is no hope for it to the contrary Can there be so much as the least umbrage and appearance of Good that should have preference to these hopes in a Soul under the least conduct of Reason Iâ— it true for a Sensual Despair there may for that is rooted in Aâ—hâ—isme and Unbelief of any such thing as the need of a Pardon for its Sins or a future happy State the obtaining of which the Sensual Man seeing limited to the hard Condition as he thinks of denying himself in all his Sensual Pleasures he may jocularly conclude There is no hope for him believing no reality in the pretended Objects for his hope that he may the more securely cry out with the Epicures Let us eat and drink for to morrrow we shall die or like them Jer. 2. 25. When God said to them With-hold thy Foot from being unshod and thy Throat from thirst said There is no hope no for I have loved Strangers and after them I will go But now for a Sorrowful Despair for a Soul having this Grace and Hell in Prospect it may look for a great Riddle What appearing Good should be a Motive to him to conclude there is no Mercy in God for him no possibility of Eternal Salvation 1. What if we should say That the appearing Good that enticeth him to these thoughts is To speak the truth of himself and not to flatter himself with idle and vain hopes as he now thinks he hath done too long You know we are naturally desirous to know our own Fate or Fortunes as we call them What shall become of us or betide us in the latter end And though we are willing enough sometimes to flatter our selves yet there is a time when we desire the contrary 2. Secondly Is not the appearing Good in some a rooted Malice and Hatred against God and the Satisfaction of that by deregating from his Goodness and Mercy This is indeed of all the most dreadful Account that can be given That Soul is in the Suburbs of Hell it self to whom it is a satisfaction when it can do no more to Blaspheme and speak Evil of God I had rather assign the former as the most ordinary appearance of Good seducing the Soul into this Guilt It now pleaseth the Soul that thinks it hath deceived the World so long by walking in a vain shew to know and speak the truth of it self as it thinketh in its Heart through the Seduction of Sathan but still it must be enquired what the Devil can possibly suggest to a Soul to debauch it into such a misapprehension of God and sad Opinion of it self Now there being nothing in Nature that can alienate God from the Soul but Sin the guilt of the Soul and its state before God by reason of Sin must needs be that and that onely which the Devil can mount this great Gun upon and this is that which Cain saith Mine Iniquity is greater then it can be forgiven But before I come to speak of that let me a little take notice of some other Propositions which many grave Divines take to be most certain truths and others think serve the Devil in great stead in order to his inforcing this great Temptation Let me digress a little to judge whether indeed the guilt of those Propositions be according to the cry by which they are accused They are those concerning the Doctrine of Predestination Redemption and the necessity of Special Grace in order to Salvation I intend not to argue the truth of the Propositions on either side that were too large a Work but onely to consider whether the Devil can use what by some eminent Divines as to them is asserted as advantages for this fiery Dart. I remember Scultetus in his Annals tells us a Story of an honest studious Young Man in Cambridge whom 't is believed the Papists made away That he was found hang'd in his Study with his Finger laid upon a Bible opened before him upon a Text usually brought to confirm Predestination But the Fiction obtained not that credit for which it was devised to induce the World to believe that his imbracing the Doctrine of Predestination put him upon that desperate Practice But to the Matter 1. It is true many great and eminent Divines have thought That God hath passed an Eternal Decree concerning the future state of all Men and Women chusing some to Eternal Life passing by others Suppose we should put it to the highest pitch Determining others to Eternal Death I intend not as I said before to dispute what is truth in this certain it is God from oll Eternity fore-knew the Eternal Issues of all if some can conceive how God should fore-know this without willing it or be willing not to determine how he fore-knew it and what that was or could be but the Will of God which should make a Futurity certain And others cannot conceive any first cause but God nor any way of Divine Fore-knowledge but from his Will and Purpose It is not my Business to intermingle my self in their Quarrel but suppose the one Opinion or the other I would gladly understand what advantage the Devil can take from the one or the other as to this Temptation Some Divines indeed do say That God ordained some to Eternal Life out of his own good pleasure in and through Christ without any consideration of their Faith and good Works fore-seen as moving him so to predestinate them but with all he predestinated them to obtain this Eternal Salvation in the Exercises of Faith and Holiness without which they were never to see the Lord. But do any Divines say That God ordained any to Eternal Death or passed over any in his Eternal Counsel who should be damned otherwise then upon the just demerits of their preceding sins Yes it may be will some ignorant Persons say they that hold an absolute Decree hold Election of Persons and Reprobation of Persons They do indeed hold an Election of Persons in the sense I before opened that the foreseen Faith and Holiness of none moved God to ordain them to Life They do also believe that God hath a Jus Absolutum a Soveraign Power over his Creatures as the Potter over the Clay But they say that God doth not in the Condemnation of any Sinner use this but onely useth a Jus Ordinatum and proceedeth according to his Law The Soul that sinneth shall Die Which now being supposed I would gladly know what Argument Satan draws from hence to perswade any to Despair He can Suggest to the Soul That it is a Reprobate and cannot the Soul Answer That it is more then the Devil knows That there is no Soul but that which sinneth shall Die so that notwithstanding all said upon rhis Argument The Guilt of Sin is all that remaineth to the Devil to object to drive unto Despair It is true that concerning the Extent of the Death of Christ as to Persons there are various Opinions some think he equally
Self-Murther However the Text saith No Murtherer hath Eternal Life We have heard the Subject let me open the Praedicate and shew in what Sense the Proposition is true That no Murtherer hath Eternal Life 2. Eternal Life is to be considered either In the First Fruits of it or the fuller Harvest 1. In the First Fruits and so it must be considered here or else we must admit an Enallage of the Present Tense for the Future 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and not onely so but also limit the Sense of it to the Future for which I see no reason at all For take Eternal Life as it signifieth the happy State of Souls after the Resurrection in the Beatifical Vision of God so no one alive hath Eternal Life Eternal Life therefore in the first place signifieth That special Effectual Grace of God which will certainly bring the Soul to Eternal Life That which he before called the Seed of God abiding in the Soul And that will bring in a Question to which I may possibly speak something by and by Whether an Elect Soul that is called and sanctified may not fall into this Sin 2. But 2dly Eternal Life is also considerable in the full Harvest as it signifieth the Blessed Estate of the Soul in the Beatifical Vision of God and so it is true no Murtherer none that dieth under the Actual Guilt of Murther not repented of not removed from him shall see God and to this purpose is that Rev. 21. 8. where Murtherers are reckoned amongst those who shall have their part in the Lake that burneth with Fire and Brimstone which is the Second Death and that brings in a Second Question Whether a Murtherer cannot be saved But before I can speak any thing to these it is reasonable I should speak something to a more Origiinal Question with reference to this Sin Case Whether it be not lawful for a Person in any Case to Kill him or her self It is plain from the reading of Prophaner History that diverse of the Heathens yea some of their Philosophers did not think it unlawful for Men and Women to kill themselves but thought it in some Cases their Duty In Case of their Countrey or Friends under great Disturbances of Mind or Pressures of Bodily Afflictions c. but even amongst them there were a wiser and so understanding part who from their Light of Reason saw better things for even they would sometimes dispute That it was no Indication of Valour or Fortitude but of a base and impotent and cowardly Mind that durst not encounte with a little pain or trouble and that we were set in this World by our great Commander the Lord of all as Souldiers in a Rank and File which we must not break out of but by order and direction from him and that it was an injury to the Kingdom or Common-wealth wherein we lived and such like But we have surer Rule to guid us by to wit the holy Scriptures And the Unlawfulness of it upon any pretence whatsoever is determined by all Divines both Ancient and Modern that are of any value and that for these Reasons 1. Because the Law of God is express Thou shalt do no Murther and that Precept is not to be limited to the Murthering of others for the Law of God doth not say Thou shalt not kill thy Neighhour but Thou shalt not kill it must indeed be restrained to Men and Women for God hath given us a Liberty as to Beasts to Kill and Eat nor is the Law concerning Brute and Irrational Creatures but such as are Rational and that without distinction Now he that killeth himself doth kill Again the Law in the General Scope of it commandeth Charity now we ought in the first place to be Charitable to our selves Murther say Casuists is the Killing of a Man without Authority Now this he doth who killeth himself for none is superior to himself none hath Authority over himself 2. Again saith Jiliucius one of the Popish Casuists who yet though many of them give strange liberty to Men to kill others yet few or none give Men liberty to kill themselves To kill a Person can be lawful but in two Causes 1. For our own Defence so a Person may kill one assaulting him breaking into his House c. Or 2. For Execution of Righteous Sentence of Justice But none can kill himself in his own Defence nor be a Magistrate to himself to Judge Sentence or Condemn himself so that say they it can be lawful in no Case for Men to put an end to their own Lives 3. Again They argue truly from a particular Enumeration of the supposed Justificant Causes that should justifie such a Fact shewing the Invalidity of them We read of one of the Heathens who having got a dark Notion of an Eternal State would put an end to his Life that he might the sooner be in possession of it But this is not the way to Eternal Life St. John saith No Murtherer hath Eternal Life Eternal Life is the gift of God and he gives it according to his Revealed Will and his Revealed Will is Rev. 21. 8. That Murtherers should have their Portion in the Lake which burneth with Fire and Brimstone and this is the Second Death A Second Cause which the Heathen assigned as justificant of Self-Murther was To avoid the Violence of others suppose Persecutors or Mutherers But this cannot justifie For what harm can the injuries or violence of others do us Saith Augustine A Third Cause some assign or pretend is To avoid Sin for the time to come To prevent their further dishonouring of God But this were to do evil that good might come of it and to prejudge our selves and deny Gods Mercy to Back-sliders A Fourth Cause assigned is To take revenge upon our selves for past Sins But who made us Judges and Revengers in the Case And surely past Sins are better washed by the Blood of Christ and the Water of true Repentance The last and indeed most general and true Cause is To avoid Shame and Ignominy to deliver our selves from horrors and terrors of Conscience or other miseries But the very Heathen condemned this as the Indication of an Impotent Cowardly Spirit of an hasty and impatient Spirit Where is the Faith and Patience of Christians if this were lawful But I shall have occasion in the sequel of this Discourse further to shew the exceeding vanity of these Pretences for the justification of so horrid a Fact 4. Again It is a Sin against the Light and Law of Nature No man yet ever hated his own Flesh Nature it self not debaucht nor disordered saith to every one Spare thy Self There cannot be a greater Violence offered to our Nature surely than to destroy it To shut up this Discourse there being few that stand in need of this Conviction who are in an ordinary way capable of it Dr. Ames a Learned Casuist of our own concludes it a Sin
