a most wise course so to execute the decree of election and Redemption as he shall be sure to bring in his own to himself and not open up his counsell in particular to the discouraging of any as is told by the father Isa. 52. 13. My servant shall deal prudently and prosper The chief mean appointed is the preaching of the Gospel to all nations commanding all men where the Gospel is by Gods providence preached to repent and believe in the Name of Jesus Christ and to love one another as he hath commanded them Acts 17. 30. and 1 Ioh. 3. 23. and they who refuse to obey are without excuse Another mean is the bringing of so many as professe their acceptation of the offer of grace by Christ Jesus them and their children into the bond of an expresse solemn covenant that they shall submit themselves to the doctrine and government of Christ and teach their children so to do as Abraham the father of believers did Gen. 18. 19. Matth. 28. 19. 20. make disciples of all nations or make all nations disciples to Me. A third mean is the sealing of the covenant by the Sacrament of baptism Matth. 28. 19. 20. make all nations disciples to Me baptizing them in the Name of the Father of the Son and of the Holy Ghost A fourth mean is the gathering them into all lawfull and possible communion with others his disciples that by their Church-fellowship one with another they may be edified under their officers appointed in Christs Testament to feed govern and lead them on in the obedience of all the commands which Christ hath commanded his people in his Testament by which means he goeth about his work and doth call effectually sanctifie and save his own redeemed ones leaving all others without excuse Concerning all these and other means and maner also of executing his decree it is agreed upon between the Father and His Son Christ as His holy Spirit hath revealed it to us in Scripture All which may be taken up in two heads the one is the agreement about the doctrine and directions given to His Church the other is about actions operations and all effects to be brought about for making his word good Concerning his doctrine Christ saith Ioh. 12. 49. 50. I have not spoken of my self but the Father who hath sent me he gave me a commandment what I should say and what I should speak and I know that his commandment is life everlasting whatsoever I speak therefore eveâ—â— as the Father said unto me so I speak Concerning actions and operations and the executiou of the decrees it is agreed also between the Father and the Son Ioh. 8. 16. If I judge my judgement is true for I am not alone but I and the Father that sent me and vers 29. He that sent me is with me the Father hath not left me alone for I do alwayes these things that please him and Joh. 6. 38. I came down from heaven not to do my own will without the consent of the Father but the will of him that sent me In a word the consent and agreement of the Father and the Son Jesus Christ our Lord is such that the Son â—oth nothing by his Spirit but that which the Father â—oth work by the same Spirit from the beginning of the world Ioh. 5. 17. My Father worketh hitherto and I work and Col. 1. 16. for by Christ were all things created that â—re in heaven and that are in earth visible and invisible â—hether they be throns or dominions or principalities or 〈◊〉 〈…〉 created by him and for him He is alpha and Omega the beginning and the ending the first efficient and the last end of all things Rev. 1. 8. because for the glory of Christ the creation the covenant of works and the covenant of grace were made and had and shall have their full execution all for the glory of God in Christ by whom all things were made and do subsist CHAP. V. Of the Covenant of works WE have spoken of the first divine covenant wherein God and God incarnat are the parties it followeth to speak of the next divine covenant to wit the covenant of works between God and man Adam and his posterity made in mans integrity In which covenant God is only the one party of the covenant and man created with all naturall perfections is the other party In this covenant mans continuing in a happy life is promised upon condition of perfect personall obedience to be done by him out of his own naturall strength bestowed upon him as the Apostle teacheth us Gal. 3. 12. the Law is not of faith but the man who shall do these things shall live by them And unto this law or covenant of works is added a threatning of death in case man should transgresse the sense whereof is â—old by the Apostle Gal. 3. 10. cursed is every one who doth not abide in all things that are written in the book of the Law to do them The difference between the law and the Covenant of works THe word Law is sometime taken for the mater or substance of the law of nature written in the hearts of our first Parents by creation the work of which law is to be found in the hearts of their posterity unto this day And in this sense the word Law is taken by the Apostle Rom. 2. 15. the Gentiles saith he shew the wrok of the Law written in their hearts their conscience also bearing witnesse c. Sometime the word is taken for the formall covenant of works as Gal. 3. 10. as many as are of the works of the Law that is under the covenant of works are under the curse for it is written cursed is every one that continueth not in all things that are written in the book of the law to do them 2. The law as it is taken for the covenant of works differeth from the law of nature written by creation in the hearts of our first Parents first because the law of nature written in the heart of man in order both of nature and time went before the covenant made for keeping that law because the covenant for keeping that law was not made till after mans creation and after his bringing into the garden to dresse it and to keep it Gen. 2. 16. 17. Secondly God by vertue of the law written in manâ— heart did not obliedge Himself to perpetuat mans happy life for albeit man had keeped that law most acuratly God was free to dispose of Him as he saw fit before he made the covenant with him But so soon as he made the covenant he oblieged himself to preserve him in a happy life so long as he should go on in obedience to his law and commands according to the tennor of the covenant do this and live Thirdly death was the naturall wages and merit of sin albeit there had no covenant been made at all for sin against God deserveth of its own nature
Prison and Stocks pinching and pressing the bound sinner and the part of the Burrio scourging and tormenting him But the Conscience after examination finding the man either innocent and free of the crime or forgiven and reconciled to God by Christ after repentance and faith embracing the Redeemer it doth the part of an honest Friend carefully comforting the innocent or penitent and the part of an Advocat excusing and defending the man against all challenges and the part of Witnesses compurgatours and the part of the Iudge absolving and the part of the Rewarder And so much concerning the nature and use of Conscience as may suffice our purpose CHAP. II. Of Cases of Conscience in general A Case of Conscience taken in a large sense comprehends every accident which any way affects or qualifieth the Conscience And in this sense the perswasion and certainty which the Conscience may have the soundness health and strength of the Conscience may be called Cases and good Cases of the Conscience So also any effect which the Conscience doth work on the soul such as are peace of conscience comfort and joy in the heart may be called Cases of the Conscience also But the Cases whereof we are to treat are the ill Cases of the Conscience whereby it is fallen from the soundness and streightness it should have which we call by the name of wounds diseases and sickness of the Conscience whereunto that we may descend to speak more orderly a twofold difference is to be observed 2. First we must put difference between a healthy and a sick Conscience A healthy Conscience is that which after examination of our wayes according to the rule of Gods Word doth justly absolve us and speaketh peace to us toward God Of such a conscience it is said by Solomon A sound heart is the life of the flesh Prov. 14. 30. by the heart he meaneth the conscience which ordinarly in Scripture is called the heart And he saith the sound conscience is the life of the flesh because the body is so much in better case that the conscience be at peace toward God And this blessing is allowed upon every believer in Christ in his orderly walking 2 Tim. 1. 7. God hath not given us the spirit of fear but of power of love and of a sound mind A Conscience in this disposition needeth not medicine but spiritual nourishment and exercise in all Christian-duties A sick Conscience we call that which either is senseless of its own evils and dangers it is in and sitteth down securely and resteth without a warrand Or which is justly wounded and labours under the sense of its pain or which is unquiet upon mistakes and ignorance of making use of the true remedy of such a sick Conscience we are to speak if possible by Gods blessing a word in season may be spoken to waken a secure conscience or to refresh the weary soul that being recovered from its malady it may be able to feed upon the bread and water of life and work the works of God in the strength of Christ. 3. Secondly we must put difference between a troubled Soul and a troubled Conscience for the Soul is more largely taken then the Conscience The Soul comprehendeth all the powers and faculties of the man but the Conscience as we speak of it is only one faculty of the mind judging of the mans moral ill or well-being and so all cases of the Conscience are cases of the Soul but all the cases of the Soul are not cases of the Conscience For the Soul may be troubled while the Conscience is not troubled at all yea a man may have a commendable trouble in his soul when he seeth God dishonoured or His Church in hazard whereby his conscience is so far from being troubled that such a holy trouble strengthens his conscience in his address to God as is in many places of the Psalms to be seen Again a mans mind may be troubled by sundry natural or civil motives while the conscience is allowably quiet as in losses of things temporal fears pains or unexpected inconveniencies occurring yea there may be passions and perturbations of the mind in persons that are not capable for the time of the exercise of Conscience as may be seen in young infants and in the elder sort in fits of feaver melancholy and phrensie and yet further it is possible that passions perturbations and troubles of soul may be found without any disease of the Conscience because our Lord Jesus in the dayes of his humiliation was a man acquainted with sorrows but was not obnoxious to sin or any self-challenging for he knew no sin in himself He had trouble in his soul but could not have trouble of conscience Iob 12. 27. Now is my soul troubled and what shall I say â—ather save me from this hour but for this cause came I unto this hour Of the cases of the Soul we speak not here but of the sinfull diseases of the Conscience 4. There is also a third difference to be observed between common cases of Conscience and these that specially concern Regeneration Common cases comprehend all these questions and doubts wherein the Conscience is seeking light and resolution about the rule of faith and maners that it may better inform it self about the sense of Scripture and about the application thereof in the point of direction in faith and practice These common cases are of as large extent as the bulk of Divinity as large as the Doctrine held forth in Scripture concerning faith and maners for there is not any one article of faith or duty prescribed as a point of piety or righteousness about which questions may not be moved and cases propounded wherein the Conscience may seek satisfaction Of this hudge great tree we take but only one branch to speak of so far as maketh for our purpose concerning Regeneration CHAP. III. Of Regeneration what it is and the regenerat man who he is WE speak not here of the regeneration of elect infants dying in their infancy God hath His own way of dealing with them but of the regeneration of those who are capable of being outwardly called by the ministry of the Word which we may thus describe Regeneration being one in effect with effectual caling is the work of Gods invincible power and meer grace wherein by His Spirit accompanying His Word He quickeneth a redeemed person lying dead in his sins and reneweth him in his mind will and all the powers of his soul convinceing him savingly of sin righteousness and judgment and making him heartily to embrace Christ and Salvation and to consecrat himself to the service of God in Christ all the dayes of his life 2. The main thing we must take heed to in this work is to give to God intirely the glory of His Grace and Power and Wisdom so that the glory of mans regeneration be neither given to man nor man made sharer of the glory with God but God may have
