yet there may be an error in doctrine and judgment of the mind when in the outward practice the error may lye hid and men of contrary judgment may consent and agree in the same practice Fourthly we presuppose the errors whereof we are speaking to be coloured and covered with fair pretenses and to be found deceitfull sophistry For otherwayes a disciple of Christ could not be easily insnared if the error were seen in its own colours if it were demonstrat unto him with sound reason to be contrary to sound doctrine and pernicious to the welfare of the Church and to mens souls For in this case every ingenuous and honest mind would keep off from the error as from a deep pit But Sathan setteth forth the error as if it were no error but most consonant to wholsome doctrine and profitable for mens souls and the Churches good And by plansible pretenses sets out the error so as it may seem lovely and worthy to befended and spred abroad by all means Fifthly in this delusion we are speaking of we presuppose that in the person deluded there is a perswasion stronger then any probation which he hath can support For there the efficacie of error doth specially appear when the lying Spirit by probable conjectures appearance of advantage and sophistical disputation doth perswade the deluded soul that the error is as sure as if by divine oracle it were revealed and declared to be a truth How this can be and how Sathan worketh this perswasion it is not to our purpose to make inquiry For lying Spirits have their own way unknown to us whereby they insinuat and suggest their errors unto men It may suffice us that the Scripture hath taught us that Sathan can form objections against our faith Ephes. 6. 10 11 12. and throw them at us as fiery darts and work strong perswasions in unstable or ignorant souls Such was the perswasion of the Galatians which the Apostle avoucheth to have been procured not by God who had called them Gal 5. 8. Sixthly we presuppose in a powerfull delusion a bastard and misled zeal making the deluded man ardently to defend and promove the error which he hath embraced For this is Sathans main endeavour when he hath leavened with error one or moe in a Church to make all the use of them he can to leaven the Church with the same error And to the intent this mater may be the more usefully spoken of three questions must be answered so briefly as may be The first question is whether such a powerfull delusion may befall a true convert We answer it is possible and experience proveth it that it is possible we learn from the Apostles fear 2 Cor. 11. 3. I fear least by any means as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtility So your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity which is in Christ He was feared also for the Colossians lest they should be deluded Col. 2. 4. This I say lest any man beguile you with intising words And ver 8. Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit after the traditions of men after the rudiments of the world and not after Christ. Wherein it is clear that this sort of delusion may befall the Saints Now that it hath indeed and in experience befallen some true converts it is evident by what Christ saith to the Church of Thyatira Rev. 2. 20. I have a few things against thee because thou sufferest that woman Jezabel which calleth her self a prophetesse to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication and to eat things sacrificed to Idols And the Apostle shews the mater evidently to have befallen the Galatians Gal. 3. 1. O follish or mad Galatians who hath be witched you that you should not obey the truth Secondly that this delusion drew deep and was very dangerous appeare Gal. 1. 6. I marvel that you are so soon turned from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another Gospel And Gal. 5. 2. they were in danger to lose all benefit by Christ and ver 4. in danger and on the way to fall from grace Thirdly the Galatians did erre both in doctrine and practice in doctrine because they sought to be justified by the works of the Law Gal 5. 4. In practice they erred Gal. 4. 10 11. ye observe dayes aud moneths and times and years I am afraid of you lest I have bestowed upon you labour in vain Fourthly their error was fairded with the pretense of the truth which made them greedily embrace the error for Gal. 4. 9 they turned themselves back to Mosaical rites and ceremonies now abolished under the pretense of sometime commanded duties And ver 21. they desired to be under the Law and so run themselves under the curse Fifthly their error was not by a light opinion held by them but by a full perswasion wrought in them not by Christ but by a lying spirit Gal. 5. 8. Sixthly this bastard and unhallowed zeal was evidenced both in the seducing teachers and in the misled Galatians Gal. 4. 17. They zealously affect you but not well yea they would exclude you that you might affect them that is draw you away from the society of Christ and his true Apostles that you might be their affectionat disciples And as for the Galatians deluded by Sathan by their means they turned their ardent affection toward the Apostle almost in hatred against him Gal. 4. 