I do not think any Books opening the Scriptures or any portions of Scriptures fitter to be read or any Sermons fitter to be heard by persons under these circumstances then such Books such Sermons such Portions of Holy Writ as most express the Wrath of God against Sinners most livelily express the miserable estate of Souls in another World under the Wrath of God Together with such as contain or explain the Promises of God for Support and Strength and Help under and Deliverance from the greatest Pressures of Affliction and Misery By the reading and hearing of the one the Grace of God concurring which is always requisite to make the Soul believe what it reads and hears a Soul shall be deterred from such an undertaking from the rational consideration That there is no way for it to get out of its Misery and by the other it shall be perswaded that there is a far nearer and more certain way of Relief for it if it can but exercise a little Patience from the good hand of God who is able to relieve it and who hath promised and is faithful Which two points are of very great import for a Soul to be perswaded of that it may stand against this fiery Dart and of that Nature that it is impossible that any Soul in the full possession and belief of them should ever listen to this Temptation so long as it pleaseth God to keep it in the exercise of its Reason Let therefore every Soul under this Temptation make it its business to give it self the fullest possession of these Truths for it is the Unbelief or faint Belief of these things that gives the least advantage to the roaring Lion thus seeking about to devour Souls The more rooted a Soul is in the Doctrine of Eternity both that which relateth to damned Souls and that which relateth to such as shall be saved the more remote and difficult it will be as to listning to any Temptation of this nature CHAP. XI Further Directions for Souls thus tempted The avoiding of Solitude The Study and Meditation of the Nature of the Covenant of Grace in the Matter of it the freeness of it the sureness of it the well ordering of it in all things 3. Dir. AVoid Solitudes and Solitary Places I mentioned this before as a means to prevent prevailings of Melancholy but let me a little farther inlarge upon that Argument Indeed excesses of Solitude are by no means to be affected by Christians under the greatest freedom of Body and Mind tho nothing more conduceth to a Souls Health and Freedom in communion with God then some just Measures and Proportions of it yet nothing is more dangerous in this hour of Temptation I observe Elijah was alone when he prayed God in a fit of Discontent to take away his Life and Jonah ch 4. 5 8. was in a Booth alone out of the City when he said It is better for me to die than to live And our blessed Lord was alone when Matth. 4. 6. the Tempter said unto him set upon the Pinacle of the Temple If thou be the Son of God cast thy self down Of Souls under these circumstances it is eminently true that Solomon saith Ecc. 4. 11. Two are better than one and woe to him that is alone when he falleth for he hath none other to help him up These Acts are committed usually by Persons that are alone It is therefore highly advisable to Persons under these Impressions to avoid giving this advantage to the Adversary and to those who are nearly concerned in and about Persons under these Temptations to be watchful as to this thing especially when they discern the Impressions are most strong upon them But having touched upon this before I shall add no more to it now 4. Dir. Fourthly There is nothing more proper for Souls under these circumstances Than to be much in the Study and Meditation of the Nature of the Covenant of Grace I told you before that supposing a Man or Woman under the conduct and government of Reason it is very hard to imagine what Motive should possibly prevail upon them to put an end unto their Lives but the freeing of themselves from so eminent Evils which they suffer to that degree that they conclude it is better for them to die than to live Now these Evils I told you were either External Afflictions and Crosses or such as are Internals Horrors of Mind Terrors of Conscience If the Motive be a freedom from Evils of the first sort I advised before what I judged proper viz. The Consideration whether the determination of our Lives in that manner would indeed free us or rather make our Condition much worse And Secondly Whether there be not an easier and safer way to procure our selves such an Immunity But now Suppose the Evils be of the second sort viz. The Horrors and Terrors of Conscience from the guilt of sin If this be the Motive the force of it lieth in our Ignorance or Mistake about the Covenant of Grace and look as under a Temptation to which External Misery is the great Motive There is nothing more proper than a just understanding of the state of the Damned and the misery of Impenitent and Unpardoned Souls in the World to come So supposing the Motive to be Horrors and Terrors of Conscience upon our Reflections upon Sin there is nothing more proper for a Soul than rightly to understand the Covenant of Grace and the reading of such Books and whetting upon our Hearts such Portions of Gods revealed Will in his Word as are most fully expressive of it Truly to understand this That there is no Sinner run into such an arrear with Gods Justice no Soul so guilty but by vertue of a gracious Covenant of Redemption and Grace which God the Father hath from Eternity contracted with the Son of his Love the Redeemers part in which Covenant is also fulfilled by Jesus Christ may find Mercy with God repenting of his Sin and casting it self upon the free Mercy and Grace of God in and through the Merits and Satisfaction of Christ Such is this Covenant of Grace that the most guilty Soul fulfilling his part in it and accepting of it may be assured that although its past sins cannot be made never to have been yet they shall be as if they never had been That is they shall no more condemn the Soul then if they never had been they shall not be mentioned they shall be sought for and not found the Righteousness of Christ shall be reckoned unto the Soul as if it were its Righteousness It is impossible that a Soul knowing and believing this and living in the view of this gracious Covenant should ever be frighted out of its Life from the Horrors of Conscience by its Reflections upon its guilt of Sin Though an ignorant Person that knoweth not this or an unbelieving Soul which though it may have received the Notion of it yet cannot believe it may from this Motive
be induced to a yielding to this Temptation yet to speak the truth admiting a Soul sure of its Damnation and that its Sins were so great as they could never be forgiven it should in reason rather be an Argument to a Soul if it were possible by all means imaginable to lengthen out its days to the years of Methâ—sâ—lah then to cut off an inch of that time which God will allow him For what reason can prompt any Man to think the Horrors and Torments of a wounded Conscience more intollerable than the Pains that are suffered by damned Souls Or what Reason will guid any Man to endeavour to be tormented before his time How earnest do we find condemned Malefactors sometimes tho out of all hope to be pardoned but to be reprieved for a time but I say by reason of the Covenant of Grace this is not the case of any one poor Soul to advantage this Temptation There is no Soul that can in judgement say though sometimes they say so in their Fits and Passions I know I shall be damned and there is nothing can give a â—ise for Satan in this Temptation but Persons Ignorance or Unbelief of the Covenant of Grace O therefore let all Souls but especially such as are thus tempted study this Consider 1. What it is that God hath Covenanted for for pardon of Sin For power and strength against Sin for Eternal Life and Salvation for strength against Temptations Every Spiritual Promise is a branch of the Covenant and the Promises are of those various Natures that there is no Spiritual Evil of which we can have any present sense or any fear as to time to come for which God hath not in one Promise or an other provided us an Antidote Is it the guilt oâ— Sin already committed God hath promised to pardon it Is it the fear of guilt not yet contracted God hath said I will heal your Backslidings and love you freely He hath said Sin shall not have Dominion over your Mortal Bodies So as thoâ— hast no reason to destroy thy self eitheâ— because thou hast sinned or becauseâ— thou fearest thou shalt sin against God to an irremissible degree Art thou afraiâ— that Temptations shall prevail against theeâ— He hath assured thee that Christ waâ— therefore tempted that he might be able tâ— succour the tempted that with the temptation he will give thee an happy issue that he will bruise Sathan under thy Feet shortly In short There is no Spiritual Incumbrance as to which there is not some provision made in the Covenant of Grace and declared in some Gospel Promise 2. Consider again the freeness of the Covenant It is called a Covenant of Grace Grace signifieth Free Love I will saith God heal your Backslidings and love you freely There is nothing to be paid for thy Pardon all that is is finished the utmost Farthing that the Justice of God could exact is already paid by the Hand of Christ There is nothing required of thee but an acknowledgement of thy Guilt an hatred of thy former Ways a resolution joyned with an endeavour to forsake them with an acceptance of the Lord Jesus Christ as thy Redeemer and Saviour Oh this this is that which could a Soul under Temptations of this Nature believe these Temptations would certainly abate We in distresses of Conscience stick too much in a Righteousness of our own Let me here give you the Copy of a short Letter wrote by that Eminent Servant of God Luther to an Hermite v. Luther Ep. t. 1. I saith he desire to know what thy Soul doth whether at last being weary of its own Righteousness it hath learned to breath after and to trust in the Righteousness of Christ For in our Age a Temptation of Presumption too much prevaileth and particularly in them who by all means study to approve themselves Righteous and good Men being ignorant of the Righteousness of God plentifully and freely given unto us by and through Christ They so long study to work well until they arrive at a confidence of standing before God as it were upon their own Legs and by their own Merits which is a thing impossible You and I have both been once of that Opinion or rather in that Error but now I set my self against it but have not yet conquered my self as to it Therefore my dear Brother learn Christ and him crucified learn to sing Praise to him and despairing of your self to say to him Lord Jesus thou art my Righteousness I am thy Sin Thou hast taken upon thee what was mine and given unto me what was thine Thou hast taken what thou wert not and given unto me what I was not Take heed saith he of aiming at such a degree of purity as to appear to thy self no Sinner for Christ dwelleth in the Hearts of none but Sinners He therefore came down from Heaven when he dwelled in his Saints that he might dwell in Sinners O meditate of his Love and you will feel his most sweet Consolation For to what purpose hath he died if we could arrive at a tranquility of Conscience by our own Endeavours and Tormenting of our selves You will never therefore find Peace but by despairing of your Selves and your own Works and a fiducial dependance on him You will further learn by this That as he took thy Nature and made thy Sins as it were his so he hath made his Righteousness thine An hour of Temptation either of this Nature or to despair of Gods Mercy as to the pardon of Sin and the Eternal Salvation of the Soul will discover the value of those Physicians who have found out another way to relieve afflicted Consciences in the sense of their own Unrighteousness then by pressing the great Doctrine of the Gospel of the Justification of the Soul by the Righteousness of Christ reckoned to the believing Soul for Righteousness And certainly Gods Absolution or Acquittance of a Soul from its Debts to Divine Justice by the Righteousness of the Son of God reckoned accounted or which is the same imputed to it as if performed by it is of no more difficult Conception whatever some pretend in the case than a Creditors Discharge and giving Acquittance to a Debtor upon his Friend or Sureties payment of the Debt upon which the Principal is Discharged as if he had personally paid it Believe it other Notions may afford matter of Discourse in a calm time but nothing but the Notion of Free Grace and Christs Righteousness reckoned to us will serve us in an hour of Temptation Let us therefore rather chuse to part with the Sun in the Firmament or with the Light of our Eyes than to part with this great Truth Let some trust in Charriots some in Horses Let some trust in the Works of others some in their own Fancies but let us remember the Name of the Lord of God and let us remember that his Name is the Lord our Righteousness When a Soul is under great Horror and
Terrors of Conscience because of its Guiltiness its former guilt of Sin let the Sin be what and of what Nature it will Oh let it remember that Christ was given for a Covenant for the People he was by his Father called in Righteousness and his Hand was held and he was kept and given for a Covenant of the People for a Light of the Gentles to open the blind Eyes to to bring the Prisoners from the Prison and them that sit in Darkness out of the Prison House Isaiah 42. 6 7. Let him remember that he is to say Isaiah 45. 24. Surely in the Lord I have Righteousness and Strength That if he had never committed those Sins which now so lie upon and load his Conscience yet he could never have stood before God in his own Works and in a legal Righteousness but what the Law could not do because it was weak through our Flesh that God himself hath done sending his Son in the likeness of sinful Flesh and for Sin condemning Sin in the Flesh that the Righteousness of the Law might be fulfilled in us Rom. 8. 3. And let him consider that being he must be saved by Christ and stand before God as found in him not having his own Righteousness though his Nakedness hath been more than the Nakedness of some other Men yet that long white Robe is large enough to cover it for the Righteousness of Christ his Merits are of vast and infinite Vertue as the Schoolmen say of Gods Essence that it filleth Heaven and Earth and an infinite space beyond both So the Merits of Christ have expiated for the Sins of all that shall be saved and have an infinite Vertue beyond Therefore there is no reason for a Soul to concluds its Sins shall not be forgiven or its Horrors of Conscience for them never cease those cease of course upon the sense of pardon or a good hope through Grace It is but a Relique of Popery that tortureth Mens Consciences past cure I mean an Opinion lurking in us that we must our selves satisfie the Justice of God and that upon the price paid and satisfaction given by Christ pardon doth not proceed freely for all Sin and all Blasphemy to a Soul seeking for it by earnest Prayer true Sorrow for Sin and resolution against it and a true adherence to the Lord Jesus Christ 3. Again Study the Sureness of this Covenant It is a Covenant of Salt as well as a Covenant of Peace Gods Covenant with Day and Night shall sooner cease it containeth the sure Mercies of David It cannot fail God cannot suffer his Faithfulness to fail he cannot alter the thing that hath gone out of his Lips The failure of Covenants amongst Men is rooted in their Variableness and Mutability their want of Fore-sight and Knowledge of future Contingencies c. no such thing can be as to this Covenant He is the Lord that changeth not his Name is I am he had a perfect and certain Prospect and Fore-sight of all that could happen 4. Finally Meditate of it as a well ordered Covenant It is true The Covenant of Grace hath its Conditions to be fulfilled on our part Such as are the taking hold of it mentioned Is 56. 6. which cannot be without seeking the Lord while he may be found calling upon him while he is near the wicked Man forsaking his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts and his returning to the Lord Isaiah 55. 