whereby he is made more capable of regeneration to be wrought in him for the materiall disposition of him fitting him for regeneration is neither a part nor a degree of regeneration for albeit the Lord be not bound to these preparatory dispositions yet He will have man bound to make use of these externall means which may prepare him because by the use of externall means such as are hearing of the word Catechising and conference c. a man may be brought more near unto regeneration as Christ doth teach us by His speech to that Pharisee who was instructed in the law and answered discreedy unto Christ Thou art not far saith He from the kingdom of God Mark 12. 24. This preparatory disposition in order unto regeneration is like unto the drying of timber to make it sooner take fire when it is casten into it For dryness in the timber is neither a part nor a degree of kindling or inflammation of it But only a preparation of the timber to receive inflammation when the fire shall be set to it or it put in the fire possibly a long time after In these preparatory exercises then no man will deny that the naturall man unrenewed hath a naturall power to go and hear a Sermon preached to read the Scripture to be informed by Catechising and conference of Religion and regeneration whereof God when He pleaseth may make use in regeneration of the man Wherefore whosoever in the preaching of the Gospel are charged and commanded to repent to believe in Christ or turn unto God they are commanded also to use all these externall means whereby they may be informed of the duty required and of the means leading thereunto in the exercise of which externall means they may meet with sundry common operations and effects of Gods Spirit before they be regenerat or converted whereof the use may be sound not only in but also after conversion And if any man shall refuse slight or neglect to follow these preparatory exercises which may prepare him for conversion he is inexcusable before God and man and guilty of rejecting of the offer of reconciliation yea guilty of resisting of the holy Ghost of which sin and guiltynesse the holy martyr Stephen chargeth the misbelieving Jews Acts 7. 51. 8. As for the regenerat man he it is who in the acknowledgement of his sinfulnesse and deserved misery and of his utter inability to help himself doth cast away all confidence in his own parts and possible righteousnesse of his own works and fleeth to Christ offered in the Gospel that in Christ alone he may have true wisdom righteousnesse sanctification and redemption and doth with full purpose of heart consecrat himself and endeavour in the strength of Christ to serve God acceptably all the dayes of his life For the ground of this description we have the words of the Apostle Philip. 3. 3. Where putting a difference between the true people of God and the counterfit he saith We are the circumcision who worship God in the spirit and rejoyce in Iesus Christ and have no confidence in the flesh In which description of the regenerat man the Apostle first points forth unto us three speciall operations of the Spirit of regeneration then three duties of the man regenerat The first operation of the Spirit of God the only circumciser of the heart is the humbling of the man in the sense of his sin by the doctrine of the law and cutting off all his confidence in his own worth wit free-will and strength to help himself So that the man hath no confidence in the flesh The second operation is the infusion of saving faith making the man humbled to close with Christ in the Covenant of reconciliation and to rest upon Him as the only and sufficient remedy of sin and misery so that Christ becometh to him the ground of rejoycing and gloriation The third operation is the upstirring and enabling of the believer in Christ to endeavour new obedience and to worship God in the spirit As for the three duties of the man regenerat The first is to follow the leading of the Spirit in the poynt of more and more humbling of himself before God in the sense of his own insufficiency and â—shewing of all leaning on his own parts gifts works or sufferings or any thing else beside Christ He must have no confidence in the flesh The second duty is to grow in the estimation of Christs righteousnesse and fulnesse of all graces to be letten forth to the believer imploying Him by faith and comforting himself in Christ against all difficulties troubles and temptations He must rejoyce in Iesus Christ. The third duty is to endeavour communion-keeping with God in the course of new obedience in all cases worshiping and serving God in sincerity of heart he must be a worshiper of God As to the last thing holden forth in the Apostles words which is the undoubted mark and evidence of the man regenerat and circumcised in heart it standeth in the constant endeavour to grow in these three duties joyntly so as each of them may advance another for many failings and short-comings will be found in our new obedience and worshiping of God in the spirit but let these failings be made use of to extinguish and abolish all confidence in our own parts and righteousnesse that our dayly failings may humble us and cut us off from all confidence in the flesh But let not these failings so discourage us as to hinder us to put confidence in Christ but by the contrair the lesse ground of confidence we find in our selves let us raise so much higher the estimation of remission of sin and imputation of Christs righteousnesse and stir up our selves by faith to draw more strength and ability out of Christ for enabling us to walk more holily and righteously before God and having fled to Christ and comforted our selves in him let us not turn his grace into wantonnesse but the more we believe the grace of Jesus Christ let us strive in his strength so much the more to glorifie God in new obedience And in the circle of these three duties let us wind our selves up stairs toward heaven for God hath promised that such as wait on the Lord shall renew their strength they shall mount up with wings as Eagles they shall run and not be weary they shall walk and not faint Isaiah 40. 31. In the conjunction of these three duties the evidence of regeneration is found If there be not a sincere endeavour after all these three duties the evidence of regeneration is by so much darkned and short for probation for it is not sufficient to prove a man regenerat that he is driven from all confidence in his own righteousnesse and filled with the sense of sin and deserved wrath because a man that hath no more then that may perish in this miserable condition as we see in Iudas the traitour whose conscience was burdened with the sense of
sin but did not seek mercy and pardon Neither is it sufficient to boast of acquaintance with Christ and professe great respect to him because many do cry Lord Lord who neither renounce their confidence in their own righteousnesse nor worship God in spirit for of such Christ saith Matth. 7. 21. Not every one that saith to Him Lord Lord shall enter into the kingdom of God Neither is it sufficient to pretend the worshiping of God in spirit for all they who think to be justified by their own works do esteem their manner of serving of God true and spirituall service and worship as may be seen in the proud Pharisee glorying before God in his own righteousnesse and acknowledging that God was the giver unto him of the holinesse and righteousnesse which he had Luke 18. 11. I thank Thee O God saith he that I am not like other men extortioners unjust adulterers or even as this publican for of this man Christ saith he returned to his house unjustified that is a man lying still in sin unreconciled Neither is it sufficient to prove a man regenerat to confess sin and by-gone unrighteousnesse and to promise and begin to amend his wayes and future conversation for so much may a Pharisee attain And there are many that professe themselves Christians who think to be justified by the merits of their own and other saints doings and sufferings and do disdainfully scoff and mock at the doctrine of the imputed righteousnesse of Christ how many are they also who think their bygone sins may be washen away and be recompenced by their purpose to amend their life in time to come How many are they who being willingly ignorant of the righteousnesse of God which is of faith in Jesus Christ go about to establish their own righteousnesse as the Jews did Rom. 10. 3. And how few are they who follow the example of the Apostle who carefully served God in spirit and truth but did not lean to his own righteousnesse but sought more and more to be found in Christ not having his own righteousnesse which behoved to be made up of his imperfect obedience of the law but that righteousnesse which is by faith in Jesus Christ Philip. 3. 9. But that man who daily in the sense of his sinfulness and poverty sleeth unto Jesus Christ that he may be justified by His righteousnesse and endeavoureth by faith in Him to bring forth the fruits of new obedience and doth not put confidence in these his works when he hath done them but rejoyceth in Jesus Christ the fountain of holinesse and blessednesse That man I say undoubtedly is regenerat and a new creature for so doth the Apostle describe him Philip. 3. 3. CHAP. IV. Of divine Covenants about the eternall salvation of men and in speciall of the Covenant of redemption shewing that there is such a Covenant and what are the articles thereof BEcause the healing of the sicknesse of the conscience cometh by a right application of divine Covenants about our salvation therefore it is necessary that some measure of the knowledge thereof be opened up 1. A divine covenant we call a contract or paction wherein God is at least the one party contracter Of this sort of covenants about the eternall salvation of men which sort chieflly belong to our purpose there are three The first is the covenant of redemption past between God and Christ God appointed Mediatour before the world was in the council of the Trinity The second is the covenant of works made between God and men in Adam in his integrity indued with all naturall perfections enabling him to keep it so long as it pleased him to stand to the condition The third is the covenant of grace and reconciliation through Christ made between God and believers with their children in Christ. 2. As to the covenant of redemption for clearing the mater we must distinguish the sundry acceptions of the word redemption for 1. Sometime it is taken for the contract and agreement of selling and buying-back to eternall salvation of lost man looked upon as in the state of sin and misery In which sense we are said to be bought by Christ both souls and bodies 1 Cor. 6. 19. 20. Ye are not your own for ye are bought with a price therefore glorifie God in your body and in your spirit which are Gods And this may be called redemption by paction and agreed bargain 2. Sometime redemption is taken for the paying of the price agreed upon In which sense Christ is said to have redeemed us by suffering of the punishment due to us and ransoming of us Gal. 3. 13. Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law being made a curse for us 3. Sometime redemption is taken for the begun application of the benefits purchased in the covenant by the price payed Ephes. 1. 7. In whom we have redemption through His blood even the remission of sins according to the riches of His grace 4. Sometime redemption is taken for the perfect and full possession of all the benefits agreed upon between the Father and Christ His Son the Mediatour In which sense we are said to be sealed with the holy Spirit of promise which is the earnest of our inheritance untill the redemption of the purchased possession Ephes. 1. 14. and Ephes. 4. 30. it is said Grieve not the holy Spirit of God whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption which is the day of Judgement when Christ shall put us in full possession of all the blessednesse which He purchased by bargain and payment for us In this place we take redemption in the first sense for the covenant past between the Father and Christ His Son designed Mediatour about our redemption 3. When we name the Father as the one party and His Son Christ as the other party in this covenant we do not seclude the Son and holy Spirit from being the party offended but do look upon the Father Son and Spirit one God in three Persons as offended by mans sin and yet all three contented to take satisfaction to divine justice for mans sin in the Person of the Son as designed Mediatour to be incarnat Whereby the Son is both the party offended as God one essentially with the Father and holy Spirit and the party contracter also as God designed Mediatour personally for redeeming man who with consent of the Father and holy Spirit from all eternity willed and purposed in the fulnesse of time to assume the humane nature in personall union with Himself and for the elects sake to become man and to take the cause of the elect in hand to bring them back to the friendship of God and full enjoyment of felicity for evermore When therefore we make the Father the one party and the Son designed mediatour the other party speaking with the Scripture for the more easie uptaking of the Covenant let us look to one God in three Persons having absolute right and soveraign
creature presuppose innocent is called Grace because it is impossible that a meer creature can properly merit any good thing of God because the creature neither hath nor can have that which it hath not received Rom. 11. 35. who hath first given to Him and it shall be recompenced to him again Sometime Grace is taken for every gift or good bestowed by God upon the ill deserver in which sense gists common to elect and reprobat are called by the name of Grace Rom. 1. 5. Ephes. 4. 7. Sometime Grace is taken in opposition to the pactioâ—all merit of works or to the reward due by debt covenanted as Rom. 4. 4. To him that worketh the reward is not reckoned of grace but of debt In which sense that which is given for works is not given of grace Rom. 11. 16. and in this sense we take Grace as it is opposed to the covenant of works for the condition of the covenant of works is the giving perfect obedience to the law But the condition of the covenant of grace is the receiving of Christ by faith unto righteousnesse and life offered in the Gospel without the works of the law which covenant may thus be described The covenant of grace is a contract between God and men procured by Christ upon these tearms that whosoever in the sense of their own sinfulnesse shall receive Christ Jesus offered in the Gospel for righteousnesse and life shall have Him and all the benefits purchased by Him according to the covenant of Redemption and that God will be his God and the God of his children This covenant of grace is founded upon the covenant of Redemption past between God and Christ wherein it was agreed that all the elect given unto Christ shall be reconciled in due time to God and that to this end this grace should be preached to bring about the reconciliation and therefore Christ is called the Mediatour of the new covenant Heb. 12. 22. Of Infants interest in this Covenant Quest. WHat interest have infants in this covenant Ans. The same which they had since the first expresse and formall making thereof with Abraham to whom God promised to be his God and the God of his children whose children all are who are in Christ Gal. 3. 27 28 29. For of the redeemed some come to age whom God having called by the preaching of the Gospel doth induce and effectually move to embrace solemnly the offered fellowship with God and his saints in Christ and to consecrat themselves and their children unto the service of God There are other redeemed ones who die in their infancy before they come to the use of reason to whose salvation God hath expresse respect in making his covenant with their parents that he will not have them excluded from the blessing when he calls their parents to him but in the common offer of grace and reconciliation by Christ he makes the promise jointly to the parents and the children for in one sentence and as it were with one breath He saith I will be thy God and thy seeds after thee Gen. 15. 17. whereof the Apostle maketh good use Acts 2. 39. declaring the promise to be made to the Jews and their children and to the called Gentiles and their children And upon this ground Paul and Silas timeously did offer consolation to the Jailour trembling and anxious what way he should be saved Acts 16. 31. saying Believe in Christ Iesus and thou shall be saved thou and thy house As for the maner how the Lord dealeth with the souls of infants in converting them the Scripture doth not speak for this lieth among the secrets of God which doth not concern us to search after Deut. 29. 