faith when the consolations are withdrawn from us and we are put to hard exercise wherein it is our duty to glorifie our God for his truth and grace whereof we have sometime had confirmations by felt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
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
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
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
the whole glory of His free grace because out of His own good-will not for any thing at all foreseen in man He lets forth his speciall love on the redeemed in a time acceptable And the glory of His Almighty power because by His omnipotent and invincible working He makes the man dead in sins to live opens his eyes to take up savingly the things of God takes away the heart of stone and makes him a new creature to will and to do His holy will And the glory of His Wisdom who dealeth so with His creature as He doth not destroy but perfect the naturall power of the mans will making the man regenerat most freely deliberatly and heartily to embrace Christ and to consecrat himself to Gods service The reason why we urge this is because Satan by corrupting the doctrine of regeneration and perswading men that they are able of themselves by the common and the naturall strength of their own free-will without the speciall and effectuall grace of God both to convert themselves and others also doth foster the native pride of men hindreth them from emptying and humbling themselves before God keepeth them from self-denyall doth mar the regeneration of them that are deluded with this errour and obscureth what he can the shyning of the glory of Gods grace power and wisdom in the conversion of men for whatsoever praise proud men let go toward God for making mens conversion possible yet they give the whole glory of actuall conversion to the man himself which Christ ascribeth to God only and leaveth no more for man to glory in his spirituall regeneration then he hath to glory in his own naturall generation Ioh. 3. 5. 6. 7. 8. And the same doth the Apostle teach Ephes. 2. 8. 9. 10. and Philip. â— 13. It is God saith hee which worketh in you both to will and to do of His own good pleasure And therefore it is the duty of all Christs disciples but chiefly their duty who are consecrat to God to preach up the glory of Gods free grace omnipotent power and unsearchable wisdom to live in the sense of their own emptinesse and to depend upon the furnitour of grace for grace out of Christs fulnesse and zealously to oppose the proud errour of mans naturall ability for converting himself as they love to see and find the effectuall blessing of the Ministery of the Gospel and themselves accepted for true disciples at the day of their meeting with Christ the Judge at His second coming 3. For opening up of regeneration these five propositions must be holâ—en The first is this the naturall man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of god for they are foolishnesse unto him neither can he know them because they are spiritually discerned 1 Cor. 2. 14. The second is this it is the Spirit of God which convinceth man of sin of true righteousnesse and of judgement Ioh. 16. 9. 10. 11. The third is this in regeneration conversion and quickning of a sinner God by his invincible power createth and infuseth a new life and principles thereof Psal. 110. 3. Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power and Ioh. 5. 21. and 6. 63. The fourth is this the invincible grace of God working regeneration and a mans conversion doth not destroy the freedom of mans will but makes it truely free and perfects it Ier. 31. 31. I will make a Covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Iudah and will put My law in their inward parts and write it in their hearts c. The fifth is this albeit a man in the act of Gods quickning and converting of him be passive and in a spirituall senâ—e dead in sins and trespasses yet for exercising externall means whereof God maketh use unto his conversion for fitting him and preparing of him for a gracious change such as are hearing of the Word reading of it meditating on it inquiring after the meaning of it c. the naturall man hath a naturall power thereunto as to other externall actions which sufficeth to take away excuse from them who have occasion of using the means and will not use them Matth. 23. 37. For clearing of the first proposition we must remember that the object of actuall regeneration conversion and effectuall calling is the man elected or redeemed by Christ lying in the state of defection from God destitute of originall righteousnesse at enimity with God bently inclined to all evill altogether unfit and impotent yea even spiritually dead to every spirituall good and specially to convert regenerat or quicken himselâ— for albeit after the fall of Adam there are some sparks of common reason remaining whereby he may confusedly know that which is called spirituall good acceptable and pleasant unto God and fit to save his soul yet the understanding of the unrenewed man judgeth of that good and of the truth of the Evangell wherein that good is proponed to be meer foolishnesse and doth represent the spirituall object and sets it before the will as a thing uncertain or vain and the will of the unrenewed man after deliberation comparison made of objects some honest some pleasant and some profitable in appearance naturally is inclined to prefer and choose any seeming pleasant or profitable thing whether the object be naturall or civill rather then that which is truly honest and morally good But if it fall out that a spirituall good be well and in fair colours described unto the unrenewed man yet he seeth it not but under the notion of a naturall good and as it is cloathed with the image of some naturall good and profitable for preserving its standing in a naturall being and welfare therein So did the false prophet Balaam look upon the felicity of the righteous in their death when he did separat eternall life from faith and sanctification and did rent asunder the means from the end appointed of God saying Let me dye the death of the righteous and let my last end be like his Numb 23. 10. After this maner the woman of Samaria apprehended the gift and grace of the holy Ghost and saving grace offered to her by Christ Lord saith she Give me of that water that I may not thirst again and may not come again to draw water Joh. 4. 15. So also did the misbeleeving Jews judge of the application of Christs incarnation and suffering for their spirituall feeding Joh. 6. 33. 34. 35. for The naturall man cannot know the things of the Spirit of God because they are spiritually discerned and the naturall man is destitute of the spirit of illumination 1 Cor. 2. 14. And the wisdom of the flesh is enimity to God for it is not subject to the law of God yea it cannot be subject unto it Rom. 8. 7. The power therefore of the naturall or unrenewed man is not fitted for the discerning and loving of a spirituall good because he is altogether naturall and not spirituall For a supernaturall
unto Christ and engaged heartily to his service must not take heed so much to what his sickly and not clearly informed conscience doth say as to what God who is greater then the conscience and giveth order and rule to the conscience doth say to such a poor soul fled unto Christ. Secondly let him consider that his peace is not â—arred with God by Sathans warring against him for peace with God standeth well with warr against all spiritual enemies and therefore the lesse rest he hath from Sathans trouble and molestation let him be the more confident of his peace with God whose battels he is fighting against Sathan Thirdly let him consider that perturbation of mind doth neither hinder peace with God nor peace of conscience for the mind and thoughts of a man for many reasons may be troubled and disquieted when peace with God and peace of conscience are setled and established for when the mind is troubled and tempted to anxiety the Apostle sheweth how to remove the perturbation of the mind and setle the peace of conscience also Phil. 4. 6 7. Be carefull saith he or anxious for nothing but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanks giving let your requests be made manifest to God and the peace of God which passes all understanding shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Iesus And in his own experience he lets us see the difference of perturbation of mind from peace with God and the conscience also 2 Cor. 7. 5 6. When we were come into Macedonia our flesh had no rest but we were troubled on every side without were fightings within were fears neverthelesse God that comforteth these that are cast down comforted us in the coming of Titus So also 2 Cor. 2. 12 13 14. 15. The seventh cause of disquietnesse is or may be this if the true convert be either ignorant or forgetfull of the way of obtaining maintaining repairing and recovering the true peace of God in himself and of the change of Gods dispensation toward his children which is common through many tribulations God doth bring his own to heaven Sometime he shews them his countenance in a comfortable providence sometime he hides his face but doth not change his love toward them Psal. 30. 7. Thou hidest thy face saith David and I was troubled but here was his wisdom he went the straight way to recover his peace I cryed to thee O Lord and unto the Lord made I my supplication and his mourning was turned into dauncing Psal. 30. 7 8. to the end But many weak converts are not so wise who by their inconfiderat courses do cast themselves in fears jealousies and suspicions both of Gods love to them and of their own interest in him when they misse felt consolations they fall to quarrel their right And if they resolve to have their condition helped they prescribe their own time way and measure and nothing can satisfie them till they recover possession of lost sense with the Spouse Cant. 2. 5. Stay me with stagons comfort me with aples saith she for I am sick of love It is true sometime God doth coudescend to their passionat put suit of comfort but their not believing in the mean time and their hasting to have their condition altered before patience hath wrought the perfect work is not to be commended or approven 16. For removing this cause of disquietnesse let the afflicted consider first that the Lord neither sheweth his loving countenance to the weak disciple nor hideth it from him but out of love he neither corrrecteth nor comforteâ—h him but out of love I am the Lord and change not saith he sensible 3. 6. Therefore you sons of Jacob are not consuâ—â—â—d If he give consolation sensibly it is to confirm their weak saith by 〈◊〉 experience of the fruit of believing in him and if he withdraw his consolation it is that he may excercise their faith and train them to belâ—â—ve his Word without a sensible pawn for it And therefore for removing this cause of disquietnesse by all 〈◊〉 let the afflicted beware to mis-construst the Lords dâ—aling but let him strive against all suggestions of Sathan or 〈◊〉 own misbelieving heart and entertain friendly 〈◊〉 of God for a true friend or father when they give them beter will take it for no small 〈…〉 or fatherly affection to 〈…〉 Physicians and 〈…〉 from their Patients 〈…〉 potions when they 〈◊〉 and carve and 〈…〉 they are exponed to aim at the 〈…〉 much more should every man whatsoever dispensation of God he meet with give a good costruction of his working Secondly let him consider that the Lord hath his own way and order of working first he discovereth sin and misery and weaknesse in the creature and after that he discovereth his grace mercy and power in Christ to relieve first he humbleth and then listeth up first he woundeth and then he healeth first he smiteth and then bindeth up first he bringeth down to death and then restoretâ—â—unto life Hâ—s 6. 1. and Ps. 9. 3. and therefore let the afflicted be hâ—mbled under the sense of apprehended caâ—ses of hiâ— disquietnesse and seek of God the restoring of whaâ— is lost or wanting and the healing of the wound inâ—â—â—ted in due order Now Gods order is this he will fiâ— have the Law magnified and his Justice acknowleâ—ed by all afflicted sinners even by them who are in thâ—tate of Grace and are not under the covenant or cuse of the Law to whom notwithstanding the Law musâ—till be a pedagogue to lead them to Christ and wâ—n the Lords Justice is acknowledged and all fretting â—d murmuring against his dealing stopped then comeâ— in the next place the discovery of grace in Christâ— for since the fall of Adam God hath alwayes been iâ— Christ going about to reconcile the world to himself not imputing their transgressions to them 2 Cor. 5. 19. And when God hath drawn the sinner by faith to the Mediator Christ God incarnat then there is a matrimonial contract made betwixt God in Christ reconciled and the believer and an union between Christ and the believer in a judicial maner and so the believer is made to have a right unto Christs person according to that of the Spouse Cant. 2. 16. My beloved is mine and I am his And by this means also the believer is made to have right unto Christs purchase and benefits and to communion with him and his Saints as the Apostle teacheth us Rom. 32. He that spared not his own Son but delivered him up for us all how shall he not with him also freely give us all things And after right given to the believer in due time the Lord giveth and reneweth the earnest-penny of the inheritance Ephes. 1. 13. In whom also ye were sealed with that holy spirit of promise who really reneweth the believer and giveth him peace joy consolation strength and other gifts of grace with an ebbing and flowing thereof in the sense and feeling of
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