15 16. Am I become your enemy because I tell you the truth Hence it is clear that true converts are subject to this evil and ready to fall in it except they watch carefully and earnestly deal with God to keep them from deceivers for many young converts are like lambs and sheep very simple and being lately turned unto the course of holinesse they are easily taken with every appearance of piety whereof if they do apprehend any seeming signs in seducers they suspect no guile in wolves clad with sheeps skins wherethrough they are overtaken unawares and moved to separat from the society of the Saints by the fleshly authors of division who by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple Rom. 16. 17 18. Quest. 2. As for the second question what are the effects and marks of such a delusion We answer there is a delusion active wherein Sathan and his seducing instruments do set themselves on work to delude and there is a passive delusion in the party deluded by Sathan and his instruments The effects of the deluding or lying spirit and the marks of delusion in the party deluded do concur for the effects of Sathans powerfull delusion do appear in the party deluded as signs and evidences of the effectual delusion These effects and signs albeit they be many we shall content our selves to specifie some of them The first and chief effect and sign of delusion is the rejecting of a point of true doctrine and the avouching of a false error
comparing the words of Ieremiah and the commentary thereupon by the Apostle For Ieremiah saith that they did transgress the Covenant albeit God did shew himself a husband unto these un-believing Fathers that is they changed the covenant of Grace in a covenant of Works of their own framing and transgressed that Covenant also And the Apostle saith they did not continue in that covenant because they changed it to themselves in a covenant of Works according to which Covenant God did deal with them for in stead of being a husband to them he exacted of them the penalty of the broken covenant of Works and Lorded it over them and did not regard them Heb. 8. 6. For they sought after the righteousness of works and not to have righteousness by faith and therefore did he despise them and dealt with them after the tenor of the covenant of Works And it is observable that the words of Ieremiah do comprehend the Apostles meaning for the words may bear both that God was a husband unto them to wit in making a covenant of Grace with them and that he dealt with them as a Lord over them by exacting of them the penalty of the broken covenant of Works and of the rejected covenant of Grace As â—o the covenant of Grace the Apostle speaketh of it in express termes first by Gods promising that he would make a new Covenant with the house of Israel and Iudah Secondly by his setting better promises before them then these were which were made to the Fathers in the wilderness Thirdly by his giving no other cause of bestowing so great blessings on them but his own good-will and pleasure Fourthly by his requiring no other condition of them but saith that they who feel in themselves the want and need of the promised blessings and are convinced of their own unworthiness might give credit unto God that maketh the promise and so embrace the promises and apply them to their own use As to the external dispensation of the Covenant it is certain first that it was common to all that were externally called to all the members of the visible Church for the covenant made in the wilderness with the elect Fathers and reprobat with the believers and un-believers with those that rejected the covenant of Grace and the offer of Righteousness by faith and with those who looked through the vail afar off to Christ coming and were saved was one and the same 2. It is certain that the external form of the covenant of Grace was more obscure and vailed over by the types and figures of the levitical ceremonies before Christ came but after his coming it was propounded in clearer and better promises 3. A day is set to wit the fulness of time when these shadows and typical figures should be abolished and the grace of God should be set before his people to be looked upon with open face 4. And yet the grace of God was not so hid and obscurely propounded to the Church before Christs coming as it could not be taken up by the children of God for in the midst of the shadows and dark typs the star-light of gracious promises did shine and the doctrine of the new Covenant was in substance holden forth by the Prophets and one instance thereof doth appear in this place of Ieremiah As to the internal covenant of Grace first these things which are promised in that Covenant do declare in what state God doth find men whom he doth convert and draw into covenant with himself for when the Lord taketh in hand that he will write his law in their heart that he will teach them himself to know him by the teaching of his Word and Spirit and that he will forgive their sins he pre-supposeth that lawless rebellion did reign in them with blindness of mind and hardness of heart and that the Elect by nature are without law without God without faith before he reform them according to the Articles or tenor of the covenant of Redemption 2. Albeit by nature the law be written in mens hearts as to the knowledge of sundry moral duties and so far as is sufficient to make them inexcusable for their contraveening these sparks of light Rom. 1. â—0 and 2 14. 