29. It should be sufficient to us that God in covenanting with the parents promiseth to be the God of their children And according to this covenant the Lord complains of their staying and offering their children unto idols calling them His own sons and daughters Ezek. 16. 20. and upon this ground in the second command the Lord promiseth to shew mercy to the thousand generation of believing parents and 1 Cor. 7. 14. the Apostle doth call the children of one of the parents believing holy children because of their consecration unto God by the believing confederat parent and in regard of Gods right and interest in them as the children of His own family by covenant And Christ our Lord upon this ground doth call the children of confederat parents burgesses of heaven of such is the kingdom of heaven Matth. 19. 13 14. and because infants are dedicat to Christ to be taught and governed by Him in His own way and order they are called disciples Acts 15. 10. as the disputers for the circumcision of Christians children as well as of their parents after the law of Moses do make it manifest and in the institution of baptism our Lord gives the priviledge of the covenant unto every nation no lesse then to the Iews that by covenant whole nations might be drawn in and given up as disciples to His doctrine Matth. 28. 29. make all nations disciples by your doctrine baptizing them c. that the children with the parents might be partakers by baptism of the seal of the covenant for the righteousnesse of faith no lesse then the children of Israelites were by circumcision Of the means to draw on the making of this covenant OF these means we have spoken in the fourth article of the covenant of Redemption and need not to insist more about them then to name them The first mean to draw men into this blessed covenant and to keep them in it is the externall revelation of the will of God for teaching men how great their sin and misery is and how they may be reconciled and delivered by the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and how they may testifie their thankfulnesse being reconciled for such a mercy which grounds of saving knowledge are fully and faithfully set down in holy Scripture and committed to His servants in the ministry who should in preaching of the Gospel inform and perswade men to repent and imbrace the grace of Christ and put on His sweet yoke of obedience upon them The second mean is after application of the Lords word to the hearers for convincing them of sin in them and righteousnesse in Christ and judgement to follow to wit of absolution of the believer and of condemnation of such as believe not To receive into the bond of this covenant of grace all that appear seriously to consecrat themselves and their children to the faith and obedience of the doctrine of our Lord Jesus Christ without determining whether they be regenerat for the present or not The third mean is the solemn sealing of this covenant for righteousnesse of faith and salvation through Christ by baptizing both the parents that accept the covenant and their children also and by exhortations promises and comminations and all other arguments which may more and more
faith in Christ bestowed on himself now in experience hath flowed from that fountain of Gods love and free grace through Christ. Except this order be keeped a man cannot warrantably and with confidence and comfort make application of these covenants Hence it followeth that it is a preposterous and perilous course which some do follow and presse others to follow that presently upon the hearing of the Gospel every man should believe that Christ hath died for him for Christ calleth no man warrandeth no man to come to him except he first do acknowledge his sins and himself to be worthy of wrath condemnation and hell for his sins and to be utterly unable to save himself by any mean save by Christ for Luke 5. 32. Christ saith I came not to call the righteous but sinners unto repentance Neither doth Christ require of any man to believe himself to be of the number of Christs sheep for whom he laid down his life except he come by faith as a lost sinner to him and submit himself to his doctrine and discipline and pastorall care over him for Ioh. 17. 9. Christ saith I pray not for the world but for these thou hast given me out of the world and no man shall know that himself is given of the Father to Christ till first he come in the order foresaid unto Christ and when he is come to Christ resolveth to abide with him then may he say the Father hath given me to Christ and drawn me to Christ for this is the mark which Christ giveth Ioh. 6. 37. All that the Father hath given unto me shall come to me And again vers 44. No man cometh unto me except the Father draw him 3. There is an order alâ—o to be observed in the application of the graces offered in the Gospel for in the Evangel first Christ himself is offered as the only and sufficient remedy against sin and misery and next unto the person that receiveth Christ heartily all Christs benefits are promised to come to him by Christ and are to be found in and through Christ such as are Justification Adoption the indwelling of the holy Ghost love joy peace gentlenesse bounty fidelity meekness temperance and other Christian graces Gal 5. 22. for no man hath right unto Christs benefits before he be a believer in Christ. But so soon as a man in the foresaid order is fled unto Christ and hath laid hold on him by faith straight way a door and entresse is opened unto him unto the rich treasure of grace and right is given to him unto all the benefits of Christ for all the promises are yea and amen not before a man come to Christ not to a man without Christ but they are all yea and a men in Christ. 4. Therefore they wrong both God and their own selves who when they come unto the throne of grace do prescribe unto God another order of working then he hath set down in his word craving in the first place consolation and sensible peace in their conscience felt in their hearts and that God would work some such saving graces in their heart which the reprobat cannot counterfit which directions if God will take off their hand and bestow his graces on them sensibly as they prescribe unto him then they will stand oblieged to continue in the faith of Christ but if they find not their directions obeyed and their petitions in their order granted then with grief of heart they begin to complain and to pretend that they dare not approach unto God or Christ so long as these petitions are not first granted and felt to be granted This temptation doth invert and overturn the order of Goâ—s calling for Christ doth not call unto him well-doers or these that do found their faith upon their own good behaviour and lean to their own works which they desire to find in themselves before they fasten faith on Christ but Christ doth call sinners in their own sense and acknowledgment who renounce all confidence in their own works past present or to come He calleth such as are lost in their own sense and do feel themselves utterly unable so much as to think a good thought of themselves that they may be cloathed with the imputed righteousnesse of Christ and indued with the spirit of sanctification by him and Christs will is that they who believe in him abide in him and suck by faith out of him as the branches do suck sap out of the tree grace to bring forth fruits more and more abundantly for this is the order which Christ doth prescribe unto his disciples Ioh. 15. 5. He that abideth in me and I in him the same bringeth forth much fruit for without me ye can do nothing Whosoever therefore will not believe in Christ or do think it is not lawfull to approach unto him till first they find in themselves amendment of life and evident fruits of saving faith they do in effect change the condition of the covenant of grace and do suspend their faith in Christ till they find works to build upon when it were their duty the more they feel their barrennesse so much the more straitly to lay hold on Christ and hold him fast and ply him with earnest supplications to make good his promise to them who do abide in him Ioh. 15. 5. 5. It is necessary to presse every man who doth believe his justification by faith that he be carefull to observe the morall law or ten commands as the perpetuall and unchangeable rule of good works prescribed of God for Christ came not to destroy the law but to fulfill it Matth. 5. 17. He hath indeed unto believers in him dissolved the covenant of the law not only by his doctrine teaching them that by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified in the sight of God because by the law is the knowledge of sin gotten but no absolution from sin Rom. 3. 20. But also by absolving every believer in him that walketh not after the flesh but after the spirit from all condemnation Rom. 8. 1â— Mean while he hath not broken the yoke of obedience of the law from off the believer as he hath broken off the yoke of the covenant of works but by the contrair he prescribes to them who come unto him for remission of sin that they take on his yoke upon them and bring forth works of new obedience Matth. 11. 29. and this is the order which the Apostle doth prescribe Tit. 3. 8. This is a faithfull saying and these things I will thou affirm constantly that they which have believed in God might be carefull to maintain good works these things are good and profitable unto men 6. The moral precepts of the law are so to be pressed that the hearers whether un-converted or converted may by them whether in some measure obeyed or disobeyed be driven to Christ that the law may ever in some sort be a pedagogue unto Christ for before conversion
4. They eat up my people as they eat bread and call not upon the Lord. They have a form of godlinesse but in their deeds they deny the power of it for they beleeve never a word of what is preached of things spirituall revealed in the word of God No wonder therefore that they will not examine themselves nor receive any accusation from their own consciences for any sin of this sort which concerneth godlinesse 2. The causes of such mens hardening of their heart may be four the first is the measure of worldly wisdom granted to them and others like themselves above common people with the conceit whereof they are so puffed up that they care for nothing save this present world they acknowledge no other holinesse but civil observance of humane laws as if Scripture and all Religious exercises were to be referred to this only end that men living according to the laws and customes received into the Societies they live into should study to make the best they can of this present world And this worldly and carnall wisdom is called Psal. 1. the counsell of the ungodly because all ungodly persons do think it shall be more safe to walk in the wayes of their wisdom then to be hemmed in by the laws of God The second cause of their obduration is carnall confidence in their worldly prosperity which they hope alwayes to enjoy and that by the principles of their own wisdom Psal. 10. 6. he hath said in his heart I shall never be moved I shall never be in adversity The third cause is the stumbling block of the cross and affliction wherewith they perceive the godly usually to be exercised Upon which offence they stumble the more readily because they judge that the greatest part of the affliction of the godly proceeds from their own imprudency and do ascribe their own prosperity to their own wisdom wherein they are so lifted up in their own estimation that they despise all men in comparison of themselves Psal. 10. 5. As for his enemies he puffeth at them The fourth cause is the not observing the slighting and despising of Gods Judgments concerning which they do not give credit unto God when he speaketh and therefore do not make use of the operation of his hands Psal. 10. 5. Thy judgments are far above out of his sight 3. Albeit there be very small hope of the conversion of any such because they cannot abide free dealing from any man in private for to give them any admonition is to them a reproach and they cannot endure it and nothing can cut them at the heart more then that any man should suspect them of hypocrisie and atheism yet because no Pastor may despair of any man or judge him a reprobat so long as the long-suffering patience of God inviteth him to repentance therefore the Pastor must deal with such men in the general in his sermons that from the Scripture he may convince them of their ignorance of Gods wayes and of their atheism To which end and purpose first he must point such men forth in their colours as the Scripture doth describe them yet so as he hold himself in generall in dealing with all such persons without particular description of any man by particular circumstances whereby such a man one or moe of the auditors may appear to be picked out and shot at Secondly he must denounce gravely and with compassion the heavy Judgments of God against them Thirdly he must pull the mask of civil honesty off their face and let them know the righteousness of Christ imputed to humble sinners flying to him to be the only garment to hide nakedness if possibly the hearer may conceive hope he may be forgiven his former hypocrisie and be allured unto Christ. Fourthly let him often against such persons make use of the Apostles admonition 1 Cor. 3. 18 19. Let no man deceive himself if any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world let him become a fool that he may be wise for the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God for it is written he taketh the wise in their own craftinesse Fifthly let the Pastor observe the occasion if at any time it shall please God to lay calamity on such a man and then let him wisely labour with all meekness and tenderness to awaken up his conscience to take notice of the sparks of wrath least he perish in Gods displeasure if he do not humble himself before God and draw in to Christ upon which condition let him make the fairest offers of grace and mercy that the Gospel can yield to him if possibly the Lord may give him repentance and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. For removing the fourth impediment THe fourth impediment of self-examination is the stupidity and senslesness of the conscience past feeling as it were burnt with a hot iron This disease may be seen in bâ—â—otted Epicures given to their brutish lusts who are so carried on after their furious beastly affections that they have no more power over themselves then beasts and such monsters of men by frequent sinning have extinguished all sense of sin for albeit by nature there is some remainder of light in fallen man whereby the work of the law may be found written in their heart as far as to make them inexcusable when they do contrary to it and albeit there is leâ—t in the natural man some natural power of the conscience to vex him that rebelleth against it to restrain him thereafter from doing the like yet some have so sold themselves to the lust and wantonnesse of their flâ—sh that they will not hear any admonition or check of the conscience which might make any remorse but do run madly after all sort of uncleannesse corrupting themselves as brute beasts The like disposition may be seen in openly profane persons who not only in their deeds have denyed the power of godliness but also renounce the profession of all form of godlinesse and shamelesly foam forth their ungodlinesse as an open rotten grave casts forth the stink thereof Of this sort are these who when they do blaspheme will not be reproved Psal. 12. 4. Our tongues are our own who is Lord over us and who as dogs do trample under-foot all holy things and rent them who reprove them and who insult over the godly in their affliction saying with Davids enemies where is their God and who openly scorn all religion like these desperat scoffers 2 Pet. 3. 4. saying where is the promise of his coming Such as these are practically atheists and in some sort also in their minds for albeit they have some natural principles of a Godhead imprinted on them yet they smother all knowledge of God and belch out their own shame against God and religion and all the godly 2. Of mens falling unto such a fearfull abomination four causes may be rendered The first is the mans violence used against his conscience frequently in committing of grievous