think that all these who are charged for luke-warmnesse were regenerat yet we cannot judge that all the regenerat and true converts were free of this sicknesse when we see Christ professing his love to the luke-warm and out of love directing his reproof toward them whereby he doth invite them to repentance and to return to that sweet communion with himself which they did not follow after for the time And to make it appear that true converts might fall in this luke-warmnesse he giveth warning to all that have ears to hear to hearken unto what the Spirit doth speak unto the Churches As for remedy of this sicknesse this lethargy is hardly cured except the patient be first casten in a sever as it were by the wakening of his conscience To this end let the luke-warm consider with himself how the Majesty and excellent worth of Christ hath been flighted by this his luke-warmnesse wherein he hath by his fleshly security made no account of the spiritual riches of Christ who hath redeemed his own from sin and wrath everlasting that they may with full benâ—all of affâ—â—ction serve him 2. Let him consider how intolerable this disposition of luke-warmnesse is unto Christ who preferreth the open hostility of aliens to the luke-warm condition of those who professe for him and hath declared he will not comport with them but spew them out of his mouth except they shall speedily repent 3 Let him consider how many and sad plagues of heart he lyeth under if he examine himself well which may certifie him of the flame of Gods wrath ready to follow on the smoak of begun spiritual plagues 4. Let him be speedily humbled before the Lord for his vain gloriation of self-perfections and supposed need of nothing when indeed he is blind naked and miserable 5. Let him lay hold on Christs love and care of him in calling him to repentance before further wrath should break forth and take the offer of renewed and more intimate communion with him and injoying these precious promises laid up for the victorious wrestler against this sinfull disposition for this is the proper remedy which the great Physician prescribeth for healing this deadly sicknesse Rev. 3. 17 18. CHAP. VI. Concerning such converts as lean unto the props of carnal confidence and please themselves in this condition OFt-times it comes to passe that true converts while they conceive that they trust in Christ only are found to lean too much on their own worth and strength and graces bestowed on them In which condition by so much as they are well pleased with themselves they do in so far displease God and do provoke him to jealousie and they who are most overtaken with this sicknesse are most senslesse of it and are most malcontent that any man should suspect them to be in an evil condition yea and they conceive that no man is able to convince them of self-confidence and here they lye over till God bring them to tryall wherein their mistake is made clear unto them Their tryall ordinarily cometh by some affliction by some powerfull tentation and by some degree of felt deâ—ertion for this sicknesse as it is contracted by prosperity So it is fostered and hid by prosperity till the prop of their carnal confidence be shaken by unexpected adversity Of which purpose that we may speak the more clearly we shall point forth two sorts of this carnal confidence and shall shew the difference of those two sorts by the difference of these two pillars whereupon carnall confidence is upholden The one is the common benefits which God doth ordinarily bestow on good and bad renewed and unrenewed persons The other is some observable measure of the operations and fruits of the holy Spirit As for confidence in the common benefits of God sometimes true converts fall too much in love with earthly and temporal benefits do seek too much after them embrace them greedily when they obtain them rejoice too much while they injoy them fear too much to loss them and mean time do not perceive the excesse of their affection about them and if they be charged as in any measure guilty in this case they will not acknowledge their fault but go about to purge themselves of this sort of failing saying we know our duty that if riches increase we should not set our heart thereon that we should not love too much our own children parents parties friends and comfortable relations that we should not delight too much in prosperity nor glory in the common gifts and enduments of the mind wherein ungoldy men may excell and go far above us that we should not affect too much the favour of men or esteem too much of being honoured of men They will also readily confesse that they are not far from the danger of being drunk with prosperity and falling into the sleep of carnal security and leaning too much weight on this weak pillar of creature-confidence But for time by-past they are ready to averr they have been very cautious lest they should fall in this fault and for time to come that they hope to watch against all snares of this sort and so they think all is well but when it doth please God in his wise dispensation to change their outward condition and to turn their externall prosperity in adversity when God takes away the comfortable benefits which he had bestowed on them and brings upon them some sad calamity incontinent they are in the dumps and sit down astonished they begin to call Gods love in question whereof they boasted before Thus their faith discovereth its weaknesse and the mixture of carnal confidence with their faith doth clearly appear which before did lurk as drosse doth in the gold or silver before it be purified which doth give the masse a greater bulk without greater worth or price This infirmity and mistake the Psalmist did observe in himself Psal. 30. 6 7. In my prosperity I said I shall never be moved thou didst hide thy face and I was troubled This infirmity of the convert and his mistake shall be yet more manifest if we shall compare the confidence of the convert in the promises of God for food and rayment so long as God giveth riches with their confidence when their means do fail and poverty cometh on The promises of God remain the same in the having and wanting of riches but there is a great ods between their confidence to be furnished when they have riches and their confidence when means do fail which confidence now is very feeble Wherefrom doth this change come let us see Certainly it cometh from the removing of the carnal props of their confidence for when upon the failing of these props and pillars faith in the promise doth stagger it is a sure evidence that they have leaned too much weight on the means who mis-believe when the means do fail 3. For curing of this sort of carnal confidence and leaning too much on temporal benefits
the end of his life which he suffered both in soul and body they were the compleating of his formerly begun and running obedience but were not his only obedience for us or his only suffering for us for he had done and suffered much from his incarnation before his last passion and death but the highest degree of his obedience whereby he bought deliverance unto us from sin and misery and whereby he bought unto us immortality and eternall blessednesse in heaven was his death on the crosse compleating our ransom 3. Whereas some have said that one drop of His blood was sufficient to redeem moe worlds then one if there wre any moe it is but an inconsiderat speech and destitute of Scriptural authority for when Christ had suffered all things before the time of His death it behoved Him to be crucified also Luke 24. 26. but it behoved Him not to suffer more then justice required for a ransom but only as much as was agreed upon and no less could satisfie Now this commandment He received of the Father that He should lay down His life for His sheep Ioh. 10. 18. For the wisdom of God thought good to testifie His own holiness and hatred of sin and to testifie His love to the elect world and riches of His grace toward them to whom He would be mercifull by inflicting no less punishment of sin on the Mediator His own dear Son taking upon Himself full satisfaction to justice for all the sins of all the Elect given unto Him to redeem then the death both of His body and soul for a season And indeed it was suteable to His holy and soveraign Majesty that for the ransom of so many thousands and millions of damnable sinners and saving of them from everlasting torment of body and soul no less price should be payed by the Son of God made man and surety for them then His sufferings both in His body and soul for a season as much as should be equivalent to the due deserved punishment of them whom he should redeem and it became the justice of the infinite Majesty offended to be reconciled with so many rebels and to bestow upon them heaven and eternal blessedness for no less price then the sufferings of the eternal Son made man whose humiliation and voluntary obedience even to the death of the cross was of infinite worth and value and therefore he yieldeth himself to the sufferings agreed upon in the covenant of Redemption both in body and soul. Of the sufferings of Christ in His soul. OUr Lords sufferings in His body did not fully satisfie divine justice 1. because as God put a sanction on the law and covenant of Works made with us all in Adam that he and his should be lyable to death both of body and soul which Covenant being broken by sin all sinners became obnoxious to the death both of body and soul So the redeemed behoved to be delivered from the death of both by the Redeemers tasting of death in both kinds as much as should be sufficient for their redemption 2. As sin infected the whole man soul and body and the curse following on sin left no part nor power of the mans soul free So justice required that the Redeemer coming in the room of the persons redeemed should feel the force of the curse both in body and soul. Ob. But how can the soul die seing it is by the Ordinance of God in creation made immortal Ans. The death of the soul is not in all things like to the death of the body for albeit the spiritual substance of the soul be made immortal and not to be extinguished yet it is subject to its own sort of death which consists in the separation of it from communion with God in such and such degrees as justly may be called the death of the soul from which sort of death the immortality of the soul not only doth not deliver but also it doth augment it and perpetuat it till this death be removed Obj. But seing the humane sould of our Lord could never be separated from the permanent holiness wherewith it was endued in the first infusion of it in the body and could never be separated from the indissolvable personal union with the second person of the God-head assuming it how could His soul be subject to any degrees of death Ans. Albeit the con-natural holiness of the soul of Christ could not be removed nor the personal union of it be dissolved no not when the soul was separated from the body yet it was subject by Christs own consent to be emptied of strength-natural to be deprived for a time of the clearness of vision of its own blessedness and of the quiet possession of the formerly felt peace and of the fruition of joy for a time and so suffer an ecclipse of light and consolation otherwise shining from His God-head and so in this sort of spiritual death might undergo some degrees of spiritual death The degrees of the suffering of Christs holy soul. AMong the deprâ—â—s of the death suffered by Christ in His soul we may number first that habitual heaviness of spirit which haunted him all the dayes of His life as was foretold by Isa. 53. 3. He was a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief We hear He weeped but never that he laughed and but very seldom that he rejoiced 2. He suffered in speciall sorrow and grief in the observation of the ingratitude of them for whom he came to lay down his life we hid as it were our faces from him he was despised and we esteemed him not Isa. 53. 3. 3. The hardnesse of mens hearts and the malice of his own covenanted people and the daily contumelies and despightfull usage he found from day to day increased his daily grief as by rivolets the flood is raised in the river he was despised and rejected of men Isa. 53. 3. 4. He was tempted in all things like unto us and albeit in them all never tainted with sin Heb. 4. 15. yet with what a vexation of his most holy soul we may easily gather by comparing the holinesse of our Lord with the holinesse of his servants to whom nothing is more bitter then the firie darts of the devil and his suggestions and sollicitations to sin especially if we consider the variety of temptations the hainousnesse of the sins whereunto that impudent and unclean spirit boldly sollicited his holinesse Matth. 4. and withall the importunity and pertinacy of the devil who never ceased partly by himself partly by those that were his slaves and partly by the corruption which he found in Christs disciples to pursue presse and vex the God of glory all the time he lived on earth 5. The guilt of all the sins crimes and vile deeds of the elect committed from the beginning of the world was imputed unto him by accepting of which imputation albeit he polluted not his Conscience yet he burdened his soul binding himself to bear
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