15. Yet the writing of the law here promised is spiritual and super-natural inlightning their minds by the light of Gods Spirit and renewing their heart and in effect the thing promised is actual conversion of them 3. And seing conversion is here promised by Christ the Testator absolutely he hath taken in hand absolutely to effectuat it for it is not said I will put my law in their heart if they please to suffer me but determinatly I will put my law I will write my law in their heart and inward parts that is I will make them willing who were averse and obedient to my law who were rebellious 4. Christ the Testator doth in all this not satisfie himself by promising the illumination of the mind and the inclining of the heart for a time but promiseth also to make a solid and permanent work of it by making them persevere which is imported in the words I will put and I will write it for to write it is as much as to fix and ingrave it that it may remain 5. The chief head of the Covenant and which in substance doth contain all blessings is set down in these words I will be their God and they shall be my people for by this promise right is granted unto the true heartconvert and confederat first unto God himself then unto all his benefits whereof he hath need in order to righteousness and eternal life for they whose God the Lord is they do live and shall live for ever as Christ saith God is not the God of the dead but of the living Matth. 22. 32. And all particular promises what are they else but explications of this great and first promise and applications thereof to his childrens cases in particular Gifts of the Spirit are promised here and induements whereof disciples have need whereof pilgrims going home to that heavenly city have need yea the Spirit himself is promised to them who is to remain with them to the end of their life as a directer and leader They shall all know me saith the Lord that is as Christ doth interpret it They shall be all taught of God Joh. 6. 45. 7. The Lord sheweth here that he will deal with men in their regeneration and reconciliation as with reasonable creatures by preserving and not destroying them in their simple naturals by maintaining and not over-turning the liberty of their free-will I will make a Covenant saith he with the house of Judah Now a Covenant is a free and voluntar Contract 8. He sheweth that he is Lord and Over-ruler of mans will who can turn it about as he pleaseth and that he is not hindred nor impeded to execute and bring to passe whatsoever he hath purposed to do by the
would most exercise faith and believe in Christ he is found least able to do it yea he findeth it no lesse impossible to observe the whole moral Law then solidly to believe in Christ hence ariseth anxiety in the soul of the afflicted while he neither dar depart from Christ nor yet is able to approach unto him confidently In this case many new doubts and temptations do arise which weaken his faith yet more and hinder him in the exercise of religion and discharge of duties not a little That this sometime may be the case of some converted the experience of the Saints set down in Scripture maketh evident Ps. 30. 7. Lord saith David by thy favour thou hast made my mountain to stand strong thou didst hide thy face and I was troubled And in his prayer Ps. 61. 2. while his minde was overwhelmed in him with perplexing thoughts he findeth in himself no strength or ability to deliver himself or put forth acts of faith on the Mediator as he would have done but prayeth that while he is now exiled and driven far off from the tabernacle and ark of the Covenant he may be raised up to believe in him who was signified by these tipes to wit Christ the Rock of all Salvation which Rock of salvation he perceiveth to be a higher mystery then he can discover or ascend upon without the hand of divine power And therefore saith from the end of the earth will I cry unto thee when my heart is overwhelmed lead me to the rock that is higher then I. Yea the godly afflicted Hebrews fell in this sicknesse whom the Apostle exhorteth to take courage unto them Heb. 12. 12 13. Wherefore lift up your hands which hang down and the feeble knees and make streight paths for your feet 2. For answering of this doubt the afflicted person must be convinced of his infirmity and sinfull dissidence because being called of God to the exercise and tryal of his faith in Christ by whatsoever sort of trouble he hath been discouraged and fainted which did not become a souldier of Christ and that for no other pretended reason but this that he could not give such a proof of his faith as he should have given and hoped to give before he was put to tryal Secondly he must consider how far he is mistaken in leaning to his own strength in the exercise of his faith of which self-confidence the more a man is emptied the more speedily he shall be furnished if being emptied he flye to Christ for supply This was the experience of the Apostle 2 Cor. 9. 10. who was made weak in himself that the strength of Christ might be made perfect in his weaknesse and therefore he resolved to make use of the strength of Christ in all his felt infirmities and that he did with good successe For when I am weak saith he then am I strong Whose example we must resolve to follow Thirdly after search it will be found that the person afflicted under the notion and expression of I cannot believe hath in effect this meaning I cannot find such a full assurance of faith as I would be at or I cannot find such a sense of the approbation of my â—aiah as can satisfie me and perswade me that I do believe really in Christ. And so it is another thing and another gift of the Spirit he is seeking then what he pretendeth to seek for the sense and feeling of approven faith and full assurance of faith is not given to every believer but to him that sights the fight of faith and in his tryals adhereth closely to Christ and to his truth when he is tempted to sin as the clause in the close of the seven Epistles to the Churches of Asia doth teach us Rev. 2. 