faith and to follow hard after the growth of sanctification without which no man shall see the face of God and let us so extoll the covenant of Grace and freedom of the believer from the covenant of Works that we neglect not to keep up the authority of the moral Law and the commands thereof as the perpetual rule of new obedience the use whereof is very profitable in the whole course of a Christian life to hold forth the duty of believers in Christ and to shew unto them by their short-coming in duties the poyson and power of corruption remaining in the Saints and to make them sensible of the necessity of flying daily to that imputed righteousnesse by faith in Christ and of drawing strength from Christ to bring forth more aboundant fruits whereby Christ shall be more and more precious in our eyes and be acknowledged absolutely necessar for our justification sanctification and salvation 15. When question is made concerning Christian vertues and operations of the holy Spirit in us the order of Gods working held forth to us in Scripture is carefully to be marked by us which is that sense of sin should go before faith in Christ for the Law is a pedagogue to Christ for he came not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance Matth. 9. 13. And faith in Christ goeth before the fruits of faith and the fruits of faith before the sensible approbation of them and approbation of the fruits by Scripture goeth before the sensible fealing of the believer and the quieting of the conscience in its approbation of what the Scripture approveth for after we have believed we come to be sealed Ephes. 1. 13. Now for the not observing this order many real Christians do make unto themselves a very un-comfortable life for albeit they be convinced of sin and humbled in the sense of their own inability to help themselves and are fled to Christ for pardon and help and do lead a life blamelesse yet do they unhappily suspend the acknowledging of the work of faith bestowed upon them and do disquiet themselves so as they cannot rest on Christ but do quarrel the reality of their faith till they shall feel and perceive with approbation of their conscience such and such fruits of faith in themselves and that in such a measure as they have fore-imagined to be the necessar evidences of faith yea and they refuse to account themselves persons justified because they cannot perceive such mature fruits in themselves as they conceive must not only be but be acknowledged also to be in the justified person before he can lay hold on justification Such persons do in effect invert the order which they should observe for when it were their part to flye unto Christ the only Mediator because they come short of new obedience and because they are loaden with sin that in him they might have God reconciled to them and by his Spirit pouring in of his grace in their souls to make them more holy they take another and contrary course by suspending their faith upon their works and do exact of themselves works before faith and so do weaken their own faith and hinder it to bring forth such fruits as they do require It is reason indeed to prove our faith by our works and it is just that such a faith be accounted dead which is not accompanied with the purpose and endeavour to live holily justly and soberly But it is against all reason and equity to condemn weak faith accompanied with the purpose of a new life as if it were no faith because it hath not as yet brought forth so fair and fully ripe fruits as the weak believer would It were their wisdom when they perceive such impotency to do what is good and such strength of the body of death in them to flye unto the Redeemer so much the more and in him to seek remission of sin and strength to bring forth good fruits and to be sucking juice and sap out of him as the true Vine for if we come to him and abide in him we shall bring forth much fruit Iob. 15. 4 5. For faith in Christ in order of nature goeth before good works for only they who come to Christ and abide in him do bring forth aboundant fruit and not they who upon the apprehension of their want of fruits do loose or slacken their grip of faith and upon discouragment are ready to depart from the living God 16. The like wisdom is required in dealing with the consciences of men concerning the preparatory dispositions of such as may confidently come unto Christ to be justified sanctified and saved for albeit it be true that all that come to Christ ought to come in the sense of their sin and acknowledgment of wrath and death deserved for their sins ought to come with contrition of heart with godly sorrow for their sins and a humble renunciation of all confidence in themselves yet must not such persons as do not satisfie themselves in the measure or sincerity of such preparatory dispositions in themselves be keeped back or debarred from coming to Christ because they not only want as they conceive both the humiliation and sorrow of heart for sin and fear of wrath required in such as have accesse unto Christ but also do perceive in themselves such blindnesse of mind and vanity thereof such stupidity of conscience and stubbornesse of a proud heart as is not fit as they conceive to be received by Christ or fit to be comforted by him such persons I say are not to be forthwith debarred from coming to the throne of grace for oft-times sincerity of conviction compunction and humiliation is to be found in such as are displeased with their own short-coming in such preparatory dispositions more then in many others who make a fairer shew and profession of their godly sorrow and humiliation and are well pleased with themselves in that respect We must be wary also while we require sorrow and humiliation and other like preparatory dispositions in them who may come unto Christ least we secretly import and insinuat a sort of merit to be in such dispositions so as if he that doth not perceive himself thus qualified could expect no good at Christs hands except he have in his hand such preparatory dispositions as if it were a price of purchasing adresse to Christ. But let us hold this fast that the more poor and empty a man be in his own eyes he ought to draw the more near unto the riches of grace in Christ because in him only are to be found all the treasures of every saving grace and preparatory dispositions for receiving thereof he is that exalted Prince who giveth repentance unto Israel Act. 5. 31. he is the author and finisher of faith unto whom all they who in the sense of their want of repentance and faith do sigh in themselves ought and safely may come that they may have from him a more ample
his yoke upon them are troubled with doubtings whether they be of the number of true believers whether they have rightly come unto Christ whether they have been well accepted of him and for their doubting they can give no other reason save this I cannot be quiet nor rest in assurance that I am in the state of grace if they be interrogat what they think of the evident signs of their regeneration which have been and are to be seen in their conversation since they began in earnest to seek the face of God in Christ They will possibly not altogether deny Gods work in them but yet dare not lean weight upon these signs because they do find these signs also brought in question whether they have been or are kindly and sincere mean time they are about to do that which is acceptable to God in the course of their calling albeit with more heavinesse and lesse alacrity then bâ—cometh persons reconciled to God in Christ. 2. This disease will be found complicat and made up of moe mistakes and errors then one and therefore is to be the more narrowly considered because it is no small hinderance of a comfortable christian conversation which God doth allow on his children for in the party troubled with unquietnesse we presuppone Iâ— there is a serious sense of sin and purpose to do better 2. An unfained embracing of the covenant of grace and reconciliation in Christ Jâ—sus And 3. an honest though weak endeavour to bring forth the fruits of new obedience and yet notwithstanding the person is not quiet but walketh heavily and is discouraged by reason of his uncertainty whether he be in the state of grace or not yea he is cast down and disquieted because he is disquieted and cannot get a reasonable answer from his conscience when he asketh of it why are thou cast down and disquieted within me 3. The mistakes and errors whence this dissatisfaction and unquietnesse doth flow are many but we shall condescend upon eight or nine only The first error and cause of unquietnesse is or may be this that the party afflicted albeit he have the habits of saving grace in him and doth by Gods grace put forth these habits in actual exercise yet he doth not reflect upon nor turn his eye to observe the operations of Gods holy Spirit in himself nor the acts of saving grace which the holy Spirit hath made him put forth of which if he take not notice they are to him for the time as if they were not and so no wonder he be disquiet while he perceiveth not in himself that which might make him quiet For example when the sense of sin is raised up in a mans spirit by the holy Ghost if he do not observe that this is one of the operations of the holy Spirit convincing the world of sin or if he do not turn back his eye on this operation and upon his own act stirred up thereby to subscribe the sentence of the law against himself no wonder that he doubt of his conversion till he see the foot-steps of God the converter of him from the love and approbation of sin unto the hatred of it and when he is â—lâ—d to Christ the only Redeemer from sin and misery and hath laid hold on him according to the covenant of grace offered in him if he do not look back on this operation of God drawing him to Christ and upon his own act of coming unto Christ by the draught of Gods Spirit what wonder he do not reckon himself among believers albeit he be in Gods account one of that number And when the holy Spirit hath kindled in him not only a purpose of new obedience but also a begun endeavour to live holily justly and soberly if he do not observe and acknowledge these operations of Gods Spirit making him to bring forth these acts what wonder that this mistake and inconsideration do open a door to disquietnesse and doubting whether he be in the state of grace or not 4. For removing this cause of disquietnesse the afflicted person must beware that he passe not sentence of Gods dispensation towards him according to the tentations and suggestions of Sathan nor yet according to the opinion which his Pastor or friend may have of him judging somewhat uncharitably of him upon sinister suspicions neither let him stand to the suspicions of his own incredulous heart but let him consider what the Word of the Lord hath said of the person in whom these three graceâ— do concur to wit 1. the sense of sin and inability to help our selves 2. flying unto Christ for relief from sin and misery and 3. some measure of upright purpose and endeavour to serve God in new obedience for of such saith the Apostle Phil. 3. 3 We are the Circumcision or true Israelits who have no confidence in the flesh but rejoyce in Iesus Christ and worship God in the spirit Let him therefore esteem the discovery of his sinfull and wretched estate in himself to be the very fruit of the eye-salve and work of the Spirit bestowed on him by Christ and let him esteem his hearty consent given to the covenant of grace and reconciliation to be the undoubted act of saving faith For hearty consent to the offer of grace in Jesus Christ presuppones first that the person sees no standing for him by the law or covenant of works but is beaten from all confidence in himself and made to believe and subscribe the righteous sentence of the law against himself to the praise of Gods truth and justice Secondly it imports the mans believing the testimony which God hath given of Christ Jesus to wit that God hath made a gift of life eternall to the soul that hungereth and thristeth for righteousnesse and that this life is in his Son yea it imports the mans receiving and embracing of Christ offered in the Gospel Thirdly it importeth that the consenter to the covenant of grace as he hath renounced confidence in his own works So he hath given up himself to God to live by the grace of Jesus Christ unto eternall life Now if the afflicted shall reflect upon these two operations of the holy Ghost making him humble in the sense of sin heartily to receive Christ Jesus for his relief and withall do observe an unfained purpose and begun endeavour to live more holily and fruitfully by the grace and furniture of Christ howsoever he labour under many infirmities not only is he undoubtedly a new creature but also by observing the foresaid evidence thereof may conclude that God hath begun a good work of grace in him and so shall this first cause of disquietnesse be removed 5. Another cause of disquietnesse is or may be this if the afflicted after examination of the work of grace in himself being convinced of his blessed estate and confirmed by present sense of Gods love shed abroad in his heart do not hold fast his estimation of Gods work in himself longer
