not through unbeliefe and so Rom. 14. Let him that eateth be fully perswaded that is so perswaded that hee doth not eate with any scruple of mind or doubting of spirit I may be perswaded of a thing that yet I am not fully perswaded of but have some doubts of yet when my reasons for the affirmative are more then for the negative my mind begets a perswasion and enters a perswasion in my soule from the major vote of reason Now I cannot be said to bee fully perswaded unlesse my soule runs without a rubâ— as it is ordinary amongst us when wee are informed by credible Witnesses of such a thing done wee may bee perswaded it is true and really beleeve the truth of it and yet will not sweare it and perhaps shall have scruples and doubts unlesse we saw it our selves c. So a Christian may be perswaded that Gods love is towards him but till he feeles it as well as thinkes it he will hardly have 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a full perswasion without any manner of doubts or scruples concerning it Again There is a great deale of difference betwixt a perswasion for the present and a perswasion for the future I am forced to put it in these Termes for want of other I meane betwixt an assurance that my sinnes are actually pardoned and a perswasion that they are pardonable and decretally and meâ—itoriously pardoned and I shall feel at last the seale of Gods love I must speake here according to the manner of men it is true it may sound harshly that a Christian should beleeve only that God will pardon his sins and will justify him I know there be some learned and pretious men that hold that the elected soule is pardoned and formally justifyed before he beleeves and so would make our justification as Master Burgesse saith wittily nothing but the fetching a Coppy out of the Courtrâ—ll but I am of his mind in his late Treatise of justification p. 17. 8. where hee gives severall Arguments against this opinion As First If it bee so then all the Elect were then made blessed and happy their sins not being imputed contrary to Eph. 2. 3. Secondly because this Doctrine would make justification onely to bee declarative when the Scriptures tell us that our sinnes are charged upon us till wee beleeve Thirdly because Christ cannot as an head represent those that are not his members now before actuall beleeving we are no members of Christ Indeed meritoriously and vertually our sinnes are pardoned before wee beleeve See the Arguments against this answered in Mr Burgesse his Treatise of justification p. 180 181. and our soules are justified before we beleeve but I with him cannot see how we are formally and actually justified before we beleeve and to his Arguments give me leave to add a fourth Fourthly Pardon of sin and justification it is an acquitting of the guilty soule before God for the righteousnesse of another now how the soule should be actually acquitted before it be actually and formally guilty I cannot understand And therefore I say a soule may be perswaded that its sins are pardonable and shall be pardoned and accordingly truly rely upon the Lord Iesus Christ for the pardon of them which is true Faith though it cannot be fully perswaded that its sinns are pardoned And thus much may briefly serve to have noted how far perswasion and assurance necessarily come into the nature of true and saving Faith and how not And concerning it I shall only nominate these conclusions to you as containing the whole truth concerning it First That a Christian may have saving Faith though he cannot be fully perswaded that God hath actually pardoned and blotted out his sins and formally justified him for a beleeving that my sins are formally pardoned is to beleeve I am justified and is the Faith of a justified person not justifying Faith properly so called Secondly That a Beleever may have true saving Faith though he could never yet at all be perswaded that God had actually and formally justified his soule by pardoning his sins This is still the application of the promise to the soule and a reflex act of Faith which conduceth more to the soules comfort then its formall justification Thirdly That a Christian may have true justifying Faith though he cannot at all times be fully and unquestionably perswaded that God will pardon his sins a rationall man in a Feaver may have lost his actings of reason though while he hath the being of a man reason hath a being in him the tongue may belye the heart when the actions cleer it A Christian may be at will God pardon me with his tongue when his heart really thinks he will and he manifestly shewes it by crying fasting fearing to sin lying groveling at the doore of free grace Fourthly That a Christian cannot have true saving justifying Faith unlesse he doth I doe not say unlesse hee think he doth or unlesse he sayes hee doth but unlesse he doth beleeve and is perswaded that God will pardon his sins it is easily perceived by its resolving not to leave crying praying walking holily and circumspectly that it is perswaded in this particular that it is best both simply and in comparison to draw near to God