6 7. and perseverance in the ways of God is another condition to be performed But as to those it is in this well ordered That there are Branches in the same Covenant wherein God hath promised 1. To work those Conditions in us that is we doing what in us lies by Vertue of that Common Grace which he denieth to none or by Vertue of those special Habits which he will please to work in us not to be wanting in those further Aids and Assistances of his Grace by which we shall be inabled to do whatsoever he hath required of us in order to the obtaining the promised end of our Hopes in the Salvation of our Souls 2. That that those Failings which we shall be guilty of through Humane Infirmity though they may cause us sorrow in the Flesh yet they shall not frustrate the Promise and Covenant of God he will yet heal our Backslidings and love us freely Now the Covenant of Grace being thus rightly understood and apprehended I would fain understand what room can possibly be left in a Sinner for Satan to fasten this fiery Dart with any effect upon the Soul I will suppose a Soul under the greatest Terror imaginable for Sins of the highest nature Why should he destroy himself if there be hope in the God of Heaven concerning such Sinners If all Sin and Blasphemy whereby a Man shall Blaspheme may be forgiven him Is God a Righteous God that loveth Righteousness and can by no means clear the guilty Why yet should he do it if he hath provided the Soul a Righteousness whereby it may stand Righteous before God acquitted form all manner of Guilt and out of all danger of Condemnation What if it hath formerly been without Righteousness and be yet without Strength or Ability to any Act of Righteousness if the Righteousness wherein it must stand before God be not any personal Righteousness of its own but the Righteousness of Christ reckoned to it for Righteousness Is it tormented through fear of future Sinnings the prevailings of Temptations or its own Corruptions Yet why should the poor Creature run himself out of the World upon this fright when the Covenant of Grace is so well ordered as there is in it a sufficient Provision made for it both for Assistance against the prevailings and dominion of Sin to that degree as to ruin the Soul to Eternity and as to that degree of Guilt which every Soul through Ignorance Infirmity pure or mixt runs into for the healings of its Backslidings What is here left for a sinful Soul to do but to use the means of Grace to apply it self unto God by Fasting and Prayer to consider its ways and what in it lies to turn to the Lord to be sensible of its Sins and to trust in the Lords Mercies taking heed to it self that it sin no more presumptuously abstaining from all appearances of Evil studying to perfect Holiness in the fear of God and daily to renew its Repentance and Faith in Christ as it discerneth its Sins are renewing every day To what purpose doth a Soul under such gracious and hopeful Circumstances think of destroying it self and asserting its own Eternal Condemnation or at least making its Salvation very uncertain which it should rather design to make sure by an Holy Life and Conversation So that I say admit Horror of Conscience for Sin to be the Argument Satan makes use of to inforce this Temptation nothing can be more proper for a Soul exercised under the Temptation than to study understand
may be forgiven This Pareus thinks the most proper Reading That which favoureth our Translation is what followeth in the next Words Behold thou hast driven me this day from the Face of the Earth c. where he complaineth onely of his Punishment Either Reading is what the Original will bear either of them makes the words the Complaint of Cain after he had kill'd his Brother Abel and God had come down and doomed him for it telling him He was Cursed from the Earth which had epened her Mouth to receive his Brothers Blood When he tilled the ground it should not yield unto him her strength A Fugitive and a Vagabond shalt thou be in the Earth To which Cain replyeth either thus My Punishment is greater then I can bear Or Mine Iniquity is greater then that it can be forgiven Whether he complaineth of his Sin or of his Punishment That 's the onely Question nor needs it any Decision Both Readings express the Genius of a Reprobate who either complaineth of his Punishment but not of his Sin or if at any time he complains of Sin it is despairing and without hope of Mercy Onely I cannot agree with Chrysostome and others who Interpret these Words into a full Confession of Sin onely they say it was too late but true Repentance is never too late I shall in my Discourse consider the Words as you have them in the Margents of your Bibles designing onely to make use of them to discourse as to the great Temptation to Despair In my Discourse upon which I shall first Consider 1. The Nature of the Temptation in it self 2. The Tempters inforcing it 3. The means ordinarily made use of in the inforcing of it 4. The most probable means to be used for getting a victory over it As to the first I have already told you That every Evil Temptation is a Motion or Solicitation of the Soul to Sin which when it is more Importune and Impetuous we usually call a Temptation but let us more particularly inquire into the Nature of this Sin of Desperation Despair in the general Notion of it signifieth a casting away of all hope as to the obtaining of some good which we desire and so the Object of it may be any good thing of which we are not possest but may be the Object of our Desires or Hope Thus we may Despair of Life as St. Paul did 2. Cor. 1. 8. of Health of Success in Business c. but in the Notion I am now speaking to it must he limited to the greatest Spiritual Good such as Pardon of Sin Living with God in Glory another day c. And here again we must distinguish betwixt Fear and Despair for although there be no Despair without high degrees of Fear yet there may be Fears great degrees of Fear which may produce some Phrases of Despair or Fits or Passions of it where yet there is no fixed Despair Despair in the Notion of it to which I am now speaking Is a Souls total fixed permanent Want and Rejection of all Hope as to the Pardon of Sins in this Life or any happy Estate in the Life to come When as the Apostle speaks there remaineth nothing in the Soul but a certain dreadful locking for of Judgment and fiery Indignation to devour them as the Adversaries of God Heb. 10. 27. It is an Hell began in the Soul in this Life It is often attended with Dâ—sperate Impressions Blasphemy against God always with intollerable Horrour and Terrour of Conscience But we are not at present so much Considering it in the Effects and Issue of it as in the Nature and first Rise and Beginning of it The next thing we have to consider is the Efficient Causes in this great Temptation I have shewed you that every Temptation to Sin is from our own Lust the Devil or the World The Men of the World have rarely any considerable Efficiciency in this Temptation it is not often we hear them telling us That we have sinned beyond hope of Mercy They rather err on the other hand The two ordinary Efficient Causes in this Temptation are our own Lust and our grand Adversary the Devil 1. Our own Lust Our depraved hearts are enough under some circumstances which we may be under to suggest to us very unworthy thoughts of God and highly derogatory to his Honour and Glory For though in a quiet calm state our Lust suggests ordinarily other things to us yet all the Lust that is in our Hearts doth not discover it self at the same hour We shall find Lusts stirring in us in an hour of Prosperity of which we shall hear nothing in an hour of great Tribulation and Adversity And so on the other side we shall find those Lusts stirring in us in a time of great Affliction and Adversity which we diseerned little of in the halcyon days of our Prosperity When Men come to be under great pressures of Afflictions then those who in Health could think of nothing but their Sensual Satisfactions or Worldly Business begin to be at leisure to think of Dying and of the Eternal State of Souls and tho ordinarily our Lust enclineth us rather to presume and groundlesly to prophecy Good rather than Evil to our selves yet I do not know but under some circumstances our Hearts that of themselves are no better disposed to give God the Glory of his Mercy then of his Justice may though the Devil stand by suggest to us black and hard thoughts of God which may produce Desperation 2. But where the Impressions are fixed strong and abiding and the Soul though out-reasoned refuseth to be comforted or to entertain any better thoughts of God but rather is more stubborn and pertinacious and blasphemeth God I should suspect a great praedominance of a Praeternatural Cause and the Soul under the Violence of Satan for we are naturally inclined to hope well for our selves and to lay hold of every good word that looketh that way 3. Possibly The Devil may also in this Temptation joyn with our own Lusts and the Temptation may be mixt from one or both these Causes are these Temptations and this sinful Habit is begun and perfected in our Souls CHAP. II. What seeming Good is the bait in this Temptation To speak the truth of it self Possibly the serving our Malice upon God An Examination Whether the Doctrines of Election of Persons particularly Redemption and Special Grace conduce to Despair The contrary evinced THe greatest difficulty is to resolve with what Bait it is possible such an Hook as this is should be baited for whereas the Apostle telleth us as I have formerly opened to you That every one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own Lust and inticed it might justly pose an ordinary Reason to imagine what seeming Good should entice a Soul to cast away all hopes of Happiness from the Mercy of God all hopes of Eternal Life and Salvation To conclude it shall go to Hell and there
died fâ—r all a sad Doctrine which gives Judas as much comfort as Peter Others think he purchased a certainty of Salvation for the Elect but a possibility for all Others believe he died onely for the Elect. But admitting the last to be true which some think to make Redemption conform to the Decree of Election and not understand how Christ should purchase an impossible possibility which must be as to some if there were any that were passed over in the Eternal Purpose or any to whom God resolved not to give those effectual Aids of his special Grace necessary in order to those Exercises of Faith and Holiness by which Salvation must be obtained But what Market can the Devil make of this He can tell them they are not Elected and so Christ died not fâ—r them But the Soul can reply He was a Lier from the Beginning and none of Gods Privy Counsellors and that its Non-election can onely appear from its prodigious sinnings continued in to the end without Repentance and Faith in Christ And the others telling them Christ died for all will not relieve them for Judas notwithstanding that proved a Son of Perdition and went to his own place when he had hang'd himself It is also true that many great Divines do think none can be saved without the special Grace of God working together with the Word in their Hearts and effectually renewing turning changing and sanctifying and that this is not in a Man 's own Power but the work of God What advantage now can the Devil make of this Doctrine to perswâ—â—e the Soul to cast away all hopes of the Mercy of God through Christ for the pardon of its Sins and for the obtaining of Eternal Life and Salvation He can suggest to the Soul That God never bestowed upon it this effectual Grace nor ever will If he doth not add the later he saith nothing for what Ground have I to cast away all hope if yet there be hope that although I have not yet repented and believed yet God will give me his Grace though at the Eleventh hour that I shall repent believe and be saved Now suppose him to suggest so How shall he evidence this to me but from the guilt of my sin or my abiding in it It is therefore that whatever bluster some Sciclists make in the World to load the Opinions of some great and eminent Divines with Envy and Obloquy yet in very deed the Devil can urge Despair of the Pardon of Sin and obtaining Eternal Life with any colourable reason upon no Soul but from Sin nor indeed do we in our Experience find any thing else stick with Souls in an hour of Temptation Now here he must either say Thy Sins are so many they cannot be forgiven or Thou hast sinned so long a time that thou canst not be forgiven Thy hour is over thy time is past or Thou hast sinned some particular sins which are of so hainous a nature or so deep a dy that God will never forgive them What the Soul may answer to all these we shall God willing by and by consider CHAP. III. Means to prevent Despair Clear and distinct Knowledge Taking heed of inveterate Sinnings Prodigious Sinnings All Sinnings against Light Such Sins especially as come nearest the unpardonable Sin YOu have heard the Nature of this Temptation you have also heard from whence Temptations of this nature come what seeming good enticeth the Soul to listen to them and also what Arguments the Tempters have alone to use to inforce them Let me now come to shew you what is to be done by Christians in order to the repelling and resisting of them And because as I told you in my Discourse referring to the former Prevention is the best way let me first advise what is proper to all of us upon whom this hour of Temptation is not come that we may never fall into this snare of the Devil 1. And here let me first commend to you all a sound and distinct Knowledge of the Truths of God The Devil in an hour of Temptation hath a great advantage upon an ignorant Person above what he hath upon a knowing Christian Solomon tells us true That a Soul should be without Knowledge is not good He that hath a sound and distinct Knowledge of the Nature of God the Doctrine of Faith the Covenant of Grace and the Promises of the Word of God seldom falls into or lieth long under this Temptation How easie a thing it is for the Devil to fright ignorant Souls with telling them They are not Elected that Christ did not die for them that their Sins are too many or too great or have been too long continued in to be pardoned or that they have not truly repented or believed or that they have sinned the unpardonable Sin or an hundred such things O do not slight Knowledge no not a notional Knowledge of the things of God You are not able to prophecy of what use it will be to your Souls in an hour of Temptation A knowing Christian may be tempted and it may be some time before he can get his Hand upon the Sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God to draw it out for his purpose but if he hath it by his side if he be mighty in the Scriptures he will have no long work with an Enemy of this kind I pity such as cannot read or if they can yet have lost their time and not improved it to learn the Scriptures be acquainted with Catechisms which should ground them in the Doctrine of Faith Thou that despisest Knowledge neglectest yea despisest thy own Soul and all its Peace and Comfort and seemest to presume upon a Miracle to be shewed for thee in an hour of Temptation 2. Secondly Take heed of going on in a course of Sinning especially against thy Light and Checks of Conscience Inveterate Sinning and prodigious Sinnings and Sinnings against Light and Checks of Conscience and particularly some Sins and such especially as come nearest to the Sin unto Death give the Devil very high and great advantages as to this Temptation 1. I say first Inveterate Sinning When Sin hath grown up with a Man from his youth he hath lived and walked and wallowed in it many years it makes the Devil a great Market We find it hard to believe that God who can have from us but the homage of a few days or hours will forgive us the Sins of so many years It is rare that old Sinners are brought to Repentance and Converted you shall most generally observe that if God changeth a Man or Womans Heart it is either in their Youth or middle Age seldom in Child-hood and seldom in Old Age and if in Old Age they are ordinarily infested with great Temptations Take heed of Sin growing Old in thy Soul An old habit is hardly put off How can you that are accustomed to do Evil do Well An old Ulcer is hardly Cured beware of growing