these and the like grounds the Apostle lived a comfortable life Phil. 4. 12. I know both how to be abased and I know how to abound every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry both to abound and suffer need I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me Thus must Christian souldiers live in the midst of their toyling in warfare in want of many things in watching and running hazard of life in hope of victory and promised glory holding up their hearts by faith in Christ. And these things which we have spoken in explication of this case are not intended to hinder the tender hearted believer from praying and endeavouring by all means that the face of the Lord may shine upon him and that he may be filled with the joy of his Spirit for we are charged to seek his face and strength continually Psal. 105. 4. But all our speech doth drive at this mainly that the afflicted in his discouragment and unquietnesse meekly submit himself to the will of God howsoever he be exercised alwayes going on in the way of God according to his vocation through honour and dishonour through good report and evil report looking unto the promises which are made to him that endureth to the end And what is spoken here of living by faith must not be abused to softer negligence in well doing or bringing forth fruits of faith in every condition or to hinder the daily exercise of repentance or to require of a Christian a stoical stupidity under trouble but the thing we aim at is that the Christian in all crosse dispensations and vexations endeavour by faith to be of good courage in the Lord and endeavour to draw vertue from Christ to bring forth fruits giving glory to him whatsoever measure he shall bestow more or lesse because it is Christ who is made unto us wisdom and righteousnesse sanctification and redemption and in him alone shall the soul of the afflicted have rest Matth. 11. 24. CHAP. IX Wherein the converts doubt arising from his uncertainty as what time he was converted is solved THere are some true converts who after they have past a good part of their journey to heaven begin to halt and make slow progresse by doubting whether they be walking in the true converts foot-steps or whether they be converted at all or not The reason of their doubting ariseth from this that in conference with sundry of the Saints of their acquaintance they have observed that every one of them could design the time of their conversion and from that time can reckon their age in Christ Or from this is their doubt arisen that in the Treatise of some modern Writer they have read or from the Sermon of some well esteemed Preacher they have heard some such doctrine whereupon the true convert falleth out with himself in saying I was bred and brought up in a godly family I have followed the exercises of religion after hearing the heads and summe of christian Religion I have embraced the truth I seemed to my self to believe in Christ and entertain the exercise of repentance and to endeavour the amendment of my life I love these whom I see to live holily and I do hate the wayes of the profane but because I cannot tell when or what day or year I was really converted as I know sundry of the godly of my acquaintance can do therefore I doubt whether my conversion be begun or not but mean time though I will not turn off the way I have been following yet I go on halting and heartlesse till I be cleared of my doubt 2. For removing this doubt we must yield this far to the afflicted that many indeed deceive themselves who being civilly educated and from their bairn-age accustomed with the exercises of religion are nothing beyond the foolish virgins and do rest satisfied with their own and others opinion of themselves If such persons be questioned when they began to repent or believe in Christ it is true they cannot design the time when they were unconverted but have still been pleased and are pleased with their own estate and in effect were never converted But it is no lesse true on the other hand that there are some who indeed are renewed in whom peece and peece without any notable change faith and repentance and a holy conversation have grown with the growing knowledge of the Gospel and will of God therein of whom it may be truly said the kingdom of heaven cometh not with observation of whom it is said Mark 4. 26. So is the kingdom of God as if a man should cast seed into the ground and should sleep and rise night and day and the seed should spring and grow up he knoweth not how But to solve the doubt it maters not whether a man know or not know the day of his conversion provided he be indeed regenerat and made a new creature Wherefore the afflicted may be of good courage if after serious examination of his own conscience he be humbled frequently in the sense not only of his actual sins and short-coming of his duty but also in the sense of his original and in-dwelling corruption or body of death if as he doth indeed loath himself and renounce all confidence in his best works so he seriously imbrace the imputed righteousnesse of Christ and in his strength by faith in him doth endeavour to live holily righteously and soberly albeit joyned with many imperfections he may conclude he is regenerat for if these three be joyned in him in any measure of honesty he needeth not be anxious what day moneth or year the holy Spirit began to work these things in him Only let him give all diligence to grow in humility faith and new obedience and to hold on this way whatsoever doubts or impediments he shall meet with for the Apostle exeemeth such a man from the number of hypocrits and unconverted Phil. 3. 3. We saith he are the circumcision or the Christian converts who worship God in the spirit and rejoyce in Christ Iesus and have no confidence in the flesh CHAP. X. Wherein is solved the converts doubt of his regeneration arising from his apprehension that the beginning of the change of his life was not from the sincere love of God but either from terror or self-love which he conceiveth to be but carnal SOme true converts are who can design the time of the change of their way from sin to Christ and to a holy life whereof they have not only the Church they live in but also their own conscience witnesses yet after a considerable time do fall in suspicion whether that time of their change was the time of their effectuall calling some of them bringing no other reason of their doubting save this that they were never much troubled with the terrors of the Law but most part allured to draw near to God and to eshew the way of sinning by the love
dissimilitude of manners or discrepance of judgment or contention about any mater then partiality hindereth a right judgment one of another and affection marreth reason many times that it cannot discern what is right Therefore let the person afflicted with this tentation turn himself to God who searcheth the reines and let him humble himself in his sight renewing the exercise of repentance and faith in Christ and let him apply to himself what the Scripture doth pronounce of these who in the sense of their sin do flye to Christ Jesus that in him they may have remission of sin and amendment of their life for so did the Prophet in the whole Psal. 17. when he had to do with his uncharitable friends and kinsfolk and so let the afflicted do CHAP. XV. Wherein the converts doubting of his being in the state of grace so oft as he doth not feel the sense of his reconciliation with God is examined and answered SOâ—e true converts are who indeed are indued with the saving graces of faith hope and charity and give evident proof of the in-dwelling of the holy Spirit in them and do rejoyce now and then in God their Saviour when his love to them is shed abroad in their heart but when a cloud cometh over their eyes and they do not feel the warm beams of the Sun of righteousnesse shining in their soul as they before have felt they are assaulted with doubting if any saving grace be in them at all and do entertain these tentations oft-times so far as to suspect and expresse in words that there is no solid faith in themselves no lively hope no christian charity no mortification of sin no purity of heart and such like if when they are thus tempted and tossed they lay hold on Christ as in their first conversion and find the sensible comfort of the holy Spirit by the word of the Gospel applyed unto them then all is well their doubting is overcome for the time they rejoyce and praise God But if the Lord shall delay for his own wise ends to renew their sensible consolations and to renew the earnest-penny of their inheritance forthwith they begin to doubt again and to hearken to Sathans suggestions and to suspect that their former feelings were but temporary and not the special operations of the holy Spirit and at length break forth in many sad complaints And in a word they do not maintain the work of saving grace in themselves longer then the sun shine of spiritual felt consolations abideth with them And albeit their exercise be no wayes so hard as was the Prophets Psal. 77. yet they fall out in the same complaint which the Prophet expresseth ver 7 8 9. Will the Lord cast off for ever and will he be favourable no more is his mercy clean gone for ever doth his promise fail for evermore hath God forgotten to be gracious hath he in anger shut up his tender mercies 2. For clearing of this case two diseases may be perceived in the afflicted which is here described The one is this the afflicted setteth himself to live rather by sense then by faith and doth put his faith on work of set purpose that he may obtain or recover consolation shortly but if his desire be not shortly granted he maketh not use of the formerly felt consolations to strengthen his own â—aith when consolation is withdrawn The other sicknesse is this the afflicted doth not take up the nature of saving graces nor perceive the beauty thereof except in the sun-shine of sensible divine approbation thereof he doth not take up the right definition or description of saving graces for saith is to him nothing if it be not a full perswasion except he can pour forth tears alwayes he thinks he doth not repent except he find a joyfull expectation of Christs coming in glory he thinks his hope not lively and so of charity and patience temperance righteousnesse and holinesse if he do not find them in some eminent measur as they may nearâ—by stand before the law the afflicted of whom we are now speaking thinketh he hath nothing of saving grace in him We grant that this sicknesse is very rare and few they are that are troubled with it yet where it appeareth it must be speedily cured but with great circumspection cured for the earnest desire he hath of feeling the sweet sense of the joy of the holy Ghost must not be disallowed but commended to him and he taught to cry as it is said Cant. 2. 5. Stay me with flaggons comfort me with aples for I am sick of love yet with holy submission unto Gods will for time maner and measure 2. He is also to be commended that in his trouble he goeth to God in Christ not altogether without faith which he putteth forth in active exercise thereof by confession of sin by supplication and otherwayes but here is he to be reproved that while he is actually exercising faith love hope c. he reckoneth all he doeth to be nothing no faith no hope c. because it is not in such a measure as he would 3. He is to be commended that he doth aime at the highest degrees of faith love hope patience mortification of sin and practice of holinesse and all commanded vertues but here he faileth that he counteth all as nought when consolation and sensible approbation of what he hath is not felt for here he despiseth the day of small things and unthankfully mis-regardeth the lower degrees of these saving graces which notwithstanding are bought to the redeemed by the same price wherewith the highest degrees are bought to wit with the precious blood of Jesus Christ. 3. Wherefore let the afflicted consider first that the will of God revealed requireth of us that we walk by faith and under the sense of our sinfulnesse and afflictions whatsoever hold fast the covenant of grace in Christ Jesus and by adhering unto him hold up our heart and entertain spiritual life in us Secondly let him consider that this way of living by faith and dependence on the word of Gods grace doth please the Lord well for without faith it is impossible to please him and thus living by faith in him doth give more glory of truth grace mercy and constancy unto God then when we suspend the glorifying of him till we find the sense of consolation from him for if we believe in God only because we find the consolations of his Spirit our faith in that case is weak and leaneth more upon the pledge and sensible evidence of his truth bestowed upon us then upon his promise without a pledge for no man will refuse to give credit to a man upon a pawn but God is worthy to be credited upon his word without a pawn yea when his dispensation seemeth contrary to his promise Thirdly let him consider that the Lord useth to give sensible consolations not only to help our faith in the time of consolation but also to help our