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 covenant of works for it is true indeed when God is dealing with those that are already justified by faith in Jesus and have renounced all confidence in their own works and fled unto Christ and have taken on his yoke the Lord doth take in good part the first fruits of the new creature and doth much esteem the tender fruits of the spirit as the places cited Isa. 1. and 2 Cor. 8. do shew But when the Lord hath to do with the proud natural man the unrenewed man the man that is not humbled for violation of the covenant of works he dealeth with him according to the rigour of the law according to the condition of the covenant of works pronouncing his curse against that man for every sin till the sinner be humbled and slye to Christ. 5. With the former we may joyn all these who believe they may wash away their sins partly by bearing such afflictions as are laid on them by God in this life partly by their tears prayers fastings pilgrimages penances and scourging of themselves and partly by their almes-deeds and other good works do believe they shall make amends for all their misdeeds and what they cannot perfect in this life for the mater of good works they will take assignation to the supererogation and superfluity of the merits of Saints made over unto them by the Pope And what for the mater of suffering is not endured in this life they will take upon them to endure in an imaginary purgatory and place of hell after this life and so poor souls they think they may absolve themselves at least from the sentence of everlasting condemnation by such poor shifts as those But the truth is so long as they rely upon their own sufferings and satisfactions they deny both the necessity and the worth of Christs sufferings and so long as they have confidence in their own works or works of other men they reject and disclaim the covenant of grace and yet behold how proud they prove themselves to be Isa. 58. 3. when they plead with God saying wherefore have we fasted and thou seest not wherefore have we afflicted our soul and thou takest no knowledge 6. Last of all unto the former sort we joyn these who please themselves in the composition of righteousness by works and righteousnesse by faith thinking to save themselves under the shelter of the one righteousnesse or of the other however God shall deal with them Such were the Seducers and seduced amongst the Galatians for refuting of whole errour the Apostle as it were travelled in birth till he brought them to take up the right frame of Christs way of salvation 7. The cause of all such mens deceiving of themselves in a false absolution of their conscience is their ignorance both of the righteousnesse of the law and of the righteousness by faith for such as think their sins are so few and light or their lives so innocent or their good works they have done so weighty and their purpose to do yet moe good works to be so holy or their pains taken in religion so considerable or their sufferings resolved upon so great and thereupon do absolve themselves consider not that the law or covenant of works doth require perfect personal obedience to all Gods law under the pain of Gods curse growing in Items as the law is oftener transgressed till they flye in to the perfect ransom of Christs obedience And as for the righteousnesse of faith in Jesus they consider not that his righteousnesse will not be bestowed upon any who do not renounce all confidence in their own or others works and betake themselves altogether to the only grace of Christ they consider not that if the worth of any work be relyed upon the bargain of free grace is spoiled and clear marred for if it he by works it is no more of grace and if it be of grace it is no more of works for these two are so opposit one to another in the mater of mans election and justification that they can no more consist together as causes pâ—ocuring or moving God then contradictory sentences can be both true as Paul teacheth Rom. 11. 6. 3 A third sort of self-deceivers and unwarranted self-â—bâ—olvers we reckon all persons poysoned with deadly herefies who being drawn away from the doctrine of Christ set down in the holy Scriptures turn after some false christ and false religion of mens or their own devising giving unto their Idol what worship what service what employment what power they please and making their own conditions of peace with God as they think good some denying the eternity of the Godhead of the true Christ some the reality of his assumed humane nature some evacuating so far as they can his three offices and the fruit of his execution thereof all of them promising to themselves salvation in another then in the true Christ described to us in Scripture who is Creator up-holder and Governour of all things very coeternal God with the Father and holy Spirit in the fulness of time made man ever-living Prophet Priest and King to his Church both before his incarnation and constantly since the way the truth and the life made of God unto true believers in him wisdom righteousnesse sanctification and redemption who walk among the golden candle-sticks and searches the wayes and hearts of every man as he holdeth forth himself in these Epistles unto the seven Churches of Asia Revel chap. 2. and 3. Of this danger of mistaking the true Christ and embracing a false in his room he himself doth carefully fore-warn his Disciples Math. 24. 4 5 24 25 26 Take heed that no man deceive you for many shall come in my name saying I am Christ and shall deceive many The proper remedy of this evil is this let every one that hath an ear hear what the spirit speaketh to the Churches not only in these seven Epistles but also in all the rest of the holy Scriptures which are the expressions of the holy Spirit but if any man receive not the truth in love set down by the Lords Spirit in the Scripture his punishment is set down by the Apostle 2 Thess 2. 11. and for this cause to wit because they received not the love of the truth that they might be saved God shall send them strong delusion that they should believe a lye that they all might be damned who believed not the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousnesse 1. The fourth sort of absolvers of themselves without Gods warrand are these who pretend unto true religion and deny the power of it of whom some are couvinced of their duty to repent their sins and to forsake their lusts and to endeavour a reformation of their life and this they do promise to themselves and purpose seriously to do as they think only they cannot presently and at once break off the course they are upon but do hope by little and little to come forward
professors of the christian Religion and seeming zealous worshipers crying Lord Lord may deceive themselves and misse heaven but also Preachers of the Gospel yea and Prophets yea and men indued with the gift of doing miracles and casting out of devils in Christs name not a few shall be disclaimed by Christ and condemned by him in the day of judgment If it be asked what can be their mistake and the cause of Christs rejecting of them we answer Such men deceive themselves 1. because both they and beholders also think them holier then they who are inferiour in place and gifts unto them 2. They compare themselves with those they live among and not with the law of God 3. They put not due difference between common gifts and saving graces 4. They consider not that to whom much is given much will be required of them and therefore after tryal they will be found pust up with the estimation of gifts induements imployment and successe which they have had as if these were the undoubted evidences of their regeneration and of Gods special love towards them they will be found men void of repentance and far from humble walking in the sense of their natural habitual and actual sins they will be found void of all fear of wrath which might drive them in the acknowledgment of their blindnesse poverty and misery unto Christ the Redeemer and justifier of sinners and they will be found void of all care of and endeavour after new obedience conceiving that the exercise of their gifts and successe in their imployments are sufficient holinesse and evidence of the holy Ghosts dwelling in them and working by them for otherwayes Christ will never disclaim them who have fled to him in the sense of their sin and haunted him as their refuge in the fear of deserved wrath and studied by faith in him to be furnished to bring forth the fruits of the Spirit which he hath promised to them that abide in him It is one thing to be justified before God another thing to be reputed righteous by men and esteemed so by a mans own self it is one thing to be indued with the knowledge of divine mysteries another thing saveingly to believe them and have them written in their heart it is one thing to teach others the way of salvation whereby the hearers may be saved another thing to apply saving doctrine to themselves and make right use of it it is one thing to cleanse the outer side of the plater and reform the mans outward carriage another thing to be inwardly renewed it is one thing to teach repentance and mortification of lusts another thing by he Spirit of Christ ro mortifie in-bred pride and the love of the world vain glory and other carnal lusts The course which Paul followed is the only safe way though he was a man most laborious in the work of the Lord yet he lived most sensible of his natural corruption and the body of death he did not trust in his holy life but in Jesus Christ Rom. 7. 24 25. he so made use of faith in Christ as he did not neglect the means of mortification of his sinfull nature 1 Cor. 9. 27. I keep under my body and bring it under subjection lest that by any means when I have preached to others I my self should be a cast-away The fifth and last sort of self-deceivers by absolving of themselves without the Lords allowance or approbation are temporizers who for their temporary believing temporary repenting temporary motions of their affections and temporary amendment of their maners do seem to themselves and others also true believers This sort however it be in sundry cases coincident with one or moe of the former four self-absolvers yet because our Lord in the parable of the sower of seed Matth. 13. 21. and Luke 4. 17 doth put a difference between the stony ground and the other sorts of ground we shall give it a room by it self specially because it may have the own proper considerations Temporizers then we call such as upon temporary motives from temporary principles for temporary ends do imbrace the Word of the Lord readily but slightly and do as readily and lightly passe from it upon temporary motives in special when persecution arileth for the Word Mark 4. 16. when they have heard the Word immediatly they receive it with gladness and afterward when affliction or persecution arises for the Words sake immediatly they are offended Lightly they take up truth delivered and lightly do they passe from it again they have no root in themselves or solid believing of the truth for the truths cause but what pleaseth others pleaseth them and what displeaseth others doth displease them in the maters of religion the way of God set down in Scripture when they hear it they can say nothing against it yea they think it good to hear the Gospel and the largenesse of Gods grace and because it sheweth unto them a possibility of their salvation they receive it with a sort of natural gladnesse which sort of believing doth endure for a time to wit so long as the way of others among whom they live and the laws of the country and prosperity and good estimation with others goeth along with the profession of the truth received but when the wind of another doctrine bloweth and doth carry with it power to trouble and persecute them who will not receive it by and by they are offended and renounce the truth controverted because it draweth trouble with the profession of it for such persons suppose that gain ease and applause are very godlinesse It is true sometime the true believer may be surprised with a sudain tentation to renounce the profession of truth in some point for fear of death as Peters example doth shew us but true faith recovereth strength and ariseth after a fall and endureth persecution for that truth as temporary belief doth not but faileth altogether And the temporizers repentance failleth also because it ariseth from natural principles and is for natural motives and ends Such was the repentance of Saul in weeping and justifying David for sparing his life 1 Sam. 27. 21. Such was the repentance of the carnal Israelits Psal. 78. 36. and the humiliation of Ahab and such is their amendment of life all nothing but temporary and which doth not continue as Hosea chap. 6. 4. sheweth O Ephraim what shall I do unto thee O Judah what shall I do unto thee for thy goodnesse is like the morning cloud and like the early dew that passeth soon away Neither is it any wonder that unrenewed men may attain to something like unto faith and repentance and outward amendment of maners if we consider that humane writings find so much credit with men as not to be called in question but believed to be true for experience testifieth that their affections are moved sometime with delight and sometime with indignation and pity not only when they read Histories but also when
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