not accuse those of acting by the Devil but from the Power of God from hence he concludeth That he did not cast out Devils as they malitiously charged him by the help of the Devil and that they were themselves otherwise convinced in their own Consciences therefore he did it by the Spirit of God and by that they could not but know that the Kingdom of God was come amongst them and so they spake Evil of God and the Spirit of God and that out of Malice contrary to the Conviction of their own Consciences Now saith he Take heed what you do this is a kind of Sin which God will never forgive though all other Sin and Blasphemy shall be forgiven yet for you knowing that what I do I do as God and by the Power and Spirit of God to Persecute me and to Repraoch me and that you may the better do it to ascribe that to the Devil which is the Work of God done by me this is a Sin which shall never be forgiven So that according to our Saviours Words this seemeth to be the Sin That the Pharises knowing well enough that Christ was God Eternal God and having sufficient means to convince them of it and that from his Casting out of Devils and several other Miraculous Operations which it was in the Power of God onely to do Notwithstanding yea against this Conviction Maliciously Persecuted the Lord Jesus Christ and denied these mighty Operations to be from the Spirit of God but said they were from Beelzebub the Master Devil From hence will appear though not distinctly what the Specifical Sin against the Holy Ghost is yea what Sins border upon it and come nearest to it 1. All Sinning against Light and Convictions 2. Apostacy from a former Profession and owning of the Gospel and the Holy Ways of God 3. A Malicious Pursuing and Persecuting of such as our Consciences tells us are Righteous Persons 4. An Ascribing to the Devil what we are Convinced of to be the Works of God and so reproaching the Operations of the Spirit of God whatsoever the Blasphemy against the Holy Ghost be These things or the most of them must be ingredients into it and truly if Persons have been enlightened with the Knowledge of the Truths and Ways of God and have made some Profession of them and have had some Savour of them if they fall away from that Profession and that to such a degree as not onely to disown what themselves formerly owned but to hate those Truths and Ways of God and to Persecute such as still Profess them and adhere to them and charge those Impressions and Operations which are from the Holy Spirit of God to be from the Devil so Blaspheming the Holy Spirit of God if there be such an unpardonable Sin to be commited surely these are under the guilt of it nor can I see any thing can possibly free them from the dreadful Consequence of it but a timely Repentance remembring their first professed Love and turning unto God which whosoever can do or shall obtain Grace from God to do undoubtedly hath not sinned beyond Pardon for he that confesseth his Sins and forsaketh them shall have Mercy But as I said before these Sins comes nearest this Guilt and where any Soul hath been or shall be in this kind and to this degree guilty the Devil hath a very fair Advantage against him to move him to Despair upon a Suggestion that he hath committed that Sin which according to the Revealed Will of God in Holy Writ shall never be forgiven nor will he find any way to get out of this Snare nor any thing to answer the Tempter pressing hard upon him with a Temptation of this Nature until he can say I have indeed done this but God hath given me an Heart to Repent of it to remember from whence I fell and to do my first Works and he will find it as hard for him to recover any just hopes of Pardon and Eternal Life and Salvation as he will find it to be renewed by Repentance if the latter be found impossible to a Soul under these Circumstances so will the former also be found O therefore to prevent Temptations of this nature take heed of all sinning of any continuance and going on in a course of Sin especially of any sinnings against Light and Convictions or against former Professions and especially of any Malice and Hatred to the ways of God which you either have formerly owned and acknowledged or which your Consciences tell you are the right ways of the Lord. 3. Thirdly Let me again commend to you an Acquaintance a through Acquaintance with the Covenant of Grace and the Dispensation of Salvation revealed to us in the Gospel The Despairing Soul hath ordinarily a Legal Spirit and sticks in the Covenant of Works Remember that we are not under the Law bâ—t under Grace in some sense not onely true Believers but even the whole World or at least that part of it to which the glad Tidings of Salvation through the Gospel is published is not under the Law but under Grace not under a Legal Dispensation So as none can be saved without a personal perfect Obedience to the Law of God but under a gracious Dispensation wherein as the Apostle saith Rom. 1. 17. The Righteousness of God is revealed from Faith to Faith that is wherein it is revealed that the Righteousness wherein a Man must stand Just and Righteous before God is not his own Righteousness made up of his Obedience to the Commandements contained in the Divine Law but the perfect Righteousness of Christ by God reckoned unto every Soul that repenteth and believeth in the Lord Jesus Christ who walketh not after the Flesh but after the Spirit minding and savouring the things of the Spirit which Righteousness of Christ is reckoned to the Soul as soon as it comes to own receive and lay hold upon Christ in the Gospel exhibited and tendered unto it The Soul well possessed of the Doctrine of Free Grace and Gospel Justification though it may see frequent Causes for Heart-sorrow and Humiliation as well for its former as for its renewing Sins yet cannot easily see the umbrage of any ground to Despair and cast away its hope as to Divine Mercy and Forgiveness or Eternal Life and Salvation But I have elsewhere enlarged upon this Argument 4. Fourthly If you would avoid Temptations to Despair take heed of presuming You shall observe in the Tempers of those with whom you converse in the World That those whose hopes are most quickly up find them also soonest down The reason is because they are persons that usually have no great depth of judgement and do not build their hopes upon good and sufficient bottoms So that as it is with some little Rivolets whose Channel is but a small continent and which want depth every good showr of Rain raiseth them and causeth them to overflow the Banks but then the same degree of Rain
of Sins You are not straitned in me where then are Sinners straitned Oh they are straitned in their own Bowels They cannot find in their Hearts to consider their ways to humble their Soul for their sins to leave them and to turn unto God Thus are they straitned in their own Bowels and they will not come to Christ that they might have Life 2. Secondly To this Suggestion doubtless we are to oppose what the Scripture speaketh of the multitude and abundance of Divine Mercies Psal 134. 18. If I should count them saith Holy David they are more in number than the Sand. So Isaiah 55. v. 6 7. Let him return unto the Lord and he will have mercy upon him unto his God for he will abundantly pardon Thus you often read in Scripture of a multitude of Mercies tender Mercies in God Psal 5. 7. I will come into thy House in the multitude of thy Mercies So Psal 51. 1. Have Mercy upon me O God according to thy loving kindness according to the multitude of thy tender Mercies blot out my Transgressions So Psal 69. 13. Mercy in God is but one thing it is the Goodness of God looking upon one in Misery and helping and relieving him what do we read of a multitude of Mercies certainly it either signifies Gods multiplied Acts of Goodness which are several Branches springing out of the same Root of Goodness and Mercy or else the term is used to signifie unto us that there is a Goodness in God proportionated to the multitudes of Sin and Misery that are in us To what end do we read of multitudes of Mercies in God if it were not to relieve us groaning under multitudes of Sins 3. Again consider It is the same thing with God to pardon multitudes of Sins as few yea he never pardoneth the Sins of any one Soul but he pardons a multitude God must vail his Justice and deny himself in his Vindicative Justice to pardon one Sin There is no one Sin but hath a kind of infiniteness in it or rather contracts an infinite Guilt for every Sin which we commit is against an infinite God against infinite Justice and Goodness and nothing but infinite Goodness can remit it and pass it by And an infinite Remission as easily extendeth to a multitude of Sins as to a few so that as that good Prince said unto God in the recognition of his Power It is easie with thee to save by many as by few So we may say in the case before us It is as easie with God to save from many from the guilt of many many thousands of Sins as from the guilt of a few especially which I should have put in considering there is also an infiniteness in the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Redemption Price that is paid if indeed that had been scant something might have been colourably objected but that is commensurate to the Goodness that is in God The Person that died for our Sins was God-man an infinite Person his Blood was of infinite Vertue as to Satisfaction Indeed the Papists strain a great deal too far to say That the least Drop of Christs Blood was sufficient to ransome a World That is an idle Monkish Hyberbole for there must be a powring out of his Life so much of his Blood shed as should have determined his Life But that there is a Nuda Sufficientia we are not speaking now of the Sufficientia Ordinata how far Christ ordained it to be sufficient but that I say there was a bare and naked Sufficiency in the Death of Christ for more than it shall ever be applied to This must be granted by all who will acknowledge an infiniteness in Christs Person Nor yet shall the Papists from hence augment their Churches Treasury to the value of a Farthing Christ never left the Redundancy of the Vertue of his Death to humane Disposal the Vertue of his Blood as to all those who shall by it have any Benefit was ordered and disposed of from before the Foundation of the World even from the time that the Lâ—mb was first slain in Gods Eternal Counsels Let them look to answer the Papists in this Point who maintain Universal Redemption in the latitude of it But I add farther under this Head That God never pardoneth Sin to any Soul but he pardoneth a multitude It is true there is not a parity in Men and Womens Sins either as to the quality or quantity but I say God never pardons any but multitudes of Sins The Righteous falleth seven times in a day Sin is in every Soul and it may say Our Name is Lâ—gion for we are many If multitudes of Sins could not be pardoned no Sinner could be pardoned 2. Temptation But then saith the Tempter or the tempted Soul if you will Ah but my Sins have received very high and great Aggravations I have sinned against Light against Love I knew I ought not to do what I did I was warned by Ministers checkt by my own Conscience otherwise moved by the Spirit of God I had Mercies above thousands of others I sinned against all c. To which I answer 1. This is indeed a very sad circumstance a load of this nature doth often lie very heavy upon the Conscience and a guilt of this nature requireth a further and deeper Humiliation Confession Contrition but the Question is Whether such Sins be capable of a Pardon yea or no If they be capable of Forgiveness from a gracious God all this is no ground for thee to Despair and cast away Hope refusing to be comforted 2. If they be not capable of Pardon it must be so determined in Scripture Now the Revelation of God in his Holy Word hath no where determined that no Person that hath sinned against his Light shall be forgiven and we ought not to conclude to our own Prejudice and Discouragement as to an Act of God what he hath no where in his Word revealed 3. Thirdly There is no Sinner pardoned but hath sinned against his Light and against Love so that the Question seemeth not to be about the Thing but about the Degree not whether one who hath sinned against Light and Love can be Pardoned but whether one who hath sinned against so much Light and so much Love can be forgiven and it will be very hard for thee to asâ—ign Sinnings against such Degrees of Light and Love as none ever sinned against and were saved There are in Scripture great instances of Pardoned Sinners who yet sinned against great Degrees of Light and Love too Take but the instances of David and Peter David was a Man of much Light he was you know one of the Pen-men of Holy Writ he was a Man much beloved of God he is stiled The Man according to Gods own Heart God mindeth him of how much he had done for him taking him from the Sheep-folds and making him King over Israel and Judah giving his Masters Crowns Houses and Wives yea and