not please God Now it is an act of injustice not to give unto God the praise of every good thing in a man especially when the man is found to be cast down in himself and to be thirsting in his soul for a more intimat communion with Christ as is presupposed in this case 3. The second cause is or may be this that the afflicted albeit he hath had oft times sweet and sensible consolation and confirmation of the promises of the Gospel and hath thereby been put out of doubt of his adoption for the time yet when new temptations do arise according to what was expedient for the exercise of his faith because the same sweetnesse is not felt but heavinesse for the while 1 Pet. 1. 6 7. he forgetteth the consolations he hath had or suffereth them to be called in question For removing whereof whensoever the afflicted is cut short in the point of sense or sensible consolation let him then strive to abound in the work of the Lord and not slacken his hand in the exercise of religion and of his lawfull calling and his indeavour to please God in all things for seing the covenant of grace imbraced is a firm and solid ground for â—aith to fix upon albeit full perswasion and victorious consolation were neither at all or but very rarely â—elt in this life the afflicted whom we have to speak to here hath no cause to stumble but reason to blesse God who hath in any measure at any time comforted him by the Gospel for that condition which the afflicted wisheth for is reserved unto us in heaven and promises such as are made to the meek and mercifull Mat. 5. which qualified promises they look upon as conditional excluding them as they conceive who do not find in themselves such qualifications and partly because they are not clear about their right to receive the offer of the Gospel because they want as they conceive fitnesse in themselves to receive the same and thus are they oft-times vexed with doubts whether they be in the state of grace or not 2. For lousing of this doubt sundry things are already said by the way in answering other doubtfull cases But because many do meet with this difficulty we shall speak a little more particularly to the case and first it is needfull that the afflicted be confirmed about that which is right in him that the thing which remaineth and is ready to die may be strengthened To this intent we commend the afflicted that being sensible of sin and feared for-wrath he hath fled unto Christ for refuge next we commend him that he hath begun to give new obedience to Gods Law and doth purpose to follow on as he shall be enabled and thirdly we commend him that albeit he cannot attain that near conjunction with Christ which he would yet he neither will nor dare forsake Christ not put himself out of the number of weak believers in Christ for he hath said in his heart with Peter Joh. 6. 68. To whom shall I go for Christ hath the words of eternal life Hitherto all is right and the afflicted must resolve to cleave close to this foundation because Christ hath said Ioh. 6. 37. These that come unto me I will in no case cast out 3. For his doubt arising from the nature of the promises absolute conditional and qualified looked upon by him as if they were conditional we answer â— That these qualified promises having some mark in them of true believers are not exclusive of these believers who find in themselves a defect of the qualification but they are inductive unto all believers to study the attaining of that qualification and are corroborative of these belivers who find in any sensible measure these qualifications For example promises made to the mercifull to the peace-makers to the upright in heart do not exclude these who find themselves short in these graces and yet are hungry and thristy for righteousnesse yet are poor and indigent of all good in themselves and daily beggers at the throne of grace for what they want Mat. 5. for these qualifications found in a weak believer are signes and effects of sound faith in them And we must grant that of these graces specified in these qualified promises some of them are more eminent in some of the Saints and other some of them more eminently seen and felt in other some of the Saints And in the same person one of these qualifications may sometime shine more clearly and at another time by some tentation or mistake be over-clouded and not shine so clearly as before yet the qualifications are comfortable to all them who find the same in themselves and are inductive to make every believer to aime to excell in these graces and so to confirm their own faith more and more as 2 Pet. 1. 4 5 6 7. we are exhorted Again these qualifications are signs of a believer already entered in the covenant of grace by faith in Christ and begun to bring forth good fruits but they are not the conditions of entering into the covenant for then none could enter in covenant till first these qualifications in exercise were sound in them and that were to dis-annull the covenant of grace and to set up a sort of covenant of works for there is not another condition of entering in the covenant but faith in Christ only whereby the humbled sinner renouncing all confidence in any good in himself or from himself doth betake himself wholly to the grace offered in Jesus Christ in whom perfect righteousnesse is to be found Now unto the man who shall believe in Christ all the promises of the Gospel are made upon this condition that he do believe in Jesus Christ which condition of presuppose the afflicted should have what he wisheth consolations alwayes running like a river where were place for trying exercising and training of him in his faith but let him work and wrastle on and among hands he shall have as much peace as may suffice a pilgrim 4. The third cause is or may be this that the afflicted hath grieved the Spirit of God either by ascribing his gracious operations to some other cause then grace or counting his consolations to be but flashes and like unto delusions or that the afflicted by corrupt communication or grosse offences hath provoked God to anger as befell David Psal. 51. For removing of this cause whether the sin of the afflicted hath been more or lesse provoking let him with David Ps. 51. renew the exercise of repentance and faith in Gods mercy who only can renew a right spirit in him or rather restore him to the formerly-felt consolation and joy of his Spirit and let him walk more warily hereafter that he provoke not to wrath so mercifull a father 5. The fourth cause is or may be this that the afflicted albeit he hath consented to the covenant of grace and hath embraced Christ Jesus offered in the Evangel yet he doth not
himself SOme true converts judging their state by some false rule do not only torment themselves but also so far as in them lyeth by pronouncing false sentences of their own state go about to extinguish the spunk of piety which is in them The false rule whereby they do judge themselves is strengthened by a groundlesse perswasion that it is a true and sure rule and ordinarily when they think or speak of it they prefix no reason for it but some confident asseveration such as without doubt it is most certain and I am perswaded of it and such like If I were regenerat and truly converted without doubt I should be in a better disposition then I am I should love the Lord more fervently I should understand the mysteries of Gods Word more clearly I should not be so little affected with the sense of Gods benefits bestowed on me I should not go so lightly under the conviction of so many sins against God as I feel in me I should be more diligent in the work of the Lord in my calling I should walk more humbly and circumspectly in all my conversation and such like many expressions The same course doth the afflicted follow in his examination of the operations of the holy Spirit and of every Christian vertue in himself without doubt saith he if this were truly as a Christian vertue in me there would not be such a disposition as I find in me my condition should be such and such as became a new creature which because I do not find in me I have just reason to call in question my conversion And here is a port opened for Sathan to enter at and to throw all his fiery darts at the miserable soul of the weak convert whence many complaints do break forth and thanksgiving for mercies received and for the time injoyed is broken off and ceaseth And partly through diffidence partly through murmuring the Spirit of the Lord is provoked to wrath 2. We grant that this is a dangerous evil not only to the person afflicted but also to such as are familiarly acquainted with his condition because this disease readily doth infect others as it came to passe in the camp of Israel where the murmuring of some set the body of the army on a mutiny against God for one that is weak in the faith when he heareth such complaints in the mouth of one whom he judgeth to be holier then himself incontinent he falleth on complaining of his own state saying that he hath more weighty reason to suspect the soundnesse of his conversion then the person hath whom he hath heard suspecting his being in the state of grace 3. Wherefore let the afflicted before he shall vent his suspicion of his state examine the rule whereby he hath passed sentence on himself whether he can make it good from the Scripture for it is not sufficient to say without doubt and I am perswaded it is true except it can be confirmed by the infallible warrant of Gods Word and let his friend who shall hear his complaint expresly require a reason of his confidence that such a rule is clear from Scripture and that the application thereof is made righteously Which if he cannot prove otherwayes then Sathan doth enforce his tentations that is either without Scripture or by abusing Scripture contrary to the intent thereof let him acknowledge his readinesse to misbelieve and disobey the Word of the Lord and to hearken to Sathans tentations to the weakening of his own faith and hindering of his cheerfull obedience to the Lords commands and because such question-making of being in the state of grace is oft-times very inconsideratly uttered even before them who do not allow the complainers misconstruction of his state or if they should allow it and say to the complainer that they believed that suspicion of his state were very just it should grieve the complainer more then the doubt it self Therefore let the afflicted neither hearken to the suspicion nor vent it when it is strongly suggested but let him humble himself before Christ because of these defects and wants of such evidences of saving grace as he would have and in the sense of these wants let him cleave close to Christ for covering his nakednesse and earnestly endeavour by faith in Christ to be made more and more conform to the examplar of holinesse holden forth in the Scripture CHAP. XXIV Wherein is solved the converts doubt of his own conversion because he hath found the deceitfulnesse of his own heart and dare not trust it any more SOme sincere converts who uprightly do serve Christ and adhere unto him by faith when they consider the doctrine of the deceitfulnesse of the heart of man and how many are deceived by trusting to the testimony of their own heart concerning their regeneration and justification do begin to call in question all the work of their own conversion and do fear least they be found in the number of the finer sort of hypocrits who deceive both themselves and others having nothing in them but a civil life and form of religion without the power of godlinesse and do sleep to death in security of which sort our Lord Jesus forewarneth that not only privat persons but also many preachers shall be found Mat. 7. 22. of whom we may suppone that they were not conscious of open and grosse wickednesse but were of a blamelesse carriage before the world professing the Christian faith and teaching others to believe in Christ and doubted nothing but Christ should judge of them as reall Saints to whom for all that Christ shall one day say depart from me ye workers of iniquity I never knew you It is certain that such men have been deceived by their own heart which when the afflicted doth consider he standeth astonished and trembleth for fear saying with himself what shall I think of my former opinion of my blessd state I fear my heart hath deceived me as others of greater gifts and better life have been deceived by their own heart 2. This is a doubt which hath need to be solved but neither this nor any other doubt can be solidly and effectually solved by any mean except the holy Spirit give a blessing to the means for it is certain that there are many who being religiously educat and free from grosse vices do not repent of their sins are not touched with the sense of their original sin and corrupt lusts but without taking any burden on their consciences for these do passe by their time well pleased with their own estate Some also there are who having fallen in grosse and scandalous sins do find for some time remorse of conscience for these grosse sins but for their other sins beside those and for their in-born corruptions are not carefull thinking it sufficient if thereafter they do not fall in such grosse faults The first sort of men do deceive themselves thinking they have little to repent ofâ— in regard they are
free of grosse out-breakings This last sort deceive themselves also because they esteem their natural sorrow for such sins as are grosse and scandalous to be true repentance albeit they be not humbled for the fountain of these out-breakings to wit their in-born corruption of nature and filthy concupiscence and the daily out-breakings thereof to the polluting of their spirits whereof they do take litle or no notice Many also there are who deceive themselves esteeming the outward exercises of religion and some works in themselves commendable to be sufficient fruits and evidences of their faith in Christ and of their regeneration albeit they have not as yet fled to Christ sincerely neither ever put a right estimation upon the imputed righteousnesse of Christ. Such men when they should renounce all confidence in their own works and in the sense of their sinfulnesse flye unto the covenant of grace offered in Christ that in him they might have remission of sin and from him by faith draw strength and ability to bring forth good works they run a contrary course for in the confidence of their own strength they go about sundry duties toward men and exercises of religion toward God trusting in those works as if by works they were to be justified Therefore justly shall Christ say unto them depart from me ye workers of iniquity I never knew you Such were many of the Israelits who being ignorant of the righteousnesse of God went about to establish their own righteousnesse These things when one weak in faith doth consider no wonder he be troubled and be afraid lest he deceive himself and perish as others have done 3. This is a dangerous disease and so long as it is not cured it hinders much the tender beginnings of the new creature that it cannot come up to manly strength First therefore let the afflicted wisely examine the course of his by-gone life lest he either absolve or condemn himself rashly and let him beware lest he esteem the worse of the evidences of a new creature and the fruits of faith because these that look to be justified by their works can produce the like works Secondly let the afflicted call to mind whether in the beginning of the reâ—ormation of his life the Law as a Pedagoge did lead him unto Christ and whether since that time the law did daily put him on and force him to â—lye to Christ and to embrace Christ and his righteousnesse and hath made him to study obedience to the law out of love to God so much the more carefully as he perceived himself obliged thankfully to acknowledge grace granted in Christ to him for if any measure of the daily exercise of repentance if any measure of love to Christ and any measure of endeavour of new obedience be found after examination in the person afflicted out of doubt the ground is laid solidly of his salvation out of doubt he hath an evidence of the work of grace by the operation of the holy Spirit in himself 4. If in this examination the afflicted be not clear but the doubt doth yet stick because of the suspicion he hath of the felt deceitfulnesse of his own heart we offer unto him this counsell that he quickly humble himself before God and do ingenuously acknowledge the native perversenesse and deceitfulnesse of his heart and for that very reason let him embrace Christ the Redeemer in the armes of faith offering himself to every condemned sinner and