his yoke upon them are troubled with doubtings whether they be of the number of true believers whether they have rightly come unto Christ whether they have been well accepted of him and for their doubting they can give no other reason save this I cannot be quiet nor rest in assurance that I am in the state of grace if they be interrogat what they think of the evident signs of their regeneration which have been and are to be seen in their conversation since they began in earnest to seek the face of God in Christ They will possibly not altogether deny Gods work in them but yet dare not lean weight upon these signs because they do find these signs also brought in question whether they have been or are kindly and sincere mean time they are about to do that which is acceptable to God in the course of their calling albeit with more heavinesse and lesse alacrity then bâ—cometh persons reconciled to God in Christ. 2. This disease will be found complicat and made up of moe mistakes and errors then one and therefore is to be the more narrowly considered because it is no small hinderance of a comfortable christian conversation which God doth allow on his children for in the party troubled with unquietnesse we presuppone Iâ— there is a serious sense of sin and purpose to do better 2. An unfained embracing of the covenant of grace and reconciliation in Christ Jâ—sus And 3. an honest though weak endeavour to bring forth the fruits of new obedience and yet notwithstanding the person is not quiet but walketh heavily and is discouraged by reason of his uncertainty whether he be in the state of grace or not yea he is cast down and disquieted because he is disquieted and cannot get a reasonable answer from his conscience when he asketh of it why are thou cast down and disquieted within me 3. The mistakes and errors whence this dissatisfaction and unquietnesse doth flow are many but we shall condescend upon eight or nine only The first error and cause of unquietnesse is or may be this that the party afflicted albeit he have the habits of saving grace in him and doth by Gods grace put forth these habits in actual exercise yet he doth not reflect upon nor turn his eye to observe the operations of Gods holy Spirit in himself nor the acts of saving grace which the holy Spirit hath made him put forth of which if he take not notice they are to him for the time as if they were not and so no wonder he be disquiet while he perceiveth not in himself that which might make him quiet For example when the sense of sin is raised up in a mans spirit by the holy Ghost if he do not observe that this is one of the operations of the holy Spirit convincing the world of sin or if he do not turn back his eye on this operation and upon his own act stirred up thereby to subscribe the sentence of the law against himself no wonder that he doubt of his conversion till he see the foot-steps of God the converter of him from the love and approbation of sin unto the hatred of it and when he is â—lâ—d to Christ the only Redeemer from sin and misery and hath laid hold on him according to the covenant of grace offered in him if he do not look back on this operation of God drawing him to Christ and upon his own act of coming unto Christ by the draught of Gods Spirit what wonder he do not reckon himself among believers albeit he be in Gods account one of that number And when the holy Spirit hath kindled in him not only a purpose of new obedience but also a begun endeavour to live holily justly and soberly if he do not observe and acknowledge these operations of Gods Spirit making him to bring forth these acts what wonder that this mistake and inconsideration do open a door to disquietnesse and doubting whether he be in the state of grace or not 4. For removing this cause of disquietnesse the afflicted person must beware that he passe not sentence of Gods dispensation towards him according to the tentations and suggestions of Sathan nor yet according to the opinion which his Pastor or friend may have of him judging somewhat uncharitably of him upon sinister suspicions neither let him stand to the suspicions of his own incredulous heart but let him consider what the Word of the Lord hath said of the person in whom these three graceâ— do concur to wit 1. the sense of sin and inability to help our selves 2. flying unto Christ for relief from sin and misery and 3. some measure of upright purpose and endeavour to serve God in new obedience for of such saith the Apostle Phil. 3. 3 We are the Circumcision or true Israelits who have no confidence in the flesh but rejoyce in Iesus Christ and worship God in the spirit Let him therefore esteem the discovery of his sinfull and wretched estate in himself to be the very fruit of the eye-salve and work of the Spirit bestowed on him by Christ and let him esteem his hearty consent given to the covenant of grace and reconciliation to be the undoubted act of saving faith For hearty consent to the offer of grace in Jesus Christ presuppones first that the person sees no standing for him by the law or covenant of works but is beaten from all confidence in himself and made to believe and subscribe the righteous sentence of the law against himself to the praise of Gods truth and justice Secondly it imports the mans believing the testimony which God hath given of Christ Jesus to wit that God hath made a gift of life eternall to the soul that hungereth and thristeth for righteousnesse and that this life is in his Son yea it imports the mans receiving and embracing of Christ offered in the Gospel Thirdly it importeth that the consenter to the covenant of grace as he hath renounced confidence in his own works So he hath given up himself to God to live by the grace of Jesus Christ unto eternall life Now if the afflicted shall reflect upon these two operations of the holy Ghost making him humble in the sense of sin heartily to receive Christ Jesus for his relief and withall do observe an unfained purpose and begun endeavour to live more holily and fruitfully by the grace and furniture of Christ howsoever he labour under many infirmities not only is he undoubtedly a new creature but also by observing the foresaid evidence thereof may conclude that God hath begun a good work of grace in him and so shall this first cause of disquietnesse be removed 5. Another cause of disquietnesse is or may be this if the afflicted after examination of the work of grace in himself being convinced of his blessed estate and confirmed by present sense of Gods love shed abroad in his heart do not hold fast his estimation of Gods work in himself longer
then the sensible comfort thereof remaineth with him but either doth retreat his judgment of his blessed estate or doth not defend his right doth not resist Sathan by being stedfast in the faith no wonder his disquietnesse and dejection of courage return upon him 6. For removing of this cause of disquietnesse let the afflicted consider that spiritual consolation and sensible feeling of Gods favour is granted to Gods children to make them stedfast in the faith of Gods grace toward them when sensible comfort is with-drawn and when they are put to the tryal and exercise of their faith under trouble and temptations And therefore when the afflâ—cted once being made clear of his interest in Christ and of his keeping on him the yoke of Christ doth find a change in his condition let him presently humble himself before God in acknowledgment of the power of the body of sin in himself and of whatsoever evil fruit it hath brought forth whereby he hath procured the change of his own comfortable condition and let him 〈◊〉 the acts of his repentance and of his 〈◊〉 in Christ striving against all temptations for the 〈◊〉 once given to him and disputing for his right and interest unto Gods grace in Christ that he may with patience obtain the victory over his temptation and be able not only with Dâ—vid to charge his own soul to trust in God the help and health of his countenance Ps. 42. and 43. but also to glory with the Apostle and to say 2 Tim. 1. 22. I know whom I have believed and I am perswaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day And so may the second cause of disquietnesse be removed 7. A third cause of disquietnesse is or may be this if a sincere convert finding himself come short both of his purpose and hope of making progresse in the course of new obedience and reformation of heart and conversation shall in 〈◊〉 of being more humbled and beaten more out of confidence in his own strength and works and in 〈◊〉 of laying 〈◊〉 hold on the imputed righteousnesse 〈…〉 discouragement and so open a 〈…〉 calling his own conversion in question In this case the 〈…〉 of the true convert is augmented by reason of the conscience of his sincerity in his couversion wherein he renounced the love and service of all sin renounced all confidence in his own worth or works did flye unto the grace offered in Christ and received him heartily and purposed â—onestly to serve God thereafter in newnesse of life which maketh him say in himself I can never put repentance from dead works and faith in Christ and purpose of new obedience more sincerely in exercise then I have done and now seing I come short of my purpose and hope of profiting and can never more sincerely repent of sin or believe in Christ then I have done have I not just cause of doubting of my estate and of discouragment and disquietnesse 8. For removing this cause of disquietnesse let the afflicted consider first that there is a great difference between purpose and practice A holy and sincere purpose oâ—t times cometh short in practice for the Apostle saith Rom. 7 18. To will is present with me but how to perform that which is good I find not The inlake here is of strength to perform and not in the sincerity of the will and purpose Secondly let him consider that there is a difference between the consent of a well-informed conscience to the discharge of holy duties and the practical coming up of the not well-reformed heart unto the actual discharge of those duties for oft-times the heart is like a deceitfull bow that disappointeth the archer therefore let not the afflicted deny the sincerity of his purpose but let him be humbled for the corruption of his heart which hath not answered his purpose and expectation Thirdly let not the afflicted think that he hath so fully renounced all confidence in his own works as he conceived we may be clearly convinced not to lean to our own righteousnesse and so more easily in our judgment renounce all confidence in our good behaviour but the dregs of the sin of misbelieving Jews is not easily purged out of us wherein they went about to establish their own righteousnesse and did not submit themselves to the righteousnesse of faith Rom. 9. and 10. 3. As he therefore who denyeth that he leaneth his weight on his staff and yet falleth to the ground when his staff doth slide is found to have leaned more weight on his staff then he pretended So he is found to have leaned too much weight upon his own works who is cast down because his performances are not answerable to his purpose and hopes Humbled indeed he ought to be and to lament his misery under the body of death but not be so dejected and discouraged as to loose or sâ—cken his grips of the covenant of Grace especially when he doth consider that the Lord by this experience of his own weaknesse is teaching him thereafter to have a more high estimation and make better use of Christs imputed righteousnesse and to lean lesse to his own purposes and promises and inherent righteousnesse that so he may draw more ability from Christ by faith to bring forth better fruits for without me saith Christ you can do nothing Joh. 15. 5. Last of all let him neither say nor think that he cannot put forth any act of repentance or saith or purpose of amendment of life more sincerely then he hath done for no man hath attained such a measure of sincerity in the discharge of any act of saving grace but there is room for him to receive a greater measure both of activity and sincerity in acting then he hath attained already but rather let him examine more narrowly and find out the corrupt inclination of the heart to lean to its own inherent righteousnesse and difficulty of subjecting it self wholly to the righteousnesse of â—aith and sanctification through faith in Christ for this doth the Apostle teach us to do Philip. 3. 12 13 14. he did not think himself already perfect but reached himself forth to those things which were before him pressing toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus And the end of the pressing of the Law is that sin may be the more clearly discovered that as sin hath reigned unto death even so might grace reign through Christ Jesus our Lord Râ—m 5. 20 21. 9. The fourth cause of disquietnesse is or may be this if the true convâ—rt being frequently convinced of the manifold deceits of the heart for this cause shall begin to call in question all the work of grace in himself which inconvenience doth flow from his not putting difference between the true consent of the heart unto the covenant of Grace and acts of holinesse in so far as the heart is renewed on the one hand and the doubting
these and the like grounds the Apostle lived a comfortable life Phil. 4. 12. I know both how to be abased and I know how to abound every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry both to abound and suffer need I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me Thus must Christian souldiers live in the midst of their toyling in warfare in want of many things in watching and running hazard of life in hope of victory and promised glory holding up their hearts by faith in Christ. And these things which we have spoken in explication of this case are not intended to hinder the tender hearted believer from praying and endeavouring by all means that the face of the Lord may shine upon him and that he may be filled with the joy of his Spirit for we are charged to seek his face and strength continually Psal. 105. 4. But all our speech doth drive at this mainly that the afflicted in his discouragment and unquietnesse meekly submit himself to the will of God howsoever he be exercised alwayes going on in the way of God according to his vocation through honour and dishonour through good report and evil report looking unto the promises which are made to him that endureth to the end And what is spoken here of living by faith must not be abused to softer negligence in well doing or bringing forth fruits of faith in every condition or to hinder the daily exercise of repentance or to require of a Christian a stoical stupidity under trouble but the thing we aim at is that the Christian in all crosse dispensations and vexations endeavour by faith to be of good courage in the Lord and endeavour to draw vertue from Christ to bring forth fruits giving glory to him whatsoever measure he shall bestow more or lesse because it is Christ who is made unto us wisdom and righteousnesse sanctification and redemption and in him alone shall the soul of the afflicted have rest Matth. 11. 