3. To him that overcometh I will give to eat of the tree of life to eat of that hid manna I will give him that white stone and a new name written thereon which no man knoweth save he that receiveth it Fourthly the afflicted must be instructed or put in minde to distinguish between believing in Christ and the knowing that he doth believe in Christ as may be learned from 1 Ioh. 5. 13. These things I writ to you that believe on the name of the Son of God that you may know that you have eternal life and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God He must distinguish between true though weak saying faith and strong faith True saving faith is in that person who being pursued by the Law doth flye for refuge to lay hold upon Christ the hope set before us The man that dwelleth in this city of Christ and maketh use of Christ as the only remedy against sin and misery as he is offered to us in the Gospel hath right unto that strong and well-grounded consolation spoken of Heb. 6. 17 18 19. True and saving faith is in that person who acknowledging himself a child of wrath heartily receiveth the Lord Jesus Christ as he offereth himself to us in the Gospel for such a person hath the right and priviledge of a child of God and may reckon himself among believers in Christ Ioh. 1. 12. As many as received Christ to them gave he power to become the Sons of God even to them that believe in his name True and saving faith is in that person who being convinced of his enimity against God doth answer the request of God in Christ in the mouth of his Ministers with a hearty consent unto the covenant of grace and reconciliation offered to all that hear the Gospel 2 Cor. 5. 19 20. God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself not imputing their trespasses unto them and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliateon Now then we are Embassadors for Christ as though God did beseech you by us we pray you in Christs stead be ye reconciled unto God for he hath made him that is Christ to be sin for us who knew no sin that we might be made the righteousness of God in him Therefore let the afflicted answer thus I receive the offer and do consent upon these termes to be reconciled to God Lord help my unbelief for thou hast said seek ye my face and my soul answereth Thy face O Lord will I seek hide not thy face from me Ps. 27. 8 9. He that upon these termes doth flye to Christ and resolveth to adhere unto him needeth not doubt but he is received in the state of grace for confirmation whereof let the fruits of faith outward and inward which may be observed by the afflicted himself or by his comforter be called to mind and let him rest and go on in the course of obedience of the Gospel CHAP. VI. Wherein the doubt of the regenerat man concerning his being in the state of grace arising from his apprehended defect of humiliation and sorrow for sin is answered SOme regenerat persons will be found who mourn indeed for their sin and
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
conscience and felt wrath pursuing me for sin may be clear to me by its own light and scriptural evidence albeit it being possibly the very instant of my conversion I cannot produce any fruits or evidences of my conversion past or else what shall be said of malefactors on the scaffold presently to be put to death and possibly not wakened in conscience before not fled to Christ before What shall be said of sick persons near unto death who being self-condemned do betake themselves in their last agony unto the grace of God in Christ offered to self-condemned sinners in the Gospel 2. I must put difference between a reason to prove that I have believed and a reason why I may and must now believe The reason to prove that I have believed is from the effect to prove the cause thereof to wit faith to be in me but the reason why I may now and must believe is from the cause to infer the effect that should be in me the cause of believing in Christ is Gods command to self-condemned sinners which command I must now obey left I perish and so if I find fruits I prove I have believed because I feel the love of God shed abroad in my heart and that I love God who hath freely loved me and here I reason from the effect to prove that the cause of this fruit to wit saâ—ing faith hath preceeded and is gone before Again I prove that I should believe because the offer of the Gospel and of free grace in Christs made to all self-condemned persons renouncing confidence in their own worth or works is made to me with a command to believe in the Son of God Christ Jesus for which cause I may and ought to cast my self upon his grace who justifieth the ungodly flying to him without the works of the Law 3. I must put difference between my having fruits of faith in me and my observing and finding these fruits in me for a true convert may have both faith and fruits and for the time being under tryal and temptation may be so darkened that he can see nothing in himself but sin and apparent wrath pursuing him for sin as may be seen in Ionah in the belly of the fish Ionah 2. 4. and David Ps. 51 9 10. 