let him thank God who hath deciphered unto him this deceitfulnesse of his heart and offered Christ unto him for the true remedy of this and every other sinfull malady And in the mean time let him put a difference between himself and an hypocrit in whom the deceit of the heart is neither acknowledged nor seen but fostered and defended for a close hypocrite after hearing of the doctrine of the deceitfulnesse of the heart will stand to the defending of his own sincerity and will take it hardly if any man labour to convince him of any measure of hypocrisie but a true convert or regenerat person will not deny but much hypocrisie may be found in him and albeit he be sorrowfull that this deceitfulnesse of heart hath had lodging in him and lurked too long yet is he willing and glad to have this evil more and more discovered unto him and heartily doth he deliver up this traitor to Christ to be mortified and abolished by his Spirit 5. But if the afflicted cannot be quiet and satisfied still fearing and suspecting he be found a man unrenewed and that for the running issue of this filthy boyl opened up to him by the sword of the Spirit let him beware that he passe not permptor sentence against himself that he do not conclude himself to be a man altogether in the bond of iniquity but let him suspend for a time the disputation and do that which is allowed unto every self-condemned man in the beginning of his conversion that is quickly let him flye unto Christ for remission of sin let him lay hold on that righteousnesse purchased by him and the more he feareth to find God a severe judge let him the more firmly lay hold on Jesus Christ the Mediator who justifieth the ungodly by faith this is the only solid way to persevere in faith to overcome Sathan to solve doubts to resist temptations and to cure the wound made by Sathans firy darts for unto that man who in the sense of his sins and ill deserving and inability to help himself doth flye unto Christ it shall never be said by Christ depart from me I never knew thee 6. Now when the person afflicted hath of new laid hold on Christ and guarded the fortresse of faith and repulsed the tempter who by all means and specially by quarreling and questioning the by-past work of grace in him had laboured to weaken and overturn his faith for by-gones and for the present also lest it should convalesce and grow stronger for time to come now I say let the afflicted after victory return to the dispute and to the examination of his state in grace of his faith in Christ and of his regeneration and he shall see all the begun saving graces which were darkened by temptations clearly appear and shall perceive the several steps and degrees of Gods grace toward him in former times more evidently then he could discern them in the hour of darknesse and temptation And so he shall return from this battel strongerin faith then he was before and more perswaded of the work of the holy Spirit in him then he was before the temptation CHAP. XXV Wherein is solved the doubt of the true converts conversion arising from his breach of the covenant of Grace as he conceiveth THere are some sincere converts who albeit they do not doubt but penitents flying to Christ are received in favour with God are justified from their sins and do obtain right unto all the priviledges of the Saints yet they doubt
from him in fatherly wrath yet must he not yield to the weakening of his faith but rather yet more humble himself in the sense of his sins which have stirred up wrath against him and flye in to Christ and lay hold more closely upon his grace because God being offended is not pacified nor pleased save only by flying in tâ— Jesus Christ. Quest. II. Q. But what will you say unto them whose confidence is weakened whether they will or not whensoever they apprehend God angry against them and especially when they feel that God being provoked justly removeth gifts and benefits comfortable from them Ans. It is not to be doubted that the confidence of many true converts is shaken and weakened in this case but the question is what shall be said unto them We answer that they must acknowledge that they have leaned too much upon these carnal props the failing whereof maketh them to fall 2. Let them be humbled yet more because of such sins as have provoked God to change his dispensation toward them 3. Let them lean more upon the only rock of free grace in Jesus Christ offered in the Gospel for the comfort and relief of all those who in the sense of sin and unworthinesse in the sense of their ill deserving and of any measure of apparent fatherly wrath that hereafter however it fair with them they may rely upon Jesus Christ who is the only foundation to build our selves upon and whose grace is sufficient to help and uphold them who have their recourse unto him in every condition whether it be adversity or prosperity Quest. III. Q. ALbeit common benefits are not sufficient evidences of Gods favour yet new obedience of faith and fruits of the spirit are sure signes of Gods special favour bestowed only on the Elect Seing then as these signes when they are present serve much for the strengthening of faith so also when they are amissing have as great force of reason to debilitat faith yea seing faith without fruits is dead may it not be concluded where no fruits are no faith is Ans. If the question be of the universal want of all fruits of faith such as is to be found in all unrenewed men whose fruit cannot be good so long as the tree is evil whose seeming service cannot be acceptable so long as they remain unreconciled to God through Christ let the question be yielded unto But we are speaking of the true convert in whom there is a missing of the measure of formerly felt fruits and that in the time present wherein by some temptation or tryal their faith is sifted and winnowed And here indeed there is a vast difference between them that were never humbled in the sense of their sins nor led for relief from sin and misery unto Jesus Christ and the true convert who hath renounced the works of darknesse and hath fled unto Christ and consecrated himself to his service and who is set upon a new course of life hath brought forth new fruits of repentance faith love and hope and hath felt consolation in this course and now under exercise of conscience looketh upon himself as barren ground doth lament his impotency to bring forth good fruits and while he is under this exercise liveth in a sad condition blamelesse and free of scandal-giving great ods between this man and a man yet in nature We grant in the unrenewed man who is a stranger to the life of grace and true godlinesse the sentence holds No fruits no faith but as for the convert who hath had comfort in Christ and brought forth good fruits in some measure he must not reason from his present dead condition felt and lamented barrennesse to the denying of true faith in Christ or to the weakening of his saith or marring his confidence further then to acknowledge he hath leaned too much on his formerly felt fruits and hath not grounded himself wholly on Christ and the rock of free grace in him but may and should maintain his faith in Christ against his discouragment that he may be inabled to bring forth more ripe and aboundant fruits Quest. IV. Q. BUt what shall be said to humbled converts who looking to the holy Law of God and finding no fruits such as should be do passe sentence in the time of tentation upon all their works as unworthy of the name of the fruits of the Spirit and then do dispute against their own faith by the Apostles words Iam. 2. 20. faith without works is dead Ans. If the conscience do pronounce according to the truth as the mater is indeed it cannot be denied but faith without works is dead and God is greater then the conscience and knoweth all things But when the conscience is misled by a tentation powerfully pressed in by Sathan in the time of some sad affliction and appearance of Gods displeasure the testimony of the conscience is not a sufficient proof to infer so hard a conclusion for it cometh to passe oft-times that the convert who liveth blamelesly and entertaineth the love and purpose of well-doing in his heart followeth the exercises of religion constantly is not negligent in his calling and is ready upon occasion offered to let forth the fruits of love to his neighbour for all this sometimes walketh in darknesse and under desertion seeth no light as Isaiah 50. 10. In this case it may be he set all his works at nought as no wayes answerable to the Lords Law I see nothing saith he but sin in me I see no fruit of true faith in me I feel no operation of the holy Spirit in me save the work of convincing me of sin and unrighteousnesse In this case we must not give credit to the afflicted but convince him rather of his error and in special of his leaning too much weight on his works before this sad exercise fell upon him for when a convert maintaineth his faith in Christ only so oft and so long as he findeth in himself the fruits of new obedience but when he hath new experience of the power of the body of death and findeth the course of good behaviour and bringing forth good fruits to be interrupted in himself incontinent he resiles from his confidence such a man certainly giveth evidence that he hath relyed too much on his former felt righteousnesse an himself for he doth as if he durst not for sin approach unto Christ and so he falleth in Peters case who looking on his own sinfulnesse and the brightnesse of Christs Godhead shining in a recent miracle cryeth out Luke 5. 8. depart from me O Lord I am a sinfull man for Peter in this case did forget Christs mediatory office and that he stood so much the more need of Christs drawing near to him as he was a man convinced of sinfulnesse Another answer we give to this question the afflicted person must not think that he wants altogether the fruits of faith albeit he find them to be short of the
this evil these five things must be distinguished by the afflicted convert 1. the labour of the lips or formality in prayer or devotion 2. prayer in faith 3. prayer with felt and observed affection in prayer 4. prayer approven of God 5. prayer with the sense and feeling of Gods approbation As to the first the labour of the lips or formality in prayer which the Scripture doth condemn is when a man prayeth with his mouth for things necessar or lawfull and is about the external work of devotion wherein he pleaseth himself and doth rest upon the work wrought without affection of heart or faith as we see Is. 58. 1 2 3. and this is not the case of the convert of whom we are speaking for because he esteems his devotion to be but a formality he is displeased with himself and is unquiet As to the second prayer in faith is when the convert misseth freedom of speech and answerable affection to his speech in his devotion in prayer praises thanksgiving intercession c. yet because the duty is commanded he doth offer it up to God with hope of acceptation and yet is displeased with himself and humbled in the sense of his coldrife affections which is the duty of the convert of whom we are speaking but the not esteeming this his devotion through Christ acceptable is his fault As to the third prayer or devotion with felt affection in discharging it is when the convert poureth out his heart unto God with fredom of speech and yet cannot be quiet because he doth not feel any sign of Gods approbation of him and hearing of his supplication and this was the case of the Psalmist in sundry Psalms But this is not the case of the convert we are speaking of for he complaineth of the hardnesse of his heart and want of affection and doth weaken his own faith which is his fault As to the fourth prayer approven of God is when the convert doth offer his devotion to God in sincerity and prayeth for what is promised in hope to be heard and answered in due time And this prayer or devotion is approven by God in Scripture whether the convert be satisfied with the measure of answerable affection to his words or not as the Apostle testifieth 1 Ioh. 5. 14 15. And this should be observed by the convert of whom we are speaking for rectifying his judgment and quieting of him albeit he neither find his affection moved as he would nor find consolation from God as he would As to the fifth prayer or devotion with the sense and feeling of Gods approbation is when God not only approveth the converts prayer and devotion by his Word in the Scripture but also by his Spirit doth sensibly comfort the supplicant and sends him to his calling with joy So did he deal oft-times with the Psalmist David and so did he comfort Samuels mother in and after her prayer 1 Sam. 1. This is the thing which the convert we speak of would be at and which would satisfie him if he could come to it 4. This condition is the sweetest to the supplicant and much to be desired with submission to Gods dispensation whatsoever it be but it is not the only condition acceptable to God as we see 1 Ioh. 5. 14. 15. This is the confidence which we have in God that if we ask any thing according to his will he heareth us and if we know that he heareth us whatsoever we ask we know we have the petitions that we desired of him And that the mater is so may be perceived in David's condition at sundry times for Ps. 119 seven or eight times he prayeth Quicken thou me according to thy word He findeth in himself much deadnesse of spirit yet he continueth meekly praying to be quickened in the service of God 5. Wherefore so oft as the convert is displeased for any defect he findeth in his devotion let him 1. humble himself in the sense of his imperfection and betake himself so much the more to the intercession of Christ and lay hold more firmly upon the satisfaction made by the Mediatour and draw by faith grace for grace out of his fulnesse and let him in faith and sincerity worship God and live holily in his conversation and not be afraid that his devotion shall be esteemed of God to be but lip-labour 2. To this end let him rightly construe Gods dispensation and consider that his gifts are wisely given forth for the good of his people for sometime he giveth to will that which is good without ability for the time to effectuat what the convert willeth he may give a willing heart to pray affectionatly and not for the time grant ability to pray as his child would Rom. 7. 18. Sometime he may give no more but to sigh and groan without ability to expresse the confused desires of his heart Rom. 8. 26 27. Sometime he will suggest words and make the supplicant in sincerity of faith present the words put in his mouth Hos 14. 1. 2. Sometime he will grant to the supplicant to bear out much disputation in his prayers without sensible consolation Ps. 77. Sometime he will grant the supplicant a loosed heart in prayer and abundance of tears and yet seem for a time not to regard them Ps. 6. Sometime he will grant confidence and consolation to the supplicant as Ps. 6. and many other Psalms And certainly the variety of divine dispensation to his children cannot be told in all which he requires of his supplicants meek submission and perseverance in prayer with confidence to find a good answer at last for if his child do not accept well of the measure which is bestowed on him he may readily find the measure he complained of more scant and confusion of mind without words to fall upon him and if yet he shall not wisely submit himself to Gods exercising of him he may fall in harder trouble and questioning of his state in grace and be tempted to restrain prayer till he cease complaining and flye for refuge to Christ the Mediatour and come to a better estimation of the measure of presence with him when he began to complain CHAP. XVIII Concerning the converts looking upon the sight of his faith as if it were the failing of his faith SIncere faith in Christ is the special grace of God given to the elect only which grace the more we do exercise it the more we please God for without faith it is impossible to please him Heb. 11. 6. This saving grace the Lord taketh pleasure to put it unto tryall and exercise that thereby he may train it on and foster and increase it and bring it forth to light both for his own glory and for the commendation of his children as is told us 1. Pet. 1. 7. In which exercise the true convert is oft-times much mistaken and doth mis-construe his condition The reasons are 1 the faith of young converts is very imperfect knowledge is many