24. CHAP. IX Wherein the converts doubt arising from his uncertainty as what time he was converted is solved THere are some true converts who after they have past a good part of their journey to heaven begin to halt and make slow progresse by doubting whether they be walking in the true converts foot-steps or whether they be converted at all or not The reason of their doubting ariseth from this that in conference with sundry of the Saints of their acquaintance they have observed that every one of them could design the time of their conversion and from that time can reckon their age in Christ Or from this is their doubt arisen that in the Treatise of some modern Writer they have read or from the Sermon of some well esteemed Preacher they have heard some such doctrine whereupon the true convert falleth out with himself in saying I was bred and brought up in a godly family I have followed the exercises of religion after hearing the heads and summe of christian Religion I have embraced the truth I seemed to my self to believe in Christ and entertain the exercise of repentance and to endeavour the amendment of my life I love these whom I see to live holily and I do hate the wayes of the profane but because I cannot tell when or what day or year I was really converted as I know sundry of the godly of my acquaintance can do therefore I doubt whether my conversion be begun or not but mean time though I will not turn off the way I have been following yet I go on halting and heartlesse till I be cleared of my doubt 2. For removing this doubt we must yield this far to the afflicted that many indeed deceive themselves who being civilly educated and from their bairn-age accustomed with the exercises of religion are nothing beyond the foolish virgins and do rest satisfied with their own and others opinion of themselves If such persons be questioned when they began to repent or believe in Christ it is true they cannot design the time when they were unconverted but have still been pleased and are pleased with their own estate and in effect were never converted But it is no lesse true on the other hand that there are some who indeed are renewed in whom peece and peece without any notable change faith and repentance and a holy conversation have grown with the growing knowledge of the Gospel and will of God therein of whom it may be truly said the kingdom of heaven cometh not with observation of whom it is said Mark 4. 26. So is the kingdom of God as if a man should cast seed into the ground and should sleep and rise night and day and the seed should spring and grow up he knoweth not how But to solve the doubt it maters not whether a man know or not know the day of his conversion provided he be indeed regenerat and made a new creature Wherefore the afflicted may be of good courage if after serious examination of his own conscience he be humbled frequently in the sense not only of his actual sins and short-coming of his duty but also in the sense of his original and in-dwelling corruption or body of death if as he doth indeed loath himself and renounce all confidence in his best works so he seriously imbrace the imputed righteousnesse of Christ and in his strength by faith in him doth endeavour to live holily righteously and soberly albeit joyned with many imperfections he may conclude he is regenerat for if these three be joyned in him in any measure of honesty he needeth not be anxious what day moneth or year the holy Spirit began to work these things in him Only let him give all diligence to grow in humility faith and new obedience and to hold on this way whatsoever doubts or impediments he shall meet with for the Apostle exeemeth such a man from the number of hypocrits and unconverted Phil. 3. 3. We saith he are the circumcision or the Christian converts who worship God in the spirit and rejoyce in Christ Iesus and have no confidence in the flesh CHAP. X. Wherein is solved the converts doubt of his regeneration arising from his apprehension that the beginning of the change of his life was not from the sincere love of God but either from terror or self-self-love which he conceiveth to be but carnal SOme true converts are who can design the time of the change of their way from sin to Christ and to a holy life whereof they have not only the Church they live in but also their own conscience witnesses yet after a considerable time do fall in suspicion whether that time of their change was the time of their effectuall calling some of them bringing no other reason of their doubting save this that they were never much troubled with the terrors of the Law but most part allured to draw near to God and to eshew the way of sinning by the love
of eternal life Other some doubting of the soundnesse of their conversion because the â—error of God and fear of condemnation and hell prevailed more with them for changing their course then the love of God and true holinesse did and both the one sort and the other do conceive the chief rise of their change to have been natural or carnal self-self-love fearing harm and loving life 2. For removing of this doubt we grant that there are many who after some notable delivery from death or some notable benefit received or after some sharp rod of chastisement for their sin have changed their outward way of living left off grosse vices and led a more civil and blamelesse outward life and yet have neither seriously repented them of sin nor seriously fled in unto the grace of Jesus Christ offered in the Gospel neither knowing what saving faith is nor carefull to know it but of such we do not speak here for we are speaking of the true convert and renewed man who in the sense of sin is fled to Christ in the sense of his unworthinesse maketh the grace offered his refuge and in the sense of indigence looketh up to Christ and seeketh supply of him in all things and by the holy Spirit is striving against sin endeavouring in some measure of sincerity to bring forth the fruits of faith and repentance and yet for all this he doubteth of the sincerity of his own conversion for the reasons foresaid To this souldier and wrestler we say as before we said to him that doubteth of his conversion because he cannot design the time of his conversion it is not material by what way or means or motives a man is brought unto Christ provided he doth come and indeed adhere to Christ it is all one whether the rise of the mans turning from sin to God was love alluring or terror driving him whether a benefit or a sharp rod whether fear or hope did at the first beginning of his change move him to seek God provided God manifested in the flesh Christ Jesus the Redeemer of sinners be now his beloved Lord and precious in his eyes for he that is most sweetly allured to come to God and without much fear is converted who possibly after serious conviction of sin and deserved death is not keeped long at the door of mercy but forthwith is admitted to the throne of grace and tenderly entertained by the Spirit of consolation may fall in hard exercises afterward This is evident in the experience of the Prophet David in whom his brethren living in the same family with him did not perceive any signes of a sorrowfull or heavy heart as his brother Eliab's words do shew 1 Sam. 17. 28. I know thy pride and the naughtiness of thy heart Thus did Eliab judge of David's chearfull carriage whereof also we have some evidence that David was of a ruddy and beautiful countenance and for some years of his youth did passe the time pleasantly serving God with his songs and harp while he was feeding his sheep in the wildernesse now none can justly question his conversion all this time or his sincerity in this service yet afterward he was otherwayes exercised for oft-times he felt the power of the Law upon his spirit and was tossed with the terror thereof and made to mourn and weep heavily Such doth Iob's condition seem to be in his youth as it is described Iob 29. but afterward in the tryal of his faith what a conflict with temptation he had the sacred History doth testifie Therefore there is no reason why any in whom these evidences of a true Israelit are found in any measure should suspect the sincerity of his regeneration because he hath been gently handled in his conversion for it may come to passe that the same person may fall in firy tryals and so hard temptations as he may fall in doubt of his conversion in regard of the sad afflictions inward and outward whereby he is exercised In which case he will be found to be mistaken no lesse then he was mistaken in the former case and condition for some dear children of God may possibly both in their conversion and most part of their life be exercised with the terrors of the Law and yet retain fast hold by faith on Christs grace in their deepest afflictions For instance we offer that precious soul Heman the Ezrait who came near unto Solomon in the point of wisdom 1 King 4 31. and yet how bitter his afflictions of spirit were the 88. Psalm beareth witnesse specially v. 13. 14 15. But unto thee have I cryed O Lord and in the morning shall my prayer prevent thee And why castest thou off my soul why hidest thou thy face from me I am afflicted and ready to die from my youth up while I suffer thy terrors I am distracted c. And therefore there is no just cause that any in whom the evidences of faith and repentance may be found should call the sincerity of his own conversion in question how hardly soever he seem to be handled of God for whosoever is joyned to the Lord Jesus and will neither suffer himself to be driven from him nor yet will endure sin to remain in himself uncontrolled is certainly a true convert As for these who for some temporal cause are come to Christ as many did come in the dayes of his flesh that they might be delivered from some temporal evil or obtain some temporal benefit and for that cause do doubt of their conversion or sincerity thereof they need not dispute much about the occasions of their first seeking after God provided that they have learned what Christs grace is and do seek righteousnesse and salvation in him for we read in the Evangel that sundry that they might be cured of leprosie palsie blindnesse c. came unto Christ who afterward came and adhered to him by faith as the only Redeemer and Saviour of their souls from sin and misery Wherefore in such doubtings let not the afflicted trouble himself nor call his conversion in question but let him give all diligence to strengthen his faith and to increase in holinesse making his calling and election sure by well-doing for if he do this he shall neither be found idle nor unfruitfull in the knowledge of our Lord Iesus as the Apostle promiseth 2 Pet. 1. 8. CHAP. XI Wherein the converts doubt of his being in the state of grace arising from heavy afflictions and grievous tentations is solved SOme true converts sometime fall into great suspicionâ— of their regeneration of their effectual calling and of the love of God unto them and that because they meet with sore outward afflictions and are assaulted also possibly with horrible inward tentations which do befall them unexpectedly and are ready to swallow them up for whereas after divers conflicts in their conversion and peace of conscience following after these sad exercises of mind they hoped to have injoyed Gods peace still after
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
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
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
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
of such as they hate hoping how false and groundlesse soever the calumnies be that yet something shall prove likely and probable and so fasten something upon the innocent In which case let the afflicted lift up his mind to the Lord and pray him to rebuke Sathan 2. Let him humble himself in acknowledgment of his natural corruption and having fled to Christ for righteousnesse let him take the shield of faith for quenching that dart 3. Let him as he is inabled contemn these devilish slanders of Sathan and set his mind on some better employment then to dispute with so impudent and restless an adversary for we have other businesse to go about then to take notice of the dogs barking at us but if it please God to continue that exercise from day to day let the afflicted in patience submit himself to God and direct his speech and thoughts unto God only not answering directly such a Shimei at all It is not safe to direct our speech to Sathan at all but let us say to God the Lord rebuke Sathan 3. Sometime Sathan falleth on with suggestions blasphemous against God and all the grounds of religion and fathers all these blasphemies on the afflicted as his proper sins In which case let the afflicted be humbled before God because of original sin whereof Sathan maketh use as of something of his own in us 2. Let him renew the grips of faith on Christ the Mediatour in whom the fulnesse of the Godhead dwelleth reconciling the elect world to himself not imputing their sins unto them 3. Let not the afflicted look upon these blasphemies otherwayes then as Sathans malice against God for so they are indeed and not the sins of the poor soul vexed with such suggestions 4. Let the afflicted beware of discouragments misbelief or weakening of his faith in God of impatiency and fretting under this sad exercise for there is more cause of fear from Sathans second subtile tentations then from his grosse suggestions whereby at the back of the former grosse blasphemies he goeth about to draw the afflicted to the suspicion of the former work of grace in him and of Gods love unto him His wiles in this case are much more dangerous then his violence in his furious lyon-like assaults for he may more easily get the consent of the afflicted to some sits of misbelief and impatience or some other sins then to admit or consent unto any of these grosse blasphemies suggested 4. Sometime when the young and tender convert is reading or hearing in Sermon the sad sentences of God against such and such sins which do reign in the wicked Sathan flyeth on him with a false application saying thou art the man and doth not a little disquiet the weak in faith In which case let the afflicted consider that whatsoever is spoken in or from Scripture of the maledictions of the law are spoken against them that are under the curse of the law and covenant of works 1 Tim. 1. 8. who have not repented their sins nor fled to Christ nor are aiming at reformation of life and sanctification but these curses are not spoken against the righteous that is to say against such as in the sense of their sinfulnesse do loath themselves and are fled to Christ for refuge and have taken on his yoke upon them already justified and begun to be sanctified 5. Sometime Sathan doth abuse the Scripture and put a wrong sense upon it that thereby he may wound these that are weak in the faith For example it is written Rom. 14. 23. whosoever doubteth is damned if he eat But thou saith Sathan to the young and weak convert hast done many things whereof thou didst doubt whether they were lawfull or not yea thou hast eaten the Supper of the Lord with doubting therefore thou art damned Again it is written 1 Cor. 11. 