him with whom there is no respect of Persons with a particular Malice or Ill Will to thee in saying God cannot nor will not Pardon thy Sins or there is no hope for thee thou deniest not onely the Power of God as to the Pardon of thy Sins but the Sins also of any other whose Circumstances of sinning are as great as thine are Now seemeth it to thee a light thing O Christian to deny the Divine Goodness and to set Limits to Infinite Mercy 3. Thirdly This Sin always carries with it also A denial of Gods Truth and Faithfulness He hath told thee Mat. 12. 31. That all Sin and Blasphemy wherewith any shall Blaspheme the Son of Man shall be Forgiven That if thy Sins were as Scarlet they shall be as Wooll if as Crimson they shall be as White as Snow No sayest thou I have Sinned I have Blasphemed and it shall not be Forgiven I have Scarlet Sins and God will not make them as Snow I have Crimson Sins and God will not make them as Wooll What is this but to put the lie upon God to deny his Truth and Faithfulness to say he hath said it and he will not do it he hath spoken it but it shall not come to pass But some will say it to me after this rate of Arguing God should save all Men and Women breathing These words are nomore spoken to me than to any other I Answer I do not urge these great and precious Revelations of the Divine Will as grounds for Sinners to conclude that they shall be Saved Pardoned and Saved without any more a-do but onely as general grounds of Hope that there may perhaps be Mercy found with God for us and as Assurances on the part of a gracious God that if we miss of Pardon and Eternal Life and Salvation the fault shall not be justly charged on God he is ready to forgive but in our selves who will not Repent nor leave our Sins and turn unto God who will not come unto Christ that we might have Life still it remaineth the duty of us that would obtain this Pardon to confess its Sins and forsake them and to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ but the Despairing Soul throws all the blame of its miscarriage upon God and ordinarily doth not say I do not Repent I cannot Repent therefore there is no hope but there is no Mercy in God God cannot or God will not Pardon me now I say This is an Impeachment as of the Power of God to forgive to the utmost and of Christ to save to the utmost so of that Goodness and Grace and Mercy of God yea and of the Truth and Faithfulness of God Besides What a Comparison doth the Soul make here betwixt finite and infinite betwixt which two there is no proportion Let thy Sins be what they will or can they can be but finite The Mercies of God are infinite The Sea is but a finite Creature yet what can you imagine so great that the Sea will not swallow up and cover that it shall not be seen any more It is a Similitude which God himself doth sometimes make use of by it to express the plenty of his Forgiving Mercy See that excellent Text Micah 7. 18 19. Who is a God like unto thee that pardoneth Iniquity and passeth by the Transgression of the Remnant of his Heritage he retaineth not his Anger for ever because he delighteth in Mercy He will turn again he will have Compassion upon us he will subdue our Iniquities and thou wilt cast all their Sins into the depths of the Sea Now Despairing Conclusions That there is no Hope in God that our Iniquities are too many or too great to be forgiven give God the Lie as to this It is no more than the Scripture saith 1 John 5. 10. He that believeth not God maketh God a Liar because he believeth not the Record that God gave of his Son and this is the Record that God hath given to us Eternal Life and this Life is in his Son 2. Secondly This Sin as it implieth these things so it is always attended with Unbelief in Gods Promises and with very hard and unworthy Thoughts of God By Unbelief here I understand the Negation of a Trust and Confidence in God and the Promises he hath made of those good things concerning which the Soul Despaireth So that what ever can be said in aggravation of the Sin of Unbelief is highly applicable in the aggravation of this Sin for Despair speaketh the highest degree of Unbelief imaginable It is one thing for a Soul not to trust in God another thing to conclude That he is not to be trusted in as to my Soul that there is no hope for me in God This speaketh the highest degree of Unbelief that we can imagine 2. Besides it necessarily carrieth along with it very hard and unworthy Thoughts of God The Soul cannot think reverently and worthily of God when it is rooted in such Thoughts as these that although he be a God that Pardoneth Iniquities Transgressions and Sins yea abundantly Pardoneth yet he will shew it no Favour but adjudge it to an Everlasting Misery and Torment nay it is hard to conceive how such a Soul should forbear wishing that there were no God that the Being of God were annihilated 3. Then in the last place The Effects of this Sin of Despair must needs be very sad for as a Lively Hope of obtaining any Good quickeneth the Soul to the use of all those Means which Reason dictateth as probable Means for the obtaining what we desire so the Despair of obtaining any such Good quite deadneth the Heart and taketh it off all Thoughts of using Means to obtain that which it concludeth with it self impossible to be obtained This is manifest upon the Experience of all such Souls as at any time are under any Fits of Despair They cannot be perswaded to hear Sermons to Pray to Read in short not to use any Means of Grace and Salvation So that a greater Sin can hardly be imagined than this Sin of Despair is Oh that those would think of this who find in their Souls any Motions Temptations or Inclinations towards it That they would think how much Dishonour God hath from this Sin above others 3. Again Certainly it must be advantage to such a Soul to reflect upon those great Presidents of Free Grace which we have upon Record in Holy Writ Let them remember the instance of St. Paul who saith of himself That he was a Persecutor he was a Blasphemer and Injurious but yet he obtained Mercy 1 Tim. 1. 13. The instance of David restored again to the joy of Gods Salvation after the guilt of Adultery and Murther Of Peter who received kind Looks from Christ after he had thrice denied his Master and that with the addition of Cursing and Swearing that he did not know him Of Mary Magdalen out of whom the Lord had cast out Seven Devils Let such a
Flesh ought with Job to make a Covenant with their Eyes that they will not look upon Objects that may minister Fuel to their Lusts Yea and with their Ears too that they will not hear any Discourses of that Tendency The Melancholick Person being naturally inclined to an excess of Fear and Sorrow ought to make a Covenant with his or her Exteriour Senses that they will not fetch in or receive any Objects that have an aptitude or fitness in them to increase Fears and Excessive Sorrow and Sadness c. 2. Take heed of Solitude and delighting too much to be alone It is usually said that every one who is alone much alone proves either a God or a Devil to himself There is nothing of more advantage to a Man or Woman if they be in health and under no disturbances of Mind and Spirit than to be alone It was wont to be said by a great Roman That he was never less alone then when he was alone A Good Christian in clear Circumstances is never more with God then when he is alone nor doth ordinarily ever enjoy more of God But the case is quite contrary if one be under the prevailings of this Distemper He is never more exposed to Temptations he is never mote baited by the Devil then when he is alone Solitude is by no means advisable in an hour of Temptation I observe Matth. 4. 1. That when Christ was to be tempted by the Devil he was by the Spirit carried into the Wilderness 3. Divert thy self by Imployment what thou canst The great Evils which hazard the Soul under this Distemper arise from the too much fixation of the thoughts upon some particular terrible Objects Hence whatsoever is proper to divert the thoughts that they pore not too much upon such terrible things which are most obvious to them is a very rational mean to be used in order if not to the rooting out of the Cause yet to the preventing the sad Effects of this Distemper Hence you shall observe in that Story of Elijah 1 Kings 19. That God would neither suffer him to be Alone nor to be out of Imployment both which he seemed to seek v. 4. He goeth a days Journey into the Wilderness and sitteth under a Juniper Tree there he beggs of God to take away his Life and lyes down and sleepeth v. 5. God sends an Angel which cometh and toucheth him and bids him Arise and Eat v. 7. He sends an Angel the second time and bids him Arise and Eat and sends him to Horeb. Still he was in his Melancholick Fit and goeth into a Cave God v. 9. comes to him a third time and saith to him What doest thou here Elijah v. 13. he lingers still and standeth in the Mouth of the Cave There cometh a Voice to him again saying What doest thou here Elijah Methinks God himself in that Chapter prescribes unto persons under these Distempers what to do and to their friends and relations what they should do as to them and for them by all means to avoid Solitude and to drive them out from their pleasing Solititudes and to imploy them and divert them God sends Elijah a Journey v. 15. to Damascus to anoint Hazael King of Syria and to anoint Jehu King of Israel Other directions of this Nature I leave to Physicians 3. Lastly Religious Means is by no means to be neglected for as the blessing of all Means by which Remedy is given us for any Diseases even those which are most obvious in their Causes Effects and Cures depend upon him whose name is The Lord that healeth us So more especially as to this the Causes of which are so various the Effects so uncertain and the Cure so difficult that I doubt whether any yet have wrote satisfactorily to more considerate persons in the Case There seems to be much hidden even from the Wisest Naturalists and to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 something Divine beyond what the Accutest Wits and Reasons have discovered I would therefore have such persons by no means omit Reading and Hearing the Word of God Sorrow maketh an heart to stoop saith Solomon but a good word makes it better I have heard a Story of a Good Woman under a great Temptation to destroy her self and going about to drown her self first taking her Bible and casually opening it and casting her Eye on a Text declaring the great Mercy of God to Sinners she presently saith to her self Nay if it be so I will not drown my self yet And if there were nothing as certainly there is very much by persons to be expected upon the Promise of God to persons performing their Duty in Reading and Waiting upon God in his Ordinances yet I know no Reason but the thoughts of persons may be diverted by what they Read and Hear in Sacred and Holy things as well as other things which have not such a Stamp and Impress of God upon them Prayer is the general way of Application and Address unto God in all Cases if we know no due Means Prayer obtains Wisdom and Direction from God if we use due Means Prayer obtaineth a Blessing from God upon the use of them If something must be done for us beyond the Natural Force and Vertue of Means Prayer obtaineth that from God But I shall add no more to this first Direction upon which I had not inlarged so far but that I find it so hard to perswade persons under this Temptation that it is advantaged by this Natural Distemper than which there is nothing more evident upon all Experience that both this and another Sore Temptation as to which I shall speak something in my following Discourse are all highly advantaged and promoved by it and therefore a taking heed to our selves in this Case is also very necessary to prevent them and I intend when I speak to them to add little more upon this Argument but onely refer to what I have said in this Chapter which hath made me willing once for all to discourse it more largely Now I proceed CHAP. V. A Second Direction to prevent Temptations of this Nature The Mortification of Pride The Influence which Pride hath upon the Soul in order to the raising or promoving such thoughts in us as it is the great Mother of Discontent upon Gods altering our External Circumstances Considerations to be digested in order to the keeping of our Souls in a mean opinion of our Selves 2. IN the Second place Take heed of Pride live in the Mortification of that Lust Solomon hath three Wise Sentences in his Book of Proverbs which we should have at all times ingraven in our hearts Prov. 11. 2. When Pride cometh then cometh Shame Prov. 16. 18. Pride goeth before destruction and an haughty spirit before a fall The last is Prov. 29. 23. A mans pride shall bring him low I do not think that there are three other pieces of the revealed Will of God that are more verified in daily experience than these are