4. I must put difference between my perswasion that I have been and am a true convert and a sincere believer and my perswasion that I have right reason and good warrand to believe in Christ in my lowest condition howsoever then I find my self emptied of all signes of saving grace in me for the time yet my perswasion that I should in this sad condition flye to Christ and believe in him doth serve to make me consent heartily unto the offer of the covenant of grace in Christ doth serve to make way for my justification and looseth all doubts and objections of Sathan tempting me to mis-believe and to run away from Christ and the offered mercy in him 5. And last of all I must put difference between making use of good fruits brought forth by me for confirmation of my faith and my putting confidence in or laying weight on these good fruits for many true converts do here fail and do not mark the mistakes for when they find love to God and his Saints with fear and holy reverence and such other like signes of grace in their hearts and outward fruits thereof in their life then they do believe in Christ and rejoice in him but when at another time they find hardnesse of heart profanity and perversenesse of a wicked nature in themselves they are like to quite their interest in the covenant of Grace and to stand aloof from Christ like strangers when they should most be humbled and creep in to him for remission of sin aâ—d hiding of their nakednesse by his imputed righteousnesse And what is this in effect else then in the first place to lean on their works and holy disposition as if there were merit in them and then after in the next place to believe in Christ who hath furnished them those fruits whereas they should in the sense of their sin and unworthinesse first flye to Christ and firmly adhere to him by faith that out of his fulnesse they may receive grace for grace according as we are taught to do by Christ himself Ioh. 15. 5. He that abideth in me and l in him the same bringeth forth much fruit for without me you can do nothing CHAP. VII Concerning the case of the convert in some point of doctrine deluded and pleasing himself in this condition TO speak of delusion and bewitching in the general requireth a large Treatise It shall suffice our purpose to speak of it as it hath place in the point of doctrine and practice erroneous Which we describe thus Delusion is a powerfull operation of a lying Spirit whereby he obtrudes to men some noysome error in doctrine or practise contrary to true doctrine fairded over with sophistical deceits and doth perswade inconsiderate souls effectually to receive the error for truth and to defend and spread it in their rash zeal For explication of which description we say 1. delusion is a powerfull operation of a lying Spirit wherein Sathan in Gods judgment is permitted to put forth his power in lying effectually Therefore in all his effectuall delusions there is a concurring righteous judgment of God in loosing reins to the rempter that by delusion one sin in one degree may be punished by a following sin in a higher degree No wonder therefore that a lying Spirit do work more effectually when he is not restrained by the powerfull hand of God 2. We say that delusion is in some dangerous error tending to the damage of the Church and hazard of souls And this we say not as if we did think that any sin doth not draw with it the merit of death for the wages of every sin is death but because Sathan is not so busie to spred and foment such errors as are lesse perillous as he is active in such errors which do most tend to pester the Church and divert the professors of religion from the path way of saving doctrine And to this purpose he essayes all means that he may obscure and darken the truth and devise and spread abroad the most pernicious errors Mean time he is not idle in sowing and spreading lesser errors that he may stir up contention and jangling in the Church whereby precious time which should be spent for mutual edification may be idly wasted in needlesse disputes and mens minds may be prepared to receive grosser errors Thirdly we put some difference between errors in doctrine and errors in practice albeit there cannot be one error in practice whether it be in the external worship or government of the Church or in outward conversation which being stiffly maintained hath not some error of judgment and doctrine joyned with it or else it should not be contrary to sound doctrine
Christians with giving them over to their own hearts lusts and letting them not only walk in their own counsells and in the imaginations of their own ill hearts but also in his justice sending to them strong delusions and false teachers to authorize their errors and hold them on in the way to perdition What wonder to see God for the light esteeming of baptisme bestowed on men in their infancy and the not making use thereof for mortification of lusts and sanctification of life by faith in Jesus Christ to let loose phanatick Anabaptists to teach men to renounce their baptisme What wonder to see mens loose-living in the service of their sensual lusts punished with letting loose antichristian Antinomians who turning the grace of God in wantonnesse do avouch whatsoever they do it is no sin and that they are not bound to keep the law which Christ professeth he came not to dissolve but by the contrary to establish it What wonder to see mens carnal confidence in their own wit worth strength and ability works and merits punished with letting loose lying spirits to harden them in their error And what wonder to see God punishing the abuse of the Gospel and refusing to receive the truth in love with giving men over to the spirit of Antichrist and strong delusions 2 Thess. 