29. He that eateth the sacramental bread of the Lord or dinketh of the cup of the Lord unworthily eateth and drinketh his own condemnation but thou saith Sathan hast eaten the bread and drunken the cup of the Lord unworthily for thou knowest thou art very unworthy therefore thou hast eaten and drunken thy own condemnation In this case and such other like let the afflicted convert inquire of the Pastor or some faithfull Christian better acquaint with Scripture concerning the sense of the words of Scripture which seem to make against him that the words being well understood the doubt may be dissolved As for example these foresaid abused Scriptures do only declare the sentence of the law against him that doth what he doubteth to be lawfull but doth not exclude him from mercy upon the acknowledgment of his sin and flying to the mercy offered in Christ Jesus And by eating and drinking unworthily we must not understand that every one who finding himself unworthy flyeth to the grace offered and sealed in the Supper of the Lord eateth unworthily for so no man should eat worthily for all worthy communicants in the sense of their unworthinesse must and do flye to free grace offered in Christ but the meaning is that these do eat and drink unworthily who profane the Sacrament and put no difference betwixt this holy banquet of the Lord and a common supper yea and even this sin of not discerning the Lords Body doth not exclude the man from mercy for the Apostle for remedy of this sin exhorteth these who are guilty to judge themselves that so they may not be judged by God who pardoneth the penitent 1 Cor. 11. 31. And so let the afflicted for strengthening of his faith know that every Scripture which speaketh against sin doth drive the guilty man unto repentance and faith in Christ without whose grace sought after and embraced there is no salvation 6. Sometime Sathan the adversary of all converts doth assault the faith of Gods children when he findeth them under some present guiltinesse lately contracted or under tryall of their faith as under desertion and disconsolation or some miserable condition whereof he taketh advantage to suggest to the child of God that his faith is but phantasie that God neither loveth him nor can love the like of him In which case let the afflicted humble himself before God and flye to him in Christ offering reconciliation let him 1. resolve firmly to adhere to the covenant of grace offered to self-condemned sinners through Christ. 2. Let him observe his present condition to be the day of his visitation tryal and probation what use he will make of Christ in his difficulties and straits 3. Let him in the use of Gods worship wait for the day-star of divine consolation promised to those that wait on the Lord Isa. 49. 10. 11 and Hos. 6. 3. and Isa. 40. 31. And last of all lest we insist too long in reckoning the innumerable wiles of the crafty serpent let every convert consider that there is no time while we dwell in the tabernacle of this body of death wherein we may be secure
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
Christians with giving them over to their own hearts lusts and letting them not only walk in their own counsells and in the imaginations of their own ill hearts but also in his justice sending to them strong delusions and false teachers to authorize their errors and hold them on in the way to perdition What wonder to see God for the light esteeming of baptisme bestowed on men in their infancy and the not making use thereof for mortification of lusts and sanctification of life by faith in Jesus Christ to let loose phanatick Anabaptists to teach men to renounce their baptisme What wonder to see mens loose-living in the service of their sensual lusts punished with letting loose antichristian Antinomians who turning the grace of God in wantonnesse do avouch whatsoever they do it is no sin and that they are not bound to keep the law which Christ professeth he came not to dissolve but by the contrary to establish it What wonder to see mens carnal confidence in their own wit worth strength and ability works and merits punished with letting loose lying spirits to harden them in their error And what wonder to see God punishing the abuse of the Gospel and refusing to receive the truth in love with giving men over to the spirit of Antichrist and strong delusions 2 Thess. 2. The patrons and propagators of such errors and delusions are called by the Apostle ministers of Sathan and false brethren 2 Cor 11. 16. deceivers 1 Tim. 4. 1. and men who were of old ordained to this condemnation From whose contagion and punishment let every misled soul pray to God to be delivered CHAP. VIII Concerning the converts conscience mistaking vice for vertue and pleasing himself in this condition THis case differeth from the case of delusion which we have taken for erring in the matter of Religion whether doctrine or worship pertaining to the first table of the Law but this mistaking conscience is in the practice of duties of the second table when the doctrine of the duty is confessed but in practice and action vice is practised under the notion and pretense of vertue and the man is pleased with himself in so doing Whereof it shall suffice to give three instances The first instance THe first instance wherein a convert may be for a time mistaken is when a man pleaseth himself in â—igardly parcimony and narrow scraping together of mony to the hinderance of spiritual duties under pretense of frugality and diligence in his calling c. Whereby he perswadeth himself that his practice is so far from sin as it is rather commendable and worthy to be imitat for he conceiveth that according to Gods command he is not slow in the work of the Lord but fervent in spirit serving the Lord Rom. 12. 11. that he is working with his hands that which is good Ephes. 4. 18. that he is providing for the necessity of his family for which if he should not provide he should be worse then an infidel 1 Tim. 5. 8. If the mater were found so to be after examination true it is frugality diligence in a lawfull calling and provision for a mans family are commendable but here is the deceit of the heart found when anxiety is found in stead of moderat carefulnesse when hasting to be rich is found in stead of moderat diligence in his calling when love of money and avarice is found in stead of honest provision for a mans family We grant also that this mistake is not easily discerned by beholders but yet the convert himself after examination may discern it when he looketh upon the effects signs and concomitant evils such as are felt impediments and hinderances of a spiritual disposition for this covetousnesse of things earthly whereof we are speaking doth marr the study and endeavour for things spiritual and diminisheth the fear of sinning in the mater of gain and taketh up the time due for spiritual exercise In this case carnal joy in the getting gain is a sign and evidence of a deceived heart and so is also wordly grief for want of successe or for not getting expected and desired gain a proof of this mistaking The causes of this evil are the too great fear of poverty an over-high estimation of riches a diffidence of Gods providence a doubting of Gods promises to furnish his own with food and raiment and things necessary for this temporal life which diffidence Christ doth expresly discharge Mat. 6. 24 25. But for a remedy of this evil the person guilty cannot seek after nor embrace it so long as he is not convinced of his sinfull condition wherefore for clearing a mans mind in this point let him examine himself whether in following gain his heart be oft-times surfetted and overcharged with the cares of this life and made frequently indisposed for prayer and religious exercises whether he be too much taken with gladnesse when he gaineth and grief when he suffereth loss and worldly damage whether he useth for hope of gain or fear of life to lye and flatter or dare deal injustly in his bargains whether he findeth himself slow unto exercises of religion but prompt and ready for secular affairs whether he spend the time heavily in religious exercises and is weary of them but can passe the time pleasantly in the affairs of this life If he find himself convinced by shrewd signs of this evil let him humble himself in Gods sight flye unto Christ for fastening his bargain for righteousnesse and eternal life through Christ then let him not cast off his diligence in and faithfull discharge of his lawfull calling but by a religious disposition of mind and observance of all religious exercises seasonably temper and moderat his diligence in secular affairs and depend upon God more then he hath done for the successe of his labours and take from God loss or advantage as he giveth it so as he may be found in prosperity and adversity submissive unto God and ready for the discharge of charity and equity as occasion shall offer Another instance THere is another instance wherein a convert may be mistaken to wit when a man pleaseth himself in in the prosecution of privat revenge that he may pay home to such as have wronged him in the mater of his credit and reputation or in his goods or bodily harm done to him or his friends for this ungodly disposition he may pretend possibly a care of following retributive justice wherein he may seem to himself to come short except he should watch for a recompence-giving to the person injurious he may possibly pretend a dutifull respect to publick peace and welfare of the commonwealth of the society wherein he liveth wherein he may seem to himself to come short if he should suffer the person injurious to him to go away unpunished he may pretend also his own safety and security for time to come whereof he may seem to himself carelesse except he make it evident that whosoever doth him wrong
shall be made sensible of his injury done he may pretend that the glory of God requireth so much that sins should be punished the avenging whereof if it should be delayed longer then occasion of revenge should offer or till the Magistrat should take notice of it no punishment should fall upon the injurious at all and last of all he may pretend the good of the party injurer who by feeling the smart of his wrong done may be led to repentance and made to learn by his suffering the recompence of his injury done to carry himself more equitably toward his neighbours in all time coming All these pretenses may bear weight in the corrupt inclination of a convert and may harden him in his sinfull course of seeking a privat revenge on the person who hath injured him And his corrupt inclination may be observed by himself 1. by the stirring of his passion and wrath against the injurer whensoever he doth see the party injurer or call the injury to mind 2. By dissimulation and hiding from all men the sense he hath of the wrong received till he find an occasion offered to be avenged on him 3. By a stop made in his own prayer for remission of sins by his conscience telling him he could not subscribe the condition put in the prayer for remission of sin by Christ which is forgive us our sins as we also forgive them that sin against us The causes of this sinfull condition are 1. corrupt and unmortified carnal self-love with a too high estimation of himself in pride which maketh the injury seem so much greater as he hath a higher estimation of himself 2. A defect in his christian love meeknesse long-suffering patience and pity which should have their exercise specially in cases of provocation of our unmortified affections 3. The oblivion of the commands of God and of the manyfold sins daily committed against him whereof if there were a due estimation had the fountain and course of carnal revenge should soon be stopped that privat and carnal revenge should not break forth When these evils are found out and acknowledged by the convert in himself the main remedy thereof is in and by Christ who hath died for us when we were his enemies Rom. 5. 8. and for whose cause greater sins against God are daily forgiven to us then are the injuries done unto us by men 2. In this case also the grave admonition of the Apostle should not be forgotten Ephes. 4. 26 27. Let not the Sun go down upon your wrath neither give place to the devil Giving us to understand that if wrath which draweth with it the desire of revenge shall lodge all night with a man the devil will lodge with it also stirring the man up to pursue a revenge whensoever he findeth opportunity A third instance A third instance of this possible mistake of a convert may be found when he pleaseth himself in his carriage too much for his own carnal satisfaction in meat drink apparrel and recreations and here he may be hardened by sundry pretenses which he may have for his excesse in the use of things otherwayes lawfull As 1. that what he spendeth upon himself is of his own means 2. That his recreations are lawfull and allowed unto him of God 3 That in all this he hath a care of his health 4. That he doth not spend more upon himself then his rent and ability may well bear 5. That God hath said by the mouth of a wise King that this course which he doth follow in allowing on himself is the gift of God Eccles. 5. 19. And last of all that he might seem justly a nigard if he did not well to himself when he is able so to do and here are pretences abundant But if after examination of a mans own self he shall find the aboundance of earthly things weakening his desire after things spiritual or shall find the sense of his in-born corruption laid over to sleep in his prosperity or shall find his flesh wax wanton against the spirit and to prevail in the conflict or shall find his compassion toward the poor and afflicted to grow cold and his delight in things spiritual much diminished or shall find too great a share and portion of his time bestowed upon his body and but little time bestowed upon the care of his soul a wakened conscience may easily convince the convert that maters are not so right with him as he supposed The remedy of this evil is not for a man to turn unto another extremity and to a contrary vice as if there were no place for a wise moderation or as if at sometimes a more liberal use of the creature were not allowed unto men or as if a spiritual disposition of a mans spirit could not consist now and then with any banquet or festivity for it is plain from Scripture that there is a time to â—east and a time to fast a time to labour and a time to be refreshed both in body and mind after labour In which prudence the Apostle had not a little advanced when he saith Phil. 4. 12 13. I know both how to be abased and I know how to abound every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry both to abound and suffer need I can do all things through Christ that strengthens me But here is the remedy 1. that distrusting our selves and fearing the snares which Sathan layeth for us in all things we have our conversation with Christ and set our affections on things which are above as the Apostle giveth direction 1 Col. 3. 1 2. Next that we watch against the lusts of the flesh least at any time our hearts be suâ—fetted with meat or drink or any thing which is pleasant to the flesh Luk. 21. 34. Rom. 13. 14. For we are not debters to the flesh to fulfill the lusts thereof Rom. 8. 12. but are bound so to care for our bodies so as our souls have no loss thereby for the lusts of the flesh do fight against our souls 2 Pet. 2. 11. And to this end let the admonition of the Apostle be well remembred 1 Cor. 7. 29 30 31. This I say brethren the time is short it remaineth that both they who have wives be as though they have none and they that weep as though they weept not and they that rejoyce as though they rejoyced not and they that buy as though they possessed not and they that use this world as not abusing it for the fashion of this world passeth away Many moe instances might be given but these may suffice our purpose who mind only to give some taste of cases of conscience in some examples which may give light unto other like cases as they fall in CHAP. IX Of the case of conscience dealing treacherously under pretense of liberty of conscience PRevarication or treacherous dealing is strictly taken when for a bud or bribe the conscience doth betray