not continuing they are as quickly down So it is with these Men a little thing raiseth their hopes and a little thing again sinketh them Thus it is in the great business of Hope as to the Pardon of Sin and obtaining Eternal Salvation Some Persons build up Hopes upon very light and unjustifiable Grounds their Hope is indeed but a Presumption like the Grass that groweth upon the House Tops which a little Heat of the Sun killeth But other Souls build up their Hopes upon more sure and wary Foundations which are not so soon shaked We use to say that we are certain of nothing more than what we have sometimes been uncertain of We are commanded to work out our Salvation with fear and trembling and to rejoyce with trembling Those Souls that have gained their Hope by the Conquest of many Doubts and Fears and Jealousies do not easily lose it whereas those who have hatched it up with more ease seldom keep it in an hour of Temptation 5. I know not what more to advise besides Frequent Self-Examination closâ— walking with God and diligent and constant Prayer Let me inlarge a little upon these I say First Frequent Self-Examination It is the Apostles Precepts Examine your selves prove your selves whether you be in the Faith or no 2 Cor. 13. 5. Whether we live by Hope or Sight I mean Assurance this is highly necessary for that Soul that would maintain the one or the other Two things I would have Christians much Examine themselves upon 1. The Grounds and Reasons of their Hope 2. The Abatements and Discouragements of them 1. As to the Grounds of their Hope which if good must always be bottomed in some Piece of Divine Revelation for Pardon of Sin and Eternal Life being both of them the free Gift of God it is unreasonable to hope for either but upon the Revelation of the will of him in whose Gift they are In examining therefore the Truth and Ground of your Hope trust to nothing but some portions of the Word of God which though it doth not tell you by name whose Sins are pardoned and whose are not who shall be saved and who shall perish it doth tell you what must be wrought in the Hearts of those whose Sins are Pardoned and how they must live that shall ever see the Face of God in Heaven there 's no trusting to your Interest in God as he that made you nor yet to Christ dying for all Men no nor yet to any Merits or Works of your own God hath no where said that he will save all those whom he hath Created nor all those who believe Christ died for all Men no nor yet all those that do some things that are as to the Matter of them good and such as if Men do not they cannot see God I shall not here run into particulars but in the general I shall tell you that there is nothing but the Revelation of the Will of God in his Word and the experimental finding that God hath wrought those things in your Souls which he in his Word hath made necessary in order to obtaining Pardon and Eternal Salvation that is in this Case to be trusted to Often therefore examine your selves upon these Points 1. What God in his Word hath made necessary to the obtaining of Pardon and Salvation 2. The Work of God upon your Hearts Creating and Working and Maintaining these Habits and Exercises in your Souls Nay do not onely this but examine your selves also about the holding or abating of your Hopes the Increase or Decrease and Discouragements of them in your Souls A faint decaying weakening Hope if not lookt to will grow more and more faint and weak every day than other till it putrisieth into Despair Now the force of this lies here The decays and abatements of our Hope are caused either from some Relapses into Sin or from some eminent with-drawings of the Holy Spirit of God which uphold and maintaineth it in a Soul And a daily examination or frequent examination of our selves how it is with us as to our Spiritual hope will put the Soul both upon frequent Acts of Repentance as it discerneth that its hope is abated by the prevailings of its Lusts and also upon frequent Prayers begging the revivings and upholdings of it from the Spirit of God 2. Live in close Communion with God I propounded to you before the avoiding of Sin all Sin but some especially to prevent Temptations to Despair But this is something more we are at first begotten to a lively Hope by the Word upon fervent Prayer c. and this Hope is maintained in the Soul by the same means by which it is first begotten and bred in the Soul I told you before that we must find the ground and bottom of our Hope in the Word of God Now Preaching where it is done sincerely and faithfully is nothing else but an Explication and Application of the Word of God an Interpretation of the Word to our Souls and a whetting of it upon our Souls and therefore in reason a consciencious Attendance upon it must necessarily be a means to confirm and strengthen our Hopes and to antidote Despair Nor certainly can often Communion in the Lords Supper be useless but contrariwise of very great use for the Lord in that Ordinance having added a Sign to his Word for the confirmation of our Faith it must needs be a proper means to strengthen and increase our Hope In short All Communion with God whether it be more Internal by Meditation and the secret Exercises of the Power of our Souls upon God or more External in such Duties as God hath prescribed us to perform an Homage to him by must be of great use to our Souls in this case For the more Freedom and Acquaintance we have with God the more we be with him the truer and more just Apprehensions we shall have of him and the more we shall understand the loving Kindness of God Now all Despair floweth from unjust and unkind Apprehensions and Impressions of God and from a too great an estrangement from him It is true those that know the Lords Name will trust in him and hope in his Mercy But above all be much in Prayer that obtaineth all Grace all Mercy from God the beginnings of it the growth and encrease of it c. But I shall add no more upon this Subject directing you to what I judge most proper to prevent in the Soul Fits or more settled Habits of Despair and certainly it is most advisable to keep Satan at a distance and more easie to oppose the first Assaults or avoid giving him advantages to it than to grapple with it CHAP. IV. What Despairing Souls should do They ought to consult the Physician if no Bodily Distemper gives a rise to such dark Thoughts What Business they have with God No Argument sufficient to warrant Despair Sometimes none pleaded The usual Arguments pleaded From our many Sins The greatness
of them Our Inveterateness in them Our Sinning against the Holy Ghost None of these sufficient The greatness of the Sin of Despair shewn in what it implieth what it is attended with and produceth 4. Other Directions for Souls thus tempted THus far I have discoursed you in order to the prevention of these Assaults Possibly as to some this Counsel may come too late they may already find in their Souls Thoughts tending to Despair The next Question is What shall these do Or indeed rather what shall be said to or done for those for their Support Relief or Deliverance I know but three things that can be done for such a Soul 1. The First is With the Physician of the Body who is Gods Ordinance the Means he hath appointed by which he healeth our Bodies 2. The Second is with God who alone hath a Power paramount to Sathan and alone can find a way to our Hearts and make powerful Impressions upon them 3. The Third is with the Party Tempted to perswade him or her of the unreasonableness of the Temptation the contrary Revelation of the Will of God in Scripture and the use of Means Natural Moral and Religious for the support of him or her self and the bringing him or her self out of this horrible Pit Under these three Heads I shall bring my whole remaining Discourse upon this Argument 1. The first thing I say is to be done in this Case relates to the Physician It is a thing that we find very difficult to perswade Souls under these circumstances to believe nay many others too less knowing Christians that there is any thing of Bodily Distemper in the case But there is nothing more true nothing that is more ordinarily experimented God forbid that we should think that all Despairing Thoughts and Expressions are the Effects of a Natural Cause a disordered Body or Head The contrary is evident but that in many they are so I was about to say that in the most they are so and that where they are not simply and singly the Effects of those Causes they are yet highly advantaged and improved by the Concurrence of such Bodily Distempers is most evident to those who have any Experience in these things either from what they have found in themselves or observed from their converse with and ministring unto those that have lien under these great Burthens And there can be no greater Argument for this then the frequent Experiences we have of Persons that in the beginning of these Distempers have had them removed by the use of Natural Means Not that God is to be neglected for admitting these Fits of Despair to be but the products of a Natural Cause by the ill influence that some disordered peccant Humours of the Body have upon the Mind disposing it to Fears and Jealousies Suspicious Diffidence and Distrust Yet it is God that must heal us by his giving a Blessing upon Means but the Question is not about the Principal Efficient Cause in the Cure which must be God but concerning the Means to be used and in the use of which God is to be sought and his Assistance expected Therefore I say the first thing to be done in these Cases is consulting with the Physician about the Health of our Bodies and that with an Able and Experienced Physician for it is an exceeding weighty Case with reference to our Good and well Being Nor ought any Means to be neglected which such a one shall direct for bringing our Bodies into a right Order not yet to be used without solemn Applications to God begging both his Direction of them and his Blessing upon them Nor ought this to be delayed for none knoweth the Effects of such Disorders as these and how quick a growth such Beginning Distempers oft times have But this is one of the first things I should advise in such a Cause as this is 2. Secondly Such a Soul hath also a greal deal of business to do with God The Nature of which must be determined according to what it findeth to have given the first rise and cause to these Thoughts If it findeth that some Bodily Distempers hath given the first rise and cause to these dark and ill concluding Thoughts Our business with God lies 1. In begging Gods Direction of us unto the Use and Blessing upon us in the use of such Means as are proper and he will Bless unto the Healing of us and the Deliverance of us from so great a Burthen that he who ministreth unto us may not have a miscarrying hand 2. That he would please to command the Means used to exert and put forth that Vertue which he hath created in them for the producing that Effect we desire and for the obtaining of which we make use of them 3. That in the mean time he would please so to influence and to support our Souls that our Bodily Distempers may have no such ill Influence upon our Minds as to be occasions to us of dishonouring God by entertaining any unworthy Thoughts of the Divine Majesty Mercy and Goodness If we find that these black and dark Thoughts arise in us or in any others from any other Cause whether our own Reflexions upon our former Sinful Courses or some particular guilt of Sin upon us Our Business is still with God by Prayer for it is he alone that can Pardon Sin that can give Eternal Life and Salvation and that can beget in the Soul a lively Hope as to such Pardon and obtaining Eternal Life and Salvation that can Bless any Spiritual Means to be used in order to the obtaining of any of these but here the matter of Prayer and of our Petitions to God must be of another Nature That which the Soul in this Cause hath to do with God is 1. To confess its Sin unto God and to begg of God a broken and contrite Heart that it may confess and bewail its Sin as it ought to do When saith David Psal 32. v. 3 4. I kept silence my Bones waxed old through my roaring all the day long for day and night thine hand was heavy upon me my moisture is turned into the drought of Summer I acknowledged my Sin unto thee and mine Iniquity I have not hid I said I will confess my Transgressions unto the Lord and thou forgavest the Iniquity of my Sin 2. He hath a further Work with God viz. To begg of him the Pardon of his Sin and the begetting in his Soul a lively Hope in his Mercy and Godness It is God 1 Pet. 1. 3. The Father of our Lord Jesus Christ which according to his abundant Mercy begetteth the Soul to a lively Hope by the Resurection of Jesus Christ from the Dead to an Inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that fadeth not away reserved in the Heavens for us 3. Thirdly to begg of God a Blessing upon all Means in order to this end whether the reading or the hearing of the Word or any Spiritual Conference with
Ministers or knowing and experienced Christians who are able to speak a word in season for the Relief of Souls that are weary and heavy laden with the sense of their Sins 3. A third Work to be done for the Relief of Souls under this fore Temptation is with the Persons themselves that are Tempted and that is to perswade them or for such poor Souls to perswade themselves of the unreasonableness of those conclusions which they make against themselves Now upon this suffer me to inlarge a little in an endeavour to demonstrate the little force that can be in any Argument that such a Soul can bring against it self in this Case and in shew-you the exceeding sinfulness of this Sining of Despair in the first place let me desire such a Soul to Consider 1. That there is no Argument sufficient to warrant it to cast away all Hope in God as to the pardon of its Sin and the obtaining Eternal Life and Salvation through Christ The one of these dependeth upon the other For if there be no Argument sufficient to convince such a Soul that its Sins shall never be forgiven there can be no Argument sufficient to convince it that it shall certainly be Damned or that it is a Reprobate for Psal 32. 1. Blessed is he whose Iniquities are forgiven and whose Sins are covered and to whom the Lord imputeth not Transgression A Pardoned Sinner cannot Perish that is certain If therefore no Reason can be brought sufficient to prove that God will never Pardon me none can be brought sufficient for me to conclude from it That God will not Save me 1. Sometimes Souls under these Circumstances will plead no Argument at all onely they have such a fixed Impression and Perswasion upon their Hearts they know it they are sure of it c. and this is all you can get from it But as the Apostle saith in another Case Gal 5. 8. This perswasion cometh not from him that calleth you Impressions upon our Spirits are no Oracles nor must be taken for Arguments Impressions or Perswasions are either from the Holy Spirit of God or Perswasions hatcht up in our Souls by their own Powers or they are from the Evil Spirit Impressions indeed from the Spirit of God cannot deceive they are infallible but so are not these Can think you this Perswasion be from him that every where in his Word calleth upon Men to Sinners to all sorts and degrees of Sinners to Repent and Beleeve to wash themselves and make themselves Clean telling them that if their Sins were as Scarlet they shall be as Snow if as Crimson they shall be as white as Wooll that he will have Mercy upon them and abundantly Pardon them Jsaiah 55. 