2. The patrons and propagators of such errors and delusions are called by the Apostle ministers of Sathan and false brethren 2 Cor 11. 16. deceivers 1 Tim. 4. 1. and men who were of old ordained to this condemnation From whose contagion and punishment let every misled soul pray to God to be delivered CHAP. VIII Concerning the converts conscience mistaking vice for vertue and pleasing himself in this condition THis case differeth from the case of delusion which we have taken for erring in the matter of Religion whether doctrine or worship pertaining to the first table of the Law but this mistaking conscience is in the practice of duties of the second table when the doctrine of the duty is confessed but in practice and action vice is practised under the notion and pretense of vertue and the man is pleased with himself in so doing Whereof it shall suffice to give three instances The first instance THe first instance wherein a convert may be for a time mistaken is when a man pleaseth himself in â—igardly parcimony and narrow scraping together of mony to the hinderance of spiritual duties under pretense of frugality and diligence in his calling c. Whereby he perswadeth himself that his practice is so far from sin as it is rather commendable and worthy to be imitat for he conceiveth that according to Gods command he is not slow in the work of the Lord but fervent in spirit serving the Lord Rom. 12. 11. that he is working with his hands that which is good Ephes. 4. 18. that he is providing for the necessity of his family for which if he should not provide he should be worse then an infidel 1 Tim. 5. 8. If the mater were found so to be after examination true it is frugality diligence in a lawfull calling and provision for a mans family are commendable but here is the deceit of the heart found when anxiety is found in stead of moderat carefulnesse when hasting to be rich is found in stead of moderat diligence in his calling when love of money and avarice is found in stead of honest provision for a mans family We grant also that this mistake is not easily discerned by beholders but yet the convert himself after examination may discern it when he looketh upon the effects signs and concomitant evils such as are felt impediments and hinderances of a spiritual disposition for this covetousnesse of things earthly whereof we are speaking doth marr the study and endeavour for things spiritual and diminisheth the fear of sinning in the mater of gain and taketh up the time due for spiritual exercise In this case carnal joy in the getting gain is a sign and evidence of a deceived heart and so is also wordly grief for want of successe or for not getting expected and desired gain a proof of this mistaking The causes of this evil are the too great fear of poverty an over-high estimation of riches a diffidence of Gods providence a doubting of Gods promises to furnish his own with food and raiment and things necessary for this temporal life which diffidence Christ doth expresly discharge Mat. 6. 24 25. But for a remedy of this evil the person guilty cannot seek after nor embrace it so long as he is not convinced of his sinfull condition wherefore for clearing a mans mind in this point let him examine himself whether in following gain his heart be oft-times surfetted and overcharged with the cares of this life and made frequently indisposed for prayer and religious exercises whether he be too much taken with gladnesse when he gaineth and grief when he suffereth loss and worldly damage whether he useth for hope of gain or fear of life to lye and flatter or dare deal injustly in his bargains whether he findeth himself slow unto exercises of religion but prompt and ready for secular affairs whether he spend the time heavily in religious exercises and is weary of them but can passe the time pleasantly in the affairs of this life If he find himself convinced by shrewd signs of this evil let him humble himself in Gods sight flye unto Christ for fastening his bargain for righteousnesse and eternal life through Christ then let him not cast off his diligence in and faithfull discharge of his lawfull calling but by a religious disposition of mind and observance of all religious exercises seasonably temper and moderat his diligence in secular affairs and depend upon God more then he hath done for the successe of his labours and take from God loss or advantage as he giveth it so as he may be found in prosperity and adversity submissive unto God and ready for the discharge of charity and equity as occasion shall offer Another instance THere is another instance wherein a convert may be mistaken to wit when a man pleaseth himself in in the prosecution of privat revenge that he may pay home to such as have wronged him in the mater of his credit and reputation or in his goods or bodily harm done to him or his friends for this ungodly disposition he may pretend possibly a care of following retributive justice wherein he may seem to himself to come short except he should watch for a recompence-giving to the person injurious he may possibly pretend a dutifull respect to publick peace and welfare of the commonwealth of the society wherein he liveth wherein he may seem to himself to come short if he should suffer the person injurious to him to go away unpunished he may pretend also his own safety and security for time to come whereof he may seem to himself carelesse except he make it evident that whosoever doth him wrong