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
Whereupon when they reflect they are so far from humbling themselves and making right use thereof that their indignation at themselves and their fretting is increased so much the more as the cause of their impatiency was so small as common reason found in heathens hath overcome and therefore should have been more easily digested by Christians This mis-carriage useth oft-times to be past-by without any fruit further then to acknowledge their infirmity 2. But the true cure of this evil is in discovery and removal of the causes thereof which are three 1. Carnal confidence of the convert in his own strength as able to overcome lesser troubles 2. Neglect of duty toward God in his rencounter with smaller provocations of passion for men in great troubles and weighty crosses use to flye unto God by prayer to help them to bear the same but when they meet with lesser crosses they oppose their own strength unto them and puts not up the mater to God and so their infirmity is manifested 3. Gods wise correcting his child for miskening of him in lightest maters 3. Therefore let the convert afflicted in this case acknowledge his failing and be humbled at the sight of his passionat infirmity and blesse God for bearing down by his rod carnal self-confidence 2. Let him learn of David Ps. 141. 3. not to trust in his own strength in any thing but depend on God for setting a watch before his mouth and keeping the door of his lips and mainly for keeping his heart from inclining to any evil thing 3. Let him make more use both of Christs open fountain for washing away sin and uncleannesse and of his assistance to mortifie the deeds of corrupt nature by his Spirit for otherwayes the convert may look to be oftener foyled in this kind and oftener to be corrected for not watching over his passions CHAP. XXV Concerning the converts mistaking his case for want of such a submission unto Gods exercising of him as be would have SOme true converts sometime esteem themselves guilty of rebellion against God because they cannot submit themselves in bodily or spiritual chastisements unto Gods dispensation as they would The pretended reasons of their hard sentence against themselves are three 1. because they find in themselves fretting and murmuring against the Lords dealing with them 2. They find themselves far from humbling themselves under the mighty hand of God 3. Because they find in themselves still unquietnesse after they set themselves to submit which endeavour to submit they conceive should have brought forth quietnesse of mind if it had been real and sincere submission indeed And these thoughtâ— when they have weight make way for many suggestions of Sathan and do draw on more and more unquietnesse and guiltinesse withall For remedy whereof 1. let it be considered that in this exercise a difference must be put between Gods part the flesh or corrupt natures part the new creatures part and Sathans part As for Gods part by his chastisements and exercising of his child he brings to light the perversenesse of corrupt nature in his child to humble him and drive him to Christ. The part of flesh or corrupt nature is alwayes to strive against the work of grace and the new creature and it cannot be submissive unto God Gal. 5. 7. but must be mortified Rom. 8. 7. The part of the new creature is not to consent to the fretting and murmuring of the flesh but to oppose it to yield unto Gods dispensation and to be grieved for the power of corrupt nature and therefore not the new creature but corrupt nature should be condemned Sathans part is still to take advantage of every hard exercise and to suggest wrong thoughts of God and his work in the child of God Secondly let a difference be made between the conâ—lict of corrupt nature against the work of grace and the victory of the corrupt nature for corrupt nature may fight and not prevail but be keeped from reigning in a man how much soever it rage Thirdly let a difference be made between the victory of corrupt nature in some conflicts and its victory in the war for corrupt nature may prevail in sundry conflicts and yet loss its labour in the close of the war wherein grace is made perfectly victorious through Christ in hope whereof the child of God must renew the combat against nature and not faint Fourthly let a difference be put between submission of mind and quietnesse in mind Submission may be sincere when pain of body maketh the convert to cry when affliction maketh him a man of sorrow and grief yea when corrupt nature doth fret and murmur provided that the convert control and condemn his corrupt nature and suffer it not to break forth in words of impatiency but prayeth to God to help him to bear the burthen and endure his exercise with patience Fifthly let a difference be put between the sinfulnesse of corrupt nature and the trouble which doth stir it up and the sorrow which the convert hath in the observation of both for the sin is the work of the flesh and Sathan the trouble and affliction is the work of God the sorrow for sin felt is the work of Gods Spirit also and the sorrow for pain loss shame or any sort of trouble is moderat and sanctified when the convert offereth himself willing to endure it so long as God shall be pleased to continue it Last of all let it be considered that a wrestled-for submission pleaseeth God no lesse then a victorious submission doth please the convert because in wrestling against corrupt nature the convert testifâ—eth his will to please God his glorifying of Gods wisdom justice power and love how ever the Lord deal with him After which wrestling the Lord doth give submission victorious and quietnesse with it CHAP. XXVI Concerning the converts mistaking of his condition because of tentations GOds children oft-times are not only heavy and grieved because of tentations which the Apostle 1 Pet. 1. 6. presupposeth to be ordinary and in some respects needfull but also fall in a mistaking of their condition as if it were altogether evil and displeasant unto God because they perceive themselves many wayes polluted in their conflict with them Which pollutions albeit they cannot be denyed to be pollutions and should not be excused or extenuat yet should not darken or obscure the grace of God in a convert striving against tentations and lamenting his pollutions contracted by occasion of them 2. These tentations that they may be the more clearly discovered we shall divide them in three sorts 1. some of them are directly from God in a wise and holy manner for tryall and exercise of faith hope charity and other graces and do not in any way tempt men to sin 2. Some are from the flesh and the world alluring or inducing men to sin which two we joyn together because concupiscence or the flesh or corrupt nature joyneth it self with the world and
renew accusations against them and so order that mater as neither Sathan shall prevail nor his child suffer damnâ—ge by the means for there is a great difference between Sathans renewing of accusations for sins forgiven and Gods making null the remission granted the Lord can suffer the one to be but the other he will never suffer to be for when a true convert groweth negligent and falleth in such sins after conversion as he lived in before conversion no wonder Sathan be permitted to call his former conversion in question yea the Lord may justly cast up to his child his former faults to humble him and shame him from going on albeit he doth not disannull the formerly granted remission 3 When thanksgiving for remission of sin granted for Christs cause beginneth to cool in the heart of a convert what wonder the Lord not only suffer but also present the vilenâ—ssâ— of by past sins to make the convert sensible of the remission and to cause him renew the acts of repentance and godly sorrow for his sins by-past as Ezek. 16. 63. and 36. 32. Then shall you remember your own evil wayes and your doings which were not good and shall loath your selves for your iniquities and abominations When the convert â—roweth remisse in watching over his own heart wayes and is in danger of falling back into these sins which he had repented of before what wonder the Lord by remembring him of his natural inclination and former wayes do warn him of his danger to make him preveen his fall 4. Wherefore let the convert maintain the solidity of former remission of sins and make good use of his former sins which went before his conversion and let him follow the example of Paul who did not suffer his former siâ—s go out of his mind but did renew the confession of them upon all occasions for his own daily humiliation for the edification of others and for magnifying the glory of the grace of God and yet for all this did not suspect the remission of sins received For by this means the convert shall preveen accusations and stop Sathans mouth and make his accusations have no force By this means the convert shall possesse firm and stable confidence of Gods unchangeable grace and mercy and of the stability of the remission of sin granted The sixth question is of a convert casten not only in an uncertainty for the time of his conversion but also in a doubt whether he be elected or not and knows not how to do in this case SOme converts fall in Heman the Ezrait his exercise whereof we read Ps. 88. especially ver 14. 15 While I suffer thy terrors I am distracted saith he Counsell hath been offered by some to the afflicted to follow the practice and experience of some eminent Theologues who being brought to such straits with good successe have submitted themselves to God to save them or destroy them as he pleased after which submission they have felt the marvellous sweet embracements of Gods loving kindnesse making them sure both of their conversion and election Whether to follow this example and experience of some notable Saints is the doubt wherein the convert is not clear and knoweth nor how to carry himself toward God in this case 2. For answer to this question It is free for God to comfort a soul casten down when and how he pleaseth it is free for God to passe by the infirmity and error of a terrified soul coming to him not in the wisest way prescribed to him and to look to the necessity of the mans consolation and not to his way of seeking of it But howsoever it pleaseth God to comfort some extraordinarily yet this is not the duty of the afflicted to come with such an unrequired submission unto God for it limiteth the Lord in a manner either to comfort the man speedily or suffâ—r him upon apparent refusal for the time to dispair For Gods order is to bring the sinner under the sense of sin and acknowledgment of deserved wrath for sin and then to charge him to believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and after believing in Christ to seal the believer with the stamp of holinesse and the earnest-penny of the inheritance which is peace with God and joy in the holy Ghost shed abroad in his heart 3. Wherefore as for the conversion of a man straitned in the pains of the new birth and fear of everlasting wrath and tempted to suspect that he is not elected It is a more safe way to lay aside all disputation about Gods decree because secret things belong to the Lord and to look to the Lords command and to his own duty of flying unto Christ So for the recovery of a convert fallen in Ionahs case and made to suspect that he is a reprobat cast off of God it is a more safe way not to dispute for the time either his election or conversion whatsoever suggestions may be cast in by Sathan then to offer unto God an absolute submission to be saved or destroyed as he pleaseth and then to lye in sorrow till God give an answer of consolation for God doth not require such a submission but calleth for an act of faith and obedience for God hath declared in his Word that he delighteth not in the death of a sinner but that he should repent and turn to God and be saved Secondly in this submission the heart will be found deceitfull which neither will nor can submit to be destroyed Thirdly this offer of such a submission as this is Lord I know not whether thou hast chosen me or rejected me in thy decree but I submit my self to thee absolutely If thou wilt destroy me thou shalt be found to be just and I do confesse so much unto thee but if thou wilt save me I shall proclame thy grace such a submission I say is but in effect a tempting of God speedily to reveal his secret counsel either by consolation if the submitter be an elect or refusal of consolation if he be a reprobat The only safe way in the foresaid case is to be humbled before God and flye to Christ by prayer as Heman did Ps. 88. and as Ionah did who choosed to look again to his holy Temple where the Mediator sat upon the mercy seat between the cherubims and not suffer such a thought as reprobation Thus did Heman Ps. 88. 13 14. But unto thee have I cryed O Lord and in the morning shall my prayer prevent thee Lord why castest thou off my soul why bidest thou thy face from me Let the command of God to every self-condemned sinner to believe in Christ prevail against all temptations to the contrair 1 Ioh. 3. 23. This is his commandment that we should believe on the name of his Son Iesus Christ. The seventh question is how to satisfie the convert doubting whether it be bâ—tter to forbear or go on in the outward exercise of religion at least in