6 7. Can he that calleth Sinners all Sinners that are weary and heavy laden to come unto him Promising them Rest for their Souls I say can they possibly think that he hath perswaded them that they shall never obtain Pardon It must therefore remain that these Perswasions in whatsoever Souls they are found must either be bred in the Soul from its own Corruption or brought into the Soul by Satan Let them be from which of these two Causes they will they are very far from being certain and infallible The Heart of Man is deceitful above all things and the Devil was a Liar from the Beginning Time was it is possible when the Devil drove a quite contrary Design and sang a quite other Song to incourage the Soul in a course of Sin suggesting to it that Pardon was an easie thing and might be obtained without difficulty however he hath changed his Note now he is pursuing but the same Design that is the Ruin of the Soul though it be by a quite contrary Method But it is not always that a Soul under this Temptation talketh at this irrational rate ordinarily it hath something to say though nothing sufficient to build such a Conclusion upon and as I hinted to you before all that the Devil or a Man 's own Heart can say in the case is either 1. That our Sins are too many to be forgiven Or 2. That they have been aggravated with some circumstances to that degree that they cannot be forgiven Or 3. That the time is past we have gone on in them too long to be forgiven Or 4. That we have committed some particular Sins of too deep a dy to be washed out If we can but drive out the Devil from these Refuges we shall leave him nothing to say to a Soul to advantage this Temptation 1. As to the First That our Sins are too many to be forgiven This Suggestion either hath no bottom at all or if it hath any it must be this That the Promises of Grace and the Forgiveness of Sins are limited to a certain number of Sins for if they be not upon what colourable pretence doth the Devil endeavour to baffle the Hope of any Soul by whispering to it That its Sins are too many to be forgiven if God hath no where said he will not pardon a multitude of Sins to what purpose or upon what pretence shall a Soul Despair because of the multitude of its Iniquities But where in the whole Book of God shall a troubled Soul find any line to this purpose A Souls hope for Pardon dependeth upon the Word of God and in reason must not the Limitations if any be of that hope be found in the Word of God too or are they not in all reason to be rejected as the Fictions of our own Hearts or Figments of our grand Adversary the Devil Where the Word of God limiteth not the Will of God upon what grounds do we limit it Methinks in this case the whole Trinity speaketh unto us in the Language that St. Paul spake to the Corinthians in another Cause 2 Cor. 6. 11 12. Oye Corinthians saith he our Mouth is opened unto you our Heart is inlarged You are not straitned in us you are straitned in your own Bowels Some thinks the Holy Trinity speaketh to us in the whole tenor of the Sacred Writing O you troubled Sinners you Despairing Souls our Mouth is opened to you to call those that have abundantly sinned to our abounding Mercies Our Heart is enlarged you are not straitned in me saith the Father of Mercies I have infinite Mercies Mercies as the Sands which is on the Sea-shore You are not straitned in me saith the Son I have an infinite Value and Vertue in my Blood it is sufficient in it self for the Expiation of the Sins of the whole World and every individual Man and Woman in the World You are not straitned in me saith the Holy Spirit I after a multitude of Sinnings stand yet at the door of your Hearts and knock and cry if any Man will open he shall come in and sâ—p with me yea let them do what in them lieth I am ready to add my Efficacy to give Faith and to give Repentance and this after a multitude
as he tells him was ready to have done greater things for him against all this he sinned in the matter of Bathsheba and in the matter of Uriah It is true this cost him many Tears many Prayers yet he obtained Mercy Peter was a Man of great Light and had been made the Object of great Love Christ had said to him Thou art Peter and upon this Rock will I build my Church yet this Peter cursed and sware and denied his Master and after this when he had gone out and wept betterly Christ remembred him and I doubt not but you believe Peter is in Heaven Thou canst not say that thou hast sinned against greater Light or greater Love than these two eminent Saints in Glory sinned against To have sinned out our Light indeed that is to such a degree as we have no more Checks no more Rebukes of Conscience this is very sad and the Interpretations of it be to the Enemies of God To be past Feeling that is sad but by thy Trouble and Complaining it appeareth that is not thy Case but it is plain that many have sinned against Light much Light and against much Love too whom God hath from the infiniteness of his Mercy forgiven and rereceived up to Glory 3. Temptation But will such a Soul say It is true had I in time turned unto God there might have been hope but alas time is past time is past with me had I turned to God in my Youth but I am in the declining part of my Life God hath said His Spirit shall not always strive with Man The Fig-tree was Cursed after Three years in vain expecting Fruit. God hath a long time been looking for Fruit of my Soul and hath found none I have sinned wilfully after I had received the Knowledge of the Truth there remaineth now I fear no more Sacrifice of Sin but a certain fearful looking for of Judgement and fiery Indignation which shall devour the Adversaries Heb. 10. 26 27. To which I say 1. This is indeed a very sad and bitter Reflection and I desire that such Complaints as these when we hear them may be sanctified to all that have time before them to take heed how they mispend it and trifle it away but where this Counsel is too late the Question that we have in hand is Whether there be a sufficient Warrant for a Souls Despair 2. The sadness Secondly of this Case is aggravated from the appearances of Scripture for this Temptation It is generally held by Divines That as Countries and Nations have their Periods of Grace so particular Persons have their Days of Grace too and Periods beyond which Gods Spirit shall not strive with them and it appeareth by that Text Heb. 10. That there is a wilful Sinning after the Knowledge of the Truth after which there will remain no Sacrifice for Sin But what that degree of wilful Sinning is and how it must be circumstanced that is another Question But to speak more directly to the Temptation 1. In the first place I would have thee scriously consider Whether the Freeness of Divine Grace in the Remission of Sins be duly thought of by thee who objectest thus against thy self Take heed thou hast not some Thoughts within thee that thou shouldest recompence God by thy future Holiness for thy past Provocations and whether that which discourageth thy hoping in God and looking up unto him for Mercy be not a prospect that thou art not like to have time enough to make this Recompence If thou hast any such Thoughts as these thou dost not well attend to the Promise of Pardon which runs thus I will blot out thy Transgressions for mine own Name sake and we have Redemption even Forgiveness of Sins through his Blood The end which God aimeth at in the Forgiveness of any Souls Sin is his own Glory the glorifying of the riches of his Grace not receiving the Homage of an Holy Life though that be thy Duty and what God requireth of thee yet I say that is not Gods great and ultimate end He will have Mercy on whom he will have Mercy and extend Compassion to whom he will extend Compassion The Consideration upon which God doth it is the Price paid and Satisfaction given by the Blood of his Son It is not for our sake nor for our future Works sake but for his own Name sake and for his dear Sâ—n's sake that he granteth unto any Pardon and Forgiveness of Sin Now although the time of thy Life yet to come in probability will not be commensurate to the time of Life which is past and spent in Sinning and Dishonouring God yet why may not the great God glorifie the Riches of his Grace in the free Forgiveness of thee Why may he not exalt the Blood of his Son in washing thy Soul 2. Secondly It is not for us to know times and seasons which are in Gods Power onely It is true God seemeth to have revealed that every Soul hath a set time beyond which be will shew it no favour and that this is not onely the end of our Life but may be sometime before our dying day but we know not what time that is and therefore it is rashness for any Soul to conclude my time is past Where have we any Directions from the Word of God to fix any such time or to conclude it as to any period of time We know the Master of the Vineyard called to some to come and Work in his Vineyard at the 11th hour and we know also that the Thief upon the Cross was told in the last hour of his Life that he should that Night be with Christ in Paradise Secret things belong unto God Revealed things onely to us and to our Children Unless we had some certain Rule to determine the Time to us we have no Reason to determine it our selves to discourage us from what his Word commandeth us as our certain Duty 3. Thirdly Supposing there be an heart found in us to be sorry for our Sins humbled for them and to turn from them to God and to accept of the Lord Jesus Christ and his Salvation tendred unto us in the Gospel it is certain our time is not yet past The Reason is because the promise of Pardon and Salvation is made unto such So that no Soul hath reason to conclude there is no hope for him in God but that Soul that laboureth under impenitency and hardness of heart and findeth in it self a resolution yet to go on in its sinful courses And therefore you shall observe in that dreadful Text Heb. 6. the Apostle saith of them that have been once enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly Gift and the Powers of the World to come and have been made partakers of the Holy Ghost c. if they fall away it is impossible they should be renewed again by Repentance if they could Repent it were not impossible they should be Pardoned or obtain Eternal Life and Salvation but
Soul think of these great instances and of those who Crucified the Lord Jesus Christ Acts 2. 36 37 38. yet at Peters Sermon were pricked at the Heart encouraged by the great Apostle to Repent and be Baptized in the Name of Jesus Christ for the Remission of their Sins and had the Promise of receiving the Gift of the Holy Ghost 4. O let no such Soul neglect the Reading or Hearing of the Word of God that is the Proximate Object of our Hope God is indeed the primary and proper Object none can give Remission of Sin or Eternal Life but God but by the Word and from the Revelation of the good will of God in his Word we come to Hope in God I look therefore upon that as a great Conquest which the Devil hath gotten over a Soul Despairing when he hath perswaded it not to hear not to read the Word that is indeed to omit the Means by which its Darkness should be dispelled and a true and lively Hope should be begotten in it 5. To all these should be added Fasting and Prayer the Efficacy of which depends on this That it is Gods Work to beget the Soul to a lively Hope through the Resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ 1 Pet. 1. 3. It is true a Soul in these Fits is not very fit for Prayer how shall it Pray in Faith But yet I would not have it wholly to neglect Prayer But let it call in the Help of godly Ministers and Christians let it send for the Elders of the Church and let them pray for it 6. I should have added before I shall now close this Discourse with it Let such a Soul be often whetting upon it self and let others be suggesting to it the most liberal Promises of Free Grace and Pardon and the greatest Presidents of Forgiving Mercy which the Scripture affordeth And let there be frequent Repetitions of them upon and to the Soul possibly though at the first or second offer they may not stick to the Soul nor the Soul take any Comfort from them yet at last they may But so much shall serve to have spoken to this Black and exceeding Dangerous Temptation FINIS Concerning TEMPTATIONS TO Presumption CHAP. I. The Text Deut. 29. 18 19 20. opened The fitness of it to the intended Discourse The Proposition founded in it The Method of handling it proposed What it is to presume The Nature of Presumption opened MOses the Servant of God when he had a second time repeated the Law of God to the Israelites as you shall find in that Book which from that Second Repetition hath its Name Deuteronomy commandeth the People that having passed over Jordan into the Land of Canaan they should set up Stones and Plaister them with Plaister and write the Law upon them and set up these Stones in Mount Ebal Deut. 27. 4. and six of the Tribes were to stand upon Mount Ebal six upon Mount Gerizzim v. 12 13. who were to say Amen to the Levites pronouncing the Blessings or Cursings following after Chap. 27. 28. promised to those that observed the Laws or denounced against those that presumed to violate it after this Moses exhorteth them to Obedience from the great Works of God which they had seen him doing for them Chap. 29. 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9. and from thence to the 15 verse he ingageth them in a Covenant with God for the observation of his Law And v. 16 17. shortly again mindeth them of what God had done for them both in bringing them out of Egypt and through the Nations of their Enemies After all this that great Man of God from the general Corruption of Humane Nature fore-saw there would be some bâ—ld prâ—fane Persons that would venture obsequiousness to their Sensual Appetite to break this Holy Law and notwithstanding all the Blessings annexed to the Observation of it and all the Curses entailed to the Violation of it would adventure upon their Sensual Satisfactions and yet promise to themselves not onely Impunity and Freedom from the threatned Evils but also the obtaining those good Things for the obtaining of which the Observation of the Divine Law was made a Condition he therefore adds v. 18 19 20 21. Lâ—st there should be amongst you Man or Woman or Family or Tribe whose Heart turneth away from the Lord his God to go and serve the Gods of these Nations lest there should be amongst you a Root that beareth Gall and Wormwood v. 19. and when he heareth the words of this Curse that he blesseth himself in his Heart saying I shall have Peace though I walk in the Imagination of mine Heart and add Drunkenness to Thirst v. 20. The Lord will not spare him but then the Anger of the Lord and his Jealousie shall smoke against that Man and all the Curses of this Book shall lie upon him and the Lord shall blot out his Name from under Heaven v. 21. And the Lord shall seperate him to Evil out of all the Tribes of Israel according to all the Curses of the Covenant that are written in this Book of the Law It is true these Words are in the Old Testament but Augustine said true That the Old Testament is Occultatio Novi The New Testament in a Mystery the New Testament Revelatio Veteris the Old Testament explained both of them the Revealed Will of God the later onely the more clear Revelation of it And it is as true That as Face answereth Face in a Glass so the Hearts of Men in one Age and Period in the World answer the Hearts of Men in another Period of it Moses in the Text afore-mentioned describeth to you 1. A Sinner one who turneth away his Heart from the Lord his God that walketh according to the imagination of his own Heart that addeth Drunkenness to Thirst and all this after he hath heard the Words of the Law and the Blessing to them that keep the Law and the Curse to them that violate this Law 2. The bold Presumption of this Sinner when he hath heard the Law the Blâ—ssings promised to them that observe it and the Curses denounced against them that violate it yet he will flatter himself he shall have Peace though he walks according to the imagination of his Heart and addeth Sin to Sin Drunkenness to Thirst 3. The Fate of such a Sinner or the Issue of that Presumption The Lord will not spare him but the Anger of the Lord and his Jealousie shall smoke against that Man and all the Curses in Scripture shall lie upon bim and the Lord shall blot out his Name from under Heaven The Lord shall seperate him to Evil out of all the Tribes of Israel according to all the Curses of the Covenant that are written in the Book of the Law God hath also made a Covenant with People under the New Testament even the same for Substance as with the Jews He then gave them a Law A Law for Worship called the Ceremonial Law A