be grosly scandalous for with such we are forbidden to eat 1 Cor. 5. 11. Ans. This place pertains to the exercise of the key of discipline and execution of the censure of excommunication judicially pronounced by the Church as ver 12. following doth declare And this as it doth not cut off natural duties of parents or children or parties married one to another So it can well consist with charity toward the excommunicat who in order to his salvation should be thus dealt with that he may be humbled and brought to repentance And so doth the Apostle give warrand for when he hath given order to excommunicat such as walk disorderly 2 Thess. 3. 14 15. he subjoines for keeping charity to the excommunicat person saying Count him not as an enemy but admonish him as a brother 9. Obj. But I saith he have been mistaken and deceived oft-times when I esteemed charitably of some loved them dearly and bestowed not sparingly on those who proved afterward unworthy of such respect and dealing Ans. Our Lords words may satisfie this objection promising whatsoever is done to a disciple in name of a disciple shall not want a reward Thou therefore needs not count thy self deceived in this respect But if thou by rash intruding thy self to judge better or worse of the mans inward condition hath deceived thy self be more wise in time coming For remedy of this evil 1. let not the convert mistaken in the point of charity be feared to be mistaken and hindered from exercise of his charity because he knoweth not the sincerity of the mans profession There are relations enough between him and the party toward whom charity is to be exercised such as bonds natural civil ecclesiastick and spiritual obliging to the duty 2. Let him be sparing in judging of his neighbour even within himself and far more in expressing his judgment of him to his prejudice 3. Let him rather judge this that he lay no stumbling block before his feet which may hinder him in a good or harden him in an evil course Rom. 14. 13. Let him not be rigid and censorious in aggreging every sinfull infirmity in his neighbour for this is forbidden Iam. 3. 1 2. In a word let a convert beware to alienat any man from making use of his charity whether by injust suspicion of him or inhumane dealing with him or imprudent speeches of him but rather let his whole carriage toward all in every case be such that a patent door may be for mutual giving and getting good one by another CHAP. XX. Concerning the converts mistaking his condition because of felt in-lake in his charity and love to God and men HItherto we have spoken of two sorts of the converts mistaking of their condition and have given some instances of their being well pleased with themselves in an evil condition and some instances of their being displeased with themselves in a good condition It follows that we give some instances of a third sort of mistaking in the converts complaining of his condition as if it were altogether evil when indeed his condition is partly good and partly evil and the first shall be of those who do lament their condition because they cannot be affected with the sense of their sins nor with the sense of Gods benefits and favours bestowed on them as they should cannot be affected with the sense of threatened judgments as is required and cannot be affected with the sense of the miseries and mercies dispensed toward others and cannot come up to the obedience of the Apostles precept to rejoyce with them that rejoyce and to mourn with them that mourn which doth so afflict them as they reckon this their condition altogether evil and are near unto discouragment because of their apprehended hardnesse of heart 2. For remedy of this evil 1. let the convert consider that the hardnesse of heart whereof he complains is not that hardnesse of heart which the Scripture calleth hardnesse of heart For the Scriptures do not charge any man of this sin who lamenteth his sinfulnesse but those who do not acknowledge their sins and go on in them when they hear them reproved mis-regarding what God saith commandeth commendeth or threatneth Mean time we do not deny but those in-lakes whereof the convert doth complain are sinfull defects of duty and inclinations of corrupt nature unto hardnesse of heart But we deny that this defect lamented is charged in Scripture for hardnesse of heart 2. Let the convert consider the difference between the evil whereof he complaineth and the good gift of God pointing out that evil unto him and making him to dis-allow it and lament it and he shall find his condition not altogether evil but such as he hath cause to be humbled in himself for it and also to blesse God for discovering this defect and making him lament it 3. Let him consider that his lamenting his coldrise affection to God and his small compassion toward men is good and commendable for this lamenting the defect beareth witnesse of his will and desire toward the duty and in effect is a part of the exercise of repentance and of begun renovation of his heart 4. Let him consider that there may be made good use of this condition both for the exercise of humility because of felt defects of needfull graces and also for the exercise of faith in Christ by application of his imputed righteousnesse which hideth the nakednesse of felt defects and drawing vertue from Christ to sanctifie and renew the heart more and more 5. And last of all let the convert under the sense of this defect in his affection study to bring forth the effects of those affections that is to say let him go about to do the work of a lover of God in having respect to all his commandments and to do the work of a compassionat affection toward men in misery of soul or body and so what seems to him in-laking in his heart shall be found forth-coming in his hand and actions for the greater glory to God and edification of his neighbour CHAP. XXI Concerning the converts despising of his own exercises of religion because of his felt vanity of mind therein ALI true coâ—verts do agree in this principle that God should be worshiped in spirit and truth and that the more a man strive to be sincere and upright in his worship the lesse can be comport with the sin which doth hinder his worship When therefore a true convert doth perceive in himself so great levity of his thoughts that in the very time of hearing Sermon praying to God or singing of Psalms his mind runneth out to think of naughty and profane things impertinent idle and foolish maters unworthy of his thoughts at any time but most untimous and sinfull in the time of divine service he is so displeased with his condition that he condemns all the service and devotion he is about for the time and cast it away as altogether polluted and
if he find this sicknesse from day to day cleaving fast unto him he falleth in discouragement and in question with himself whether it be better to break off at least in secret such ragged worship or to go on to offer the sacrifice of a fool unto God for so he doth esteem of his devotion thus leavened with vaiging and vanity of his mind In this case the convert doth not only mis-regard what is right in his devotion or divine service but also by fretting discouragement and mis-behaviour of his spirit is ready to augment his sinfull condition and to provoke the Lord to be wroth with him indeed 2. For remedy of this evil let the convert judge wisely of his condition that he charge not himself with guiltinesse more then he ought to do and that he may take a right course to be free of guiltinesse and healed of this sicknesse where guiltinesse is found And to this end 1. let him put difference between vaiging of mind with interruption of worship and the natural course of his phantasie and understanding which may consist with the continued acts of worship for as the eyes of a man running to some place cannot choose but see every visible thing in his way and yet runneth on without staying till he come to the place he aimeth at So the phantasie and understanding cannot choose but take up and discern whatsoever is offered unto them in time of prayer from the outward senses or from the memory and yet make no interruption of prayer such is the natural agility of a mans mind and therefore this natural course of imagination or phantasie must not be charged as guiltinesse upon the worshiper who followeth on the work of worship notwithstanding 2. Sundry suggestions may be cast into the converts mind by Sathan to marr his worship which must be charged on Sathan chiefly and the worshiper not alway made guilty thereby 3. When the worship indeed is interrupted and the mind falleth off from the work of devotion or divine service and entereth upon discourses about vain vile or impertinent maters let the convert not only acknowledge guiltinesse here but also examine if this his vaiging of mind in prayer and divine service be not also a chastisement from God for his not acknowledging of God in his affairs and and for loosing reins to his mind to roave all the day which justly meeteth him at night in his devotion as a rod on his back for his voluntar vaiging from God in his former walking 3. These considerations being premised and the sins which have drawn on this evil being discovered and the power of indwelling-sin perceived and the power of Sathans temptations noticed and the Lords chastiseing rod justified and his own culpable infirmity acknowledged 1. Let him humble himself and flye to the rich grace of God offered in Christ and lay stronger hold on the satisfaction made by Christ imputed to all believers in him that guiltinesse may be by free pardon removed 2. Let him pray for more assistance of the holy Spirit in all the exercises of religion and expect a gracious granting thereof in Gods wise dispensation of the measure of his grace in the use of holy Ordinances 3. Let his heart be in the fear of the Lord all the day long making him lift up his eyes from time to time to God in the midst of his lawfull affairs how mean so ever 4. Let him gather his thoughts before every religious exercise by way of preparation lest he take the name of the Lord in vain by rash and unreverent rushing in upon divine Service 5. Let him thank the Lord for granting him grace to see his sinfull vaiging of mind and to be displeased with it and to confesse it 6. Let him be comforted in the Lord who gathereth the ragged and scattered honest desires of supplicants and taketh away the iniquity of the service of his clients as our high Priest bearing in his appearing for us as it were on his fore-head Holiness unto the Lord. CHAP. XXII Concerning the converts discour agment for felt want of ability to do the duties commanded whereunto his renewed will is very bent SUndry true converts finding a will to do that which is good but not finding power how to perform that which is good do fall in disquietnesse and discouragement when they should go and seek to make good use of their infirmity and go to Christ for remeed as the Apostle did Rom. 7. 18. The cause of this evil is the relicts of corrupt natural inclination to seek to be justified by works and to have in our hand ability to do the good which we would do for albeit the convert be forced to seek reconciliation with God by remission of sins in his conversion yet in his course toward heaven and salvation he desireth to have a store-house and treasure of strength in himself to be made use of as he willeth For it seemeth to him in his carnal wisdom a poor shift to be in every good action put to beg supply from Christ by prayer and to stand waiting on in a dependance on Christ till furniture come from heaven unto him Which furniture of strength because our Lord doth suspend to give till his infirm and humble child hold up his heart as an empty vessel to receive influence from him according to his wise pleasure the inconsider at convert doth trouble himself and falleth in a distemper 2. This case is not altogether evil as the convert doth take it but this much is right that he looks upon the Law as holy spiritual and good that he desireth earnestly to obey it and that he loaths himself for his felt unconformity unto it Yet this is wrong in him that he doth not humble himself but is cast down and discouraged that he doth not make Christ his sanctifications as well as his righteousnesse that he doth not consider of the furniture to be brought unto him from heaven by faith in Christ and that this grace is nearer and more ready to serve his turn then if it were in his own hand 3. Therefore let him renounce more and more all confidence in his own righteousnesse with the Apostle Phil. 3. 8 9. let him thank God in Christ in whom an out-gate is to be found in all difficulties Rom. 7. 25 let him trust Christ for supply in all service in whom if a man abide he shall bring forth much fruit and without whom he can do nothing Ioh. 15. 5. For if he depend on Christ in his emptinesse and weaknesse he shall find by experience that when he is weakest then is he strongest CHAP. XXIII Concerning the converts imprudent censure of himself for felt ingratitude SOme converts sometime do passe rash sentence against themselves for ingratitude namely when after receiving some notable benefit for which they had made earnest supplication to God and for which before the receiving of the benefit they had oblieged themselves by vow to a