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
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
God and men concerning the way of justification For by nature we cannot admit the righteousnesse of God which is by faith in Jesus Christ flying to his satisfaction of justice for us and righteousnesse imputed to us thereby for by nature with mis-believing Israel we acknowledge no iustification save of or for works albeit it be impossible Rom 10. 3. And as they being ignorant of Gods righteousnesse and going about to establish their own righteousnesse have not submitted themselves unto the righteousnesse of God So we even after conversion and after embracing of justification by faith in our conversion do give oft-times evidence of our natural inclination to seek after the righteousnesse of works for after examination of our selves we shall find that our confidence doth flow and eb as we are pleased or displeased with our own carriage and when we have most need to make use of the righteousnesse by faith in Christ we forget it or slight it do not flye to it do not adhere to it do not comfort and strengthen our selves in conflicts by it as hath oft-times been observed by us what then would we do if our going about to establish our own righteousnesse did prosper or if the power of in born sin did not set up it self against us and force us by the law either to dispair or flye to Christ And this our natural inclination even after conversion to return and seek after the righteousnesse of the law may be seen in the Galatians who having begun in the spiritual way of justification by faith sought to be perfected by the fleshly way of justification by works and did fall in danger of falling from grace and excluding themselves from the blessing of the promise through Christ. Wherefore our infinitly wise Physician Jesus Christ taketh course as we have said for his own glory and our good not to repair at once the image of God in us not to heal our sinfull diseases all at once but piece and piece by degrees that his righteousnesse bestowed on those that flye unto him for refuge may be in higher and higher estimation daily that the fountain opened up in him for removing of sin and uncleannesse may daily be made use of and the benefit of justification may daily be looked upon as a new gift that vertue may daily be sucked out of him for bearing of good fruits and out of his fulnesse we may receive daily grace for grace and may render thanks unto our God daily and blesse him for his grace given unto us as did the Prophet Ps. 103. 1 3. Blesse the Lord O my soul who forgiveth all thine iniquities who healeth all thy infirmities And grow in the love of God for the remission of so many sins as escape us daily as did the woman Luk. 7. 47. who loved much because many sins were forgiven her And grow in holinesse without putting confidence in our works as the Psalmist did Ps. 71. 15. 16. My mouth shall shew forth thy righteousnesse I will go in the strength of the Lord God and will make mention of thy righteousnesse even of thine only And the Apostle giveth us his example Phil. 3. 8 9 12 13 14. Wherefore let the doubting convert make use of these considerations and long for the coming of Christ who shall abolish sin and misery altogether To whom with the Father and holy Spirit be glory for ever Amen A TABLE of the Titles of the several Chapters BOOK I. Chap. Page 1. OF Conscience in general 1 2. Of cases of Conscience in general 7 3. Of Regeneration what it is and the regenerat man who he is 10 4. Of divine Covenants about the eternal salvation of men and in special of the covenant of Redemption shewing that there is such a Covenant and what are the articles thereof 22 5. Of the covenant of Works 71 6. Of the covenant of Grace 86 7. For a further clearing and confirmation of the doctrine about the three Covenants from Jer. 31. and Heb. 8. 133 8. Of the prudent application of divine Covenants in general 148 9. Of the more special application of divine Covenants for removing the impediments of regeneration 162 10. Concerning them that are like to despair 182 11. Concerning them that absolve themselves without warrand 190 BOOK II. 1. OF considerations to be premised 215 2. Wherein the regenerat mans doubt of his being in the state of grace by reason of his felt unworthiness is answered 241 3. Wherein the regenerat mans doubts arising from the multitude and weight of his sins against the Law and the Gospel and against the light of his conscience are answered 245 4. Wherein is solved the doubt of the regenerat man raised by his suspicion whether he be elected or not 250 5. Wherein the regenerat mans doubting of his regeneration because he findeth no power in himself to believe in Christ is answered 253 6. Wherein the doubt of the regenerat man concerning his being in the state of grace arising from his apprehended defect of humiliation and sorrow for sin is answered 257 7. Wherein the Christians doubt whether he be regenerat because he findeth not his righteousness exceeding the righteousnesse of the Scribes and Pharisees is answered 263 8. Wherein the regenerat mans doubt whether he be in the state of grace arising from his unquietnesse of spirit is answered 274 9. Wherein the converts doubt arising from his uncertainty at what time he was converted is solved 292 10. Wherein is solved the converts doubt of his regeneration arising from his apprehension that the beginning of the change of his life was not from the sincere love of God but either from terrour or self-love which he conceiveth to be but carnal 294 11. Wherein the converts doubt of his being in the state of grace arising from heavy afflictions and grievous tentations is solved 298 12. 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 304 13. Wherein is solved the converts doubt whether he be in the state of grace arising from his comparing of himself with the hypocrit and unregenerat in those perfections they may attain unto 311 14. 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 313 15. 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 316 16. 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 320 17. 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 moral swasion
these two help one another and therefore are joyned together by the Apostle 1 Ioh. 2. 16. All that is in the world is the lust of the eyes the lust of the flesh and the pride of life And when men are tempted by their own lusts the world doth furnish objects allurements and inducements to sin The third sort are the tentations from Sathan who beside that he is not idle to take advantage of concupiscence and the worlds inducements so is he chiefly busie to throw his fiery darts against the convert and to sollicit men to such sins as the convert doth most detest and abhor As for the first sort of tentations from God they are ordinarily by afflictions bodily or spiritual wherein oft-times the converts do not observe the Lords purpose and will revealed in Scripture or are forgetfull of the admonitions and consolations which they have heard from Scripture which was the case of the afflicted Saints Heb. 12. 5. and so they are more vexed then they should be and Ps. 42. 11. dejected and disquieted and do suspect that God is angry with them and with the way they walk in Heb. 12. 12 13. Of this sicknesse there may be three causes 1. the bitternesse of affliction for the present time wherein it is â—elt 2. The sense of by-past sin which the afflicted doth suspect God is pursuing and making hiâ— possesse the sins of his youth Iob. 13. 26. The third is the observation of in-born corruption discovered unto the afflicted much more then in prosperity 4. For remedy of this evil let the afflicted convert perswade himself from the Word of God that in all the afflictions of Gods children the Lord doth intend the tryall and exercise and increase of faith and other grace bestowed on them And upon this consideration the afflicted should rejoyce in this exercise Iam. 1. 2 3. Secondly let him remember that with the tryall of faith there is alwayes a discovery of infirmity and corruption of nature in the afflicted As in the purifying of gold both the good mettal and the drosse are discovered which as he should acknowledge that he may be keeped from fretting So must he still remember that the Lord doth intend the tryal of his faith that he may be constant in believing on Christ the only help and relief from sin and misery Thirdly in whatsoever condition he is in let him endeavour to go on in patience experience and hope which shall never make him ashamed for this doth the Lord teach us Rom. 5. 3 4. and Iam. 1. 4. As for the second sort of tentations from the concupiscence of the flâ—sh and from the worlds allurements and terror let the convert afflicted follow the same course which is prescribed in the remedy of the tentations of the first sort As for the third sort of tentations which are from the devil tempting men to atheism or blasphemy or dispair or self-murder and such like which even nature doth abhor whereof something is spoken elsewhere 1. let the afflicted convert put difference between the devils sin in tempting to vile sins and his own seeming feeble resisting wherein albeit he thinketh himself polluted yet his not yielding testifieth his dissenting from those fearfull sins whereunto Sathan doth tempt him 2. Let him put difference between the consent of his unmortified corrupt nature inclinable to every evil from the lust of the spirit which fighteth against the lust of the flesh which hindereth the adversary from getting the victory 3. Let him put difference between the sufficiency of Gods grace upholding him in the conflict and the full victory against the messenger of Sathan buffetting him for God useth to susspend the victory for a time and yet make his grace sufficiently uphold his souldier till the victory be given as Pauls experience 2 Cor. 12. teacheth us And indeed it is a pleasant spectacle to the Lord to look upon his weak child striving against the flesh the world and Sathan and standing out by faith in Christ against them all 4. Let him consider that by these tentations of Sathan unto vile sins God can and doth mortifie sin and make his child watchfull and strong against both the sinfull inclination unto these and all other sins In the mean time let him beware of a more slye and subtile tentation which Sathan useth to slide in at the back of these ugly and grosse tentations which is this when he hath pressed with all violence these fiery darts and vile suggestions upon the convert he chargeth the afflicted soul with a giving consent unto them and like a scolding calumniator impudently beareth guiltinesse upon him and all to make him apprehend his condition to be worse then it is and to suspect that God by this exercise is pursuing him in wrath and this tentation is not readily observed by the afflicted convert but yielded vnto more then to the grosâ—e tentation Therefore in the last place let the convert guard against this tentation which brangleth his faith and lay the blame with the Apostle on corrupt nature whatsoever guiltinesse is found Rom. 7. 17. Now then it is no more I that doth it but sin that dwelleth in me a speech beseeming a man free of out-breaking and prevailing corruption and striving against all inward motions of corrupt nature And for remedy of this and other evils let him renew the acts of his faith in Christ laying hold upon the covenant of Grace that he may more confidently draw near unto God reconciled in Christ and so no more doubt of Gods good will to him notwithstanding of his hard exercise under tentations for thus Sathan shall not only flye from the first tentation being resisted but also be disappointed of the successe he expected in questioning the coverts condition and weakening of his faith CHAP. XXVII Concerning the converts mistaking his condition when he doth observe some degrees of Gods deserting of him TO speak of the sorts and degrees of Gods deserting a soul requireth a large Treatise and the case and cure thereof is already publickly set forth by a learned and godly Preacher of the Gospel It shall suffice for our purpose to speak of it only so far as it concerneth the converts mistaking his condition when he apprehendeth himself deserted whether the desertion be reall or apparent only and falleth into suspicion of Gods love to him or that God is displeased with him because he findeth not such lively influence of Gods Spirit as he hath found and such assistance of his gracious presence as he did expect in discharge of religious duties or exercises wherein divine providence hath yoked him The Scripture and daily experience do furnish instances of sad complaints of the Lords hiding his face and withdrawing or with-holding of light or peace or consolation or strength and ability for spiritual duties c. 2. For remedy whereof 1. let the convert remember that God doth not leave a believer fled to Christ for relief from sin and misery alwayes
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