the Person that hath received it So that all the Question can be Whether God hath not commissionated Mininisters to do it in his Name and will not ratifie what they do 2. Secondly It is so great a Prerogative of God so great a piece of his Glory that it is a verry unreasonable thing for any to think that God should trust it out of his hands Christ indeed who thought it no Robbery to be Equal with the Father and who had all Power in Heaven and Earth committed to him had Authority on Earth to forgive Sins but no Creature had ever such a power It is a piece of the Lords Name I even I am he that blotteth out Transgressions for my Names sake It is his Glory which he will not give unto another 3. Thirdly It cannot be imagined but that our Lord knew well enough That if a Power of Forgiving Sins should be intrusted to every Minister many Mens Sins would be remitted expresly contrary to the whole Tenour of the Gospel They know not who Believe nor who truly Repent they can judge but according to the outward appearance Now Thousands may appear to us true Believers and truly Penitent that are not so and so consequently many Unbelievers many Hypocrites and hard hearted Sinners should have their Sins remitted Besides Ministers are no better then Elijah Men subject to like passions with other Men and out of Passion or Prejudice might refuse to Remit their Sins who did truly Believe and truly Repent and can any Man think that our Lord should commit such a power to those who are so Fallible who are no competent Judges of Persons whom God indeed will Pardon but might through Ignorance or through Passion and Corruption pronounce a Forgiveness of Sin or a not Forgiveness directly contrary to the Will of God Or will any be so mad as to think that every Minister is Infallible Or that God will in Heaven confirm what they do upon Earth directly contrary to the Will of God The Papists indeed contend the Pope is Infallible but is every Priest so too Or can they think that God will confirm his Errours contrary to his own Revealed Will as to those Terms upon which alone he will forgive the Sins of any 4. It must therefore be understood onely of a Declarative Forgiveness Whose Sins soever you shall according to my Will declare Remitted they shall be Remitted and whose Sins soever you shall according to my Revealed Will declare not to be Forgiven they shall not be Forgiven Now this Declaration may be either General or Particular Generally every Minister that Preacheth the Gospel Declareth That he who confesseth his Sins and forsaketh them shall have Mercy That he who Believeth shall be Saved more particularly If any Christian in any distress shall ask the Judgment of any Minister having declared the state of his Soul to him so as to give him a probable Hope that he heartily hath repented and doth truly believe the Minister may Declare If these things be true which thou hast told me if indeed thou truly repentest and truly believest in the Lord Jesus Christ God hath Forgiven thine Iniquities But the truth of the latter dependeth on the truth of the former and it is impossible that any Minister should have any other Power to Forgive any ones Sins or Authority to declare them to be Forgiven for he must not pronounce contrary to the Scripture and therefore our Liturgy says no more Then that God hath given Power and Authority to his Ministers to declare Remission of Sins to those that truly repent and believe his Holy Gospel 5. The Apostles had I cannot say any further Authority but a further Advantage for this than ordinary Ministers having a more extraordinary Revelation a more extraordinary ability to dicsern Spirits Without doubt the Apostles themselves were not authorized by Christ to declare to any Impenitent any Unbelieving Soul that his or her Sins were forgiven for this had been for our Lord to have contradicted himself Indeed the Apostles might and did see further into Men than any can now do by reason of the extraordinary Gift of the Holy Ghost and therefore it immediately is said before He breathed upon them and said Receive the Holy Ghost I know none now to whom Christ so breatheth upon and to whom he saith Receive the Holy Ghost yet as the Hebrew Docters say Spiritus Sanctus non semper tangit corda Prophetarum The Spirit of God did not always touch the the Hearts of the Prophets the Prophets could not always Prophecy but onely when the Spirit of Prophecy came upon them So though the Apostles could sometimes by vertue of that extraordinary Gift of discerning Spirits discern Spirits yet I do not think they could allways for if they could the Apostles would never have Baptized Simon Magnus whom he by and by told That he was in the gall of bitterness and bands of iniquity 6. This being all can be affirmed of any Ministers with any Sense or Modesty the Papists in the Council of Trent had no ground to Curse all those that held That the Words of Christ Whose Sins you remitt are remitted are to be understood of an Authority to Preach the Gospel or that the Priests Absolution is not a Judicial but a Ministerial Act. Yet this new Doctrine passed not those that were assembled in that Popish Council without Contradiction Concil Trid. Sess 14. cap. 3. cap. 9. The Franciscan Divines told them That it was the Opinion of Hierom and P. Lombard and Bonaventure and almost all the School-Men That the Absolution in the Sacrament of Penance as they called it is but a Declaration that his Sins are remitted and Pelargus told them That that Text Whose Sins you remit are remitted by the Ancients is not as to their Sense limited to the Sacrament of Penance nay perhaps not by any one of them so understood Because this Doctrine of the Priests or Ministers Absolution savours much of the Popish Doctrine I will a little shew you what their Doctrine is in the Case 1. They hold that Original Sin is washed away in Baptism then Children are regenerated and justified 2. But in regard that after Baptisme Men sin many times a day they have therefore devised a Sacrament of Penance as they call it The matter of which they make to be Contrition Confession and Satisfaction the Minister of it to be a Priest good or bad for they determine that a Priest guilty of Mortal Sin may administer this Sacrament the vertue of which they say doth not depend upon the quality of the Priest but the Character of his Ordination Contrition indeed they make an hearty sorrow for Sin Confession they say is not onely necessary in private to God but in the Ears of the Priest for say they how can he absolve and remit Sins if he doth not know them and that in their Circumstances So that their Doctrine of the necessity of Auricular Confession
10 11. They received the Word with readiness of Mind and searched the Scriptures whether thâ—se things were so yet St. Paul himself was the Preacher and good Reason for the same Paul hath commanded That if he or an Angel from Heaven should bring any other Doctrine then what they had received what was according to the Gospel they should be Accursed Gal 1. 8. in doing this you will take heed what you hear and whom you hear too The Influence of Notions upon the Mind is very great our Hopes will be built upon the Notions which we receive Takeheed therefore what Notions you receive see them solidly founded in and proved by the Word of God be assured else there is no light in them 7. A Seventh Notion I shall but name for it is perfectly Popish concerning a Satisfaction for Sin after this life by Purgatory out of which too men may get by the Prayers of the Saints or by Masses said for them or by an Indulgence or Pardon This is that which they say That if any die in Venial Sin or under the debt of Punishment when the guilt is acquitted that is when the Priest hath Absolved them but they have not performed the Penance and given the Satisfaction which the Priest hath enjoyned all such go not into Heaven but go into a place they know not where which they call Purgatory where till they come out which also shall be they know not when for they are not agreed in the time of Souls lying there they shall be Tormented they know not how some say by a material Fire some say by a metaphorical Fire some say by Water and Fire too but by giving so much money for so many Masses or by a Pardon from the Pope or many other ways they may get out sooner And this Doctrine doubtless destroyeth thousands of Souls amongst them they love their Lusts better than their Moneys and venture to live and die in their sinful Courses and then bequeath a good part of their Estates for saying Masses c. to get them out of Purgatory when alas poor wretches they are in the bottomless Pit from which is no Redemption for ever But it is enough to have named these horrible things this Ridiculous Fire serves now for nothing but to keep the Popes Kitchin warm and the Priests pot boyling and to damn poor silly Papists by Presumption it hardly hurteth a very ordinary Protestants Conscience But I shall enlarge no further upon this first Direction for avoiding a Temptation to Presumption by taking heed of Notions which lead the Soul right on upon it and indeed serve for little else I proceed to a Second Direction CHAP. VI. Further Directions for the avoiding Presumption considering the greatness of the guilt of the danger how many miscary by it To be possessed of the difficulty of being Saved the paâ—city of those who shall be saved Self Examination Rules for it Takeing heed of Sinning against Light Prayer to God Working out our Salvation with Fear 2. POssess your Souls Secondly if you would avoid this great Temptation with the greatness of Sin and danger of Presumption and the great multitudes which split eternally on this Rock Here are three things offered to your Consideration 1. The greatness of the Sin of Presumption This will be understood partly by considering the Nature of it partly by considering the Revelation of Gods wraih against it as to the Nature of it 1. It Robbeth God of the Glory of his Justice it indeed seemeth to give God the honour of his Goodness and Mercy but it makes him an Idol of Mercy and despoileth him of his Justice and Purity and Holiness God indeed is Gracious and Merciful but he is also a God of purer Eyes than to behold Iniquity a God before whom Sinners shall not stand in Judgment a God that cannot clear the Guilty Now that Soul that goes on in its sinful Courses and yet hopes to find Favour with God and to go to Heaven at last doth think that God is not so holy and pure a God as indeed he is or that he is not so Just as he is either that he hath not Power to be Revenged upon Sinners or not so just a Will and steady a resolution to be revenged upon such as go on in their Courses of Ungodliness as indeed he hath Now consider with they self how great a sin it must be either to deny the Purity and Holiness of God or the Power and Justice of God The Presumptuous Sinner saith God is not of so pure Eyes but he can abide Iniquity a Sinner may dwell in his sight whereas God could not be God if he could not be Just or not be Holy and Pure Holiness is a piece of Gods Glory he is not only Glorious in Majesty but he is also Glorious in Holiness 2. And as the Justice and Purity of God is Impeached by Presumption so his Truth is also Impeached The Presumptuous Sinner doth in effect say The Scripture is a Lie and a Romance for the language of his heart is directly contrary to the language of Scripture that saith such and such Sinners shall never enter into the Kingdom of God but shall have their portion in the Lake which burneth with Fire and Brimstone He saith I am such a one yet I shall enter into the Kingdom of God I shall not have my portion in the Lake which burneth with Fire and Brimstone What is this but either to deny the Scriptures to be the Word of God or to deny that which is contained in them to be truth and so to make God a liar who is a God that cannot lie Judge you how great an Iniquity this must be And if the Impeachment of a Mans truth be counted such a violation of his honour that he knoweth not how to put it up but is ready to revenge it with a Stab what shall God do who cannot lie So that three eminent Attributes of God Purity Justice and Truth are all of them questioned impeached or denyed by the Presumption of a Sinner And Presumption is not only a Transgression of the Law of God but containeth in it a secret Impugning of the Divine Nature and transformeth God into a being that is not Pure and Holy at least not so Pure and Holy but it can abide Sin well enough that either cannot or will not be revenged upon Sinners that can declare one thing and do another 2. Secondly The magnitude of any Sin is well taken and judged from the Revelation of Divine Wrath against it And it is but just and equal to judge that the greatest Sin against which God doth most severely reveal his Wrath. As to this we shall need look no further then the Text which I have made the foundation of this Discourse Deut. 29. It is the Presumptuous Sinner that is spoken of v. 19. That heareth the words of the Law and the words of the Curse annexed to the violation of the Law